MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

Kd6blk

Yesterday, I had my second surgery for revision...it was pretty easy and have had no pain meds so far..I am not having much pain and feel I should bounce back quickly.



Lisa

jocanuck1951

How are you Eli?

Meece

Heartnsoul, I know you are now past this, but when I did my prep, I stayed away from the kitchen as much as possible.  Spent most of the day in my bedroom watching movies (so as not to be tempted by food commercials)  I did go into the kitchen on occasion but it helped to stay out.

elimar86861

Kd6blk,  Hopefully you are completed now and can start looking at all this in the rearview mirror.  The no pain part sounds good!

hns76,  Good Luck to you this afternoon.   You'll be amazed at how efficient those aliens are.  We want you to be our third to join the Ten Year Club.

Me?  I am still hurting BAD.  The lips might be a tiny bit better but the back of tongue and sides of throat seem more involved.  I've lost about 6 lbs. but still managing to stay hydrated.  I know they can hydrate me in one of the clinics, but I need calories.  Barbe, I hope I don't need to be hospitalized to get nutrition because I think you are right.  I would be entering a petri dish of bacterial and viral contaminants.  Will try to "lidocaine up" and force down some pureed cottage cheese w/ a splash of apple juice or something.  I was able to get about 10 oz. of milk in this morning, with liberal application of lidocaine.

Diet yesterday:  1/2 Boost drink (felt queasy), 6 oz. leftover caramel milkshake (stinging), 8 oz. cream of celery soup (p.m.--like ground glass going down.)

Yes, Meece, my mouth was already blistery from peeling after my allergic reaction to the CT contrast dye.  The nurse said that is most likely why I got so bad in one week, instead of this happening maybe three weeks in.  Other than my mouth, the whole rest of my g.i. lining doesn't seem to be bad, so I do wonder if the dosage wouldn't have been o.k. without the darn CT stuff.  But now, I would like them to cut my dosage just a tiny bit, just to try and prevent an outbreak of this magnitude from happening again.  A lower dosage may impact my shrinkage response, but if I break out in sores again and have to stop the chemo again, that would not be good either.  The rads are still shrinking my tumor mass, but the chemo makes it more effective, plus I do fear I could have micros in circulation somewhere, so I want that chemo.

Meece

Oh, Eli~ I pray that your mouth and throat heal and that you will be able to resume your cancer-killing regime soon.

Outdamnedspot

Elimar...hehehehe on the picture!!  Love it!

Hope to see that your mouth is improving soon...can't imagine the pain and discomfort.

To all the rest of you lovely ladies, I hope your day is sunny and bright!

elimar86861

One week of chemo and I dyslexically screwed up my Mayan calendar joke.  I was thinking 12-12-12 was "the end," but it's 12-21-12.  Still funny, but duh!

Eph3_12

Don't worry, I think lots of people thought it was today because of the 12-12-12!

Valjean

Just flying through ~

Main goal >>

Check on E ~~.

I just don't know what to say there, gal. This is soooo pis*y.

barbe1958

elimar, if you are like me (and I think you are) you WILL get calories down you even if it kills you!!! I am the kind of "sick" patient that will immediately have a bowl of chicken soup (or something) after throwing up with the flu. You get a LOT sicker without an intake of liquids and calories. Have you tried luke-warm (room temperature stuff) and/or Gravol (motion sickness meds)?? I ate yoghurt, soups through straws and a milkshake or two. ANY calories is good calories at this point as your body needs them to fight the disease. You go girlfriend!!!

heartnsoul76

Eli, if the Magic Mouthwash isn't working maybe the doctor can prescribe something in addition to it.  It almost sounds too severe for the MM alone.  It sounds crazy, but I might get a wide syringe and shoot some room temp chicken broth, milkshakes, yogurt, etc. down your throat and bypass your mouth altogether.  I know swallowing would hurt, too, though.  I'm sorry you're going through this.

Well, I had my colonoscopy and they found a polyp... so I'm a member of the 3-year club.  I don't really mind, but I'll probably feel differently 2 years and 364 days from now.  I'm so glad I got this over with - the polyp was 1.1 cm so I'm glad I didn't wait. 

Meece, every time I went into the kitchen I saw this container of nuts, dried fruits and chocolate I just bought for myself (you know, when you're Christmas shopping for other people). And I would think, Oh I'll have that.  Next time, I'll make sure I don't have anything tempting in my house!

momto7

Hi there  just got my first chemo today  I am getting tired again i rested earlier  but omg the hot flashes are terrible i was up a lot last night with them hope they stop for all of us and soon!!

barsco1963

Oh Eli - I do hope that your mouth will heal quickly for you. Sending healing vibes, good thoughts and lots of prayers.

momto7- hang in there. Remember that the chemo is to help you get rid of any little cancer boogers hanging around. I like Eli's reference to it "being a good day to kill some cancer"

((hugs)) to all!

Meece

Eli~ I thought you were just ramping up the suspense about the Mayan calendar.  That's a good story, stick with it.

Momto7, take advantage of the time you get to rest.  Your body needs it.  I got Benedryl with each of my chemos and I was more than willing to rest the entire remainder of the day. 

elimar86861

momto7,  (Saw your news over on the chemo thread.)  Well, you've taken the first step and that is one of the hardest, going into the unknown.  You will get to know your "pattern" as to which days it will hit you hardest and it seems that once the unknown becomes the known, you can kind of plan your way thru' the cycle of days.  One thing we know is that if all these other women can make it through, we will too.

