Illinois ladies facing bc

Mak the produce at Dominicks is old… granted that is where I shop but I'm finding the small grocery by me has fresher fruits & vegetables. Costo is even better but it's just the two of us so we can't always buy bulk veggies/fruit. Certain things like broccoli and blueberries that we/husband eats a lot of is OK.

BTW have you noticed the outrageous price of romaine lettuce! Red leaf was cheaper so I bought that instead. Romaine used to be the cheap stuff!

Hi all:

Food provides energy and some foods are better than others for providing for energy.  My diet coke addiction was brought on for a need to feel energized and diet coke is not a positive source of energy.  I find now that I crave fruit and so I now eat apples or drink fruit juice for a pick me up.  No diet pop for me as of (yesterday)!

Wendy, I am free as of April 19 so not like just around the corner.  The money is  good as teachers now worry that the pension may become history given the economic situation of the state. I am now of the mindset that if I can work, and work is available, I should think twice before turning it down.  I just am unable to do this full time thing again!  I personally am full of hope that my pension  will continue, but what is happening in Wisconsin will certainly hit Illinois at some time as it will across the country. DH is still working and will until he collapses in a courtroom somewhere.  It all makes for a better marriage with him in one place and me in another with stories to tell at the end of the day!

Hope all is well!

Lisa - Try Craig's List for tickets, if you decide to go.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/search/tia?query=Million+Dollar+Quartet+&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=

Hi everyone...  I took a walk with son & grandsons and then home to change and go to agua zumba class...I think I will start with the 3lb weights tomorrow night....I am tired....but it felt good.

Laura so glad you are feeling better...

I did not see the program on the TN but I "was" also diagnosed TN but the Chemo knocked it out!

Yeah!   Have a great day tomorrow everyone....so glad it is warming up and the Sun was out today...it

was beautiful here today.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melody Beattie

Denise - Thanks! It's great that you have the aqua class...I want to look into one.

Rita - Have a great visit with your family!

Jackie - So awesome that you volunteer at the shelter. The classes you're taking seem great!

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I am feeling better each day. Whew... Have lots to catch up on today and tomorrow. Have a nice day girls!

Those in tx and awaiting the arrival of HAIR...best wishes!

makmak- Sounds like you are at the same place I am with the hair!  I've been spending a small fortune on hair products trying to find one that works with the waves.  The last one I bought seems to work pretty good - it's by Marc Anthony - I wish I could remember the name of it though (chemo brain, I guess - I'll blame it on that anyway)!  I'm at work now so I can't go look at it to tell you the actual name of it. It's got the word "straight" in the title though, and it's in a blue tube. I've gotten one haircut, not quite 4 weeks ago and I think I'm going to go again, if not today after work, this weekend for sure. Hair is growing much faster (I think) in the back - about even with my ears - and that's where the waves really are - and driving me crazy!  I wish the front and top would grow that fast!  Used to having long hair and didn't realized how much money I was saving on hair products and haircuts!  Unfortunately, those days are gone and I'll probably be keeping it short, since who knows when the chemo will start again. What have you tried to contain the curls and waves?

I'm kind of excited reading about new hair growing in curly.  Mine is super curly so maybe after it falls out, it will grow in straight?  I think I would like that!  I haven't had straight-ish hair since before puberty. 

I'm also thinking straight hair won't knot up so bad when I'm riding the motorcycle, curly hair just twists all up on itself and becomes Janis Joplin hair until a shower and a half a bottle of conditioner and a hand-ful of hair down the shower drain later.  

Interesting to think of the possibilities ;-)

Hi all.

Hey a tech question-- just something I have been wondering about.  Have had a recent catscan (lung- checking my nostrils (nodules)),  but checking my records, I realize I'm overdue for breast MRI.  (on yearly checks now).  I'm pretty sick of scanxiety and am not eager to schedule this anytime soon.  I know catscans are not routinely used to check for breast tumors (cost, radiation....) -- but if one were present, would it be visible on a catscan?  There was mention of a tiny benign calcification (4mm) on the real side and of course the implant on the mast side. But I'm not really sure how thorough it would be- or how effective a catscan is compared to breast MRI. Obviously, my thought is if I could I can count this instead.... ...No, probably not- but maybe I could just put it off for a bit. 

We are headed up to Michigan tomorrow-- to be with the family of my friend Jessica who passed away two weeks ago. Help out, visit, take the kids for a bit- whatever is needed.  It won't be the easiest trip, but one I feel I need to make. I was a bit unprepared to learn that we cannot visit the cemetery- Jewish tradition is that this cannot happen for 30 days after the funeral. I'm not too familiar with the family's tradition, but of course will respect it.  We will be staying in a nearby hotel...just too many ghosts for me right now. But-- can take the kids swimming there.

Curly hair- oh wow- did mine come in curly.  I think it was  after about 6-8 months of growth that I had a Brazilian keratin treatment done to straighten things out--it was new at the time- but I think a lot of salons are doing it now. It was one of the best things I did for my self image-- I was really happy with the results and remember feeling that I was finally on the path back to "me."    I had to repeat it once- but soon after, my old pattern kicked in. (I confess to a straightening iron now-- I'm frizzy/wavy naturally). 

