MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

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  • LovesChristmas-Barb
    LovesChristmas-Barb Member Posts: 706
    edited June 2011
    dualgate I have also read that tamoxifen can cause cervical polyps that could bleed after sex so that's a possibility too. Unfortunately, you should probably get it checked. =( I don't mean to scare you, I just hate going to the gynecologist so just the thought makes me sad. I had enough of those guys during my infertility treatments. It's what I dread most about the hormone treatments that I know are coming.
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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited June 2011

    Barb58, The other one who just began rads last week is Huskerkkc.  I wrote this for her too:

    As for the radiation, most eventually get some fatigue.  A few say they don't but they are the exceptions to the rule.  Don't worry about being tired on the half hour ride home, it won't hit you that fast, but you might find yourself napping later in the day.  The fatigue seems to hit by the second or third week.  As for skin, we all get the tan/pink area.  About 1/3 of women get a more pronounced skin reaction, like weepy blisters.  It does not matter how fair skinned you are either.  You can try to avoid this if you moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.  kal mentioned lanolin already, but something not as goopy is Fruit Of The Earth 100% pure aloe gel (Walmart has it) which is very cooling.  If you use that, put some on right after treatment before your drive home, and then a couple more times that day.  But make sure to have nothing on your skin before the day's treatment, don't even use soap on the treatment area, just water.  If you do begin to get blistery, ask the nurses for the prescription Silvadene creme.  Finally, make sure to eat a good amount of protein to help your body repair the damage taking place.  Drink lots of water too. Good Luck and keep us posted.

    p.s.  If you don't have tatoos yet, the other option is to have marks done in Sharpie pen.  The techs or you have to keep re-drawing them butthat was my choice.  It is an option that the rads team sometimes does not even mention to people.

    Finally, we have another member on here called Barbe1958.  I don't think it will be confusing (well, no more confusing than how we normally are!)

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  • Teka
    Teka Member Posts: 10,052
    edited February 2012

    dualgate,

    I had a hysterectomy in 2002 (kept ovaries), and if I had any vaginal bleeding would be to GYN like my butt was on fire.

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  • LovesChristmas-Barb
    LovesChristmas-Barb Member Posts: 706
    edited June 2011

    Thank you for the welcomes reesie and elimar! and thank you for all of the information elimar! I hadn't seen the Barbe1958....I hope I don't confuse anyone!

    As for homeschooling, it helped make me more patient, that's for sure! ; )

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited June 2011
    Oh yeah, Barb58, look in the Radiation Forum on here and find your "group of the month" for rads.  You might as well go into the July 2011 group since you are so close and will be going on from there.  That is really great to be with other all doing treatment at the same time and comparing notes.
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  • reesie
    reesie Member Posts: 2,078
    edited June 2011

    I could have never homeschooled my kids.  I think my youngest son is WAY smarter than me and the others aren't too far behind. And when he gets to talking on a subject I tend to shut him out for a few minutes (he talks A LOT).. 

    The other night he was in the bathroom for an hour (no exaggeration) and I said "What are you doing in there reading a novel?" (he reads everywhere).  He came out and said he was watching a movie (on his laptop) and started talking about the movie - I tuned in once in a while. Then he said that he was looking for info on joining the next solar car competition so I said "What are you going to Race the Sun like the movie?"  That was when he said "that's what I was watching mom and that's what I said 10 minutes ago". Uh Oh, caught.

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

    Barb58 and Jen - welcome.  I am fairly new to this thread as well and sometimes forget that I'm 40(ish), when I'm 45 and forget to check in and seem to have a lot of catching up to do.

    Oh........the icecream trucks!!! Such wonderful memories from childhood.  During the dog days of summer, I can remember hearing it blocks away, then me and all of the neighborhood kids would race inside for money, praying our moms would give it to us.  Then race outside just in time to catch the icecream man.  I used to love the red, white and blue popsicle. It would drip sticky sugary mess down my hands and arms and then drip to the ground as I tried to eat it before it melted.  We still have an icecream truck that passes through the neighborhood, but it exceeds the street speed limit by 15 mph, playing the music on speakers that are in terrible condition making it sound like a warped record.  If the kids are lucky enough to get out there in time to catch the icecream truck they need to make sure it doesn't run them over - it's not like it used to be.

    Eli - I take Effexor and I guess am one of the lucky ones in that I really don't have too many SE's and it helped tremendously with the hotflashes.

