The Hermit Club

camillegal

OK Mags u lost me, I kno nothing about Ipads, Ipods and apps--Joey has tried to teach me but no way==The kid saved his money for his own toys cuz no one else here has them. LOL

blondiex46

Mags I am so impressed by u n this chemo thing

Thank goodness for joey

Hi teka

magdalene51

Blondie, honey, I have no idea why you would be impressed by me, but thanks anyway! I am in awe of you and your decisiveness in dealing with this crappy situation. You have stepped out in front and said, NO MORE! I was so tempted last week to call and cancel everything. And I've decided that once this round – chemo, rads, hormones – is over, if the cancer comes back, I'm not doing it again. If the poison and radiation doesn't kill it the first time, it's just too bad. I think, in the back of my mind, I'm not going to be one of the "lucky" ones who beat it; I had the strong sense from the beginning that I'm looking at what will finally kill me – some day. I don't mean to sound morbid, and maybe this is a normal reaction to a cancer dx. I know survival rate is 90%. I just have this feeling, this sinking feeling. And maybe it's because my personal odds aren't all that great. Eh, what do I know, anyway?

Steroids today, I may be up half the night. But right now, I gotta pee.

dwill

I still love my coffee hot and black. I only drink tea when I am sick and prefer it hot, too. Happy early Tuesday morning everyone!

Teka

*Hermits*

Good Morning!!

Jazzygirl

Hi hermits- just a quick note to let you know I am back and had a great time with the family party. My bag did not make it in last night though, but is here today and I am going to get it (along with a voucher for my next travel with SW). Then I plan to come home to do laundry and sleep.

Six month follow up begins tomorrow with mammo and ultrasound. With it following this trip, I have not as much time to obsess about it as I often do, but it has been there in my mind. I will see the BS on friday and will let you know how I am doing.

This was the view from the house on the pond in RI where I stayed this past weekend with my cousins. A little slice of heaven.

SallyS70

Jazzy, that scene is sure relaxing.

Does anyone take both Foxamax and Synthroid?  I have taken Synthroid for years.  Now Foxamax, although only taken once a week, is to be started and taken like Synthroid first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.  Both drugs seem to say no meds for 4 hours.  Yikes!  What's a person to do?  My pharmacist seemed a little perplexed?

camillegal

Good Morning---

Jazzy what a relaxing and fun time--and u timed it right. OK u let us know everything the Docs. say, I'm praying all is OK, u sound good and we all want u good. U are our way to the excitement of the world of traveling. LOL

Teka I had 2 cups of coffee and I want to go to sleep. WTF

Mags u'r right in the middle of this mess so u'r feelings are raw, when it's all behind u, u'l feel better. 

Jazzygirl

Hi hermits- back from the airport. Got my bag and will start doing laundry in awhile. 

I stopped at the local co-op for a few food items and milk and a juice drink to energize me. She suggested a ginger drink that included carrots, apples and a shot of wheat grass. To help with the jet lag and fatigue from traveling. Now on to my nap.....

Sally- I don't take any of those but what a situation to be in? The hard part of taking more than a one or two meds, the conflicts begin. I hope someone here can help you or check the drug web sites. Maybe your PCP or someone can advise too?

Mags- it is good to know how much treatment you are willing to do. You sound like you are back on the path to getting through this course of treatment and know your decisions for the future. 

Cami-thanks for the good wishes. We always hold our breath around the follow ups, but I have been feeling good and hope everything else is good on the inside.

On that nap!

magdalene51

Aw I didn't mean to sound so morbid last night, I just wanted to be honest about what I'm feeling, and none of knows for sure. But it's just my feelings, nothing quantifiable. It doesn't seem to matter how often someone tries to disabuse me of the notion, it just hangs in there like a tooth abscess. Can't seem to shake it, so I live with it. I think y'all know me well enough to know I'm not going to let it destroy me or lay me low. 

I'm in the chemo chair now, got A+ on bloodwork so Neulasta is doing its job. Met the NP since MO is out today, and she was so nice and encouraging, gave me some hints about dealing with the hormones, suggested an herbal supplement to add to black cohosh, it's called Enzymatic AM/PM and she said it should help with the night sweats & stuff. She asked me about pain meds, I told her I used to be on narcotics but after surgery meds were gone I decided I didn't want to be stupid any more so I haven't gone back on them. She wanted to know what I do for pain. Well, I live with it. I think she thought that was weird, why wouldn't you want to be pain free if you could? But there's always a trade off. Narcotics make me stupid and I didn't want to be any more. At some point in our lives we learn there's no magic pill that fixes everything and has no SEs. Amirite?

So everything starts over today. Wish me luck!

SallyS70

Mags ... am wishing you luck.  Your honesty in your posts touches me and makes me feel my emotions are acceptable.  Thank you.  

Cami and all coffee lovers, what is your favorite brew?  Since I just bought a Keurig Mini, I am experimenting with blends/roasts one cup at a time.

Jazzygirl

Mags- nothing morbid about talking about how much treatment you wish to do. We all have to face that question in the short and long term. Better to be clear about it so you know how to respond down the line if that question comes. We all have to live through this and for the longer term with the SEs and it the end, it is a personal choice.

