INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

Loveroflife

Jazzy, I was wondering where you were. Hope you feel better soon. I have been having this annoying lower back/hip pain that sometimes affect my right cheek and leg. It comes and goes. I know I need to go in to see a doctor. Last month, I got promoted to seeing MO every six months. I was hoping not to see any doctor until then. So I know what you meant by being done with doc appts.

Ms. Sas, your stump story kind of reminds me of Shel Silverstein's The Given Tree You ought to write a children book for your story( of course minus the bar) haha.

Oh hi GoodP, I am the sane one and don't believe what Marlana is going to tell you.

susan3

I have lots of stumps. From a tree we cut down. If you ask me the name of the tree, all I can say is "tall".

Sas, send brain as soon as possible.

And the biking didn't push you know what back in place My theory was flawed:(

Jazzygirl

Loveroflife- I ended up having a lot of my other annual check ups for other things on top of the 3 apts I go through for my follow ups. Some of those turned into more apts, like a crown I needed for a cracked tooth. I think I will have have a total of 9 some odd apts this month between eyes, teeth, annual PCP physical and bc follow up. I told my PCP last week "OMG, I feel like an 80 year old this month with all the doctor apts." We both had a good laugh about that.

Your pain in the hip almost sounds like sciatica to me. I find it is hard to know when something does not feel right, who to go see now? When I had my breathing problems in May which I thought were probably asthma but then thought "ut oh, what if this is something more?" worry, I decided to start with my PCP. They have the best pulse on your overall health and usually won't start with the cancer first. I was glad I did that as she told me she thought it was asthma too, but did a quick lung x-ray just to be sure nothing more was going on and it wasn't. We treated my asthma with Advair and then I got better. Maybe your PCP can help you as a starting point too?

Are you doing any AIs or tamoxifen? They can give you weird pains in the joints including the hips.

sas-schatzi

Susan LMAO OMD I have a couple of really good stories, but can't tell'em. Nice yard

Loverly, if you get that cheek thingy checked out. Ask for a pyriformis / piriformis  exam. Most pain docs are now well informed on it. it was identified in around 1985. It wasn't in the usual doc exam or pain mgt exam until late 90's. I had the privilege of working  with an early pain mgt. doc from 92-96. He was the anesthesia director at the surgery center that housed lot's of stuff. For me it was just a library of learning new stuff. He taught the docs here.

Goodp,, no that doesn't work(say it out loud)........we change most names here...I think I said Goodie.......that works. Are you sticking around? Methinks you are from the homeland? Did you see what my mom's statement was about wakes and births. I believe it was true in an older time. Now, here(USA & Canada) I think they're is no connection, just an excuse. My brother who quit drinking at an early age. Perhaps in an AA class never defined. What he said that stuck with me in regard to drinking. "Then we have the Irish, all that has to be done is that it be waved over the glass"

You know how much I love you all. I'm on to another soapbox item. I'll link it. If you have any surgery of any nature, please, ask for Toradol  to be given. The research is early, but it is compelling. The danger now is that this early research be ignored when the outcome can be our life and the quality of our life. I'll bring back the link. Anyone you know who is having any cancer surgery this is important to bring to their attention. Frankly, any surgery, never know when they're is an occult(hidden) cancer.They're doesn't seem to be a connection with prostate surgery.  Pass this paragraph around the boards and the link.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/73/topic/833612?page=1#idx_13

Chevyboy

Did you guys see Susan's garden spots??? I love them! Yes.... I love the red-wood bark also....

But for the parking, I have 4 bags of the brown mulch.... Your yard looks very neat anyway!

Yes Queenly! Get back out in that garden! You'll see, it will make you feel better.... I have a kneeler, for when I have to get down on my knees... But I'm trying to plant things in pots, or raised beds... It's easier to keep the soil amended and "stuff".... The ground gets so hard!

I just trimmed my little miniature roses.... and they are starting to bloom again!

And yes Sass.... I had known that our posts are not "private".... but we usually don't use our own names.... I'm just wondering, if "they" can read our diagnosis? Or our other stuff?

SUSAN!!! I have the same 2 pots you do! The red and the green ones...! Hah! That is so funny!

Hey Jazzy! Yes, when I had sciatica, it hurt from my left butt, all the way down my leg into my foot... It wasn't any fun, that's for sure. I had a double-laminectomy YEARS ago, and they cleaned out all the "stuff" that was pressing on that nerve. I woke up from the surgery, and that PAIN was gone!!! It never came back, either. I was taking 2 600 mg of ibuprofen every 4 hours, because the PAIN was unbearable!

