Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part II -GAGWTA!

[snappy]

Very thorough post, Linda.

Where is Popdaddy anyway?

I agree re the second opinion, and in a major cancer center if at all possible.

Sitting from where I am sitting, 65 is certainly young, and I am sure she wants to spend as much time with those precious granchildren as possible.

I commend you for coming here seeking info for your MIL. She could use your advocacy. Having a support system, especially a well-informed one, is truly priceless.

Happy Mardi Gras, all!! Sounds like this will be a good one for New Orleans, the hotels are 90+% occupancy, probably the best since Mardi Gras 2005. The weather has been cooperating as well..

How are our northeast sistas faring?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

GAGWTA, Ladies!

Oh I remember the weird chemo tastes. Everything changed for me with regard to food. All I could eat was oranges, bananas and chips. It was weird.

Sorry I have been out of touch, my dad was brought back to the hosptial by ambulance early Sat morning. He was admitted and then released Sunday evening. He is doing better, but it was so horrible to get that call. I am exhausted...I was with him most of the weekend.

GAGWTA!

I am having my final (I HOPE) plastic surgery on Wednesday. They also found a lump on my radiated side which they claim is fine (radiation changes) but "lets biopsy it while we are there". I am a little nervous. Can't wait to be done.

Maureen, tons of good thoughts for both you and your dad!! I hope your surgery goes well!

Maryann - I hope someone will bring you some cake!

Sharon - Welcome! Good thoughts for your MIL!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Very thorough post, Linda.

You are being kind.

How are our northeast sistas faring?

Fine here in MA! Today is cold, 30 degrees out, but sunny. I think I'm going to go for a nice walk with my girl in a little while and dream about better weather that's soon to come.

I meant to ask you guys about the ginger ale thing. Is this regional, or does the rest of the country love ginger ale, too?

 

[MerryPoppins]

http://www.retrocandyonline.com/claeys.html

http://www.groovycandies.com/V2ProdDetail1.asp?Product_ID=6156

Hope these websites work. Claeys isn't the only brand of these "sanded" hard candies, but you can read the description, see the package and also a sample photo of the candies I'm talking about. I've bought them locally, but I can't remember the brand (I don't think they were Claey's) or the location. Sorry.

I'm a little confused by the fact that the Tamoxifen wasn't working. I'm wondering how the doctors knew this?

Ginger ale isn't terribly popular here. I'd say it's mostly purchased to put in punch. My family likes it, but we don't buy it very often.

Still no news from my cousin about Katie. I need to email again to see what's happening on that end.

Very helpful and interesting posts here today. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. GAGWTA and

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm a little confused by the fact that the Tamoxifen wasn't working. I'm wondering how the doctors knew this?

They know it wasn't working because she had a recurrence of her cancer while on it. (If it was working, she wouldn't have had a recurrence.) Once something is found to be not working, they usually stop it.

Which actually made me think of another thing, for Sharon:

Tamoxofin is only given for estrogen and progesterone receptor positive tumors. This is tested at the time of the biopsy and usually again during the surgery. Going on tamoxofin when your tumor is estrogen and progesterone receptor negative can actually make the cancer grow (which is what my oncologist told me when I asked if I could go on it even though I was negative). If anyone remembers, we had a poster here in the first thread that this happened to. She was a young woman who'd had two recurrences in a short period of time and they retested her hormone receptors and they were actually found to be negative when originally they thought they were positive! So Sharon, I'd probably asked to have those retested for MIL. I'd also try to be sure someone was with her during doctors appointments so you know the rest of the family is getting accurate information. I've been thinking about MIL all day and keeping her in my prayers.

 

[MerryPoppins]

They know it wasn't working because she had a recurrence of her cancer while on it. (If it was working, she wouldn't have had a recurrence.) Once something is found to be not working, they usually stop it.

Ah, of course. This makes sense. I just wasn't thinking clearly.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

BTW, Merry, I loved your post on the jeans thread. You Go, Girl!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

GTAGWTA Good Morning Ladies

First my thoughts are with Maurenn today - Praying her surgery would go well

The popcorn smilie is for my upcoming diet tomm. I can have popcorn, only air popped. I know a teacher at the ds old school who had one in her classroom. I am going to see if she still does can I borrow it if need be. I talked to the dietician again yest. She finally called me back. She said the hospital protocol is following the NIH (National Institute of Health) Guidlines so the food is much stricter than the internet stuff they gave me to read etc. Oh what fun. She did mention a certain store, only after I asked her, that is more of something organic in nature. I have never shopped there and its like 25 min away, but she said I would probably do well getting the required stuff there. I might just get stuff at the regular store to hold me over for 2 days and hit that store on sat.