Sally- oh coffee! I found a sugar free/lite version of the Starbucks frappucino back east. Made with skim milk and sugar free syrup, and no whip creme on top! That is my new favorite coffee experience. 

Friend from back in my home town (who now lives in CA) called to talk about my trip with me. Good sharing there. Still working into the nap.....

magdalene51

Jazzy, welcome home. I'm so glad you had such a great trip, it sounds like a wonderful time, and that picture is wonderful. I spent a couple of years in Rhode Island, summer of '69 to summer of '71. Lived in Davisville then Cranston. Loved going to Jamestown Island to fish off the rocks. And canoed in Narragansett Bay, if you can imagine that.

Sally, thanks for your kind words. I just think it's really important sometimes to speak the words that are in our hearts. It's great that we can laugh and chat and encourage each other here, but sometimes I just have to get something off my chest to you who have been there and are still there, because the people who love me can't hear it. Can't bear to hear it. But I can't keep it bottled up inside. So sometimes I have to take to the Couch in the Hermitage and let the Hermies shrink me. It's all good.

Let's see, Keurig coffees. We got our first Keurig when they first came out; we got a new one when we found out how quiet it was. (We could always tell when Cousin was up because we could hear the Keurig from our bedroom.) I'm actually using it for my Earl Grey now, but I do have some favorites, let me see if I can remember them. I always liked Emeril's Big Easy Bold, Folger's Black Silk, Millstone's Fog Lifter, I think what we have now is Folger's Lively Colombian which Cousin gets in the big boxes at Sam's since she drinks about 5 or 6 cups a day. Probably your best bet is to get a variety box and try them out. It really depends on your personal taste. I like a bold coffee, but not Starbuck's (except their mocha which I love). I find Panera's coffees to be much smoother. 

I'm going to rest now. Feeling it. 

blondiex46

Mags u can say whatever u want. Nothing is written in stone n u dont have to make any decisions now. U r just starting n I know how the head goes. No worries just do what feels right 4 u.. like them steroids,  lol

Jazzy so glad u had a good time the pix was heavenly. 

Cammie u r right

No sally just synthroid

Hey teka n dwi

Oh I have a keurig n only hot t

duckyb1

Mags.....hang in their........your gonna be fine......we gotta believe....right......

I had one of the first Keurig's......love it....the noise is ridiculous..............however I have one at my shore house too.......very quiet..................one night QVC had a fantastic buy on the newest one out, so I bought it.....in the box unopened, but guaranteed when Mr. Noisy breaks..........the box will be opened.........cannot do without it..............LOL

SallyS70

Jazzy and Mags, thanks for the coffee ideas ... I really, really enjoy trying new coffees.

Hi Blondie and Ducky, I guess I am a late addition to the Keurig family.  My Mini seems pretty loud.

I hope everyone is sleeping peacefully.  I usually am by now ... every once in awhile, like tonight, my mind swirls.

Jazzygirl

Good morning hermits- slept well and feeling more recovered from my travels. Off to the breast imaging center and will be in touch as I hear more on how I am doing.....

Have a good day everyone!

duckyb1

Good luck Jazzy..................

Teka

Jazzy, welcome home & excellent results!

Lily55

good luck Jazzy

Jazzygirl

Hi hermits- the radiologist says everything looks good! There is some suggestion it may be time to do an MRI again, but to be discussed with the BS on friday with my follow up with her. 

It was not a fun day with the machine though. I do a total of six images that include a) a 3D tomasynthesis b) side images and c) magnification images. But the machine was acting up today, so I bet I got more like a total of 20 compressions before we were all done, including some with a second round the radiologist wanted. The girls got put through the ringer today. OUCH.

Thanks for being here with me today. I am home for awhile and will venture out for groceries and mail later today as part of my settling in.

Teka

magdalene51

All the best for our Jazzy. If it takes fifty shots to get it that's no problem, right? 

Jazzygirl

Mags- that is me for sure! You are right though, the more info they have, the better they can help you so I never worry about the extras. Just not much fun. 

We will go through yours with you when the time comes too.

Teka

magdalene51

Jazzy – what? When my time comes? I'm concave! Udderly deprived! Boobfree! Titless wonder! nothing left to mammo! So thankful for that too. 

Teka

duckyb1

Hey Jazz........your dx at the bottom of your post is better then mine.....you can check what I mean, and those freaks have never suggested a MRI........pisses me off cause they sent me a letter telling me my breasts were extremely dense...........will certainly ask the MO the next time I go...............glad you mentioned it.

Oh also sorry for your squashing session..........hugs

SallyS70

Jazzy, the machine was acting up ... ugggggg!   Great that you got the radiologist's report right away and a good one.

Jazzygirl

Mags- follow ups are more than mammos, but you probably are not far enough down the pike to know all that. You will likely have your follow ups only with the MO. Because I still have both breasts, I do a 6 month mammo, 6 month with the BS and 6 month later with the MO. Everyone's follow process is different, but whatever yours is, we will be here with you.....

If there is anything to be said for the BMX, it is not having to do the mammos anymore.

I hope you are doing okay post chemo day too?