MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited May 2011

    Thinking of Gina....

    MBJ at least you have a date now! So much for their theory about only being able to let you know a week or two ahead, eh?

  • ReginaR
    ReginaR Member Posts: 287
    edited May 2011

    Checking with my Middles before I leave for Hospital! Thank you all so much! Your support is awesome & has lifted me up. Thank you !

    Well got go  , Got my lipstick on & Iam ready to "Get R Done" I will check back in a few days! Love ya all GinaKiss

  • Eph3_12
    Eph3_12 Member Posts: 4,781
    edited May 2011

    {{{{{{{Gina}}}}}}}

    Yay Marybe, you are sweet 16!

  • walker2222
    walker2222 Member Posts: 558
    edited May 2011

    Barb - I was asking myself the same question.  Hospitals!

    Marybe - congrats on you being 16 again.

    Gina - Hugs to you, hope and pray you have a quick recovery.

  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 5,938
    edited May 2011

    Gina good luck and keep us posted

    Marybe way to go girl, I was glad to help

    mjbmiller so for the news on you dad, I was hoping things would be better

    Sunangel thanks for sharing your story, it just made me cry.  I have 7 brothers and always wanted a sister.

  • 3jaysmom
    3jaysmom Member Posts: 4,266
    edited May 2011

    YAY Marybe. well done!{{{{{{{{{GINA}}}}}}}}3jays

  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited May 2011

    Rest Up, ReginaR:

                               

  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited May 2011

    I just joined in last week and haven't kept up too well these last few days.  I am severly anemic 2/10 of a point from needing a blood transfusion. I am currently on Gemzar/Carbo, and anemia is normal.  So.......I sleep a LOT.  Anway I wanted to send some (belated) wishes out there.

    Regina - Good luck, we're all here with you.

    Barb - Happy (belated) Birthday, since I'm late and just sending you the good wishes, take another day of fun, laughter and good food.

    Marabe - I voted a lot for you!  Sure wish you would have been number 1, but hey being 16 is awesome considering the numbers you were up against.  BCO Sisters are the best!!!

    Please forgive me if I've skipped anyone, I'll try to do better.

  • BernieEllen
    BernieEllen Member Posts: 2,445
    edited May 2011

    Sunangel127, thank you for that.  There was never any history of C in my family - now there are three of us. 

  • BarbaraA
    BarbaraA Member Posts: 7,378
    edited May 2011

    Gina, hoping for a speedy recovery for you!

    Morning everyone!

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited May 2011

    Thanks for the late wishes Jenn, I'll take them! I would have responded sooner, but I was sleeping too!! I find that on my days off (Tue and Fri) I sleep 14-16 hours a day. On my work days I only sleep 10-12. Is that too much??? At what point is it too much sleeping? I know I used to have low red blood cells, but don't know about now....hmm. You made me think!

  • jo1955
    jo1955 Member Posts: 8,543
    edited May 2011

    Barbe - I would kill for 10 hours of sleep.  My normal is 5 - 6, but that is not straight through.  I am up every 2 hours for the bathroom.  

  • naty41
    naty41 Member Posts: 28
    edited May 2011

    I am 69 and was diagnosed on April 29. I will be having a left breast Mastectomy tomorrow May 19. Today I am waiting to find out what time I should report to the Hospital.  I have two daughters 49 and 47 and the 49 year old has been on life support for 9 years. I have 3 grandchildren 22, 20, and 17.  The 20 yeard old is a special needs child, and the 17 year old is mentally ill. I had to put them in group homes this year as I could no longer take care of them. I raised all 3 grandchildren. I usually visited the two younger grandchildren on weekends but now with BC don't know if I will be up to the long drive to visit them. I don't have a lot of friends my age so this thread is a life saver for me.

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited May 2011

    Welcome Naty, you will find that after the mast, if you're not getting reconstruction, you will have a fairly quick and easy (and fairly pain-free!) recovery. Because no organs, bones or muscles are involved there is little pain. Just itches and twinges as the nerves regenerate. You will be back to driving in probably 2-3 weeks. But take time for YOU now. This is ALL about you.

    Jo, I do get up and pee 2-3 times a night, but I still consider that a 10 hour sleep! Then on my days off I go back to bed after being up for a bit and have a long 3-4 hour nap. Then back in bed at 8. My FM really needs the sleep so that I can go to work the next day. I can't deal with 2 days off and then a 5 day stretch of work. I need my days off broken up, so my job is perfect.

  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited May 2011

    Oh.........I feel like all I do is sleep.  Thank goodness for a great boss that is understanding and is giving me flexible hours. 

    Naty - welcome!  I am very new to this thread, but have been on the boards for a while, the support here is wonderful!

  • naty41
    naty41 Member Posts: 28
    edited May 2011

    barbe and jenn thank you - I have been reading the posts for the last month but haven't posted much as I wanted to to learn more about BC. So I have been reading everything that I can here and other websites.  This website is really awesome.

  • jo1955
    jo1955 Member Posts: 8,543
    edited May 2011

    naty - Welcome to the middies.  The gals here are great - so supportive and fun to be around.  They have been my inspiration.

  • naty41
    naty41 Member Posts: 28
    edited May 2011

    jo1955 Thank you that is what I am seeing after reading the different posts!

  • Paula66
    Paula66 Member Posts: 1,728
    edited May 2011

    Hi naty welcome.  As you have read this its a great bunch of gals to be around.  They are a helpful and humerous bunch.  Im wouldnt start or end my day now without atleast seeing whats going on here.  They make my day.

    Barbe I would love that much sleep.  Ever since my BMX I get about 5 hrs. sleep.  Its about ready to drive me crazy.  I know alot of it because of the TE but Im so ready to just sleep.  All I do from around 2am until 6am is toss n turn. 

