2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

ravdeb

Brenda..I thought you were 10 years younger!!! We are the same age. Your Monday sounded very good to me.

Cathy..I love your avatar and am so happy to see your smiling face. You are beautiful. You have added such a wonderful dimension to the group here. You are right..we are so diverse and yet so bonded. I love it. I'm proud to be a part of this group and tell just about everybody I meet about us.

I like the word oofda. In Hebrew we say oof meaning "wish it weren't like this" or "geeeeeeeeeez" or "tired of this"...many ways to translate it!

And we say "die" which means enough.

Victoria...your dog is soooooooooooooo cute! And you look absolutely wonderful in your picture.
Glad your onc visit was good. Biking..I bought a new seat for my daughter's bike, got me a helmet but have yet tried it all out. Daughter says seat is comfy, though!

And Victoria..thanks for the encouragement. Last night I was at a meeting at our congregation and several of the people there said I looked so good and were so happy that I was so optimistic. I never said I was..they just felt it I guess. So, I come here to vent but most of the time I'm okay.

You have those strange juices..Juice plus and pyramid level (sounds Egyptian to me!).What is all that???

As for pomegranate juice..was introduced to POM when I was in the States. We were visiting Oprah's favorite store...forgot the name but where she likes to buy her shoes..fancy place (dang chemo brain!) and there was a place to buy pomegranate lemonade. Well, my dh was fascinated with this. We asked about it, the guy showed us the POM syrup and told us we could buy it in any grocery store. So, I ordered the lemonade with the pomegranate and he ordered just pomegranate and he was NOT happy.

See, Avi's dad makes his own juice from the seeds and it's much better. So, he got to thinking..we can get into the juice business and in fact..he has hooked up with somebody here and some of our fruit will go into the juice here. Pomegranate juice is NOT popular here for some reason..the fruit is. One company made it and it was really NOT good. Well, my troops don't like it.

ravdeb

Laura...waiting to hear...
Graycie..where are you???

marymelodi

It's almost 5am. I've had a interrupted night's sleep. Very busy at work . . . several late days. Out of town and sick on the weekend so I did not use the computer. Will write a longer message later in the day. Add my age at dx 52 to the roll call. I am now 53. Like Rosemarie said, if I'm unable to attend to the messages here for a few days, there is alot to catch up on. I'm going to see if I can nap for another hour or so before I hve to get ready for work.

Mary

debbie444

Victoria, that is such a lovely picture of you and the dog. Sams dad was a yorkie and my Gran had an epeleptic yorkie called Penny so have a soft spot for them.
Cathy - I'll teach you some English - broad Derbyshire.

.
Is tha gunna tarn? Odd tha hosses an al cum wi yer, am rate parched for some spice. Is clem tha'll need a mac

When i first went to boarding school in Wales i ahd such a strong accent that the girls i shared a dorm with had trouble understanding all i said. Now i only have a weak accent. It seems to be dying out as generations pass.

Ok, off to brave the pomegranate!

debbie444

Oh i forgot, i had a date in the post today for my mammo - my first since diagnosed May 05. Its next Monday, just short of 18 month since my op.
Roger is having the day off to come with me

ravdeb

Debbie..you cracked me up with your broad Derbyshire! OMG! You mean..if I meet you I won't understand a word you're saying????
Good luck with your mammo on Monday. We'll all be there..again. I'll bring the chocolate and the red wine, as usual!

Mary..feel better. Miss your posts.

Victoria... I want to learn more about that Iscador and what you know about it..like..what is it best for?

General question to those with lumpectomies...does your lumpectomy side STILL ache? Mine does. I don't always think about it but it does still hurt..just have made that my norm. But last night at my meeting, one of the members came up to me and gave me a hug. He really didn't hug that tightly but it was on my lumpectomy side and it hurt. I mean..it really hurt..not just a little something...

Wondered if other Lumpectomy women have this problem. Is that because of the rads, maybe? I mean...afterall..surgery was over a year ago.

My mammogram really hurt on that side...I had tears. (It hurt on the other side, too, though). I've never had tears for a mammo but I just chalked that up to the ole emotions flowing cuz of all that I've been through. But now that I think about it...that side does hurt me..all the time but like I said..I've made it my new "norm". Maybe it's not normal?

