MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

dawney

Jo - after everything you have already been through a CT and bone scan as far as the procedures go are easy.  The stuff you have to drink for the CT scan is pretty nasty but doable and the bone scan was not bad at all, you have to be still but they let me move the parts or my body that had already been scanned if I needed to.  Sorry you are having to go through this and then have to wait for the results.  I had to wait about a week for results as well.  I will be thinking about you.

jo1955

dawney - Thanks for the words of encouragement.  It is good to know the scans will be easy.  

I feel like I have been through h#@l and back.  After surgery, there was the failed attempt at mammosite, the 6 weeks of radiation with a RO that was a moron - would not let me use creams on the skin until I got a bad rash/infection and burnt to a crisp.  Tried Arimidex & Femara - had to stop both - too nauseated.  Doing good on Tamox.  Thought things had finally turned around.  Then the burning sensation started on Jan 2nd and has not gone away.

I know I sound pitiful - sorry.  I may just stay off this for a few days - don't want to get everyone down. 

Eph3_12

Don't go anywhere.  This is where you need to be!!!!  Do you hear me???

phew

jo1955----i was trying to scroll back to your story        , but my cats keep gettin in the way....apparently walking across keyboard and causing big irritating havoc is more appetizing than a nice roaring fire and the 5 heating pads araanged for their comfort right at my feet.            i digress      not knowing what happ'd i can tell you that i have had more scans than there are days in a claendar.   as dawny sai, the procedures themselves are nothing.   the reason i deduce is bad?     often a person neeeds to just be heard.  doesnt really matter what others know      but since you didnt ask        when my hundreds of different scans for my vari8ous C's,  seeking whetever their reasons were that day, my practioinoer suggested gabopentyn (sp) to give ease to the burning spasms in my legs and torso  eminating from some magical sphere.        jest aside, i do know that cancers suck!   and also, yey us!       this is a very special society that knows stuff and leasds and rescourceswith       i would say, indulge in whatever your favorite indulegence is till you get answers.   hey!  why not!    anyway, it workds for me    ~ ~ nancy carol

jo1955

UGH!  Just read about bone scans on the internet.  Now I am scared!!!  It says they inject dye through an IV.  Scared to death of IVs - too many bad experiences over the years.  So scared of them, when I had my lump surgery, I did not have the IV placed until after I was put out with the gas.I know the tests themselves are easy but now I got to get past the IV crap.  

I want to go crawl in a hole, cover up and hide from the world.  This can't be happening to me. 

sheila888

jo....If your veins are tiny or you have issues make the appointment when the nurse is present.

She takes over the IV.

That's what happened to me. I even got her name for another test that required IV. She did it 123.

TMarina

Jo--This is where you need to be to let it all out!   Sorry you have to have more tests and more waiting!  Most bc gals have a bone scan, it's pretty easy.  The CT is fairly easy too. Thanks for updating us. You'll get through this too.

Maureen813

Jo, Do you have a port?  Depending on the type of port you have, sometimes they can put the dye in the port.  Can you check? Good luck, I'm praying for you, there holding your hand.

Maureen

heartnsoul76

Oh, jo! I'm so sorry you have to go through this now! Please don't feel bad about posting here - we know just what you're feeling and it's horrible!

First I hate the tests, and then I really hate the waiting game! I've never used Xanax in my life before BC, but it has been my friend on several occasions now and it has really worked to get my mind off my worries. I've used it about 3 times now, and poof! Next thing I knew I was watching TV and having a pleasant conversation with my son. I will use Xanax from now on because it absolutely does what it's supposed to.

Hugs and prayers for everything to come out just fine! 

TMarina

Several posts while I was typing mine....Jo--Do you have any ativan? It helps alot to get through the anxiety that comes with scans.  Call your doc tomorrow and ask for some.  Esp., since you have such trouble with IV's.  It will help you relax.  Make sure they know that you have difficult veins--there are things they can do to make it easier.  Also--drink lots of fluids tomorrow to plump up your veins.  Hang in there---a popular saying on another thread is "you don't have to be brave, you just have to show up!"

jo1955

Maureen - I do not have a port - did not have chemo.  All my treatments ended almost 2 months ago.  I thought all I had to worry about was the Tamoxifen and I am doing well on it.

