March Chit Chat thread

[Flagryl]

Milyn dear, what you are going through is just plain scary and awful. I know you will manage nevertheless. I hope your surgeons can provide more clarity on what's needed.

Clyde, I hope your swelling has subsided at least a little and you get some resolve. Congrats on the new grandbaby!

I tried a new approach to an old recipe for chicken fingers. Like always, I dipped them in milk and dredged in prepared Italian bread crumbs and browned in skillet. They don't take long to cook. Before serving, I topped each with some prepared pesto and shredded parmesan cheese. Turned off the heat an covered them while I put the salads and water on the table. Tasty and easy. Next time I'll try some spaghetti sauce instead of the pesto. I think I've seen that recipe before. Some goo it up with diced tomatoes and way too much cheese, not for me.

[Smilyn]

Thank you so much for all the comforting encouragement. I'm keeping some and passing it back around so everybody can share. Like a box of chocolate hugs! I am doing pretty well overall, but got myself into a state yesterday writing about different eras of my life and different ways my "floaters" had been part of same - and would not be. I blame it on the moon! Somehow I cried so much and scrubbed at my eyes while typing so much that I had 1.5 plum colored "shiners" that made me look like I'd been in the ring with a boxer. Stupidness. But in a way, the right thing to do. Honoring my own loss is part of the process. Or so I was assured by the Nurse Oncology Navigator I spoke with this morning to schedule the next MRI. That will happen between the two surgical appointments. The first of those, the furthest away, is next Monday. At least I got my crying done yesterday and not next Sunday. Still waiting to see if I go back for more back xrays. Pain meds he ordered have not arrived yet either. SMH. Fortunately we have some on hand. In other news; I had been trying to pay my credit card bill but was only remembering when nowhere near the PC and forgetting when I was at it. And today the stars aligned and I remembered in the right place - just in time to pay online. Yay! And lastly; we are reducing the storage space of mom's things to a much smaller space (and soon that will be gone too). One of the boxes brought here on Saturday turned out to be yet another 50lb box of jewelry! I just shook my head. I'm sorting that stuff upstairs and will open an ETSY shop or Poshmark or something when I can, as a lot is vintage and some 100 years old, with all the decades up to the 1990's represented, lol, mom was a serious girly girl - and magpie!

I loved reading that Joe is doing so well - cooking and using the walker! And that recipe sounded good Flagryl; covering things and letting them sit can be a wonderful ally for finishing a dish. I had to shake my head at the number of babies in that post about the new arrival. Wowsers. You got a bunch of cuddlers in your family!

[Huronna]

Another good day here, Joe went for a walk outside with Abraham, The PT and today he is trying to walk around the house without the walker. He's being careful as neither of us want any mishaps. It really is nice having a little help and not my having to do everything. I can't count how many times we have been through this scenario. It's always traumatic, but he always works hard to try and get back to where he was.

Milyn, do you have support groups to go to? It's so much to go through, I'd want someone to talk to who understood.
I finally have an appt of Thur. to see my trainer. have not seen him since Dec. We have a lot to catch up on besides exercising. And I need hugs from Sasha his akita LOL

[Smilyn]

Gald he has such a good PT and is doing so well.

Thank you Huronna... Yes; I have a few BC survivor friends. One is a negative connection as she regrets the choices she made and cries, but I called one on Sunday when I was crying and she helped. I also belong to two online groups. They are good, but the photos of mutilated surgeries and failed procedures are exhausting. I asked my friend if I should continue and she said yes. The doctors will not tell me what to do; they are legally restricted from that. But if I look at enough photos and read enough posts I can make a very detailed list of questions about problems and my desired outcomes that I can ask. They are required to answer them all, and often will give away more data than they planned as they do because of the "chatty" state that can ensue. From that data I can make a decision. IF and only if I ask every pertinent question. So I continue. Sometimes it is unbearably sad. But I am 6 days out from the first interview, so getting on with it.

[Huronna]

Joe's sister was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2000. she had surgery, chemo and radiation and had beaton wll odds as here it is 2023 and she is still around. about 5 years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but luckily it was small enough that surgery was not needed, just radiation and just as she was finishing that, the other side became positive. She's always been a great fighter...which you are also.
Remember also that Grassy has been a culprit of breast cancer also and I believe she has undergone surgery also, so you might pm her and talk to her. She is such an "up" person, I bet she can help you look on the bright side. You have been fighting so many battles since that nast COVID, that you will fight this one also and you will come out the winner.

