Didn't see a link to a discussion on your blog Joan but this is right where I am now darn it all to heck! Recovering from pneumonia, had a chest x-ray the other day fully convinced I had lung cancer from my years of smoking back in the day. In fact while the dr. was reading the x-ray I was making a list of the advantages of having lung cancer - wanted to have something positive to focus on so I could hold it together when he gave me the news. Pros: Wouldn't have to finish renovation. Wouldn't have to see DH decline. THen I was grasping and came up with a plan to visit the Amalfi Coast which we saw just for a couple hours when we visited Rome. AND wouldn't have to go on a diet and try to lose the 50 (yes 50) pounds I've gained since Jan. 2007 when this journey began.
Having the stress tests and stuff done soon and hope to get on track with getting healthy again. I hope you'll keep posting on this - I need all the encouragement I can get. I am such a foodie. I so want to lose weight without giving up eating all I want. whine whine vent vent I also have a heel spur & plantar fascitis (sp?) which makes walking very painful. That's on the mend but the weight doesn't help that or my knee which was broken at 21 and will one day need replacing. So, Joan, and anyone else working on these kind of issues, good luck! We deserve to look fabulous and feel fabulous. I believe in rewards so I think a session of Botox for 20 pounds sounds like a plan. Tummy tuck for 30 maybe. And for the full 50 how about Amalfi Coast in a bikini. sounds like a plan. Well, heck a new outfit and a bottle of prosecco anyway.
Take care of yourself Joan. Keep us posted. We need you well.
Good reminder for me to make appointments for my pap smear & mammogram. It's on a list somewhere that I haven't located yet. Thanks. (starting new list.) My weight has dropped off naturally in the past month. I donated all my size 12s & can now again fit into my 10s & some of my 8s, which had been the mainstay of my wardrobe until 2 years ago when the **** hit the fan. I found I only have one pair of shorts that fit properly, holding up the 12s with a belt & the 8s can't be buttoned. Where ARE the 10s? Haven't had time to shop, but I guess the sales are on now.
I had my physcial with stress test about 18mos ago. i was scared to death i wouldnt pass being on the treadmill with all the wires hooked up. especially when they said i would be fast walking on an incline. oops. the other option was the injected med to make my heart race. no on that one- the worry was the worst part, i stayed up all nite concerned about the what ifs i didnt pass. blood workups over the last yr and i am good for while now. i think its a good idea to set aside a month for all dr visits and just get them over with one after another starting with your most concerns. done all but a colonscopy. not there yet. divvi
In April my doctor had a very caring concerned talk with me telling me that I was headed for serious health issues because I was taking good care of my LO and neglecting myself. Weight, BP, lipids all up for the first time. I listened to him, joined Weight Watchers the next week - one more time, I am a frequent flyer there. I also started walking. WW has a new program where you can join a walking team and train for a 5 K race. Never did anything like that before, but I joined them. Trained every Saturday with their professional trainer and did the homework every week doing the prescribed walking.
The 5K race was this morning. It is an annual regular running race and our team joined as walkers. I have never done anything like that ever, never been physically active. But, guess what folks I CAME IN FIRST IN MY AGE GROUP of 65plus. I am 71 - it pays to be older sometimes. I did walk the whole time, but I am a fast walker. I did the 3.2 miles in 46minutes and 35 seconds. The man that came in first - running - in that category happens to be my psychiatrist. We had our picture taken as the winners for that category. I now have a plaque that says that I am a WINNER!!!!!!!!!!
I am sure that there are marathon sprinters out there among you and that my achievement pales by yours. BUT I DID IT.!!!!!!!!!!!! I never thought I would win, especially walking. I did it with the idea that any time that I did it in was faster than sitting on the couch.
So, the moral is - take care of yourself FIRST - it feels good. If I die this afternoon, I will die a happy tired old woman. I can't wait for the next race to start training for. Anyone here in the Tampa area are welcome to join me.
Thanks for being here so I can have someone that cares to share it with. I know that you all share my joy.
