Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?

IllinoisLady

Thanks or letting me know MJ -- makes sense since it seemed to me like it could be un-related to the radiation. I never looked if it is there, but I'd think there would be threads on here relating to rads. Since mine didn't present much for issues I never looked for any more info then what I read about others ( we were all pretty much within months of each other ) having rads ( I seem to recall they were all fairly un-eventful as well ) about the same time I had mine.

If all else you might be able to have the mods give you a hand finding something here. Again, hope it all resolves quickly for you.

jo6359

Tappermom- I just spoke to a friend of mine who's an oncology nurse. She said it's extremely rare to have radiation enteritis from breast cancer radiation. She said it's usually occurs. with radiation to stomach area, sexual organs, rectum, and general vicinity. It is horrible to have to deal with something of that nature. Is your Dr sure it occurred from radiation to your breast? How is it treated?

Tappermom383

Thanks for talking to your friend, jo - the doctor isn’t at all sure. He was only making a suggestion and wants to see if the antibiotics help at all. He said it may be IBS but that is a diagnosis of elimination and he didn’t want to jump right to it without ruling out other things.

MJ

jo6359

tappermom- it is very scary to think even after we completed chemo or radiation years later we can develop serious side effects. Wishing you the very best.

HikingLady

Hi Tappermom383 It sounds as though your doctors are really working on trying to diagnose your cause for the diarrhea and abdominal pain.

I had giardiasis once, and it took lots of tests to diagnose it. Treatment plan worked great, once I had a real diagnosis. I've also had diarrhea and abdominal pain due to having my gut disrupted because of being on antibiotics. Expensive (refrigerated, at health food stores) probiotics turned that around for me. My friend had a food intolerance turn up midlife, which presented this way. So many possibilities!

Keep advocating for an accurate diagnosis and treatment. Wishing you a good solution and resolution to this!!!

IllinoisLady

And when we come to think of it, goodness is uneventful. It does not flash, it glows. It is deep, quiet, and very simple. It passes not with oratory, it is commonly foreign to riches, nor does it often sit in the places of the mighty: but may be felt in the touch of a friendly hand or the look of a kindly eye.

David Grayson

IllinoisLady

Just wanted to say that I'm grateful for all you ladies here. I've learned so much just in the past two days. Again, here's hoping that tappermom is soon on the road to good solutions for her present issues.

jo6359

Illinois lady- So true. Learning new things is one of the many things I like about this site. I learned something new all the time.

ChiSandy

Tappermom, I'm hoping it turns out to be IBS...or just something you ate (in which case it should be temporary).

Had a wild week--I got cocky about Invisalign keeping me from eating too close to bedtime, and my GERD not acting up, so I d.c'ed my Dexilant after last Tues. night. Felt great all day Wed. & Thurs. and went out Thurs. night for dinner at Mon Ami Gabi. (Bad idea). Woke up Fri. morning with a scratchy throat--GERD returning. Went to the Cubs game, knowing I'd have to pass up the beer & hotdogs because the martinet attendants in the ladies' rooms (long lines too) would have me drawn & quartered for hogging a sink for brushing & flossing before putting my aligner back in. So I bought a bottle of water, intending to nurse it till dinner time. Two small swigs and I felt like Mt. Vesuvius was trying to erupt into the base of my throat. Bob said to go back on the Dexilant, but PCP said do Pepcid instead. That didn't work--took too long to kick in & wore off too fast. PCP said to take up to 12 pills a day, but it seemed all I was doing was swallowing pills, sucking on TUMS and rinsing out my mouth to avoid staining my aligners.

Went to teach Sun. morning at the Gebhard Woods Dulcimer Fest down in Morris, and all I could handle for breakfast was a boiled egg and an espresso (needed the caffeine but not the volume). Managed to survive on water till I was done and could hit the food tent for which I had a voucher. They were winding down but I was able to get a plain naked bratwurst--was ok till the last bite of the bun seemed to sit like a lump at the base of my throat. Some Culver's vanilla frozen custard helped...for a while.

Mon. I had my bariatric consult--15 lbs. down from when my MO ordered it back in March. (Mostly the Invisalign eating-time restrictions and GERD-induced involuntary fast). The foods on the low-carb diet I was prescribed are GERD triggers, and GERD-friendly foods are high-glycemic simple carbs, so the NP told me to go back on Dexilant, which I did. So far, so good.

Tues. I had my annual mammo--and yesterday got the "all clear" for another year. Yesterday went to the orthodontist for aligner trays 5, 6, & 7. Ortho is very happy with my progress, and says I might get my permanent retainer wire (bonded behind upper front incisors) at my Aug. appt--would wear tray 7 till the new retainer is ready. Or if some spaces haven't closed enough, a few more trays. (14 weeks is pretty fast for even Invisalign Express, which is what I have).

Tonight, after a salad and while eating some leftover low-carb pizza, I felt something hard in the cheese I was chewing: turned out to be a chunk of my lower R rear molar. Doesn't hurt, but to my tongue it feels like one of the craters of the moon. Seeing dentist tomorrow--talked to endodontist tonight and he says he doubts I'll need a root canal, just a crown or giant sculpted tooth-colored filling.

Fun times, eh?

carolehalston

I would gladly bypass all that fun, Sandy! Hoping for improvement for you in all issues.

IllinoisLady

Never forget that the purpose for which a we live is the improvement of ourselves, so that we may go out of this world having, in our great sphere or our small one, done some little good for our fellow creatures and labored a little to diminish the sin and sorrow that are in the world. -William E. Gladstone

IllinoisLady

Hard way to let go of weight ( though nice to get that chore done if possible ) Sandy. Hope things ease up for you now. Dh has a lot of GERD and needs lots of pills to keep it under control. Not pleasant since I had the experience ( long time ago now ) during chemo. In fact, had a horrendous case of thrush then that actually started in my lower esophagus and landed me in the hospital for one night til' it was all straightened out. That is when I started on Omeprazole for the duration.

