The Hermit Club

SallyS70

Teka, I am a Lipton fan too.

Jazzy, the accent wall is a stunning color ... it would make me feel happy ... and energized too.

blondiex46

 Jazzy love the room and the color, come back when you can.

Mags glad you are ok, forgive me cause I don't remember, how much more do you have to go.

Hey Sally

Teka, you are too funny...

Cammie I am worried about you, isolating...

I only drink decaffenated green tea, it is the only think I changed after I got diagnosed the first time.

HAPPY WEEK AHEAD.

HUGS ALL AROUND!!

So excited for the new shows to come on I know that is pathetic but what else do I have.   yes it is 12:21am and I am up.  Have to speak to the dr. to find out what I could do. I shoulld try to stay up all night and maybe I will switch it around, went to sleep after 4 and got up at 2pm..it is crazy...steroids...

luv u guys

Monis

Another wonderful, sunny weekend at home!  Worked on painting a cabinet, vegetable garden clean up (zucchini, cucumbers, and broccolis came out), picked blackberries on our hill, and simmered another pot of tomatoes for sauce.  Have lots of scratches on arms and legs to vouch for the blackberry picking!  Our son will probably be moving out next weekend into his new condo so will be busy with hauling stuff all weekend.  It will be bittersweet seeing him go, but at least he will still be close.  Have a wonderful week Hermits!

Bippy625

hermettes, i am glad all are doing okay. Bippy has tragic news in that coffee is not good smelling or tasting to her now. Sadness!  I make it for DH and have to turn it off asap lest it make me barf. Bippy had to get iv last week for dehydration from the big D. Also,unrelenting nausea....good times!  

Anyhoo, enjoy coffee those that can. This week is better already, 10 days out from 2nd chemo and on the upswing! Walked last night and had good energy. Hermitting all week, inside, but doing loads of decluttering and assembling more stuff for the consignment shop.  Happy Monday!

Jazzygirl

This should say "hermits unite".

Teka

Jazzy,

Sally, I grew up on Tea Pot brand tea bags!

Blondie, I've also been waiting for new shows!

Monis, a tall blackberry briar always got me in the back!

Bippy, sorry you're suffering from side effects!

SallyS70

Oh Teka, where did I get the Lipton idea ... I guess I need to take notes when I read.

SallyS70

Bippy, hope the side effects pass quickly ... can that happen?

Teka

Tea Pot brand tea bags haven't been around for years!

OncoWarrior

deleted

camillegal

Oh Onco pot first and foremost is always good for anything, nausea too. And just lately now they are realizing the good pot does for cancer, they thought it was a myth. I never thought of it as a myth LOL

Blondie some of these shows look kind of good, I hate all these reality shows and there are so many of them. And never worry about me stayin by myself I never minded it really--I amuse myself all the time  and if I ever find myself starting to get bored that's as far as it gets cuz boring means nothing bad is happening so I'm basically a happy person inside. And believe it or not I have lots of friends they just respect when I don't feel like doing something and they give a notice of what's going on if I can or want to go. It's simple really for me.

OK, just checking in. MUAH to all of u  

Teka

The specific name of a brand of tea bags made years ago!

Jazzygirl

Hermits- I bought some fig leaf tea from someone at the farmers market here about a month ago and drink it all the time. Fig leaf is good for so many things from blood pressure to blood sugar, etc. It tastes good too, sometimes I throw in some mint from my little herb pot. I make big containers of cold herbal teas for the summer time. Republic Tea has some very tasty teas.

Bad flooding in southern Cali and AZ today. We are dry here in NM.

blondiex46

It is so cold here in pa. Will surely have the blanket on tonight

Bippy sorry for the se they surrly dont make things easier

HAPPY TUESDAY

Monis

Oh Bippy, such a bummer coffee isn't doing it for you anymore!  I LOVE the way it smells more than it tastes.  I put lots of flavored creamer in mine.

Jazzy, Love that t-shirt.  Gotta get me one

Got through my busy work day, ready to move on to Tuesday.  I'll try and go to bed now and sleep

magdalene51

I'm drinking COFFEE today! And it tastes grand! (Well, it tastes ok, and that's progress!)

