For Older People with Sense

Valjean

Alyson ~ My heart smiles for you, such wonderful news! I read your post, took a deep breath & realized I have so much to be thankful for myself - I just need to stay in that frame of mind...... Big hugs to you!!

Kaara ~ That is awesome that the surgical bed is gone, I never knew that could happen. I actually never gave it much thought.... Prayers are so strong.

Happy Birthdays to: Leah (I love your comment re: your GD & GS, that they fill you with delight. How touching for you to have heard them sing for you. My amost 5 year old GD wrote in my birthday card for my b-day on the 19th, "I love you Grandma." I touch the words on the card, close my eyes, they light up my life ... each & every day.

And Kathy, I might have missed your birthday. I turned 60 - I don't feel any different. It truly is just a number. Hope your day was beautiful.

((( 3jays )))

3jaysmom

believe it, or not, NO bedroom window .. I have a screen room closed in to my bedroom.. but, i do go out, and sit in the sun everyday, round 2ish.. its then im the most stir crazy!!!i have read aLOT of books lately, and im trying to learn how ro use my comouter for more things.. not with much luck, alas!!!

 its good to "see" everyine here.. there's where most of my ??sanity?? comes from these days.aaarrrrgggghhhh.3jays

barbe1958

Oh dear 3jays!!! You shouldn't be looking HERE for sanity!!

Anonymous

I am just checking out some of my old posting sites this AM since I don't have to be at work until 3PM this afternoon....am not happy about that and told them so.  This is the office I planned on staying with and may have to rethink things....the office I do not like as much, he has a profit sharing plan so that is appealing and an easy way to save and the money is totally vested.  

Saw the onco yesterday and we both think that since the tumor markers are finally heading down, we can hold off on the CAT scan I had scheduled for Monday so I am happy about that.   My Muga scan came back perfectly normal so the Adriamycin is not doing anything to my heart yet.  I hope I get to stay on the red devil as it really has no SEs for me doing it weekly.....figure another two months I will be bald,but it is only now that you can see it has noticeably thinned......no biggie if it is working. 

Tomorrow is the last day for the one receptionist so I am making my cutout cookies since she keeps mentioning how much she likes them.  We are going to have lunch after work and a cake.  I don't like champagne, but maybe I will take a bottle since I had a lot left over from my Dad's party.

Sat night I am doing another fondue party.  Yes, ladies it is that time again.

Ah ha, so this is where you posted those pics of your wonderful work,  Barb.   They were absolutely beautiful and something you would see in a very high-end shop.  I have noticed that just about everyone who posts on these threads has some sort of a talent....be it sewing, knitting ( used to love knitting Chabba, but just no longer do it)  and crocheting ( never could get the hang of that one), art, photography, writing, cooking, gardening and I truly think that contributes to how we repond to therapy and live....big emphasis on LIVE.    I also read it in a book once that creative people tend to be cancer survivors.....I recall it mentioned gardening and a few other things I did and I was thinking Hmmm, that's me, maybe I just might make it.  

Happy Birthday Leah.....and congrats on the good news Alyson.   And 3 jays.....you always have a kind word for everyone in spite of your own problems.....you are an inspiration.   Chrissy, what do they do on Australia day....fireworks, parade?   I saw that big fat red squirrel at my Dad's and thought of how you love them.   Do you need any of my pics from MO for your quilt project.  Dear Tim deleted ALL my pics to speed my computer up.....he is doing much better health wise, but still does not use his brain most of the time. Fortunately I almost never get rid of pics in my camera....and he wonders why.   

Have a good day, all.    Marybe

macatacmv

3jays, Maybe we have run into each other at some time. I was born in FL, but my grandparents had a house in Vineyard Haven and my parents and I would come for every summer. When I got out of school in the 70s I gravitated here and fell into my job.  This (and Falmouth) is a wonderful place to live and a safe place to bring up my children. It is not such a great place to live to get treatment. My sister (most of my family ended up here, too) ended up moving off island to be closer to her treatment center. I will be riding the ferry quite a bit soon on a daily basis, but I have you guys to keep me company.

barbe, I love your sense of humor.

I feel the parameters of my sanity is spreading outward to include; just slightly off the wall is ok. 

chrissyb

Happy Birthday to Leah and Kathy and a belated Happy Birthday to you Val!!  I hope you all had great days of celebration!

3jays, what ever you need to keep you sane, you got it!

