MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

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  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited October 2014


    Glad you and Abby are doing OK.  Enjoy the lovely weather!!

  • barsco1963
    barsco1963 Member Posts: 2,119
    edited October 2014

    Hooray for you Joni! 11-13-14 will be here before you know it!

    Booklady - glad to hear you are enjoying your weekend and a walk in the beautiful fall air. I am cozied up inside with the woodstove pumpin out the heat.

  • barsco1963
    barsco1963 Member Posts: 2,119
    edited October 2014

    Whew - today is wind down day. The 2nd Annual "Dancing with Elephants" fundraiser was held last night. This is an event I started last year and along with my sisters, family and friends, we were able to organize another very successful evening. Our wee community of 1100 came out to help support the event to the tune of almost $5000.00! The event is held to help create awareness of metastatic bc and raise $$ for mbc research. Feeling very proud and blessed today.

  • PoppyK
    PoppyK Member Posts: 1,805
    edited October 2014

    Awesome Barsco! Dancing with Elephants? How did you come up with this name?

  • barsco1963
    barsco1963 Member Posts: 2,119
    edited October 2014

    PoppyK - the elephant refers to mbc being the elephant in the room (a take on a Metavivor campaign) and dancing because those with mbc are living and dancing with the elephant every day. The original plan was an evening of music and I believe the name was a suggestion from a sister on bco. Hope that makes sense.

  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited October 2014


    Excellent, Barsco!!   Great name!!

  • HomeMom
    HomeMom Member Posts: 1,198
    edited October 2014

    Wow barsco, that is awesome - $5,000! Great job!

  • missingmercury
    missingmercury Member Posts: 161
    edited October 2014

    Booklady, I was told by my onc about thae 17th day.  That is about when I pulled out the first clump.  I pulled so many out that weekend I got my head shaved.  That was July and still only have a hint of stubble.  Should grow back after done with this taxol in early Dec.

    See my GI this week.  Chemo has my intestines so raw.

  • BookLady1
    BookLady1 Member Posts: 253
    edited October 2014

    missingmercury - I'm sorry to hear you have gut problems. I have chemo session #2 tomorrow and my biggest hope is that the gut SE's aren't as severe this time.  My hair starting coming out in clumps tonight! So weird. Just weird. I don't think I really believed it would happen. Denial, anyone? Linda

  • PoppyK
    PoppyK Member Posts: 1,805
    edited October 2014

    Linda, I was hoping I wouldn't lose my hair, too. I don't think it's denial... just hopeful!

  • BookLady1
    BookLady1 Member Posts: 253
    edited October 2014

    PoppyK - I think you are right. It was an innocent hope. Nothing wrong with that! Have a good night. Linda

  • macatacmv
    macatacmv Member Posts: 1,386
    edited October 2014

    love, love, love the pumpkin butt!

    I am finally starting to feel like myself again. Got the 3 crowns put in today. 

    Then had a trip to the ER because I had a tick on the top of the back of my thigh (yes, by the crease under my cheek) and my squeamish DD wouldn't touch it and I couldn't see it well enough. So I got the Lyme lecture from the doc, a dose of antibiotic and am good to go. 

  • missingmercury
    missingmercury Member Posts: 161
    edited October 2014

    I remember I pulled the first one out following the sentence to my mom; "My hair is supposed to start falling out about now, but not yet..aaaahhhhh!"

    I wonder if my gut issues would be so bad if I didn't have crohn's.  My onc thinks the chemo just has my bowels raw.

  • BookLady1
    BookLady1 Member Posts: 253
    edited October 2014

    missingmercury - I'm sure there's already a book of chemo hair stories out there loved yours! Jeez - Crohns on top of everything else? I'm sure the chemo added to that - I am sorry. I mean, really. Enough, already!

