The Hermit Club

Teka

Teka

Now I'm going to bed.

Lily55

ducky i get you, i am angry at myself for having rads especially now there is evidence they make cancer stem cells 30times stronger and more likely to sprout new cancers, all my pain and discomfort and ongoing damage is from rads, plus infection means i can only have fat transfer with BRAVA and hope that works. I am now more sunken than before, cant wear clothes i wore last summer, sorted out some of my wardrobe to freak wear and put away normal clothes  more still to do. Never in my worst nightmares did I think i would still be a lopsided freak two years on ..........tired of feeling tired, tired of feeling so negative about my body, fed up that tiny things can upset me so much, and damn angry at how much drug companies suppress and manipulate info on natural remedies that work without side effects ........i dont post how i feel about myself here as i know it will only alienate people, even with a modesty band abve bra my sunken ness is easily visible 

Rainonme

Just want to shout out and say hi to everyone! Hugs,Rain

camillegal

Hi Rain hope u'r doing OK.

Lily u can say anything--For the first 1/12 yrs I had one boob off the other one was good--ins. would cover it nd it was worse than having 2 off--I actually walked lopsided--it blew my balance, which never dawned onme that would happen so I understand the uniboob business--I still remember when my Doc hugged me nd said they needed to take th other one, I think she thought I'd be upset of course finding more of the inevitable, instead I was like Thank God get it off and even thos I still had more chemo and junk--- I was glad for my balance on my top back--I wouldn't have had a double whammy if not for insurance so I think they had something to do with a lot of how I feel today--everything took longer, I was big busted so I'd walk into walls literally so right now is very difficult for u--I don't know really why so many of us just can't feel decent like before but we're all messed up inside==everything screwed with the natural way of the way our body should work--I think and again no one really addresses that==They've done th job of NED or remission or whatever it called today and that was what they needed to do, but kind of left so many with this limbo land of will I get better or are we here for the duration, I don't think it has to do with stages as it does with how much chemo and rads and of course those little devil pills do--I'm just rambling again, I'm famous for that.

Jazzygirl

Good morning hermits- I am gearing up to go out for Clean Up America day and our neighborhood association's part in picking up some trash in our area. I have not done this for a few years with all that has gone on, but going to go do it just for an hour this morning in an area that has a bunch of bottle and other junk around one of our walking travels. So that is my focus this morning, clean that area up and go!

Then I am going to go to a recycled products expo at the Open Space Visitors Center. Part of all the Earth Day activities going on here today. 

You don't know this about me, but I am a huge recycling fiend! Been so since a kid when I set up the first neighborhood clean up/recycling program in the 1970s when I was only 11! You should see my recycling dumpster! And fortunately, our city is finally getting better programs for this now too.

Teka- I hope to bike this weekend but we are forecasted to have super high, if not outright damaging winds. I got the bike back, but the weather has been tricky since (rain, wind, rain and wind, etc.) I need to play it by ear today and thanks for reminding me!

Cami- I am like you in that when I get a burst of energy, I sure do take advantage of it. I have been known to be up middle of the night doing stuff too.

Lily- hugs

Ducky- what a nice posting you got there!

Blondie- hugs too!

Rain- thanks for saying hi!

Okay, about our struggles with treatment and the ongoing SEs. I totally agree that everything we go through makes life on the other side a different story. Many things in my life are the same, many are not, post treatment. I had less treatment than some of you (surgery and rads, no chemo). But as I tell my sister (who had BC and does not have to take AIs) that these drugs are no picnic. They make you tired, make your joints stiff, feet sore, bone ache sometimes. Yesterday, I was having an "arimidex day" and had weird aches in my finger and toe bones. Gone today. Chemo exhausts folks, the surgeries can leave many feeling very badly about their bodies, rads has its toll too. 

I am glad we have each other here to talk to this stuff about. Because most folks don't really understand the bc world, especially post treatment.  

Jazzygirl

I posted this on the single women's thread, but thought some here might like this too. 

OncoWarrior

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camillegal

That was sweet Jazzy, and u are too busy for me to keep up with mentally even... Good for you--I'm glad u can do all of this--U are an earth person how wonderful.

Lily55

wow that was a profound one Jazzy 

Jazzygirl

Hi hermits- I did all I planned to today and am pooped! The crazy winds began this afternoon and were making the whole house shake awhile ago. It seems to be better now but is feeling cold and winter-ish again. No threat of freeze, but more wind tomorrow.

Watching movies tonight, just finished Dallas Buyers Club and on to Phillomenia.

Spookiesmom

CLOONEY ALERT!!!!!!!

I just saw on Yahoo news he is engaged!!!!

I'm going to go cry myself to sleep. 

Jazzygirl

Good morning hermits- I hope everyone had a good weekend.

This new research was on the local news this morning and talked about the effects of chemo on longer term employment. The side effects and perhaps other issues that go with our diagnosis and treatment. I know there are women many of the threads I join in that struggle with staying employed, loosing jobs during treatment or right after, and/or finding work later. I know many on this thread are retired, but many of us here do work and need to work too.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275889.ph...

