Kiwi ladies who need encouragment, but all welcome.
Comments
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KT - glad your markers are down. I don't agree with your registrar. My RO and MO immediately put me on ovarian suppression when I was dx with Stage IV (and still getting my monthly). It was done so I could take Femara and other A/Is that are only for post-menopause women. And because I am ER/PR+, they wanted to shut down my hormones so that the mets would be stable and not progress. Obviously, I'm not a doctor and I know that everyone's situation is different, but I'd sure want a second opinion on that.
Hugs to all,
Terre
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Interesting, Terre. I will ask again next time I'm there! (3weeks away)
I think his reasoning is that I'm on chemo so that'll take care of it....Don't know how many people are on ovarian suppression & chemo??
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KT - it may well be because you're on chemo. As I mentioned, everyone is different. I'm just on Femara and stable on it so far. Chemo is a totally different animal! Be interesting to know if that's why. The good news for me is that after six months of ovarian suppression (hated those injection implant thingies), I'm formally in menopause so don't have to do them anymore.
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I totally agree re the zoladex implants! I was on it for 3 years, as well as letrozole (femara) but it stopped working for me & I went on to xeloda.
I thought I was in menopause too, until 2 1/2 weeks ago
It would be easier if I was...I'm glad you're still going strong on it
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Thanks KT. My info was completely off and out of line. No surprise there! It's been that kind of a week. I'm sure your registrar knows much more than me!
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No worries Terre
I think I may well bring the topic up again in my next onc appt as it does seem wrong to have oestrogen floating around when I'm ER+
I too don't know all the ins & outs & what reasoning lies beneath! It's a mystery to me. And we're all different in how we respond to treatments....
I think it's good to be aware of what other people are doing for treatment and to be your own advocate. To be as informed as you can without getting a medical degree...
So long as its working I'm ok with my treatment
kt
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Hi ladies, hope you are all doing well. I just wondered if anyone has heard from Alyson. Alyson if you are out there, how are you?
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Hi Fizzdon. How are you doing?
I just saw Alyson posted on the Aussie thread. Apparently midnight is in hospital with cellulitis. I hope they sort it soon.
Thinking of you midnight- I was just wondering the other day how you were, it would be nice to see you here again
kt
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Oh poor Midnight. That doesn't sound good at all. Hope the hospital can get that sorted ASAP.
Alyson hope things are going ok with you too.
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Hi ladies. Got the results from my January scan. All good
Stable and no progression. Yaayyyyyy! Long may it continue. Unfortunately my car is not in the same position. My WOF found a lot of hidden rust and its not worth repairing plus its over 15 years old and the expensive CVT transmission will need major work soon. The bloody cancer this has really put a mega spanner in the works. Basically looking at a car that will see me out - hopefully for 10 years+ :-D Unfortunately it will mean a loan with income protection. Everything comes to a screaming halt with the disclosure of MBC. No family or friends to help out unfortunately and since I live alone, I'm the sole breadwinner. Has anyone else been in the same/similar position and have some tips? I'm looking at a new/near new Toyota Yaris or Corolla (would love the new Vitara 3 door but that's a Lotto dream). I can get an exclusion for the BC but the zinger is "anything related to" ... that can even mean as a result of treatment, or falling over because of mets in a leg. My body is reacting badly to the lack of estrogen so I'm sure that would come under that heading. Am I buggered? Any suggestions? Cheers, Anne0 -
Hi Anne,
Congrats on the good scan results!!
I'm in a similar situation...I'm married but my husband is basically retired. And my car wasn't worth saving. I wasn't able to find a car loan without the "other related conditions" clause, so I took out a couple of funeral insurance plans that cover it and that have a short waiting period. Doesn't cover disability, unfortunately. If you find anything that will cover unemployment due to "other related conditions", I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know, because I can easily refinance my car and change the coverage.
Good luck with car shopping!
Terre
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So there are other ladies out there in the same boat as me. I am on my own and only just make ends meet. Being a single lady and paying rent in Auckland it's really hard to survive, every day is a struggle. If my car died I would honestly give up. Some days I wonder why I bother getting out of bed anyway. I want to get funeral coverage so my kids don't have to worry when I go, but I didn't think someone who had breast cancer would be able to get it?
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Fizz...you can get it through Cigna, AA, or AMI. I have one through Cigna ($10K) and one through AA (fuel discounts!). The Cigna one has a 2 year waiting period for pre-existing conditions, but if you pass away before that time is up, your beneficiaries get your policy payments refunded. For the $10K, I pay like $50 a month (for each one). AA gives me $0.20 a litre of fuel once a month, is about the same price, has a 3 year waiting period, but a much better accidental death provision. So hedging my bets. The Cigna one pays out the quickest on pre-existing conditions for those I've looked at. I can't get disability or "regular" life insurance, but was able to get the funeral cover. You can get up to $15K; I think it was about $80 a month.
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Thanks for that KiwiCatMom I will certainly look into those. Never dreamed I would be able to get it
Donna 0 -
fizz I'm another in the same boat. Single mum paying central Auckland rents. That's one reason I can't give up work. I don't know how we would survive. I guess I'll have to cross that bridge at some point but hope to have all the kids completely off my hand by then. I have funeral cover as well with pinnacle. There's a 2 year waiting period but I'm over a year into it.
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Thanks Terre. That is a very good idea. My car is only roadworthy until the 27th, so I will research them on the internet. Fizz, I'm really sorry you're in this position and no, you're not alone. I never had children and no immediate family (apart from a brother with untreated paranoid/schiz). Yes, it can be a struggle especially when you don't know what is around the corner. There are a few times I have wished for an exact timetable so I could decide if I wanted to throw in the job and just live slightly outrageously for a while while I can. Anyway, from what I've seen on TV, I don't think there are any medicals or exclusions; your estate wouldn't get the money if you die within whatever period they state, i.e. 24 months. Is that correct Terre?