  • macatacmv
    macatacmv Member Posts: 1,386
    edited October 2014

    Joni, I forgot to say happy happy upcoming day. You give us hope that we'll make it thru, too.

    image

  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited October 2014

    Barsco,  I applaud you, sister-girl!  Just goes to show what a little grassroots effort can accomplish.  Bravo!

    merc,  If you are luck, you might have some coverage by Xmas.  (Might only be that baby chick fuzz at first, but still...)

    mac,  As you know, I am dentally challenged.  Crowns galore.  I feel your pain.  Sometimes I get dental anxiety so bad, I wake up at three in the morning and my first waking thought is my teeth.  If lifetime anxiety got tallied up, I'd have more tooth anxiety than what I had from my BC.  Glad you got fixed up.

    Spending my time doing Fall yardwork.  I think finally I am back to my proper energy level.  For a Middie, that is.  Good, but not 30-something good, ya know?

  • PoppyK
    PoppyK Member Posts: 1,805
    edited October 2014

    Love the picture of the goldens! They are wonderful dogs!

    I had my second chemo infusion a week ago... and I am exhausted. I hope to get some energy by next week. Just folding laundry saps what little energy I have.

    The good news is that my Pharmacology Oncologist changed some of the meds I'm taking to manage side effects; The hot flashes that came with starting chemo have been minimal!

    Hope everyone is having a good week!

  • mel147
    mel147 Member Posts: 479
    edited October 2014

    Hi, all - just got caught up reading everyone's posts.  I haven't been on much lately...I can't seem to get caught up!  Had two night meetings this week and, although tomorrow is my day off, I have a dentist appt, bible study and a drs appt.  Guess that laundry will not get done!  Then we have my husband's 30 yr HS reunion on Saturday.  His twin sister and her husband are coming in town sometime Saturday so I have to figure out how to get the house "company clean" before then.   Hoping next week will have less going on!

    Barsco - congrats on your very successful fundraising - that is awesome!  Wouldn't it be cool if you could market that and have Dancing with Elephants events pop up in other places like the races we see all around in October?

    mac - glad to hear your crowns are on!  Sorry about the tic, but happy you got it taken care of asap!

    missingmercury, booklady, poppyk and all those in the midst of chemo - sending good vibes your way!  Pamper yourselves as much as you can and hang in there!

    glennie - hiya!!  Hope you are doing well and feeling recovered after your surgery!

    joni - more congrats here!  

    elimar - have fun with the fall yardwork...I keep walking past my tiny garden in the front as I go in the garage and I look at it and think, someone really needs to get working on that, but so far, "someone" hasn't shown up to do it!  

    Have a good night everyone!

  • missingmercury
    missingmercury Member Posts: 161
    edited October 2014

    PoppyK, hope the new meds help.

    See my GI this morning.  More blood in my tbowl.  Though I am thinking they are right it is the chemo, I am glad I will be able to loop him in as he may have things that could help.  Plus he should know I am on imunosuppressants since I have an autoimmune disease.

  • missingmercury
    missingmercury Member Posts: 161
    edited October 2014
  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited October 2014


    Hi Mel,,, I am mostly recovered and back to work.  My estrogen level is "undetectable" now!!  Can you say HOT FLASHES????  OMG,,,,   sleeping is rough,, last night I tried melatonin and that seemed to help. Only woke up twice.

    Poppy:  I hope the new med combo will help! Glad your hot flashes have been minimal.

    Missingmerc:  UGH on more blood. Glad you are seeing the GI today. Hope you get some answers.   I like that about filling in the cracks with gold.

  • PoppyK
    PoppyK Member Posts: 1,805
    edited October 2014

    Glennie, I'm having only occasional hot flashes and am sleeping better thanks to the new meds. You might want to let your oncologist know about you SE, because the change in meds is really making a difference for me.

  • Dianarose
    Dianarose Member Posts: 2,407
    edited October 2014

    I haven't been here in so long. Sad to see so many new ladies. On the 19th I celebrated my 10 yr cancer versary! Sure did go by fast. Hubby and I worked out our problems and are having a blast working on our bucket list. We have done a lot of traveling and have more plans. We have gone to pro rodeo's, horseback riding, a lot of county fairs, PA a few times, up state NY, etc... Going to Tennessee next month and out west in January. We just bought 2 horses and are building a barn. The dam weather isn't cooperating though.  After many, many months of being sick they finally got an infection taken care of. All my blood work was normal including my tumor marker. Pap smear next week. That one scares me being how they found the dam mets in my ovary. Found a small lump right above the implant. Hoping that is nothing. 

