INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

sas-schatzi

Lookie, darling pic of your niece.

Loverly, glad hubby is coming home. Are they routinely testing them for Zika? He should be tested and you should avoid unprotected visits to Essex. Serious. No funnies here. Ecuador is in the hot zone and everything is not known about the virus yet. Your a pro about diarrhea now and know what needs to be done there.

Jazzy. Love "What a wonderful World" My favorite is Satchmo's version.

sas-schatzi

.......................................Chevyboy, 2016

WenchLori

Happy late birthdays to Chevy and Sassy! My sweet tooth has been acting up and all I see is yummy, chocolaty cake and pie!

I start chemo on Friday if Eco results are favorable. PET scan came back clear and blood work all normal. Yay! Onto the next step!! I think?!?!?

sas-schatzi

........................................................Exactly, like all of you. Hugs

sas-schatzi

sas-schatzi

sas-schatzi

Okay here's the story. Someone nominated me for that VIP thingy and the Mods wanted a pic. The only pic I had was the FB pic which son cropped from 2010. It didn't work. I tried to take a pic. I look sooooooooooooooooooooo old. We'll Loverly cropped a pic and sent it.

But the pic with the nose guard and salad bowl is my life right now. Perhaps part of the funk. I'm sensitive to plastics and any external weight on the nose is causing internal membrane swelling. I have to wear paper underneath the glasses. The glasses are 1.25. I need 3.0 or better. Yes, I need to work it out with the eye doc, but remember in the funk. Not making appointments like I should.

Last week there was this very sweet chick flick that I really wanted to hear. Cupping the ears was just not doing it and I didn't have a cornucopia. I thought --stainless steel salad bowl----grabbed one and it worked. Donnie walks through the door. Stops. Looks. Said "Having trouble hearing?"

Anonymous

OMD Sassy! My first thought was that the doctor "coned" you to prevent you from scratching off your bandage!

Donnie doesn't skip a beat does he? LOL

Your other pic is beautiful 💙

Anonymous

Marti the Cone Head......I have a pic somewhere with the kitty sitting inside the cone beating her up!

sas-schatzi

OH so funny Shep, and Thanks, but we all have this vision in our heads that we never changed in our best moments. Then a pic is taken and there is this whole different person there and suddenly I look like Aunt Mabel----OMD. But seriously, the look on Donnie's face was totally priceless.

In the past I would get a lecture from Chevy that would tell me "They have improved technology, "Go do it and stop wearing a tin hat"

JunieB

Earlier I turned my computer on and found that I had no internet connection. (Guess I should pay that bill more regularly) Just kidding. Anyway, it turns out that my modem was offline and the ISP had to reset it. Then all of a sudden my computer shuts off and WILL NOT come back on. You should have seen me, I was in full on panic mode (had to take 1/2 a xanax). No computer means no BCO. Well I called a friend who is knowledgeable and it turns out that there is something amiss with the battery pack or some thingy that is attached to the cord that plugs into the outlet. My friend comes in unplugs the cord from the pack, plugs it back in and turns the computer on! I had done all that numerous times myself and NOTHING. What gives? Oh Geeeeeez!

Shep - Ahh! the cone of shame. Poor Miss Marti. Miss Pris is a little tiger I take it? Kiss Marti for me please.

Sas - So glad to see you back. Hope your funk is better. The pic with you all made up is very pretty too. Love the hearing bowl.

sas-schatzi

Hi Junie, the bowl was so good to hear the movie, , then Donnie walked in the nose thing he's gotten used to, but the bowl was new,

But it brought back the memory of OMG they Found A Cure For Stupid. Literally, I made a tin hat and Stephen came in or walked in and saw the hat. He said something like" Mom what's going on?" The tin(aluminum) part was in the shape of a chicken. He was disturbed. I tried to explain we were just having fun, like he did for years on gaming. Those days of OMG were so much fun. He made me feel weird. That it was all weird. Then he went home and I went back to having fun.

sas-schatzi

For anyone remembering 2Ta(second time around). She was here early, her husband died this weekend. She has gone through a terribly rough time . Even tough you may not know her consider condolences.

susan3

sad to hear. Wonder how her health is ?

susan3

watching Olympic swimming trials. Claire swam her whole life, through college. Elena looks like she has the bug to!

