I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

1Athena1

I have to say that I was annoyed when Kerry said that our biggest problem was the deficit. He was buying into republican politics and completely ignoring sound Keynesian economics.

pupmom

Athena, sadly Kerry was probably kissing up to get the job. He's done it before. Remember his, and Hillary's for that matter, vote on the Iraq war? At that point they were both planning to run for president and didn't want to look like "doves" post 9/11. Disgusting behavior but omnipresent in our government.

1Athena1

Yeah. Reason why neither of the two are heroes of mine.

I am sure he will make a good Sec. of State, though. Unimpeachable choice, as they say. I also thought Hillary would make a fine cabinet secretary. They are not leaders but they are good doers.

QuinnCat

These are the topics I just want to stipulate upon:  Guns, abortion, death penalty and unnecessary war.

Another beautiful lenticular today on our walk:

Anyone here ever dealt with fat necrosis? (Sorry for the bad segue.)

Belinda44

Awesome photo, Kam.

Check out this link, y'all. And just scroll down and peruse the numerous blurbs.  All I can say is wow.....just wow.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/opinion/nocera-and-in-last-weeks-gun-news.html

1Athena1

Kam...can you tell us a bit more. Have no experience but someone else might....

QuinnCat

I have this 2 inch by 1 inch hard something (not round, squarish, I can kind of roll my fingers over, ie. might move) in my rt breast (prophy non-cancerous one) below underarm but about 3pm (or is it 9pm) deep.  I don't know why I just discovered this, but I haven't been really concentrating on my good breast. Won't see the doctor until 2/7, so I'm sure I'll worry myself scared by then.  I know the PS had lots of problems with this breast....I'm just hoping fat necrosis, or something.

1Athena1

Speculation: Perhaps. Could be a seroma too. They can harden. Definitely worth mentioning. The doc may suggest massage to loosen the area, who knows. Or maybe it is a cyst. Cancer would probably be the least likely scenario at this point.

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me can chime in.

QuinnCat

Athena - appreciate that.  Yeah, 6 months after chemo - good breast, recent surgery 8/30 for exchange - prophy....seems unlikely, except for this brca thing, I probably wouldn't worry.  In fact, I should just let it go for now....just going throught the stages!

Belinda44

Kam, sorry I don't have any experience or words of wisdom regarding fat necrosis.  I think though, we can all relate to that feeling of feeling something strange....an ache or something else and of course we worry.  And then we exhale after we see the doctor and/or have that test that confirms everything is ok.   Anyway, in the meantime, try not to worry, though it's understandable and know that we all send good vibes your way and hope that your doctor can reassure you when you see him/her.

Chickadee

Kam, so sorry for the anxiety you must fight thru. Relaxation seems just a faroff dream to us doesnt it. Yesterday this ache stared up in my leg. It feels deep like in the bone. I'm stiff as a board. Thankfully I don't have to wait, my monthly checkup with the onc is tomorrow. I should focus on the fact that last month she was comfortable enough to stretch my scans to 4 months and here I am freaking myself out.



Hoping its nothing for both of us.

1Athena1

Chick - is the ache in the lower or the upper part (mets almost never occur below the knee)? Hoping it's a bad mattress!

Chickadee

Funny thing, it was the shin yesterday, today it's the thigh. Fairly sure it's nothing. It's my week off Xeloda and for some reason SE's seem to ramp up on the off week. Last week, an on week, I actually felt a bit of euphoria each day. That was truly weird and nice.



Did I mention I hate cancer! Oh and I hate the monthly weigh in too.......phooey need to find my lightweight jeans. LOL.

QuinnCat

Totally agree Chickadee...I hate cancer more!  I just think, ok, this was my clean breast...had a PetScan/CT Scan, MRI in Dec, 2011.  Nothing bad except the left breast tumor.   Had a BMX prophy(left) in Jan 2012 - pathology came back with no cancer in this right breast.  My PS did the exchange 5 months ago - if something is 2x1 inch now, wouldn't it have been visable then?  Gotta be something caused by that surgery. Right at edge of implant where axilla nodes are.

Chickadee - I have pain my shins too.  I think it is the Statins I just started.  But could be the exemestane. It's passed now.  Heard the same thing...no mets below knee.

Chickadee

Yes let's think scar tissue for you. That's way better than something nasty.



Today I know for sure that you could mistake me for Gladys. Ruth Buzzi's cranky bent over old lady on Laugh In. Now if I could just beat cancer up with my pocket book, that would be sublime.

Chickadee

I found one clip for you yungins!



http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Zw5Ski9yB58&desktop_uri=/watch?v=Zw5Ski9yB58

AnneW

kam, I had fat necrosis in the upper, outer poles following my bilteral SGAP. It was more of a fibrotic thing, in areas where seromas had been. They are pretty common. Ultrasounds can usually tell if that's what's going on. They come in all sizes. Mine were pretty darn big.

Regarding kitties that hunt critters--yes, they do. Mine have cleared out many a mouse. Chipmunks usually get the catch and release treatment in my kitchen. Norwegian rats are too freaking big and like a mouse on steroids. I'm sure my cats would give them a pass. They have taken a few birds, too, which is more heartbreaking to me as a bird lover. And, I have lost a kittie to the foodchain, too. Neighbors have lost cats and dogs. Animals hunt animals. My cats spend a very small amount of time outside now, but they'll do anything to sneak out an open door.

