anyone starting chemo in Nov 2005
Comments
-
Margerie - Woohooo...clean PET Scan and port is coming out! It looks like Christmas arrived early for you sister. ((((hugs))))
-
I thought you all would like to read this...
From the New York Times
The study, the largest and longest randomized one to date to examine how upper-body exercise affects breast cancer survivors at risk of contracting lymphedema, was published online Monday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The exercise group only increased how much they hoisted with their arms in the smallest increments possible. After six months of twice-weekly workouts, the 23 weight lifters found no difference in arm circumference and reported fewer symptoms than the 22 women in the control group.
"Doctors aren't telling women not to lift anything because they want to hold women back," Schmitz said. "It is because lymphedema is one of the most poorly understood, hated and feared side effects of breast cancer treatment and they don't want to see women suffer. There is a need for caution, but we have thrown the baby out with the bath water."
For more than a decade, many breast cancer survivors who feared lymphedema limited themselves to 5-pound weights. Others stopped lifting weights, choosing peace of mind over its potential benefits, like preventing osteoporosis.
Of the roughly 2 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, 30 percent have lymphedema, estimated Dr. Joseph Feldman, the medical director of the Lymphedema Treatment Center at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare in Evanston, Ill.
Research has only begun to confirm why some women develop the condition. Though it hasn't been proven, most experts agree that women who are overweight or who have had radiation treatments are more at risk. They also suspect that infection or an arm injury might cause lymphedema, as might cabin pressure during air travel.
Cheryl Hogle, a teacher's aide from Minneapolis, felt discomfort in her right arm after a flight. The swelling got so bad that her fine motor skills were affected, and eventually she struggled to open twist-cap bottles.
"People don't understand that it is chronic, painful," Hogle, 55, said. "And you can't hide a swollen arm." That didn't stop her from trying. She wore long-sleeve shirts when she jogged, unless it was too hot.
After participating in Schmitz's study, Hogle regained full use of her arm. And now that she has worked up to 60-pound lateral pull downs, she carries groceries that she would never have dared to lift before.
The study also validates what a handful of experts have practiced for years. Dr. Anne Rosenberg, a breast surgeon at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, said that she had found that patients who vigorously exercise their upper bodies do not necessarily have adverse effects. "You have to do it cautiously," she said. "But you can do it."
Some women living with lymphedema have managed to do repetitive upper-body exercise in a way that doesn't aggravate their symptoms. Two years after her right arm became painfully swollen, Tracy Novak, a conference manager at West Virginia University in Morgantown, began to swim again with the approval of her physical therapist. Monitoring her arm for swelling, Novak started by doing the breaststroke for 12 laps and is now swimming 40 laps. Having bolstered her upper body, she is again able to help care for her boyfriend's daughter, who has severe cerebral palsy.
In the last decade, Linda Miller, the director of the Breast Cancer Physical Therapy Center in Philadelphia, has found that patients who strengthen their arms controlled their lymphedema symptoms better than those who didn't lift weights. "For years, I was spitting in the wind," said Miller, a physical therapist. "This study is going to rock the lymphedema world."
Some experts remain unconvinced. Although the Minnesota study was well-designed, Feldman of the Lymphedema Treatment Center cautioned that it only tracked women for six months. (Schmitz recently began a yearlong weight lifting study with 288 breast cancer survivors, half of whom have lymphedema.)
Feldman said he would not start advising his patients to use weights heavier than 5 pounds until a study spanning several years was done. Exercisers should also always use a compression sleeve and have a lymphedema expert take their baseline measurements, Feldman said. "Better to err on the side of caution."
On the other hand, advocates of progressive weight training have begun to suggest that exercise may even protect breast cancer survivors against lymphedema, which is a buildup of lymphatic fluid under the skin. When lymph nodes are removed during surgery to gauge the spread of cancer, there are fewer nodes to drain the protein-rich fluid, and swelling can occur. But given that exercise enhances the flow of lymphatic fluid and improves protein reabsorption, Schmitz hypothesized in her study that it may help "prevent lymphedema."
Dr. Carolyn Kaelin, a surgeon and the founding director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, offered this theory. Slow, progressive upper-body weight training places a gentle stress on the channels that lymphatic fluid flows through, causing them to dilate slightly. She theorizes that the circumference of the channel may actually enlarge over time to accommodate extra fluid when there is an injury or stress.
