MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

jo1955

I had good drugs for my colonoscopy - Versed and Demerol - it was good night Irene for me.

sherrybaby

Good Evening ladies. This is totally off the colonoscopy subject, but I have a quick question.

I am 20 days post MX. I had my port put in at the same time.  Everything seems to be going fine except yesterday I started having VERY sharp shooting pains at my port site. It is not constant and only seems to happen when I move my arm a certain way. I happened to see my oncologist today and he mentioned that it sounded like the vein was healing around the catheter and when I move I make the cath move. He said that it would eventually form a sheath or tunnel and would no longer hurt. Has anyone else experienced this? It hurt really badly for about a week after the surgery, but had been fine until yesterday.

Oh, for those starting chemo soon I also start in about 2 weeks. Doing dose dense 4AC + 4Taxotere. Anyone have any pointers for me?

Sherryc

I agree that Eli does have a way with words, I always get a chuckle.

elimar86861

Welcome, sherrybaby.  That is a common chemo combination and several here have had it (not me though) so you should get some answers on that, and hopefully the port pain too.  I don't know about vein heling, but it sounds a little like the port site could be irritating a nerve too.  Either way, keep the doc posted if it seems to be not be improving.

stjude10

I had never gotten a flu shot before this last winter. St. Jude automatically gives it to the kids, and it is urged that anyone in the home (esp.the care giver) get it also. Of course me and my daughter got ours, and the 3 boys in our home did not. Duh

Met w/oncologist today. I will start chemo on Oct. 18th. I will have 8 altogether. Adriamycin, Cytoxan, and Taxol. Gonna be a busy bee. Sept.28th, surgery to remove skin that's not viable. Oct. 13th port placed, and before the 18th, lots of tests and scans first. I need a nap!

Kleenex

Oh, Elimar - Just bounced in because I haven't been on the thread much in a while, and reading what you've shared with the other ladies brought tears to my eyes. I see you're still sharing about how your butt was violated by aliens with probes, albeit skilled aliens with probes. I was hoping that with time, you'd loosen up and share the sort of personal detail we all need here on this website to help us get through all of this, but I guess you're still just too shy and private. So sad.

Lots of new ladies on the thread! May the orange power found on this thread enlighten all of you.

Coleen

OG56

Hi Ladies, sounds like everyone is having a poopy time of it LOL I need to schedule a colonoscopy but I missed the boat when my grandson gave 13 people gastroenteritis and as I progressed to "clear" I thought to myself gee I wish I had a scope scheduled!! We all ended up in the ER for drugs and a bag of IV fluids.

Thought I would let those of you who have known me over the last few years in on my good news I had my first  Birads 1 MRI and Mamo in 2.5 years!  I can now move on to yearly MRI's.

Have a wonderful week everyone

elimar86861

Woot, Woot, OG56!  That IS good news!  Congrats!

Kleenex,  As you know, we do have recurring themes around here..Hot Flashes, Alien Probes, Cheetos comsumption, not just the many beastly sides of B/C.  Our fave topics are always worth revisiting.  I, for one, am awaiting your annual installment of "Attack of the 50 ft. Homecoming Mums" this year.  

Soccermom4force

Thanks for the welcome, Elimar! I kind of float around the site dropping tidbits here and there

Not sure if my BC was the proverbial " 1 in 8" .. In my family its more like 50/50.. Hoping my daughter beats the odds!

And you DO have a way with words..love it !



Marcia

Eph3_12

homecoming mums....yes!!!!!!!!!!!!! Waiting for the sensational regaling of kleenex stories!  Yipee!

juliet62

og wonderful news, lots of hugs

cmbear

OG56- great news!!!!! Happy dance for you!!

Just finished my Kashi high fiber cereal---now where is that chocolate donut I was looking for?? 

cmbear

The recipe says these are low fat. HAHAHAHA!!! What's the point??? 

lwarstler

Sherrybaby, I do not have an answer as what it is from but I had my port put in a little over a week ago and I get the sharp pains sometimes too (takes my breathe away a bit). I also had a lumpectomy on the other side and there are sharp pains there too. I just chaulked it up to nerves or muscles healing up after being messed with. I know that if nerves get pinched off they can really hurt when they "wake up" so I just assumed it was that. I did mention it to my BS but she wasn't worried about them at all. 

cmbear

Sherrybaby--it takes a few weeks for the nerves to settle down. I was a wimpy girl and mine hurt pretty bad for about a month. Now its just some obnoxious alien device protruding from my chest. Darn those litttle green men!!

barbe1958

For those fearing the colonoscopies (yep, back to the bum!) they have changed their cleansing formula in the last 5 years or so. The first one I had, I, too, slept on the bathroom floor the night before. That was after 2 days of Jello or other 'clear fluids', so you spend the last night trying to 'void' the last drop of Jello out of 26 feet of bowel. The next one I had was in pill form and so much easier, but the doctors notes showed I wasn't quite 'clear'. Not my fault! I did all that was asked.

Anyway, elimar is right! I KNOW gasp, gasp. BUT you have NO idea something had gone where no man had been before (or at least as far!). You do NOT have a sore bottom at ALL. Who would have thunk it?????

