Illinois ladies facing bc
Comments
-
Hi Adey! think of you often, as well as the rest of the illinois ladies who have been so helpful.
Lago, you are so knowledible. Thanks for the links. Are you in the medical field or have you learned through this experience?
I often get lost on these boards so if I don't get back to you guys quickly it's because I'm wandering in cyberspace.
The Atwood is so beautiful and in an historic building. The last (and first) time I was there it was a beautiful snowy day and looking out the window i could see the Chicago theatre and I felt i could have been living 100 years ago. But there are so many wonderful places to go. I've never been to the Drake for tea but my son tells me it's terrific. Good to do some fun things in this difficult time.
0 -
Hi Adey! think of you often, as well as the rest of the illinois ladies who have been so helpful.
Lago, you are so knowledible. Thanks for the links. Are you in the medical field or have you learned through this experience?
I often get lost on these boards so if I don't get back to you guys quickly it's because I'm wandering in cyberspace.
The Atwood is so beautiful and in an historic building. The last (and first) time I was there it was a beautiful snowy day and looking out the window i could see the Chicago theatre and I felt i could have been living 100 years ago. But there are so many wonderful places to go. I've never been to the Drake for tea but my son tells me it's terrific. Good to do some fun things in this difficult time.
0 -
Hi Adey! think of you often, as well as the rest of the illinois ladies who have been so helpful.
Lago, you are so knowledible. Thanks for the links. Are you in the medical field or have you learned through this experience?
I often get lost on these boards so if I don't get back to you guys quickly it's because I'm wandering in cyberspace.
The Atwood is so beautiful and in an historic building. The last (and first) time I was there it was a beautiful snowy day and looking out the window i could see the Chicago theatre and I felt i could have been living 100 years ago. But there are so many wonderful places to go. I've never been to the Drake for tea but my son tells me it's terrific. Good to do some fun things in this difficult time.
0 -
Timbuktu --- when you get to IllinoisLadiesfacing bc ......look up at up at the top of your page. Somewhere up there should be a tool-bar looking area......depending, it might say FAVORITES as mine does with a star in front of the word......or it might say BOOKMARKS. Just hit on the word and follow the instructions given and you can then ( when you want to come here ) open your Internet.....scroll down through your list of favorites or bookmarks.....and enter the thread from there. It makes coming here a whole lot easier. I did this a long time ago and probably would not be able to find us either if I did it the "regular" way.
Jenn, I am so sorry you are having to have this se. Not for your reason, but I could not eat for several days after chemo and walked around nauseous and full of all over dread and discomfort just holding on to getting through the next ten minutes. Does Magic Mouthwash not address this issue??? Brushing your tongue ---- like you could do that while in the early throes of this se??? Just tossing some thoughts out there. If all else fails....this too will pass. Chemo is not forever though probably feels to you like it might be.
Sun is out and beautiful today.....enjoy, enjoy.
Hugs, Jackie
0 -
Timbuktu going into this journey I knew nothing. There was no breast cancer history in my family till me. My former gyno (now fired) didn't even know I had a biopsy till I called the next day to tell her office I was firing them. (Long story don't get me started) so basically I had to learn all of this myself. I was/am unemployed at the time so I had a ton of time on my hands to learn. So no I'm not in the medical field. I just sound like I know what I'm talking about.
MadMom so sorry about the taste thing. I wish I could help but my taste issue was pretty minor compared to what you and others have gone through. I will admit eyebrows, nausea and mouth sores/shitty tasting food were concerns for me in that order. I have heard that citrus and/or sweet stuff is palatable for some people. I know chocolate and pepper tasted bitter when my taste buds were of. I made plenty of cookies and chili but really had no idea how it tasted when on chemo.
0 -
Hi ladies.... Haven't posted in a while and just sort of got caught up with all the news here.mad mom... Sorry about you taste issues. I always had a bad taste in my mouth for about a week after each treatment. Watermelon, oranges, lemons, frozen fruit bars became my best friends. My MO recommended Biotene mouth wash for "dry mouth" which I don't think I ever had, but you may want to give that a try if you haven't already.
I have been faithfully making it to the health club every day...time to get serious about getting back in shape after this adventure with BC. I seem to be stuck with an extra 10 pounds that isn't going anywhere. Blame it on Femara and my blood pressure medication which both list "weight gain" as a common side effect. Probably don't stand a chance of losing it so will settle for just toning it up.