Marybe, you have great news from your onc and I'm so happy that your numbers are falling and hopefully will continue to do for quite some time yet.  With your photos, do you not put them on a disc when you down load them from you camera?  I put mine on a USB stick as I always clear my camera memory or I'd never be able to take more pics.....lol.   I have heaps of photos of my whole trip, in fact I have thousands.....lol......my problem is how to pick just a few that are going to be indicative of the trip without the quilt ending up so big that I will not be able to handle it!

Nancy, it's good to hear that you are slowly coming to terms with everything and we will definitely keep you company while you ride the ferry.  Do you like to take photographs?  I'm sure there would be some wonderful shots to be had from the deck that you could share here............I know I would love it.

Maybe, you asked how Australia Day is celebrated well in the major cities there is always a huge concert and picnic followed by fireworks put on by the civic leaders and state government.  In the smaller communities as in towns such as where I live, we started the day with a community breakfast of bacon, eggs,toast, tea and coffee which is supplied fee to all who want to attend and then we have a couple of civic speeches and the citizen of the year is announced.  After all the chit chat and food is done we usually either go home to our own private picnics, bbq's etc with friends and ot family or you do what I did today and just chill out with the kids, have great food and loads of laughs.

Thanks Cheryl for the good wishes and I should say them right back at you.

Well I'm just having my last cuppa before heading to bed.  DH and the kids are all fast asleep, the cats are curled up dreaming of chasing mice and the dog is comfortably sprawel out next to DH on the bed dreaming of chasing the cats............everything is as it should be!!!!!

Love n hugs all.  Chrissy

SoCalLisa

mac, my little sister in my sorority lives in W. Falmouth..she and her hubby were both teachers there

dragonflymary

Chabba, that picture is so great!  I love the Oregon and Washington coasts.  Overall, there are a lot of posts with good news--Congratulations to all!  Seeing the PS today and am hoping it will be the last time.  I've always called him Dragonfly.  He flies into the room, stays just enough that you get a glimpse of him, then flies back out.  A decent surgeon and person though.

Re:  birds.  We have 4 bird feeders and they're fun to watch.  But I never knew they were so competitive.  There is a daily battle for those seeds and it's survival of the fittest out there.  Didn't know there was such a thing as hummingbird wars.

Love to all,

Dragon 

Leah_S

Marybe, my husband not only saves pictures to the computer, he also puts them on disc AND creates Picassa web albums (he's a professional photographer).

Leah

SoCalLisa

Marybe, I have a backup hard drive for my photos along with web albums...the problem is I have so, so , so many...

3jaysmom

oh my, Mac, we probably HAVE passed each other!!!i (was) a loud mouthed, bigger gal redhaired, with 3 little jays hanging on me for so long there... do you know anyone who knew "tom the hat?" he was my dad, and seemed to know everyone on the island, esp if the fished!!!

  My mom was a hairdresser at "doras'" in VHaven, and im good friends with the tankards.. ( that can be good, or bad, depending on who you talk to hahaha)

 also, i worked my summers thru at the black dog bakery and went to a resteraunt, owned by a friend.. andre' anything????

   i guess sanity is a relative word, but yes, i DO  find sanity in these threads, esp this one, since we moved..hahahaha..3jays

macatacmv

I am amazed daily by how small the world can be, and how connected we all are. This and other social forums are bringing us closer together. 

3jays, I worked at the Black Dog restaurant for awhile and who doesn't go into the BD bakery every other day? I know many in the Tankard family. Back in the 70s I drove a painted up VW bug with the omega sign on one side and the saying "the deeper you go, the higher you fly" on the other. I will try to post a pic when I have more time. I was a wild child back then, I wonder where she has gone? 

Soon I will have some time to figure out the whole taking pictures and posting them. I do have a camera, but don't use it very much. I live in one of the most beautiful places but have been so busy with working and being a productive member of society that  I let it slide by without even paying attention. I need to make some changes in my life.

I rejoice with all the good news and walk along side those that need support. 

chrissyb

I'm sitting on the edge of my seat watching the semi final of the tennis between Jokovic and Murry.........it is one of the best matches I've seen for a long, long time!!   The score line is 2 set all 5 all in the final set.  If I were a nail biter, they would be down to the  nubs!....lol

Nancy, if you want instructions for posting pics, let me know......I'll be happy to tell you how I do it.

I have a couple of Web albums but I don't put everything in them but I do need to take them off my computer as it has gotten so slow it's becoming ridiculous.  Maybe the twenty or so movies and hundreds of pieces of music just might have something to do with it as well......lol.   Have a great day girls, as soon as the tennis is done I'm off to bed!