Because acute injury often triggers lymphedema, experts remain adamant that it is possible to overdo exercise. A doctor mistakenly told Elizabeth Warren, a personal trainer in Chicago who had had nodes removed, that she was so fit that she need not worry about straining her body. But in 1995 she experienced a burning sensation as well as swelling in her left arm after catching a 135-pound weight that a client dropped.
The ordeal left Warren, 55, so devastated that she stopped lifting even the lightest weights. Her weakened upper body eventually became a problem. "Because I lost muscle tone," she said, "I kept hurting my arm." She now practices slow, progressive weight lifting, but she laments not being advised to do so earlier. If she had, Warren said, she might have avoided lymphedema or at least better managed her symptoms. -
A few seconds ago
Dearest sisters (and Joel),
Thank you so very much for your love and support. It really has made me feel better to return from my dad's funeral and see so many of my friends (of whom I have never "met") offer their sympathy.
My Dad's funeral was a bittersweet experience. They really made him look like his old self (we had a brief open casket time for immediate family and friends-mostly it was my husband, best friend and myself because everyone else was really scared to see him based on our stories).My dearest friend and former college roomate sang two beautiful hymns, and I, from the grace of God, spoke the eulogy. The eulogy went from being a "few words to help the priest speak the sermon" to three pages of thoughts and reflections on my Dad.
The priest was the bitter part. He never met my Dad, and I keep reminding myself that is the reason his sermon was horrid. Every person who spoke to me directly afterwards said they found his sermon to be borderline offensive.
The priest spoke, I mean droned, on and on about how we need to pray that my Dad gets out of Purgatory. I was raised Catholic, but have since converted. Purgatory was not something I wanted to be told that my Dad needed to get out of. It just seemed like everything he said was just not right.The funeral ceremony was the best part. My Dad was in the service, so he had the military there. They saluted the hearse as it drove up, and stayed at attention.
It was a horrible, dark and rainy day. However, we had the ceremony outside, and the military performed the flag ceremony, and in the distance, Taps was played (beautifully). My friend sang Amazing grace as they presented the flag to my brother (I told them to give it to him). It was amazing.
My Dad died in a rather undignified manner-he was sick for over a month and had not let on to that fact to my brother and I. He had cirrohsis (I don't even know how to spell the disease that killed him) of the liver. His belly had grown to look as though he were carrying a full term baby. His face became skeletal, and his shoulders showed how horribly bony he had become. His legs were also huge.He had been growing increasingly confused over the past 6 years, and I thought he was getting Alzheimers, or growing hard of hearing. His face was covered with red almost boil-like marks. I thought it was roseacea. The doctor said those were all connected to the liver beginning to shut down. We had no idea.
So, my heart ached in the manner he died-he was hallucinating on his last night, and he was as MAD as can be, because his body was going through withdrawal from no alcohol in his system. He had me in tears several times that night, but he knew it and apologized. However, he hadn't had a bath in who knows how long, he smelled horrible, his hair was matted and wild, and he was unshaven. And, he refused a bath over and over. So, when he died, he just plain looked awful.
That was the vision burned into my head, but the way they cleaned him up, and combed his hair, and the amazing military send off made him look like the gentleman I knew as my Daddy.He was sent to Heaven with dignity, and looked very handsome for my Mom, who has been waiting for him since she died 13 years ago.
Thank you all so much. This has been horrible, but I am so grateful for my sisters love.
Love and prayers, Deb -
Hello dear sisters. I just got off the phone with Deb and Kim. What an awesome feeling to be able to hear your voices. I thank God for bringing us together. May He shine His Healing Light on you both.
Love and hugs,
-
Deb - I just started a discussion thread on the whereabouts of the gift exchange.
http://community.breastcancer.org/topic/84/conversation/695599?page=1#idx_1
I also sent the moderators an email asking for their help in reviving the old discussion thread. Let's see what happens...
-
Odalys, It was just awesome to talk to you. Let's all try and do this a little more often-I really love to hear your voices, because I have grown to love you all so dearly. You all mean the world to me, and I thank God for you! Love and prayers, Debbie
-
Can someone email me Deb's address at ak825@ptd.net
thanks.
-
Good news, Margerie.
I too am thinking of our Kim.
((((((((Debbie))))))))
Love to all,
Anna -
Happy Thanksgiving Day sisters.
I am cooking the turkey this year. So I better get to the kitchen to marinade the bird. Yikes...I hope it turns out good.
Love and hugs to all,
-
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving....
Hugs to you all.
ML
-
Hey Ladies!
Who wants to do a "Secret Sister?" exchange for the holidays?
