MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

Sherryc

Boy I was pages behind and now cannot remember everything.  so welcome to the newbies and Janis so glad you are finished with rads.

This has been a terribly busy week at work and yesterday my Dad ended up in the ER and now has congestive heart failure along with radiation pneumonitis.  PCP talked with the MO and said we need to have a long talk on next visit as to whether he continues to do chemo and kept stressing it was his choice but wanted to make sure we all understand that the chemo is slowing down the growth but by how much who really knows as the cancer continues to grow.  Dad did not give any indication of what he wants to do, sure we will talk about it more when he gets home which should be in the next day or two.

tinkertude

Sherry I am so sorry to hear about your dad. So much to have to deal with. Thinking of you and sending lots of love and prayers!

lwarstler

Sherry: I'm glad your dad will be coming home soon but so sorry to hear about his heart issues. So much to be dealing with. My prayers and hugs are with you!

Hauntie

Congratulations Janis - You did it! You're done! It's over! HALLELUJAH!!! Let the healing begin and let it proceed quickly.

Kay - anxious to hear how your rads went today. Hope it was much, much easier than yesterday.

LovesChristmas-Barb

Sorry to hear about your dad Sherryc....

OG56

Sherri, so sorry to hear about your Dad, 'the talk' is not an easy one, I had that talk with my maternal Aunt and her husband last year as they both were diagnosed with stage iv cancer. I will keep you in my thoughts.

Congratulations Janis, whew hoo!

Well the new job just makes me want to stay in retirement, I didn't know how bad my sense of direction was LOL

Went to the Pumpkin Patch on Sunday with my DD and grandson we all really had fun and he loved the petting zoo, especially the piglets because he loves me to make oink oink noises to him when we are playing!

Hugs and Love to all,

Linda

cmbear

JANIS!!!!! HAPPY DANCE FOR YOU!!! woot, woot!!! 

cmbear

Welcome Esther!! 

I brought enought to share.  We tend to eat and drink a little at night, well sometimes in the morning too. . . and always when we are traveling in someone's pocket. Now I think I may have an adult beverage with my cupcake.

 

KittyGirl2011

OOOOHHH, late night treats!  Thanks Claire!  Welcome Esther but sorry you are here because of BC.  Way to go Janis, let the healing begin.  After all the attention I had during rads, I felt a little lost when it was done.  So don't worry if your feeling a bit out of touch when all the attention ends now.  Remember you got everyone here to talk with.  Get some needed rest so you can heal.  Herbal tea anyone?  I love tea before bed.

 

Paula66

Welcome Esther.  The gals around here are a great group.  They are a helpful bunch so if ya need anything just post away.

Well I think I have finallly heard the dumbest thing since Ive had cancer.  I had to make run an errand at work and I was messing with the shop superviser and told him if he gave me any more grief I was going to buy him pink paper to use out in the shop.  I had to go get some supplies and he needed paper.  Well I came back with the goods and took him his paper.  I let him know he was lucky that they were all out of pink paper.  He then starts laughing and say dude I woulda used it. Yes sometimes I get called dude cause Im the only woman who worked out there and it was just habit sometimes. Well on to the dumbest part.  The other guy who was standing there goes well you know that its real men wear pink month.  Then the other goes my sister is a survivor and so am I so he would do it in support of us.  Well the other guy looks at me and goes how long are you a survivor.  I said about 9 months.  Ok heres the dumb part.  He goes well you cant be called a survivor until you have been 5 years out. Really, thats the stangest thing I have ever heard.  I felt like lifting my shirt up and say is this surviving enough.   Hubby was happy when I told him that part but no I didnt lift my shirt up.  I was just saying that.  Well anyway I never wear labels in life but that was the strangest thing I have ever heard.  

Have a fun one all!  Im off too the salt mines in a few!

jo1955

Sherry - Soooo sorry to hear about your dad.  I know that talk is going to be difficult.  Do I need to come back and go with you to hold your hand.  

cmbear

Sherry-Thinking of you as you go thru this with your dad. I know your heart is heavy--dealing with aging parents is something I am just beginnig to deal with. I'm with Jo--I'll hold your other hand.

