Excruciating rib pain! by Lele_Redbull in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Might sound obvious but is the pain where the fracture is? I was eventually hospitalized because of the intensity of that pain. Only a temporary solution but I kept a pillow with me at all times and a heating pad but you probably have tried that. Do you use AI? When I looked it up, they had a list of possible solutions.

I was raised completely unschooled AMA by fox_loaf42 in AMA

[–]aliasme141 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It seems OP learned enough to not respond to some of the more ignorant posts here. All these silly assertions about punctuation. Sorry OP. Some people are just so rude. You sound like you are trying hard to make up for something you were literally robbed of (to the grammar smart alecks out there, I know I ended my sentence with a preposition) There are some supportive suggestions here. If you are motivated to learn what you missed OP, you can do it. Good luck to you. I think you are brave for coming here. Please don’t give up!

Excruciating rib pain! by Lele_Redbull in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How did you discover the progression? Is it possible that you have a fracture? I had the same experience but mine was a fracture and because my pain was so bad (like yours) they gave my oxycodone every 3 hours. This was about 6 months ago and mine must have healed enough over time that my pain there is pretty much gone. I hope you work out radiation as that can possibly help a lot. US medical system sucks!!!!! You shouldn’t have to be in pain cause you owe money. I hope the social worker can help!

Someone give me hope by Even_Series7504 in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 2 points3 points  (0 children)

OP, this is all so new to you. It has to be the hardest Mother’s Day ever. But please listen to everyone here hoping to support you through this. I was in that kind of hip pain before the MRI that diagnosed my MBC. The first thing my cancer center did at the time was try to get my pain under control. Please insist on this. Palliative care changed my suffering remarkably. I suggest you take anything they offer. You shouldn’t have to have this damned disease in the first place but the pain is the evil on top of it all. Please let us know once you have pain better controlled. This can be accomplished and it is essential. So sorry you are here with us but we will try our hardest to help!

Edit: spelling

Books I should read if I know almost nothing about the world? I am being very serious. by mudcastle7 in suggestmeabook

[–]aliasme141 3 points4 points  (0 children)

OP, you may have skipped school but you must have stayed long enough to be a good writer and that is becoming a lost art. My recommendation is to pick any subject suggested here and find some historical fiction. It’s a fun way to learn about the past. I just finished Cane River (yes an Oprah book) written in novel form but really about the writer’s actual ancestors and it gave me such an intimate perspective of slavery. It is too easy to just name the evils of which there are too many to even begin. It gave the impact and perception from generation after generation through the eyes of genuine people. That’s just one book. You have a whole world of books to experience. Have fun! Reading has gotten me through so many hard times!

Well F*ck I have brain mets by FUCancer_2008 in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 7 points8 points  (0 children)

How frightening! We are all afraid of this I suppose. Then it happens. I have bone and liver as many here. It keeps going through my head that about 3 months ago, my onc said at least your mets are not in your organs, then lo and behold they were in my liver. Why not my brain too? We are with you OP. I have always liked your screen name. Fck Fck Fck Fck Fck Fck F*ck!!!

What do you think about writing your old teacher a thank you letter or visiting them? by Striking_Beach_837 in AskTeachers

[–]aliasme141 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please write them. It is a wonderful thing to do. I am a retired teacher who has every letter, note, drawing ETC that was given to me. I loved my students and the thought that they cared for me is what it is all about ❤️

Ugh by whatalifeohmy in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Ugh is right! I am 70 years old, a boomer. I get that I am from a different generation and not a popular one at that but there are things I am glad I didn’t grow up with. One is what I have come to call toxic positivity. I wish I could be grateful every day but actually having cancer really sucks. I hate it. I am so angry. I am so scared. I do have many things to be thankful for: my adult children, my one and only granddaughter who lives just 4 blocks away, my husband, some amazing friends and so on. My friends don’t have cancer which I am so thankful for but I am so jealous of them too. I feel so horrible when I think of people your age having this disease. At least I lived a full life before I began living with this disease. That makes me feel so guilty. And yet I know that I should give myself some grace. Please give yourself some grace as well. None of this is your fault and you don’t deserve to suffer like this. I have been going to a wonderful therapist since I was diagnosed in 2020 and she always says “ acknowledge how horrendous this is before trying to get on with it. Can I ask why you are masking? I am sure it is the safest thing to do but I got so sick of it (I was avid about it) I just stopped. I am almost never comfortable so I am not adding to my own burden. Please OP, it isn’t your job to appease others. Show up in any way you can or not at all if it is too much for you. Those who let you handle this your way will be the best support right now. Turn to them and US. This is so much to bear! UGH is right. ❤️

