2017 Diagnosed-- A Place To Share "Whats Next"
thought I would start this thread to give those who were diagnosed in 2017 or underwent treatments in 2017 a common place to share our lives and adventures
Welcome to all. Together we can learn from each other, lean on each other, and celebrate the good moments in life
Comments
-
Thanks for creating this thread DodgersGirl. I'll finish up my RADS the end of December. My plan come January is to start a 6 month Weight Loss Thru Nutrition program that's being offered at my hospital's cancer survivorship center. They have lots of classes and things. I'm looking forward to that. They told me they'll have cooking classes, a field trip to a grocery store and a trip to a spice shop, along with menu planning and all types of speakers, all relating to cancer.
0 -
Great idea DodgersGirl. Hope lots of women from the rads and chemo groups this year join this thread. I'll be done with treatment in early January and then will wait for my exchange surgery.
0 -
Ellyn27-- sounds like a busy start to 2018. Please share what you learn about spices. That sounds intriguing
0 -
OCDAmy-- nice to see you here! I, too, hope we see lots of familiar names here.
I really appreciate knowing we are not alone
0 -
Thanks for starting this, DodgersGirl!
I'm done with active treatment as of three weeks ago. Will get my port removed next week, on Tuesday, and then start tamoxifen on Wednesday of next week. I'm enjoying the holidays and love this time of year. Trying to use it to re-center and find my new normal. I've been cooking a lot, and have even gotten back to hiking, which feels amazing (still moving slower with some joint pain from chemo, but it's getting better every day).
Look forward to staying in touch with everyone I 'met' here over this past year.
Also, for those of you looking for a great cookbook with really healthy recipes, I can suggest, "The Cancer Fighting Kitchen." I'm not a huge fan of the title, but the recipes were developed by a chef in SF who had a friend in treatment. The recipes are delicious, and generally not hard to make. Also, she re-uses many of the spices in the recipes, so once you get the spices purchased, you'll use them!
-LoJo
0 -
LoJo100--- I am finding the Christmas traditions are a great path to my regular "old" life. Wrapping gifts this afternoon felt normal.
Any favorite recipes so far from the cookbook you mentioned?
0 -
LoJo - I reserved that cookbook at the library. Picking it up tonight or tomorrow. Can't wait to get some fresh ideas.
0 -
DodgersGirl, thanks for starting this thread. If all goes well, my last rads will December 12th; I have bloodwork anf follow up with my Oncologist via Teleservice in January, then see her in April. I also looking fiorward to seeing those who will move over to this thread and following each one's continuing story. Thanks again for all your support.
0 -
Dodgersgirl... thanks for starting this and glad that so many are joining... it’ll be great to stay in touch as we’ve shared so much on this journey so far...
0 -
Kiwi-in-Thailand---glad you joined this topic!
0 -
53Nancy-- finishing on Dec 12... getting close to being done. Best of luck with your remaining rad
0 -
DodgersGirl - Hard to pick just one favorite, but here are some highlights:
- The hummus recipes are all amazing!
- Triple Citrus Black Cod is really good
- Everyday bars have been great to have around when I need a little protein snack
- Quinoa & Pistachios
- Best Oatmeal Ever
- Chicken and Broccoli with Cashews
- Turmeric & Cinnamon Chai
Really, I haven't had a bad recipe out of the book, but the above were, and still are, some of my go-to's. The oatmeal reheats in the microwave nicely, so I make a batch and have it around for a few mornings, which is nice. Same with the hummus, I make it over the weekend, and then have it around for snacking (and take it to work with me for a nice afternoon snack).I started buying gifts and we have our tree up. It definitely feels nice to be doing some of my normal holiday things!-LoJo0 -
Hi Everyone - I was diagnosed May 6th with breast cancer and then the following week cervical cancer stage 0...which is technically a precancer in the gyno cancer world. I am sitting here watching Charlie Brown (I am 47
) and recovering from my hysterectomy and expander exchange to implants - had both surgeries in the past 4 wks....2017 was life changing - and trying to figure out 2018 and the new normal....I am a lover of cooking as well ladies....tonight I made golden beet salad and herb chicken.....oh and a glass of wine that I put in a new wine glass...I find myself avoiding the things that remind me of cancer or that time when I was first diagnosed and literally sat here in my place every night frozen, staring at the wall, and saying to myself over and over --> it is going to be ok....BUT here is a silver lining (maybe?) since my hysterectomy I can't remember sh*t soooooooo maybe .......???? I won't have to avoid anything because I won't remember it?????