RoseMarie

Debbie - will be there with you, drinking wine and eating chocolate too!! (I'm glad you don't have to go alone!!!)
Mary - good to hear from you!
Victoria - I keep refreshing the page but don't see your new pic yet - glad to hear your appt. went well.
(In college I got renamed "Ro" so that's what my hubby and friends and even my sister call me...)
Laura - thinking about you!!!!
Hugs everyone!

Anonymous

Kelly 42
Laura 45
Michelle 41
Victoria 51
Devorah 50
Cindy 47
Amy 28
Debbie 33
TraceyNY 38
Paula 31
Rosemarie 37
Scottishlass 41
TracySeattle 49
Cathy 65
MaryAnneCB 44
Brenda 50

Anonymous

I feel all the hugs and can hear all the thoughts...but everytime the phone rings, I jump! Caller ID showed the hospital's # this morning, I almost had a heart attack...but they were just checking to see if the biopsy site was okay! Whew...I can't help it...I am afraid to answer the phone today! If caller ID shows my Dr.s # I may let it go to the machine so I can hear the tone of voice. If it's upbeat and strong, I'll know it's good, if it's more somber and quiet, I'll know it's bad. I am such a chicken sh*t and a wimp and my dignity is quite tarnished! And I'm working myself into a frenzy. I'm like the Lion from the Wizard of Oz...I need some ca, ca, ca, courage!
Laura

TracySeattle

Hi All,

Ravdeb - my lumpectomy site still hurts quite a bit. Some days more than others. I wish I could buy my POM juice from your husband!!! I did find a good size bottle of it at Target for $3.99 yesterday, they also had Pomegranate/Blueberry/Cranberry mixed which contained less sugar and was less calories than the straight POM juice.

Debbie - as usual you crack me up! Hug Sam for me!

Cathy - good to see you! I am so glad you are here with us! Have a safe trip!

Kelly - you are so good at those statistics, thanks so much for keeping track of us!

Laura - waiting with you!

Victoria - Hi, very cute dog!

Mary - I miss you!

As usual, I am at work and have to run. Later all!

TracyNY

Cathy987: Check the posts back near Labor Day weekend in this thread and you can read my adventures in the search for knock off handbags.

Once you get off the train in Chinatown people come up to you and whisper "Louis, Prada, Coach", you give them the nod and then you follow them through alleys and trick doors to the fake Fendi's and counterfeit Chanels!

debbie444

Ravdeb - i would behave and talk calmly so you would understand me. If i get excited the odd word slips through but not to the extent above - have you deciphered it yet- it does actually mean something! ( the above phrase is really common - i could guarantee you would hear it witin24 hrs of arriving!)
My lumpectomy site hurts, if one of the kids sit on my knee they have to be careful where to lean. It especially hurts if i put solid deoderant on, that section of me is really painful. When i mentioned it the told me it was trauma tissue after my healing episode.

Anonymous

Quote:

---

Odd tha hosses an al cum wi yer, am rate parched for some spice.

---

Did you say: Odd that horses and all come with you, I am thirsty for some mulled wine?

chumfry

Re the derbyshire: Is the last bit about the possibility for rain? I'm guessing "clem" might have something to do with inclement weather and a "mac" is a raincoat. If so, you might need your "wellies," too, right?

Anonymous

GRAYCIE WHERE ARE YOU? Are you having another snow storm?

--------

the wildflower -
Your Onc. is a saint! It's funny you would ask about the profile info. I just finished a questionnaire for us to fill in, so we will all know each other's status. It would make it easier to advise one another, etc. I'll post it this morning. I can't see your photos!?!

EVERYONE -
If you're not comfortable filling in the info, no problem!

ravdeb -
My friend had a lumpectomy about a year ago too, and she complains every so often of pain. So, maybe it's residual. I know it's hard to distinguish pain after a dx like ours!

cathy -
Nice avatar!

Laura

debbie444

Its
Are you going into town? Hang on a minute and i will come too, i fancy some sweets. Its cold, you will need a coat.

