CRAZY TOWN WAITING ROOM - TESTS coming up? All Stages Welcome.

Molly50

Great, Tomboy. Can you find out what works for her? I have to work but if can squeeze out some time during the week or a Saturday would be even better it's so worth it to see her. (and spend time with you)

Cubbie2015

Welcome, Dac. I hope you get good results on your scan. I guess that's why they like to do so many types of scans, it's the whole picture created by running different kinds that helps them decide what is going on. Let us know when your scan is so we can be in your pocket.

Sandy, those Kevin Murphy things look interesting. I might try them myself. I can't do anything permanent to my hair because of my job, so anything that washes out after a weekend is good. I miss the good old college days when I could do nutty things with my hair and nobody cared. I was looking at some wild colors at Walmart the other day and wondering if I could convince my boss that a green steak was school spirit. No way. 😄

I find myself a lot more interested in clothes and hair and stuff like that nowadays, trying to feel somewhat attractive with no boobs. I don't miss the double D's, I was super tired of following them around, but I do feel sort of bad about not having anything. If I could get reconstructed to a Daisy Ridley level of AA, or AAA, I might go for it.

On the other hand, I can now jog! Granted it is only for about 200 feet at a time before I have to walk, but I can do so, something that was impossible with the absurd cleavage, no matter how many sports bras I layered on. My trainer from Livestrong is working on teaching me how to use the weight machines at the gym, so one day I won't make the guys in the gym shake their heads when I try to adjust these darn things. (And then probably laugh when they see I'm lifting about as much as my brother's dachshund weighs.)

So envious of you west coasters who are getting together. Definitely want to see pics! Hugs to everyone.

Daczahow

Thanks Tomboy,Proud, and Molly for easing some of my fears ! I am having the Bone scan on Tuesday but of course it will be Thursday or Friday before I have the results. Ugh ! Tomboy unfortunately I lost all of my purple hair when I started A/C but I do have some colorful wigs!! I used Manic Panic Ultra Violet it is in a jar no mixing required it is pretty messy but... Works well!

Daczahow

Hi Cubbie thanks for the welcome ! I'm glad my MO has been so thorough but is does cause a lot of stress ! I am going for the bone scan on Tuesday I will let you guys know how it goes!

ChiSandy

Cubbie, Ulta carries clip-on color streaks (I’ve used them on stage).

Tomboy

Thanks for checking back, Dac! We will be with you, in your pocket for the test and the results!

Chi, I did try those hair chalk balls, but they were so itchy to me. The tubes I use have organ oil, and make my hair softer. I had some lighter streaks put in a year or more ago, and thats where I put it. Any overlap doesn't really take hold, and it also doesn't seem to stick to my ears cheeks whatever! And it's sorta subtle! Even my notoriously conservative man doesn't seem to mind.

Molly, I will ask her for sure, and I do hope Poppy will meet us, and I am pretty sure Octo would like it too. For sure, QMC, I am hoping she will let us send a message to all

Cubbie2015

Sandy, cool, there's an Ultra just up the road from me, but I've never gone in there. I'll have to check them out.

octogirl

SoCal crazies: would love to meet up with you as well, as Tomboy guessed. I have some travel coming up but not till mid-Sept; would be great if we could arrange it before then....

I've been in a quiet mood the last week or so, but thinking of all of you and hugs and love to you all!

Octogirl

JAN69

Please count me in too, Jan

Molly50

Yes, wonderful Jan and Octogirl! As soon as we know what works for Beppy. Love you all.

proudtospin

Morning, off to nuerosurgeon this morn to discuss all the imaging and a recommended plan

Geez, really want a plan although I do also have a second opinion guy set for a week later

Sigh, really want to figure this out

octogirl

In your pocket, Iris! Hope it goes well, and report back!

Octogirl

proudtospin

thanks octo, appreciate the support

Molly50

In your pocket, Iris!!

Di2012

Thinking of you Iris, Hugs.....

Di

,

proudtospin

Thanks for all the wishes

Now if the dumb docs would actually give me some help, nuero.guy was out on surgery so met with a partner who no help cept to tell to check in with my onco regarding a full Body scan,

Fun

Molly50

WTH, Iris??!!! Full body scan?

ChiSandy

Hopping into your pocket, Iris (move over, gals)!

I cheated on my diet big time today, but not without reason (though it wasn't really a valid excuse). Today was my first Zometa infusion (multiple denials of Prolia by my Part D carrier). They insisted on a blood draw for calcium levels, though I had a full metabolic chem panel three weeks ago (not recent enough, apparently). The lab refused to put in an IV catheter to minimize the number of venipunctures, even though I warned the tech I had very few usable veins and was limited to the left arm. She was annoyed I didn't have a port. The tech hit my vein first try. "See?" she said, "No problem."

