INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

Jazzygirl

Gracie- sorry to hear of the pain. Some of the OTC stuff does not work so well with different conditions. I took Tramadol at one point and found it to be helpful. Is the pain from the bones or something else? Finding a good pain management resource may be key for you. Wishing you a better day tomorrow.

WildTulip- the great thing about therapists is that they listen without judgement. Even the best of friends still do that on some level (and yes, I catch myself doing it when listening to others too). There are some people I just cannot relate to anymore after having cancer. Just can't listen to the drama or the small stuff. My BFF who lives far away brings up her dog every time I talk about cancer, because her dog had cancer (and now has it again). And perhaps you need some more single friends too? I am also single and most of my good friends are (they get me the most). So much of our connections come around common themes like maritial status, what we do for work, hobbies, even cancer!

Anonymous

Jazzygirl, You're right, friendships are formed around common themes, and I do need more single friends. I had one friend I used to go out with frequently, but she recently started dating someone and I'm on the back burner. I get it, but it's a bummer. I have a couple of friends who change the subject when I bring up cancer, but bringing up the dog...It seems some people just don't know the right thing to say.

A couple of you have mentioned Tumeric for anti inflammatory..I have done a tumeric blast. Tumeric, lemon, ginger and tea. If anyone is interested in specifics, I can post tomorrow.

I am in some pain from my TE fill, so I took a muscle relaxer with an ice cream chaser. I think the muscle relaxer is relaxing my eye lids, so I better get in bed!

JWoo

Hi there fellow owlettes!

Just popping in. I'm still here in NOLA, staying at the Hope Lodge recovering from my DIEP flap. Lordy. I am not sure I would have done it if I had known how painful and awkward everything is. Haven't had a bm in 6 days, and am full of fluid still. Dr said if I don't go by my post op on the 10th, i can look forward to my first ever enema. It just sounds like hell for everyone involved! papaya, colace, mirilax, prune juice= nada. just gas, which, apparently means at least things are still ok. just so uncomfortable.

can't wait to be home in my own recliner, as getting in/out of a regular bed is like moving the titanic. I never thought i'd say i'd be missing the hospital! the bed, food, service, and care was all amazing. nice to have all 3 meals a day made for you, a bed that adjusts and is so comfy, and someone to do all the icky things with keeping everything clean and clear on surgical sites.

JunieB, PattyP, Susan, sorry to see you are all having a time of it.

Smaarty, that bebe is too cute.

Chev- so nice to see you back here.

Shep, Sas, Jazz, Lookingforward, Lover, Teka, all long-time and new friends, hoping your days are great and that you are feeling good.

jeni

Loveroflife

Susan, both sisters were born here in the States. The one in the tutu got married last year in Florida. They are expecting (due in December). Today is their anniversary.

Forward, you are one tough cookie. Just had surgery and you already harvesting. Take it easy.

Ms. Chevy, thank you for the video. Beautiful and inspiring! What a magnificent Artist He is!

JunieB, I won't ask you if you are better today. You took out your frustration on the poor maintenance guy? Good thing you apologized. I got chewed a few weeks ago by a lady whom I was trying to help. Her doctor had denied her medicine and I was relaying the message to her. Boy, I would have been a victim of cannibalism had I delivered the news in person. Thank God for the phone. I felt bad for her in a way because the system failed her.

Ms. Sas, sorry you had to talk to yourself last night.

Gracie, you can ask for Fioricet which has acetaminophen instead of aspirin. Tramadol is not bad either. I could not take Norco. It bothered my stomach and did nothing for my pain. I was really goofy with it.

Loveroflife

Wildthing, I am glad Jazzy is here. JunieB is also single. See Gracie, we have a rainbow of people. Massage really helped me during the TE phase, WildT.

Jwoo, did you forget Ms. Chevy'sgood ol' Aloe Vera juice therapy? So sorry you are so uncomfortable. I would rather have the D without cramps than the C. I am surprised papaya and Miralaxdidn't work for you. In Nicaragua, papaya is often given after surgery (per my co-worker who came from that country). Warm fluid only.