Kay--where are you?? Did you survive??? 

elimar86861

Sherryc,  Sorry your dad is not doing well.  You've really been on a rollercoaster this week!

Paula66, I forget your original Dx, but before I had B/C, I had heard of that "5 years, considered cured" deal.  Well, most of us with the estrogen-fed slow growing tumors now know that we still have the lingering danger of recurrence well past five years.  Anyone, really, since they don't have it figured out yet, but it's more common to the low grade, ER+ group.  I was as dumb as your co-workers a few years ago.  No, not quite. Hee-hee.

About "survivor," it's just a label.  Some like it, some don't; some want to split hairs on what the word actually means.  And these are the women who have been through it.   I say if a friend or acquaintance used the word to describe you, don't get up in arms about it (not that you did Paula) because they don't know all the cancer lingo that we do to further define our conditions, and they usually are not trying to be offensive by using it.  Sticks and stones, right?

[Note to self:  Get working on that new T-shirt design before the month is over...]

                                                                S U R V I V O R  ?

                                                          I've Been Called Worse

p,s.  As always, should someone make $money$ using my intellectual property, I'll want some!

Sherryc

Jo I won't make you drive all that way but I'll have plenty of room in my pocket for you. cause it is going to be hard

madpeacock

Hello! I'm jumping in at the end and introducing myself. I'm 48 - 49 Sunday! - and had a lumpectomy on 9/8. Now I'm playing the waiting game. As you see below, I'm triple positive, but MO doesn't feel like my path matches up with my picture, so to speak. She is retesting the HER2 on the surgery tissue to make sure it is truly positive before making chemo recommendations. Have met with RO, but they're waiting on MO's decision. To further complicate things, MO also recommended genetic testing for BRCA since I am young (at heart, anyway) with no family history of BC,  and father's family were Ashkenazi. So...waiting, waiting, waiting. Next Monday morning, all will be revealed in back to back appointments with genetics and MO, and then maybe I'll have a plan in place. Or more questions. Who knows?!

So glad to see people finishing their treatment and moving on with their lives! Hope everyone has a great day!

joanna  

justmejanis

Sherry...I am so sorry about your dad.  I know how painful this is.  Please make sure there is room in that pocket for me.  My mom had lung cancer and passed away less than two weeks after diagnosis.  She did not tell my sister or I.  We lived in other states.  She told us she was hospitalized for pneumonia.  I got so worried that she wasn't recovering I finally took a leave from work and drove to Reno from Wyoming.  Her best friend called me just before I got there and told me.  My mom was a nurse and always said if she ever had a tattoo, it would be "DNR" on her chest.  She was on a ventilator by the time I got there.  Her doctor told me she refused ANY treatment, and also would not allow  them  to perform a tracheotomy.  She was diagnosed Dec. 27th and we had the ventilator turned off Jan 9th.  it was such a shock and I felt robbed because we were not able to have that talk.  I know how difficult this is Sherry.  My heart goes out to you.

Welcome madpeacock!  You found the best thread ever.  You will love it and find it difficult to stay away!

Sherryc

madpeacock so sorry you are joining us here.  I was 48 last year when diag as well. My tumor was 1.6cm.  Waiting is the worst part but all the test are great to have as they help you with decision making. Good luck hope the Her2 comes back neg this time.  Keep us posted

elimar86861

Welcome, madpeacock!   Well, I like peacocks...but hope your screen name is meaning "crazy" more than "angry," although both are understandable since you wound up here.  It a good thing that your doc is being thorough by retesting, even if it means more of the dreaded waiting.  We will wait thru' the weekend with you.

Paula66

((((Sherry))))) Im so sorry to hear about your Dad.  I will pray for your strength and wisdom during this time.  Also for him as well.  Take care! 

SAB

Hi MadPeacock.  Sounds like a good MO.  

(((Sherry))) I'm sorry.  Any of us who have lost a parent can feel your pain.   