Beautiful day again! I still have a huge dragon winged begonia and a beautiful large hibiscus tree blooming by our front door. How long will they last?
Thinking of everyone in treatment... I have been celebrating several one year milestones lately. Treatments can get you really down. I know I slammed a few doors and beat my fists in anger a number of times. You truly will feel soooooo much better, and soon. Dare I say, HIT.0 -
Joan the last 10 are always the hardest… especially the last 6. Before this all started it took me 6 months to take off 6 lbs! Exercise helps but eating correctly AND the correct portions is key. Many times we just don't realize how much we consume especially when we are at home and pick all day.
I know when you guys see me I seem to eat everything and anything but I don't do that all the time. I behave during the week and eat quite a few salads. Weekends I eat but still watch the portions. I know you will eventually get it off but it's just going to take longer. The older we get the harder it is but not impossible. You're a little older than me so maybe you need to add a couple more months
Speaking of eating healthy Onward how are you doing? You were so well behaved at Greektown. You put me to shame.
0 -
Warm hugs to you...vent away hon. We're here for you.
0 -
Robo - hang in there - you are 50% done
0 -
Char your math is off. Robo is closer to finish line. She's 66.6% done. # 4 was bad for me too. I think it has something to do with all those 6's. #4 is just evil.
Robo you'll do it but yeah it does suck. I think I was pissed off after #5.
0 -
Oops - probably some left over chemo brain :-)
0 -
Robo.....it is hard and it does suck but you will get through it. Oh, I wish I could absorb your discomfort (just one day...could not stand more than one day) and you can feel what I feel now years after chemo. That is the horrid aspect of chemo.....you simply are stuck feeling ill and cannot know the good days ahead. Just lay on the couch and hug a stuffed animal and listen to peaceful music. One day, my dear, you will remind another young woman that this too will pass. Until then.....it is awful.
Susan
0 -
Robo --- I know it's hard.....seems the closer you get to the finish line, the easier it seems to succumb to depressing blahs where it all feels a little bad. I considered throwing in the towel on #5 because 6 months was starting to stretch into forever ---- but you've got a lot invested in your life and you will look back and see you are made of some really tough stuff. Illinois girls are TOUGH and you can get through this. Sending you lots of hugs.
Jackie
0 -
Robo.......HUGS!!!!!!!! We can make it!!!!! Two more!!!
0 -
Robo you're going to love the diuretic just be sure you take it in the morning and are at home for several hours. YOu are going to pee a lot. If you have cankles and can't button up your boots that's fluid for sure. After my 4tx there was only one pair of boots I could wear. My work boots. I too couldn't zip up over my ankles. Yes this will all go away. I'm living proof of it. I didn't get to do the diuretic till well after chemo when my fluid didn't go away. I was taking such a small amount too but it worked.
Do you remember the story I told you about the Harris theater after my last chemo and walking all the way downstairs… and had to take breaks when I walked up the stairs. OMG I felt like such an old lady. I think it was exactly 5 weeks after chemo that my thigh stiffness started to go away. I never thought it would it was so bad.
Crying at the drop of a hat sounds like chemopause. Did you know that smoking can make hotflashes worse? If you hot flashes get really bad you might ask your onc about EffexorXR.
I'm not a generous as Susan. I know how crappy you feel. Not willing to trade a day with you.
It was only 9.5 months ago when I finished chemo. I still remember and totally relate to how you feel. It seems it will never end. I remember thinking after TX4 "I don't want to play anymore!" I know it's so hard to think you will ever feel normal again, no pain and no weight but you will. Seriously though I hate that you and Madmom are going through this.
0 -
Im putting on weight too, and I'm not sure how since the thought of eating anything makes me I'll with my tastes..... I did try the ice chips during chemo, not helping.....I have biotene and it tastes ok for like 5 min. my onc won't write a script for the magic mouthwash, not sure why???
I'm having hot flashes horrible too....infact, just got done.....my bald head forms beads of sweat and I have to strip off as much as possible.....than 5 min. later, freezing......
Hang in there..... I know it all sucks!!!! This one has hit me harder than the previous 3 and made me quite miserable. I'm not really sure how much I have left in me.... I'm so uncomfortable and grumpy and miserable with the taste issues and tiredness......