    Well.........I got the results of my scans today and I am so happy!!!  The big tumors in my lungs have all shrunk, and I don't have anymore new tumors (all of the tiny ones still remain).  Yipppeeeee!!!! I will continue with Gemzar/Carbo for now.

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  • OG56
    OG56 Member Posts: 897
    edited June 2011

    Jenn- Yeah for your scan results, must be a huge relief that the chemo is busy kicken ass :)

    When I moved from NE to NY sometimes I thought I had moved to another planet. There are so many words for one object and I got tired of being laughed at so I used to take notes, especially when I asked some young man at the grocery store if he had a sack and he looked at me as if he wanted to call the police, geez I just wanted a "bag" for my ice cream LOL

    Getting ready to go to my girlfriends for a Birthday party and I went to the bakery and bought Pina Colada cupcakes yummm.

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

    OG, Don't look now, but i stole one of your Pina Colada cupcakes to give to jenn3. 

    Woot-woot, jenn3!  Congrats on the good scan results, keep up the good work!

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

    OG-I burst out laughing at your comment about the "bagboy" & his sack...oops I mean a sack....oops I mean a bag!  Oh you know! 

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  • walker2222
    walker2222 Member Posts: 558
    edited June 2011

    Jen welcome looks like you are fitting right in.



    My DS still runs to the door every time he hears the ice-cream truck come by, at least now he uses his own money to buy, he does ask he if I want some. We also have a local snowcone lady who moves from location to location in a pirate car/truck. I am going to have to get a picture to show you.

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  • walker2222
    walker2222 Member Posts: 558
    edited June 2011

    The past couple of days I have not been feeling well as I posted on a different site. A bit down like I have been going through morning again since my surgery. I am sure I will feel better after the drain is out tomorrow. Still sore trying not to take a lot of pain meds.

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

    Elimar I have been drinking gatorade like crazy thank goodness for different flavors.  I called the Dr this morning and he called in a script for the diarrhhe I finally got it picked up a little while ago and took it so hope it kicks in soon.  Thanks for the perfect man.  I'll get him waiting on me and doing all the chores.  With his shirt off of course.  Then I will send him to Reesie so she can enjoy him for awhile.  But them maybe he needs to make a stop at mjbmiller and cheer her up first. then she can send him to Reesie's

    Duelgate welcome but get to your gyn.  Bleeding after sex is not something to wait and see about.  Something is not right and you need to find out what it is.  May not be anything serious but you still need to find out.

    Barb58 welcome about as well.  Hope all goes good with rads.  If you have any questions just ask away here.  There are plenty of us who have been there. What a blessing you have with your three children.  I admire you for 18 years of homeschooling. 

    mjmiller-I hope you will feel better after you get the drains out.  You have been on such an emotional roller coaster with your reconstruction and now with your Dad. When we don't feel good it takes a toll on us emotionally.  Once you can really start healing and feel better things will get better for you.Kiss ((((((((HUGS))))))))

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  • heartnsoul76
    heartnsoul76 Member Posts: 1,648
    edited June 2011

    Barb58 - nice to meet you, sorry you have to be here but this place is a BIG help!

    jenn- congratulations on the great scans!!

    OG - I had to LOL about the bagboy and sacks, too. My grandmother called it a sack.

    mjb - I hope you're feeling better soon!

    BarbA - thank you for tagging alone with me! I guess you saw me acting like an idiot the whole time when we were in the little waiting room. I would jump up and down on the table every time I thought of something, or dropped something, or changed my mind about something. Then I was a babbling brook when the MO came in! She thinks I'm nuts, no doubt, haha. I guess I was more nervous than I knew!

    BUT, in spite of myself I did learn a few things. She's going to do the Tamoxifen metabolizer test to see if I'm good with that (which I've heard some oncs question the accuracy of this test), my CA 25/27 scores are good, and I don't think I have to have any more tests any time soon. They think they're going to check my adrenal adenoma one more time this fall with another CT Scan, but I have sufficiently freaked myself out about them and I am going to TRY to say no.

    Elimar - you're right, Dr. E! I have succumbed to appointment-itis! Never had it before in my life, and I am bound and determined to NOT have it next time. I was just looking at my bill - it doesn't help that they call it an "encounter". Okay...I don't like encounters, they need to change it back to "visit".

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

    heartnsoul so glad your appt went well and all looks good.  That is always good to hear.

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  • heartnsoul76
    heartnsoul76 Member Posts: 1,648
    edited June 2011

    Thank you Sherry - I do feel SO much better! I need to try to relax a little now, and I need to learn to expect the best, not the worst for crying out loud! But if they want to have an encounter, I'm ready for 'em!

