Great saying about depression

hey barbe, this is what they want me to wear to keep me off my back. It has to be prescribed. But it was not available when my PCP looked it up. I am most comfortable on my side. I remember at the study they had pasted wires behind my ears so it was uncomfortable to sleep on my side. I have to have a pillow between my knees and one hugged to my chest to take the pressure off. I spent many months on my back after the bc surgery, tho. So now another pillow behind me. lol. I already have a special pillow for my neck, compression gloves and night wrist splints. I am one attractive sleeper!

ha, ha, I just take out my hearing aids. Yep, I am using a pillow. Someone else suggested a tennis ball fixed to a belt. I really don't think I sleep much on my back. I always wake up on my side. Anyway, I am trying losing weight. I just wanta feel better.

I thought it was terribly unfair when the audiologist was testing my hearing she put a piece of paper up to her face so I couldn't read her lips. I had really gotten good at it over the years, too. My DD didn't believe me until she tested me on it. Blew her away. lol Mine aren't the programmable kind, those will be in my future no doubt. The Polar Express is good isn't it? I used to read the book to my kids when they were young.

lol, I know for us it takes more concentration to "listen" hence the ultimate attention. Of course, then for me is the bad memory, where I promply forget what we talked about,

Hi Barbe and Mac- just wanted to wish you a magical Christmas and New year, and may all your dreams come true!

Barbe - I am soooo proud of you- knew you could do it. Seems your old brain is still ticking over, and your people skills are coming into play!!! How is your back doing with the long hours?

Mac - Yahoo about your yearly check up! Fabulous news. Mac that belt they want you to buy looks awful!!! If you got any sleep wearing that I would be surprised. Looks like some torture device. The pillow sounds like a better option. I like putting a pillow there, as it allows you to change position from sleeping on the side to half sleeping on your side. It takes the pressure off your neck, and allows another position when you need to shift about a bit. I also sleep with a pillow under my knees, it takes the pressure off your lower back. Mac -I always imagined you as a tiny little thing - must be something to do with shoes and elves! Do you really need to lose weight, or are they being finicky? My son has an app on his phone, and it records all his calories etc. He has done amazingly well with it, and is his old slim self again.

I am sorry I haven't been on the thread for a while, but life has been hectic!! My Mom has been really poorly, and I have been popping around there to shower her etc. but have been thinking of you both.

Hey Maddie, good to see you back here. Sorry about your hecticness. Enjoy your time with your Mom, even as it is draining for you.

I am very short and getting shorter so "they" think I should weigh 30 lbs less than I do, which would bring me down to around 115. I have lost about 20lbs in the last year and 1 point off my BMI. (after being on those steroids for a year) This is just a quick way of getting it off and then the trick will be to keep it off.

I am just using a pillow so far to keep me on my side. We are also adjusting one of my meds from time released to plain and taken at night. We'll see.

barbe, I got my building permit. yahoo. Now I have painter's here to my house to paint the inside. Color choices are so hard. I wanted a Venetian stucco for my bedroom, but there are no paints with that name. They have names like "American Cheese". (I'm not kidding) So we are trying different samples. It is fun. The dog is freaked out, tho. Too much change. The workmen were so sweet they brought in my Christmas tree and set it up for me. It had been lying in the yard since Sat. So I will post pics soon. They are taking all the pics and things off the walls, so I will be able to rethink those options too.

barbe, when I was on arimidex I felt so crummy, I barely ate. I certainly was not exercising. I think I had put on extra weight while on the steroids and then lost it when I finally got off. So now I am basically "down" to my normal weight. But I am doing a strict low calorie diet supervised by my doc. I can eat lots of green veggies, but have to stick to the shakes and puddings and soups (provided by the program) otherwise. I am losing about 3 lbs a week. Slow and steady. 

Ahhh, the smell of fresh paint. I love the colors that we picked out. I'll post pics soon. I think I might be able to get back in my bedroom tonight. It's exciting.

The local BC support group is having a cookie swap tonight. ha ha, no baking for me, but maybe a nibble or two.

.

We had the same thought, Margaret.  I immediately came here where we all "met".  My heart is breaking to hear about our dear friend.  We found each other on this thread as we were all coming to grips with the emotional aftermath of cancer.  We all thought of ourselves as "done" with treatment and were now trying to navigate life after cancer.  Who would have ever guessed that some of our group weren't finished, yet, with this journey.  Claire will be missed by so many whose lives she touched.  

I am sorry to hear about Claire.  This is one of the mysteries about BC.  If you are not Stage 4 when you are diagnosed, how it can lie dormant for years then raise it's ugly head.  Then once again you are thrown into the challenges, fears, treatments, sadness and acceptance that goes along with a BC diagnosis.  The teachable moments when people think oh you are done.  Barb not sure, but red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow and that could be the physiology of dying from bone mets.  As we continue are walk it has hit me very strongly the last few days the things I learned while in the thick of my breast cancer story when all went wrong are easy to let slide.  Good, valuable and needed lessons.  How important it is to hold on to those.  The time of refinement in my spirit, thoughts and actions.  Kate you indicated how strong and brave she was.  She held on to those first lessons.  I hope we all do. Have a great holiday weekend.  I will keep Claire and all of us facing BC no matter what stage we are in on this path in my thoughts.  Take gentle care. 

Thanks for posting responses ladies, and for all the information specific to Claire, Kate. So very, very sad

I have to bring my DH with me when I see a doc about my back so HE can tell them how bad I am. Otherwise they just think I'm a whining female and I HATE that!!! But come on! With a diagnosis already of cancer, the doctors just have to be more aggressive....it reminds me of another member who died of mets when the doctors ignored her shoulder pain...sigh.

Yes, you have to be your best advocate.  After my bi-lateral mastectomy my stomache was unusually bloated.  I felt as if I had some kind of blockage lower left and thought..do I have lympahdema in my stomache?  I went to my BS, PS, Internist and of course my Oncologist all who dismissed it because I had NO PAIN.  I told my Oncologist, c'mon you and I both know by the time it hits pain level it's way far gone.  I begged for a scan of any sort and none of them would do it!  Finally I went to a NEW OB/GYN and asked her.  She said you mean to tell me you have history of cancer and not one of your doctors would do a scan....yep that's it Doc.  Will you please?  Well she did and I had Kidney Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma that was worse than my stage 1 invasive breast cancer.  We caught it just in time that it had not spread outside the wall and was 5cm.  I had surgery and I  am doing great!  Advocate Advocate, you know your body better than anyone!!