Definitely the hardest thing I've ever endured!0 -
Robo and Madmom.... Tough times for sure. I remember joking with my DH that we should have bought stock in Kimberly-Clark for all the tissues I went through. Chemo turned me into an emotional wreck until I asked my ONC for some happy pills. Uggh! The other thing that helped me alot was my guided imagery CD's for chemo patients. I loaded them on my IPod and listened to them while laying in bed. Took me awhile to give into this as I was used to being so active, but I came to enjoy those time-outs. We are all thinking of you! (((((HUGS)))))
0 -
Hot flashes. Sounds like it's time to carry around one of these:
and for those real sweaty ones you need the boom box
0 -
Morning! Is it just me or do you guys always seem to wake up an hour too early when the time changes in the fall? So instead of waking up at my usual 5:30 today, it was 4:30 but really was 3:30! I'm guessing there will be a nap in my future. After I change all 3 billion time pieces...
Robo/Jenn...I am so sorry for you both. These se's can be horrendous and I know telling you to hang in there and it will be over soon really won't help ... But just keep coming here and vent away...we get it. Sometimes it helps just to b$tch....chemo will go a long way in saving your life but that doesn't mean you can't complain about it. We totally understand.
Hot flashes....ugh. I get horrible night sweats. First one as the sun is setting. Last one as the sun comes up. Literally. Hoping once Arimidex is done they will get less severe. Now...don't laugh. I read this in a novel and it works! Southern women used to keep a metal serving spoon/ice tea spoon handy. When a hot flash came they would pick up the spoon and place it immediately on the back of their neck until it passed. Well I thought it sounded stupid but I tried it last winter. The silly idea works! Stops the flush! The metal stays cool and seems to confuse our internal thermostat when we put something cold on our necks. I keep a pie server on my end table ..I use it at some point every night.
Hope everyone else is doing good...have a lovely Sunday! Off to reset a few more clocks...0 -
You and To-Day
by Ella Wheeler WilcoxWith every rising of the sun
Think of your life as just begun.The past has shrived and buried deep
All yesterdays - there let them sleep,Nor seek to summon back one ghost
Of that innumerable host.Concern yourself with but to-day;
Woo it and teach it to obeyYour wish and will. Since time began
To-day has been the friend of man.But in his blindness and his sorrow
He looks to yesterday and to-morrow.You and to-day! a soul sublime
And the great pregnant hour of time.With God between to bind the train,
Go forth, I say - attain - attain.0 -
I'm sorry to hear about the SEs, Robo and Madismom (and anyone else I'm forgetting). I found the middle treatments to be the worst, feels never ending. When you get to those last two or three treatments, it does finally feel like the light at the end of the tunnel and they are more tolerable, or they at least *feel* more tolerable. Hang in there! I too found I had terrible emotional side effects from the steroids and the chemo, went on effexor, and things were much much better, I'm glad I did that. I was able to drop the effexor about a month ago, and so far so good, the emotional side effects didn't creep back in as I was afraid they might.
Been catching up things most every day, but not posting much. Today is the last day of soccer season for my daughter.... kind of glad and sad at the same time.... she was on two teams, and played a total of 20 games these past three months.... so ridiculously busy, and competitive cheer season (older daughter) kicked off last week, so, wow. Not much free time, but I'm not complaining. Last year this time I was getting ready for surgery, and terrified. Being too busy is a good problem to have!
Started to couch to 5k... Hi Adey! I'm a bit behind you but keeping up as best I can. Am going to attempt to do a 5k in the spring. I'll have to take a break when I have exchange surgery in a couple of weeks but hopefully that won't kill the momentum.
Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone. The weather just looks glorious today.
Lisa
0 -
Good morning everyone --- well, I do hope it is good. Wendy....I didn't wake up too early.....Dh purposely did not set the any of the regular clocks.....just let the tiny one on the t.v. be in charge as it is automatic on time. Truthfully.....I'm still not going to be thrilled when it gets DARK tooooo early. Wish we could just have DST all yr. but it would probably mess up our circadian rhythms or something equally disastrous.
Also....Wendy --- we can really count on you to "figure" so many of the workable things....like the magnesium and now the metal spoon on your neck. I'm sitting here imagining someone tapping into this blog without a clue thinking who knows what ( these people are certifiable ) thoughts. I can't add anything to the discussion except, the end will justify what you are going through now.
