MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

elimar86861

I never really had nausea with my chemo, but my stomach was in a constant whirling, swirling condition due to the fluorouracil.  Not in a state with the medicinally grown available, so I would have to go outlaw (like jbok) to have given the MJ a try.  I won't confirm or deny any partaking here, but some are really helped by it and I think it should be made available in all states.  Also in favor of more research being done as to which strains benefit which conditions best.

F-nut, happy to see you had a rockin' weekend.  Some friends took me to see session man extraordinaire, solo artist and recent R&RHOF (acronym used again for Barbe) inductee, Leon Russell, who is still rockin' at age 72.  "Too old to rock and roll" is just a false statement (for him as well as for me) and I always feel happy to see a legend I have not seen before.

On a related note:  It also felt great to see some friends who have not seen me since (but knew about) all the cancer I went through.  I have bounced back fairly well, and the comment generally ran to me "looking the same as ever."  Yes, they were being polite as I know there is more sag and wrinkle, but I think that it is true that I once again give off that energy that signifies health.  I think seeing me in person put their worries to rest.

jbok, The hand-painted glasses on the last page were very stylish!

Footballnut

Question for my sisters - according to the Canadian breast cancer foundation - The following ingredients can increase risk of disease including breast cancer - phthalates, parabens, alkylphenols, fragrance or parfum and placental extracts.

Do you check products that you buy such as lotions, soaps, shampoos and cosmetics for these ingredients prior to purchasing?

lovewins

I haven't....but would love to hear more about it.

elimar86861

Where is everyone?

Tomboy

i am here, el. stewing in my own juices. i did have that pet scan, but i am pissed. i had to wait 5 extra hours, "because the scanner was down", and so they made me walk from nuc med, all the way to radiology, to another machine, that looked really old with paint worn off, and the woman who escorted me walked very quickly, about a quarter mile. this was after the injection. so, apparently the pet was all clear,except for one resolving inflammatory process, which is one of the main reasons i went! it is NOT resolving! it is NEW! and it is PAINFUL! And, when they handed me the report, there was a disclaimer at the top and bottom, saying that the scan might not be reliable, because of all the muscle activity!! WTF?!? even on my instruction papers before i did it, they told me to not even TALK!!! i am so pissed!   and so they told me , again for the third time, not that i needed or wanted to hear it, that the reason i am having nodes enlarged all over my body, was because the nodes that are left are taking over the job of all the ones that were removed. hmmm, funny. a woman from BCO, that met me at my follow up with BS, where they told me this, is having the same problem. Guess what? She did not have ANY nodes removed.!!!! the only treatment we have in common, is lumpy, and chemo, and she had chemo-lite,cause of RA, and other things. It was great to meet her, and after, we had a nice lunch, and avidly talked and read each others path reports!! What fun! it was! all except the doctor part of it.

elimar86861

kathec, When I began reading your post, that is just what I was thinking...how they have you sit still in a chair before the PET, not walk 1/4 mile.  Goddess above, they are just shameless in taking your money for a test that could be all skewed and screwed up.  I think you might want to lodge a complaint, but it is unlikely that anyone will offer you a free re-do.  Besides, you don't really want extra radiation, even if it would be free.  

I have some nodes that are sore, might be enlarged, yet never showed any uptake on a PET.  I wonder if I have what you describe.  I did lose 2 nodes so maybe those others had to do double lymph duty.  I never thought of that.  Your friend who kept her nodes, maybe the surgery caused the drainage to alter, with more fluid now going to some, less to others, and so enlarging the ones with greater workload.  That's a guess.

Nice that you got to meet with an online friend, even under those circumstances.

Tomboy

She is terrific! it was as if we had known each other for years! She did not make fun of me, for crying out of sheer frustration. i am lodging a complaint about that walk to the other machine.

3rdtimenow

Wow Kathec, I don't blame you for being frustrated, that is crazy, and don't blame you for crying, cry away.

