My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Comments
-
Irish - Oh, you just can't get a break. I'm so, so sorry for your kids and you. In your pocket, and theirs, and sending hugs for your whole family. Please keep us posted.
4 -
@irishlove Such a heartache when your kids get hurt. I am sending extra prayers for your kids.
3 -
@shanagirl I am sorry you are sick at the moment, yeah it sucks when it has happened not all that long ago. I pretty much keep expectorant for day and the complete cold to supress cough. Also like vick vaporub under my nose and use qtip to apply inside my ears. Nothing worse than coughing to the point of feeling like you will be sick. In your pocket for quick healing of this.
Mel, still in your pocket as well as with Irish as well.
I was not late for my appointment at all. Since it was a CT, did not have to get changed which was nice. I was done two hours before my Paratransit was due back but was able to phone for one to come earlier.
I also found out that if my body decides to keep me up for fear of sleeping in, can simply eat throughout the night if I have an appointment. I ate twice last night, one around 1am and again around 630 am since I had to stop eating for the CT a few hours before. I felt pretty good all things considered.
3 -
@irishlove Prayers are up for your family. I can't even imagine how awful you felt when you got that news. I hope you get good stable news today. Hugs.
@mara51506 I hope all went smooth today for your appointment. I'm sure that was one of the reasons you didn't sleep well last night. Hope you are able to rest when you get home.
3 -
@micmel ‐ I am so sorry. You have had such a horrible, tough year. Now, the worry for your daughter on top of it all. I'm glad she got the grant to save her eggs - just in case, and that her chemo is almost finished. She is lucky to have her mama in her corner. Hopefully, as she gets through her surgeries and is on the mend, you will start to feel like yourself again. Hugs.
@shanagirl -sorry your under the weather again. Just crawl under those covers until you feel better.
@mara51506 - I'm glad your appointment with DB and SIL in attendance went well. I think you handled it well. And, if it weren't for my calendar reminders, my reminder app, and my husband, I'd be lost. Lol. Don't feel bad about a little slip. (I'm glad it happened after the appt with family!)
@irishlove ‐ that's a scary call to get. I hope it turns out to be only broken ribs and doesn't involve the back. Scary that he was unconscious for that long. I was in a motorcycle wreck and broke 3 ribs about 6 months before my dx. If they'd done a CT scan, I'd have been dx'd then.
We had a great trip, and it's always good to be back home. Starting to catch up on laundry. (I don't love it like you do, Mara.) DD is visiting this weekend for my birthday and Mardi Gras (which is a big deal in our little town). Then, scans next week, DSis and BIL coming for a visit next weekend, MO appt the week after that and a baby shower later in the month, which includes visit from DSD and DGS. It's going to be a busy month!
Catherine
(edited to correct all the typos - stupid predictive text!)
7 -
Good midnight all you lovely gals. Mel, my heart breaks for you and your daughter. I know Mama's would take it all off their shoulders, if we could. I will keep you and your family in my prayers and pocket. Shanagirl, hope you are getting better. It's been a long winter. Wishing you lilacs before you know it. In pockets for all you need.
I am overwhelmed with all the love and support for my son and his wife, that you all have shown to us. He is stable and as the hospital is full of viral infections, they want people to go home asap. He had blood transfusion and they are waiting until tomorrow to see how that goes. The ribs are broken in some areas, but no surgery required. His lung has perked back up. MRI negative even though he was unconscience for 5 plus minutes. The other upsetting part is that DDIL told me that ICE is raiding every place they suspect and the kids think the driver took off and then bailed out. Turns out the driver kept going for close to 3/4 mile before either stopping and ditching or switching drivers. Could be alcohol related, too. They never stopped to check on the kids. So far (that we know) no arrests have been made.
10 -
Irishlove-Relieved to hear your son is doing relatively well after that horrible crash.
4 -
Irish - Thank you for updating us all, and my good thoughts and wishes continue for you and your family. What an ordeal! I do hope they find who did this. Your son and his wife are young, so that should help them tremendously in recovering from all of this. I was in a car accident with my best friend back when we were 19, and she wound up being knocked out for about 4 minutes, but it didn't seem to make anything worse for her, and there were no lasting effects at all. She wound up with some gashes on her face and a broken nose, and a lot of mental shake-up, but she wound up fine and continues to be fine today, except for her stage 4 lung cancer. I'm telling you this just to note that youth can really help, and sometimes the actual damage isn't as bad as it all initially looks and sounds. I'd bet most anything that your son is going to wind up just fine after awhile. Nothing can take away the shock and hurt of it all though, especially in these early days.
