The Hermit Club
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jazzy, you have been in my thoughts. How you doing today?
Blondie, ditto! How are you?
I bought a wig and a little beanie before chemo, and will get some skull caps too....i got my hair cut short already, and got the wig trimmed a tad.. suddenly i am fee of a lifelong hair obsession. I hated any grey, always colored it, and kept it very coiffed. My hair and boobs were my best features! Ha. Well, i suppose i will have to develop a personality now
. Seriously, it is liberating in that when i am done with tx, no more expensive coloring, etc. for me. I simply do not care if my hair is grey now. 0 -
Teka- congrats on making it through another follow up and heading into the home stretch to your 5 year anniv. I bet it feels good to have things done this week. Now you can relax and enjoy your weekend!
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Wow well done Teka.....you kept that quiet.........
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Oh Teka good for you.
Jazzy it sounds like u'r taking it easy for once Thank you.
Oh Bippy--just get u'r head shaved, it's much easier on u. Wear pretty scarves and earring too that sparkle--I think I wore my wig once, but always wore different hts and scarves---while I was working anyway but when I was home I went a la naked--But I did have ugly hair so it was no loss for me. I really feel bad for women who have pretty hair. And when I'd pull up my underwear I'd have to move my boobs, so another no loss for me.
I already had calls this morning--we did get loads of rain and North or South of us (I get cofused ) got a lot of flooding so we were lucky--Big Thunderstorms tho during the nite, my cat hid so it woke me up.
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Teka, so happy that your 6 month follow-up went fine.
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well done! You drank your coffee girl!
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Jazzy woke up to swelling around her eyes and nose this morning and went "ut oh." I figured it might be from some drainage from the surgery, but called the derm office right away and got VM. After two hours with no call back, I did call back and got sent to more VM, but then called back again and went to patient reg and said "I keep getting routed to voice mails and have a problem post surgery and need to talk to someone NOW!" The gal found a nurse for me who was very helpful.
It turns out that swelling of the face is common after any surgery on the scalp. Nice to know and nothing anyone told me to be prepared for, and mentioned that to her. She said as long as the incision site is looking okay, not swollen or otherwise looking bad, that this is something to expect each morning for awhile. Any excess blood or fluids in the area will flow to the face during sleep time. So now I am prepared to look in the mirror and see elephant woman each morning! I also know I won't be making any apts to see anyone of importance in the mornings for awhile.
Never a dull moment, but think I am just dealing with some post opp SEs today.
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Morning, Hermies! Still working on my first cup of tea. Relieved to report I finally slept last night. I took a pain pill to do it, but hopefully broke the cycle. So I woke up with a hangover headache. It's gone now.
Jazzy, have you tried cucumber compresses for your face swelling? Just a thought.
Cami, I'm with you on the hair thing. Mine has always been fine and straight, and I started going white at 18, was salt & pepper by 40. My avatar picture is last Christmas, after I had a perm, and it's the first time I've really liked my hair in a long time. And I had the same problem with my boobs getting in the way. I certainly don't miss the summer underboob sweat, that's for sure!
Teka, I'm doing the snoopy dance for your good checkup results! Grats!
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Mags- sorry about the hangover headache. I woke up with a post op headache one day this week myself. Thank god for pain pills of any kind.
Been putting some cold compresses on my eyes. I am seeing the swelling go down the longer I am up, but it is still puffy. It is raining here today which makes everything puffy anyways. Cuke slices are a good idea too!
Teka- you bask in the good results this week. You deserve to have a happy dance your way today!
Cami- it is raining here too but no big storms thankfully. Glad you are not suffering from any flooding your way.
Time to get to some filing and purging that I started yesterday. Papers galore to file or purge next! Easy low energy day this way my friends.
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Me today with puffy face!
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Mags, happy to hear you slept well last night.
Jazzy, sorry you have to cope with face puffiness ... you wudda thought that they would have told you before you went home.