sas-schatzi

Susam keep her away from the screens and edison

Eeyore07

Sensi, don't use dark nail polish. It only covers the nail damage but won't prevent it from happening. I had 6 CTs and my Onc prescribed tea tree oil for nails on fingers and toes twice a day. It worked great during chemo, I did not have any nail problem. You can find tea tree oil in health food store or health food section of grocery store. I even found one small bottle with brush tip just like nail polish and it is convenient to apply. Did your Onc give you a list of supplements to take during chemo? My Onc was very aggressive on supplements so it helped me a lot and I was able to work full time during the 6 rounds of treatment. When will you start CT

sensitivehrt

Eeyore-good to know on the nail polish, I had read it somewhere  I'll check into the tree oil and icing. Wasn't given a list of supplements  .  My MO doesn't want me to work, because I work in an assisted living, and to much of a chance of being around people that get sick.  I start August 10th at 1:30

Sas-thanks for the link and tips. Plan on printing it out and getting prepared this weekend.

Keep the baby pictures coming ladies

feelingfeline

Thank you Sas.

Truly sorry to hear of 2ndTimeAround's bereavement.

Loveroflife

Oh my goodness! Who opened the flood gate? And how in the world do you keep the steel bowl behind your head without it falling? The one picture above is better than the one I cropped. Thank you for letting us know about 2nd's loss.She has gone through alot since I joined BCO. Do you know when the funeral is? We are heading to LA on the 19th to send DD to college.

Eeyore, yes war is tragic. It is good idea about recording oral history from my aunt and parents. You know now come to think of it, I have not had a conversation with them about it.

Lori, yay for the clear PET scan. Wow, chemo this Friday already. Yup, keep laughing or keep us laughing because we don't want you to start crying. But if you need to, it is ok also. I find that a good cry sometimes is cleansing.

Susan, Elena might be the next Missy Franklin or Natalie Coughlin. Ms. Sas is right...careful with exposing her to the Ipad.

Meadow, I am glad the car was moving slow enough for you to jump in without hitting anything.

JunieB, how is the swelling. Exercise is good, but not in a 97 degree weather while you are on a diuretic can enhance orthostatic hypotension, dizziness, or fainting.

ShepK, I don't think Marti appreciates having her picture taken while she has to wear the cone of shame. The poor girl frowns in that photo. You said that the tiger can't be Thirsty and only man is driven by "thirst". It is true that only man is driven by "thirst"- thirst for power, knowlege, recognition, fame, money, life, or love, to name a few, will drive him to invest most of his energy and time in it. His thirst won't be quenched until the needs are met. The tiger's name was supposed to be Thirsty, but because of clerical error its name was switched to Richard Parker, the hunter's name. The tiger assumed the name of the hunter and the hunter its name. Aren't tigers hunters, hunting for their preys? If only man is driven by "thirst", then maybe that was why the tiger's name was switched to Richard Parker. I would love to hear what Queenie, the queen of books, has to say. Very true regarding how the two stories at the end comes down to faith. A person can't believe in both stories otherwise he contradicts himself. Faith in a story that makes sense to the human mind vs. faith in a story that seems like a fantasy. Being theist vs. atheist, both require faith.

Loveroflife

BBL, need to walk Mitzy while it's still cool.

JunieB

Loverly - Very well said. I've never seen the movie, so wasn't aware it was so thought provoking. legs still swelling. Finally broke down and put on the wretched compression socks, along with the Lasix. Will see MO on Thursday for monthly appt.

So sorry to hear about secondtimearounds loss. My condolences.

My sister has her 48th birthday this month and she was telling me that her DH and sons are taking her on a surprise vacay, but not telling her where. Only what type of clothes to take. Sounds like cool idea. Hope she has fun.

BBL

magdalene51

Well I had my PET scan today (to get a baseline for faslodex tx). Will be interesting to see if anything else has developed since April scan.

Had an interesting text conversation with my pcp friend today about the nature of the lung mets. When I was dxed with ovarian cancer in 2011 the CT showed 3 lesions on my left lung. It was noted at the time but nothing done about it. When I first saw MO 2 years ago he mentioned seeing them on the PET I had done at that time, but since they had been there 3 years before and unchanged, he was not concerned. Then the 1st scan after chemo he said they had shrunk. 1 year out scan, unchanged. Then April's scan, and I was sure he said they had grown and that was the cause of the biopsy. But last week when DH and I met with him I asked about it. If they were there the whole time, and biopsy shows they are BC, were they always BC?