Love n hugs.  Chrissy

Kaara

Morning everyone:  My news this week has been good...passed my echo cardiogram with flying colors...got a negative on my circulating tumor blood test...zero cancer cells!  Since the RO could not find my surgery site to plan the partial beam rads, I was stuck with whole breast rads, so I am going to opt out of radiation and let my diet, supplementation, and lifestyle changes keep the bc from a recurrence. It was a tough decision, but I am comfortable with my choice.  I would not recommend this to anyone else as these choices are individual.  My naturopathic doctor said that we will watch closely with thermography, alternating with mammos every six months.  

I'm not leaving the site...I'd like to stay on and help guide others who are new to this challenge, as I was not so long ago.  It has been a long and difficult journey, one that I couldn't have navigated nearly as well without the support of everyone on this site.

Thank you so much for your loving support...prayers and positive energy to all of you! 

  

dragonflymary

Kaara, I don't know what decision I would make in your place but I do know that radiation has certain side effects.  One is pulmonary fibrosis.  Since I already have asthma I opted for a bigger surgery rather than risk rads.  The doctor tried to talk me out of it but I'm glad I did it.  I can't hardly breathe anyway without something like that!!

Love and peace to all,

Dragon 

chrissyb

Kaara, that is great news!!!!  It's always good when you can let all this go and move on with your life.  Please hang around even if it's just to pop in and say hi, we would love to see you.

Love n hugs.  Chrissy

SoCalLisa

Kaara I am glad to hear you are doing well:-) many times people ask why surgeons leave clips in and the reason is for the rad doc to be able to pinpoint where the tumor was exactly

Kaara

Thank you everyone for your kind words.  We went out last night and celebrated with friends at a New Orleans event our club had.  It was great to say "I'm doing just fine", and then move on to other topics!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Alyson

Morning all.

Why is it that doctors want to do tests 'just to check'. Saw ortho about my shoulder and now have to have MRI to check as he said for 'nasties' , he is sure its OK but wants to make sure. Did learn that almost 80% of women who have had full node clearance develop shoulder problems and radiation makes it worse.I know I have adhesive fibrosis from the radiation, grrr. Nevermind I am alive and palnning what we will do today.

Had wonderful day yesterday. DH and I drove hour and half north to lovely seaside area, visited farmer's market, went walking and visited old friends. Lovely day was going to a pottery which sales the most beautiful art pots. We bought a large black pot which has the most beautiful glase, will take a picture of it once we get it into place. First we have to get it out of the car!!!

Gus, my small fat ginger cat has decided he needs some attention and is now sitting of a pile of DHs files purring loudly which surprises me as he usuall doesn't talk to me for days after I have deflead him. He has such a loud purr.

Hope you are all having a restful weekend.

Big hugs

Isabella4

Alyson, sounds like you've had a lovely trip.

Oooo my new pc is so quick I am in a tizzy !! I have got so used to waiting 5-10 seconds for a page to change that when it changes instantly I am shocked !! Taking a bit of getting used to, one or two things are just not right, or have just not been installed as per my instructions. I just DO NOT feel like a trip back to the shop to get it sorted, and they did tell me they don't do home visits....so will probably end up having to pay my 'little man' to come and sort me ! 

Still I can use it while I wait.

Isabella.

barbe1958

Alyson, that sounds like a fabulous day!!!! I can't wait to see your new art piece.

3jaysmom

congrats Isabella!!! good news you can now 'fly by' more often.3jays!!!!!

BarbaraA

Isabella, good on you! Kaara, great news! Aly, better to know than not know, I always say!

macatacmv

Hello all,  

Kaara. I have followed your posts since I first came on this site and am rejoicing with you.

Chrissy, I have actually figured out how to post pics, thanks for offering to help, you have no idea how much you have helped me by just being here.

hi 3jays

I tired to post this looong story about how I had to fight to get my furnace fixed on Friday, at the last second I hit a wrong button and the whole thing disappeared from the site. I have no idea where it went. Is it on your computer Isabella?

The story about the furnace was about how men can be so thick sometimes and not want to listen to a woman. I knew something was wrong with the boiler. I couldn't convince them. It took 3 days and 2 different workmen. On Friday there was a minor flood which jeopardized customers items and that was the last straw. Still I had to fight for them to keep looking. Finally they found water in the expansion tank. So now it is fixed and I feel good about speaking up.