Hope you will do fine with everything and hope you are getting some better weather to boot. Good here for us right now, though we can't be sure just how long our "good" weather holds. Maybe long enough for our tree man to come out and get those trees. That would be nice.

Hope for a beautiful day for everyone.

gailmary

Mary. I need to hear more about your mint preserve! You " can" it for preservation? I discovered fresh mint leaves last year. Love it in plain ice water. No sweetner needed for me. Also yummy in sweet iced tea. Thought of drying it but didnt want it hot then I thought I could dry it, make hot tea and cool it, a pitcher at a time. Hmm thanks

nanette7fl

Tappermom... hoping things aren't more than gerd which is bad enough

Sandi... so sorry about your molar.

As for me PS got a cereal bowl amount of fluid out of my left breast yesterday. It was a large seroma and my right may also have 1 but because it's not leaking PS said he'll look on Wednesday which is drain insertion day...sigh. I'm not feeling strong.. feeling weak and angry. Thank you all for your understanding and support during my nightmare

MCBaker

Yes, I dried some last year, but putting heat on mint leaves to dehydrate them, you lose so much. With this method, putting them in a pot of boiling water, putting the lid on, and turning off the heat, I think makes a better way of making tea for later in the year. When I would lift the lid to smell it, it was almost overpowering. Then, of course, the processing is within a very contained volume. I also added a bit of lemon juice. I have a mint patch with four different kinds of mint, I cut them all together. Just takes about two tablespoons of concentrate with a cup of water.

I am also planning on making salsa, I have garlic, tomatoes, and peppers in my bigger garden. I will be making at least six varieties of jam, as I did last year. Strawberries also in my garden. Not many the first year, but I hope to find some cheap to add to that first harvest.

jo6359

nanette- you have every right to feel angry and frustrated. You've been through the mill lately. This has been a continuing nightmare for you . My seroma occurred within 18 hours after my BMX. Since I was already in the hospital my doctor took me right back into surger and drained it. I've never had any issues since the drainage. My only issue was fighting with my insurance company because they did not want to pay for the second surgery. They ended up paying 100%. Lucky me I met my deductible within one week.

nanette7fl

Mary your tea recipe sounds great. I wish I could garden in the ground because I'd have more that spearmint and a struggling chocolate mint in pots. I put orange mint in the ground 1 year a while back and I had a lovely ground cover for over 2 years.

Jo thanks

IllinoisLady

Once you accept and rejoice in your authenticity, you begin to see things as YOU are. You begin to see the authentic self is the Soul made visible. Godspeed on your journey to wholeness. -Sarah Ban Breathnach

nanette7fl

oh I love that one!! Thank you posting it, especially today!

IllinoisLady

To all the fathers out there:

Happy Father's Day to all and to my very wonderful Dad. Gone since 1996 but never forgotten and always cherished.

Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present; inviting ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness, with the intention to embody as best we can an orientation of calmness, mindfulness, and equanimity right here and right now. -Jon Kabat-Zinn

nanette7fl

I had a wonderful classy work my Dad this morning. Or was the Best one We've had in a while. I told him I'm sorry I'm not up for the 4 hr drive over there and really wish we could have spent the weekend all together. He almost cried but said he understands and maybe soon even this is all overt and done I'll be up for the trip. He's 78 years young and going strong... inspiration really as longevity is in my blood line. I want top live to be well onto my 90's!!

Happy Father's Day to all dads and also to the moms who had top br both Mom and Dad

Puffin2014

Today is the 5 year anniversary of my lumpectomy. Just had my mammogram and it came back clean. I find out next month if my oncologist will approve me stopping arimidex in November.

Wren44

Puffin, Yay for clean mammos. I'm interested in what your MO says about the Arimidex.

carolehalston

Another YAY, Puffin! Wishing you many more similar anniversaries.

IllinoisLady

Adding my joy to yours, Puffin.

CeliaC

Puffin - Good news on the mammo. At my MO visit in April, I once again asked about 5 years only on the Arimidex and he confirmed this. Hoping you hear the same from your MO.

jo6359

puffin-Good news.

Nanette- I spent yesterday with my father and mother. We celebrated Father's Day a day early. My father will be 88 in September. Even though he has been sick for many years I'm always amazed at how he pushes himself .He visits with his friends daily at the local diner for coffee. He walks daily and loves working in his garden. He goes the extra mile and never uses pesticides in his garden. Yesterday he sent me home with two bags of corn, a bag of zucchini and a bag of tomatoes. . This will be the last crop until fall . It's just too bloody hot. I was unable to make the drive today because we were expecting 100% chance of rain with numerous thunderstorms. The weather report was accurate. In good weather it is a five-hour round-trip drive. We had a lovely time yesterday.

IllinoisLady

Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these, if you will but remain true to them, your world will at last be built. -James Allen

IllinoisLady

Not going to be a great week here from the sound of the week long weather report. Thunderstorms or rain. 100% humidity today. Not great for my sinuses which will have to be dealt with on the yearly check-up on Thursday. I'm expecting a good report otherwise though I do have these things to get through. I hope as many as possible of you will have nicer conditions and can do as you'd like. I'm getting ready to start a little job ( a week ) for the last week of June and will then do a three day for my cousin as they are going to Florida for four days.

Hope you all enjoy your day.

Wren44

DS will let us know Tuesday if he and family will come up here the following week. It's a cleaning marathon because 2 are allergic to cats and we have 2. I can probably offload 1 of them, but still. It means vacuuming and scrubbing walls, etc.