MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

gillyone

My colonoscopy story. Had my first one last year. I drank (most) of the stuff and waited for it to kick in. It did and I rushed to the bathroom. I'd only just got out of the bathroom and had to return. So, deciding I needed to stay close to the bathroom, I went back downstairs to tell DH I was staying upstairs near the bathroom etc. I got part way down, did an about-turn and rushed back to the bathroom. Did NOT make it in time and had to change not only underwear but jeans too!

My CT story. On my way home from my CT scan I had an accident! Yes a bathroom accident. Noone at the hospital told me that the giantic cup of contrast stuff they make you drink can affect your bowels. Fortunately I am only 5 minutes from the hospital. But how awful for anyone with a long journey not knowing this!!!!!

Paula66

I finally have both my sidekicks gone.  I am so glad.  I only had two of the, but for a week I was down to one..  Its a hassle as you all know. It was so worth getting out into the bitter cold for, yahoo!!!!!! Now its on to the Onc tomorrow for a discission on further treatments.   My sissy doesnt think I will to rad because it didnt go into the lymph nodes at all.  Atleast that was her experence.  So if thats the case then I can start the filling up.   

karen1956

Phew....I had a pair of earrings made when I was in Israel in October...they are in hebrew, but the translation in English on earring is 'this too shall pass' and the other earring is "this too for the best"....I love wearring them...they are long strips of silver, but people can't really see the writing..but I know what they say.....

The Western Stock Show started last Saturday in Denver...in the 25 years that I have lived in Colorado, I've never been!!! not sure that that will change this year....

Paula...good luck at the onc tomorrow...

Love the sunrise (or is that a sunset?)

elimar86861

Good Luck tomorrow, Paula66.  I know it is a good feeling when you get to skip something and move on to the next step.  Let us know what is next for you.

Never realized there were that many Texans on here!  Get to talking about cattle and post a nice Texas sunset and suddenly they all show up.  I finally got to check that state off on my quest to visit all 50 States.  The only ones left now are Georgia, S. Carolina and Alaska, so maybe the next one will include a special delivery of Cheetos to our gal P-Mom.  Thinking of PauldingMom.  Hope you are feeling o.k. and reading along with us now and then.

Meece

Little update on PM (Already posted on the "Garden Thread").  I spoke with PM today.  She seemed in pretty good spirits, still able to get her to laugh.  She isn't coming on line as much as there is so much negative info about those with the same dx. (Did I make that understandable?) Got to keep her spirits up.  She is awaiting chemo to begin again next Monday, and hopefully she will be accepted into the trial drug program.  Working to keep her healthy enough to get her in.  Reading is stressful and frustration to her right now, and typing takes so much time, she'd rather not.  She says "Hi" to all her friends here at BC.org.  Thank you for caring about her.

JeanH

Love the stories... and the sunset.  Very topical of you to connect everything.

Paula good luck with ONC tomorrow - my visit is Monday.

Jean

Meece

Good luck to you on Monday, Jean.  And you tomorrow, Paula.

Valjean

Thank you for the update on Lisa, Meecie. She is in my prayers.

Meece

She knows that many of us are praying for her and really appreciates it.

BarbaraA

Adding my prayers for PM.

Meece

Does anyone watch Men of a Certain Age?  It was about colonoscopies this week.  We recorded it and watched it last night.  One of the guys refused to have anesthesia, can you imagine?

jo1955

Meece - Is that a "macho" man or just plain stupid?

Meece

It was a guy who is afraid of anesthesia. (I am not fond of it myself, I have a hard time coming out of it.)

jo1955

Didn't see the show, so don't know the details.  I am not fond of the anesthesia myself.  Always wake up freezing.

Meece

I wake up very slowly and nauseous.

Sherryc

Meece-I do not know PMOM but I will be adding her to my prayer list.

barbe1958

Meece (and others) you have to TELL the doc about the nausea. I started doing that years ago and what a bloody difference it makes! I used to wake up puking enough to rip whatever stitches I'd just had. It was so easy to mention it and I've never woken up that way since.

Sherryc

Meece I concur with barbe-I always tell them about getting neasea and they have something else they add to the meds that keeps me from getting sick.

sunangel27

Hey ladies.... Guess I fit into this category!!    I'm 54, single, mother of 2 awesome boys (okey they are men now!!), two beautiful daughter in laws and 5 grandchildren. They live a little ways away so don't get to see them all as much as I would love to,    and going thru the horridness of BC.