KittyGirl2011

((HUGS)) Sherry and strength.  Welcome MadPeacock, great to have you here but sorry it has to be because of BC.  Janis, hope your healing is starting and you have a better day today.  Just got word that my DS won't be able to come up this fall.  Plane tickets are just too much now and he has had jury duty so lost pay there too.  I'm bummed, miss him terrible these days since my DX.  Just want to hug him and let him know I'll be alright.  Damn greedy airlines!  Kitty

Kay_G

Sorry this took me a long time to post.  My appointment wasn't until 8:40 last night.  They do radiation until 10, and my first week and a half of regular appointments are all after 8.  Didn't get home until almost 11 and went right to bed.  I waited about an hour to have the appointment, but it went very smoothly.  I think it took about 10 minutes.  I thought they were still taking x-rays or pictures when they told me it was over.  The first one, they put some kinc of a shield on me and taped it around me.  They didn't do that this time, so I thought they hadn't started treatment yet.  They said that is "bollous"??  and they only do that every other time.  So I think the appointments will be smooth sailing.  And I took the advice on her and brought aloe with me and put it on before dressing right after treatment.  We'll see if that helps my skin.

Bad news:  this morning at 9 had an appointment with LE therapist.  Basically they told me they can't do anything until I'm finished with radiation.  They'll talk to RO and let me know what he thinks.  They did measure me and said if RO okays it they'll order a sleeve, but the more I think about it, it makes no sense at all.  You're not supposed to get a sleeve until you get the swelling under control.  This would be just to keep it from getting worse and by the time they would even order it and it get here, I'd only have a couple weeks of rads left.  Then they'd start trying to get the swelling down.  Arggggg....... it's always something.  But as Nancygv55 says, I need to put it in perspective.  I just wish I could get some good news for a change and stop having to look at the bright side of bad news.

Kay_G

Oh, Sherry, very sorry to hear about your Dad.  (((((((hugs))))))))

lwarstler

Kitty, has your son checked to see if the airline with give him a discount based on your diagnosis. When my father-in-law had cancer, we were able to get a steep discount to go help after his treatment. Might be worth checking into as I'm sure it is hard to be appart from him so much.

 Kay: I am so glad to here your appointment went better. I don't know about all of them but my mothers sleeve was made while she had lymphoma and it has a wide enough adjustable velcro for when the swelling is up, although she doesn't have swelling much now. 

jo1955

Welcome madpeacock - sorry you have to be here with us.  In the beginning, the waiting is the worst part and once you really have a treatment plan in place it is not so bad.  You just take one thing at a time, one day at a time.  That is the easiest.  

Kay - Wow!  RO appts that late at night?  I don't think I could do that.  That is just as bad as having to stop in the middle of the morning or afternoon.  Wish you smooth sailing and no rads issues.

Sherry - ((((HUGS)))) 

Kay_G

Hi madpeacock and welcome!  Although sorry you have to be here.  I'm 48 too!  Will be 49 in January.  My MO keeps telling me I"m young also, I wish I felt like it! 

Paula66

Welcome madpeacock!  The gals around here are a great bunch.  Just chime in with whatever is on your mind.  Trust me when I say this we have all been there.  I am so very greatful that I found this site because the gals around here helped get me thru one of the toughest times in my life.

Eli the title never bothered me it just took me by surprise that people think that.  I may not know awhole lot but one thing is for sure.  Cancer is a sneaky little bugger who can lay in wait until you least expect it.  

cmbear

Welcome madpeacock!! I was 48 too last year when I was DX, 50 now--wait when did that happen??!! What is with 48??? You were also DX on my birthday. . . . But sorry you had to join our little club. 

As you can tell, I have a sweet tooth and I just love to bake(UH, no, NOT really--why bake when other people can do it for you on the web??)

Eli-I want one of those t-shirts when you print them up!!! Just any color but pink. . .  

LovesChristmas-Barb

Welcome madpeacock! Though I'm sorry for the reason you're joining us...

I love the cake Claire!

lwarstler

Welcome Madpeacock, this is an awesome thread.

 Claire: Now that's a cake!!