SEPTEMBER 2008 rads group

KAK - so happy you are feeling better.  As you know, my first mam was very similiar to yours and yes, I needed a melt down too.  I'm glad your on the mend and have a better attitude.

So sorry to hear about your doctor.  That is awful!

P.S.  LOVED the Peep show!!  Made me laugh!!

Happy Easter to all of my Sept. peeps! 

 It is about 20 degrees, with a nasty wind...the poor Easter Bunny is going to freeze his eggs off!! 

I don't want to get out of my warm 'jammies to go do Easter stuff.  Hmmmm, maybe I won't!!

Well, golly gee!  I thought I'd come by and say hi, since we have the internet now...and ALL this new news...

I hope y'all are doing well, if not better?

I had my own scare, when I went for my three month follow-up.  I was having pains where I had the mastectomy, so I told my onc about that, when I finally saw him.  He ordered up a ct scan, which I DO NOT like doing, because I'm allergic to the contrast dye, and because I have to pre-medicate the night before, not only with prednisone, but with benedryl...  Anyway, the waiting was the hardest part!  When I went to see Dr. Marino, he said that I'm still cancer free...which was a great, great weight off my shoulders!  At first, he thought I was having pains, from possible radiation scar tissue on my lungs.  After the scan, I was telling him I thought it could be scar tissue issues, which he was also thinking, or he also thinks that it could be residual effects from the shingles I got last summer.

So, I'm back in the village, with the oh-so-slowly melting snow!  We still have maybe 7 - 10 feet of snow on the ground?!?  And I'll tell you what, it was sure nice to be in Anchorage, with barely ANY snow on the ground!!!  And, when my mom and I came back, we didn't have to ride on sno-gos!!!    We got to come back to town in a vehicle!  

Anywho, my onc also said that I'd be taking Tamoxifen for two years, instead of five...AND I'll be taking Zometa every six months, not every three, like I first stated?  Speaking of Zometa, that first treatment was JUST AWFUL!!!  It almost reminded me of a chemo treatment!  Early the next morning, after the treatment, I woke up in the coldest, cold sweat imaginable!  I got my parka, my roommate was MORE than gracious and gave me her blanket, and I laid that all on top of me!  I almost wanted to go to the ER, but I didn't want to trouble my roommate, as she just had a hysterectomy!  So, I stayed in bed, and thankfully, that cold feeling went away!  When I told my onc about that, he said it's usually the first treatment that's the hardest to take!  Hopefully, it will not be that bad next time!

Well, I'm out for now!  I hope all of y'all are doing well!

Take care, and y'all are in my prayers!

 P. S.  Everybody looks bee-u-ti-ful in their new pics!

Hi, Sharon!!!!!   Great to hear from you, girlie!  Ick on the Zometa!  Glad you're still cancer free.

Hugs, Kathi

Hi Gang,

Just stopping in to say hello, won't be long until summer. Been very rainy and stormy here. But trying to enjoy the cooler temps before the heat wave sets in. 

Have a Good Everyone, Hugs !!

Hi, Rose!  Won't be long before the roses all start blooming here!!

Here's one for all of you.

Good afternoon, y'all!  How is everyone, now that school's out?  To add on top of my misery, it has been cold and rainy here, all day long!  Just what we need, more water on top of melting snow!  AND, I had a tooth pulled, yesterday.  So, needless to say, I haven't been in the best mood the last couple of days! 

The herring are spawning here, so people are getting fish to dry, and bait for the halibut fishing season!  They also gather the eggs the fish lay on seaweed.  We eat that with seal oil, and I have to say, it's pretty darn good!

 As for my dental work, the young man who is still a dental student, he performed the extraction, and BOY was he nice to look at!  It was nice too, because he grew up in Texas too!  It took over an hour to get that darn tooth out!  The dentist said that root canals tend to fuse to the jawbone, and that CERTAINLY didn't ease my mind a bit!  Thankfully, they didn't have to drill, and they found the beginnings of an infection.   So, that's why my jaw started hurting...yeesh!  Now I have to keep from getting dry socket, and hopefully, that WILL not happen!

 Other than that, I'll be going back to ANC, at the end of July.  I'm already looking forward to taking a break from this place!  I have to say, I miss the city life, but it's sure fun living out here too!  And thankfully, I haven't had anymore pains around the mastectomy site!

Well, I hope y'all are doing well!  I'll be back again!

Take care and God Bless!

Hey, everyone.  I'm bumping this thread because I need some moral support.  I think I am still suffering from post-treatment, post-traumatic, post-rads fatigue.  I'm feeling better than I did a few months ago, mostly, but I still have a hard time getting out of my own way.

I do get enough sleep, I am working full time and I'm eating well, but it still takes me forever to get household things done, and so many bits & pieces of my life got so far behind while I fought the big battle, you know?  I just hate this.

How are you all doing?

Hi Rose and Kathi,

Me too!  I was at the Onc on Monday and she told me it was normal.  Isn't that great!  Not really.   I have to make myself do thing that I normally would love to do.  I am a walker and walk every day.  I love to walk.  Now, I need to convince myself to go for a walk. I still do it and love it once I'm out there,but I must push myself.  I think it's because of low to no estrogen.

Went on my walk, like a good girl.  Now I want to nap!  I have never napped in my life.  I think I have ADHD, seriously.  Both my boys do.  I have always had loads of energy.....not anymore.

How is everyone? Doing good I hope!

Been so hot here - temps in the 100's - talk about zapping your energy level - Linda did you take your walk today ?? ha!

It's been a year this month since my lumpectomy. This week took another mammo (both breasts)and this morning saw my breast surgeon - he said the radiologist said everything looked good. Thank God! 

Have a Great Weekend All - Hugs!!

Amen on that wish Kathi !!

Enjoy your day

Oh, god, Nancy.  Funny you should ask.  And good luck with the scan, BTW.  I have another mamm coming up next month, which will be one year after my surgery!!  Another anniversary...

Well, speaking of rads, yes, I'm having after effects.  My breast is still shrinking & becoming more deformed and muscles along my chest & armpit still keep tightening up & my nipple still hurts & my skin is still dry & I have to keep loading it up with lotion.  But the worst thing by far is the FATIGUE!    My PCP & I had a long talk about it recently & he ordered a bunch of labs.  The story they told was that all my blood counts are at the bottom of normal or just below normal, which is just how I feel.  I go along thinking I might actually be starting to feel like myself again, so I spend a few days or a week living the way I used to live, which just means, say, going out after work (there's been a chamber music festival in town) or having dinner with friends or something.  And then I crash & burn, and spend the next week or two paying for it in spades by having to crawl home from work & go to sleep.  Honestly, I've been too tired to eat this week sometimes!!

My doc says this is unfortunately normal after rads.  And the rad onc did tell me this could go on for up to two years.  I'll scream if it does, but at least there's a reason I feel like this, I guess.

Hope you are all hanging in there.

xxoo

Yes, yes, & it helps depression, too, on the Effexor, pattyk.  I had been on zoloft for years & had to switch when I started tamoxifen because almost all the other anti-depressants besides effexor can interfere with tamox being absorbed.  It has worked wonderfully.  My hot flashes are tolerable & my depression is non-existent.  I will tell you, though, that you should take the Extended Release version, not the plain generic version, because I started with generic that was not timed-release & had stomach problems with it.  The brand-name Effexor XR made all that vanish!!   Good luck!

Am taking supplements now to help the red & white counts & starting to feel better, I'm glad to say!  I go for my one-year post-op mamm & visit with my surgeon in the next few weeks!!