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

    "Encounter!"  Do they really call it that?  Now I want to go back and check my patient copy on that colonoscopy I had.  I feel like that one should be called "encounter" as in "close encounter of the third kind" what with the alien specialists that actually do the procedure!!!!!!!

    I did ask for and get the Tamox. utilization test around the time I started on it.  I don't think my doc puts too much store in it, but it showed I was an extensive metabolizer.  It can't really hurt to know if your body is making use of the Tamox.  Ten percent of women are poor metabolizers.

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

    My goodness you ladies have been busy this afternoon.  First, let me welcome Barb58.   This is a wonderful group of ladies.

    Had my LAST BS appt today.  This was a follow up for the referral to the pain specialist.  Also let him know about my mammo results and about the biopsy I had earlier this month.  He is so wonderful, he told me I don't have to come back but I do have an "open" appt anytime I need it.

    No more appts until Sept - WOOHOO! 

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

    Jo Woo Hoo no more dr appts for awhile

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

    Woohoo Jo.



    Funny when I went to the BS last week they gave me the paperwork to complete even though we didn't have a date for the surgery. When I finished chemo today i brrought it down to the office to turn it in and asked how I would find out about preadmission testing. They weren't sure which office would be doing it but they also didn't know anything about the surgery date. It was news to them :)



    So they had the doc call me when she got out of surgery. Turns out she didn't tell them yet about the date. She said it's still a month and a half away (I think she wants to make sure I don't change my mind about the bilat). But the important thing is she knew the date.



    mjb - hope you get out of the doldrums soon. Virtual man should help!

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

    Barb58-welcome!



    HnS so glad all is well.



    (((mjb)))

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  • Meece
    Meece Member Posts: 19,483
    edited June 2011

    Ice cream man just drove by playing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"!

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  • Huskerkkc
    Huskerkkc Member Posts: 536
    edited June 2011

    I am going this Thursday to a new rads doc; had a terrible experience with the first one during consult, mapping. Don't know if I posted that on this thread, but I just knew I could not go back even if I only had to see him once a week. So after an anguished weekend with lots of tears (more than usual!) I have an appt 90 minutes away, instead of the original 30 min drive. My onc even called me at home last  night to say he supported my decision and was sorry for the treatment by the RO. I was very surprised to be able to get in so quickly with the new doc. I was worried about having a delay in my treatment. My parents live in the same town as the new guy, so I have a place to stay if fatigue sets in, as I expect it will. So WELCOME Barb58, we will be on a similar schedule for awhile.

    No ice cream trucks in my little town, but Haagan Daz is in the freezer and Dairy Queen is 4 blocks away!

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  • lynniea
    lynniea Member Posts: 611
    edited June 2011

    I have my last chemo on thursday yea

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

    OK the animals think I've gone nuts!  E-I was HOWLING at your comments about the "encounter", colonoscopy, etc!!!!  Between you & OG today I've burst out laughing twice!  That's a good thing-feels great!

    Yay lynniea, huskerkkc, jo1955 & everyone else.  Good news is great!

    Meece-really? Christmas music?  That might be worse than The Sting music!  

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

    lynniea, I was just thinking about you earlier and wondering if your chemo was done.  Woo-hoo, the finish line is in sight, go for it!

    Huskerkkc, That is a shame that your nearby RO turned out to be a moron.  Doctor skills aside, the people skills are important too.  Your doc must have missed that memo.

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

    Lynnie, thinking of you and your soon to be last chemo. You can do it!

    Husker, rad onc's are really weird IMO. Mine is hot to look at but is an arrogant, condescending a-hole.

    E - ROFLMAO!

    Meece, Christmas in July? I'll take the sting anyday.

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

    lynniea - The finish line is in sight on the chemo - go for it - will be at the finsh line doing the happy dance with you.

    husker - Sorry to hear your 1st RO was such a moron.  That brings back memories of mine who was the same way.  Glad you were able to find another one so quickly.  People skills are so important.

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  • yarps214
    yarps214 Member Posts: 1
    edited June 2011

    i am 46 just found out friday the 24 i have IBC start chemo on tue the 5th. I have two kids one in college and one who will be a senior this fall. right now i am scared. but have the will to live.

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  • Meece
    Meece Member Posts: 19,483
    edited June 2011

    Welcome, yarps.  Those kids will give you the will to live.  I had 3 teenagers when I went through it and knew I had to do everything I could for them.  It's do-able, and we can be right here for you.

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