We have lots of thee , thou and tha in every day use and lots of t's added where they shouldnt be and dropped from where they should be.

As for the pomegranate - yeuch - i can tell its supposed to be good for me , its awful, like eating wet seeds!

chumfry

Oooh, I *like* that! "Hold your horses, I'll come with you!"

ravdeb

thanks for the translation, Debbie!
Sorry you don't like the pomegranate. When I was a little kid my mom would buy them once in a while because she loved them and so I loved them then, too!

Thanks for all the info on pains in lumpectomy area. It must be the norm if everybody else is bugged by it. My dh keeps bugging me to see my onc but I keep telling him it's not something serious..just bothersome.

I rarely shave under my arms, Victoria. I have hardly anything left there since chemo. Don't have much on my legs either, but I do have some.... it's old age I think!

Laura...waiting along with you...
Graycie..where are you??? Internet down???

Kelly..everytime I see your secretarial work on here I crack up! (this is a good thing!).

Waiting for your questionaire..funny but I love filling them out!

marymelodi

Here is a response about pain in the lumpectomy site. It's long . . . sorry, but I want to help and give the info that I have learned in the last few weeks. Bottom line . . . I don't believe we should just accept pain as "normal." Perhaps my experience is unique. Hope it will help someone else.

In answer to questions about pain in the lumpectomy site: That is why I am having physical therapy. I have had 5 appointments and have noticed improvement. I was having aching (from dull to very sharp pain) in the breast near and in the lumpectomy site beginning in late July to early August. In August I had my 3-month exam following the end of radiation so I mentioned the discomfort to my radiation oncology nurse practitioner. She examined my breast carefully and said there was fluid retention (swelling) which they often see after radiation. She referred me for physical therapy.

The physical therapist has explained to me that she thinks the radiation caused my scar tissue from surgery to thicken, toughen, and tighten. This has prevented the fluid (lymph) from draining as it would have normally. I only had 4 nodes taken out with the SNB but she said that even that few, depending on where they were and how much damage was done to get them out, it can sometimes lead to "drainage" issues. She tells me the lymph system lies just beneath the skin and the movement of our muscles and skin moves the fluid through the little vessels. Unlike the circulatory system, where there is a pump to move things along, the lymph system is more like a vacuum. When fluid moves out of an area more fluid is drawn into that area. But if it gets blocked by scar tissue, for example, then it can't move along in the drainage system. Since lymph fluid carries dead cells and other waste products, if it gets backed up, it can start an inflammation or even infection.

She has been using light massage on my stomach, side, and the center of my chest to move fluid away. Then she works in toward the breast, with firmer massage to help move the fluid out to those other areas. Around the scars she uses heated ultrasound, deep massage (which hurts a bit), and a elastic tape from Japan that gently pulls on the scars between sessions. All this is supposed to make the scarred area thinner, softer, and looser. She says there is a difference and that the scars are less "bound down." I had no idea about all this. I couldn't see it as much as I could feel the effects (pain). And the physical therapist is honest enough to say that some techniques, like the heated ultrasound, do not have good research to back up the use of the technique. But, the experience of the patients is important and if patients feel improvement, as I am having less pain and ache, then they do what works. I can also see that the appearance of my scars is changing. They are less red and raised up.

That's a long answer to say that for those of you who are feeling aching in the lumpectomy site I think that we do not have to accept aches and pains as normal. Perhaps you have, like I did, some fluid build up from the radiation. I have read the radiation effects can occur even 6 to 12 months later. It certainly would be worth checking on. Ash for an evaluation by someone who knows about fluid buildup - lymphedema can occur in the breast. I can occur anywhere in the body. It's not just something that happens in the limbs.

Hope that helps someone.

Mary

Mary

ravdeb

OMG Victoria...I am ROFL!...

"Dave is buying me a new bike and that translates he will expect me to ride with him daily. I don't like the thought but enjoy it once I'm doing it. Gah...I could write the same words about sex these days."

OMG that is funny!!!!!

marymelodi

I didn't mean to sign my name twice, lol.