I had biopsy on Dec. 9th, Partial masc. on Dec. 22nd, and to my amazement getting to start RADS on Monday. They put me on Tamoxifin on Tuesday of this week. Don't know the side effects yet........we shall see.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi. I go to my "simulation" today at 1:00 to get things started for Monday.

elimar86861

Welcome to our Mid-Age group, sunangel27!  Lots of us here have done rads, including myself about a year ago.   Let us know if you need any info. along the way.  Hope you sail through it and good luck tomorrow.  I thought of a tip for you already:  Once you start the treatment and they are positioning you and say, "Turn your head to the side," make sure to turn your head all the way.  I don't think I did that a few times and then I felt a little "heartburn" feeling on my esophagus for some days afterward.

Also, try to join in on the Jan. 2011 rads thread under the rads forum.  It really helps to compare notes with others going thru' it at the same time.

sunangel27

Thank you Elimar!! I will do that!!! Don't want anymore than I need to deal with!!!

I have joied the Jan 2011 rads thread, thank you !
It really does help. This has just been as I am sure all of us know is a nightmare!

karen1956

During one of my many surgeries one of the anesthesiologists asked if I had morning sickness when pregnant or ever got car sick as a kid....when I said yes, gave me a scopalomine (sp) patch behind my ear....one of the things that has helped me with anesthesia is refusing narcotics in the recovery room...narcotics make me sick to my stomach....I was telling my gf who is an anesthesiologist that the anesthetics make me so sick and she said its not the anesthetics, its the narcotics....so for my last 2 hand surgeries I said no narcotics in recovery room...they looked at me like are you sure...and I said nothing stronger than ibuprofen,..it sure made a difference in how I felt afterwards....I also told the anesthesiologist to give me the least amount of anesthetic possible.....back to the anesthesiologist about morning sickness and car sickness...he indicated that they were asociated/indicators of getting nauseated from anesthetics etc....

jo1955

sunangel27 - Welcome to the group.  Not only are we a fun bunch and very supportive bunch too.

sunangel27

Thank you so much Jo! I love fun!   

Meece

Addressing the comments about nausea:

I have told every single anesthesiologist I have had about my problem, and only once did I wake without it, I was pregnant and they only gave me enough to just put me under.  I tell them this as well, but it never helps.  They put "stuff" in my IV during and after, and it just doesn't help.  That is the main reason I have put a halt to my recon.  I just can't face another "wake-up call".

NativeMainer

Someone who has motion sickness or morning sickness is more likely to get nauseated from chemo, too. 

Meece

I took Emend and only had a few days of nausea.  Food didn't sound good to me ever, but the vomiting was under control.

Kleenex

Okay - I had the "motion sickness" scope patch applied after mentioning that I tend toward getting carsick (I had never had any anesthesia prior to my bc surgery). I kept it on for the whole day (surgery was in the morning) but my mouth kept getting almost painfully dry. Reading through the meds I'd been given, it appeared that it was the scope patch that was causing the dry mouth. I had no information on how long I was to keep it on, so I took it off. Within about an hour, the room started spinning and nausea kicked in and I enjoyed several hours of nastiness. So did I take it off too soon? Or did I have a rebound reaction, sort of like "land sickness" from taking it off? Certainly I was glad I'd made it home and hadn't gotten sick in my husband's car and had had several peaceful hours at the house, but that was AWFUL. If you get one, ask how long you should continue to wear it. And possibly someone who hasn't just had surgery eight hours ago should be the one reading the information about the medications, as well. Just sayin'.

Trish: I do still see Dr. K - am due to go in a couple of months. Not very fond of the P.A., unfortunately. 

prayrv

Kleenex,

Yep I still see Dr. K - I will see her in June, saw the PA in December.  I'm sorry that your not a fan of the PA.  She's ok for me.  I think I have figured out what she thinks is important/not important and I keep my paranoidal issues to myself and Dr. Google. LOL

I do dread the colonoscopy that I really should schedule soon - but as I won't be 50 for 2 1/2 more years, I'm puttin' it off.

Trish

Meece

I won't be 50 for over two years as well, but my GP has been trying to get me to go in for one since I finish BC tx.