Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Usually, this time of year, the Chicago Hilton & Towers (formerly the Conrad Hilton of 1968 Dem. Convention riot fame, and originally the Stevens--as in former SCOTUS Justice John Paul Stevens, whose grandfather built it and who--along with his brother--modeled for its lobby fountain as a child) has a giant gingerbread house in the elevator lobby. But this year, it's a gingerbread model of the hotel! Will look for a pic to post.
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CaliGirl, The babies are adorable!
Celand, No grandkids here either. 4 grand kitties and 2 grand doggies.
Judy, I know what awful winters you can get. I'd hoped that I'd miss them
HUGS!
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LG, glad you checked in!
Jill, what a beautiful family!
Sandy, Love that gingerbread house. Have fun!
Molly, how wonderful that DS was awake and everyone well for Christmas. Cherish it!
HUGS!
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Ladies, I just posted this on another thread and thought maybe some of you might be interested. I've lost some of my hand strength over the years and use this jar opener Jar Opener. I've had it for years and it was very needed after DH lost all his strength from the Parkinson's. I used to just use it on pickle jars. Now I use it a lot more. And it WORKS! I give it 10 stars on a 5 star scale
HUGS!
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Thank you , Peggy . I have lost strength in my hands too . I may order one . Beautiful family , Jill . Caligirl , beautiful babies .
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Molly, some of that loss of strength seems to come with age and then all the other factors that BC can add. It truly takes almost no effort to use. I have others that are "V" shaped and you slide the jar into the V and twist but they don't grip well (at least for me). This one really grips tightly. Even my wine bottles - most important!
HUGS!
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IHG, I love your gingerbread house. We used to always make a gingerbread house on Christmas day when the kids were younger. Of course, ours didn't look nearly as nice as yours. Maybe we can put together my gingerbread men with your gingerbread house next year!
Lovingrouches, you know you live in the Deep South when you turn on the A/C on Christmas day, LOL. What with 78 degree temp and 2 ovens going, I was positively glowing.
Molly, so glad DS felt well enough to join in. And hooray for no illness in the family this year!
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Hi all. Love all the pics, gingerbread, grand babies, and family! I love that it makes all the messages so personal and we get to know each other as a whole person! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah. I had a wonderful day with all my family. Day started at 7:30 and we got home around 9:30. It's been such a tough year for all of us, and it was so good to have everyone together supporting each other. One of my nieces is an attorney and will be leaving in a few weeks to begin a job at the Hague to work on the Lebanon war crime trials. It was special to have them with us before she and her husband leave for Amsterdam.
Peggy, I have a similar jar opener that I use all the time. Mine just doesn't adjust the way yours does. I have arthritis in my thrombus so it really comes in handy.
Jill, thinking positive thoughts that the calcifications are nothing.
Only 3 more rad treatments for me. The last week and a half were really bad with skin issues, but all of a sudden things are getting much better. Will definitely celebrate on Thursday!! 36 rads is a lot!
Hope all have a relaxing, (warm) week. Some of you are really having to dig out from the snow!
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Dara, glad your Christmas was nice! I love that my can opener is sooo adjustable. You might consider upgrading sometime
Hurry and get through those last rads so you can heal. I had 33. While not particularly onerous, it was awfully nice to be done.HUGS!
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Peggy, thanks for the jar opener recommendation. I have added it to my Amazon wish list. The one I have is the V shaped one which doesn't work very well. I recently bought this Tornado Topper which is great for opening the child-proof pill bottles I struggle with. I had three dogs taking pills at the same time! I still have strong hands, but my thumbs hurt when I use much force. The small tops, such as on a milk bottle or water bottle cause me the most pain.And the pill bottles were really bad without my latest gadget.
Jill, I love your family photo! Your hair looks great. Mine is long enough to spike now. Twice it has been mistaken for a "hairstyle"
Judy and Sandy, thank you for the gingerbread photos. I am determined to make a real gingerbread house! Last year I bought a small kit for the three granddaughters, who loved it. But now that I'm retired, I want to make a big one. I have this crazy idea that I could start an annual BC charity event with a gingerbread house competition. I've not heard of one in this area. One of my hiking friends is an architect and he could be one of the judges.
Sue, I really love the sentiments in your card! I try to think of many of those words when I first wake up in the morning.
The weather here is in the 40s and 50s. Lots of snow on the Sierras, 40 miles to the east. Yesterday it was clear enough to see them - so beautiful! Tomorrow I am going snowshoeing with some friends. I'm thinking positive thoughts for everyone!
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Alice, it's funny but I find the childproof prescription bottles easier to open than the ones that aren't (mine are from Walgreens). But OTC stuff drives me crazy it's often so hard to open. Great idea for your gingerbread houses and BC!!
HUGS!
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Celand, Starks is about 40 minutes west of lake charles. I live not far from the Texas line. It's the last exit in Louisiana before you get to Orange and Beaumont Texas on Interstate 10. What hot weather were having lol!
Glad all seemed to have a great Christmas!!!!! HUGS to all!!!
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Molliefish- good to hear from you- one of the most thoughtful people I have met on this whole site..you pop up with the most precious messages. Happy holidays to you and yours!
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Thank you Happyhammer... and a very happy Holiday to you and yours
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Precious family photo, Jill..love it!
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Peggy ..thank you for sharing... I thought it was just me and my age. I'm finding it so hard to open things and my right wrist is so weak now. I had surgery on it last year and it healed completely but now it is worse. My left hand keeps getting tingly and numb like my right use to do before surgery. They are both very stiff now..its heck feeling so stiff and old to add to the burning boob syndrome that I'll have soon.