ANother good day for Joe, only used the walker when he went out for the mail. He does keep it near the bed in case he gets up in the middle of the night and is unsteady, but hasn't used it , nor has he used it around the house. I do have to keep on him about not shuffling and to pick up his feet. Told him I don't want to hear him coming in the room (tile floors) picking up your feet is much quieter and shuffling. He has an appt. with his PC on Monday and I think next week is his last scheduled PT week.

I finally get to see my trainer tomorrow, with all Joe's appts and traveling I have not seen him since before Christmas. I need my hug from Sasha his akita

[Flagryl]

John's niece who turned 60 5 years ago decided to have a double mastectomy because she tested positive for the PALB2 gene. John's youngest sister died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 66 and decided to go through the genetic testing at UCLA before she passed. John's niece, from an older sister, researched gene and the double mastectomy surgery thoroughly. Not the sensational photos or blogs, but the facts. She did chat with some women who had undergone the surgery. It was a hard decision because it was voluntary. She has recovered very well. She called me after she got out of the recovery room. She has since retired and is volunteering as a pre school teacher and is also active with several other groups.

I just talked with my cousin, 78, who developed HERS2 Negative and had a lumpectomy 2 weeks ago. Tissues are good, signs the surgeon got it all. She had a complete hysterectomy at age 32 because of cancer. That was a rough go. Her mother had a double mastectomy in the 60s, smoked for many years. My mother had a mastectomy around the same time, she also smoked for most of her life. Mom died at 91. Her sister died at 96.

I hear you. It's upsetting. It would be good if you could trust your surgeon and research his/her track record. It's fairly uncommon for a surgeon with an excellent track record in a highly rated hospital to screw up. You might ask to talk with one of more of their patients who have gone through the surgery you are considering. Lots of hospitals have support groups. We have them here. I know John's niece was able to connect with a good group before and after surgery.

On the lighter side, I baked a Lemon Meringue pie. Meringue wasn't as high, I need fresh cream of tartar!! I had an ultra sound on my thyroid yesterday. Depending upon the results, I may or may not have another biopsy. I've had a series of 2, last one sampled 4 nodules. We'll see.

[Summer]

Just stopping in to say hi. Feeling really down today so just want to go and hide for now.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

[panthera66]

Hello all, so sorry for my absence no idea where the time is going, been so busy and in the evenings when home i have just caught up in emails, here and there and then bed.
We go to Scotland on Sunday 17th until Saturday 23rd March for a much needed break away, looking forward to trying to find the Loch Ness Monster and viewing the scenery around the area particularly Loch Ness and Ben Nevis.. My sister will be with me so hopefully we will have fun..

take care all will catch up when home again, have a great rest of the week..

[Huronna]

If you find it, take a photo HA AH, Have a wonderful time and thanks for stopping in. Sometimes the days just fly by in a wink

[Smilyn]

Thank you both... and Grassy too. She has already been supportive and is indeed a role model of positivity in all ways!

I have been ill for years now, and just recovering to the point I can think about resuming life - in spite of serious back issues to figure out. I don't want several surgeries in a row, radiation, chemo, the pain and infections I read about, cording, implant illness, more... I seem to be the one who gets all the unusual situations; and I know I am resistant to pain meds. Monday I see the woman surgeon who specializes in the newest surgery; it leaves a small shape without implants or another reconstructive procedure. It is even possible I might not need further treatments if the tests during surgery show which nodes to remove. But I may not be a candidate; a lot of skin is needed or I would be limited to going "aesthetic flat" from her. The sag I developed after Long Covid weight gain and loss may be my friend. We'll see. I am doing ok today. I am conversing with women in similar positions online; one is even considering that same doctor. No help to me, but I can be of help to her after Monday with my impressions. (She has nearly the same diagnoses.)

WE had a fire in a small firepit last night. We watched the bowl of the moon rise next to the "evening star" after a gently colorful sunrise filled the sky behind the budding tree branches. All our daffodils are in bloom along the long fence. It was really pretty!