Teka

SallyS70

Good morning all ... didn't want to walk, but did ... I don't know why getting out there is so hard because once I am walking I often have "a light bulb" moment/some interesting realization.

Mags, happy to hear that you can drink coffee again.  I just discovered Starbucks' Pike Place k-cup.  My Keurig actually makes it like in the shop.

Teka, thanks for another cute coffee pic.

Bippy, hope your se's are less today.

Hi Monis, Blondie, Cami, Onco, and Jazzy ... 

May everyone's day have at least one sparkling moment!  Mine was my ah ha moment while walking.

dwill

Hi Hermits, I am at work right now and thinking that in about 15 minutes it will be lunch

( for 30 minutes)  for me. I eat alone in my room and have even before I was diagnosed with BC.  As a true hermit--don't like to sit around a bunch of people making small talk.   Since I am friendly and respectful to all the other teachers when I see them in the halls-no one bothers me any longer to come down and mix. So, I went through this period of having my energy back when I was weaning off of Anastrozole for the 6 weeks.  Everyone was gushing how changed I was with loads of energy.  Now, I've been prescribed Aromasin and have been on it for about 10 days.   I am back to being a zombie.  I have extreme fatigue.  I'm so so tired--I just want to sleep.   However,  since my short reprieve off of Anastrozole and burst of energy, everyone thinks I am "cured".  I keep telling them I am on a new C med--they don't get it.  I had a hard time telling my son why I just wanted to stay home and sleep on Sunday instead of shop.  I'm so exhausted at work now and have so little energy. Sometimes I remind folks I am still taking Cancer meds and still being treated because I don't want them thinking I am lazy. A teacher walked in while I was napping on my prep last week and I had to explain.   It's been a year and a half since I was diagnosed with BC.   Well--they can keep pretending until I have my next reconstruction surgery in December.  Maybe when I have tubes hanging out, it will remind them I am still on this horrible journey.

Teka

dwill, I don't remember, are you close to retirement?

dwill

Hi Teka, Yep, I am retiring May 2016.  Trying to make it because I am on an Early Retirement Option where they are paying me base pay plus 5.6% compounded through 2015-2016.   Otherwise, I would retire at the end of this school year. I'll just keep trudging on.  By the way the reason why I am having surgery in December is because I am almost out of sick days--I think I have 6 left so I am trying to get as close as I can to our Christmas break so I can recover over the holidays.  My new PS said he would do the surgery December 17th.

Bippy625

hermettes, Teka, Blondie and sally, Bippy can drink coffee again too!  It is a joyous day here. 

Little things really do mean a lot. I never appreciated how good coffee smells and taste before really.  I'm evaluating my entire relationship with food and drink--I'm being forced to by side effects, but i'm not using food as a coping mechanism anymore which is a good step. 

Also did Bippy mention that she doesn't have to work anymore? Probably only 1000 times..... So nice not to have that awful looming stress over my head every day!  This must be under the category of silver linings and was reading about....

Jazzygirl

Hi hermits- I did something I have not done in awhile, went to a movie matinee! I met a couple consulting collegues for lunch, which was nice and went well, and was driving past our big movie theater and decided to spontaneously go and check out what was playing. I was there a bit before 1 p.m. and chose a sort of scary/thriller called As Above, So Below. I have not been to a movie theater in years (watch them at home mostly).

Got my outfits ready for the next couple days, TV promo tomorrow morning and conference presentation on Thursday. Going to work it the next few days.

Dwill- I am sorry you are having a tough time on the AIs. I had a really tough time the first six months on arimidex and then went off it for 6 weeks and it has been better since, although I still have sore feet and stiff joints a lot of the time. I do better if I exercise to keep my body moving. I tire easier these days but don't have the intense fatigue you are experiencing. It is too bad the Aromasin is not much better. I think there is one more you can try, Femura? 

Sounds like people in your environment don't understand what you are dealing with, but no surprise either. Everyone thinks you are done with treatment after surgery, rads and/or chemo. The AIs have been some of the hardest part of this and it's for years too. 