Now to those lilacs! I go out on walks and I've been priming myself to see the early blooming things, and so far hadn't really seen any; just buds. Also, lilacs somehow missed my list of what I might start looking for, so thanks a lot for mentioning them for Shana. On my next walk, I'm going to purposely look for any signs of lilacs showing their faces. I've loved them ever since I was a little kid and I would go down in some woods near where we lived and pick a bunch for my mother. Sending more hugs too.
5 -
@shanagirl i hope you feel better and get to go walking soon
@irishlove I'm glad your family is doing better after the bike wreck. I miss my bike but people drive so bad and don't even look before changing lanes.
The port has healed ok. I hate it but it's much easier to get labs. So far ok on Enhertu so hopefully it slams the liver tumors. So they gave me a quilt at the infusion center and it was stolen by Her Majesty Miss Cat Tiger....
9 -
Well my goodness, my body must have needed a bunch of sleep, slept 10 hours last night. I have rain I listen to at night and it stopped this afternoon I guess, oh well, I am not upset about it at all. Put a large laundry of cloths on. Need to also wash out my beauty blender for the contour make up I use to make my nose thinner. Going to use the smallest washer to do that and put the blender in a mesh bag. Smallest washer does not whip it around like the biggest one would. Have the usual chores as well and waiting for the cat litter genie pail, the new steel litter pan coming tomorrow, I figure the bit of smell will not absorb into a steel litter pan the same as the plastic one.
When I bought my usual Mcdonalds delivery post appointment, I got them to add an extra patty to the Mcdouble cheeseburger, put that in a container to use today. Thinking I will take 1/2 cup black beans, the burger and shredded cheese, heat up in the microwave and add mayo and ketchup for a cheeseburger type vibe. Later today will have more beans but have rice and eggs with a bit less cheese. Both meals sound simple and quite yummy.
Not going out tonight which is fine, DB and SIL are voting I believe for the election. If federal for the country, it is a tight race between left leaning Liberals and more right leaning Conservatives and that is due to the mess with Trump, and making sure someone steady and firm keeping things straight which has been a benefit for the Liberals being out and about. If election is for the province, I think Doug Ford who is a Conservative will win again which would not be bad for Ontario.
Have to book Paratransit tomorrow for another MO appointment and CT results as well coming up Monday.
I hope everyone has a good day, for anyone struggling or who just needs me, I am in everyone's pockets as well.
6 -
I have an appointment with my MO on Wednesday and I will see what she thinks about my CT scan last Wednesday. The report said something grew from .06 to 1.0 “which was concerning for progression “. I’m hoping to be able to stay on Ibrance since I have no side effects. I’ll put cookies in my pockets for anyone who wants to come along.
6 -
I saw my MO this afternoon. Not all of the data is back on the biopsy yet but what has come back shows I still have the same cancer profile as originally diagnosed, so no change in hormone status. She wants to wait for the molecular profile to come back before she makes any changes. So I am staying on the same meds for another month hoping it keeps the progression at a slow growth rate. My tumor markers also continue to rise so we will need a change. We will reevaluate once we have more data and I get the results from the brain MRI at the end of the month. She did discuss the fact she doesn't want to put me on anything too harsh with my age at 72 and the fact I have been abusing my body on this stuff for nine years. She is concerned about my QOL and doesn't want me to suddenly fail and send me to a hospital or nursing home. I appreciate that thinking. I know I have been progressively losing ground and am conflicted about my future treatment. Has anyone else had a MO state something like this? It did surprise me although my DH was there and that is new for her.
10 -
Irish Happy to hear your son and his wife is stable. Wow what a world, I sure hope they are caught and get what they deserve leaving the scene.
@mkestrel Glad to hear you are getting use to your port. They definitely come in handy for labs that's for sure. Also glad to hear Enhertu is treating you ok so far and yes hope it knocks those liver tumors out! Awww look at her she certainly looks comfy . Maybe you guys can share it lol.
Mara Wow 10 hours of sleep that's great, your body must have needed it. I always say my family has the gift to sleep and I definitely don't.In your pocket for stable CT results on Monday.