Hmmm, another gift from Arimidex I had forgotten about. Fortunately, I don't get full blown hot flashes, but do get flushes of heat now and then. I was doing really good with the A until I started on the generic. My left ( weak side from stroke ) hip and pretty much down the leg knows there has been a 'slight' meds adjustment. I can't sleep on that side too long or I wake up with my whole side/hip/leg aching. I feel it now and then --- especially if the weather changes. I'm only on the second bottle of generic....hoping that my body will adjust and quit reacting. I'm on this until 2013.
One thing I will say.....out of all the things that have happened to me....this diagnosis, tx, and aftermath seems the worse. But in reality, lots of things occurred to me that felt like they were nearly the end of the world. At least then. I got through all those things and think most of them gave me strength to get thru this one -- as questionable as that became once or twice. It is really EASY to drift into negative thoughts at this point. Having to use poison to help yourself heal -- your body is working so hard, and going through so much -- so you succumb. Just remember that you are loaning yourself to this time period so your body can be cleansed of this disease and so that you can go back to the life you were living before its discovery. I like the saying I read one time.....God did not say it was going to be easy --- he said it would be worth it.
We woudn't learn much if we walked through our whole life with no crosses to bear, no diasters, no disease. No real point to even being here. When we go through these things we see what we are really made of and what we can do. It's not easy when all the strength you have ever had gets covered up and hidden by what is going on. It's there, no matter how deep, its there. Just live ten minutes at a time --- when the whole day is painful because of whatever is hurting you.....take it in much smaller segments. I could always get through ten minutes. I got through 6 months of ten minutes at a time. I still wish I wouldn't have had to.....but at least I found out that I could and did. I am proud of that ability. I wish the same for you. We can't say just hang in there -- it won't resonate with you. We were all on that same path....and we are all here now, and WE ALL are walking with you. We know how "horrid" horrid can be --- but the only way to get through it is to walk right through the middle. In between all of the rest of us. Ten minutes at a time.
I'm sorry....I was not going to do this because -- but I did.
I hope you all have the neatest Sunday. I'm thinking of all of you.
Hugs, Jackie
0 -
Jackie- What a truly lovely and insightful post.
Robo and Madismom - I don't think I have anything more helpful to contribute but I can reiterate that things will get better. Treatment is an overwhelming time in so many ways, but you will get through it.
Hugs to all of you today.0 -
Mornin'.
0 -
Some think it's holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it's letting go.
-- Sylvia Robinson0 -
Robo - (((((((((((((((HUG))))))))))))))) Hang in there! We are here for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MadMom - ((((((((((((((((((HUG))))))))))))))) - Try seltzer water (unsalted) with a splash of lemon or lime. Hang in there! We are here for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jackie - Thank you for your wisdom and thanks for sharing it!
0 -
That's a lovely quote. Thanks for sharing this with us.
0 -
Corinne - How was the Hot Chocolate race????????????? (LOVE the name of it!) Details please! lol0
-
It was awesome! Course started around Buckingham fountain area and ended up near there as well. IT was really cool running in the streets of Chicago. High energy, great music blasting and at the end you got a chocolate fondue plate--warmed melted milk chocolate was ladeled into a divided plastic container and you were given apple slices, a half of banana, marshmellow, rice krispy treat and pretzel to dip into the chocolate. Lots of walkers too! I would do this again next year and if anyone else is intersted in doing it with me, we could get a team together.
The course had a snag though. Minutes before a truck got caught in an underpass which was on the course route. So they re-routed us quickly but it added on an extra 3 blocks or so. I improved on my time from last week, so I finished in 37 min, still a 12 min mile and I am happy with it.
Weather was perfect, crowd was fun and again, looking forward to doing it next year.
0 -
Hi Girls, just checking in. Taking a required course for 5 Saturdays from 9-3.Which is why I cant make the holiday party. So bummed. Miss you all. Met the new Onc who is leaving in December but will return in a year to my area. (non compete clause) So unless new symptom comes up, I am sticking with her. I am back on Femera but within a week I am once again walking like an old women. Hurts to type or write. Cant take advil anymore, it's upsetting my stomach and dont want to take anything stronger. Whine, Whine and more Whine.
Between my oldest son in Austria and cousins moving about, we are down to only six for thanksgiving. So for the first time in over 25 years, I am NOT cooking. And we are going to the Drury Lane Buffet. Ummmm and than having people over later for dessert. Looking forward to it.
All of you suffering with side effects, I'm thinking of you and hope tomorrow is better. Love you, Onward
0