I went up to the chemo suite. I was early, so the nurse had me wait and drink more water while my arm was swaddled in heat packs. She came back and told me my test result wasn't back yet, but why not get the IV started, with just saline pending the go-ahead? I agreed. First she stuck the vein the lab used. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Then she called for the phlebotomy nurse and the Accu-Vein infrared lamp. My arm lit up like a road map. Great, right? Nope. Took three more tries to hit pay dirt--apparently even my prominent veins roll and are "valve-y." They hooked my IV up to a bag of saline while I surfed BCO on my iPad. (Couldn't type one-handed). My infusion nurse came by. "Bad news," she said, "by the time your sample came through the pipeline, they had to re-spin it--it'll be another 20 minutes." By this time I had to pee like Secretariat, so they had to unhook me from the saline and I went to the bathroom one-handed, lest I dislodge the IV. 10 min. after I returned, the nurse came back in. "Great news--your calcium level is exactly the same as 3 weeks ago, so we're on! Just have to wait for the pharmacy to send the Zometa up here." She hooked me back up to the saline, this time dripping it slowly. 15 min. later the Zometa arrived. At first it was fine but at about 6 min. in it began to hurt. I hit the call button and told the nurse. "Where does it hurt" What kind of pain?" I replied it was at the venipuncture. She told me it was okay, it hadn't become infiltrated, and the reason I was feeling a little burn in rhythm with each drop going in was that she was infusing it fast enough that it would take only 15 min. total. That little series of beeps from the pump, signaling the bag was empty, was the sweetest sound I've heard since I don't know when. She slipped the IV out (after struggling to remove the Tegaderm) and put pressure on the site. 5 min. later it was still bleeding. (Why had nobody told me to stop my baby aspirin, fish oil & Celebrex)? Took another 2 min. before it stopped. I now have two gauze pressure dressings on each successful venipuncture site, plus two more band-aids over the other two (both of which are bruised). "You're good to go," she said, "be nice to yourself!" I raced out of there, straight to the restroom again.

I got downstairs to the lobby and got in line to pay for my parking. Two people ahead of me. First guy inserts his ticket and...."I'm sorry," said the mechanical voice, "I can't read your ticket. Please try again, magnetic stripe up and to the left." Four tries later, still no luck--the valet had to go pull a fresh ticket from the gate, and the guy only had to pay the $2.50 minimum. The next woman tried to pay with a series of credit cards, which were denied but the last one worked. Finally, my turn: $5.50! Had the lab not dragged its feet, my veins not played hide-and-seek and the two parkers ahead of me not had to duel with the machine, I'd have saved a buck or even two.

So I'm sure you can understand why, en route home, I pulled into a parking space on the street, strode into Hoosier Mama Pies (hitting the loo first, of course) and had a cup of great pour-over drip coffee and a nice big slice of Dark Chocolate Cream--which I hadn't intended to finish.....but it was a big mug of coffee after all (and the pie was even better than I'd remembered). By then it was 4:30. So I guess you could call that dinner. Off to the bathroom again.....

Molly50

That sounds delicious, Sandy.

ChiSandy

The difference between even Baker’s Square chocolate cream and the one from Hoosier Mama is like the difference between a Little Debbie and a Sacher Torte in Vienna. No comparison. It is so insanely, intensely chocolate-y, with a fresh, flaky house-made crust. Once every six months now (after the next Zometa).

Bob assures me that the anesthesiologists at the eye surgicenter and the orthopedic OR at Skokie Hospital are far better at “hitting their marks” when it comes to IVs. Let’s hope so.

Oh, and though I already take Zyrtec for allergies, I will be switching temporarily to Claritin--for some chemically-inexplicable reason, it is the only antihistamine that works for bone pain; and doubling up on antihistamines is courting disaster (could depress my respirations).

Di2012

ChiSandy,You made me go into a chocolate MAJOR CRAVE....holy bananas!....I looked all over the house for Chocolate......found some chocolate chip morsels in the freezer. What is left of them are sitting next to me now! (probably melting)

I had gastric bypass 15 years ago this month and binging on anything hurts! I weighed 240 and went down to 111, too skinny, my bone in my butt hurt as I had no padding....I am now around 130.

Your experience with your infusion, sounded so much like my first experience with infusion for reclast Dec. 2014 (I only have it once a year in Dec.) I am also a hard stick with valves in my veins shutting down....multiple stick, bruises for weeks. That 15 minute infusion turned into almost 3 hours, with the blood tes and then the order from the pharmacy....phew.

My IV iron infusion is schedule for Monday....9am to 4:00pm...not a "QUICKIE". Parking is free, but I will use valet parking and pay $2.00+tip so I don't have to walk too far with my bum knee/leg.

Our pathways are similar as I had thumb artroplasy, where that take a bone out of the thumb and replace it with ONE of the two tendons we have in the forarm and wrap it around the nerve of the thumb, where it hardens and take the place of the bone. I had a cast on my arm and hand for2 months, plus a pin that felt like a tree branch.