0 -
knock knock it is Mimi
I am just admiring all the recipe ladies share. I can not cook other than handful. Maybe if I read recipe postings in additioj to all the cooking ahows I watch, I may improve tad bit. Lately I cook kale multigrain rice w some sort of protein. No I do not like kale or multigrain rice I like red wine instead.
Poor DH got up so early this morning to walk dogi, 9 yr old female beagle. She has a tendency to pee in the house whenever DH comes back from a business trip. DH never finds it bc he loves her more than his life. (I do almost as much as he does) I found it. According to my hubby, as she walked very slowly toward him, she lifted her head a couple of times sideways to curse me out for finding it again.
0 -
knock knock it is Mimi
I am just admiring all the recipe ladies share. I can not cook other than handful. Maybe if I read recipe postings in addition to all the cooking shows I watch, I may improve tad bit. Lately I cook kale multigrain rice w some sort of protein. No, I do not like kale or multigrain rice. I like red wine instead.
Poor DH got up so early this morning to walk dogi, 9 yr old female beagle. She has a tendency to pee in the house whenever DH comes back from a business trip. DH never finds it bc he loves her more than his life. (I do almost as much as he does) I found it. According to my hubby, as she walked very slowly toward him, she lifted her head a couple of times sideways to curse me out for finding it again.
0 -
Thanks for starting this thread!
I think my husband bought that cookbook...I'll have to track it down since I'm not sure where it ended up.
I was diagnosed in April of this year and immediately decided to drastically change my own diet...on my own. Cancer is a huge motivator! I have lost about 30 pounds since April mostly with just dietary changing, cutting out refined sugars, most meats, drinking more water, trying to focus on fruits and veggies. I have to say the last few months I've fallen into a few older habits with the sugar so I need to get back on track, harder this time of year with parties and such though. I also think I need to do more exercising again but hoping to get there. We leave for a Walt Disney World vacation next week, so that means a lot of walking and moving for a few days.
This year I've had 3 surgeries (port insertion and removal, lumpectomy), chemotherapy, radiation and I have been prescribed tamoxifen which I plan to start taking AFTER I get back from vacation. My oncologist said I could wait a while to take it until done a bit healing from radiation but also I just don't want to risk any side effects while out of town. During this year I also lost my mom to cancer in February (she had breast cancer in 2006, then lung cancer (and FYI not a smoker or exposed to it) in 2012) and my mother-in-law to kidney cancer in July. I've attended 6 funerals since February, 4 of them being family members. I'm seriously ready to say goodbye to 2017 as you can imagine.
Definitely nice having a place here to come and chat with those who truly understand what I'm going though. You talk to people about it, but until they have been through it they truly don't know.
0 -
catlady72- glad you found that s thread! Can't wait to hear how your vacation goes. WDW is soooo Pretty at Christmas time. I sent my daughter and one of her friend's to WDW the first part of November as a thank you for taking care nurses f DH and me over the summer.
I am sorry for your family losses in 2017. My daughter's fur baby (85 lb dog who was part of the family and so special to us all) died the day after my diagnosis. Hugs to you for the loss of your mom, MIL, and 4 others.
May 2018 be full of blessings
0 -
Castigame-- glad to see you here!
Hope recovery for hysterectomy went well
Love the doggie photo and funny story you shared
2017-- what a year, eh.
0 -
Peacetoallcuzweneedit-- welcome!
Hope your recovery goes well regarding 2 recent surgeries. I will have a hysterectomy the first part of 2018 as my female parts seem to be attacking me.
So far, December has Skin n care appointments to make sure my freshly radiated skin heals, then MO appointment near Christmas. Not on any hormonals yet but expect that to change soon
What spices do you use for your herb chicken? I am not a fan of beets unless they are cooked.
