Calling all TNs

Good Evening Ladies

Not so good today. I think that darn taxol is catching up with me. Aching joints,  headaches, numbness in the side of my hand and general fatigue, mouth ulcers as big as rocks, furred up tongue and blocked and runny nose.  So ugh.   On top of that I woke up with a boil or cyst lump of some sort on a very private part so a trip to the doc's was in order.  The only trouble was our doctors were on duty and none of those doc's there have ever seen my anatomy before.  Anyway I grabbed my daughter to come with me cause old fellar was out (probably buying brazil nuts) and off we went.  Needn't have worried,  so professional,  and had a good laugh with the nurses and staff as a bonus.     But I am on antibiotics now so hopefully they will go with the other crap I am taking. Even took a nap this afternoon cause I didn't feel right.    Anyone ever had a boil before and can advise the best way to treat one?.  It's certainly uncomfortable when I sit down.    Oh my God  am I in a bad way or what.  But thinking of you all and our dear Karen who also has troubles. Hopefully things will be better for us tomorrow.   Big hugs ladies. Annie

CS - I too had a boil under my arm and it was painful. This was about a year and a half ago and we had quite a discussion on this thread about home remedies, black oil, etc. I wasn't alone.  I ended up on antibiotics and used boiled water with epson salt compresses. The big bandages taped under my arm were a lovely site when I went to a work formal gala (wore a shawl to cover it). Hang in there...

live-laugh- I too just got a job (March) with the local elementary school as a paraprofessional in the special ed-life skills classroom. So, I have the summer off too! This is the first time I have had a job in 10 years! I have been a stay at home Mom for all that time. Although, I guess it really isn't time off because I have my 2 kids 24/7!!

Tazzy- Woo Hoo for finishing chemo!!

Happy Saturday ladies!!

Cocker - when I mention SE from Taxol, I completely forgot about those damn boils! All mine were in my lady bits and the nether regions. A bit hard to stick bandages there!!!! Warm compresses are the most common treatment. Warm Tea bags also work well (they are often used for sty's in the eyelid. It's an old-fashioned remedy, but they actually found out the tannic acid in tea helps, but I've forgotten why). There is another old time remedy that works well, but it's hard to find and you usually have have a pharmacist make it up for you. It is called Icthamol. It's a combination of petroleum jelly and coal tar. You put it on the boil, and cover it with an occlusive dressing (fancy word for a gauze dressing with plastic over it) . The plastic keeps heat in the area to help bring circulation to the area. This stuff is old school, but works really well. Rest up my little friend, and I hope you feel better soon. (sorry, I'm also laughing here because I'm remebering having to bend over and spread em, for my first round of boils)



L-L-L Nice to see you, enjoy your vacation



Tifj - * thumps TIFJ on the head*. You've been working all along!!!!



OBXK - sending hugs and good thoughts.

Tifj - Amen!!!!

Good Morning Ladies

Well I'm still here complete with boil.  When I found the lump in the middle of the night my eyes were instantly wide open.  I must have looked like a possum in headlights.  Panic panic,  sweat sweat.   I nudged the old fellar awake (very hard). He said wot, wot wotsamater. I said I've got cancer down there! he said down where, so I said you know down there, he said tell me about it in the morning. Fat lot of good he was. Hell this could have been life threatening and he wants to know in the morning!!. I'm thinking of trading him in for two 30 yr olds.

Well the doc gave me some magnesium sulfate paste to put on it but like Kathrynn says its hard to get a bandage down there and it keeps coming off and I feel like I am walking funny so everyone will know!! lol. 

I feel better today but I'm not sure I will make the 12 taxol cause me fingers feel funny and numb.

Sugar - boils may only be little but they pack quite a painful punch. That would have been sore under your arm and I have to sit down very gingerly. 

Kathrynn - what do you mean ALL of yours were in your "lady Bits" (just love that).  Panic panic,  how many of the friggin things do we get.     

OBXK - your dear hubby  will understand what you are going through and "your Rock' will be there for you every step of the way as you would him and just as we will be for you.    We are all as one through this battle, through the good and bad days and the tears. That is the only thing that is good about cancer it brings people together in so many ways just when we need a helping hand or a sympathetic ear even though we have never met. Your hubby and your dear son's will help you through this time and hopefully tomorrow may be brighter for you. Just hang in there you can get through these horrible days.    Thinking of you heaps and sending lots of love.          

Tifj - I have just heard my dear feller turn on the vaccuum cleaner. Wonders will never cease to happen.  Just tell your dear fellar that you work, he works, so you are both responsible for cleaning and that he can throw together something for dinner just as well as you can.  Remind him that marriage is a partnership so he'd better do his share or you will get Annie on to him. 

Clowngirl - welcome back. We have been wondering where you were.  Hope everything is going ok for you.  We would just love it if you camp out on here with us, wouldn't have it any other way. 

Oh well girls,  what did I say about marriage being a partnership, better go and make sure the old fellar is making a good job of the vaccumming. (You thought I was going to say help him didn't you lol).