When I was done with PT for that, I was to get my cataract surgery, done, scheduled a week apart. Between right eye surgery and left eye surgery I had my yearly mamogram, 366 days from the last....this is when found 2 suspcious spots.....I knew it was cancer......My first eye blurred post surgery and had to get it laser zapped.

I had to wait for my diagnostic breast doctor for a sterotactic biopsy as he tried a regular biopsy and only could find the old suspious spot, which turn out not cancer. No one could feel the cancer., not breast tech or breast doc.....very close to the chest wall.

.I am so full of chocolate I have to crash.

Hugs to all,

Di

ChiSandy

Di, you’ve really been through the mill! I never had thumb arthroplasty (though a guitarist friend of mine did, quite successfully), just total knees a year apart. Had a L trigger thumb in 2006, and the cortisone shot “took” within a day. Lasted till the morning of Christmas Eve 2009 and knew I’d need the tendon-release surgery, but I had a 2-week concert tour coming up in early Feb. and the hand surgeon didn’t think I’d recover in time if I had it the first open Jan. date he had (he favors the open approach for both trigger-thumb and carpal tunnel surgeries, requiring multiple sutures). Gave me another shot, which worked immediately. Did the tour, and the day after I returned I had the surgery (with the cortisone flushed out first lest it atrophy the tendon). That was pre-bc. I started letrozole this past New Year’s Eve, and my R thumb began triggering in mid-April. This time I wanted an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hand & arm (my first surgeon was way down in the S. suburbs and was a plastic surgeon--he’s gotten older and his son, an unknown quantity, has taken over the practice). Something down deep told me I’ll need tendon-release again (and I think the orthopod does the closed version, with a shorter recovery time (and less tourniquet time, lowering the chance of a lymphedema flare). But he insisted on trying a cortisone shot first. He said to give it a week--it’s been six. Sometimes it triggers with just a little stiffness. But often, it’s stiffer and excruciatingly painful, especially when I wake up and try to pinch and remove my earplugs. (Yeeeowch). Tomorrow is the followup with the orthopod (who refused my request for surgery before seeing me again--and he’ll probably want to try another injection first). If I’m going to have to endure another extremely painful shot in my hand, let it be the lidocaine that numbs me for surgery.

The L trigger thumb interfered more with my guitar playing, as it severely compromised proper hand position on the neck. OTOH (literally), with the R, it doesn’t really hurt me to use a flatpick, and when I fingerpick, I flex at the MP, not IP thumb joint (the one that triggers, even though the real problem is a nodule further down the tendon, that gets caught on the inflamed sheath). But it impacts my life--writing, typing, picking stuff up--a lot more.

proudtospin

Sitting here trying to decide if I should call my onco today or wait till after my nuero appt tomorrow, he had ordered a ton and I mean ton of blood tests and I have seen some results but not all of them

Sort of think I will wait

Dang, i had dcis and this was not supposed to happen as i did all I was tld

Tomboy

Oh fuck, Iris

Daczahow

My bone scan came back clear !!! So the Pet and the bone scan are clear... The MO is not sure what is going on in my shoulder but the MRI shows something. We are going to monitor it and hope that the scans in November are still good!!!

GmaFoley

Yay Daczahow! So nice to hear some good news and what a relief for you, I'm sure...

I finally asked the assistant to ask the MO if there was an alternative to the mammogram. I so don't want any squishing after all my revisions. I am now waiting to hear whether he is going to tell me to buck up and have the mammogram.

Molly50

Greatnews, Dac! Iris, I second what Tomboy said.

proudtospin

well hospital sent me paper copies of all my blood tests

Not that I can read or understand most of it

Gonna go to nuero person tomorrow and then after talking to him, call my onco if he advises

ChiSandy

Great news, Dac! Iris, keeping fingers crossed that your neuro can solve your back problem.

Had a sleepless night--despite taking Claritin after the Zometa, was awakened every few minutes by random zaps, like from a cattle prod, in my feet, knee, shoulder both hands and even right breast. I knew that neuropathy was a possible SE, but I thought that would be just numbness & tingling (got that too). Bob gave me one of his 7.5/325 Norcos, and I fell asleep an hour later only to be awakened by his alarm clock and mine at 9:30. My housekeeper drove me to my hand surgeon appointment because I would not get behind the wheel loopy and on 90 min. of sleep.

He gave me a scrip for Lyrica--hideously expensive but hopefully won't need it for more than a few days. We agreed there was no point to trying a second cortisone shot since the first one didn't work at all. So my surgery is Sep. 20. I will try it with just a regional block and oral Xanax, wanting to avoid repeating my human-pincushion experience any more than necessary. This way, two gigs and my first cataract surgery will be out of the way, giving me time to recover for the other eye, late Oct. music conference and Bar Show rehearsals.

Heading upstairs for a long-needed nap

shorfi

Hi ladies...I miss you all

Ducky, Tomboy, Proud, Molly, Cubbie...Just wanted to peep in and say hello. We are headed down to the shore tomorrow and coming back next week. Boy do we need a break from it all.

Love ya!!