Post Chemo Spa & Shape Up

Hello All,

I've been slammed at work with no time to post; am taking a little "lunch break" now.  Thanksgiving was good. Of course, ate too much as well. Overdid it a bit, as I joined Jenny Craig again, so ate pretty much what I wanted until I started the diet on Monday. I just want to nip in the bud, as I feel my will power slipping away with cookies in the office, etc. I think I've already lost 3 lbs. yippee. Got to get to the gym. I am thinking of buying a used Bow Flex. I just can't seem to get into the weights at the gym.  Tomorrow is my 6-month onc appt. and am dreading going in there for some reason. Just memories I guess.

Mizsissy, thanks for the webpage - your hard work is appreciated. I cannot see Dottie's pics, though. hmm. How is the diet coming? I am sure you are doing great.

Dottie - Way to go at the gym! That abs and glutes class sounds like a lot of tough fun! Exactly what I need. Have fun at Curves, I've known some ladies who did the program who loved it.

Cathy - how is that Wally Doodle? Keeping you on your toes if he is anything like my pup was! wow. What color are you doing your baseboards?

Mary - "Feed Me" sounds fabulous. Yum yum. I've never been to NOLA; maybe one day. I am glad to hear your hair is filling in.

Hi Carol, Casey, hope you guys are doing well!

Raye

Yes! I think we were posting at the same time. When I try to get into the group, I receive this message "You cannot view the group's content or participate in the group because you are not currently a member.  Members must be approved before joining. You must be a member of this group to read its archive. "

I can get into the other two: the one with your hair pics and the old stats doc, but not the group.

Thanks - any help would be appreciated!

Raye

Raye and Miz-Congrats on the weight loss! 

I have not had any sugar since Monday.  It's funny.  I stopped craving after the first couple of days.

Mary

Hi everybody:

I spent yesterday getting into the holiday spirit and it was so much fun.....shopping, that is.  I've been on the prowl for a Nintendo wii for my son and have been confronted with all the stores being out of stock.  I walked into the mall yesterday and thought I'd check at Gamestop and they were forming a line because they'd received a shipment.  What luck!!!!  I was sixth in line and elated that I got it.  I just love the thrill of the hunt.  Mary, I like to shop online, too.  If I can't be at the mall, I'm online!!!!

I've been walking with my friend but haven't been working out with the weights afterwards.  I need to get with the program! 

Hope everyone is well and as soon as things slow down for me I'll post my pix on Mizsissy's document.  My son has a birthday party today.

Take care,

Cathy

Casey - I am sorry to hear about your coworker - I hope he is doing better - any news? The Cleveland Clinic is a tremendous facility; they will take good care of him there.

Cathy - Glad to hear you like to shop! ugh, I just dread it. I've got a few things done, for which I am thankful for. Hope your Bday party went well.

Mizsissy - Haircut sounds cute! More manageable I am sure. I need to get mine cut, as the front looks a bit frizzy, but just hate the thought. Also, it is getting to be very hard to style it. I have been wearing a tiny ponytail in the back with all types of clips in it. Very professional, let me tell ya. I have a business trip next month, don't know what I am going to do.

Went for my 6-month checkup with onc last week. All was well, although I did get emotional while I was there. Crying in the room with the doc, she said "this isn't like you, you are always so up", but went on to explain that many pts get upset during follow up visits, due to the stress of being back in the onc office and the associations that go along with that.

Hope you all are well.

Raye

Hi ladies,

Not much news here, except our state looks like New Orleans all over again. I've never seen so much flooding in Wash... luckily nothing too close to home. Mizzy, I think our storm headed your way... Hope it didn't dump too much in your area.

I've been busy packing up DH ...sending him to Phoenix for a week with to golf with buddies. My sister and her DH are coming down from Anch for a couple days to go to the Seahawk game with me on Sunday. My fav sister of the five... looking forward to it! She had a breast scare last year in between my second and third surgery but her lump was calcification. yea.

Mary, glad your trip to NOLA was so fun! Still off sugar?

Cathy, I have friends looking for Wii here but all sold out... Happy b-day to RJ!

Raye, my trip to Onc last month was a teary one too, and she told me the same thing about "just being in the med office makes you think about mortality" ... so true!

Casey, hope you get some rest! I take one Trazodone (prescrip) maybe once a week, and sometimes an OTC version a second night...the rest of the nights are totally restless too...

BUT the good news -- I have been exercising regularly! I've been to Curves four times and go to spin & abs classes a couple times a week. I'm trying to cut out the alcohol but it's tough... especially this time of year... ugh. I also cut back Gabapentin (hot flash meds) from 2x per day to 1x so hope that weight gain will subside. I'd rather have the flashes than the pounds... What a struggle.

