Calling all TNs

ksmatthews

I will def. keep you all posted on the Metformin for me.  I am only taking half the dose prescribed right now.  So far no problems at all. Today is just day 2 though.  Sure hoping I lose some of my chemo weight..

LJ, Suze and MBJ praying for you all.  Please if you are up for it, check in with us..

((((hugs))))

On another note, my close friend had mammo came back bad, went to dr today and they looked again and said it was nothing.  Glad to hear! 

TifJ

Titan- I use to be a basketball fan years ago in college. I graduated from the University of Kansas in 1988, they won the championship that year! I married a non-sports loving man- so I lost interest. I'm sure there is someone on here that would love to talk sports with you!!

Anonymous

mccrimmon-- yes, you could Google "traction pillow" and get any number of results. Here's a start:

http://www.firstoptionmedical.com/SearchResults.asp?searching=Y&sort=5&search=pillow&show=10&page=1

Mine is a normal pillow size, with a raised edge along each long side, one large, one small (to accommodate different size necks/shoulders). It is *not* the memory foam type, though I do have one of those also for camping. 

I got it through an orthopedic supply and would probably retail @ $100 in today's market. It was/is worth every penny, as I just hunker down into each night and place my neck in gentle traction, yet still have the comfort of a "regular" pillow.

Lovelyface

Heidi - thanks so much for the info. on the traction pillow. I intend to buy one.  Actually I can't wait to get it, as it sounds so comfortable and soothing.   I do have a traction gadget which I put over the door, add water for weight to a bag and basically my neck pulls the weight. I tried that when I first felt the hurt in September, but there was no change.  Same goes for physical therapy as I even tried sleeping on the floor.  That's why now I am freaking out, but I have called my Ortho. and am going to discuss my MRI with him.  See what he says.  When I push on the pain area, it seems to be very localized and when pushed hard enough, the pain goes down my arm.  It honestly does not feel like a muscle pain, but as one of my co-worker said, maybe it is a tendon or something.  Would a lesion pain this way?  Are there any bones in the neck?  I honestly can't wait for an answer.  In the meanwhile, to tell you the truth, I am not feeling too well these past few days.  I have some sort of exteme fatigue in my body and today, seem to be feverish.  That must be something coming on.  I am seriously hoping to get back to health very soon.

Titan

Well..not alot of sports fans..except Heidi..but she and the MacFry dude like the NE sports..and I just can't go there (lol Heidi).

That's ok..I'll talk to myself or I could talk to the husband..not the same though.

So..anyway..my friend who was just diagnosed had a 2nd biopsy this week on another area..same breast..this came back cancer too...She said that she has 4 types of cancer...I'm thinking..no way, no how..but she is so upset I can't get much out of her and I don't want to push her..what I did find out was that she has IDC and Lobular also...she said something about in situ...and I told her how good that was...I'm trying to get her to come on here just for information...maybe not to talk yet..but to get good information...she is in the "dr knows best" mode..which is fine...I just am trying to get through to her that this is a good place for information and that doctors just can't tell you everything..about emotions, se's..all this stuff..but I will work with her.

She is scheduled for a masectomy in about a month...I told her that right now she needs to get her body ready for what is ahead...exercise, eat right.....I would like to tell her to get a script for some ativan but I'm not sure she is ready for that yet.

I don't know about the rest of you but my onc and everyone else practically threw drugs at me..I resisted for the most part..but if I had to do it over again..I think I would have taken the Ativan..just to be able to sleep during those first couple of weeks after diagnosis...those were hell.

lrr4993

Hi - Former poster in this thread, current lurker checking in on LJ.  Any word since her appointment this week about her brain scan?  I know some follow her on FB so I thought you may have heard something.  She has not been hear since before that.  LJ, if you are reading, everyone is thinking about you and hoping all is okay.

Also Jenn3.  I know her daughter was getting married so hopefully she has just been busy with that and life in general.  But she has not been on the boards in a while.  She rarely posts here but I thought I would leave a message just in case. 

Titan

Lisa...Jenn's daughter got married last weekend..I sent her a pm asking her about it but haven't heard yet...I'm hoping she posts some pics of the wedding..but yeah..I worry too.

Laura was just on here 2 days ago.

If you thinking I'm creeping I probably am..ha ha...that's how I find out what my son is up to at school...

Huskerkkc

Titan, the day I got my dx my husband insisted on a sleeping pill from the doctor. It was a life-saver. I took Ambien every night from then through rads, up through my 3-mo post chemo appt. eventually I added Ativqn too. The Ativan got me to sleep (racing thoughts) and the Ambien kept me asleep. I had no trouble weaning off when I felt ready. I still take the Ativan, but hope to wean off that in the next couple of months. I heartily recommend it..sleep is so essential for healing. AND getting through the day without biting someone's head off!!

lrr4993

Ha titan - I guess I am creeping too.  But in a nice way.  Not a stalkerish way.  Right?

Sugar77

I took Ativan every night from the day I was diagnosed until after treatment (almost one year exactly).  The most I ever took was one mg before bed and towards the end, it was only .5 mg. It really helped me.

None of us are "creeps" (is that the right word? sounds odd)...instead, we are concerned and there's no shame in that.  

Irr4993 (Lisa) nice to see you posting on here again. 

journey4life

Hi TN sisters - I guess I'm a creeper too. Haven't posted in a while but read your posts almost daily.

To help with bone pain after Neulasta shot, is it plain Claritin or Claritin-D that I should take? I start A/C on Tuesday and want to be prepared for the shot on Wednesday.

Sugar77

Yes it's regular Claritin I took.