Coffee friends- sorry it has been tough on the coffee front. I love my coffee, I have had to give up so many other things but relish my morning brew.

Jazzygirl

SallyS70

Jazzy, good luck and have fun making the promo tomorrow morning.

Dwill, I too am sorry that you are feeling so tired.  Since I am retired, the Arimidex fatigue is manageable for me.  I am not sure how I would feel if I were working.

camillegal

Dwill always nice to see u, but sorry things are so tough--It's so true most people feel like oh u'r done, u'r fine that's it---so why bother talking about it no one understands. And like Sally said I don't work either (outside my home) but I know I couldn't possibly go to work 5 normal days a week, that's why sometimes I'm so tired I just sleep but when u'r working it's impossible. I remember when I did work the first 4 months of chemo I couldn't make it everyday and on some days I'd hide somewhere and sleep or just feel miserable--couldn't do it anymore then.

Jazzy good luck tomorrow and make sure u tell us all about it--I should say break a leg but I hate that now with all our bones issues.

I got an invitation to my GF's surprise BD party next month--It's at a super restaurant and I can't wait. I just love her so and I'll see her family and the rest of my friends (who I see them anyway) but it's always fun.

Teka

Sally, 

My favorite season to get out-of-doors and do clean-up is the Fall.   I no longer do much walking.

Dwill, 

I would be crossing off each month on the calender until May 2016.

I'm triple negative, no hormonal therapy.   So many thread members are suffering through the side effects of hormonal therapy.

Bippy,

 I gained back almost all the weight I lost while going through chemo treatments.   

Jazzy, 

The last supper moon for 2014.   I saw none.

Cami,

You do get to go to some fun parties.

We're starting to get cooler nights in the North Country!

Monis

Jazzy, awesome photo of yesterday's harvest moon!  I wanted to snap a photo of it myself, coming up through the trees, but I didn't want to get my butt up off the couch to get the camera!

Sally, It always takes all my energy just to motivate myself to go for my walk.  But once I do it feels so good.  Just need to motivate myself more often!

Mags and Bippy, glad your taste buds are accepting coffee again!  That little drink is just a cup full of warmth and joy.

Dwill, I'm on Tamoxifen, and I too feel fatigued all the time.  Can't sleep very well either on some nights.  I can't complain too much though.  My SE's aren't really very bad compared to lots of other women.  I'm lucky in that way.  Another reason to motivate myself to get outside and walk!

Hi also to Teka, Cami, and Onco!  Hope everyone's Tuesday went well.  On to Wednesday!

            

Teka

Monis, 

The photo posts are exactly how I feel, even though a lovely day in the North Country!

This afternoon baking--------------------------

*Fresh Apple Upside-Down Cake* Recipe

6 - 12 large tart apples, sliced

1/4 cup water

Batter

1 1/3 cups Bisquick *Original*

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tbsp salted butter, melted

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup regular milk

Topping

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp *scant* ground cinnamon

4 tbsp salted butter, sliced

Heat oven to 350*F.

Grease lightly with *butter* a 10 inch glass pie plate.

Cook apple slices with water in a double boiler until mushy.

Pour mushy apples in pie plate.

Mix Bisquick, granulated sugar, milk, egg, vanilla and butter and beat well.

Pour mix over apples.

Bake for 40 minutes. Uncovered.

*Check cake for doneness.

*The
top feels springy. Just press on the surface of the cake with your
fingers. If the indentation springs back and disappears, the cake
should be done.

*The cake is evenly browned and pulls away slightly-but not too much-from the side of the pie plate.

Then run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the pie plate.

Place a serving dish on top of the cake in the pie plate.

Carefully invert the cake onto the serving dish.

Immediately
cover the top with, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter slices. I love
pouring regular milk or heavy cream over a piece of cake! Delicious )

magdalene51

Teka that sounds so yummy! I'm emailing it to my cousin, maybe she will take pity on me and bake one!

Coffee coffee coffee! Yay!