Carol, all well with you?

Hugs to all, Dottie.

Hi All - I am copying and pasting this from another board I am on - I've missed chatting with you all - BTW how is BelindaJo? Has anyone heard from her?

Hi Everyone, I see i have tons of posts to catch up on and not sure
when I will be able to do it all.  I don't know if you remember, but I
was going in for a hysterectomy on the 28th of November.
Unfortunately, I have had complications.  It seems that the surgeon
perforated my bladder.  I guess that complication is not all that
uncommon but when he went to repair the bladder he stitched my ureter
to it.  I was sent home in excruciating pain (fucking nurses aids kept
telling me I had to push out more gas, I kid you not.) With my ureter
blocked, my kidney went into shutdown.  I was re-admittted to the
hospital after 2 days and I now have a foley bag and a nephrostomy(?)
bag.  One bag for each leg.  Needless to say, I have been in a pretty
drug induced haze for the last week and a half and just now feel like
my head is clearing. I have to have both bags until Dec 17 when they
will try to use a guide wire to open the ureter and put in a stent.
They tried but were unsuccessful in the hospital.  The hope is that
the swelling will go down and bladder will have healed and they will
be able to get it through.  Otherwise, Not sure about the next step.
Anyway, I have missed you all and will try to catch up on the posts
over the next few days.  I am really hoping to have most of this
situation resolved by Christmas.  Cause, damn, it sure hard to get
shoes to match THESE bags! Carol

Hi everyone:

Glad everybody is reporting in.  I've been wondering where everyone was.  I have Belinda Jo's home phone # somewhere and will try to find it.  I haven't seen her lurking anywhere on the boards and I haven't heard from her since she had computer problems.

Carol - I'm so sorry to hear about your complications!!!  I will pray all goes well for you and you will be over this by Christmas.  Sounds like you still have a bit of humor left despite everything.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays.  We're celebrating Hanukkah and several birthdays this weekend with friends.  I'm trying to get my house decorated for Christmas but I still have a small plant shelf to paint.  I think I will paint tomorrow or beg my DH to do so.  I drug out some decorations for the yard today and have decorated my kitchen counter.  We're getting a tree this p.m.

I've still been walking everyday but have been slack on lifting weights.  I'm maintaining the weight but am thoroughly enjoying lots of dark chocolates everyday.  Last night I had some wonderful pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!!!!

Take care everybody and stay in touch!

Carol, I think you need a new surgeon...I am very, very concerned about what you went through.  Sometimes we have to be very aggressive and advocate for ourselves.  The way I found a good surgeon was the question the nurses at the Breast Cancer clinic...they all agreed on one man and he is terrific!!!

Maybe you have some similar channels you can work through.

Hi gals, nice to see all of you here.  It's nice to be able to look forward to the holidays without having the chemos and surgeries to deal with.  I can't even remember Christmas last year.  And Carol, we're so sorry you have to deal with this now, but we are hoping that everything gets resolved BEFORE Christmas (hopefully with a *new* surgeon).

Cathy, how much fun that you get to celebrate Hannukah AND Christmas..!!!

Now girls, let's enjoy the holidays, but remember....don't overdo!!  We don't need to overindulge to enjoy ourselves, and keep up the exercise.  I actually enjoy being outdoors more in the winter because you can really work up a head of steam without getting a hot flash...also cold air is denser and contains much more oxygen.  It's good for you!! 

xxxooo Mizsissy

PS...talked to Puppy this AM...her latest tip.  She says the best facial cream she knows of is Oil of Olay Regenerative...think I'll try some!!! 

Wow Carol.

That just makes me angry.

Please take care if yourself.  I hope you are feeling better.

Mary,

I am sorry to hear about the hair.  I would like to know who actually got thicker hair out of the deal.  You sure didn't, I didn't, Raye didn't and I remember my mom 28 years ago.  Pre chemo she had thick, gorgeous auburn hair; post chemo she had wispy strawberry blond hair that later turned mousy brown.

Dottie,

Glad to hear that the fav sis is coming to visit and the workouts are going well. 

I've been getting in a serious abdominal workout with all the coughing I have been doing.  Other than that I've done one maintenance workout on my trainer and spent a couple hours doing yard work today. (It was at least 70 degrees, there were little midges flying all about and I saw a dandelion in bloom. ) Happily I have not been putting on any weight.  I was at a shin dig last night and a woman asked me if I was a size 2.  I was very flattered but told her no, I was a size 8 and it was amazing what a well cut pair of jeans and high heels can do for the leg.  That's my holiday goal; that my jeans will still fit and my waist won't be hanging over my low rise jeans.