Barbe,  You are right about the "lukewarm" as any other temp adds to the stinging.  Below is what I forced in yesterday.  Can't use straw.  Pretty pathetic.

6-8 oz. milk, 4 oz. milk/apple juice, 1/2 banana w/ 4 oz. milk, 1/4 cup cottage cheese w/ 2 oz. milk & 1 green been (stick blender liquidy.)  All stingy.

hns76,  You are close to right about technique.  No syringe, but whatever I drink, I tip my head back so that I barely have to use my sore encrusted back of mouth to swallow.  This morning my DH (and this is the absolute first time he has ever gotten that designation!!!) made me a cooked egg drink (think of unset custard) which went down pretty good using that technique.  Or, it could just be that I have popped more Vicodin in the last 24 hrs. than previously.  Yesterday was probably my worst day as the sores are so widespread now, and all were feeling like razorblades and ground glass.  Today might be the day I turn the corner.

I am happy for you, hns76, that you got rid of something so potentially harmful.  What I mean is I am always happy when someone gets the 10-year interval, but when something is actually found in there it is even more important that you went in to get rid of it.  My one colonoscopy, I did have a single 3mm polyp (not counting what probably got missed) and they gave me a 5-year interval.  I think if they find multiple polyps or anything above 1 cm it goes to 3-year.  Similar to our breast tumors, that 1 centimeter mark seems like a dividing line as in how to proceed.

Have to say that I really enjoyed most of that benefit concert for "Sandy" victims last night, when I was Viked out.  Did anyone else watch? 

barbe1958

elimar, apple juice would be WAY TOO ACID-Y!!! That could be part of your sting....!!

jocanuck1951

Yes, good day to kill some cancer, I can hardly wait...I think

elimar86861

Barbe,  Yes, the apple juice alone, but I used only a splash (like 1 oz. in the milk.)   Yesterday it was all stingy, but I can't do milk, milk, milk, so I put little bits of other stuff in there.  The lidocaine is stingy til it kicks in.  The steroid rinse is stingy.  The most soothing is just a baking soda rinse, which I use after just about everything. 

The story of your deadly cold sore was so extreme.  I wonder why it took on those proportions?  Was it from having a weak immune sustem?  I don't remember every having a cold sore, although I get cracked lips in winter.  The liquid morphine sounds good.  I think I will have to get a refill of the Vicodin.  I have a tendency to undermedicate and suffer thru' and I have to quit doing that.

Eph3_12

by all means quit under-medicating.

Washington/Colorado sisters-find some jambajane & send it to E discreetly (maybe hidden under the top layer of chocolates) 

Anonymous

Eli, you might try this recipe a friend gave me. The avocados boost the calorie/good fat



Diane's vegan chocolate pudding



3 ripe avocados

1/3-1/2 cup cocoa (1/2 cup is really rich)

1/3 cup agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup soy or rice milk (I like the coconut almond blend)

Pinch salt



Put liquids and avocados in the food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the cocoa powder and mix well. Top w/ almond slivers (optional)

Refrigerate for 30+ minutes



Without the almonds, it should go down smoothly!

dechi

I've been deported!!  Yeah!

luvmygoats

Don't know if she can get it but it is a real medication. Marinol is brand name. Nausea relief/appetite stimulant. Only saw it twice while working hospice. And never long enough with pt to know how successful it was.

Hope mouth soreness is improving. Sounds like you've got a little handle on it with your intake yesterday. Better luck with today's. When is next chemo scheduled?

Yeah Dechi for being "deported", in a good way!!

Meece

Congrats, Dechi!

Anonymous

Congrats Dechi!

Meece

Marinol is a derivative of Marijuana and I think is was developed for people who had a loss of appetite due to AIDS.  I am not sure of the pain releif benefits of it.  It sound like Eli~ is hungry, but the pain of eating has decreased her intake...Is that correct?

Eph3_12

I was being facetious!  She's already said wherever she lives is not a "pot" friendly place.  You can get medical marijuana Rx here in Oregon & with the new laws Washington & Colorado you can openly smoke.  I just thought perchance a good high would help her not care about a sore mouth~~~poor girl!

Meece

Ah, got it.  I was being too analytical.

Eph3_12

That's the number cruncher in you!

Meece

Yep! 

barbe1958

I find that smoking pot actually exacerbates my pain!! It's like it's highlighted or something. I don't care as much about it, but it is really prevalent!! HATE that feeling.

As for my over-reaction to a cold sore; it was because I had NEVER EVER had one in my life so my body fought SO hard to get rid of it. They told me that it would get slightly less bad every time I experienced a "flare". It's been about 28 years and I can still tell when I'm going to get a Fibromyalgia flare when I start to feel that lumpy area in my lip!! Does anyone else get a sign they are about to get a Fibro flare?? The cold sore and FM are both linked to the immune system so it makes sense. The resulting cold sore didn't even show up for about 2 weeks! It was quite ugly as you can imagine.... I now use Abrevia if I feel one coming on and it's been years since I have had one break the skin. Two years of peridontal work to help my tongue recover from the sores in my mouth. It was quite a trip! Not one I'd wish on anyone.