I'm still waiting to hear the results of my Pilates testing. Most of my classmates have heard. Some have not passed. It was a very hard series of testing.

alexandria58

Kam and chickadee:  fingers crossed that everything is boring.

On cats:  they are incredible hunters. I understand they are a real threat to wildlife in Australia as well.  I keep mine indoors at all times, both to protect them and to protect wildlife, and they hunt bugs and on occasion a mouse that sneaks in.

Chickadee

When I was a kid you had cats so you wouldn't have mice.

RetiredLibby

My kids stay in all the time, too. We rescued Peaches and her 4 kittens from a woodshed at a country house where we were staying 7 years ago. She had been put out by someone because she was pregnant and she gave birth in the woodshed. She hunted to stay alive, but she wasn't very good at it. She had been a housecat with regular food and lap-sits. Her ear was torn and one fang was broken and she was practically transparent, she was so thin. She doesn't want anything to do with outside, and neither does Forrest, her one kitten we kept. In fact, in a humorous story, a few months ago I heard DH shriek over by the kids' food dishes. I went trotting into the laundry area, and he was standing there staring at a small mouse. He had thought it was one of the kids' toys and had nudged it with his bare toes -- and it moved and squeaked. The kids were standing there expectantly because he was holding a food dish ready to feed them. He tried mightily to get them interested in the mouse -- no takers. Even Peaches, who knew what the mouse was, was MUCH more interested in the food dish. So much for predators -- the only animals my kids are interested in eating are the kinds that come in cans. They look at the birds and sqirrels out the window, but I think they think it is TV.



Kam & Chickadee, fingers crossed. Kam, could be fat necrosis -- I'm going with that. And statins gave me shin splints and plantar fasciitis in BOTH feet. Made my liver very angry, too, so I stopped them.

Belinda44

Chickadee, good luck at the oncologist today!

AnneW, fingers crossed that you get good results on the Pilates test!  Regardless of the results, it's very impressive....what you've accomplished!

Belinda44

So I hear that Fox "news" and Palin have parted ways.......

IllinoisLady

Fingers crossed for everyone with problems, tests to pass or anything else that has some frustration connected to it.  I have a list, but sigh !!!  Eventually it will get better.

Still struggling here but attempting to go to work today as a shortened paycheck is not going to a very good thing right now.  As to the above cartoon.  The funniest ones always seem to be the truest.  The world is in a mess, and for the most part has been for a long time now.  If you want to feel REALLY bad about it just watch the good ole' Faux news and everything will have a dire outlook and all due to our present administration. 

Doesn't much matter I don't think the size of the audience ---- it is not what the country wants.  There are a lot of people who will "check" things out and see that it is a game for hard rt. extremists and will get tired of being fed hysteria all the time. 

We were around 70 or so yesterday....by tonight.....back to the 30's and chance of snow.  What a 'weather' yr. it has been so far.  See you all later.

Jackie

alexandria58

It's in the 60ies here in Jersey today, but bad storms headed in our direction.  Global warming is not fun.

Hoping for good things for everyone!!

Meanwhile, i just passed 59,000 words, so I am two-thirds to the goal of 90,000 words.  I may go over, and have to go back and edit out, but I'm pretty pleased.  just wrote a big love scene between my main character and the man she'd left because she couldn't take his job anymore.  That was fun writing.

pupmom

Listening to the Senate gun hearing, I am literally becoming ill listening to Grassley say a ban on assault weapons will not stop mass gun killings! 

Gabby Giffords was so wonderful but listening to her speak just made me want to cry. She is the face of gun violence. 

Alexandria, congrats on your book progress!!

We've got snow today! Finally feels like winter, until Friday at least.

bluedahlia

1Athena1

I wish I could listen to those hearings live.

The US economy appears to have contracted in the last quarter - I wonder what, if anything, that will mean for budget negotiations. I am sure that fears about the fiscal cliff probably created a timid economic climate. Thank You Congress for Doing Nothing.

In the 60s here but will cool down soon.

bluedahlia

Wendel and Lilah Intermission.....

pupmom

Hahaha, blue, Wendell looks like he can hold his own! 

Chickadee

Totally BORING results today.  Liver function tests still nearly normal.  We were going to stretch out the scans to a 6 month interval but we discussed getting evaluated for the Sir Spheres treatment at MD Anderson, so she thought it wise to do a bone and CT scan next month to have if it looks like I'm a candidate.  I'd really like to wipe my liver clean of those nasty little bastards.  However, as long as I'm stable on Xeloda we will keep going forward and hold the Sir Spheres as the next line of attack.

For those that don't know Sir Spheres is the delivery of radioactive beads directly to your liver through the hepatic artery.  Lemonsoda and Soleil recently had them and were blessed with a complete response.  NED livers.  Of course no guarantee on when the darn things can reappear but it's worth buying some more progression free time.

Those phantom pains from yesterday disappeared by this morning, so they were likely nothing.  Phew.

Onward.......