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Sally- still puffy but better. I talked to my sister (doctor) about it and she is surprised it showed up 3 days later. Going to watch this to make sure nothing gets worse. Feeling okay otherwise, and getting some appetite back today. I have not felt like eating much since the procedure (ooh, maybe some weight loss!)
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Teka I am feeling more and more isolated from the normal world...when I was first being told its definitely cancer without the official medical diagnosis I said I did not want to only be able to relate to a world of cancer patients (no offence to anyone) but in fact that seems to be the reality.....................no contact from the person i thought was my best friend for three months now......my intuition tells me its a dead friendship............
I feel llike my world is so much smaller.................
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Jazzy, keep us posted ... I wonder why your appetite suffered ... I think all medical procedures make our bodies and/or our minds rebel at least a little ... darn.
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TEka - yes I have been making huge efforts to do the same but bottom line is friends just do not seem to have a clue or know how to offer support, or maybe they don´t want to................................
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Lily teka is so right---sometimes I think friends just don't know what to say or do and they think OK u have cancer u get chemo plus whatever but don't realize it doesn't stop there for a lot of us. And our individual lives are changed and no one knows for how long or forever. Hell we don't know from day to day and we can't really be with our friends and complain a lot so we put that happy face on. And I know sometimes I don't feel like being with anyone (well except Joey) I'm thankfull I have a sistr I'm so close to and a cousin just as close and my kids, but I will say I have friends that have been with me from the beginning and know there are things I don't do anymore but we see each other often but I make the move usually cuz they know I have bad days--so I initiate the let's get together and we do. Sometimes u have to do it cuz they just don't know how we feel.And believe it or not w make fun of my no boob look and laugh about it, I hope u can reach out to one then it gets easier. U needs other people in u'r life, we all do.
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Lily- I think a couple things happen after bc diagnosis and treatment a) some friends move away from us after a diagnosis because they get scared (or we let them go because they are just not comfortable with us anymore) and b) we do tend to lean in towards the people that understand us best after what we have gone through.
Alot of women do come here for awhile and then leave. Some stay for longer (Teka for 4.5 years, me for almost 2, etc.) But I don't think this bco site can replace our need for direct person to person connection. I get out weekly with friends to do things and make a point to do so. You just sort of have to put yourself out there, but do it when you are ready.
Maybe BCO needs to be the place you come for support around your surgery or other bc related issues. And then the rest of the world can just be there for other stuff. You know, to get out for lunch, or take a walk, do something that takes your mind off this crappy disease.
I never told a lot of folks about my bc for professional reasons. I still see the handful of friends I told. Sometimes I feel like they may be avoiding me but it is never the case. They are just busy with their own lives. I also never tell new people I meet about it either. Makes me feel like I am starting out fresh without the need to disclose my story. I personally don't care to talk about it that much anyways. If I do, I come here.
You love your dogs, maybe something you might do to help abandoned/rescue dogs in your area would bring you to meet some new folks with similar interests?
It is sad when we loose friends over this, but I just feel life is too precious to spend time with people who don't want to be around us for whatever reason.
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happy Saturday Hermies! Saw my onc yesterday and ct scan was clear. So relieved. She said i could have red wine in moderation, take melatonon to sleep! And then best of all, when i told her i was fired, she put me into consideration for a program that will PAY for all my doc visits! Oh yeah, i did shave my head last night! Very liberating and it was coming out in huge clumps before anyhow.
I see here alot are struggling with the letting go of certain friend issue. Me too. I think that we just quickly dispense with any falsities or toxic people when diagnosed. I find that for myself, that is true. Also, it really shows true character in others...for various reasons, some cannot handle it.
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Bippy good news about the onc. tho so all seems under control--I like the idea that he/she told u about a program to help u.
Saturday morning they come by so fast and I think next weekend is the holiday one right? The official end of summer Well we'll se how the weather goes, it's awfully hot now tho so this is the start of crazy weather time. We'll see.