JunieB

Lookie - Wow! beautiful veggies. Patty Pan reminds me of that recipe I found and posted, but do you think I remembered to make a copy. Have no idea how pages back it is.

While I applaud you for getting back to your normal, please be careful. After this past weekend and my continuing discomfort, I think I have finally learned the value of sitting back and allowing the body to heal completely.

Ortho's office finally got back to me today. The doctor himself isn't going to see me, but I get to see his P.A. in 2 weeks. Makes me wonder if I had a major emergency if they'd make me wait that long too.

I have a whole body bone scan tomorrow, so I'll be in Portland all afternoon.

Jwoo - Not being able to go potty IS very uncomfortable. Can't imagine that all the things they've tried hasn't worked. I hope you have success very soon!

Wildtulip - I love your "Muscle relaxer with an Ice Cream chaser" and the part about how they relaxed your eyelids.

Susan - How are you feeling today? Marley is a pretty pup.

Jazzy - Your right, once cancer enters our life all the other petty stuff other people see as a disaster feel so inconsequential and annoying to us now. Life is too short. Maybe the one good thing about cancer is the clarity it brings.

Chevy - Thank you for sharing that link. I wasn't familiar with that singer. Love his songs.

Well it's off to bed now, hope you all sleep well.

BBL

mostlymom

This day has been "the good, the bad, and the ugly".... Hang on - this is going to take awhile! First of all, this day started when I got up at 11:00 am and it's 1:30 am now. The 8th was my 5-year since finishing treatment anniversary and my mamo last week was CLEAR. We got a new recliner and it has the seal of approval from our DD - she & I sleep in recliners.

DH mentioned about 2 weeks ago of acid reflux. Then last week he said he thought it might be angina. We made an appointment with his cardiologist (sounds pretty simple, huh - believe me, it wasn't easy getting him to agree). He had a quintuple heart bypass Christmas of 1998. He figures the "warranty" has expired - not funny.... The cardo doc couldn't fit him in until September. Today, he said he's been taking nitro pills (these were left over from 1998). DD called his PCP & they recommended he come in for an EKG (again, we had to talk him into it). DD drove him & went in with him to see his doc. When asked, DH said the pain was about a 6 but stopped after he took a nitro. Doc said his EKG looked good & refilled his nitro rx. PCP wants him to have a chemical stress test & will call when they get insurance approval. DH is already grousing about not wanting to be "cut" again & says he's ready to "go". Why are guys so stubborn???? So, DD & I are trying to scrape ourselves off the ceiling.

Tomorrow has to be better - right?

Jazzygirl

Why can't I sleep? Well, here I am fellow insomniacs.....

Jwoo- good to hear from you and sorry that the recon is so tough. No BM for many days is tough, been there once too after major abdominal surgery. I hope they can get you where you need to without that enema and you are home soon. Wishing you a quick recovery and better days sister.

Wildtulip- sorry about your friend who is dating and not there so much anymore. Sometimes women need to spend more time with a partner in a new relationship, but also don't like the feeling of friends who are only around when they are not with someone. I have let go of a few of a few friends who only want connection when they are in between things. Meet up groups are a great way to meet folks and sometimes have community with other single folks.

My BFF cried and cried when I got my bc dx. She went through a lot with me that year, including the passing of two of my relatives, and her father was also end of life at that time. The whole dog thing came up about two years ago and she put her dog through chemo and now it's back and she is devastated. I just told her with respect to anything cancer, treatments are offered with the hope they will work but sometimes it comes back. Her animals are like her children and I get that, but don't have much else to share on the subject. One thing I have learned since having bc is that you always have to hear other people's cancer stories. Dogs too!