@wren44 I will be in your pocket on Wednesday chomping on those cookies while I pray for no progression. I hope your able to ride the Ibrance wave free of side effects for a long time.
@intolight I will also be in your pocket as all the info is gathered to get you on an effective plan to keep things under control. Next time you see your MO maybe you can have a in depth conversation about her comments. I know they are always trying to balance our QOL and keep us as stable as possible. Maybe she was going over possible treatments in her mind and was thinking out loud? It sounds like your in good caring hands and together you will make a good decision.Hugs.
Thinking of many here and always keeping you in my prayers.
7 -
Good morning all. Hope I'm the only one up at this ungodly hour. Can't sleep when it comes to your kids that are hurting. He has to stay longer then expected. They inserted tubes into his back and his pain level is off the charts. I suggested he tell his doc he wants to speak to pain management. He walked a few steps and the pain was too great. Don't have any further info on the driver but the kids did contact an attorney and as we were talking tonight, two attornies came into the hospital to see him. The little bugger does not have uninsured automobile coverage for the other driver. No surgery necessary at this point but a lot of blood coming out of his lung. His wife had to go back to work as they are self-employed wedding gown shop and alterations, too. She is ok, road burns and chipped elbow. Some great superior being was watching out for them. It could have been far worse, even though he'll need lots of rehab. P.S. They are not religious so that's why I say superior instead of our Lord.
@intolight I wish I had some words of wisdom to share with you. Each MO is so different in their bedside manner. Perhaps she is looking to you for your input or even your DH's input. I know some of the girls have shared "the talk" and have gone on a new line or even two and continue to surprise everyone. I so hope and pray this is you.
@threetree Oh I hope you find a gardenia bush with little buds on it and find it blooming beautifully in about two months. Ours blooms first week of May. They were voted the most flagrant flower by some garden club. Night blooming jasmine came in second. I love gardenias greatly but that Abraham Lincoln red rose bush was so fragrant. Long beautiful stems and just a few buds each year. Then there's lilacs. I dream of them, like you a connection between flowers and Mom/Grammys.
Thank you all for your well wishes for my buddy and his sweetheart of a wife. Support helps greatly. I wanted to head to Charlotte to be with him, but he said no Mom you'll just worry more. sigh
In all you pockets and please be well and sleep like Mara.
7 -
Wren, I am in your pocket chomping on the cookies and sending support your way.
Intolight, that is a hard decision to make. 72 is not necessarily too old to continue treatment, the decision is going to fall to you and family. You know how you have felt and will weigh that out. QOL will decide it. I am in your pocket for this sending support and love.Irish, I am sorry for your DS and SIL about the accident, in pockets for healing for both of them and support for you. Sending sleep your way, I am known to stay up that late occasionally.
No 10 hours today, almost 7 but that is good enough for me.Not too much on the agenda, washing a hoodie at some point, cloths are mostly done. Want to clean up a beauty blender, use wee washer and some sort of soap since hand cleaning it does not work, I will see. I have noticed that temps are going way above freezing more frequently so hopefully we have enough days to avoid black ice, looking forward to mostly dry sidewalks for some fun walking out doors.
I am waiting on the steel litterbox so scooping dirt into the litter genie pail. Had the darndest time figuring it out but got it eventually. Seems fine to me now.
I do plan to vacuum after a good blow out of dust, have not tried on the laptop yet, been using full force and it is crazy how much power it has. More powerful than those old compressed air spray cans, this is charged via USB. When I do blow out my laptop, will use least amount of force, I like it very much.
Not sure what I want to eat yet, getting through my food a bit at a time. Freezer looks less stuffed as well. Thinking I will take beans, frozen cubed potatoes and cheese, chop them up together and warm them all in a frying pan. Use bit of cooking spray and melt butter at bottom of the pan. Could use a little garlic and sour cream and onion seasoning or some cheese powder from a package of KD who knows, in the end it would be good and pretty nutritious I think. Later, do something with eggs perhaps.
I do hope everyone has a good day, in pockets for everyone who needs me, thinking of Mel and DD and everyone else, in own pocket as well.
4 -
@wren44 in your pocket for your appointment, I'll clean up the cookie crumbs. I'll probably just eat them.
@intolight I think quality of life is important, and we each get to decide what our own definition of quality is. Not our doctors. Good that your MO is concerned, and I hope once all the data is in, you can have a robust discussion about all your options, likely side effects, etc.