I do have a little something to take before I go on Thurs.  Once the IV part is done, I know I will be fine - it is getting through the IV.  I know it sounds ridiculous but years ago when I had to have an IV done it took the stupid nurses 20 times in one session to get it in.  That is why I am so scared of them. 

phew

jo---whenever i have scans, the tech/nurses/flobomist whatever asks me which arem, if and whether  i am afraid of needles blah blahh blah    maybe just a clifornia thang?   at this point i offer them solace.  my veins have become so rubbery, in my hands wrists and elbow (the usual places) tthat the person doing the doing gets freaked out, fearing that they have caused some disasterous injury.     my conclusion?  i just tell them beforehand that.....   then of course i figgered out that mose techs , take it as a personal challenne :"oh! no! dont worry!  im good at that sorta thing"      good thing they're there to take care of us. no?        ruh roh....conterproductive words.......anyway, just tell them yyeah!  trul!  listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth!     and as always, i wish you an uneventful experience  

~ ~ nancy-carol

Paula66

Hey Jo maybe we can switch freak outs and it might make it betterfor us both.   I start chemo on the 4th and Im scared as heck.

Maureen813

20 times is quite frankly bull&h*t.  Any human being would be frazzled with that many times.  Many good suggestions here, drink water, take meds and relax.  Let them know you've had negative experiences with the iV so they can take special care. (((((((((((((((((hugs and good luck))))))))))))))))))))  Please let us know how it goes.

Maureen

jo1955

Maureen - It know it is but when you are very new in the military, you don't know you have the right to tell a doctor or nurse to stop.  You are too scared.  When I had to go to radiology before my lump surgery and have 4 dye injections in my nipple for the scans to mark  for the SNB, I thought I was going to die.  Cried like h##l and when that was over, I slept until I went into surgery.  Hopefully, I will sleep when they start the scans.  Another reason I am scared - gotta go to the same radiology dept.  The people there were really nice and supportive and told me it would hurt and tried their hardest to get me through it.  Lots of painful experiences since BC.

Paula - Let's just get it over with and freak out together. 

Paula66

Sounds like a plan Jo!

sheila888

(((Paula)))  ♥  (((jo)))

susantm

Jo, I'm thinking of you and praying all will go smoothly. You've been through a lot and have every right to let your emotions out here. You have been so supportive of the rest of us; let others support you now. And as others say, DO let them know about previous problems and your fears. I pray you get caring, gentle people to give you the tests.

elimar86861

jo, The bone scan I had a few weeks back was easy, peasy.  Don't sweat it.  Then again, I have no needle aversion and have average sized veins...meaning an average worker only has to poke my vein once.  (That doesn't mean I haven't met with a tech or two that stuck me more than once and left me with a nice purple bruise as a testament to their inadequacy.)   Hope they don't make a pin cushion out of you!

I haven't had a CT yet.  (I think I got a couple as part of the rads process, but not since then.)  I dread the amount of radiation involved in a CT.  As someone who had the 6 wks. of rads, I am at the point where I even try to get out of a simple plain film xray.  Just because.  

Why do they have to do both scans?  Is CT for soft tissue?  Where's NativeMainer?

elimar86861

                                                  

Although it seems like only yesterday that this thread got started, we seem to have passed the 8000 posts mark when I wasn't looking!   I kinda figured the Middies would have a lot to say.