Off to work in storage. Making headway. Have a good day all!

[Huronna]

Well after 23 years and three different Toyotas, today I was in an accident. Nothing serious, I just hit one of those big garbage cans with my side view mirror. You never realize how much you use that, especially on the interstates until it’s not there. So now I am in the Toyota service area and they have one in stock, it will take two hours and $575 and it will be fixed. I’m glad they had one in stock since my car is a 2018, and that they could do it today. Have iPad, will be ok

[Flagryl]

Milyn, I forgot to tell you my husband's niece who had the double opted to forego the implants after much research. She is very happy and stressfree. I wish you the very best as you consult with your surgeon.

Huronna, what a bummer. I have a 2019 Honda CRV Touring and some jerk parked next to me in the grocery store parking lot scraped my passenger door with perhaps his side mirror. No dent but the paint is compromised. I hate this.

Looks like another good sized snow storm on the way, we need the moisture and the temps will remain in the 40s so no biggie out here with all the sun.

[silk]

Milyn, my very best wishes to you during this grueling time.Good news of Joe Huronna but bummer on the car.

[Grassy]

Milyn, yikes! I totally understand all you are going through. I too opted out of reconstruction and instead went for a small cutlet that goes in my bra where that part of my breast would be, but seriously, I hardly ever use it. Only if I am going someplace fancier than Target or the grocery store and seriously, how often is that. It used to be in Ancient Greek times that the warrior women would intentionally cut their left breasts off so that they could shoot arrows better. You are a warrior, but I know shooting arrows is frowned on. But you get where I am going with this.

Do you do support groups? The American Cancer Society has them, and they also will pair you with a person who has your type of cancer and was your age at DX and is the same. It sometimes helps to have a cancer buddy who has the exact same "flavor" of cancer.

I was the first albino to have radiation on Mayo's breast service. My whole treatment was an unknown. I got every side effect in the book. But I am here. And now I feel better than before I even got breast cancer. It took a minute, and I am not going to BS you because it was a hard won achievement to get through it, but I did. You know from Covid Long Haul so I don't have to tell you, and I bet you are going Oh great, not again. I am so sorry you have to go through something else yet again.

If there is anything I can do to help, I am here on PM, on the board, or on Facebook.

Did they ever tell you what Stage you were?

Huronna, so glad Joe had several good days in a row! Bummer about the car, but glad they got it done.

Love and prayers to everyone who is having a tough time.

I got to see my brother this week. He and his family are well, except I did not get to see my niece as she stayed behind. She is a senior in high school and had work to do over the break. But I did get to see my two nephews. It was lovely.

Another niece is getting married Labor Day Weekend in Seattle, but I don't think I can go because Seattle is a very expensive city and although I am family, I am not in the wedding party so I am on my own for many things. Sid refuses to fly and I am unsure how I would navigate a city like Seattle on my own. Do any of us live there? Is it easy to get around there? Would Labor Day be an issue?

How is everyone?

Life is awesome here. Although it is supposed to be cold and windy here in Minnesota this weekend. Sid and I intend to stay in all weekend. Selection for NCAA Women's Basketball is Sunday evening so I am going to get my bracket ready for March Madness. I am ready for Spring. We really need moisture, but no snow, please.

[Huronna]

Glad you are around and will to help out Milyn. Only one who had walked that road is able to lend a good hand.
Today ends week three with PT and supposedly next week in the end and evaluation. Joe had an appt with his PC Doc Monday am and I'm going to suggest that if at all possible he have another 4 weeks.
He definitely needs it.
Saw my trainer yesterday and had a ball, saw my fussy bud, Sasha and saw the "baby" for the first time in months. It was hysterical, she is only 10 months old and not only is she walking like a champ, but she dances to salsa music and even stands there and does squats. I never laughed so hard, He was going to send me a video,. but he didn't.
Got another artist permission today and posted over 50 tubes. I was a busy beaver.

[Flagryl]

Grassy, your words are amazing. You are so centered. I'm sorry you are not comfortable w/Seattle but I get it. It's hard not to see family when you want. But, live happens. We just scratched a trip to Banff and Jasper because I'd have to negotiate everything and not sure about being that far away w/John and his issues.