@irishlove hoping he gets pain under control and can recover well from this accident.
Now I can't recall who was talking about lilacs, but I bought a small bush for my yard, with deep purple flowers (hopefully). We had a couple days of unseasonably warm weather, got outside to weed and trim and then planted that lilac. Cool and cloudy today, though, so indoors projects.
Love and support to everyone here.
4 -
@sf-cakes-You are inspiring me to get a new lilac bush. I had one that died several years ago. Maybe I'll try again. I have to fix up my back yard this year. Two years ago, in the fall, I had my old sidewalk replaced between the house and garage. Turns out the contractor just scattered all the old sidewalk in my yard and it ruined so many plants and grasses. So I am starting over with new grass seed as soon as it gets warm enough. This week was warm and the ground was damp so I dug up many of the old rocks and pieces of cement.
@intolight I was kind of taken aback by your MO's comments. At 67, 72 does not seem old to me! But it is good she is bringing up treatment options into discussion.
@irishlove Hope that your son's pain eases up. So frustrating with these irresponsible people creating havoc on our roads.
@sondraf Still thinking of you and hoping that you are feeling better.
6 -
Slept pretty well, getting to the end of the super cold weather, getting to be about 10 degrees above freezing which is nice. Got my CT results on Monday with my MO as well. Not overly worried as body has felt pretty normal.
The new steel litterbox and litter genie pail are set up, finding I am scooping into the litter genie more often, which is good. I have more litter and food which should make cats happy.
Not sure when I will need to go shopping next for groceries, working through the fridge and freezer, still got plenty of canned food, eggs, dry noodles and frozen noodles, got lots of pot pies and cheese as well. Thinking of pulling out beefless ground pack next as well. Today, will open up more beans, chop them up first and take a bowl, put in a precooked mini pot pie, cook that up, add an egg and the chopped beans and cheese possibly, who really knows.
I hope everyone has a good rest of the weekend and in pockets for Mel, Irish, Sondra and everyone else as well, in my own pockets for stability from the neck down as well. Get results tomorrow.
6 -
best of luck Mara for good results 🤞
3 -
@snow-drop Thank you for the support! I appreciate it.
I do have the appointment around 10 am, am making breakfast right now, bland but will be some cooked rice put in sprayed bowl with eggs and cheese for the protein.Sour cream and onion seasoning or simply mayo and some ketchup. Microwave the dish. Take digestive and immodium which is the norm when I go out. Hopefully my appointment ends on time for the return paratransit. I set it 3 hours post appointment which should be fine, worst comes to worst, take the normal bus home. Sidewalks are mostly dry now and will melt through the week.
No time for laundry as of yet, will do it when I come home.
Not much to say, I slept pretty well. Took a bit to get to sleep but I created a dream for myself again. I like to save characters that die in movies I watch, different ones all the time. Last night was Jeepers Creepers, like to save the characters that gets taken at the end of that movie. I also dream about The Last Of Us characters and saving them all. Weird way to set off to sleep but find it relaxing.
In the meantime, hoping everyone has a good day, in pockets for everyone, needed or not, thinking of our struggling sisters Mel and Irish among others and anyone reading. In my own pocket as well to get ready without rushing as I usually do. I tend to get an air of anxiety that I will not be on time even when I have a lot of time ahead. Oh well, that is OK.
5 -
Good afternoon Monday Everyone. Reading along and saw your post. @irishlove about your DD & DDIL. How upset you must have. Felt. Prayers for the girls they continue to heal. Oh life is a rollercoaster. So far everything has been good for me since getting the epidural injection in my neck on Friday. Sleep has been good, and all is well here. At. Least. As well as it can be. Just tied of feeling always tired. Trying to be consistent with my vitamins and Tumeric & ginger tea which helps with pain from arthritis.. I also have a goal to get out and walk today.
@mkestrel I’m thinking of you every time I try to motivate myself to pick up my paintbrush 🎨👩🎨🩵
@micmel Thinking of you and your DD. in your pocket and gentle hugs.
Dear sweet @intolight , I’m thinking of you as you continue to ride out all the uncertainties with your biopsy results. At 72, I do get your MO wants to keep you on something not too strong for your age. Hell at 75, going on 76 next month, my Onc has me on the strong stuff but reduced the Verzenio a little bit. But as long as. it. keeps me stable I’m ok with it….Ughhh 76 next month…it’s a. confusing age. I know I get tired more, and I’m one year closer to being in my 80’s…Yikes how long does one last on this stuff at our age anyway. At his age I’m happy for ever day with my family, though….