Footballnut

Met with my onc today. He is switching me from taxotere to taxol and I will have infusions for the next 6 weeks. No more neulasta. I will continue the herceptin on a 3 week cycle for 1 year

So hopefully my SEs will be minimal - this is what my onc expects. Minimal pain and tummy issues

I love him. He is so easy to talk to but it's funny how one can interpret things. He mentioned that he wants to get me through treatment with minimal SEs so that I can move on for months and years

I walked out telling my hubby that this means I don't have a long life expectancy. Hubby said that's not how he heard it given past things that my onc had said which included my onc previously saying that I have a good prognosis based on my type of cancer

Funny how we interpret things

So hopefully things will be better after tomorrow's infusion. Now instead of 2 more rounds and being done with chemo by mid august, I have 6 more rounds and will be done with chemo the week before Labor Day. I'm cool with that as long as I have a less SEs

I also got Tylenol 3 to take instead of percs just incase

HomeMom

FBN I start Taxol as well this week and have 4 treatments, one every other week. I still have to take the nuelasta shot though   

Can't wait to be done with those chemo rounds. I should be done around the same time as you.

Lee7

kathec, I totally understand your frustration.  I too had a similar experience. The facility was remodeling so their pet ct scanner was outside in a trailer type container. I didn't know that until after I'd had the IV nuclear stuff and had sat ridiculously still, afraid to move a muscle for fear of messing up the results.  So when they had me walk out of the building, in a gown and my socks no less, into the parking lot, into the trailer ....I thought , huh?  How could this not screw up the results, I've just got all my blood pumping to get out here.  My pet scan came back ok but I have since changed my care to a different facility.  You might consider that too.  

Footballnut

homemom I'm with you sister!

Lee7

elimar. I like the new picture at the top. Reminds me of a box set of cards I once had. I can't remember the artist, but I liked her drawings.

Fbnut, how cool to be up on stage like that! 

elimar86861

Welcome, Lee7!   Alphonse Mucha painted female images in the art nouveau style around the turn of the last century.  His art has been used for product labeling and poster art decor quite a bit, so usually looks familiar.  A lot of the pictures that I use at the top have some sort of significance, some obvious and some that you have to stretch for...You might be familiar with a very common Mucha illustration found on the <JOB> cigarette papers.  That was my tie-in to the discussion of the "medicinally grown."   Now, if you were more of a bong affficionado, you might not have noticed.  Ahahaha!

                                                                                

Eph3_12

These are what I remember

 

marlegal

The last time I read was July 8th...how did that happen? Again, I think of you all ... including the newbies whose posts I just read too ... daily. The lure of grandkids calling for FaceTime on the iPad uses up that window where I used to leisurely come to the Boards. Please know that I'm in your pockets even when I don't know that you need me in your pockets, okay? Happy to see some of you posting on FB so I can keep up a little anyway!

Hugs to all, congrats where it applies, and commiseration where needed.

barbe1958

Hey marlegal, aren't we due for a crooked water shot? hehehehehehe My bad???  We do know you think of us as you make sure you mention it when you check in, so thanks for being there. Hope you are enjoying your water....seriously though, we need a 2014 shot!!!

Dianarose

question for those who had chemo or take aromasin. I have had trouble with sugar levels spiking high and quick or I get up and it is too low. Today I felt funny after eating a small lunch and tested and sugar was 243. It is all crazy.

barbe1958

Holy crap Dianarose!!!! Have you talked to your onc?? You can also call the manufacturer of the drug and speak to them. I did with a drug that raised my ALT and had to go off it (Nexium). My doc had no clue so I called them direct and they did admit that it can raise the liver levels. 

Momine

Diana, if you get steroids with chemo, they can mess up your blood sugar. The AIs can also make it inch up, or so my doctor told me.

Were you already on the high end before treatment? 

NativeMainer

Footballnut--I did
at one time look at the ingredients before I bought anything.The problem arose with finances, the only
things without all those chemicals, additives, etc were very expensive.And I was getting paranoid.Then I remembered some of the things my
grandmothers used, vinegar for cleaning, castile soap, that sort of thing, and
pretty much stopped buying the other stuff.I discovered a new hobby of making my own lotions and such.But the change was far more financially
motivated than health motivated.No way
to avoid them entirely.

Kathec--call the
hospital's patient representative or ombudsman and file a complaint.What you went through is unforgivable.Also call your insurance, explain what
happened, and ask that the bill not be paid due to sub-standard care.The hospital can't bill you in that situation
(they will try, don't give in).That's
the best way to get their attention.