Yes, I have Advair also, for when my Asthma acts up....

I love the doors Sass!

GoodyP.... Was your name always what it is now? And Congratulations on your 3 years! Good JOB! I sleep like a log.... like one of those tree stumps...! But I go to bed early, then up around 4... Are you taking something... ?? When I took Tamoxifen I could NOT sleep, and the leg cramps were a bitch....! But I don't take anything now.... and I'm almost

6 years out!

Yes Spookie... I saw your trees on Google, AND your Staghorn fern!

Oh wait..... Loverly is SANE! DANG! Yes, she is.... and a sweetheart!

You ALL are....! gotta go fry up some egg-plant.... And DD#2 is bring over McDonalds burgers...! Our choice! And I don't wanna hear how bad they are for us.... Hah! Keep on Keepin' on girls....

PattyPeppermint

susan. - beautiful yard

Loverly - love those trees

2nd. - great to see you here 😆

I am still paying for alli did with the boys Friday but so worth ever minute of it

Hugs all around

Hootie hoo

MarlanaB

Loverly -- next (and last, God willin' and the crick don't rise) on Thursday. I have the same issue with my sciatica but it occasionally spreads down to my feet. I have, like Sas mentioned, piriformis syndrome. Yoga stretches help a lot, particularly the pigeon pose. Usually when my piriformis gets tight, this is almost too much:

but when i get it really stretched out, I can almost do this:

queenmomcat

Indeed I do feel better. Also sticky, and dirty in places I didn't know had come in contact with dirt. Gotta remember this when I enter the radiation phase of treatment: Aquaphor is unbelievably sticky. Given I already have a mysterious and unexplainable magnetism for dirt....this is something to worry about.

Still wrestling with photographs. I may have to cave in and go read the BCO instructions.

MarlanaB

Chevy -- we used to call the shoes "thongs" when I was a kid but as the underwear became popular, I started referring them to the flipflops. And for the redwood ground cover, my mom got tired of replacing it as it decomposed so she bought recycled rubber that looks like redwood.

Sas -- we had a monkey wood coffee table when I was younger. It went to college with my sister and came home with one of it's 3 legs missing. It's still in the rafters in my parents' garage. I keep meaning to order a piece of monkey wood to have lathed down because those vintage monkey wood tables go for at least $1600. Plus it would look really cool with my art deco zebrawood dining table on the other side of the room. I could start my own wood zoo.

Funny thing about those Dublin doors, Rosetta Stone uses most of those doors in their online language course.

Jazzy -- last year I had 61 appointments if I include the 12 physical therapy appointments for my back. I was so sick of doctors that I was actually happy when I had a break from December to March....then the "lump". If I end up having to do 5 weeks of radiation, I may break my record.

Freygea

Susan you are one beautiful lady! Love the tomato toss .

Sleeping lots these last few days. Sorry not around much but have not been doing well this round of chemo. I keep running low grade temps in the eve and feel like crappers. But...I am half way there yay yippee!

I go back to Mo on Tues and will see how my counts are. if all good I will get my next round of chemo. I promise I am not a wooos (sic??) how da hell do you spell woos? err

wuuuuuuuuuuus

woooooos

woose

wus

well chit.

Jazzygirl

Frey- sorry to hear you are not feeling well. Hoping you start bouncing back. Is the world you are looking for "wuss?" You are not girlfriend, you are one tough cookie to be getting through this. Yay for making it to the half way mark.

Marlanab- I love yoga and pigeon pose is one of my all time favorites! When I do classes and they ask for requests, it is often the pose I request. Great hip opener and I have always had a "stiff" hip on the right side so it helps. One of my yoga teachers here does outdoor yoga under the FM in the summer time. We have our next one coming up this friday.

Went to the gym for weights and a swim, plus a hot tub and some steam room time. I feel much better!

Spookiesmom

Jazz, steam room???? GF you need to come here and just sit outside!!!!

Jazzygirl

Spookie- LOL! Well, we have hot and dry here, but not steamy like where you live! I am not usually super fond of the steam room, but it helps my congested head.

Anonymous

Just stopping by for a quick look-see. Repeating what Sassy said earlier, if you want to remain totally anonymous on BCO do NOT use your real name or anything that can be used to uniquely identify you -- Google can find you and so can the rest of the world. Just saying.........