I have to take a shower uggg---yes it's a big deal for me. it never used to be. hahaha
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Bippy, good to hear your CT was clear.
Cami, I hope your shower ended up being pleasant and refreshing.
I am trying to avoid dusting the house today but will probably enjoy it once I get started ... or at least when I am finished.
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Good morning- woke up to less puffiness today. Still a bit around the eyes but nothing as bad as yesterday.
Got some prep to do for the flooring project on Monday and some work opp things to do as well this weekend. It is cool and crisp this morning after a cooler rainy day yesterday. Fall is in the air here too!
Bippy- congrats on the clear CT scan!
Wishing everyone a good weekend with whatever you are doing (cleaning, dusting, painting, relaxing by the pool, etc.)
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Good morning, Hermies! Slept again last night, yay!
Bippy, that is great news about your scan!
Cami, I'm with you on the shower. Always a big deal, tho less so with no hair to wash.
Jazzy, I still want to hear about your floor – what wood did you get, and why? We are looking to replace carpet with wood, soon.
Teka, don't clean too much. You're just going to paint over it anyway, right? Sally, go easy on them dust bunnies.
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Oh sorry Mags, I forgot to answer you on the wood floors. The flooring is called Old Mill Maple, and I chose it because it has a variety of colors in it and when I put it in all the rooms it will being going in, it just looked the best with the various woods and other color themes. It was on the higher end of the flooring products I looked at, but after looking at all different kinds of samples, I never liked anything better than than this one. Since I have a small home, I decided to go with the higher end wood. If I had a 3000 sq foot home, I might have made a different choice.
Also, when choosing wood, you should ask your flooring rep what they recommend for your area you live in. Some woods will do better in some climates than others. He told me to stay away from any of the exotic tropical woods here in the SW, as they will more easily crack in a dry climate. He told me to stick with american woods like oak, maple, hickory, elm, cherry.
Next week, they are doing the entry way, living room and master BR this phase. I bought the extra wood for the spare bedrooms and hallway which will be stored until I can get those rooms done next spring (along with the rest of the re-painting). I will have some before and after pics to share with the work done next week!
Here is what the sample of old mill male looks like. Pretty eh? I have always loved hard wood floors and had them in other places I have lived, but now will have them in this home!
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Jazzy, the various colors in the flooring is lovely. i bet you will be anxious to get the rest of the flooring down when you see this year's phase.
I managed to put off dusting today by going to Home Depot for some new plants. Now I JUST HAVE to take DH out to dinner. But Mags, the dust bunnies are calling me. Teka probably did the cleaning that she planned. I am a naughty but happy girl.
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Sally I'm proud of u--it's so much easier going out to. LOL
TEKA what FALL it was a billion degrees out today with horrid storms and flooding and crap The humidity was horrid, so now we shall see. It did cool a little after the rains came. Sounds like a book turned into a movie.
I love to hear good scans. YYYAAAAYYYYY
Pain is not so good today (like pain is good) well u know what I mean--had to take some meds It's where my intestine went up my side and pushing my liver into my ribs--Some days it's not to bad but today I think this part is missing his gang of other parts of the tummy and decided to have a protest--I can picture the sign in those nodules saying I want to go home--Yea well I wish that guy would go home, It feels like a knife in my side LOL I always explain pain with knives or scissors--I don't know how else to, the Drs. have asked if that ever happened to me and no but that's what it feels like- hahahaha We all know about my Flying Organdas, well they're putting on a big show today.
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Cami, hoping those Flying Organdas get tired real soon and stop their performing.
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Cami- sorry you are not feeling well today. Wishing you a better day tomorrow. I am going to find something to cheer you up.
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Wow Cami, if that doesn't cheer you up you have a problem. Jazzy, it was a great thing you did, inviting that fellow to our little thread here. Can we keep him?
Spent the evening watching Addams Family movies. Good laughing.
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