JazzyJune- so very true about the life is short comment. I have seen some people so much more clearly since it all went down. I have spent too many years in one sided relationships, listening to people's drama and problems with never a simple "and how are you doing?" in return. I listen differently now when I am around people and if it is not something good, I just don't do it anymore. I had a friend who used to say any interactions with others should make you feel equal or better. Right? I really trust how I feel around people and some need to be experienced only in small sound bites now.

Sassy- I owe you a PM to some things here. More to follow on that front.....

Okay, I need to back to bed......

susan3

jazzy bug, you and me tomorrow..bone scans...I will be thinking and praying for you:)

magdalene51

Wow you girls are chatty! I have a bunch of things I want to post but they are not on this device. I have way too many electronics, but that's just how we roll around here. I have 2 laptops (1 Mac, 1 PC), 2 iPads (1 Air, 1 Mini) and an iPhone. Oh, and a desktop Mac Mini that I don't use often. I'm on the Air right now because it has an awesome detachable keyboard that I can actually type on almost normally. But my pics are on the mini so I will post separately.

We had company this weekend and it was awesome! My niece is 24 and in drama school in NYC and also a professional dog walker (and whisperer). She is a gifted comedic talent on the lines of Lucy and Carol Burnett - that mixture of perfect timing and physical comedy. She spent much of her childhood under DH's tutelage, so when they get together it's non stop laughter. She's in town all week, but since she grew up here she has lots of friends & family so we won't have much time with her. But it was awesome.

Her brother flew down from Alaska at the same time, so Friday night they were both here. He trained as a chef, and is so good at it; he made us Russian style beef stroganoff and a Tuscan salad, and it was superb. Then the four of us sat around and watched tv and yakked. We laughed so hard together, making fun of each other and playing off each other like we used to when they were growing up.

They lost their dad to cancer when they were 9 and 12, so DH has been their surrogate dad. Nephew had some rough years as a teen and we took him in and saw him through graduating high school and getting him into culinary school. We are all very close in heart though separated by many miles now.

We'll probably get to see them one or two more days before they leave.

Saturday my niece and cousin and I had lunch at Panera then did some shopping. Came home & rested, then she did my hair & makeup and we took her to our favorite Mexican restaurant and then to see our favorite band perform - whose lead singer is also my niece's godmother. She had never seen her perform before and loved it.

I have been recovering since then. Had my second faslodex tx yesterday and the worst night ever. Normal pains x10, muscle cramps in my ribs and legs. Extra pain meds and muscle relaxers and finally slept a bit.

Next post is attachments

magdalene51

Mary, me, Sarah. Mary has a voice like warm honey. I could listen to her all day – in fact, I often do! My niece is six feet tall

magdalene51

And someone asked for kitten pix.

Lookforward

JWoo I hope today is a better day for you my stool softener kicked in at 5.00 am last night and I was good to go. I know TMI

Loverly I did try Chevy's good ol' Aloe Vera Therapy, I won't say anything else . I am still sloshing around from months ago.

Susan and Junnie hope your scans go well

Mags your weekend sounds like fun, your niece and nephew will always remember your kindness . I need a good Mexican restaurant around me. Hoping you have a pain free day

JunieB

Susan - I be in your pocket too. May both of us have good news from our scans.

Mags - Your Niece is very pretty. Happy pic of you ladies. Awww! baby kitty sleeping in your arm.

Yeah, Ortho's office called this morning. They had a cancellation tomorrow, so I will have to go back to Portland then. Better than waiting for 2 weeks.

Jazzy - Hope you got more restful sleep.

susan3

jwoo, hope you had a successful...you know . Hope your pain eases up

Mostly mom, how's hubby doing today? They do say the sun will come out tomorrow

Jazz girl, did you finally get some restful sleep?

Mags, fun with family. Yeeaahhhhh.......boo to pain

Hi everyone else

Hope all is well

Anonymous

Been reading but not posting.......got tackled by the pain monster Sunday night and haven't been able to knock the sucka' off. Thpppp. Lots of stuffs going on with ya'll.......hoping Lookie has started a trend and that everything comes out okay in the end for everyone

Sensi & Joey make me smile everytime I scroll by. Such a happy Auntie with her little boy

Edited to add.....