Mizzy,

I agree with Puppy about Oil of Olay but I really have not seen much difference in my skin with the regenerist vs regular lotions and so I stick with the less expensive regular lotion.

This week I'm meeting friends for dinner on Wednesday, shindig with friends on Thursday and Friday is the company Christmas party.  Lots of fun, lots of food and drinks.  I better be careful.

PS. My co-worker's fiance is doing much better. They replaced the aortic valve and repaired the mitral.  He is still in the hospital because they need to culture his blood and make sure he no longer has an infection.

Take care ladies   

PICTURES!!!  PICTURES??  No one has been updating our special dox except Dottie...!!!

Maybe we should just post them here.  Mary, I'd love to see your new pix.  Will you share them with us?

Ohh, seems like I'm always missing something, Mary, sorry I missed about your hair.  Have your tried Nioxin?   I was told to order the Nioxin kit for men and I think it DOES work.  For example, my hairline receded quite dramatically at my temples when my hair regrew, and I've been using it and the hair has been coming in!!  Give it a try.  Also, Puppy's routine also helps with hair growth!!

Puppy's computer is not working, but she is hoping for an Apple for Christmas, and she asked me to type this message for you:

"Sweet sisters, I feel so odd that I have made such a wonderful love and friendship with you and I cannot talk to you any more.  You are all always in my prayers and I think of you often.  Carol, my hearts breaks for you.  My prayers are and always have been and always will be will all of you.

"Raye, God always has a way to keep you and I together in spirit and I love you dearly." 

"I miss you all and hopefully I'll be back soon."

Puppy 

Here's a pic of Kathy and me shopping for new hats before the game. Pretty stylish, eh?

Dottie, very much enjoyed your pictures.  I love those earflap hats...chemosavvy.com has a really fluffy one lined with fur.

Hair Troubles Continue.  Or, maybe I'm being a little too blase about it.  With all the hot flashes I'm getting, I am uncomfortable in winter clothes and especially any kind of hat or turban.  So I usually start off with a turban in the AM but inevitably it comes off at the first hot flash.  DH is taking a few days off this week and yesterday I was sitting in my favorite chair in the living room and he comes over, pulls his comb out of his pocket and tries to improve things. Then this morning he offered me his hair gel.  ..I politely tried it.  I realize that some of my hair growth problem, especially the thinness around the temples, is probably due to the turbans.  So today I decided to give myself the full Puppy treatment...olive oil mixed with hot water, followed by the soda paste with shampoo and the minty rinse.  DH was waiting to me to finish my shower so he could take his, so I suggested this routine to him (since we are now sharing hair tips), and offer him the plastic cup I had just finished using, telling him to go downstairs and mix himself some water and olive oil.

He says, uh, there's some left in here, can't I just use this?  But he doesn't get it, that's the soda paste shampoo part, so I suggested, "Why don't you rinse that out and go down to the kitchen and mix yourself a fresh batch, put it on now, and then you wash your hair with your shampoo mixed with the baking soda paste.  By this time I'm out of the shower, and he says, "How about if I just use my own shampoo?!" 

Today is sunny and we were finally able to get out and run.  I had a six month checkup with my surgeon today.  We were actually glad for the outing after 5 days of fog, snow, sleet, and drizzle and being penned up inside.  We were both of us really getting a bad case of cabin fever. Yesterday we had a fire going early afternoon, and moved cocktail hour up to 3 pm out of pure boredom.  Ennui was hitting so hard we decided to go out to dinner.  I chose a salad trying to go light, but my Chicken Pavloc Salad turned out to be so loaded up with bleu heese, dried cherries and pine nuts it was very fattening (especially since I didn't resist the roll with garlic whipped butter that came with it and went ahead and had two).  I couldn't stop myself from stealing a few wonderful morsels of my husbands tender, delicious port steak medallions.  Then when he ordered a fried cookie dough ice cream sundae for dessert, I couldn't help having a few spoonfuls of that. By the time we waddled out of there, I felt V E R Y decadent.

I feel only slightly redeemed by the long walk we took last night in the cold sleet on slippery roads and our run this afternoon. 

Like everybody else, now that treatment is over I am worried about recurrence, especially in light of my high oncotype score.  I ask the doc, since there is really little chance of "cure" after recurrence, isn't there some way to check up so we can catch it before it gets too advanced.  And he explains to me that I've just made a contradiction.  Because it usually cannot be cured, there is almost no point to early detection...so I guess that satisfied me.  I guess the most important thing is to keep up our hormonals.

Carol, please keep us up-to-date with your treatment...we're anxious to have your situation resolved ASAP.  It is bad enough to have BC, but to put up with a surgeon's ineptitude is doubly infuriating!!!

Mizsissy