On the plus side, we got 6-7 inches of snow and he was a rock star snowblowing our long, steep driveway. Physically he rocks.

My cousin who had the lumpectomy has to have radiation even though they think the tissues are fine, I don't get that. She was on oxygen for almost 2 weeks and is not doing well mentally. She is so stressed she has rashes all over her upper body. Not on meds so there's that. She's heavy, which is so hard for me to understand but her twin says it's been building. She just breaks my heart.

I spent the day on my lateral files. One and a half done and the other half to go. I've gone through all the files and thrown away irrelevant stuff and have made sure I've saved important info. Ton of recyclying. I have everything organized. When we sell the house, important house files are in order and our files are good to go.

Oh, these scam calls are driving me nuts. We've been getting calls at 6 am. So, I finally programed our phone to silence between 9 pm and 8 am and I methodically went through all the blocked calls. I realize they are spoof numbers so it doesn't do any good but I plan to put them on a spreadsheet and share them with the FBI. I've contacted them before and even though they know these are bogus numbers, it helps them. I discovered a spam Medicare outfit had been using one of our doctor's numbers so I blocked it only to realize later the number was spoofed so I unblocked it. This whole spam call stuff is %^$(*&.

[Smilyn]

I see the only dr who can do the new procedure I want tomorrow morning - 3 hours each way. Up before dawn. That will mean no implants, no radiation, not sure about chemo and apposed to the hormone blockers the oncologist wants to put me on anyway. But I may not qualify for more than a flat closure due to senior skin and breast size. Tons of paperwork ready. Headed for bed. It will be April 1st before I see the surgeon who does implant based surgeries. That will mean several operations, radiation, chemo, hormone blockers, more. I try not to think about it all, but Friday I was very angry all day. So much has been taken from me in recent history; mom, Zak, Amy, knee, hip, now breasts - but most importantly my hormone therapy, and the side effects that are coming are going to put me right back into a Long Covid relaps - either for real or becasue they add up to similar. Not to mention the potential for activating my Barrett's Esophagus preexisting condition. I am terrified. Everyone says things like: "oh... that (something) was easy but this (somehting) was hard; you'll get through it". I don't want to get through it. Any of it. But tomorrow morning is on the way. Grrrdnight. Thank you all.

[Flagryl]

I do hope your consult w/this doc today is going well. Of course you're angry and scared and of course all this is raining down when you've been through so much already. Heck of a note for sure. Darn it all!!!! Let us know how you come out.

[Huronna]

Waiting for the update also.
Joe say his Primary today and we discussed the PT, and he agreed to order another 12 sessions.
And I talked to his PT today and said he need to be more stern with Joe, a little more like a military drill instructor. So we shall see.

[Grassy]

Thanks for the kind words. It took years to get used to everything. I am a whole lot better now, more centered like Flagryl says. But it took a hot minute to get there. It goes in ebbs and flows. Sometimes I am really together and other times I am a hot mess. But I am always a hot mess with a hot glue gun and glitter, so there's that. Ha ha.

How was your appointment today Milyn?

Funny you should mention Barrett's Esophagus. Talk about six degrees of separation. The foremost authority on Barrett's Esophagus was a DO from the huge Seventh Day Adventist city of Battle Creek, MI, named Curt Barrett (no relation to the man the disorder is named after - that is just a coincidence.) Dr. Curt Barrett, DO, wrote a book called "Gut Health" that is the Gold Standard for Adventists and people wanting to use Integrated Medicine to help their gut issues. Dr. Barrett was a foremost expert on Barrett's Esophagus. I know this because Sid has the disorder and Dr. Barrett was Sid's doctor for a lot of years before he retired from Medicine. Dr. Barrett was concerned about a slightly elevated liver enzyme on Sid's Metabolic Panel - just a little blip - and he ordered an ultrasound. It turned out that Sid had early stage kidney cancer and had to have 1/3 of his kidney removed. If Dr. Barrett - a simple country doctor with good horse sense - had not paid attention and Sid would have waited until he displayed symptoms, he would have been in a later stage and not have had as successful an outcome. Maybe the book might help you? It is pre-Amazon, but you may find it on Alibris or Ebay or some such. I wish I could have consulted Dr. Barrett for gastroparesis.