That's why I removed my name from my signature line and go by 2TA or 2nd or whatever creative name Chevy comes up with

Jazzygirl

Interesting skies tonight after the t-storms (well, they are still going on too.....)

MarlanaB

Jazzy--I always forget to do it until that piriformis muscle starts getting tight then I do it for a while and forget again. Beautiful skies.

Sassy--you'll get a kick out of this....local hospital called tonight because a patient hotboxed meth in the ER bathroom...a bunch of nurses were exposed. I bet the do those 10,000 steps in record time!

Loveroflife

Frey, so sorry to hear you are not well with this round. Hope your WBC goes back to normal soon. You are no wuss!

Ms. Sas, thanks! Will ask the PCP. How do they dx that?

Marlana, thank you for the stretch pics. I was surprised I can still do it. Have not done yoga for years. Meth box in the ER bathroom?...those poor nurses

Jazzy, no I am not on tamoxifen or AI because I am ER/PR-, almost a triple whammy. Talk about yoga, can you do this?

Hehehe

Queenie, I am still trying to figure out the symbols behind your gardening message.

Loveroflife

I would love to have a tree house like this

Loveroflife

Loveroflife

Chevyboy

Morning girls! I can't beLIEVE you guys can DO those positions!!!!!!!! I mean WTH? I'm sittin' here with one sock on, and one sock off! I CAN'T get my left sock on......yet! Are those trick pictures?

But can you do THIS???

No? Well neither can I.

Freygee.. No, you are not a .... is it wuss? You gals going through so much stuff, never call yourselves a ... whatever!

Beautiful pictures Loverly and Jazzy! I LOVE that little tree house!

Going up to Central City today, with our SIL from Orlando.... His Sister lives up there, and doesn't even gamble, so we are going to lunch, then take her back to her place, drive down the hill to Blackhawk, play a little, then head back home.... I'll be a fun day!

Do ANY of you know what I'm talking about... You know, there are even POT shops up THERE!!!! I could just GROW it out on the parking, and probably do one hell of a business!

sas-schatzi

Marley was it you that asked for the Gifs.

http://www.funnyordie.com/slideshows/3731fefdc1/21-best-gifs-of-all-time-of-the-week-volume-101?_cc=S0d___&_ccid=fomg1c.ns0cud

You gals that can do those bendy things oh my. I was that bendy as a kid after polio b/c we had physical therapy for 4years. I was a pretzel. I always won at the limbo. Now spine almost fused.

Loverly, the history on the piriformis. Doc identified it around 85. Prior to this, piriformis was misdiagnosed as sciatica, with the origin of the problem in the lumbar. Folks would have lumbar surgery and not be cured. Surgical failure. They still had pain. The origin was the piriformis. Pirformis muscle is the posterior stabilizing muscle of the hip. The piriformis holds the head of the femur in place. piriformis can be injured by twisting type injuries. When it goes into spasm the piriformis muscle put's pressure on the nerve, artery, and vein that go through the ilio-inguinal ring.

It's symptoms are very similar to sciatica. The key difference is that piriformis  pain  doesn't go down the leg into the foot.

Piriformis Exam: It's not a fun exam, kinda gross actually. The doc sticks his finger up the rectum and put's his finger on the muscle. If the piriformis is the problem this will reproduce the pain. They're is a specific point on the butt that a bended finger can push and it will reproduce the pain. These two maneuvers together are dx for piriformis.  Piriformis will not show up on MRI , xray, or CT. Part of why it took so long for the syndrome to be understood. I don't know the backstory about the doc that identified it

Three ways to manage priformis.1. specific stretch 2. myofacial release -maneuver is the same as the exam maneuver. 3. surgically cut the piriformis muscle-try to avoid surgery if at all possible as the hip can frequently dislocate to the rear.

Stretch. lay on back, bring the heel of the affected leg over the knee of the unaffected leg. Take the opposite hand and place on knee of the affected leg. Pull leg up and over towards opposite side. Hold for a few seconds and release. Repeat. What's great about the stretch is if you have the position right, you immediately feel a good stretch in the buttock fold area. Sometimes I find it helps to do the maneuver over the side of the bed. When you do the stretch think of a clock. Bring the knee of the affected leg up to the 11,12,1,2,3, position. It feels so good when the muscle release. That covers it

Patty, I don't know everything LOL, Just paid attention

sas-schatzi

Ohhh nice plants, Have fun Chevy. What games do you play? Do you have a money limit? Mom and Dad used to play the ponies. Dad liked to think he was good, but Mom was the real handicapper. The way she played was she'd take 10$. If she lost her ten, she'd stop. Then she'd play on track money. Did you ever hear of 'play on track money?' She loved gambling too.

