I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange
Comments
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I'm lucky I don't have to consider trying generics - the government system here gives me Arimidex or Aromasin at $34.20 per month - real value nearly $200. One thing I'll be watching for is that I'm still getting hot flushes. I hate them, but at least they tell me the drug is working. My SE's aren't too bad on Arimidex, just want to see what they're like on Aromasin.
Blue - what is wrong with your thyroid? Mine seems to be functioning normally but I have a large (5cm) goitre. I do take kelp but it hasn't done anything to the size.
Sue
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E, BD - hysterical, enemas...good thing I've been doing my Kegel exercises!
Still got everything crossed for a BORING scan.
BD - I am world's better since I got my thyroid stabilized - and take my meds faithfully. If I weren't so fat, all these pills would rattle as I walk....
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Can't offer anything about AIs -- since I had DCIS both times, I'm not a candidate (and I am still appallingly pre-meno at 54, a condition I expect to remedy next spring with an ooph). I did have a bad reaction years ago, as E said, to birth control pills by Ortho. Made me a homicidal maniac (actually locked myself in my bedroom for two days two months in a row). My gyn changed me to the same formulation, different manufacturer and -- voila! -- perfectly normal person. They explained to me that I likely had the reaction to the dye or the filler or the minute industrial byproducts that result from the manufacturing process.
Catching up from my vacation, I want to chime in about how crucial to my mental health you all are. Otter, your story about Mr. Otter not understanding why you come back here mirrors my DH's bewilderment. He is the most wonderful and supportive of husbands and those of you who have met him IRL (or heard the stories) will agree. But he worries that I am "too focused on the cancer even though it is gone" ....!!!!! I have had it twice. It will never be gone. While we were in Cancun last week, he came out with a shocker -- thanked me for not talking so much about cancer. He thought I was giving him a break. !!!!! No, the subject just didn't come up. But I am still recovering from a 20-hour surgery, facing another surgery in Stage II, and an ooph next spring. I explained gently to him about living in Cancerland. You move there when you are diagnosed. You might move out of it in 20 or 30 years if you don't recur, but in the main you live there. You move around in Normalland like you belong there, you interact with people in Normalland, and mostly they don't know you live in Cancerland. I will never leave Cancerland ... My dead-feeling breasts on my chest guarantee that. I will never, ever be the same person as I was. Ever. And you all are the people who Get It.
And what Sandy said -- we have made life-long real friendships here, not only in cyberspace. We meet each other (or not), but we know each other and depend on each other and love each other. There are always arms to catch you if you fall, to hold you up until you can find your feet again. I might not post a lot, but I am always here. Thank you all for being here for me.
And Cancun was nice and my belly wound is healing nicely!
Love you all!
L -
Well said Libby - totally agree. You girls mean so much to me. BCO has been a total life saver. I can only hope to meet you all one day - NOTL next year maybe.
Forgot to tell you, I finally went and had the genetic blood test on my way home yesterday. It was at the main public hospital, so I caught the bus there, then found the place without much trouble - didn't have to wait long which is unusual for a public hospital. While I'm waiting out comes a guy from work!!! - totally bizarre. We sat and had a wee chat. After the test, I hoofed it back to the bus station and only had to wait a few minutes for my bus home and I saved $1600 in the process. Love it!! I've been stuffing around getting around to it for a couple of weeks - glad I finally did it, for DD's sake not mine - results later this year probably after Xmas.
I wonder if you can use hot chocolate for enemas instead of coffee
Sue
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HL - so glad to see your post - sounds like Cancun did you a world of good. Please stop with the enemas ladies - I have a sore stomach from laughing but I do love my hot chocolate - or at least I did.
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I was drinking a hot chocolate at the time I wrote it - that's what made me think of it. I don't do coffee.
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...and I don't do enemas -- coffee, tea, hot chocolate or otherwise!HL -- Welcome back! Am sure you had a marvellous time lying in the shade, listening to the ocean waves, reading (how many?) books, and just totally relaxing just outside the door of Cancerland.
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Libby, so glad you had a great vaca and could not agree more about the bond we all have. Too busy. Did I tell you I hate my job?
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Susie, I had thyroid cancer 3 years ago. Two years after breast cancer and 7 years after my PD diagnosis. Doc tells me it was there before the BC which itself was slow growing. I'm a friggin mess but that's what happens to an A type personality, who's motto is perfection, perfection, perfection. Not anymore hahaha!
HL, great to see you back. Ditto what you said.