Mags, OMD......You got tackled by the whole herd of pain monsters! We need more baby kitties. I don't recall ever having such miseries during a time I had a bunch of kittens all over me. Pain monsters are scared of them, I know it. I'll meet you at the shelter 1st thing in the morning and we can load up. We'll take my van, it has plenty of space....I have 3 carriers and two big wire crates we can use. We should each pick one kitten out to hold on our laps to keep us safe on tbe ride home.

susan3

awe sheps, hope you get a handle on the pain soon. Pain is yucky. I will be thinking lovely sweet dreams thoughts for you for a pain free night night :

Lookforward

Shep here's to the pain disappearing and not coming back. Hug

sas-schatzi

Hi Talked with Junie. She's getting a bone scan. Sounds good Timing is good. Takes 72 hours before the nuclear med can pick up a fx. She should have a good reading timing wise.

Teka put your gif in the topic box-Perfect Thanks it's really cute.

Shep remind me of the suggestion your thanking me for? I started three pages back.. It must have been before that? Donnie is very rugged looking, very handsome when he cleans up. HVAC work is very very dirty. But he showers twice a day so he looks great except when he comes home from work. He looks like the Peanuts character. Which one is that?

Tulip and Gracie, sounds like you both have settled in BTW we change most everyone's name Hahahha. Gracie & tulip the reason that Shep said you are one of us b/c you came back two nights/days in a row. Folks wander in get welcomed then we never see them again. Frustrating for us all, but we still welcome and wait to see if they stay.

Susieq great pic of you and Claire on the run. Know you walked till the end then ran. YAY FOR YOU !!!!! Can't wait for this years pics of the tomato toss. Love Marley, nice mix. Shep's advice about the top dog thing with allowing Shelby to gain that status is so so good. Ever notice how

KATHY YOUHOOOoo. I have been in a funk about the wedding. The kids are taking care of everything. That's nice. But my dearest friend here was not on the "list". She's been at every family gathering for 20 some years. We are talking a Christmas and Thanksgiving friend and everything else. That's family. I was brokenhearted. Stephen called last night and they got it worked out. He said they'd been working on it, but didn't want to tell me. Anywhooses. YAY. How's it going on your end?

sas-schatzi

Patty. hootIE hooewie. Plug in girl Whatup?

Wildtulip I know from my last house that had wild tulips planted, it's a very pretty flower. That house had a landscape architect in the early days of the 60's . We bought the house in 1986. The trees and plantings were designed to present their beauty from spring till fall. Except we didn't know it. We learned fairly quick not to weed, but we did realize we pulled somethings that shouldn't have been pulled. It was a very Feng Shui garden with rooms and pebble paths and tiered pools. BUT every time we cleaned the pools, the Brits would think it great fun to jump in and DS was a between 2-3. So we stopped filling the pools for a couple of years. Tulip, scheduled at least ten days between fills and then ask for 1/2 to /34's what they "usually do". Learned the hard way that they try exspansion tooooooo fast. I had to delay a fill one time(forget why). What a huge difference it made.

Loverly, in a post to Shep it sounded like you were apologizing for being a buttinski re: Junie. Of course, we are buttinski's. We save each other from the failures of the medical system. That is the strength of BCO. Your girls are beautiful. Lovely collage. On the Gentle Leader leash, now realize it may be something different. There is a nose thing. And there's this new thing that fit's differently around the chest. It's only been advertised here recently. 1-2 months.

sas-schatzi

Chrissy, thanks for the links. So, happy you are NED. Please, talk of your experience here b/c you are Stage 4 with bone mets and it got worse after your American tour. Well, chickie friend something changed.

You were the one that taught me that if "we had to mets, the best type of mets was bone mets, bc/ we can last along time with bone mets" I needed that lesson then b/c I had a very aggressive cancer and the future looked bleak.