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Funeral cover: Just did a quick Google search and found this http://www.insurancehelpline.co.nz/funeral. You can get a comparison chart. Maybe Grey Power has something, also the Consumer website (I have membership). Cheers, Anne.
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Hi Anne,
From what I understand, that is correct.
I know what you mean about schedule - I feel much the same. Just let me know so I can plan!
That said, I have a friend (I may have told this story on this thread already), who had full on AIDS in 1995 and checked into hospice, was one of the first in the US to get protease inhibitors and went on to be our best man 7 years ago at our wedding. He had a freak accident about a month ago; tripped and fell and hit his head, had a brain bleed, and died. So...we all thought Bob would die of AIDS or something related, and instead, he was hit by the proverbial bus. I just try to be PRO (I read this somewhere) - Proactive, Realistic, and Optimistic. And remember that a cure could be around the corner or we could get hit by a bus (especially me since I work in Wellington).
take good care and hugs to all,
Terre
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Haha your post made me laugh Terre, be careful when crossing the road down there
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I am! I'm in Auckland all next week, so only have to worry about getting hit by cars instead of buses.
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And falling asleep whilst stuck on the motorway haha!
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Hi there everyone
I am new here. Fizz mentioned this board to me. I am still awaiting mammogram and ultrasounds after finding a lump in my left breast, which the doctor has confirmed (this morning) is 3x2cm. He also found several smaller lumps in my right breast. Not sure how long I have to wait for the imaging to be done. For me, right now, that is the hardest part. I hope I can support everyone here through what they are dealing with too!
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Fizz, I feel your pain re Auckland being expensive to live ... we are from Wellington, but when my husband (second husband -- we've been together a few years) lost his job in Wellington, the only work he could find was in Auckland. With not being able to sell our house in Upper Hutt, I stuck tenants in it, but then found it hard to afford Auckland rentals (or find a house that will allow my little yappies).
We now live in rural Huntly and my poor husband does the long commute to Auckland and back every day. I sometimes think with what it is costing him to travel, it equates to the same as renting would have been. hahahaha. But at least I can keep my yappies where I am now, and I've got all kinds of other animals here too (one of them is kind of human ... some of the time ... i.e. my foster son). hehe
The others have posted some good suggestions re funeral insurance. Let us know how you go. And thanks again SO MUCH for letting me know about this particular board!
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Hi Koo,
Welcome to the page! Tom Petty is right - the waiting is the hardest part. I'm hoping for good news for you, but even if it's crap news, you can formulate a plan. Living in limbo is the worst. Sending you hugs and good thoughts.
Terre
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Hi Koo - welcome. I am relatively new here, as I joined in September last year. We all know the anxiety of test results. I wish you all the best. I remember people telling me the not knowing was the worst and they were right. Once I knew what I was dealing with, I started to get it together and deal with what was being thrown at me. Now I am a week out from my last chemo, and doing ok. These ladies have been an amazing virtual support to me.
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Thank you so much, KiwiCat and Kiwi1966. Yeah, I totally get what you're saying. I can handle whatever the diagnosis is, because, as you say, then you can formulate a plan and know where you belong in terms of BC or not BC. But, either way, it is wonderful to be around such amazing ladies. I've been reading heaps of posts on this forum and can really feel the friendship, love and warmth. I feel privileged to be here. Kiwi 1966, I am so glad you are doing okay! Hugs to you and everyone!
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hi all
good to hear everybody is doing well. Has anybody tried to get health insurance after diagnosis? Also for those of you on Femara (letrozole) has anybody got numb/tingeling fingers (like carpal tunnel)?
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Hi Woodyhollow,
I'm on letrozole and definitely have weird finger/hand stuff happening. My MO says it's from the letrozole. It comes and goes; gets really bad for a while then disappears.
I haven't tried to get health insurance...not sure what the outcome would be, but would be interested to know.
Have a great evening!
Terre
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Welcome Koo
Yay Twofer on your scan results.
Kiwi- last chemo on the 16th? - hope it goes well.
Hi Woody
se's are a pain aren't they. Hope your hand feels better soon.I feel for those of you doing this on your own, no fun
I hope you have friends that can help support you when needed. Mind you sometimes having a dh & kids seems more trouble than they're worth! Especially tired grumpy teenagers and a Dh who seems to always be distracted by motorcycles....not too much time to help me out.
Doesn't help when he gets home at 2:30am which wakes me up, then I have to get up at 5 to work! Having had no sleep in between! That makes me the grumpy one
Hope your weekend is going well
kt
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HI all, Koo so glad you found us. Such a nice helpful bunch of ladies
Well my imagination is running away from me again. I haven't felt right for ages and found out I have very high blood pressure. I am on so many drugs now it's hard to know if one of them is causing me all this distress. My doctor ordered a blood test and apparently I have high protein in my blood which indicates something is up with my kidneys. So on Friday I had to have another blood test and urine test. Thankfully I am meeting with my Onco team at Botany tomorrow and boy do I have lots of questions. I am wondering if I am having a bad reaction to Femara and yes to those ladies who asked, I do get numb fingers sometimes, but of course I think I'm having heart attack when that happens. FML I'm over it. It's so hard trying to be happy for your kids and sit at work when you have to keep rushing to the toilet and are in agony. One of the men at work said to me last week, "What's up Donna I can tell you haven't been well for weeks". So I guess my acting isn't very good. Then I'm thinking maybe I'm a hypochondriac? and need mental help haha! Can't seem to win at the moment. Anyway I have a week off work next week, so that will be nice and I can't wait.0