Hi to everyone else.love you all🥰
8 -
@shanagirl Yesterday I was at a sauna festival, where people offer tours of their portable saunas (very cute!). You can take a sauna and then plunge into the icy lake if you dare. Anyway, one of the sauna owners, who was kind of a sauna guru, said to me, think of your intention in using the sauna, What is it? He kept insisting that I answer and I finally said, to live to 70. I figure that is doable (I'm 67). He said, I want to live to 108 so let's make it 108. Ok! Let's hope it works.
5 -
tougholdcrow-I would have loved to be at the sauna festival. How fun! Let's all shoot for a healthy 108! The Wash Post featured a woman who was still going strong at 105. She began a new chapter of her life at 89 by moving to NYC. She's active in her synagogue and conducts tours of special collections at the NYC library, attends the opera, symphony, etc.
5 -
@shanagirl I didn't mean to sound like I am giving up because I'm not. I think my MO must have had a patient recently who had a problem. She told me she didn't want to see me throw a blood clot and end up in a nursing home. That came out of the blue. I know she senses I am tired and perhaps she was just thinking out loud and maybe thrown because my DH was there. The conversation I need is how much I will gain with the next treatment. I also know my MO is trying all kinds of things to find me the best next treatment. I have had multiple scans, blood tests and biopsies recently so she isn't giving up either.
A sauna festival sounds fun! And here I am trying to decide whether I can manage a trip to Denver next week to watch my DGD get her award and see some friends along the way. She won second place in state for her PTA dance routine at nine years old! And she is not currently taking dance lessons so this is all her. It is an hour and a-half trip one way. I am just a little hesitant. Lately I am not so adventurous!
7 -
Addendum: I just received my biopsy report and there is no way I can understand all the molecular jargon. What I can tell is there is only one possible mutation detected (and they checked over 100 mutations!) I do have ER+ and HER2- with an ESRI mutation which is resistant to tamoxifen and fulvestrant. Can you say hallelujah to no more butt shots!!! I hope although I just had one this morning. Of course I have not had any input from my MO so I may be totally wrong as I am not medical researcher. The report said elacestrant is FDA approved for this composite. That's a new one on me…
6 -
@intolight, Elacestrant (oserdu) is an oral SERD (selective estrogen receptor degrader). It's like Faslodex, but an oral pill and not a shot. So the side effect profile should be very similar although you may also have some stomach issues with it since it's an oral form and not injected. It is FDA approved for the ESR1 mutation even though it apparently does just as well for non-ESR1 mutations. For some reason the FDA only approved it for the one, but they are pushing to have it approved as an alternative to Faslodex from the get go is my understanding. The good news is that there seems to be some correlation to the length of time a patient was on a CDK4/-6 inhibitor to how long the Elacestrant will work. In other words the longer you were on a cdk4/6i, the longer you might expect for oserdu to work. I believe KBL was on oserdu for something like 9 months, but it has worked even longer for others. Best of luck!
4 -
CT scan of chin down was just fine. Bloodwork made the doctor want me to supplement vit D and Potassium, will look up what I need more of since I believe lentils and beans are a good source. I will igure it out. My BP was high for me so looking into lowering my sodium as I was far too generous with seasonings and salt. Will measure them as I have done for tonight's dinner. Luckily Sour Cream is not high in sodium and neither is the garlic spread and see from there. It will be a while until BP measured next time. I even measured only 1teaspoon of salt instead of shaking it across. Tonight got a frozen stir fry with 1 tsp of sour cream and onion, 2 tsp of garlic spread, 1 tsp of salt and finally 1 tsp of the sour cream and onion. Planning to add 1 tablespoon of sour cream to it as well. Tomorrow will see the addition of all the beans and stuff.
9 -
Good to hear your good news, Mara! ☺️
4 -
Mara Congrats on a good CT! Also happy to hear your weather is warming up a bit.
@shanagirl Glad you have relief from your injection. being able to get good nights sleep can make a huge difference in your days. Hope you get out for a walk this week and enjoy some sunshine.
@intolight "hallelujah to no more butt shots"!!! But I sure hope your next treatment kicks butt!
3