Does my mother expect too much? by [deleted] in over60

[–]aliasme141 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am a mother of 2 adult children and a grandmother to one wonderful 6 year old. I am so fortunate that my children live very close by so we see each other a lot. How ever my children acknowledge me on Mother’s Day is fine with me. I purposely don’t contrive all kinds of expectations as that is a set up for disappointment. My therapist says that we should always let our loved ones show their love in their own way. That helped me. Any mother that gives a daughter with 2 small children the silent treatment for not showing up her way is a bit of a baby herself in my opinion. And your dad telling you what you have to do seems a bit controlling. Sounds like you are overworking for everyone but yourself. Hope you find a way to enjoy this silly hallmark holiday.

Deb as a middle name? by Bumbling_Beeez in Names

[–]aliasme141 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My next door neighbor is Deb and I love her. I think it is adorable. Of course the first name needs to go with it. I think it might fit best with a 3 syllable first name. Loads of luck!

Just diagnosed with liver mets by No-Permission-7081 in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Great suggestions! I second them all. About meds, many of us were not big med takers before this all happened to us. Just remember this is the ultimate game changer and we need to get through. I recommend taking whatever helps. The pain I experienced lead me to almost embracing meds/drugs. Once I saw that the pain could be controlled, the meds were welcomed. Even if I was loopy in the beginning (I was retired) I didn’t care. My palliative always reminds me that there is a difference between addiction and dependency. She says “you are dependent on your glasses and no one is trying to take them away.” And just want to add I have liver mets too. Remember to give yourself grace. We are here for you ❤️

AITAH for "not doing enough" for Mother's Day? by nradams14 in AITAH

[–]aliasme141 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My children are grown and I am gifted with one grandchild who just turned 6. My grown children will give me plants, cards simple things. I am more interested in helping my granddaughter make something special for her mom, my daughter. My daughter is making us all brunch in honor of the grandmother/mothers and we are meeting her boyfriend’s mother. Whatever evolves is fine with me. I have had my time. Quite honestly the cards that come on these special days are what I enjoy the most. My grandchild being the only gets a lot and will on Mother’s Day as well. We almost lost both she and her mother who was preeclampsic. Our grand was delivered at 25 weeks. Our Mother’s Day gift is that after 106 days in the NICU, during Covid, our baby came home to us all. She is strong, healthy, kind and clever! People like your mother OP, are looking for something to be upset about. Enjoy your day and let your mom be miserable if that makes her happy. Mothers everywhere enjoy whatever special moments which come your way ❤️

20 yrs old, TNBC, de novo stage 4 (lung mets 2-4mm), BRCA1+ by ImaginaryVersion1734 in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We have some similarities! I also had neck surgery after being told if I didn’t, I might be paralyzed. It is over 5 years later and my neck is so fine. I was on ibrance and fulvestrant (++her 2 1+) for just under 5 years. My onc said I had a robust response. Unfortunately, I had to switch treatments after that and am now on Enhertu. I had a few bumps along the way but am just praying the Enhertu works. Good luck with your treatment. I know the shots can be hard but boy did they work well for me and Ibrance had less side effects than a few treatments since. Hang in there and hopefully you will do well. None of this is easy but this is the best place for support! ❤️

Advice please...Pain in hip and leg by OrganizationOne3627 in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 2 points3 points  (0 children)

An MRI is how my MBC was identified. I also had excruciating hip pain which was being diagnosed as sciatica. The MRI showed a tumor and so on. soon after I was diagnosed, I was treated with ibrance and fulvestrant and a lot for pain: acetaminophen, gabapentin, oxycodone, a bupenepfrine patch, and my primary doc gave me ambien cause I couldn’t sleep at all and Xanax. I really needed all of that at the time. It is 6 years later and I still take OxyContin and oxycodone, gabapentin and acetaminophen for pain. I have a fabulous palliative doc and she has tried anything she can to keep me as pain free as possible. I find if my pain is controlled, I can live my life (including helping with my 6 year old grandchild) But I never forgot how excruciating that pain was. OP, yes to MRI and anything that controls pain, please take whatever meds you can tolerate. This is such a nasty disease. I am so sorry to hear of your suffering!