Huskerkkc

I took Claritin (not D) along with Aleve, the day before, the day of, and the day after chemo. I did not think it helped me, but took it anyway, because what if it would have been worse without it?! Many of my chemo buddies on another thread though, swore by it. Although there isn't a lot of hard research to support, there is a lot of anecdotal support. The oncology pharmacist actually recommended it to me, but told me "off the record".

journey4life

Thanks Kristy. I'll get Claritin without the D!

journey4life

oops - thanks, Sugar

RaiderDee

Hey Titan! I'll talk sports with you anytime you want.  I'm a creeper and an old timer who misses Payton too.  I hope everyone has a good night and an even better Friday, 

OBXK

Annie- I hope you are feeling much better tomorrow. For me, it seemed no 2 treatments were the same. They say it's cumulative, but I remember having a bad 4 and an easy 5. Rest well and take your stool softeners



Wishing everyone a good tomorrow.

Cocker_Spaniel

Thank you OBXK for answering my post.  I will do what you say and rest.  I am taking the softeners but they leave me with tummy cramps, which would be  the least of my worries if they didn't make me feel so sick.  Still I guess onwards and upwards.  Thanks once again.  Annie  

jlynnbain1031

Hi ! sorry i haven't kept up with you all and i pray that everyone is doing well. i am now 7 months post rads and feeling pretty good. only thing that sucks is i can't stand on my feet for more than an hour from the taxol still. does this ever go away? i finished last taxol in january of 2011. much love and prayers to you all.

jlynnbain1031

also, can anyone give me any info on metformin. i got the script but not sure i like all the side effects but will do what i can to keep this dang cancer from ever coming back. thanks !!

riley702

jody, I started on a low dose of Metformin (500 mg at bedtime) at the start of the year, and haven't had any side effects at all. That surprised me because I was braced for the GI upset that seems to hit most people in the beginning. I wanted it because I was told I had prediabetes in Dec. (fatty liver, abdominal weight gain, moderately elevated fasting blood glucose, etc.), and if it offered protection against a recurrence, that would be a bonus. I was more worried about my increased risk of liver and heart disease, as well as becoming diabetic.

I just had labs drawn this week and my numbers are mostly back to normal (my alk. phos., which indicates liver function, is still very slightly elevated). I've also lost 12 pounds, and will continue to take it. We'll repeat a liver US in a year to assess whether I still have fatty liver.

I have no regrets for starting it.

christina1961

Inmate,

Thinking of you and hoping everything goes well at your appointment today.  I still have a lot of rib soreness on the rads side.  Never had it before rads, even after the mastectomy.  It is particularly sore at the top of the ribs where they directed the beam (is that an accurate term?).

mccrimmon324

I started Metformin about 2 weeks ago.  500mg 2 x a day.  I felt a little bloated and a maybe a bit of a tummy discomfort but it didn't last long and I don't think I'm getting those issues anymore. 

Thinking of you today, Inmate. 

Titan, I would love to get my hubby on here to talk about sports with you.  He's a huge sports fan and doesn't really have anyone to talk about it with.  I try really hard to pretend like I'm listening and interested but he knows me better. 

Anonymous

Random thoughts-

Ativan *and* Ambien? Interesting. I was told not to take Xanax and Ambien together. They needed to be 6 hours apart. The time released (10 "whatevers") Melatonin really works for me. Rarely take Ambien now and Xanax almost never.

lovelyface- You have (7) cervical vertabrae in the neck. It sounds like you may have a bulging disc. The swelling you describe may be inflammation from its displacement. The pain radiating down your arm is most likely from a nerve being compressed. This should all be well visible on an MRI or CT. Do you take Aleve twice a day? If not, you may want to try that while you await further advice/testing from your othopedist.

Off to teach Maple Sugaring at the Nature Center now. Then taking the team photos at my son's rugby game tomorrow.

Anonymous

Oh yeah... Titan... GO PATS!

sandik

Room for one more in here? Just met with the onclolgist today and found out that Im triple negative too. grade 3. Im scheduled for a lumpectomy Tuesday unless something pops up on the MRI that I had done last night. She said I will start chemo about 6 weeks after my surgery, followed by rads. 

My mammo was showing the tumor to be 6cm, but the ultrasound was showing 2cm, so she said she won't know more until they get this thing out of me and get a good look at it, but said she will probably be reccommending the port for me. I asked if the surgeon can put it in when I go in for the lumpectomy, but she said she doesn't think he will.  

mccrimmon324

Welcome sandik, but sorry your here.  Good luck with your surgery and once you get your port in you'll be happy you did it!!! 

sandik

Thanks! I know 1 port= a whole lot of needles that I do NOT want, but I don't want the port either! haha Im such a baby about needles! I keep telling myself it's better in the long run. I don't know if it's the fact that people will see the port and know Im sick, or if it's because the port is unknown to me so I don't know what to expect, or both. 

She did say that my nodes looked good from what she felt. So, I guess that's good news, right? Happy Friday!  

mccrimmon324

I was/am a big baby about needles too.  The nice thing, these nurse are SKILLED, never feel a thing and got so many now, it doesn't really bother me like it used to.  I don't think people will be able to see your port.  Mine sits right about under my bra strap and my shirts always cover it.  I can see it in the mirror, it did freak me out in the beginning, now I've learned to not really look at it anymore.  You'll be fine with it.  I remember these ladies telling me the same things and they we're right!

Its great that your nodes look good! 

Have a great weekend, go out and enjoy yourself before your stuck in the house recouperating!

Babs37

Welcome Sandik. Glad you found us. I didn't have port in when I did chemo and if I could go back, I would have asked for one. I did 4 DD AC + 12 weekly Taxol all in my veins. Chemo is rough on the veins. And like you said, it's a whole lot of needles..........................Good luck with surgery next week.