    Hope everyone is doing great. I will have to catch up on reading the post during a blizzard or something when we are forced to stay home. 

  • barsco1963
    barsco1963 Member Posts: 2,119
    edited October 2014

    dianarose - so good to hear from you - and happy for you that you and DH have been able to work everything out and are once again able to get out and enjoy life! Sounds like you have been and will continue to be very busy. Wishing you continued marital bliss as well as good luck with upcoming tests. Hoping that lump is nothing serious.

    poppyk - hope some of that energy finds its way back for you. Until then - rest when needed. The laundry will wait.

    missingmerc - hope your appt with GI has given you some answers.

    glennie - glad to hear you have recovered well - those hot flashes though..........YIKES they can be hell for sure.

    mel - "company clean" - I like that. I think we often stress way too much for the sake of others opinions. Have a great time at the reunion.

    Dancing with Elephants actually started as a "coffee day" at a local coffee shop in 2012 when they donated all coffee sales to the cause. We raised about 400.00 that year. It was in year two that the "main event" was born and this year the campaign was expanded to two additional restaurants taking part. So who knows what it will become. It certainly has lots of potential.

     

     

  • BookLady1
    BookLady1 Member Posts: 253
    edited October 2014

    Hi - done with Round 2 chemo and Neurlasta and head shaved and wig cut and styled and trying baldness and caps and can you tell I'm going in circles from steroids? Ambian has been great for steroid days to get me some healing sleep at night. It's a little extreme as a remedy, but shaving my head has been the most relief I've ever gotten for hot flashes from Hell!

    Missingmercury hoping for relief with your gut issues and I admire you pushing for answers and relief. I, too, love your pot image and filling our cracks with something precious. Reminds me of one of my favorite lyrics - Leonard cohens "Anthem" 

  • BookLady1
    BookLady1 Member Posts: 253
    edited October 2014

    obviously the steroids are working on their own, here.  "ring the bells that still can ring forget your perfect offering there is a crack in everything that's how the light gets in" thanks, Leonard!

    PoppyK - I'm with you on the fatigue. Once the steroids have had there way with me I feel like I have hit a wall.  Glad you are continuing to take charge of your treatment and working on managing your SE's. You inspire us to do the same.

    Mel147 - you are bust, girl! Thanks for the pampering advice and don't forget that applies to you, too.

    Dianarose - you remind me of how glad I am to have found this group and look to the future and what life still holds for us. Having the expertise of women in the middle of these crazy years is priceless. Best luck with your tests. Heard this feeling called SCANXIETY - it fits.

    QUESTION - with my newly bald head, how do I care for the poor thing? Regular shampoo, any lotions or potions y'all reccomend? Thanks, Linda

  • BookLady1
    BookLady1 Member Posts: 253
    edited October 2014

    Mel147 - meant to say you are BUSY not bust. Maybe I shouldn't type on steroids.

  • macatacmv
    macatacmv Member Posts: 1,386
    edited October 2014

    dianarose, so good to hear you are back to living it up and traveling. Love the idea of having a horse, but sounds like a lot of work to me. Hope the weather starts cooperating for the barn building.

    barsco, what a great fundraiser. I love it when they start taking off and building  on their own almost. I hate when they get all corporate and business minded. I love the name.

    booklady, I hated steriods, too. I had to find things that calmed me down. I ended up doing jigsaw puzzles and playing lots of solitaire. Mindless things I could do with my hands.  Didn't really matter what the outcome was, no harm from any mistakes. 

    lol, I was like what picture of goldens, I don't see any goldens until today I was  at the top of the page. 

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited October 2014

    DianaRose - good to hear about all your adventures and good luck w/the tests. 

    BookLady - LOVE that quote, which I of course got from the Louise Penny book.  Since I've always bee a perfectionist, it's a great reminder for me.

  • missingmercury
    missingmercury Member Posts: 161
    edited October 2014

    GI sent me home with tubes for stool samples.  He is going to test to see if my crohns is active.

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