Stage 2 Sisters Club
Comments
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"Thank you for asking me to (fill in the blank), but I don't feel up to it right now." .....when pressed, "I am still recovering from my cancer treatments."....when pressed further, "The treatments took a lot out of me and I have found recovery to be a long process. When I overdo it I find myself falling in a heap. But I would be glad to (say something that you would actually be glad to do)."
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Hi all - checking in after surgery. Things went well, don't get the biopsy results on the ovary until my follow up on the 30th - funny I'm not concerned either way, gotten to the point that if its soemthing we'll deal with it, treat it and move on. I will say I'm shocked at the side effects of taking out just one ovary! I thought hotflashes were bad on tamoxifen - nothing compares with the ones I have now! My temperature has been a steady 100 degrees since I got home - I'm like a soaking wet furnance!!! Gonna have to buy stock in work appropriate tank tops!!0 -
Kyliet - I agree with Ruth, and her examples are fabulous. An additional thought: If you find that after trying that out, you are left feeling bad instead of empowered, you could then search in your bookstore for a self-help book on "boundaries" which often include ideas and examples on how to say "no thank you" and feel ok about it. On the other hand, if your friends are insisting in taking you out because they noticed you are not yourself and perhaps isolating a bit too much, maybe an appt for an evaluation with a health/medical psychologist can help. Hugs, Nisa0
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Mommado - Yeah, you are back! Sorry about the hot flashes but how nice you don't have to worry about OBGYN stuff for now. They usually do an quick/initial biopsy while you are still on the table so there is a good chance that all is well if nothing big jumped on the first round. Still keeping fingers crossed for you. Hugs, Nisa0
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Thanks for the welcome back!!! I only had one ovary and tube removed so still some nerves but not nearly as many as with the one I had! I missed you guys!Kyliet - I'm also 47 and 3 years out! I didn't have chemo or as major a surgery as you but I hear you on the "expected to be ready to go because you look fine". I personally never really looked sick during my treatment and surgery. I was only out of work for about 4 days and did my Radiation in the morning before work so many people didn't even know I was sick. That's the thing with cancer and peoples thoughts of it - you can look perfectly fine but your insides are a complete mess, your head is in LaLa land from the treatments and from just trying to deal with the emotions of what you are or have gone through. I know after my radiation it took me a good year to get back on my feet and not be tired. I now have blood pressure issues and asthma from the radiation which continue to limit what I can do and for how long. I've just had to tell friends I can't but that I am disappointed and would love to plan something another day for maybe a less amount of time or earlier in the day. If they are truly friends they will understand. I find I have to prepare for plans and am no longer good at the spontaneous thing - I need to plan in my nap and recharge time for after.
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Thanks Ruth, Nisa and Mommado. You gave me the strength and words to do what is best for me. I keep finding I take on too much, then fall in a heap, because I am not good at saying no. I was at a point where I felt at breaking point from other peoples expectations. I feel so much relief for being able to say "I can't do this anymore" Hugs x
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Mommado, if your temperature doesn't drop to normal you better go back to the doctor. You maybe will be hot but you shouldn't have a temperature.
Kyliet, one of my friends (who was diagnosed with BC before me) advised me to 'use the cancer card' when I needed to and not to feel bad about it. Now is a great time to evaluate where you want to put your time and energy and where you do not....and you have a 'legitimate' excuse that nobody can argue with to reorder your life in the way that works best for you.
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Wise words Ruth and I will be doing that from now on.
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Kyliet - I'm so happy we could help. Just remember we are right with you the next time you have to say "sorry I can't today".
Ruth - my temp has seemed to dropped, was up for a few day but it's good now. Still feeling pretty sore - I can't believe how long it is taking me to come back from this simple surgery. Before my cancer and radiation and tamoxifen I would have been up and good to go the next day. Now I'm almost a week out and still exhausted and sore! Of course going to a Musical on Tuesday night and doing all the driving to and from Boston and then cleaning my house on Wednesday probably didn't help LOL
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Cleaning the house will get to you every time!
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I just got my first blood work after finishing chemo in April and rads 2 weeks ago. My ALT is 36. Range is (0-32) Everything else normal. Now I'm thinking I have liver mets. My Onco said this elevation was nothing, so did my primary care doctor.....I just can't help but want some reassurance. I'm on cholesterol meds, that's why it is checked.
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no..it's nothing...liver still insulted from chemo. Labs have different ranges and a couple points off is nothing.I'm in medical field.