I was thinking we would do it pretty small scale, and just send our sister one gift (not like the now famous "Pink Ribbon" exchange which keeps disappearing!).We could do it where whomever emails me gets a number (I'd prefer that there are at least 3 of us doing it for it to be any fun!). We could then pick numbers for our secret sister. We could all mail the gift in the week before Christmas.
Anyone interested?
Love and prayers, Debps-I'm going to my pastor tonight for some grief couseling regarding my Dad's death. It still has me shaken.
-
Debby, put my name on the list! I think that is a wonderful idea.
I hope you will be feeling better soon. It takes some time to get through the death of a parent.
-
-
Deb - Count me in too...sounds like fun. Please take time to grieve. Daddies are so special. ((((hugs)))) BTW- I emailed the moderators to see if they can locate the gift exchange thread but so far no luck. Do you remember what thread it was in? She looked in the tripple neg thread but no luck. When you get a chance, look at your old posts maybe you will find it there.
Anna- Are you watching DWTS finals? Hot, hot,hot! My bet is on Helio.
I have some sad news... I just got word that mom has been admitted to the hospital again. Her end stage congestive heart failure is getting worse. She barely eats and has all kinds of stomach problems now. Her liver is severely decompensated from so many years being on so many medications. It doesn't look good ladies. You may recall, last year she was touch and go several times. Now she has deteriorated so much in the past year she barely looks like her self. She has lost about 60 pounds and is getting to be very forgetful. Ay, she told me the other day that she is very tired of living like this. There was something eerie about the way she said it. It seemed she was looking for my approval or something. Do you remember she almost died when I was undergoing chemo? Everyone kept telling her to hang on that I (we) needed her but now that I am strong I think she may let go. Sorry, I am a bit emotional right now. I think it's a good time to go pray, light a candle and call it a night.
Love and hugs to all my sisters.
-
Oh, my dear sister Odalys. What you are describing is all too fresh in my mind-watching your parent grow ill. I'm so deeply sorry that you are experiencing this, too. It is just so darned hard. We go through our lives having our parents take care of us and be the strong one, then suddenly we have to be the "grown up," and I hate it.
My prayers are with you and your family. Yes, be strong, but don't forget to feel the pain. You know that, I know. However, at times like this, it's always good to be reminded!
Kim? How/where are you? Please check in when you are able. We are all missing you and thinking of you!
Ok, I will keep the "enrollment" open for a holiday exchange for another couple of days! I am excited to do this, but have no idea how to keep it a secret from myself (know what I mean? I want to be suprised, too!).
Anna-how are you doing, dear sister? Marg-you too! ML-I have been peeking on your Myspace page but haven't done a thing on my own......your page looks awesome!
Love to all my sisters, and thank you for the hugs and support. I saw a grief counselor yesterday and am feeling better. Not healed, but better!
Love and prayers, Deb -
Deb and Odalys- So sorry you are both in tough times. I am not looking forward to seeing my parents decline. It must be very hard! My parents are physically healthy, but have many attitude/emotional problems- I just want to shake them and tell them to get a grip!! Anyway, my thoughts are with you both.
Am still thinking of Kim, miss hearing your updates. Good or bad- if you have enough energy Kim- let us know how you are!! Wishing for peace and comfort for you.............
I am doing great. Found out my tumor markers are 6. This is the lowest ever and my clean scans..... Life could not be better. Dec. 13th- I will be done with herceptin and port free. I am feeling so good. We just got a new puppy- so that dog soap opera is keeping me busy. He got out while we were out of town and ran into our neighbor's house and made himself right at home-LOL. The wife is terrified of dogs, but he is a huge baby so she was ok.
Oh and I forgot, I am in for the secret santa!! (And Deb- maybe you can have your hubs or a friend do the matching so you can be surprised!)
-
Odalys I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I remember daddy getting old and feble....and when I was home to see my son's new home I could see that my mom had really changed over this past year.
I guess this has to come with the cycle of life , but it sure does hurt.
-
Where is Lat56? She needs to check in too....
Hugs Kim, prayers are with you.
-
Debby, click add to friends on my profile and I will approve you. I can't find you by email....
-
Please count me in, Debbie, I'd love to participate in the secret pals.
Odalys, I am so sorry to hear about your mom. God be with you and your family.
And with dear Kim.
Love to all,
Anna -
I have fills again tomorrow, .... How many times did you all have to go to get where you had to be?
Glad I had skin spearing surgery done...I just have to get the middle filled up. But that is the radiated part and is very tough skin.