Others may be reading this and be saying whatever, but I so remember that night we stayed up almost all night and twoJays was frantic b/c she couldn't get a hold of us. We were like two highschooler's off on an adventure and our "parents" were frantic.

Your ESP is right. I'm worrying, but not sure of the focus. Decided to go back on an antidepressant. But that may not be the answer. Interesting that you got the vibe all the down under. Been trying to figure it out for months. The oddest is I'm in the first period in 8 years where mostly nothing is wrong. Chit many dealing daily with wrong chit. It's weird very weird to not be having a major thing going on. I lost two people in my life that meant allot. Spookie and Chevy. Chevy has come back. Spookie is lost forever. Donnie goes through excellent periods, then screws up majorly. My dearest friend is not getting good care, but is resistant to my excellent help. That one sounds out there, but it's true. I'm afraid I'm going to loose her b/c of the care she's getting. She needed excision of her parathyroids and needed it done by a better practitioner. Finding those four little buggers isn't easy. It needs someone doing it daily versus a few a year.

Plus, I've lost interest in researching. That is a great worry. It as been my thing. That has been my life long joy.

Many of the feelings are similar to when I was in mourning for Greg. OH, at the same time I lost my Gary-counselor for 7 years b/c of Obamacare. So Chrissy, even though I could have done this by PM, somehow it's good to do it here. Someone else, may see themselves and say I get that.

The key is I have to do something. I have made the doc appointment. That's step one.

Love to hear that you are doing the shop. You are so skilled at so many crafts and DH is such a gather of junk and fixing stuff. Great team.

Love to hear that all the kids are doing well. Can't believe the youngest grand is going to graduate. Remember when you had him in your avatar. Says allot about your survival. YAY. Whoop dee do

I'll think about your ESP thought.....................

sas-schatzi

Shep that was my first beach chaging experience. What added to the funnieness was there was this guy just kinda hanging around. I findly asked him if he didn't mind moving on so we could change.

Junie, back to what appeared to be a stupid question about going to the ER and the hip. Had a 50ish patient that fell out at the Kennedy Space Center. She figured she'd walk off the pain. Finally came to ER. She walked all day on a fractured hip.

Then we have our Chevy who fractured her hip. She walked on it. But Chevy is one of the toughest old owls you'd ever meet. THEN THEN the staff at the ER let her walk on it. That ER staff was sooooooostupid, Did I say STUPID? One thing for a patient to try to work through a pain, but the staff ignored all training they had ever received. I was sooopissed when she wrote the story.

Chevy write that story again please.

Lookie, you are so right about that pic of the Charpei. Look athe nose. It's a mini pic of the whole face OMD

Okay Jazzy waiting for the address

sas-schatzi

Jwoo you have an ileus. Sending my number. call me before too soon , into the sauce.

Lookforward

sass the first step is that you have to take care of yourself, you are going through a very rough patch

JunieB

Went for bone scan and when I sat down on table, hip dislocated again.

Waiting for surgeon to call me back.

sas-schatzi

Loverly, no it was okay talking to myself. I was just trying to teach Gracie how to do it. In the old days when this was truly an insomniacs thread. It was a way to cope. It was a place to go and even if someone wasn't here, eventually someone would be here. That's important.

Mostlymom Chit. YAY on the 5 year anniversary and the new recliner. Of course, the DH is being stupid as a slug. First of all PCP's aren't cardiologist and can't truly read EKG's. See for a couple three decades EKG machines spit out a diagnosis. Doesn't mean it's right. A trained cardiologist knows the difference.

Not sure if I can do what I want too, but going to try. Their are two cardiac conditions that are important to understand Stable agina and unstable angina. going to make a chart/table. Posting this now and going to continue typing. Did something the other day and I hit submit and lost internet at the same time. SO check back

sas-schatzi

Use a phrase DIFER to determine the difference between stable angina and unstable angina. Well was going to use google to make it easier and googles definition sucked. Stable angina is generally treated with drugs under the direction of a cardiologist that has determined the best course of treatment. Unstable angina is nothing to be messed with. It means that there has been a change. It can be the precursor signals to a heart attack. Ignoring the changes between stable angina and unstable angina can mean the difference between life and death. If their has been a prolonged period between bouts of angina, don't think that this is the old stable angina.