I brought to the top the topic on emotional eating. It goes along with trying to take care of ourselves.
I am NOT dissing WW. It is a wonderful program, but I have never had good results from it because............hmmm, wonder why. Could it be that I don't stick to it??????? All my points are gone after lunch. Leaves me pretty hungry for supper. All kidding aside, all of my friends belong and have done very well, so when I return from RI in August, I will take the plunge and join.
Wonderful, Dagma. I restarted WW last week. 4 years ago I was Lifetime then dropped out and of course without the support group the weight came back on. My goal now is to lose 25# to get back to Lifetime. I started posting on the Emotional Eating Thread suggesting others join me in the weight loss issue and our first goad is to lose it 5# at a time.
Thank you for all of your wonderful support for my race today. About my weight, I am struggling with the food aspect but seems like the exercise component is keeping me connected with WW. I have ALWAYS hated exercise, so I guess my body is overruling my head and stomach by showing me how much it wants more movement.
And EMOTIONAL EATING, I could write reams. Thank goodness it is food for me and not alcohol - I would be in the gutter.
I went to my family doctor for a well woman visit. She found a lump.
I have been pretty good about going for the regularly scheduled stuff, including mammograms. But this one is throwing me. I know it won't be like the last time they found a lump. I won't be having surgery right away even if it is real unless it is quite unusual. They will watch it. They might do a needle biopsy. Still...
I've been on this road before. The last breast surgery turned out OK. A bizarre cluster of cysts and not cancer. The hysterectomy took me a year to get to the oncologist. That won't happen here. And even with that year of hell fighting to get to a doctor who could finally help me, it turned out OK. I got lucky. I needed surgery and surgery solved all three areas: cervical cancer was operable, uterine cancer was minor and operable, the gangrenous dead tumor was benign and once they got it out that was that, and the ovarian tumor was benign.
But this time, I'm not trying to deal with it alone. I've gone public.
I speak from experience on this one. Please do not let them "watch it." They can do an ultrasound that will determine immediately if it is a "lipoma", which is medical speak for "fatty tumor". No surprise that I am full of them. If they can't determine what it is, they can do the needle biopsy. You seem to have had plenty of experience with all of this (sorry about that), but I hope you make them find out what it is.
If anyone lives within 100 miles of Boston, I highly recommend the Sagoff Breast Center at the Faulkner Hospital. They don't make you make one apt. after the other to find out what is wrong. They do a mammogram. If they find something, they do an immediate ultrasound. If you need a biopsy, they send you immediately from the ultrasound room to the biospsy section. Everything is done on the same day, so you don't have to sweat results and make more appointments. If you need major surgery, they send you to the surgeon, and it is scheduled for ASAP. I've been through it all, and they are absolutely the best.
I have been considering going there when I go up to RI in a couple of weeks, and getting everything checked out at once.
Starling, I totally agree with Joan. I had a lump they decided to 'watch' and by the time I went for a 2nd opinion 1 year later, I was stage 3 breast cancer. I'm a survivor! I've been cancer free for over 15 years. And since you've gone public, we will all hound you endlessly until you have a happy resolution :)
Starling, I'm glad you decided to share your worry with us. Caring about and supporting each other what we're all about. My thoughts are with you. Please keep us up to speed on your situation.
Dagma, FANTASTICO! The reward of sticking with it makes you feel good physically, mentally and emotionally I'll bet. Hmm maybe I should, well, yes, should, but will I??? join WW again.
Starling, I've said a prayer for you. Joan, I'll have to move w/in 100 mi of Boston if I have breast cancer problems. Just got results from my annual mammogram this week, and I'm clear.
Stella, I always remember Shirley Temple's story about breast cancer. She had a routine examination and they found a small lump. The doctor wanted to do a biopsy right away and she declined. She had an important meeting in Europe (she was Ambassador to Czechoslovakia and Ghana)..and so she postponed it for several months. When she returned to NYC, the lump had grown considerably, it was malignant and she had to have a mastectomy. The doctors said if they had caught it earlier, they might have perfomed a lumpectomy and that would have taken care of it. That's not what you want to do.