I have been using Mary Kay Extra Emollient night cream and it is really starting to be softer. That's some good stuff anyway.....But amazing what it will do to your breast....
Hope all of you are doing well and getting ready for Christmas....I will be glad when it is over. Just to much drama, and not the meaning of what it is all about.
Makes me so sad......How did God become such a dirty word?
-
Very good point, ML. I sometimes wonder about how God has become "embarrassing" to people, and offensive to others. It's sad.
That is just another thing that bc taught me. I was always what I thought to be a good Christian, but did I ever take a moment to share my faith with another? nooooo........
Now, I grasp at every chance I get. I still often miss those opportunities, but am certainly more aware.Thank you, by the way for the card, ML. I am so grateful for dear friends like you.
Thank you all for the well-wishes. I really and truly praise God for bringing you all to me and bringing us all together in this friendship and circle of sisterhood. This has been an awful two weeks.
I can hardly believe that two weeks seems like an eternity and yet so fast. It was just moments ago that we were in the car speeding to the hospital as fast as we could, and how I didn't think my legs could or would carry me to the ICU to my Dad. And how it felt to round that corner and see that I was too late. What a horrid time.Breast cancer was hard, but that tiny chunk of time in my life was even harder.
In other news....we actually got access to my Dad's money today, and both my brother and I agree that it is going to be a pretty good Christmas this year!
I love you all. Praying for you, dear Kim.
Love and prayers, Deb -
-
Thanks ladies. Mom is fragile but stable. The MRI and various scans did not reveal any new findings so the docs discharged her home today. I have to say her spirit is so strong. She by far the toughest fighter I've ever met. She had outlived her seven siblings and both parents. I can't imagine what that must feel like and I hope I never get to. Dad teases her by comparing her visits to the hospital almost like when you take an old car to the shop and they rebuild the engine, give it a tune up and overall and comes out as good as a new care. Ay...dad has such sense of humor.
Debbie - My heart aches for you as I read your last post. (((hugs)))
Mary Lou - there has been so much controversy lately with MySpace.com due to the teenager who committed suicide because of the cyber bully. You just never know who is reading your space.
Kim - I really enjoyed talking with you the other day. I hope you are feeling better and stronger. (((gentle hugs)))
Anna - Did you know I adopted a Maltese from the animal shelter? We named her Marcy. Sometimes we call her fluffy. So we now have to rescue dogs. Here they are...Maggie on the left and Marcy on the right.
It's late. I better get to bed. Good night sisters.
-
What a precious picture of the doggies!
Love to all-Love and prayers, Deb
-
What adorable little dogs!
Once the secret pals gets going, will we get each other's particulars? I feel a little out of the loop, esp. since I keep such bad records......
Is there a way to put this thread onto my favorites? I can't figure out how to access it fast. I got another thread onto my faves but have no idea how I did it.
Love to all,
Anna -
Anna - go to the top of the screen, at the bottow of the initial post by jetjill, and click add to favorites. It's that simple.
-
Hi everyone......
glitter-graphics.comMyspace.com can be a very bad place for some. You can block everyone from seeing your page if you want. You can even block the pictures if you want and let only the ones you want to show...
You have all the control. I have enjoyed my BreastCancer Sisterhood so much.....I have well over 200 friends now from all over the place.
And my personal page is awesome, I have friends there that I had in grade school....I can think of 6 right off the top of my head....It is so fun seeing there kids all grown now...wild thing to see...
I will be having a birthday next month...Boy I feel old.
BTW, Sebastian is walking....He was a trip last night.
His birthday is the 11th....
-
I didn't get fills last Friday, he is doing them tomorrow....I already have 600 CC's in there....OMG!
-
Sebastian is a CUTIE!!!!
Ok, I'm "closing" the sign-up for the secret sisters exchange tomorrow night at 7! I will be sending out an email sometime tomorrow night after that to those of you who are interested. So far I have
OdalysAnna
Mary Lou
Me
Margerie? You wanna join?
Still trying to figure out how to make it where I don't know who has me! Any ideas? I'm also thinking we set a $10 limit? Feel free to offer ideas there, too. I'm totally open!
By the way, being executor of an estate really sucks. This is making me have stress headaches. It is such a mess-our records don't coincide with GM's (where Dad retired). They say that my Dad cancelled an insurance policy-not according to our records. The trouble is, my Dad was SOOOOOO private about stuff, we have NO idea at all.Marg-yay on the low markers, by the way!
Love and prayers, Deb
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team