  • reesie
    reesie Member Posts: 2,078
    edited May 2011

    Paula, I have the same sleep problem - only I wake up a couple of times and am up at least 2 hours each time.   My NP suggested taking Tylenol PM.  I don't sleep through the night with it but instead of being up 2 hours at a time, I am able to get back to sleep rather quickly. 

    I don't like taking extra meds (I don't know why I'm worried with all the other stuff they're putting in me) so I asked and she said if I have no aches/pains when I go to bed I could just take Benedryl (since the PM part of Tylenol PM is just Benedryl).

    She said if that didn't work, then they would talk about a prescription.

  • leisaparis
    leisaparis Member Posts: 587
    edited May 2011

    Hi all, haven't been on in a few days.

    Happy belated Birthday Barbee.

    Good Luck Gina.

    Welcome all newbies.

    Leaving for the weekend to go to Truman Lake for some golfing & fishing.

    In September / October every year we make homemade Apple Butter. Our fishing trip catches the fish for the fish fry for apple butter weekend. We do it outside in a great big old pot. Fun weekend. Will have to post some pics.

    Later gals, leaving tomorrow & will be back Sunday night.

  • marlegal
    marlegal Member Posts: 2,264
    edited May 2011

    Hey buds. Just a quick note..I don't have computer access this week 'cause of renovations being done at home. No idea when I might get it back, so I just sneak on at work now and then to try and stay somewhat current.

    Hope everyone who is recovering this week gets lots of gentle hugs and firm support.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2011

    Lesiaparis. Your weekend plans sound wonderful. Have a great trip

  • Teklya
    Teklya Member Posts: 435
    edited May 2011

    Hi there.  I hope you are all enjoying a good day.  Our weather is fabulous and I spent most of this day outdoors, working in my flower garden, wiping things down and sitting in the shade.  Awwwhhh, this is the life!  Actually, I am glad to be busy (can't think).  Tomorrow is my 1st mammogram since my surgery last June.  I know by tomorrow I will work myself up into quite a state.  I think there is a bit of a wait for results, too, so please bear with me as I will become a basket case until I know more.

    take good care and just breathe. . .

    Teklya

  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited May 2011

    reesie, I don't know what you might have tried so far to get better sleep, but before you go to the prescription drugs I wanted to mention 2 things that have helped me:

    1) Get some exposure to bright natural light in the morning hours and, in conjunction with that, try using melatonin at bedtime for a week or so.  And try sleeping in a pitch dark room if you can. The idea is to reset you biological clock.

    2) Ever since I have been faithful with taking a daily supplement of calcium, magnesium and Vit. D, my sleep has improved.  By improved, I mean sometimes I can even sleep 6 hours or more and not even wake up.  But the times I do come awake (bathroom, whatever) I have much more luck getting back to sleep within 5-10 minutes.

    I have read that sleep goes in 90 min. cycles.  During the first couple cycles you go way down to your deepest sleep, but come back up to shallow sleep after the 90 min.  I am going to guess (and you can check this out on your own) that when you wake at night, it is not from the deep part of your sleep, but maybe after you have slept 1 1/2 hours, 3 hours, or 4 1/2 hours, etc. and are at the shallow part of that cycle.  So, coming awake is not really that bad (for all the bathgoom-goers) but not being able to fall back asleep is what is disturbing your rest. 

    If body discomfort or being in pain is interfereing with sleep, you have to address that.  Since we're all middle-aged here, that means a lot of us have ongoing aches and pains.  When we can't get good sleep, those aches and pains get worse and welcome to the vicious cycle.  I know pharmaceutical sleep aids do help many, but there are other things you could try first.  Somewhere on this site was a thread all about sleep if you want to search for it.

    Finally, ANYONE ON TAMOXIFEN...Benadryl is a no-no for you.  That includes all products containing diphenhydramine.

    I know that is not reesie, but it might be some others out there.

  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited May 2011

    Teklya, Is that how they do in Canada...first mammo a year after surgery?  Here, it seems like they call us in for the first post-surgical squishing about six mos. out.  Hope you breeze right through your screening tomorrow.

    naty41, Hope to hear from you in a few days that your surgery went well.  Glad the Middie-gals have given you a nice welcome already.

  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited May 2011

    From the "love my infomercials" dept. ---

    Flip-flopping back to SLEEP topic, do any of you have the "sleep number" mattress or "temperpedic" foam mattress.  They are good at marketing, but do they REALLY work better for anyone??????

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2011

    Telly. Good luck tomorrow and try not to worry. Sending up prayers for you now



    Elimar. I didn't know that the calcium, vit d supplements could help sleep. I just started on them. I asked my primary doc if I needed to take any supplements, (my husband takes a lot and I take nothing so he had been bugging me). My doc told me the only thing I really needed was a calcium and vit d supplement (subsequently she also told me iron after my blood work came back and I am still anemic after surgery). Have to tell you have been taking regularly and I am sleeping much better. I only take one capsule with food (bottle recommends 2) for I do eat a balanced diet and didn't want to get too much. Dr did prescribe ambien but that made me feel too drugged so haven't taken any more.

  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited May 2011
    Faulkh, glad you are experiencing sleep improvement like I did.  If your calcium does not have magnesium in the formulation, you probably should add that as well, taken in half the milligram dosage compared to the milligrams you take in the calcium.  It all works together.  (IF taking the magnesium causes "loose stool" then take a lesser amount.) 
  • jo1955
    jo1955 Member Posts: 8,543
    edited May 2011

    Elimar - It will be 10 months since surgery before I have my first mammo.  My MO told he I would be getting on once a year.  He did not see the need for every six months if the mammo was clear.

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