MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

Zumbagirl, I can't help you with the chemo but I also had pealing of the nipple area. All the skin pealed off and was sore for a while. The boost area under my arm did the same thing. I used aloe all day long applying whenever I thought about it. I had a small bottle at my desk and when no one was looking.... I wore sport bras so it was easy to apply.  Some of the girls on my rads thread used emu oil. I finally found it at a health/vitamin shop locally. I was past rads so didn't use it. I've still got a "tan" line and I finished rads 7/10. Lately I've been using castor oil to soften and reduce the scar - recommended by my acupuncturist.

Zumbagirl, love your costumes!  I am doing rads right now too.  I am using Aquaphor.  I have aloe, but the RO recommended Aquaphor once I got red.  I am pretty red.  The top of my chest, on top of the breast also has a rash in addition to the redness.  RO says they see that were you've had sun damage in the past.  Spent all my summers as a kid on the beach, so I have had my share of sun, and I am very fair on top of that.  They gave me hydrocortozone for that because it's pretty itchy.  But nothing is sore.  I have two more weeks, I'm also worried how much worse it will get before I finish.

Not a rant about the weather, but I had an inch of ice I had to pick off my car this morning.  Luckily it was warm enough today that all the snow and ice we got yesterday is all melted now.  Good sign for the trick or treaters tomorrow.  Have my candy ready.  I think I overbought big time.  Hopefully I will keep from eating too much of it.  Happy Halloween everyone!

I've been off the board for several days, so I'm pages and pages behind. I hope everyone is doing well. My almost 93 year old dad was in the hospital for several days with pneumonia and a UTI. He was then sent to rehab. They wanted him to stay a week. He lasted less than 48 hours before we took him home. He's up and walking with his cane, but still weak. He doesn't remember that he had pneumonia or that he was even in the hospital, so he couldn't figure out why he had to stay in rehab. I got him out of the house for a while yesterday before the storm hit to take him shopping for a new recliner. He has a power lift one with heat and massage, but it's too big for him. He manged to slide down in it and was too weak to pull himself up. He was too far down for my DB#2 to use the power lift. He would have slid right out of the chair.After DB manages to pull him up and get him out of the chair. Dad comments that he's weak and should be in the hospital - no kidding. His memory loss and dementia are getting worse. If it wasn't for the housekeeper that comes every day, we would never be able to keep him at home. We may get to that point eventually and based on his brief rehab stay, it won't be an easy transition.

Thanks Ya Ya. Unfortunately, my family has been through this before. I lost my mother to Alzheimer's. She was a 2 time BC survivor and it was so awful to watch her slip away bit by bit that I think I would have rather lost her to BC. My father's dementia seems different. He knows us (usually) and still has most of his self help skills. He has absolutely no short term memory. It's like that Drew Barrymore movie "Fifty First Dates" everyday. His long term memory isn't so hot either. His clearest memories are about  60 + years ago. The only good thing is that he seems to have forgotten the horrors he witnessed during WW2 and is no longer having nighmares about it.

How s this for a cool Halloween pumpkin

My pumpkins are nearly as fancy, but here they are:

Happy Halloween! Boooooooooooooooooooo!

elimar...

Oops...my bad! What I meant was "aren't"...not "are"! Geesh...I'm such a dork! Or I have happy fingers!

I like using those patterns you can buy. Makes jack-o-lanterns pretty cool. I'm not nearly creative enough to come up with the designs.

Wow when I got on it said the last time was the 18th, guess I have been off for awhile.  Lots going on.

SherryC - so sorry you are having to deal with more surgery but I like your boss.  You just need to get healthy.  By the way, my son is heading down to San Antonio Sunday.  The band got 2nd in Area UIL band compention and earned the honour of going to State.  They play at the Alamo Dome Tuesday.  I will not be able to make the trip due to work and I messed up my knee.

Concerning my knee, must of messed it up when I helped out on one of the Band competions.  My orthpidic Dr is being conservative.  Gave me a cortizone shot, doing PT and then see at the end of this month if we need an MRI.

Since I have not kept up on things, best wishes to all going though treatments and surgeries.  Hope everyone had a safe Holloween.

Fomerly mjbmiller.

Jessie

Jessie one of these days we will meet up cuz.

Lynniea so glad you are all finished with treatment.  Hope that special job comes your way.

When I first learned about the Day of the Dead I thought it was so nice.  I know your thinking eeww.  But its more of a tribute and a celebration for the people who have died more then anything.  The sugar skulls were so beautiful, I just had to get one.  Lol I thought of them as nipple tats to Barb.

A CWI is a certifited weld inspector. (which I hope to be one when I grow up).  I have to have his stamp of approval on the write ups that I have to do.

We Americans (Canada and US) take death WAY too seriously!! We don't let the real emotions out and think of it as too final. I like the way other cultures let their emotions out during the appropriate times and then celebrate the life of the one who passed.