3jaysmom

sherry, so sad to hear about your (step) dad. hope it all works out for you guys.. enough is enough, but it seems to keep on coming.. cyber hands here to hold, sweetie..    3jays congrats to you girks for finishing yet another step(rads) ... 3jays

chrissyb

Eli, great pic of the northern lights!

carol6026

I don't really know were to start, except that I am 44 years old, with 4 grown children, 1 grandchild and one on the way.I have a full time job(for now) and I took care of both my parents until they passed away. I received my biopsy results on Monday, so I am still going through all of the tests. I am having a mri, pet scan, genetic testing, reconstruction/plastic surgeon and last but not least the oncologist. Whooo thats a lot. I am going through being very angry and depressed right now. But the support from you ladies has been great. I can talk to my sisters, but it just feels hard sometimes, I feel like they don't understand. I keep thinking I should be in the prime of my life, all my children are grown, did what I could for my parents(feel guilty still, like I didn't do enough) for them. This is my second time with cancer, the first time was cervical cancer. Trying to be strong for my kids, but it just seems so hard at times. I have read some of these posts, but to many to read, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

elimar86861

chrissyb, thanks.  Just another I found.  I would like to see the night sky in the Southern hemisphere.  That would be so disorientingly cool.  (Only saw it in a planetarium simulation once.)  My other Southern hemisphere interest is to see the toilet water swirl in a clockwise direction.  My whole grip on reality could get altered by that!  

Eph3_12

The topper picture is now my desktop at work-love it!

Jo-drink a ton of water that morning.  My veins are hard to find & when I drink a butt load of water the techs always say thank you!

I can't flip back but I think it's paula starting chemo soon-girl, I ate ice chips from beginning to end-no mouth sores; took all the drugs they gave me & had no nausea/vomiting; know that you will be wide awake for the 1st day (the day of)  &  will probably feel Ok the next day, at least that was my experience.  So I had treatment day on Thursday, went into work on Friday; gave myself Saturday & Sunday to feel whatever was happening & then my BAD day was usually on Monday; after my 1st treatment, I went to work that 1st Monday (this was July 2009) We are STILL finding boo-boos from that day.  The rest of the Mondays I stayed home!  I'm not saying it was a breeze because it wasn't & I can still remember how intensley scared I was just prior to my 1st treatment.  But I also remember thinking immediately following how much less bad it was than what I had imagined. (Does that even make sense?) Good luck-You Can Do It!   

elimar86861

carol6026, you are welcome here.  I was just talking about disorientation and getting a B/C diagnosis can really do that to a person.  In a bad way.  Let us know your biopsy info.  I see you have been on some other threads, and between there and here you can get info. and feedback on many of the procedures that will be part of your cancer treatment.  It IS sometimes hard to talk to family members, but they can be helpful especially in the early days of doctor visits when all that info. is coming at you.  It is good to take a friend or family member along for support or just an extra set of ears.  It's not hard at all to let your feelingsl out here among your B/C sisters, because we definitely "get it."

elimar86861

Eph, did you get rid of the meditating dog already?  I see I am not the only one with a short attention span (or is it fickleness?)  Just messing with you.  Actually, when I find those pics, I usually say to myself, "Now, what would look good on Eph's desktop?"  Hee-hee!

ToriGirl

Carol6026-



Welcome...I'm sorry that you have to join us here, but please know that you WILL get the best support, advice, and encouragement from the wonderful ladies on this board.



The beginning of this journey seems to be the most hard, while going through tests and waiting for results. Once you have a plan you start to feel more in control and ready to beat this beast down-- FOR GOOD!



We are here for you....come here as often as you want, anytime you want....ask questions, vent, or do whatever you need to get you to the next step...



One day at a time...sometimes one hour at a time...and yes, sometimes, one minute at a time.



You can do this!



Peace and prayers,



Tori

Valjean

((Welcome Carol))

Jo ~ Please don't take a break from the boards unless you really feel you need to. We will worry about you, please stay with us. ♥ We are here for you & as Joni has already said, "You can do it!"

((hugs))

prayrv

Jo,

I had to have a CT & Bone Scan on the same day last year - what they did for me is they left the needle thingy in the vein so that both techs could access my vein to inject their appropriate dyes/contrast.  I had my CT scan first and they did their contrast and when I was done, I walked to nuclear medicine and the tech used it to inject his contrast.  I was fortunate I had good techs and good veins.  See if you can schedule your scans on the same day and utilize the needle access thingy (I'm not a nurse so I don't know the correct term) for both.

HUGS!!

Trish