Also I talked to the endo. I just LOVE this lady. She is so positive, sweet and upbeat. I asked her about my BP med as it has red dye in it. She said to get rid of that one and I am taking another. She said she didnt like the bp number I gave her. I told her it was from the day they were pulling the drain so that might have affected it. I will see her after the radiation week is over.

I also asked the endo about the rad. onc. less than positive outlook, nothing encouraging etc. I told her why did you and the surgeon say good stuff and she is saying nothing etc. She said, that seems just to be her personality. So I guess that is a little reassuring and the endo said, stuff like, dont worry, if something else comes up we will just deal with it etc. This lady is refreshing for sure!! Glad I stuck it out and fought to get her!!

DS 3 told me they took a boy out of school in the ambulance yest. with kidney stones. He is also wrapped up in all this girl prom drama. He says he cant take it. I told him, just be yourself, pick who you want etc. Last year he went with a nice girl. Lived too far away. They just met at the place, they call it the spring formal.

Havent seen dh in poractically 4 days, he even said oh we are like ships passing in the night, yeah. He is wrapped up in sojme conference and all these formal dinenrs etc. Tonight is the end, yippee!!

Thank you ladies for all your info and insight into the metallic food issues. Bless you all and have a great day. Its sunny but cold here.

 

[snappy]

LMP, thanks for reminding me of Maureen's surgery.

I am so glad you liked the endocrinologist. I like her caring attitude.

It must be hard holding the fort down while your DH is traveling. You sound like a very stong woman. That strength will stand in you good stead during your treatment.

Oh I wish I had not searched for the jeans thread. I am getting that I wear mom jeans, hey at my age I guess they are more like grandma jeans. Do you think I would be more fashionable in my nylon sweatpants?
At least my geraniums are blooming.

 

[MerryPoppins]

BTW, Merry, I loved your post on the jeans thread. You Go, Girl!

Thanks. I just hate it when people are so judgemental. What is it to them if I wear mom jeans, a t-shirt and my crocs? It's not like I care what they wear. I think people need to get a life...seriously. And Laurie, you're perfect just the way you are right now. And I can't even see what you're wearing.

LMP, air popped popcorn is not bad. We used to eat it all the time. Of course it's not as good without butter on it but I like it just fine. It has good flavor and makes a good, crunchy snack. At least it's somewhat normal, right?

Thinking of Maureen today.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

GTAGWTA Good Morning Ladies

Hmm, the banana is in honor of something I am allowed to have, bananas, The poster Christine who has been through this gave me a good snack idea from the coping and compassion board. Well this morning I ate oatmeal. I hate oatmeal, except the cookies. Well I put maple syrup (the puire kind only allowed, yeah like it was $7 a bottle or something like that, gheesh. ) on it and pecans and raisins. It was o.k.. Then I freaked out as I saw the ingredient list and it did list sodium, so I called the dietician and she has not called me back yet. This was the raisin box and then on the list they gave me it says raisins are allowed. My head spins. Why cant they make this easy.

Well my dh is done with his conferences, They were here and the boss didnt like stuff so he has to work late again tonight. I havent really seen him since sun. for no more than 1 hr. any night. Gheesh.

Ds1 is still not feeling well. I gave him so imodium today. I did all the shopping yest. with ds 2. The bill was like over $200, since most of the stuff I need seems to be organic in nature, hence $$$$,

I spent half the morning on the phone yest. Had the telephone repair guy check out the phone, seems to be o.k. now, talked to the nurse from the rad onc., and then spent a while with the water company finding out 1 of our former tenants still didnt pay their water bill, sigh, sigh. So in order for the town (out of state no less) not to put a lien on the property, I had to write a nice big check for $400. DH and I both agreed if anyone calls for a reference about them in the future we will tell them the truth., Last time, dh kind of emblished stuff, just to get rid of these people. Supposedly the builder will close on the contract in July, but we are not holding our breath. I hate being a landlord. The other guy who is in dh grandmas house at least pays the rent and bills.

