Calling all TNs

Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll ask my MO this week for his advise.   I already take a Trazadone for sleep (it is technically an antidepressant but used more often for sleep help).  It works most nights except on steroid night      Maybe I should just get up and work on a painting, then I would actually get something done.

Happy Easter everyone!   It is a beautiful, sunny day here in GA.

I remember Karen (OBXK) having Ativan and she found it helpful (she used to make me laugh when she'd put "along with a nice Merlot").

Hi  ladies I hope you are having a great Easter and your weather is kind to you.

The old feller - mmmm.  Well yesterday was a doozie.  When we came to view this house last September I noticed  a beautiful tree, not too large in the garden, with a bushy top and a bare trunk.  It had the most lovely red tips on the branches all over it but was out of shape.  The previous owner said it was a lovely smallish tree but it took a long time to grow.  Yesterday the old feller was home from the café so he asked me what I wanted done in the garden.  I said I would like that bushy tree to be rounded all over.  It wasn't so bad that it would take much to do.  I said I was going to get one of the girls at works husband to do it as he is a landscaper.  "Don't be silly woman, I can do that" said the old feller.  So with his shears in hand I left him to it.  About an hour later in he comes. I said how did it go and he mumbled something about having a rest.  When I went out to look I was struck dumb,  absolutely speechless.  Now most of you know that it is almost an improbability for me to be speechless (and for so long!!).  It is now one foot across at the widest part and about six feet long. It looks like an almost finished icecream on top of an icecream stick.  When I could finally talk I asked him what went wrong. He said I was clipping away and as I went around each side there was more and more sticking out so I chopped them all off.  We have always gone for a maintenance free garden because there was always so many other things to do but this time I was looking forward to putting in roses and spring bulbs. This story brings me to the conclusion that although he is a marvellous cook he is a shit gardener.  Moral of the story If you want any gardening done ladies please get in a landscaper or do it yourself. .                            

Congrats Lisa on your last chemo tomorrow! Yes, end of treatment can bring up lots of anxiety, but it does get better. So smart of you to ask for a summary of your treatment, great to have.

My baby ducks have grown so much and are so cute. I swear they listen to me better than the dogs, until I try to get them into their duck house at night. One night my husband and I were chasing them around, he kicked his flip flops off so he could run faster and my flip flop went flying and one of the ducks tripped over it. I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants! I had to sit down:) Lets just hope the neighbors were not watching:)

My good friend is in beauty school and asked if I would be willing to come in for a haircut for her first test. I did it and she did a great job, just took awhile. As I was sitting there looking in the mirror for so long I realized my face has gotten so fat! I haven't gained weight, but got to thinking and realized it is probably from the steroid shots I have been having for my back. I never looked into the side effects of the shots and my doc didn't tell me. I have had my limit of 3 shots for the year,  so hopefully the pain does not come back this time and I can lose some of this steroid puffiness. I remember when I took steroids with the chemo the same thing happened. Even though I have not gained weight with the steroids, I do need to lose lots of weight. I must, I must!

Cocker, inspired and all of you ladies-love ya! Glad you are all here and posting!

Oh, simple (and others that are doing rads), the fatigue was terrible for me. I had to take naps also, it is a great time to take it easy:) 

Bak- are your husband and mine possibly related?! He will NEVER hire anyone to do anything in or around the house, nor will he ask for help. I will say, the projects get done, but I'm not always happy with the result! He gripes about his Mom always hiring someone to do work for her because she doesn't want to bother any of her 3 sons. He doesn't see that he is just like her and, Lord help me, if I ever bring up that similarity he would go crazy on me!!

Lisa, congrats on finishing chemo today!  It's a wierd feeling walking out that last time.  It's a major milestone to be done with that.

Bak, thanks for the confirmation that I'm not the only one that needed extra rest during rads.  Now that I've decided to come home a lie down for an hour or two after each zapping, things seem to be going easier.  Today is #15 of 33.

Cat, I used trazadone and ativan both to help try to get some sleep the night after an infusion.  At least I was able to sleep for a few hours with that.

I had a really nice weekend with lots of social activities.  It's so nice to be able to be getting out more after months of chemo and recovering from surgery.  It makes me really appreciate everything we do.

A joke for today..

Bob:  Where did you get that watch?

Joe:  I won it in a race.

Bob:  How many were in the race?

Joe:  Just three, me, the owner of the watch, and the cop.

Happy Monday everyone.  May the sun shine warmly on your face.  Jan

ALHusband - Prayers for calm and faith for you and your wife as you wait for results, and prayers for a very unremarkable scan.

Lisa - Congrats on final chemo day! Celebrate big.

Syl and Lisa - Love the updated photos!

Cocker I resent your abolishing all of us husbands to the grubber. I'm sure that tree looked fabulous and you just couldn't appreciate "modern abstract art". I'll bet EVERYONE's trees are round. Why would you want to be like everyone else? Dare to be different! March to your own drummer. One year, in my younger days, my mom bugged my brothers and me incessantly to set up the artificial Christmas tree. After she resorted to an angry rant and threatened us, we did it, while she went out shopping. Well, when she came home we had intentionally set it up with the short branches on the bottom working up to the long branches at the top. A completely upside down Christmas tree. And we fully decorated it with lights, ornaments and garland. It was a thing of beauty! Until she came home and exploded.

ALHusband, saying a prayer wrapped in a hug. 

For those who are having trouble sleeping, my MO suggested melatonin and said to use it for a couple weeks before I decide if it works or not. I found going months with very interrupted sleep patterns because of all this that taking  it did help a lot. Now I only take it if I wake up in the middle of the night unusually awake. She said the sublingual type doesn't have to go through your liver. 

Also thinking of broccoli and smoothies, I also put in bok  choy!  Wow fragmented thinking today. Ahhh chemo? Age? Whatever, it's warm out today and I can't wait for summer! 

Hello all,

I just realized I shouldn't just say 'ladies'. Didn't think of the menfolk!  

ALHusband- wishing and praying for a totally unremarkable scan!

Cocker- story about your old feller cracks me up!  He sounds like my old boy.

Lisa- congrats on finishing up chemo!  

Simple- sounds like you have figured out a good way to get thru rads.

Clarrn, Holly, and the rest- you all look beautiful with short hair!

Here's hoping for a good week for all.

Hugs,  lilyrose

Looking around my garden this morning with tears in my eyes lol  remembering the tree,  it reminded me of last summer.  I brought this beautiful rose bush called Tess (they named it after my dog called Tessa, I'm sure of it).  Well some of the roses had finished and I asked the old feller to dead head a few of the roses on the top whilst I was at work. Well, he pruned it to an inch of its life (it was summer for God sake, who prunes in the summer).  That same week he decided to take Tessa for an earlier than usual clip as it was hot.  When she came back she was almost bare so I consoled myself that at least she matched the rose bush.   I suppose when it is my time to go at least I'll go with a smile on me face.      

Cocker- thank goodness our house is pretty new so our trees aren't big enough to trim yet!!

Linda-thank you for your response back. That was perfect! Just what I needed to hear on my last day of chemo and with all my underlying fears. I will have to read this over and over again. {{{hugs}}}

Lisa

My radiation started last Thursday (I started it a bit later as my genetic result took quite a while to come back).  Today I had a routine check up with my BS, and she found a tiny cyst in my opposite breast.  she ordered a ultrasound for me, and told me she is not worried but as my medical history, she wants to have it check out.  I am so panic!