OK so for the lurkers doing the voodoo thing with me, knock it off! Present company excluded. I fell. Not once, but twice today crossing the street. Must remember I have spaghetti legs and should not run, even if the light changes....must have looked like a drunken sailor. LMBO! Sore shoulder and scraped knee to add to my woes.
Everything checks out ok with thyroid doc. I can check him off the list for another 6 months.
Linda, I've heard that parsley suppositories are to die for! hehehehehehe!!!!!
E, still thinking about you!
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Oh, Blue, I hate falling (and I do it regularly). Hugs, pal.
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The scan was boringly normal. Don't I feel like a big idiot hypochondriac.
Welcome back, HL!!
Blue, don't make me come up there and wrap you in bubble wrap. I will do it, I swear!
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E-so glad to hear about your scans. I've been thinking about you all day.
HL-welcome back. I'm glad you had such a nice relaxing vacation.
Blue-ouch! Be careful!
I so agree with what everyone else is saying. I have never met you all in person-maybe never will, since I'm way up in the NW corner of the US and a lot of you are in the east-but I am so glad you are all here to listen to me. There are things I just can't share with my husband and friends in real life. They all so want me to be "all better", and I think I am, but I have a hard time even saying that maybe I'm not.
Thank you all for being there.
Mary
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E, GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love it and you!
Yippy ti yi yippy.............
House is on.....ttyl.
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EEEEEEEEEEEEEE - yippee!!!!!!
Blue - Interesting you are a perfectionist too
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Oh E - thank God - you had me worried - Love you!
Blue - YIKES! Hope you're not feeling too awful - glad your thyroid is fine.
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E ... wOO hOO. Love that you get to feel like a big idiot silly hypochondriac worrywart!! Now go get something to eat, have a drink on the house and get some sleep tonight.
Glad to see you back Libby. Sounds like you had a good time and yeah for belly being almost healed!
I only talk about the cancerland stuff here too. People don't get it if they haven't been there. And to be honest I get annoyed at DH constantly talking about all of his aches and pains so I try hard not to do that in real life. But here I don't have to pretend that it's just all over with ... it's a safe little circle of reality and friendship we have here and I love being able to 'visit' with you all. Priceless.
Blue ... glad you got the all clear too! The tumbles not so good - hope the damage is very temporary. And that somebody found you a really nifty bandaid for the knees.
I've been fretting about Bren. Wasn't she supposed to be going back home today? Just a sad situation.
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This is the stuff the Twilight Zone is based on. So Ray comes and picks me up after my appointment. We go home and pick up the pooches and take them to the vets because their shots are due. Go back out to the car. It won't start. It's a new car so can't be the battery. Call roadside assistance. The tow truck comes and says, sorry it took so long but I was way over at "walk/don't walk" area (don't want to give my street address for privacy reasons). I said, oh ya. That's my neighbourhood. He says ya over at 123 My Street to pick up a black VW. OMG, I live at 121 My Street.
What are the odds. Him picking up my neighbour's car and then being called out to tow our vehicle. We were nowhere near our house. Half hour away! This guy services all of Toronto and the tow trucks here are a dime a dozen.
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Blue - hope the car is OK - totally weird eh? What a coincidence. Like me meeting that guy from work yesterday at the hospital - I only went there on a spur of the moment decision.
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Blue - sorry to remind you of your thyroid cancer with my recent biopsy - you are one brave lady!!!!
Sue
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Oh my goodness, E - I responded to your PM before reading your wonderful news!!!!!! Making my day.
The bonds that we have here are priceless to me. We are like a pride of lionesses - tender to each other and loving but also strong and brave in the face of adversity. I hope to go to a next NOTL>
Blue - have you tried just telling your brain to behave? LOL. I've tried that and it doesn't work for me and my disorder - drat.
I'm trying hot tea next!HL - you sum it up so well. We journeyed to cancerland against our will, but if we are here, we are here and there is nothing we can do about it - until we are able to leave, which not all of us will manage. People don't understand that one has literally had to move to a new place. Hope you continue to have more energy, though, and hope the ooph will be kind to your system.
((((Susie)))) glad you are doing a bit better. I think PTSD-ish symptoms are there for a lot of us. Or sometimes we are just emotionally exhausted from it all. I have felt that way recently.
Getting a new computer today - yey!! I will enjoy unwrapping my toy tonight after I come home from work. This old clunker I am writing on is 8 years old!
Have a good day, everyone.