As an aside, my mother wanted me to look like Shirley Temple when I was little. I think I lived with those metal ringlet curlers in my naturally straight hair!!! (The silver ones with the clip that held the curler in place with a rubber end.)
Starling, you are in my prayers, I also am a cancer survivor, lumpectomy in 2001..don't wait, get it taken care of as soon as possible...Think positive...Hugs....Rosalie
I'm scheduled for regular mammogram on both breasts, diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound on the left breast where the lump is in mid-August. The breast center at St. Luke's has you wait while the Radiologist reads the files and the ultrasound. If he wants more stuff, they do it right away. They have an advice nurse talk to you once the doctor is done.
I have a history of being called back, and being called back in 3 months or 6 months and then they can't find whatever it was on the ultrasound or on the mammogram. I'm a cyst maker. I KNOW I can trust the doctors at St. Luke's to order whatever needs to be ordered. At one point they had me coming in every 3 months for a year even though nothing showed up on anything because the radiology department in California would not share their files, but they KNEW I'd been called back there too. They wanted history.
So they have lots of history on me and I know I can trust them. And in Pennsylvania I don't have to fight the insurance company. They've been known to send me letters "yelling" at me because they hadn't paid for a test they thought someone my age should have. In both the case of the colonoscopy and the bone density test I was already scheduled but hadn't gone yet when the letters arrived. I've even had phone calls from the insurance company advice nurses following up on stuff like my knee surgery.
It's the "right away, no waiting" stuff that is soooo important, which is why I liked the Sagoff Center in Boston so much. Sounds like St. Luke's is exactly the same.
Here is my question to everyone in Florida - is there such a place down here, and if so where? I don't care if I have to travel to Miami for it. Which just made me realize what an idiot I am - my friend is a doctor in Miami. She should know. I'll call her, but in the meantime, if anyone knows of a place like Starling's St. Luke's or Boston's Sagoff, let me know.
Bluedaze - MM in St. Lucie West makes you make an apt. for a mammogram. Wait however many days for them to read it and call you with the results. Then make an apt. for an ultrasound. Wait however many days for the results, and on and on and on.
Joan you're right about MM but they do have what they call a disease navigator who will help you. She holds your hand and guides you through the process. I got my report from them in a timely manor and never heard from my doctor at all.
Another boobie test story. In one of my breast evals a number of years ago, I had to have a breast MRI. You lie on your tummy and there are two holes on the bed where you put your breasts and they hang down through those holes and they do the MRI that way. Maybe they don't do that anymore since they have digital, but it was a new "interesting" experience. It is good that we have all of the diagnostic tests that are available now.
I also have a history of being called back - sometimes several times. The first time it scared me to death - now I expect it and am glad when it doesn't happen.My GYN doctor told me that he would rather his patients have breast cancer than break a hip. He says that the survival rate for breast cancer is much higher than hip fractures. There is so much that can be done now. I am always amazed to hear how many people I know that have had breast cancer and have beat it.
I also know so many who have beat it. My own Mother who is 92 years old, in a NH, had one mastectomy at age 89 and the other at 90. She had no pain or problems with either - but, they could not do any followup chemo, radiation, etc. because of other health issues. She is doing fine right now.
Joan, I'm glad you are having everything checked out. Hopefully you'll get by with a frown for the scales, and a clean bill of health like I did.
Starling, I'm right behind you for support until after the tests, the reports and you get the all clear. ((HUGS))
dagma3, you are unbelievable! I'm so proud for you! I might beat the turtle!!! <grin>
DianeV, I'm so glad that you are a survivor!
We walk the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure and have for 8 years. In our state, we have over 40,000 participate.
My hat is off to all of you and what you have gone through, healthwise. We have to take care of ourselves now more than ever. My thoughts and prayers are with each one of you.