Dianarose

Momine-I was normal before the AI's. I had a headache yesterday and within 5 hours I took 4 Tylenol. Not sure if that can do it. I know stress can and I have plenty of that. This morning my sugar was 76. All crazy.

Lee7

dianarose,

Aromasin acts differently than the other two AIs.  You might consider trying Arimidex or Femara and see if you do better on one of them.  Switching helped me with some SEs.

elimar.....aha, that's where I've seen the artwork! Long time ago now but the JOB picture jogged my poor estrogen deprived memory.  

Footballnut

hi all!

As for me my onc changed me from taxotere to taxol which I will have infused for the next 5 weeks. This means that I'll finish chemo the wed before Labor Day weekend instead of mid august

Yesterday I had my first taxol with my 2nd herceptin which stays on the 3 week schedule. In between herceptin and taxol I get Zantac, Benadryl and a steroid. I was so zonked!!

So far so good but no poop today so I took my meds to try and stay ahead of the game

I also got Tylenol 3 in prep for any pain because I hated the percs

I have been told by my onc, nurse and pharmacist that this should be much easier on me.

I no longer need the neulasta shot so am hoping for the best

Tomorrow night we are going to try and have a band rehearsal. Can't wait!

Wishing a good evening to all!!

Eph3_12

Wow.  I have about 5 fav threads & this is the 1st post on amy of them all day Friday.  Hope that means busy summer fun! 

justamy

Don't know where to start...Getting a bit overwhelmed reading so I thought I would introduce myself. I'm a 42 year old mom of a 12 year old son and an 18 year old daughter. I've been married to a wonderful man for 22 years. The last month has been the fastest of my life. I never felt a lump. I just went to have my dreaded yearly mammogram. They called me back in a few days and we were off to the races. More mammograms, biopsies, genetic testing and an MRI...The verdict was that I have stage 2 breast cancer.. 2 tumors in my right breast 3cm and 1cm...but thats not all..the MRI shows that I have 2 more masses in my left breast so they have to do another biopsy. Until they do it and get results they won't know whether to do a single or double masectomy so I start chemo Aug 8th with surgery after. All of this in a months time...how life can change. I haven't cried at all and I don't understand it. I know I will but I thought I would fall apart at this type of news. I don't think I dare...I am afraid I would break and never be able to bring the pieces back together. I know this is a heavy intro but I need to get it out where I can see it.

I do look forward to getting to know all of you lovely ladies and am so glad i found this board.

NativeMainer

Hi,
justamy!The beginning of this journey
can be a whirlwind.I remember being
afraid that if I started crying I would never be able to stop.I didn't get through a doctor's appointment
without crying for 4 years.Even totally
unrelated ones!I remember finding a
lump in the left breast, and then wondering why they were doing extra views and
ultrasound on the right breast, getting that biopsy and the time spent
wondering if I had breast cancer in both breasts.Feeling fragile is normal.And you will be able to put the pieces back
together in time, I can tell you from experience.Hang in there and keep coming here for
support. We'll help get you through it all.

barbe1958

amy, as women, we stay very strong during the crisis - lifting cars off our children and stuff like that - but, when it is all over, that`s when we give ourselves a chance to cry. A lot of us learned to cry in the car commuting to work and back or even in the shower. It is a good release and medical facts prove you cannot cry longer than 20 minutes. You can feel sad longer than that but your body can only produce 20 minutes of tears. So you CAN start and you WILL stop. You have the right to cry and be scared but you will find people will try to tell you everything will be fine and dandy. That will begin to piss you off as you know that they know nothing! Empower yourself with knowledge from your team of experts and work with those you trust.

I didn`t cry until I lay myself down on the OR table for my double mast. The team was surprised and asked me why I was crying. Seriously??? They were very good and a nurse held my hand and the anaesthetist put his hand on my head (sounds funny, but the human contact meant a lot) until I was under. 

You are not alone.

Moderators

Amy, Welcome to the BCO community. We are so sorry that your diagnosis has brought you here but as you can see already this is an extremely supportive and knowledgeable community that can help you along the way. Keep us posted as you move forward. We are all here for you. The Mods

jbokland

Justamy. Welcome to the sisterhood. 

You will find valuable support here.  Everything from tips to dealing with side effects to daily poop reports!  

We are all women dealing with a shitty hand right now.  I promise you, if your patient and open, you will also find some amazing gifts as you go through this journey.