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Wow I didn't realize that chemo would take that long to recover. I had TC. Thank you so much for answering!
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It took 5 years after chemo for all my blood work to come back pretty much in the normal range!
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Holy cow! I guess I should be happy the rest is fine0
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Ruth and Mommado - What's housecleaning??
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Something to be avoided.... it is hazardous to one's health!
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My platelets and white blood cells still scrap by at the bottom of normal.....and sometimes slightly below. Nobody else seems worried, I feel fine, and there is nothing I can do about it anyway.... so I've choosen to press the IGNORE button in my head!
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"...it is hazardous to one's health!"
Ruth - may I quote you on that?
(I've avoided asking my bs whether I may take up vacuuming again. I'm sure the answer would be 'yes' but there's no need have that on the record yet.
)Actually, with the heat we're experiencing it's probably wise to avoid heat-producing activities such as vacuuming - one doesn't want to strain the A/C system...
I like the idea of an IGNORE button - but mine doesn't work consistently.
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Take up yoga, meditation, hypnosis....but not vaccuming!
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Great slogan, Ruth!
(I've never thought of yoga as an alternative to vacuuming - my instructor will get a kick out of that.)0 -
Have been a bit absent from thread (and other places) lately so just checking in and thinking of everyone going through chemo. Just 2 years since my first infusion and happy to say memories of all that are starting to fade. Wishing the same to each of you dealing with SEs at this time. Keep drinking water and moving your body when you can! Hugs to all. Nisa0
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Yesterday I had a consult with a NP regarding my right arm's limited range of motion. She'll be working with me twice a week and sent me home with 8 stretching exercises to do. After one day of doing the exercises, I am so darn sore! I can barely move my arms, so I guess the exercises are working!
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PoppyK,I had same arm stiffness to the point where just lifting my arm was a chore. I went to a PT who specialized in mastectomy and lymphoedema and she gave me those exercises to do. They were very difficult at first, I thought my arm and chest were getting torn apart. But after a few weeks things felt so much better. I still don't have complete range of motion without some pain, but it's tolerable. Hope it goes the same for you!
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Poppy - I did not recover full range of motion but ome thing that helped me before stretching exercises at night was heat in the area as recommended by a PT.
Rose - How was Perjeta for you? I know a woman whose stage 4 BC became NED after Perjeta. She calls it a miracle drug. So amazing
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Regular stretching will help a lot and it is something you have to keep doing forever. My range of motion was always pretty good, but I found that it got even better once I started doing yoga (about 7 YEARS after surgery)....so there is always a chance of more improvement if you keep active and push yourself a little (once you are out of the recovery stage).
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Mommado - I ran across your post while searching for Effexor withdrawal. Im currently taking 225 mg per day and still have h/f's but they are milder and fewer. After the most recent doseage increase, approx 1-2 months ago, I started having S/Es such as constipation, insomnia, hand tremors, vision is off, headache. I intend to wean myself off of it. How are you doing with withdrawals?
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nisaVilla, perjeta gave me severe diarrhea for a few days after each of the four treatments, I'm still having bowel issues . Feels like glass coming thru when I move my bowels. I've tried every nonprescription ointment, etc , MO says give it a couple more months, if it's not better he will send me to a gastroenterologist. Perjeta and the rest of my treatments did their job. When I had my surgery, the cancer was gone. Now it just has to stay away
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Hello ladies, I'm a frequent reader but infrequent poster. I'm trying to decide what to do about my port. My last Herceptin was October, 2014. I had all but decided to leave it in a few years (doesn't bother me) until I had had at least 2 clean mammograms. I had asked my surgeon if I could be "out" for the removal and she was fine with it, but now she is leaving the practice for another health system in September. So here's my dilemma: I certainly want to wait till after my August mammogram to do it (the idea of putting a wound anywhere near the pancake maker provokes nausea) and would like my original surgeon to take it out. Do I just suck it up and go into the office and let them do it with Novocain? It will certainly save everybody a lot of trouble. Or schedule outpatient surgery where I can be sedated. Omg I can't believe I'm letting myself get so worked up over this. Has anybody ever had light sedation in the office?
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GG2, I went to the hospital and my surgeon met me in a room along with two nurses, she numbed the area and took it out, went to work right after, it didn't hurt at all even after the numbness wore off. I don't blame you for wanting your original surgeon to take it out, I know that it may seem or sound weird, but to me, it is like I have a bond with my entire team, they know everything about my case and I trust them. You have decide is what is best for you and how you feel, either way, you will do great!0
