MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

elimar86861

But she doesn't have nipples.  (Or did you all draw them on your doll like I did?)

Eph3_12

Nowadays, Barbie can have flower stickers or drawings on her boobs to imitate that artistic women who get awesome tattoos in place of the boobs and/or nips

Tomboy

barbe et al: we are ALL waaaaay more amazing than any old barbie-doll! i don't care how old we are!! we are real live wimmen, with BRAINS!!! altho sometimes when i wake up, i wonder if mine have leaked out, from all the times i slap my own head....

Valjean

Hey, E ~~~~ It's your day!

Congratulations on your 5 year Anniversary!!!

What a long road, huh? Five years..........

Sending Best Wishes for many, many more!

Hugs, Girlfriend!

♥

 

elimar86861

Thank you, Val.  I wasn't even thinking about it.  (Instead, I thought about a friends b-day in two days and that I better get a card in the mail.)

Even tho' I'm on this thread almost daily, I really have moved beyond BC in my daily life and in most of my mind.  (My CRC is still a little fresh in my memory, but I'm trying to shove that into the past also.)

Anyway, I go the alternate route and celebrate my BC surgery day, July 9th.  When I reach that, it will be 5-years cancer-free!!!  (From BC anyway.)

Remind me, so that I don't forget that one!

staynsane

Kathec- Got to say it....you mentioned Barbie and thought of "permanently arched feet?"  Yes, I remember all the high heeled shoes that went on those permanently cramped feet, but I must admit that when I think of Barbie, I never think about her feet!  I don't think the designers at Mattel (that's who produced her, right?) focused on them so much, either.  But oh the accessories!  So much money to be made on little plastic doodads...

I love it when posters here bring up old timey stuff like toys, food, TV shows, etc.  Really brings back memories of youth and nostalgia and simpler days. 

elimar86861

SnS, You must visit NativeMainer's spin-off thread then:  Middle Aged Memories

It's been going on over four years now, something like 80 pages!!!  It is the repository of all my memories (good back up for when my ALZ kicks in.)

staynsane

Eli- thanks for the recommendation.  I just went to it briefly and want to go through it all now!  Looks like a good one, Nativemainer!  Added to my favs-  It is so great that we have BC.org to go to for knowledge and support about BC, and that there are various threads with topics that are not BC related when we "get beyond" our primary BC fears.

elimar86861

Agree with that, Sns.  I think that BCO knows that even the threads here not about cancer are good stress relief/diversion/memory joggers (good for chemo brain) and they too provide something for the members.

3rdtimenow

I finally have something in common with Barbie, no nipples either. lol I had a really tough day yesterday, went for my initial markings for radiation. Have you ever felt so totally alone with this disease? I thankfully have a very supportive family and husband, although he always wants to fix it, and that's not possible. My doc came in to start the markings and told me because of my previous radiation I am at greater risk for breakdown of the muscles and bone of the chest wall and to my heart which was already affected the first time around. In that CAT scan it finally hit me, and I broke down in tears that would not stop coming. I have handled this twice before, bravely and never said "why me, because I think, why not me? This time it's so much more difficult, it is so frustrating that, to cure this disease you have to risk so much damage to the rest of your body. Sorry this is so long, just venting I guess, people mean well, but only someone who has walked in our shoes, knows what it's like. Thanks Ladies.    P.S. on a brighter note, I had the tech laughing when I told her, I will have to break a promise to my family. She asked why and I said I promised I would never get a tatoo or take topless photos. She promised they would not end up on facebook.                                                           

elimar86861

3rdtime, I am glad that you had the opportunity to cry out some of the feelings.  It has to be released!   I have been struck by the harshness of the treatments from square one.  If a cure is going to be such a long time coming, then the treatments need to improve greatly, because the risks involved are really terrible.  Maybe not as immediately terrible...their ruin just takes a while to show up.

So, if you really don't want tatts, there is a Sharpie marker/tape alternative.  What did you get the first time?

3rdtimenow

Hi Elimar, just joking about the tatts, no big deal, I did have them last time, pretty soon I will be able to play connect the dots, wonder what picture I will come up with.

barsco1963

3rdtime - that's why we are all here. So that anyone can share their thoughts and feelings without prejudice. And so that when anyone is ever feeling alone, they can come and feel the comfort and love of the middies. Your comment about the tatt and topless pic made me giggle too. It is amazing how we can keep our sense of humour amidst all of the crap that goes on.

The only thing that I ever had in common with Barbie (other than the female aspect) is that I once "went out with" a boy named Ken in grade 8. I think it lasted about 2 weeks - a whirlwind romance. lol

Brwneyedgirl

3rdtimenow I am now rockin' the sharpie/tape until tomorrow when I get my tattoos.  I did make the comment to DH that he could now play connect the dots with the scars and sharpie marks as a guide.  Hope you have a better day.

3rdtimenow

Thanks Barsco and Ddgm, you're right ladies my faith, my family, my sense of humor and you ladies, will get me through. Stephanie

NativeMainer

3rdtimenow--You
poor thing!I had a meltdown going
through all that the first time, I cannot imagine even being able to go through
it a second, but a third??I'd never
make it.Never.And to still have a sense of humor about it
all, remarkable.Praying for you.

3rdtimenow

Thank you NativeMainer

MameMe

My total, amd I do mean complete sympathies, 3 rdTimer, and being able to find the droll aspects of all this is life saving. Or maybe its soul saving? Anyway, hang in there, and keep us posted. A little Bette Midler works at times like this, try the 2010 DVD of The Showgirl Must Go On. Netflix.