Wishing you all a great day and tons of happiness!! Bless you all.

 

[laurabelle]

~~~***GAGWTA sistas***~~~

Maureen- Thinking of you...post when you can.

Maryann- Not sure of everything on your food list, but do you have a Trader Joe's near you? I buy a lot of organic/specialty stuff there, and the prices are great. So is it two weeks of this? When do you go to the hospital for treatment? Is it just one course of treatment or will there be more? You are in my thoughts and prayers...

Laurie- How was Mardi Gras?

Melissa- I don't really care what others wear, but I think it's funny when I see the college kids wearing p.j.s out in public... Obviously they've never been bed ridden or they'd be happy to put on real clothes!

I found out my GI doc doesn't use the pills for colonoscopy prep anymore, we're back to drinking stuff. It's called Movi prep, and for extra fun I have to do it in two parts, the second part starts at 3 a.m. the day of the procedure... yippee. I'm hoping I don't have to do this all over yet again when I have surgery...

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Laura - Movi-prep is what DH had to drink before his last colonoscopy. I guess it was no better but no worse than the stuff he has taken in the past. It might have been a slighty smaller amount of liquid to drink than the previous one.

Maryann - Glad you are hanging in there! Good luck with the new food guidelines!

Maureen - I hope everything went well yesterday!

GAGWTA!!

 

[laurabelle]

Thanks Elizabeth. I know how to make it more tolerable...chill it, use a straw. I did read that it is a little better than the other stuff. I guess my doc isn't happy with the results of the pills...it worked for me though.
How is your mom doing? Congrats to her for finishing rads!

I found out today that my friend's mets are in her brain as well. It is a lot of small tumors, so not operable. She started rads...she has a wish list, some of it travel but her onc isn't promising anything.
I hate cancer.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Laura - The directions actually say to chill it, so we did that. I'll have to remember the straw for next time!
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I hope she is able to do some of the things on her list while she still feels strong enough to do them!
Mom is doing OK. I talked to her on Sunday. She has a ton of follow-up visits in 2 weeks, so we'll see what everybody has to say!

 

[MerryPoppins]

Melissa- I don't really care what others wear, but I think it's funny when I see the college kids wearing p.j.s out in public... Obviously they've never been bed ridden or they'd be happy to put on real clothes!

I don't particularly go for the pants that ride so low you see things you ought not or clothes that are more holes than fabric. But I just figure that's their business not mine and look the other way. I really don't much get into judging people over their fashion sense. I've got more important fish to fry in my life.

LMP, I don't know if this will help you, but I sort of like oatmeal with a little syrup and a sliced banana. I can convince myself it's a treat, almost like a dessert. Since you can have all of that you might give it a try. My DD isn't nuts about oatmeal, but she likes it that way.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I have a horrible time finding jeans that fit, so all these low-rise, boot cut stretch things drive me batty! I HATE them!

I was just thinking about a mom I saw who bent down to tie her child's shoe and her whole thong was showing out the back of her jeans. OK, would I rather be frumpy or show my panties to a room full of strangers?

 

[lookingforward]

Hi everyone. I made it through surgery. The lump was benign, although they do send it out for more detailed testing, they say it is absolutely nothing. THANK GOD. The final plastic surgery went well. I am in a lot of pain, thoough, from the skin graft. He took skin from my c-section area to make the you know whats..... and it hurts. That and I was very nauseated from the anesthesia all last night and today. Not used to that! Its awful.

I hope I am ready to go back to work Monday. I am so ready to stop being a patient. I really am exhausted and fed up with it all.

Hope all are doing well. More later...gotta get some rest. OUCH!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Great news, Maureen. Rest easy now.

 

[Aliceacc]

I'm glad to hear it went so well.

In more news from the Year from you-know-where front, our 7 year old Labrador Retreiver died yesterday while everyone was at school. My husband found her; 10 minutes later I was home with the kids. It's killing my husband; it was only 5 months ago-- 8 days after my mastectomy-- that his dad died. My 2 older kids were afraid to sleep upstairs; Koko died at landing on top of the stairs (she liked to lie there. She could doze and look out the window at the top of our front door.) My son was up from 12:30 till after 2, with additional nightmares at 2:30 and 3:30.

Man, this has been a brutal year.