I love all the pictures everyone shared!
Sandy...I hope to get to New York one day!
My aunt shared that she used thin shoulder pads she found in a fabric store to help slip in her bra when she got so tender from radiation or too greasy from lubing up!!
#CANCERCANKISSMYASS ....I love it
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Moondust- love your hair...you look great! Happy holidays, one and ALL!!!
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Cali and Peggy, I have mod-severe arthritis in both hands and have lost a lot of grip strength. In fact, I frequently drop things because of it. I had right thumb joint replacement in 2007 when the pain and disability became unedurable--I had lost about 70% use of my right hand. I could still type, but found writing very hard, so I learned to write left-handed for several months. After surgery, I regained about 90% use of my hand, but I struggle to open cans and jars. I'll have to look into your special jar opening thingy.
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Cali and Poodles, glad I can help out with my jar opener. I love mine. And it does work!
HUGS!
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Losing your hand capability.. is sooo frustrating.. I have to wear a brace, have one for both hands, but left is the worst and gets very painful without the brace on. the bc was bad, but losing my hands is atrocious..
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Lovinggrouches,
OK, we have traveled that path many times on way to Houston. Years ago, my brother-in-law and his wife lived in Orange. Don't go to Houston very often, we have some cousins who live near there but who wants to fight that kind of traffic, unless you absolutely have to! However, I am comforted to know should I need to, MD Anderson in Houston is only 3 hours away from me - guess if we had to we definitely would go there - my co-worker currently gets treatment there for brain cancer and is doing quite well.
So far, I am satisfied with my medical team and treatment plan here.
If you ever venture this way I live a few miles from Exit 100 off of I-10.
Celand
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Celand, we get to Lafayette maybe twice a year. We love to go to the whole foods market and stock up on organic meats and supplies we can't find anywhere else. We bring coolers and everything! Lol!!! We do a lot of our grocery shopping in orange and beaumont because of no food tax
I'm currently also happy with my cancer team here, but an happy to know that Houston is 2 or so hours away also. My prayer is that we will never need to use them. ;0). You never know! Might could get together for dinner one day. Bet you would know the best eating spots. Hubby has been dying to try red robin since we've never eaten there lol!!
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Hi all...just reading along, I have my grandkids visiting so little time to do more than quickly read, but had to jump in to echo your sentiments,Alice, about how beautiful the Sierras look topped with lots of snow...hoping to get up there for some snowshoeing soon myself!
Wishing all of you a happy and peaceful New Year!
Octogirl
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Octogirl, Merry Christmas to you and enjoy those grandkids! Thank you again for introducing me to Rosie - a great friend!
HUGS!
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The snow capped mountains and clear skies have been a wonderful site here in Clovis too!
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Lovinggrouches, we live not far from Whole Foods! I have not gone there but plan to as I am curious as to what the store is like. I forgot about no tax shopping when you buy in nearby state - I used to live in Shreveport many years ago and sometimes residents of E. Texas and Arkansas would buy merchandise at the store where I worked because of not having to pay tax.
MD Anderson is even closer for you - I hope and pray that I never need to make that trip but glad that they are so close should the need ever arise. I have known several cancer cases be treated there and the patients did well (especially the one with brain cancer - it was stage iv when discovered).
Yes, would like to get together for dinner when you and hubby come this way. We have eaten at Red Robin once - it was pretty good. Lafayette has so many choices of restaurants - we have a few of our favorites!
Is it usually on weekends that you all come to Lafayette? My hubby and I are off on weekends, so that would be a good time for us.
Celand
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Well, 10 treatments down, 20 to go! My skin is beginning to "pink up" but the nurse and RO says that it looks pretty good. I have been using Aquaphor right after my treatment, then later in evening applying Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel (contains no alcohol). Now the nurse told me that Lubriderm lotion was fine to use but gave me some samples of a lotion called "UdderlySmooth" Body cream. I will try this one - she says that Walmart sells it, if I like it I can buy it there.
The rads technicians also told me that I might have to stop wearing bra if skin gets tender under bra line - they said that plain corn starch could keep that dry - when is this likely to happen? Or does it not happen to everyone?
Celand
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Celand, that was the problem I had about the last 2 weeks of regular treatments. The skin on the underneath side blistered badly and was very sore. I had to quit wearing a bra. The RO said it doesn't always happen but it's quite common because it's where the skin rubs and gets irritated. The Udderly Smooth is good, my RO gave me samples as well. I also used Miaderm-L which contained lidocaine to ease the discomfort. When the blisters opened (wasn't watery like heal blisters etc.) but had like a gelatinous covering over the blisters, my RO prescribed Silvadene and that really worked well. Once I ended the regular treatments and started the boosts, the skin took about a week and then almost overnight started healing. It was really the pitts but didn't last all that long for me. My tumor was right above the nipple smack dab in the middle, so my boosts center on the nipple which is very sensitive, but not blistered at all. Just keep the creams flowing and don't hesitate to ask for the prescription creams if it the skin breaks open.
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Celand, my radiation center used Udderly Smooth and Miaderm. If I may make a suggestion, when you hit the point that you are red enough to hurt (I was around the last two weeks or so) try Miaderm with lidocaine. You can buy it on Amazon. It is pricey but it was worth the extra $$ for me. When my skin got really bad and broken down under my arm in the axilla my RO prescribed Prilocaine for me. Chances are the long weekends will be your saving grace. I was in treatment during Thanksgiving. The extra 3 days allowed my skin to heal a bit.
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