You mentioned staying away from things that reminds you of cancer-- my MO said we do make connections between smell, things, and people to our cancer treatments. She told me she saw a former patient at the mall and they exchanged a few words... then the patient quickly ran to a trash can and vomited because a connection of feelings to treatments. I wore the same clothes to all chemo sessions hoping my wardrobe would not remind me of chemo
0 -
Hi
I was diagnosed the day after Memorial Day (so now I'll always have a sucky memory of Memorial day). I remember first feeling so lost and overwhelmed (my first few posts reflected that). But eventually the dusts settled as I started meeting with doctors and making treatment plans. Coming to this board helped so much - I felt I had a place to go where people understood me and where I could learn from the experience and knowledge of others. So thankful for that!!So, in early June I had by BMX. As soon as I was given the OK, I started chemo (Taxol+Herceptin for 12 weeks) and my last chemo date was Oct 27th. I'm now on Herceptin every 3 weeks until July 2018. Also, I'll start Tamoxifen in January, right after I come back from my vacation in Bali (woohooooooo - not for the Tamo, but for the vacay hahaha).
Oh - and I'm going for my revision surgery today after lunch (my plastic surgeon called it "nip and tuck") --- I'll let y'all know how that goes when I login again later or tomorrow
0 -
LoJo100-- and thanks for sharing titles of recipes you have tried and liked from that cookbook. I think I will add it to my Christmas wishlist!!
I hope to get my tree up this weekend. Wanted to do that last weekend but was too mi
0 -
Hello all, joining in. Going for 4/30 rads this morning.
I also am finding that preparing for Christmas is helping me get back to my new normal. Doing some shopping and decorating. I set up a wrapping station each year and love wrapping so much. Need to get that started tomorrow.
Thanks Dodgersgirl for starting this topic and inviting us all.
0 -
Teese, wish you lived closer so we could all bring gifts to wrap at your wrapping station!! I used to sit on the floor with paper, tags, etc to my side and go to town wrapping. If I did that now, I don't know if I could get back up off the floor. I have a table that I place in front of me and sit in a chair to wrap gifts now. And when I buy something large, I wonder how it will be wrapped but somehow always manage.
I am off to a skin care appointment at my rads center this morning. So done with rads but still have appointments
Hope #4 is uneventful and that you have a great weekend
0 -
Hey, 2017 BC team!
I'll join in. Diagnosed 1/4/17 and consider 2017 a lost year in some ways. Or at least a year that I won't be normal or feel normal. I've never been depressed, actually, just feel different. Like I walk into a room and feel an odd shade or something. Altered.
Like Castigame, I'm not much of a cook. More a Carrie Bradshaw who prefers to use the oven for sweater storage! I cook because you have to with a family -- but I don't LOVE it. Maybe I'll try to in 2018.
Hugs to all going through this journey. I've found great support here and appreciate all of you!
0 -
EastcoastTS-- glad you found this group.
I laughed at the "oven as a place to store sweaters" comment. I love to cook but haven't done a lot in the last 9 months. After DH heart attack and menu changes, we've just let Healthy Choice Steamers fix our dinners most nights. Maybe 2018 will be different?
0 -
I finished my final rads today! 33/33 in the past! I've been just giddy all day. When someone figures out "What's Next" please let me know!
0 -
dmjmom-Woot Woot!! Congrats on finishing rads.
Next is enjoying each day as the precious gift that it is. Smile at strangers. Count your blessings and find joy
0 -
dmjmom:
CONGRATS! I have no idea what's next, either, but think DodgersGirl is on to something. I turn my face up to the sun and try to soak life in. Did that today. Simple joy(s).
0 -
Today I got home from work a little early, so enjoyed a cup of french press coffee and a pumpkin scone on my front patio. It felt good to just sit in the sun and enjoy watching the birds and world go by for a bit.
Happy Friday to all! I hope you all have a great weekend!
0 -
dodgers girl, this is a great thread. I am done with active treatments other than hormonal therapy. Also recovering from shingles but I am much better now. Next game plan is to lose weight and exercise. I had my mammogram on Dec 29, 2016 and feel this past year has been a blur to some extent. I plan on enjoying the holidays and my birthday. I wore the same close to chemo too so I wouldn’t have reminders too.
Anne0