But that reminds me . . . a few messages back there was talk of some of you having 2 names.

My full name is Mary Alice. Only relatives and people who knew me at a very young age ever call me by my full name. Dropping the "Alice" was my form of teen-age rebellion. As is usually the case, I'm sorry now that I rebelled against the name my parents chose for me.

Ah, well . . . . If I only knew then . . .

Mary Alice

marymelodi

You guys were creating funnies while I was typing. Hah-hah! In my case, my husband seems to have run out of gas while my little engine is purring along just fine. We are two opposites in that department these days and it is not a good situation. I thought menopause would have made a difference, but no, not for me.

Mary

ravdeb

mary..we posted at the same time. I was rolling on the floor laughing from Victoria's post and then I saw yours.

So, I'm up off the floor... hmmmmmmm..interesting.

Now, my scar is smooth and actually can't feel it..well..I have no feeling there anyway, but I mean it's flat...and it's just about all white.

I was just at my surgeon. He thought the scar looked good and he said it was all fine. He was checking for any weird stuff like swelling.

Interesting..I have a lot of scar tissue, I'm sure, because I had an excisional and then had the lumpectomy done right on top of that.

Thanks for the infor. I'm going to keep this in mind and will do a bit of research, as well. I can't tell if the pain is worse or the same. I can't remember. I know I've always felt something there. Just that sometimes I forget about it as that is just what there is.

Thanks again, Mary. And..how are you feeling otherwise?

vpiazza

is graycie from n.y. (staten island), by any chance ?

Anonymous

vpiazza

Our Graycie, the one we haven't heard from, is from Cheektowaga, NY. Thanks for posting.

Laura

ravdeb

okay..so now Mary Alice is talking about her engines roaring! What is this thread coming to????

I can only imagine what things will be like when we all get together! Hope your house is strong Laura cuz it's gonna be ROCKIN'!!!!

marymelodi

I didn't say roaring . . . just purring!

It's all Victoria/Veronica's fault. She brought up the S word.

Ravdeb: btw I also have a pure white kitty, like the one dashing across your driveway in the pic of your house. Our "girl" is called Ellie, although the name I gave her is Elsa. Hm-m-m, just like me . . . doesn't answer to the name she was given. Anyway, our Ellie is bonded to my husband and sleeps next to him every night. Hm-m-m again . . . maybe he likes her better than me?? Nah . . . she has no thumbs and cannot wash dishes or cook.

When we all get together I imagine it will be non-stop laughing. Our sides will ache from laughing and our cheeks will ache from smiling and our arms will ache from hugging.

Mary

marymelodi

Re: Graycie
As far as I know there is no snow falling in Cheektowaga. Graycie must be busy.

I was in Cheektowaga last Saturday with my husband at a bowling tournament. I did not know that it was going to be in that suburb of Buffalo or I would have tried to get in touch with Graycie. He just told me Buffalo and I wasn't getting too specific about where.

Anyway, at the bowling tournament I observed a woman that I thought looked like our Graycie. In fact, the resemblence was so strong to me that I went up to the man who was with the lady when I saw him near the front desk and asked if the woman he was with was named Gail. He said Yes!! I got so excited thinking it was our Graycie/Gail. So, I said, I think I might know her. I think she is a woman I have been corresponding with on the internet about our experiences with breast cancer. He said, well, we don't have a computer, but this is such a coincidence because our daughter-in-law is an oncology nurse and she cares for breast cancer patients. How weird is that? A woman who I thought looked like Graycie who had the same name (Gail)??

So, Graycie . . . I saw your long, lost twin sister at the AMF Thruway Lanes on Saturday.

Mary

debbie444

My gran was called Alice but everione called her Rene.
What may i ask are Naked Pomegranates Victoria? Is that one with its peel off???????????
Thanks for the info on the lymph nodes - i had 28 taken, perhaps thats part of the problem

Anonymous

Just checking in one more time...no phone call yet. It's 5:01 here. I am playing Bunco tonight with 11 other girls. It will be good to be out, but I'm still wondering about the results. My dh will buzz me on my cell if they call tonight. If not, I'll call them first thing in the morn.

Laura