I am still sleeping so much. I am going to go back to my pcp and ask for a blood work up on Monday. Maybe my furnace was a lesson to learn about advocating for my health. I feel no one is hearing me when I say I am soooo tired. Maybe there is something else besides bc, who is looking after my overall health?  No one has order many tests. I think I would not be having such a hard time with this if I felt better, I am walking every day and keeping up with my responsibilities  but I feel like it is a real struggle. I don't feel like me anymore. 

barbe1958

{{{{{{{{{{{{{ mac }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

I drove a tractor trailer semi for a short while across the USA and Canada, just to prove I could. We had to have a working knowledge of our trucks. I KNEW something was wrong with the governor. I was the one driving the truck...right? Spent hours in a US facility but they didn't look at the governor, probably because I mentioned it. The truck belonged to a US company so they wanted any costs to remain in the US. Tough on them...when I got back to Canada, the truck died! Guess what the problem was....governor!!! Gee it felt good to be SO right!!! That must have been a pretty expensive tow.....  The only downside was that I didn't make money unless those wheels were turning!!

mac, sometimes we press "Preview" instead of "Submit". That just means your post is in smaller print just above your posting box. At that point, you can hit "Submit" at the new box to get your story posted.

burma

;Morning, Chrissyb, from rainy Oregon,

Delighted to find your thread/forum.  Am happy to find you all, and as you will find, I am a "newbie" in respects to breast cancer.    Hoping to get to know you all from reading your posts.

You surely appear to be old friends at this time which is just superb!

Am hoping I will fall under the categorgy of "more sense" as regardless of rad onc I am choosing to forego rads. Rad Onc is having me speak to a Med Onc this week, for "more info."  Love research and have found this treatment is extremely hard on some, not for others.   But at 73 I want to retain "quality of life".   Find in various journals, etc. that rads does not prevent cancer return and can cause some horrendous issues.

Have Hashimoto's thyroiditis with two Hurthle cell cancers, already,  We have lived "comfortably together for about 6 years now.  Tend to forget them, but we ultra sound yearly to verify no undo growth.       What am trying to say is that the thyroid (low) is causing brain difficulty so short-term memory is sometime wanting.  I find getting lost when driving places have driven forever, funny, and just go with it......laughing, knowing I will recognize someting.   Do not plan to drive up in the lumber trails!!    

And see how easily you can refer to one another, but I will have to do "look backs" to know to whom am referring! 

Do not seem to realize I have had breast cancer.  Seems like it isn't really me.  But have 2 1/2 inc scar to proove,      Just another "issue" along my life path.    Believe the cancer in thyroid and breast due to x-ray treatments as teenager as my sweet Mother wanted me to have absolutely no "breakouts" before big dances.    ( Now we know.)  So appreciate her trying to do her best for me.

I know that under your posts there is info on your cancer.   Evidently, I missed something, but then am not sharp with computers!    I am DCIS, Stage 0, Grade 3, 4.4cm mass removed.  Clear margines, clear path. No lymphs issues..

Wish I knew how to download photos from my phone to show you some of the Oregon Coast, and am sure I can learn how.    Chrissy, for the most part, except when we have 80-100mph+ winds there, we don't have your superb surfing waves.   However, there is quite a bit of surfing and fun to watch.   Is it Murphy's Law that when we have the big storms, no one can go out!

Most gratifying to hear that you all seem to be at peace with your lives, and   believe that aids in healing................and nutrition, exercise.

Appreciate having a little chat we you and glad you are all doing so well. 

Burma (Carol) 

  

Kaara

Burma (Carol)  Welcome to the thread!  You will find comfort and support here...information too!  I am 71 and also opted out of rads treatment.  I tried to get a partial external 5 day treatment but the RO couldn't find the tumor site to plan it, so I took that as a good sign and declined the whole breast rads.I also have Hashimotos but have it under control with synthroid and cytomel, which is a stimulating hormone that was added last year with great results for me.

I am going to look into taking tamoxifen..haven't decided as yet. We will have to have frequent checks and follow a good diet and supplement program to maintain that quality of life we are looking for!

I wish you all the best!  Sending positive energy your way! 

chabba

Carol, welcome to our family.  You are joining a group a group of sisters who are loving, understanding  and helpful in a way most of our non-cyber friends and family can't be unless they have also walked this road.  Whatever concerns, fears, questions or complaints you have you will find us here to listen and help.  There are many topics to address almost any interest or problem and some that are just for fun so explore a bit too!

Isabella4

Carol, welcome. Just feel free to jump in and join whatever it is we are chattering about.