Hey guys, can't let the ladies monopolize the conversation here -- anybody have any DREs lately? I did a few weeks ago, and my urologist said he thought he could safely stop scheduling annual exams for me -- at my age (81) something other than prostate cancer will most likely kill me first -- don't come back unless I develop a problem of some sort, which was welcome news.
Dagma, The Stereotactic breast exam is an excellent procedure to define the mass without more invasive surgery. Glad you are on board for that.
Joan, I have the nuclear stress test every 6 months. Piece o'cake. Soooooooo much better than having to walk on the treadmill, and then, when they are done,they make you drink chocolate milk to offset the little bit of "stuff" in your system. The only bad part is that I have to drink gallons of water in order to move organs out of the way to get a good picture of the heart. Very relaxing...and you feel nothing! Do not hesitate to have this test. To date, I've had about ten nuclear stress tests, and I do not glow in the dark.
It's interesting that you mention the guys and their checkups. Generally, it is women who take care of themselves, make all their annual apts., etc. The guys are usually quite remiss about those things unless the women kind of "encourage" (that's a polite word for "nag') them into it.
Caregiving changes everything. We all neglect ourselves, men and women alike. I didn't realize how badly I had neglected myself until I started taking stock of all the body parts that needed attention. It sure piles up when you don't keep up with it.
Gchipper, news is over 70 they dont recommend DRE anymore for you senior guys:) like you say something else at that point will likely get you first! isnt that good news! my DH went in and i was told that too. i was happy FOR him.. Divvi
Well, geez, I'm TRYING to take care of myself, but now the insurance company won't cooperate. They denied the MRI on my knee. The Insurance Company says the doctor was being difficult and wouldn't give them enough information. The doctor's nurse said the insurance co. was being difficult. From what I could gather in speaking with the ins. co., they want me to try medication and physical therapy before getting the MRI. Well, how do you do physical therapy if you don't have a DIAGNOSIS? The doctor doesn't KNOW what's wrong with the knee, because he doesn't have an MRI to look at! So the primary said I need to go to an orthopedic. Which I was going to do in the FIRST place, but figured I'd check with the primary first. That's the last time I make that mistake.
While I was talking to the primary's nurse, I told her that he also ordered an EKG, echocardiogram, and stress test. I asked her if I needed to drop dead in front of the ins. co. for them to approve those tests. Sorry, couldn't help it. I was aggravated. If being way overweight, under massive stress, and tired all of the time, doesn't qualify me for those tests, I don't know what will.
Nancy B, your story about Shirley Temple reminds me of a distant cousin. She discovered a lump in her breast, but was scheduled to go to USSR on a business trip (this was in the early days of the cold war), so she delayed doing anything. By the time she got back to the USA it had grown to the size of a grapefruit. She died shortly thereafter.
Joan, you are right about men not going to the doctor. My father, also a doctor, told me that the only reasons a man went to the doctor was that 1) they were at death's door or 2) their wife brought them. There was a third reason, but it's not "politically correct".
My annual check up was last week with my internist of many years: a female, late 40's, conscientious and smart. She completed a careful exam -- took time with me. When I spoke to her of the sadness, tremendous stress and depression that I am experiencing because my DH has Alzheimers, she said, "I hate to say this, but you asked for it" - referring to the twenty year age difference. We have been married for almost thirty years - yet this comment and others like it - are a repeating refrain. I guess if I can hear this from a health professional, I shouldn't be surprised when it comes from others.
That was an extremely insensitive, out of line comment for a doctor or anyone else to make. As Marsh continually tries to educate physicians - it is their job to CARE for the caregiver.
Brooke, you should ask your doctor if she would make the same comment to me. My DW and I are almost the same age (she is 1 year older than me). I agree with the others. Her remark was completely out of line and she should be called on it. If you send me her name and address (my e-mail is in my profile) I will try to educate her as I am doing with other doctors.
You said your husband was a surgeon. That makes her comment even more out of line.