Have a good day.  Thinking of you all and sending lots of love. Annie.                      

And of course she just had to add a bit more!

I have just gone to have my shower and I found out that the dear fellar had left the hard backing bit of the plaster on as well as the plaster.  No friggin wonder I can't pee properly or sit down.  I told him and he had this funny (woops) look on his face then he said,  well I didn't know did I.  duh!.   Some mothers do have em.  I'm sure he was dropped on his head as a baby. Whenever he leaves sugar out of my coffee by mistake I always accuse him of trying to kill me.  Oh well ladies keep laughing.  Annie      

Clown - we'll be here, holding your hand.

Annie - your poor old dear! Pestering him in the middle of the night, complaining about his plaster job - and then he runs the sweeper! Sounds like a keeper! Glad your feeling better.



Babs - how horrible! I hope they run their course quickly.



Gave the 5 pound pooch a trim and bath - still have all my fingers!

Annie- I may complain about my "dear fellar", but I do have a great one so I shouldn't complain too much and he does help out when I ask, but i do have to ask. Hope your friend "down there" goes away soon!!

Tazzy- My numbness stopped not too long after the last taxotere, but I do still have an occasional tingle on the soles of my feet, on the left side of my tongue and mouth and on the palms of my hands. Nothing painful, just a little tingle that lasts a very short time.

Babs-sorry to hear about the shingles, but I'd take that over skin mets any day!! I wish you a speedy recovery!

Clowngirl- we are here to help- stick around!!

Hi!

I was just wondering out loud today while I was at work how the H*** did I make it through chemo, surgery, infections, radiation, (boils!)? Thinking of all that are in treatment. It is such a whirlwind that seems like it won't end, and I am so thankful mine did end(hopefully for awhile at least, a long while), and so sad that it has been non ending for many. Y'all probably don't even remember me! This thread moves so fast. Remember, I am the crazy one who posted very long posts while doing chemo in the hospital!

Hi can I jump in? Realizing we were probably on very similar meds and stuff, so probably similar lingering side effects too?  I have an extreme photo sensitivity since chemo.  My hands are very sensitive to hot water as well....weird?

Welcome Gina!

Bak...nice to see you "bak" on the thread. 

Bak - so nice to see you!



Sugar - *gigglesnort*.



Welcome Gina, jump right in, tis a lovely group. Neuropathy show in many different ways, so I would guess the problem with hot water is one of the variations.



OBXK - I'm on Neurontin also. Hasn't solved the problem, but it at least as toned it down. (there was a point during treatment where my feet felt like I was walking on hot, broken glass)



Off to install two new ceiling fans with roomie. I'm starting to love that man, lol

Been out of the loop for a few days while I went to my consult in NC w/Dr Carey.

All in all it was worth the trip. She is wonderful, UNC is a great facility. However, she had no real earth shattering news for me about what I should do about my TNBC and this local recurrance.  She said absolutely surgery, which I've done, absolutely radiation, which I'm starting hopefully next week, and she also suggested an anti hormonal since this recurrence is 1% ER+  as opposed to last time's 0%. She says any positive is a positive. And then her last thought - more chemo.She recommended FCM and/or TC, but said there is no data to prove it would help in my situation, a local recurrance after having done AC/Taxol. She said the AC/Taxol could have partially worked, no way to tell, but it is the strongest chemo out there and I can't do it again. So basically the decision to do more chemo is up to me because there's no data to help me out either way.

Great. If she would have said for sure it would help I'd consider it, but putting myself through 3-6 months of more hell for something that might not help and is sure to make me feel worse... I am thinking not.

She did stress that this does look pretty local, and if it would have metastisized she'd expect it to be on a similar schedule as the breast lump and should have shown up in the PET. So we are cautiously optimistic about that.

Metformin - she says the jury's still out, but if I want to take it, fine.

Last thing - Flying and the TSA. I did NOT want to go through the scanner since I'm about to get 35 doses of radiation and now have only half a breast. I told them I didn't want to go through so they gave me a pat down. While I was being patted down I told her I'd just had surgery, be careful, and she said next time just tell them I want to opt out because I had surgery and couldn't lift my arm. Which is only half true. But on the way back I tried it, and sure enough, they just had me go through the metal detector instead, no pat down, that was it! So keep that one in your back pocket next time you fly.

Morning Ladies,

Man this thread moves fast!!  I'm sure I'll forget somebody. 

Welcome back BAK - was starting to worry about you.

Karen - I'm so sorry, big hugs

Babs - hoping your singles clears up ASAP

CS - hoping the same for your boils.  I too, developed a lovely one in my girly bits too.  As if the entire situation isn't bad enough Chemo has to throw that one at us too.  I know we've moved on from the Physic conversation but wanted add my two cents.  I'm not for finding out my future anymore but after my mom died I REALLY wanted to find a reputable phyic to "contact" my mom.  I needed closure.  I still do, but I think I'll always be on the fence as to whether or not its real.