Quiet day here...well quietish !! I was owed a favour from DH and asked him to come look at a light switch that kept having the dithers...kept turning itself on and off...and I do not like electrics. I asked him while he was at it would he put me in a new switch altogether...the original switch being one that stuck out 2" on the wall. I wanted it flush with the wall, and had bought the new type for someone to replace for me. I decided to go out and do a food shop while DH was working, as I go mad watching the messes he makes, so thought if I vanish, I'll come back to the job done, and the mess cleared.   How stupid was I to think that would happen ?? I walked in on one h*ll of a mess. He'd used the angle grinder...IN THE HOUSE...and about a third of the kitchen, floor, cupboards and counters were red with brick dust....AND he was walking about, without having swept up the mess up,  grinding brick dust and big pieces of grit into my floor.....I cannot repeat what I squawked at him !! especially as it's Sunday ! And to crown everything the new switch was cockeyed. It had a real list to the right, and looked a complete mess. I just told him to get the switch put back straight, and vanish. I was left with the mess to clear, he would have only made it worse...and he was going on about me being the most 'picky' person he knows !!!! The mess took some shifting, and he managed to completely mess up 2 sinks ....plaster and cement all over them. Why he couldn't have mixed his messes outside I do not know !! 

I shall be up and down thru' the night tonight. I have one of my Jersey cows just thinking about calving. 2 days ago I penned her off alone, in a corner of the straw yard that her mother and 2 sisters are in. She lasted a day before the mother and her sisters broke down the pen and clambered in with her !!! Out of the whole group of cows I have, which all run together, the Jerseys always stick together. Mother Jersey is 9 now, she has 3 daughters here, 5, 4 and the 3 year old who is about to calve. They always hang together in the field, it's lovely to see them...so I shall leave the family all together tonight as she calves ! Probably be better midwives than me. I am having big trouble walking upright at the moment, so it could be on the cards that my vet. gets a call in the middle of the night, to come and help, as I won't be able to manage it on my own if there is going to be any trouble. 

Just going for a look around now, then maybe IF there's nothing starting I will get my head down in front of the log burner for 2 -3 hours. With the Jerseys you HAVE to be there to give them a massive jab of calcium. This has to be repeated 4 days, if you can catch the little devils. I have, years ago gone outside first thing in the morning to find a newly calved Jersey stone cold dead, and calf orphaned. There is a reason for this, it's something to do with them not being able to store calcium like other breeds, but I will never miss giving them their jabs now..... so I have to miss my sleep when I have a calving.

Isabella.

chrissyb

Hi Carol and a great big welcome to you. Grab a coffee and find a comfy chair and sit awhile.  Join into the conversation anytime you like and the girls here are a great bunch for a laugh and support or whatever is you need.

To put a pic on here and to put your dx (diagnosis) at the bottom of a post, go to your  My Home page at the top of this page and you will see  Edit Profile, just click on that and follow what is there.  To add a photo, on the Home page click on add photo and follow the prompts.  Hope this helps.  Also, if you want to know a it more about someone or send some one a Private Message, just click on there name or pic and it will open to their home page.  The Private Message line is at the top right gand side of their home page, just click and type away.  When you get a Private Message, the heading at the top of the page here will have a little number next to it just click on the heading and read away.  Well enough now, I sound like the proverbial school Marm instructing the students........lol

I didn't have rads either so you are not alone there but it was not recommended that I do.  Like everyone else, I just wanted to get rid of this thing called cancer so I was prepared to do anything to do that.  Unfortunately for me, it seemed that no matter what I did, I was destined to get it back anyway but hey! life goes on today is still today and the sun still shines.  I still laugh.....a lot......and I have a ball as I now don't take life too seriously and I have to thank BC for making me see that it is possible to let go of the stresses of living and begin to enjoy life!   Besides, if it weren't for BC, I would never have met so many wonderful women that I am now very proud to call friend.

Isabella, I just adore the little Jersey cows!  They have the most expresive eyes and the gentlest demeaner of all the breeds and of course, produce the best, creamiest milk!!!  I sure wish I was closer so I could come to your farm and buy a billy of fresh milk.....Oh Yummm!!!!.....brings back childhood memories of being with my gran and in the cow shed having a cup of fresh, warm, frothy milk that has come straight from the cow!!!  Oh my, such a wonderful thing to remember!  That little cow was called Daisy and she was a Jersey........do you think there is a link as to why I love those little cows?  Good luck with the calving!  Hope it goes well for the little cow and she doesn't decide to have it in the early hours of the morning for you.....lol.

Well finally the weather has broken and after a huge rain storm the other night and a very hot and humd day yesterday, today is just beautiful and for me the perfect temperature!  The house has been opened up to allow the breeze to permiate all areas and freshen and cool them down so one more day and the house will be back to the temperature I like and it all free......thank you Mother Nature!!!!

Love n hugs all.  Chrissy