Kay_G

Morning all.   I have a port since mid-March.  Once in a while, I still get some pain there.  Usually it's because something (a seat belt, bra, etc.) was rubbing on it.  I'll have it at least until May when I will finally finish Herceptin.

I had 4 DD AC, then was supposed to do 4 DD taxol, was allergic, so did one DD taxol and then 3 Taxotere.  The AC was harder than the taxol/taxotere.  A recommendation is to take a claritin for the day before Nuelasta, the day of and two days after.  People swear it keeps bone pain away.  There are so many se's from both, but you won't get them all.  And hopefully the ones you do get will be mild.  Get into a chemo thread for the month you are starting.  You will be able to talk with other women going through the same thing at the same time.  And, of course, bring up any questions or vents here too as someone here will be able to identify or help you as well.  Good luck with it.  I finished taxotere 8 weeks ago.  Funny, it seemed so LONG going through it, but now it is a distant memory and seems like much longer ago than 8 weeks. 

Now will be starting rads in a week and a half.  I think a few others here too.  Someone did start an October rads thread, jump in there.

justmejanis

Barbe I am hoping for a nice easy time of it.  Pill or drink...I think I will fast for a week, LOL.  Okay probably not but sounds like a good idea.  At the consult I plan on asking what drugs they will be using.  I need TONS!  As long as they tell me someone else must drive me home, I'll probably be okay.  My consult is Oct. 4th so I'll know more then. 

OG56...fantastic news.  Congratualtuions to you!

Claire...those chocolate donuts look awfully good for low fat.  Better than the oatmeal I plan on having today!

juliet you just had yours, right?  No alcohol?  No fun LOL!!!!  Still waiting for my margarita!

Have a great day dear ones!  Hugs to everyone!

cmbear

My alien probe is Tuesday so I guess I need to start lowering my food intake soon. Janis they told me to go clear liquid the day before to make the prep easier. HA! And my center does propoful (Sp?) the same crap that killed MJ. Hmmmm. I had it when I had my port put in--it knocks you out and you don't have such a hard time recovering afterwards from it. But on the serious side, one of my BFF's brother in law passed away of colon cancer at 42. He was a football coach, young and it came out of the blue. And it was  not pretty, he suffered greatly. After watching him go thru that, I have been a strong advocate for getting yourself checked. Yeah, the prep sucks. Get over it. But if they find something, they snip it right there and you come back in 5 years. Boom, done. If they don't find anything, you don't have to go back for 10. 

Get it done.  

justmejanis

Claire....Oh I am going, not chickening out now.  This will be a first for me and I am hoping I won't need another for a few years.  I know how terrible colon cancer can be.  I just decided that I might as well get my other body parts checked!  I have a consult on Oct. 4th and assume then they will schedule alien probe.  I have some other issues that I need to tell them about or they will receive a surprise.  Oh Lordy!  My poor old bod is a train wreck.  Gravity has not been kind to me LOL. 

juliet62

janis this was my first colonoscopy , the prep wasn't to bad all done in 6 hrs,just follow the instructions!   the test was ok, ,i think the worryingabout it before hand was worse ,here they insist someone take you home due to the drugs and tell you to rest for the rest of the day, no problem there but they did insist on no alcohol!  will be there in your apron for yours, not sure how we are traveling to claires

elimar86861

Yes, I think most places require you to have a designated driver...It's not that you are THAT groggy or anything but you will wake up HUNGRY, so this way you will have a husband or friend available for a lunch date.  Before the procedure, stay focused on the important things like where you will be having lunch.

I know everybody will not be as lucky as I was in where they have the earthly part of the procedure done.  My place was pretty deluxe because they gave me a SALTINE when I woke up...but it was the BEST saltine I ever had!!!

Soccermom4,  Have you tested BRCA positive?  Is that what gives the next generation the 50/50 odds?

juliet62

wow all i got was a cranberry juice!

Sherryc

OG congrats on moving up to once a year. yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh

SAB

Geez Juliet and Elimar, I didn't get #$%# when I woke up.  Of course I only sort of woke up...so groggy DH had to dress me.  He did good too, considering he used to put my daughters clothes on backwards so often we called it "daddy dress-up."  

I had twighlight meds.  Not fully out, but I do not remember a single thing. They gave me photos when I left.  Really?   

Denise2730

Photos??? Of what - your colon? Are you going to have it framed?  :.)

lwarstler

ok, this might seem a little petty, but my surgeon told me after they found my enlarged internal lymph node that it meant I was not stage I but was rather a IIIa. Really bummed me out, but today I was reading over my new path report and they listed the stage at IIb. I know it is just one step down the rung but it's the first time I'm moving in a positive news direction so, I will take it! 

Sherryc

Lee Ann way to go that does not happen often around here. woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jo1955

Way to go LeeAnn

Rose6

I am glad to have found this group, I tried to go back to the hormone one, but there was none that fit, Is anyone out there on arimidex? I am so tired all the time, and my sleeping is getting better....but when I tell my oncologist this, she just says its part of the treatment...pretty frustrating. My son is grown but I still need to work part time and I am single