Blue, do you have any jokes for us?
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E - YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!!!!! Probably all our collective worrying with you helped make it so BORING. YEAH, boring scans.
Blue - ouch. Arnica Gel when it first happens, then I SWEAR by Red Tiger Balm for healing. Stains clothes, but they now make PATCHES - big PATCHES. My acupuncturist put one on my ankle after I did a real twisty on it, looked like an elephants, Cankle to the 100th degree - large patch, stays on for a day, or more - and VOILA - all swelling gone, no black & blue, PAIN FREE God, I love Red Tiger Balm, stronger than the white (non staining one)
I think most of us on the A Team have some of the wobblies, you, with PD, are a FIGHTER just to be keeping moving. INSPIRING.
Libby - perfect words, just perfect. And afer 20 hours of surgery, and more to come - how could anyone think you were "done." Numb boobs says it all for me. I have yet to be able to shave under my arms without leaving gashes! Thank you all for getting it - really, just a Refuge for Sanity here. Also, good laughs.
I still giggle about the flies in the lightbulb, and how long it took me to get it
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Went to bed an hour and a half ago - up again and I took melatonin. Just took another one to see if that works. Lucky it's not too late yet - 10:30ish.
We have had no rain for 15 days!!!! -
Moring ladies,
Very sore today so can't type much. Athena, will look for some jokes when my body co-operates.
Much love to all.
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Argggh sorry, Blue. Hot bath, maybe?
HL once again manages to put into words how we all feel. Thank you, Happy One! I'm so glad you had a good, healing, relaxing time.
Athena, the "down boy/girl" telling of the brain just doesn't work. Idea for a new musical: "Brain Misbehavin'." The tender and musical story of a pack of PTSD-havin' scooter-drivin' daisy-paintin' cancer patients.
Thank you all for the power of collective worrying. And yes, I feel stupid and foolish. Better than feeling anxious and weepy, though. :-)
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For all my TEEPEEE friends.........and one in partcular. Baaahhhhhhhh Baaaaaahhhhhhhh!
http://travel.ca.msn.com/photogallery.aspx?cp-documentid=31361146&page=10"
Canada has a stable political system, economy and market; an open and tolerant society; and policies that encourage immigration."
We're No. 1! For the second year in a row, travellers, market research groups and other experts agree that our country boasts a stellar reputation, the best in the world, in fact. But did we really need a third party to tell us that? In recent years, we've shown the world that we can throw a party like it's nobody's business. The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games put the country on a global platform that illustrated our warmth, our natural beauty, and our self-deprecating sense of Canuck humour that endears us to the world so. Moreover, who knew we were such great mimes? RE: miming mechanic who fixed the pillar that failed to rise in the opening ceremonies. According to the Country Brand Index, Canada's tourism tagline "Keep Exploring" is a strong, successful marketing campaign, as is our iconic maple leaf, easily identifiable as distinctly Canadian. O, Canada, we like to think we speak for every proud Canuck when we say, we truly stand on guard for thee.
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Yay Canada! I have to say to all of my friends - if you've not visited Canada, you should. Great people overall!
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I have been to Toronto - wonderful city. Blue - hope your soreness goes away!
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I was listening to an interview a few days ago about a twenty-something young man who had managed to escape, with his family, from Mogadishu at the age of 8. He talked about how, before thye managed to leave, he and his brothers would stay safe during the day -- by going out into the desert and burying themselves up to the neck in the sand, with a small bush as decoy. They'd stay there all during the daylight hours and only come out in the dark.
And what do we complain about? The weather. The traffic. The government.
I remember my father -- when I was a girl and complaining about what seemed incredibly important to me at the time -- that I should be so very thankful to live in North America, the New World, the very best place in the world to live. And that I should be grateful my ancestors had the courage to come over here from the Old World to make a new start.And I truly am -- grateful, that is. -
E - please do NOT feel foolish about worrying - how could someone NOT worry when waiting for scan results? WE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR! Jeez - give yourself a break
Blue - LOVE the pic of Canada - and the word that comes to mind first is ALWAYS decency - and I keep remembering the Canadian bravery during Iran hostage crisis lo those many years ago - and that will ALWAYS be a huge part of my "feelings" about the country...still can "see" the HUGE thank you from Brookings in Washington DC....truly the BEST neighbor, ever!
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E
Of course you were worried. he weren't looking for rainbows in there!!! So glad everything is okay.
BlueOuch! But your Twilight Zone story is spooky.
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