Chest pain: Stable angina..................................................Unstable angina

Duration .......predictable...................................................... unpredictable

Intensity.......generally the same type and radiation.............unusual

Frequency.....occurs usually with the same activity...............increasing freq. & at unusual times

Exercise.....generally, brought on by the same amount........may occur with exercise, but may

of activity............................................................... ..................come on at rest (not good)

Relief.......relieved by rest or nitro..........................................not a good response to rest or nitro

For those folks with a history of chest pain and on Nitro taken at the prescribed 5 minute intervals without relief after the last nitro plus 5 minutes should activate EMS. Those that have symptoms of NEW onset chest pain should activate EMS.

Chest pain has a predictable radiation pattern. Fairly predictable. Not absolutely predictable. I wrote it that way for a reason. You will see too many web sites that say descriptions. Makes heart problems sound predictable. NOT

Will revise as I will also put this on my Pain and Other things thread. Haven't explained this in years and I did add a couple things to it, but must let the old brain find those strorage cells

Anonymous

Hey Sassy ~ I have tons of stuff to thank you for..... can't remember the latest? Thank you though! JunieB's bone scan is a 72 hour process? Wonder why? Mine involve getting the "radioactive" shot, waiting 3 hours and the scans take an hour and a half. I get the results in about 30 minutes. Different hospitals, different process?

Advice? My pain spiked Sunday and won't back off. I can only stay upright very briefly.... forget walkig more than a few steps. Pain is L5 and below to mid thighs. Femoral heads are screaming. Hips and low back unrelenting. Keep imagining my hollowed out L5 finally collapsing...... pain is that bad. No releif from 800mg motrin, fiorect, tramadol. gonna hit the vaium next. I see my neuro onc next Friday.....

Anonymous

JunieB ~ are you home or still at your scan appointment? What the heck? Is the hardware defective? A mucked up hip hurts so bad.... all those dislocations... I can't imagine. In my heart and in my prayers for you to be properly put back together and be free of all that pain 🙏

sas-schatzi

Shep it's not that a bone scan is a 72 hour process. But the fx site has "something" maybe breakdown of cells or maybe cell regrowth activity. Dunno. What I know is if a bone scan is done before the "defined time" it can show a negative even when a fx is present. When I talked with Junie, I asked her to ask the technician if it was 48 or 72 hours. Remember I've been out awhile. 8 years. Memories are fading. The key is a bone scan done before the right time is useless. She's in the window of the good time.

Shep have you tried positioning. Lumbar pain can(let's hope it works) be relieved by flat in bed with a either of two positions

1. solid cushions that elevate the legs. It's a trail and error thingy. Type of cushion is the consistency of a couch pillow.. Play with it with under the knees where the lower leg essentially is not supported. OR where the pillow is under the knee with the lower leg supported.. Give each position about 5-10 minutes. What happens with the pain is all the muscles in the area go into a spasms. Sometimes if either position works , you can get an immediate response of reduction in pain. That's beautiful and wonderful. But if that doesn't happen right away it could be that the muscles are in so much spasm that you have to allow time for them to relax.

The spasm is actually the body trying to protect itself, but the translation is pain. They can get so tight, it takes much to get them to relax

Also try a heating pad on the lumbar in this position. Low heat. LOW. You can start out higher, but get it to low fairly quickly b/c if it works and you fall asleep you could get a burn.

2. Don't use a pillow, use a towel neck roll. Roll and test for comfort. Your neck will tell you what's the right twind/roll

The two together cause the spine to straighten i.e. relaxation of the S curve. That causes all the posterior musculature to relax.