INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

Rosevalley

Spookie does your washing machine have a gentle or delicate cycle? Maybe use that with woolite and line dry like Chevy suggested. My delicate cycle is very gentle. I love old quilts, so very pretty.

Lovgoats- PBS had a documentary on the history of Tea... very interesting show. If they run it again watch it. One of the types I thought sounded so good is the Morracan (sp) way of drinking their mint tea. It's loose mint leaves and green tea steeped and then they pour it from quite a height into glasses. Most drink it sweetened. I bet in that dry arid climate it is extra refreshing.

magdalene51

Oh my, where to start. For some reason I am just hurting all over this morning. And cold! I NEVER get cold, but here I am with my winter robe and lap rug just listening to the ticking of the clock. I found a neat picture on my laptop, then lost it because I was looking for something else. My photo storage is sooooo messed up. That would probably be a good occupation for me while I'm waiting for my studio. Anyway, it was a photo of when I gave my mom that drawing, all framed, for Christmas, and as she always did on Christmas morning, she had one of those stick-on bows stuck on her head. My mom was such a character, and what a life she had! When she was my age she was a full-time college student, and I can't even drag myself out of my chair. Crap. Well I'll see if I can find it again. What I was looking for was a digital watercolor I did of a French Quarter gate and courtyard, I have it framed and hanging, but I have the digital somewhere for the artist thread. But I never found it. Must be on my desktop Mac that I haven't used in a year.

Simpy, don't use silvadene while you are getting rads, because it can mess with the beam. You'll need a rx for it anyway. They let me use it weekends the last couple weeks. But it is just for the skin damage, not the tightness. My clinic was very strict on what I could use on my skin during tx because some formulations have ingredients that refract a beam. Dove soap, eucerin or aquaphor lotion. There is another, they gave me a small sample. Don't remember, will have to go find it. Still have it in med cupboard. It contained calendula. I also picked up some calendula cream at the health store but didn't like it as well. I had 36 tx, the skin over my scar was pretty nasty by the end, and still brown.

Rose wants out, more later.

sas-schatzi

Simplicity, I need to explain why I didn't jump in with a recommendation re: skin care with rads. Three areas I won't tread are 1. Lymphedema 2. chemo drugs. Both require serious study. I don't wish to take on either study. 3. Skin care in rads. It's beyond burn care. It's a burn that is continually being burned until rads is over. The use of a wrong product can make the burn worse. I used to teach paramedics. Each year I met with the Burn Specialist prior to her doing the lectures. The question was "What are we teaching this year?" Within the Burn Community, it was a constant evolution of management.

If I were having rads, I would get the info for skin management from the RO's team. I would also seek counsel from the regional burn center to see if they concurred with the recommendations.

Many regional burn centers have outpatient burn care. If it was me, I would schedule an appointment with them to evaluate the burn and write a treatment plan. The short and long term outcomes of burn care management are too important. This may seem radical and overkill, but it's not. It's the safest approach.

magdalene51

Ok, continuing. Rose didn't want out, the little snert. So I made a cup of coffee and went and got a pain pill. And the stuff I was talking about. It's called miaderm, and it was formulated by a rads doc. My clinic had some but it was pricey. Look for miaderm.com. Oh, and something else. I was warned to not use heat or ice on radiated areas. Of course, all this comes with the standard "Check with your rads doc before trying" caveat.

magdalene51

Four pages ago when we were discussing the dogs destroying things, I went looking for a pic I knew I had downloaded, and couldn't find it. It disappeared from whichever device I had it on. So I googled and found it, now I know it's there, and I will share it with you.

magdalene51

I keep forgetting to mention that Beatmon and I live in the same town! And it's not very big! So... Beatmon, lunch sometime?

sas-schatzi

Smarrty, At the Mo's office yesterday. The had a wall mounted quilt. In each square had a quilted ribbon corresponding to the different cancers. It was striking.

Loverly I talked with frenchfrye either two or three weeks ago. Her markers were all down from over 300 . two were within normal limits. One was one point over normal. Considering she had lung, liver and something else mets. she's a walking testament to good oncology care. I'll giver her a call. I didn't try Baclofen again , yet. I want the conditions to be a certain way before I try it. I want to give the drug the best possible chance of working. Mo visit was good. Nothing radical Thanks

Simplicity

Thanks for the advice everyone! They gave me 2 tubes of miaderm and I apply it often. PT gave me a band to exercise with yesterday. My range is good, but I can feel it tightening big time.

What kind of dog Mag? I have 2. A daschund mix and a pit mix. My daschund is older..and well, getting harder to deal with lol

No worries Sas. I am just going to stick with the miaderm.

Mag hate to hear you're hurting this morning I stay cold too since chemo for some reason. Sleep with a heating pad at the foot of my bed haha Hope the pain eases so you can rest.

magdalene51

Thanks, Simpy. What kind of dog is which? I wasn't sure of your reference. Rose is a Schnoodle, and though she is the dog of my heart, she is a manipulative bitch. I can say that. It cracks my family up when I do. She doesn't like to go on the wet grass because it tickles her tummy when she squats. I'll post her pic.

But first, Sassy, I have a must-see link for you. I saw it on Facebook and said, Sassy has to see this! It's awesome!

What to do with ancient Chinese ceramics

This is Rose. She fancies herself a great huntress.

magdalene51

kathindc

DD has a chorki (chihuahua-yorkshire terrier mix) that grew up around a male pug. So when it comes time to pee, she pees like a male dog and marks her territory as such. I've seen her squat once but by the time she finished she was going into the lean with her leg up.

Chevyboy

Love that picture Mags!