Nice pics Loverly, soothing. Would love to horseback ride in the mist.

Jazzygirl

Back from the visit to the MO's office (saw his CNP again, but really like her too). My MO had a heart attack last winter so he is only back PT and seeing some of the patients in active treatment, so they gave me this gal instead since this year. She is on top of stuff, and we had a good conversation.

I got my second Prolia shot for bone health. I will get another bone density test in December to see how this drug is helping, even if I have to pay for it out of pocket. I had my last bone density in December of last year per the MO's request and that is when we found out the AIs were crapping out my bones further. I don't want to wait 2 years to find out if this drug is working. I need DATA! So we have that set up for end of the year. Preliminary blood work looked good today and will know the liver enzyme results tomorrow (and get a call if there is anything there). My PCP bloodwork with lipid profile is also due in this week. So far everything is looking good on the health front.

Oh, and we talked today about diet and the CNP said the MO's recommendations are no white potatoes, rice, breads or pasta. I told her I never eat rice, rarely eat potatoes, and really minimize my bread and pasta products. It is the same recommendation we hear about cutting out the white stuff. I told her I am working on eating lean proteins and healthy vegetables.

So ladies, I think for the most part, I am a-okay after all these check ups here in July, including my six month bc check in. My heart goes out to those here going through endless apts with treatment. I remember that time only too well.

PattyPeppermint

good morning.

Keeping it short. Crazy back pain is debilitating. Don't want to take even more meds and be knocked out all day with kids home. Trying to suck it up but double ouch

Hootie hoo

Jazzygirl

Patty- hugs. I wish your pain meds would help better.

Loveroflife

Hi lovely beautiful ladies.

Patty, ah the sacrifice of a mother. Have you tried acupuncture? Some insurance companies pay for the service now. Check with your medical team if it's ok for you to have the procedure.

Jazzy, I'm thinking about requesting to see the 'Breast' doc instead of my MO. Breast Doc seems more on top of things than MO.

Ms. Sas, I don't think it's sciatica I am having because the pain/discomfort is different. The stretch and yoga posts seem to help. I think the lumbar and right hip pain might be brought on by my playing badminton. A lot of quick movement and getting into the position similar to fencing. Thank you for the info.. Btw, I think I am going to skip the finger up the rectum and sx to mange it haha.got to go. Appt with doc coming up

Jazzygirl

Loveroflife- I see both and think they both offer different perspectives. Where I ran into problems is with with the AIs. My BS had me see an MO out of state during my rads treatment in AZ, but then was trying to manage everything around that for the longer term. Some docs have double specialties, this BS does not. I talked to my PCP about it at the time and said "am I not supposed to have a whole medical team?" She said yes I am, and had heard the BS was short cutting others too. So I got established with one here in my city and really like him. I will see him next visit in Jan 2016, instead of the CNP.

If your MO is not helping you and feeling part of your medical team, maybe see if you can get another? My PCP was the one who found the right MO here for me, not the BS.

Ugh, my cold is kicking my butt again today!

susan3

great pics everyone.

Chevy, you are doing better than me in your garden, I don't have a kneeler, I have a little bench .

Yoga...ha, I think I would break. Have never been a stretcher, I should, it's great for you...to many of those ants in my pants, gotta , run, bike, fast walk , whatever .....but I can't touch my toes ...lol. Should really work on that.

I was reading sas post on piriformis, thought I was still reading chevy's post and thought, oh my gosh, now we have two of them. Has Chevy been holding back. Then a saw it was our sas.....still waiting for you to send me my brain sas.

Going to doc today to check out the cervix who popped out to say hi.

Have a good day all

Spookiesmom

Yay Jazzy!!

Patty, ask for the fentanyl patches. Sas has used them, can tell you more. I lurk on a back pain board, people there say they really help. You don't get goofy. It just cuts the pain down.

I'm all for less doc appts. Saw my PCP last week, most of his news wasn't wonderful. No cancer, but the rest of me is deteriorating. Mainly cardiac. Thank you adriamycin.