An incident at the kids' school today.  An 18 year kid in a nearby house took shots at 6th graders out for recess with a bb gun! One child was hit.  The kids were able to identify the house, police were called and the boy was arrested. Actually- he qualifies as an adult. I was absolutely furious. The child hit is fine. But good Lord....

off to bed with me.  Wishing peaceful sleep to all tonight.

-julie

Good morning, everyone!  It looks like it's supposed to be a nice day today.  I might see if my mother wants to take a drive to the Aurora outlet mall, haven't been there in ages.

Mak - How lucky for you to have a Natural Foods store near you.  The only thing I have is a Whole Foods that's near my work.  The produce is SO much better there than the Dominicks or Jewel near my house, but of course it comes with a much heftier pricetag as well.  

Curly hair - I loved it when my hair came back curly.  My hair's been straight my whole life so this was very different.  Then I realized that I had NO CLUE what to do with it.  I finally got a trim to even it out and would use a round brush and blow-dry the bangs and sides into a reasonable style.  It was still a little goofy looking, but I think I enjoyed the curly stuff enough that I didn't really care.  Of course, as soon as my hair got a bit of length on it, the curls were all gone and I was back to my straight stuff.  It was fun while it lasted though.  Like Laura mentioned - my hair was VERY dull for a long time.  I fiinally found some shine product that I put on in the shower after I washed/conditioned.  It worked pretty well. 

Julie - I  know going to Michigan will be a tough trip for you, but I'm sure the kids will appreciate seeing each other and having some fun kid-time together.   Her husband will appreciate the support too, especially since he probably realizes that this is difficult for you. Hugs to you.

I'm not an expert on CT, but I believe the sensitivity of CT just wouldn't be the same for breast lesions as an MRI, especially for small ones.  Whereas MRI doesn't do as well for calcifications, and that's why we still need Mammos - this according to my B.S.  

One of my good friends got the Keratin treatment and LOVES it.  She has really curly hair and has tried several of the treatments out there for straightening.  Just be aware that some of the products contain a much higher level of formaldehyde than they claim.  I saw an expose' thing on the news about this.  My friend said she loves it enough that she'll just wear a mask next time she has it done.

I saw my Onc. last week and finally talked to him about the Zometa infusions.  I did one and canceled the 2nd one after reading that it may not actually have the added benefit of lowering recurrence risk after all.   He knew exactly what I was concerned about and broke it down for me in a way that I needed to hear.  Bottom-line is that there are many studies covering different b.c. patient criteria.  When you break it down, there are still valid studies that show lowered recurrence benefit for the group that I fall into (pre-menopausal onset, and something else I can't remember right now).   Add to that my osteopenia and need to be on Femara for one more year.  So, I'm going to do the Zometa again in a few months, which is a year from when I did it last. I do feel much better about it, especially after my Ortho doctor told me that he could actually *see* my bone loss on my shoulder x-rays he did a few weeks ago.  That really bothered me because I do NOT want to become osteoporotic if I can help it, or at least try very hard. 

Have a great day, everyone!

Zap I'm sorry to hear about your daughter.

Love Lou Malnatis pizza. Did you know they also can make it with low fat cheese… and it still tastes great!

Sorry about your daughter's miscarriage Susan.  I had two myself and understand the grief.

Glad you are feeling better Laura.  Very weird virus indeed!

Curly hair - my hair was thick and wavy before chemo.  It came back very curly - tight perm like curls.  I used Catwalk - Curls Rock in it and it worked pretty good.  3 years later, I still have a lot of curl but it has staightened out some.

What a horrible story about the bb gun.  What an idiot kid.  Glad they got him and that the child that was hit is ok.  Crazy!

Took a nice walk today with my daugher and her friend.  Sooooo nice out!  I am ready for spring!

Had Lou Malnati's pizza for lunch today.  That is my all time favorite pizza!

zap so sorry to hear about your daughter and son-in-law's miscarriage.  

I am going out for brunch with friends today.  My first real excursion, post surgery, and can't decide whether to go "flat" or try to put on some type of fluff.

I'm so excited about my forthcoming Bloody Mary, I don't think it will much matter, LOL.  When my mother was here staying with me, she wouldn't let me near a glass of wine because I was taking pain pills, had taken a pain pill, had thought of taking a pain pill, had pain pills in the cabinet and might take a pain pill.  She's wonderful but I'm 51 not 15 and she tends to forget that!  

Hope everyone's Sunday is marvelous.  I go back to work tomorrow after 7 days off and I am scared but excited! 

Going to be beautiful here today with temps around 80 degrees.  I am so thrilled. It is a taste of what is coming and that is ok for me.  This winter seemed so harsh but probably wasn't any better or worse than the previous one.  Maybe I am just getting spoiled and don't want the inconvenience that it brings. 

Hope you all will have warmth and sunshine.  I will be wishing as much of it your way as I can. 

Hugs, Jackie