Has anybody mentioned Sentinel Node Dissection to you? I wonder if the landscape will change if you are node negative and ER/PR- as well?

I had my last session with my therapist. She quit. I am getting a new therapist whom I see in April. I dislike change so I am not dazzled by this turn of events. I was making good breakthroughs.

By way of consoling myself I am taking Sid and myself to Nupa (Greek Restaurant) tomorrow for Salad Capreze. Ha ha. I seriously am. And then to Lowe's for 1" threaded rod for Sid and Spray paint for Crocs for me. Amazon doubled up on a pair so I am just going to re-paint them to see if I can do it.

[Flagryl]

I hope you are okay Milyn, must have been an exhausting day with more exhaustion on the forefront. Thinking of you. Grassy, your experience and sense of humor amaze me, "hot mess with a hot glue gun and glitter" you go gryl. You are such an encyclopedia, goodness. So glad Sid was on top of his issue.

How was the Greek restaurant? I love Salad Capreze. Re paint Crocs, hello you creative artist.

Got our taxes sent in, yea! Had pizza last night: Hippie Favorite! Pesto, Sun Dried Tomato, Mozzarella, Artichoke Heart, Ricotta, Garlic.

I just made reservations for a trip to Greer, AZ this fall in the White Mountains where we've been before, enjoy the fall colors. Cozy cabin for 4 nights to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Only we're going after our anniversary date to enjoy the fall colors. We had entertained flying to Banff and Jasper but the arrangements were dicey, such a popular place and it gets cool up there and earlier Aug dates conflicted with other things so we ditched it.

[Smilyn]

I am not OK. The trip was exhausting and thinking of coming home that way after surgery was also exhausting. The Dr presented very well, speaking mostly about my excellent candidacy for a lumpectomy breast reduction as reconstruction. Of course that included a plastic surgeon, several surgeries, multiple drains, possible chemo, and radiation. (Not what I went there for; the local surgeon PS/team does all this.) Anyway; she was concerned about the mass in my right breast (biopsy tomorrow) as it is not like the other; not sure what it is at all, thus potentially changing everything. Ok. We'll see She discussed the procedure I drove up there to talk to her about (the single surgery which doesn't need a plastic surgeon) well, and after talking it over with Steve I scheduled it. But later I found out she had only done 20 of them, she was going on vacation the next day for two weeks and would skip my first follow up as "unnecessary", and when I asked - she no photos of her work either incision type or finished results that she could share with me. Plastic surgeons have photos. If she is acting as the plastic surgeon in this procedure she should have photos to show. Online I could find no reviews of her at all for the last year 0- and only one before that of about 8 words: "she listens well and is attentive to detail" something like that. I dunno. I have postponed it and will meet with the local surgeon who does all the traditional things that I dread on April 1st. Meanwhile; there are a lot of other things going on in my life concurrently that are stressful; I am overwhelmed. Plus I am not sleeping due to the removal of all my hormones and some of my meds. It's a mess. Grassy; I'm glad Sid was diagnosed so early. I had never heard of Barrett's until my friend TJ died of it in 2005. Within a year I was diagnosed with it. Neither of us ever had any GERD symptoms at all. I haven't over the years of endoscopies either, but now am experiencing some due to med changes. Yay me. Flagryl, that trip sounds lovely. I miss northern AZ a lot. Huronna, good luck with the DI routine. I hope it works. Made me laugh to think of you in that way though. Waves to all... running for another appt. On the go more than ever. Sigh. HUGS!!

[Huronna]

Milyn, you would be surprised what people are like in "real life"
Seems like you are in a real conundrum, looking this way and then that and not knowing which is up or down.
Me? I think I would crawl under a rock and hibernate with the bears for a while.

Seriously, I don't envy what you are going through at all. I would probably be bald by now.
Speaking of hair...how is that turquoise?

[Smilyn]

Rock is appealing. Hair is faded; had to back up the normal appt to open space for dr interview. Will get more color on Monday. Maybe that will feel good.

[Flagryl]

Holy moly, ditto Huronna's assessment. Rock may be tempting but I know you're going to fight your way through this come you know what or high water. So many choices sure complicates matters. Makes my head swim. Cosmic blue sounds awesome. Some eye shadow to match?