Healthcare is not good about understanding the financial impacts on folks when something greater hits them. There are plenty of statistics around those who are forced into bankruptcy after a major health crisis. Now it seems they are really beginning to understand the financial impacts to women who have gone through bc treatment. Not just from out of pocket costs, but from not being able to work afterwards.

And I don't think this issue is limited to those who just go through chemo. Many struggle with SEs from the other treatments too including surgery, radiation, and the anti-hormone treatments. I hope they take a look at those too in their future research.

Information is power and hope this is helpful to folks here in some way.

duckyb1

Jazzy........thanks for the information.....since I am retired  this does not apply to me, other then with no income other then a small pension and social security which is a joke......you go to the "well" every month to pay the bills........you just hope the well does not run dry..........in other words........."no one wants to outlive their "nest egg"............but you sit and watch it dwindle, cause God knows you can't live on the interest..........

So that being said  I'm glad there are more important things to think about other then "George Cloony", getting engaged....................does anyone really care, and is it going to change our lives one way or the other.................LOL............

Thanks Jazzy always on the ball girlfriend.........hugs

SallyS70

Jazzy, the article surprised me because I seem to hear about so many people just taking their treatment and going on with their lives as before.  I had actually been feeling bad that I was not back to normal.  Fortunately, when I posted about that, you and a few others told me that I shouldn't feel bad.  So why was I surprised?  I guess because I don't see or hear about the continuing effects except here on BC.org.   

Spookiesmom

Jazzy, it was nice knowing you. Maybe I'll see you on other threads? I'm leaving this one. 

SallyS70

Spookiesmom, it was nice knowing you too.  Good luck and happy spring.

duckyb1

Welcome Mila-Lyn

SallyS70

Ducky, Mila-Lyn is beautiful and so are you.  I hope the mommy is doing well ... the daddy too!

Jazzygirl

Spookie- sorry to hear you need to leave, here but people need to come and go as it works. I think you and I are on another thread together. Keep in touch girlfriend.

Ducky- Mia is beautiful. Congrats and hope everyone is doing well!

Sally- I think there is a whole scale of women post treatment that go from recovered to not so much. I have talked to many women on these threads that have very bad SEs and depression post treatment, that results in having to continue to work very difficult. We sort of all have our own timeline for recovery and know several here have said it takes years to feel better sometimes. 

The docs cannot really tell you how you are going to react or recover, they just give you averages. It has been around 18 months since my surgery, 14 months since I finished my rad treatments and a over a year on the AIs. I still feel like I am recovering in many respects. Things do get better with time, but it has never taken me this long to recover from anything in my life to date, so a new experience for sure.

Jazzygirl

Thought you might enjoy seeing this fun garden sculpture I got at the recycled art event this weekend. Cactus pods made out of recycled circular saws with some recycled nuts, bolts and screws thrown in for fun!

SallyS70

Jazzy, your new garden art is darling.  Thanks for sharing.  

Teka

Jazzy, no lunch with Clooney!

Spookie, no need for tears, Amal will make Clooney a better man!

ducky, lovely baby!

Jazzy, Thank You for sharing the garden sculpture!

I don't private or public post family photos on the threads.   Privacy!   Yes, family pet photos!

I enjoy when members private or public post family photos on the threads.

I welcome any topic a member feels comfortable public posting on the threads.

That being said, Jazzy & Spookie, I had fun taking a time out from BC misery with fun public posting about Clooney.

Outdoor clean-up is done!

I'll private post this public post to *Spookiesmom*!

duckyb1

Thanks Ladies......yes she is beautiful.......not a flaw on this child's face.......I told my grandaughter......her face is like velvet..............have not seen her with her eyes open.......

Jazzygirl

Hi Teka- well, maybe you will get invited to the wedding? Start shopping now for a nice dress! It's good to have fun here. 

Ducky- She must be a good sleeper!

Dang, we may get a hard freeze tonight. Three days of very strong cold winds and winter like temps. On April 28th no less and after a mild winter. Got the plants covered as best I can. Should be in the 80s here by this weekend. 

Going to take a bath and go to bed early. Hope everybody made it through Monday okay.

camillegal

Nite Jazzy, have a restful sleep.

OncoWarrior

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Jazzygirl

Onco- well maybe by the weekend. It is 37 here this morning, went WAY down last night and much colder than it has been in awhile. Highs today will be in the 50s, 20 degrees colder than usual for this time of year. I am waiting for spring to return.

duckyb1

I still have my heat on.......WTH..........and its rain today, rain tomorrow, and probably Thursday unless it rains itself out by then................and they are saying 2 to 4 inches with flooding.........crazy.....

At least its not what they are getting in the south and midwest...........my heart goes out to those poor people...........my grandson just moved to Missouri..........just hope nothing hits there.........

OncoWarrior

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