His response was that the spot they biopsied was not the same spot from 2011. When I was texting with pcp tonight she said it was her understanding that they were. Why would he change his story (if indeed he did)?

Any guesses?

debiann

I am hoping some of you can help me out.

I am a teacher involved in a summer workshop to learn how to prepare students for a science fair. As part of my requirements, I need to conduct a research project. I have created a survey about how a breast cancer diagnosis impacts our thoughts about death and dying.

The information I receive will be anonymous and it will only be viewed by other teachers in the workshop.

I am looking for female participants dx stages 1-3 with no evidence of recurrence.

If you would like to help me out, the survey can be found with the link below. The deadline for completing the survey is Monday, August, 8, 2016.

survey monkey

Loveroflife

Hi Debbi, haven't seen you for a long time. Sure, will fill out the survey. Hope you are well. School is starting soon for us.

Mags, why would a doctor change the story unless to protect himself?

JunieB, I am sorry to hear that the swelling has not resolved. Wonder if all the walking affected the swelling. Does elevating the legs help? I completely understand the panic of losing connection to BCO. I was once banned by the Mod by mistake for a few hours. Oh, the feeling of loss was great. Someone had asked me a question and I posted a link for her for reference. Something must have flagged the Mod of possible virus. I think after they investigated and found the site was harmless, they apologized and gave me back the access. I don't ever want to be banned again so I try to behave myself

Susan, hope the scan went ok and the result is favorable. Have you heard from MammaRay? I can imagine it has to be very frustrating trying to communicate and words don't come out the way you intend it to. Please send her our regards the next time you talk to her or her DH.

Sensi, do you have enough sick leave and vacation hours to cover your three month leave? At where I work, an employee could donate sick leaves to coworkers at the same pay level.

Ms. Chevy, are you still in a food coma from your three or four birthday celebrations? You are loved by your many daughters. Hehe

How did your scan go, ShepK?

Ok, where was I with the story? Oh yes, we were hiding in the field waiting for the guards to be out of sight before we scurried to the truck that had just arrived to take us to my dad. This truck was as big as the small Uhaul truck, I think. When you are young, things seem bigger than they really are. When we got on the back of the truck, I was surprised to see there were other people already in there. It was dark so I couldn't see anyone's face. I could not tell you how many were in there. I don't rememeber any one talking maybe because most were tired and sleepy, either that or they were as scare as me. I think I dozed off for awhile. It must have been really early in the morning when we finally boarded the boat as the sun had not risen yet and it didn't seem as dark as when we got in the truck. It was my first time and probably for most there to set foot on the boat unless they were fishermen. I remember I was cold to my bones and shivering uncontrollably and not understood why. Come to think of it, not only was I scared, I was probably wet from trying to get on the boat. My body was reacting to both stimuli or whatever you call it. I was in a daze the next few days. Could barely eat or drink in and out of sleep and wake up only to throw up. I think the majority of the people had the same problem as me. We were all on the same boat (pun intended; I had to add that). I was throwing up until I had nothing left in my tummy to expel, not even gall or saliva. I don't think I used the toilets for days. The only times I felt decent was when I slept. Poor Mom was pregnant at the time. I think her sea sickness was worse than mine. She couldn't be there to comfort me or my siblings. Dad was manning the boat with my uncles. My aunt took care of us and her five kids. None knew how to navigate the boat except Dad. He needed a break after a few days and let one of my uncles take over. I think Dad thought that we were far away enough from VN and it was safe to continue south towards our neighboring countries. Now, my uncle didn't know how to read the compass/map properly. Not sure how long Dad was able to rest before I woke up to loud conversations between my dad and uncle. Dad had his binoculars and was looking intently at a dark mole shape at the end of the horizon. After a few minutes, he started yelling for my uncle to turn the boat back immediately. Several smaller boats were heading towards us. We were on our way to one of the islands in VN where prisoners were kept! Thank God our boat was far enough that they could not catch up with us. And also thank to Him that I didn't have any fluid in my bladder or I would have peed in my pants. At one point I had the energy to get up to try to eat. Not sure how many days after our departure. Rice had never tasted so good, but it was not long before I threw up most of what I ate. We ran out of water I don't know how long into our trip. I remember the 360 degree view of the calming vast ocean around us. Our boat seemed tiny compared to it. All this water and we could not drink it. What unfair temptation! I couldn't help but wondered if we would ever see land again. I was really thirsty but there was no drinkable water. It was sunny and hot and I fell asleep with parched dry mouth and throat. Who would have thought that after 37 year I still remember the moment in my sleep when I could taste and feel the cool juicy watermelon in my mouth. I woke up from my nap with my thirst quenched. I can't explain to you why, but choose to believe that it was not hallucination from dehydration, but it's God's way of showing me His grace/love. If it was hallucination, I think I would still be thirsty. Not long after this we crossed path with another boat. It was not uncommon to have Thai pirates roaming in this part of the ocean. We have heard of stories of robbing (most VN people carry gold and jewelry with them on their trip), and kidnapping of woman and children to sell as sex slaves. All the women and children were sent down to the lower deck to hide. It turned out that the boat belongs to fishermen. They didn't speak the same language I was told later. These kind fishermen gave us fish, rice, water, and ice. Ice! It was perfect timimg as we ran out of food. Another miracle. Dad said we were on sea for 7 days before we landed in Malaysia where we camped for 3 months before entering US. There were many shipwrecks, missing people, and lost lives. My dad's cousin and his wife along with someone's innocent child, who left several months after us, were tossed into the sea by men they had an argument with the day before. Everyone on our boat survived. Why were we spared and many perished? Was it because of our good deeds as some Buddhists, including my mother, believed? I think it was God's mercy that I was preserved and pardoned from death to tell you the story of His grace.