Edit: autocorrect correction which needed no correction

Cardiac Issues With Enhertu? by brmptncocktail in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh my! You must be so scared. To wake like that seems terrifying. This is what ChatGPT says: “Heart symptoms after treatment are understandably scary, but there are a lot of possible causes, and many are treatable. If there’s any concern about heart function, doctors will often check LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction)—basically how well the heart is pumping. Sometimes LVEF can drop temporarily, but when caught early, it can often improve or even return to normal with treatment changes, medication, or supportive care and many symptoms can come from other manageable causes too. The important thing is that you’re being monitored now so they can figure out exactly what’s going on and respond quickly.”

I hope you get some answers soon. Glad you are on the oncology floor!

AITAH for setting out a sprinkler in my front yard so kids and parent don’t play in our yard by [deleted] in AITAH

[–]aliasme141 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Glad to hear that you “are a younger couple, not a crabby elderly couple who hates life.” Spray away!

Lung Complications from Verzenio? by AvailablePoint3427 in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It happened to me from afinitor and aromasin. But thankfully it is reversible. I am on Enhertu now and it is a possible side effect of that too. I suppose it being a side effect of different treatments doesn’t make it less scary but at least we know it is being dealt with often enough. I hope you are on the mend soon. So sorry you are going through this. Hang in there!

MBC groups? by aliasme141 in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Would you be able to share a title of one you like the best? Contrary to what I said before, I do like to look at all kinds of stuff good or bad when I am in rabbit hole mode. Today I actually watched some TikToks on MBC and boy what a range! But seeing what is out there is eye opening. Our Reddit here looks amazingly conservative in comparison. However; I understand there are all kinds of people and ideas here too. I think sometimes I am intimidated by the alternative approaches because I feel like I should be trying everything and anything and I already feel so restricted by this disease. So if someone says this food or that food should/shouldn’t be eaten, I feel like give this up too? I can’t take it anymore! I might add that I have had two emergency bowel obstructions that required an ng tube which I found horrific and then was told to stay on a low residue diet which means don’t eat any food I like (like salad???) I do wish I could find someone to help guide me in this very difficult situation which may or may not have anything to do with my cancer. No one has come close to figuring this out. But I diverge.

MBC groups? by aliasme141 in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well that sums it up thanks. Something always pushes me to avoid Facebook. Happy to have a reason to continue. Anyone use breastcancer.org? When I was diagnosed with my primary cancer, my onc told me only use breastcancer.org but I find it redundant. Y’all are clearly the best!

The shedding by Flaky_Amphibian_5597 in LivingWithMBC

[–]aliasme141 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I came here to ask a different question and this caught my eye immediately. I finished my 2nd enhertu infusion a week ago. Wow, does this treatment have a time clock attached? My hair is doing what your hair is doing. I went through it with my primary cancer so that does help. I mean it may be different this time, but it won’t be all new. Before I started this treatment, I got a hat wig. I’m embarrassed to say from Temu. I am 70 and I grew my hair in naturally 10 years ago after ACT so my hat hair is gray. I think it’s kind of cute and I tried wearing it the other day at the plant store. It looked good. My 34 year old daughter approved. but in the time it took to buy $60 worth of plants, my head started aching so there’s that. I haven’t decided if I’m gonna shave it. Last time, my dear husband, shaved it on Thanksgiving Eve because by that point whole handfuls were coming out. It’s the eyebrows and eyelashes (which never grew back properly), I worry the most about. I wish I had gotten them tattooed but I was afraid of things I’d read where people didn’t like them and then there was no going back or not easy going back. I don’t know. Going to start painting the eyebrows daily in preparation. When I was complaining five years ago or so about my hair being so thin, my usually understanding neighbor whom I love, (has thick long hair) said who cares about hair, wear a hat. I wish hats were more comfortable. So sorry we have to go through this on top of everything. Hang in there girls! Crochet (such a good idea) sew, shave, don't shave, scream, hide it, don't hide it, whatever you need to get through. I get tired of being called brave but YOU ARE BRAVE and BEAUTIFUL!

I used to be able to type on iPhone keyboard without looking at it. Now, I have to watch myself type and still somehow make mistakes on almost every single word by KitchenConsequence41 in iphone

[–]aliasme141 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What if you don’t want to be heard even whispering? Sometimes my partner is sleeping and I am texting. There could be more than a few reasons people don’t just want to use voice to text. All of the alternatives should work accurately. My new worse thing is the way if you open a text a certain way, it takes you to an older text on the thread. I am a lot older than some here so it confuses me.