MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

momine - how frustrating!  I do think Drs forget what they tell us sometimes...that drives me crazy!  Hope you get feeling better now that you can sleep on your right side

missingmercury - Right now I am wearing a cheap $4.98 bra from Walmart that has pockets and I have my foam boobs (that came with my after surgery camisole) in them.  I have a prescription for the "real" fake ones but had to cancel my appointment when I was sick a few weeks ago and haven't rescheduled it yet.  The foam ones and this bra are actually very comfortable and I forget they aren't mine!

nativemainer - Yes I am having some success with my work issues!  I do have a lot of fun with the personality tests and am looking forward to reading more over the weekend about the one I did yesterday.  I know this will help my work issues even more.

macatac - I can relate to what you're saying...I'm still working, but it just doesn't mean the same to me anymore.  Doesn't seem as important to me as it was before.  Glad your procedure went well!  Enjoy that new car!!

glennie - hang in there with the hot flashes - think positive "no estrogen" thoughts!!

I suppose I should go make some dinner...I have some chicken waiting to be cooked.  But first...I almost forgot to mention what the dietician told me today.  She said she would recommend I stay completely away from soy protein (also soy protein isolate if those two things are different - I'm not sure) and soy oil but said soy lecithin wouldn't be a problem.  She also said to stay away from ground flax.  She said she wouldn't be too worried about it if my gluten free bread had a few flax seeds since those aren't really digested, but nothing ground was allowed.  Unfortunately my favorite gluten free bread has both ground flax meal and flax seeds, so I guess that's off the list!  She gave me a few links to some healthy eating websites, but I haven't been to them yet and don't have it in front of me.  Will post that over the weekend in case anyone is interested.

Missingmercury, sometimes I wear foobs, sometimes not. My foobs are not proper prosthetics, just a pair of silicone bra liners from a lingerie shop. They are meant to bump you up a cup size and they do! In my case from 0 to an AA. It is enough to make clothes hang right (to my eye that is) and make it seem like I might have boobs. I also like having a bit of a buffer between my chest and the world. It took some time to get used to it, but I have no regrets and no desire to do recon.

Kathec, I was doing the same, but I only have very mild LE that is currently under control. Thing is that the struggle to be conscious of my sleeping position, while I was sleeping, really interfered with my sleep. When I came home from the hip X-ray and everything, I slept for an hour, and then I slept 10 hours straight that night. It is the first time I have slept deeply in years.

Barsco, thanks so much. The timing was so weird, the day after getting high-5s from my onc.

Mel147, WAAAAY better. I probably still should be a bit careful, because certain positions on that side clearly bother the lymph flow, but just being able to sleep without being nervous the while time is a vast improvement.

The soft bras I have tried cut to close to my underarms and that is not comfortable.  My problem is all my shirts are cut for DD's.  I am better than I thought I would be with flat, but I cannot afford a whole new wardrobe right now.  At least it is cooler now and I can wear neck scarves.

I bought a genie bra and it is not bad.  those forms in the cups get moved around sometimes though.  lol

yes.  I should free it so I can just slip it in.  lol.  duh.

eli, very well written article. Hard to believe it was written 13 years ago. I feel like you, that pinktober has just gotten to be "more". My sister died 15 years ago and really how much has really improved since. I certainly learned a lot from her I hope the medical research people did too.

Another thing that has me a bit annoyed, I am part of the Sister Study. Twice in the last few months the examiner has not shown up for scheduled exams at my house. No call, no nothing. This is after I have scraped dust off the tops of my door frames, filled out a detailed questionnaire about my previous 24 hours, not eaten for 12 hours and collected my first pee of the day. I like how it takes into account the environmental factors, but they need to get some better personnel. The last time they did all this for me was probably 10 years ago. That time it was a piece of cake. I don't know why it bothers me so much, it's not like I'm losing work time or anything. 

I really, really hope I can find a dentist to extract my frigging tooth tomorrow. The joys of living on an island. And the fact that all medical professionals are so specialized.  My wonderful dentist told me on Friday afternoon that it needs to come out but he couldn't do it. agghhh!

mac - how frustrating that you were stood up, especially after fasting etc. I really wish we could charge a "no show" fee for those who are so inconsiderate. On the positive - your door frames are dust free. Hope you can get that tooth taken care of.

Well, I got an appt to get tooth extracted this afternoon, waited in stand by to get my car off island.  Of course I needed to fill out a medical questionnaire. So the doc wanted me to be on an antibiotic for a few days and he also wanted to check my blood levels. He put on the lab work paper that it was because of the tamoxifen script. Anyone else had this happen? This guy is more cautious than my BS. So I gotta wait until friday or there is a cancellation. I was so bummed! They had me all suited up and all the instruments out. I had even downed my little helpers to keep me calm. So another nap in the car on the way home. He claims the antibiotic should make my mouth feel better.

mel, I find that some people seem to be so caught up with what is going  on with them, they barely notice other people around them. That's nice that you brought a positive lesson from the episode. 

thanks bars! The regional manager of the program called me and asked if I would stay patient and hang in with them. She apologized a few times.  They were actually worried about their examiner. So we'll see.

It is not bulky sweater season yet down here, but I will enjoy it once it does get here.  Hope you like the book, missingmerc,,,, and remember keep a positive attitude!   **smirk**   total sarcasm,,,, we need a sarcasm icon here!

Wow, Mel, I can see why that cheezed you off. What is with people???? They can't see any further than themselves??

ELIMAR! LOVE THE LEAVES!

Losing pets stinks. It makes it worse when you have to be strong because your kids are mourning too. We have lost 2 dogs this year. Our first was a rat terrier that we had for 13 years. That's my 12 year olds whole life. My 18 year old took it the hardest. It was terrible. We then got a lab puppy and it got Parvo at 5 months and died in just a few days. Now we got a rescue dog that is half pit bull and half German Shepherd. He's about a year old and is an awesome dog named Hercules. He doesn't replace the others but he definitely has become part of the family! I can't imagine life without a dog.

Sorry for all your loss of pets, they truly are a part of our families and not just pets. I lost my Pochi (one in avatar) a couple years ago, it devastated me, he was my baby. Even our cat took it hard so we got an older rescue cat for her. He passed away earlier this year of kidney failure he was 10 and our cat followed soon afterwards She was almost 9, she just died peacefully in her sleep.

We got 2 baby kittens for our younger girls. I'd love to get another Maltese type dog, just not ready right now.

oh, marl, we'll miss your popping in! I feel like the thread is going through a metamorphosis. The baton is being passed. We will try to carry on in the middie spirit. 

interesting video on male breast cancer! Pink & Blue; http://youtu.be/DXGhslH905s

Macatac, love that pic.  Not a cat person, but I have that pic, only at the bottom it says 'before the zombies get you'.

People forget this is not just a female issue.  We just have more breast tissue.

..and apparently I'm a didn't know it, poet.  lol.  Happy Hump Day!  Smile!