JunieB

Whoa! Loverly - Thank you so much for sharing that.

How was the walk with Mitzy?

The walking helps to increase circulation by getting the muscles moving and pushing the fluid up so my body can expel it. I experienced such fatigue today that I barely made it up a small incline in a sidewalk to the P.T.'s office. Weird. Having bloodwork tomorrow, so I see what that shows. Treatment too. Going to the docotor is getting so old.

Shep & Susan - Hope your scans went well today.

Mags - Any time you have concerns or there seems to be some miscommunication in regard to your test results or treatment, feel free to say "Hey, back that train up and tell me/explain that again" and don't let anyone dismiss your concerns. This is your life & your body, and you have the opportunity to be your very best advocate. You will be the one who has to live with whatever treatment that is prescribed. So you have every right to understand everything thoroughly, even if you have to ask tons of questions. Your deserve that.

So Jazzy - When's the patio party? :0)

Sensi - I sure hope you have some type of program through your employer that will help you during the 3 mos. off work. When I was dx'd with the primary bone cancer in 2000 I was working for a county agency and they had a catastrophic leave bank where other employees could donation sick leave for individuals dealing with major medical crisis.

Sas - So NOT making fun of you! But I had the hardest time today not picturing you with that stainless steel bowl on your head. Really it was a very ingenious solution to your problem at the time.

susan3

lover, can't wait to read your story you posted....but to late right now

Mags....I have no answer for you, but I do know that there has to be a "certain" amount of cancer to be picked up by a test. Biopsy I would think that would be black and white...but not sure. And that would be the pathologists mistake. I have always said I want my radiologist and pathologist in on all my consults...ha, they don't do that . But they are the ones diagnosing us. I had a path report come back positive about 5 ish years after first dx. It was a quick biopsy done right there in the office. Needle biopsy. When it got cultured out over the three days, it came back no cancer. Pathologist called me personally and apologized. Now, almost 6 years now, i got recurrence ....and yes you can guess, same spot . I have realized over the years, it's not an exact science. Mistakes have been made over my 16 years, but I do have a great doc. Best you can, make sure your doc is doing the best he can. Wish it was a perfect science. Prayers your way as you move forward

queenmomcat

:Loverly: thank you for sharing that.

kathindc

Lover, you must get your parents' stories and those of your relatives. What you and your family went through needs to be preserved for future generations. This explains how sensitive you are to others. Thank you for sharing your story.

Meadow

loverly, I am speechless after reading your story. Just cannot imagine. I feel you are a very special person, thank you.

SAS, you made me laugh.

Looking forward to the fantastic Olympics.