Went to see Theresa... Sass, I'm not sure she knew me.... It's just sooooooo sad.... She seems physically okay, other than being in a wheel-chair, but I think something happened in her brain.... She just kind of looks at you, and talks about things I know nothing about... then talks to something she sees on the floor, and said "Oh look how cute!".... Or just starts talking about something to herself... Judy says she didn't have a "stroke"... but that she isn't "the same".... I don't know.... I just know in one week, my dearest friend "isn't there" anymore....

I just don't know why everything has to go to hell when we get older.... I don't understand how things can go so wrong.... it just hurts......

Wren44

I have washed a quilt in the bathtub. The problem is getting as much water out of it as possible. The museum in Honolulu has a fabulous quilt collection and lots of advice on caring for antique linens.

Teka

Chevyboy, hopefully Theresa continues in a peaceful state of mind.

Chevyboy

Yes... I know.... I watched my Grandma go through this.... It doesn't hurt "them".... it just hurts those that love them..... feeling them slip away.

Teka

Yes, so true!

sas-schatzi

Chevy, so sorry, Theresa's been like a mom and sister to you. Your story of how long she's been in your life is truly amazing. The why of what happened to her isn't able to be seen by imaging, but something obviously did. Has any new drugs been added to her drug profile since just before the fall? Has she had any added since the fall? Has her kidney function changed? I'm going to call...................

Simplicity

She is so cute Mag!!

Chevy, I am so sorry to hear of your friend Other than West coast family that I never hear from, not even during this current scenario, all my family has passed except my mom. So it's just her and I and she had 3 strokes March of 2014 and hasn't been the same since. (((HUGS)))

sas-schatzi

Well, don't wanna, but may be getting into confusing the computer again.

magdalene51

Here's my mom with her cockeyed bow and the picture of her dad. Christmas 2002. Miss her.

Chevy, I remember when what you're describing with Teresa happened to my mom, it was like the lights just went off.

susan3

Chevy, sorry it's so painful to see our loved ones change. Hope she is pain free and happy in her own way for the rest of her life:)

Chevyboy

Sssssss! Yes... Even though Judy says she didn't have a stroke, it's SOMEthing that happened pretty fast..

Mags.... it's kind of LIKE that.... Sorry about your Mom.... I LOVE that little bow in her hair.... You know, we always want to "feel" pretty! And that did that for her....

sas-schatzi

Simplicity, give this a read. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/813741. It's an evidence based article on topical steroids and radiation.

Miaderm has a couple of questionable substances in it. Since you are in active treatment you'd be better off using something that is as close to chemically free as possible.

Aloe is God's gift, but using it directly from the plant has the potential for contamination from the outer skin while applying the juice squezzed(sic) from it. But it has been used for centuries this way. I've done it too in a pinch. Initially when Ds walked into Sil's cigarette as a toddler, I grabbed some aloe from the house plant. Then I got a pure aloe product, I used it twice a day for a year. Can't see the spot. A similar burn on SIl's friends kid, the poor kiddo had several plastic surgeries. I had a whole skin care protocol for a particular ortho doc that I had lot's of his patients in homecare. Aloe was part of it. Great scars.

I looked at recommendations for skin care from Mayo, Sloan Kettering, University of Penn., and BCO's. They're is a wide divergence in care as well as some commonalities. I also talked with the regional burn unit in my old town. Just as I feared the recommendations could be improved by input from standard outpatient burn center. Physical therapists in a burn center do differently than PT's at large. Also, there's next to nothing that's evidence based. Looks like another project.

A friend on another thread looked up the ingredients for me. Something as simple as a fragrance. If fragrances are petroleum based, and petroleum is contraindicated for skin during rads, this chemical that is widely used, shouldn't be.

phenoxyethanol Hmmmmmmmmvery questionable chemical.

Not sure how much I can get into. Look at the other recommened products. Try and find something that is chemically free other than the goodie chemical you are trying to use.

AS usual I'm starting to get overbearing. So, no more comments here from me on this. If I decide to do a thread I'll let you know

sas-schatzi

Mags, the likeness between father and daughter is striking. You certainly did justice to the sketch.

kathindc

((((HUGS)))) Chevy. I'll keep you and Theresa in my prayers.

Simplicity

No no no Sas-You're not being over bearing at all. You're being educational! I'll look it over

Zillsnot4me

the silva dyne is for afterwards. I'm allergic to sulfa and didn't have a problem. Bestbird? Bluebird? Recommended a website with goats milk? Foggy brain. Overloaded with ins crap. Sorry.

But the good news is your skin will recover, amazingly enough. Did you know you can join the Livestrong program thru the Y? Free for cancer survivors. Keep up with the PT. Good luck!

And yes RO has final say. He's the expert.

sas-schatzi

Okey dokey here are the other web site on skincare

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/expert-blog/radiation-therapy-and-skin/bgp-20056321

http://cancernursing.org/forums/topic.asp?TopicID=44

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/skin-care-guidelines-patients-receiving-radiation-therapy

http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/radiation/skin/care

http://www.upmc.com/patients-visitors/education/cancer-radiation/Pages/radiation-breast.aspx

I think when you get done with these, you will likely agree that BCO's needs some work. But the BCO team is very open to suggestion.

luvmygoats

My question Chevster - does Theresa have a UTI? I have seen it happen frequently in hospice. First clue with a dementia patient is a change in behavior. I know it would have to be a catheterized specimen. Most times we just treated for it and watched for an improved behavior.

And I'm so sorry for whatever has happened to your dearest friend. Prayers here for her.

luvmygoats

Mags - I love your mom with her dad's picture. And yes very strong family resemblance.