3rdtimenow

Thanks, MameMe

staynsane

I did it...had the colonoscopy yesterday that I pushed for and had to wait three months to get.  Funniest thing; Kaiser insisted that their guidelines say colonoscopies start at age 60 (without indications of problems) when I mentioned the handful of letters I received at 50 to tell me it was "time" for one...then they started doing the fecal occult test by mail.  But their Emmi program (pre-procedure power point-type presentation) says something about "Kaiser recommends colonoscopies at age 50!"  I mentioned it to my male nurse and he said he was going to mention it up the line...

Being told that I had no colon issues or polyps?  Priceless.  Being told they wanted me to go have a CT scan the same morning for a suspicious lump?  Scary as shit.  In the end (pun intended) everything came out okay (pun intended).  First CT I've had, and must say, I LOVED that warm, sensual feeling in my nether region when the dye was injected!  Turns out I have a fibroid pushing on my appendix which pushes on part of my colon.  I have no pain or other symptoms, so I don't intend to do anything else at this point.

barbe1958

Good for you SNS! Welcome to the anal club. Glad you got a quick CT and response. So that is another item checked off your not-so-bucket-list.

elimar86861

If you liked the spreading warmth, you probably won't mind the Depends years too much.  Too bad there was a pushy little polyp in there.  If it is not on the appendix or the colon, is it just in the space between the two?  The rest is just grand news!!!  I wonder why K-P is bending the rules and not screening right at 50? 

F.Y.I. (and anyone else's information)...never think of the fecal occult blood test being remotely comparable to the colonoscopy.  By the time the FOB detects microscopic blood in there, you could already have a full blown cancer (I did!)  Whereas, the colonoscopy can spot a polyp before it becomes cancer.  Colonoscopy = preventative; FOB = not preventative.

NativeMainer

Staynsane--wow,
sounds like you've had quite a day!Sounds line someone at Kaiser needs to get their facts straight and get
their paperwork lined up with their actual policies.Not broke, don't fix it sounds like a good
approach to the fibroid issue.

El--good point about
the colonoscopy vs fecal blood testing.

staynsane

Barbe, Eli, Native- Thanks for the support, ladies!  I think the fecal occult test is probably fine for most people, but with my sketchy family history of polyps and various cancers, I just knew I wouldn't feel right without having a more thorough check.

Eli- I sincerely doubt that the "spreading warmth" of the Depends years will leave me with the highly sensual feeling of the CT dye!  That was just the strangest, most unexpected and pleasurable feeling I've had in a while.  Am I alone in this?  

Loral

staynsane.....It certainly was a feeling I didn't  expect yet seemed quite soothing.......

Tomboy

staynsane: friday i had a breast mri with, and without contrast, and as i was lying facedown on the table and very relaxed, i certainly did feel the warm flushing instantly when the contrast fluid was remotely injected into my arm, and i don't know if anyone else has felt that, but i was amazed at how instantly i could feel it coursing throughout my body. for me, that one has kind of a warm flush feeling too. and its inside, not on the outside, like wetting yourself would be. i like it too. i was supposed to have the pet/ct scan, but it is delayed for a couple of weeks, so i am going to pay very close attention on that day! i remember the first one i had before surgery, i found it to be an exquisitely  interesting sensation!

elimar86861

SnS, I don't think the FOB test is fine for most people, family history or no family history.  Not anymore.  I had three of those (at least two with full blown cancer present.)  The third time micro-blood was found, indicating trouble.  I'm saying the FOB is usually TOO LATE.  Many pre-cancerous adenomas do not bleed, so FOB doesn't detect them.  A few might bleed before becoming cancer, leading to c-scope and removal but not too many.   While FOB detection can lead to a person getting surgery and treatment of cancer and a chance at survival; colonoscopy can nip a polyp in the bud before it becomes a life threatening disease, and whereby surgery and further treatment can be avoided altogether.  So much better.  In other words, a FOB can save your life, maybe.  A colonoscopy can save it so much sooner and better.  The screening is way more costly, but we are worth it. I've written this a few times now, but the saying is: Not all polyps are cancerous, but ALL colorectal cancer arises from polyps. Get a colonoscopy and get them OUT!

I don't think the colonoscopy is perfect.  I think it is 95% great and the other 5% someone bungles it.  Like with me.

--------------------

All you CT contrast lovin' ladies:  You don't need to wait for your next scan for your pleasure.  Just hop on down to the drugstore...

  All the warmth at a fraction of the cost.

Tomboy

love ya, elimar! but one word: parabens.  that stuff is so greasy feeling. not saying i WANT cts, or anything else, just if you have to do one anyway. as a matter of fact, after all of these follow up tests i have to do, i am seriously thinking about never seeing any drs again, ever. EVER. with the exception of pcp. i don't want to know, don't want any more "special effects", (SE's)!!!

elimar86861

kathec, I didn't think of that.  Paraben buzzkill.  And don't think I am mocking the CT contrast warmth.  I felt it too, but part of my mind was anticipating whether I would have any allergic reaction despite taking the precautions beforehand.  So, the mood was wrong.  Haha!  I do love my ultrasound gel though.

Tomboy

hey, tho, the woman who has done my last two trans vag ultrasounds? did slip me a tube of THAT stuff,that they use to insert the wand? bliss. i found it at the drugstore too. not that we as a couple visit down there anymore. no wonder im always pi$$ed off. we used to love to....and 54 is way too young to not, anymore. Los angeles is heating up, folks.