Arimidex and Effexor XL - to combine or not combine - that is the ???

I passed my blood tests!!!! YEA, YEA and more YEA. Otherwise I would be on even more meds. So I did report that the Arimidex is causing not just HOT FLASHES but more like MELT DOWNS complete with drips and blushes. I'm not a happy camper when I melt. Now the fact that it is 105+ outside on any given day is just a marginal problem. I only go out if absolutely necessary or if there is a good estate sale. Whatever....... the problem is the melt downs. I don't like dripping on my sewing projects or messing up a perfectly good outfit. Now let me say a "good" thing about oncologists: Oncologists are very skilled at finding a drug for the side effects of the first drug s/he gave me. So of course Dr. had a drug to counter- act the melt downs caused by the Arimidex. The offering is Effexor XL at 37.5 mgs. I filled the RX with fear and trepidations. When I got home I read up on Effexor XL and now I have more fear and trepidation.

Have you noticed how the TV ads for the latest and greatest drug offering has 10 seconds on how this drug will fix whatever and then 50 seconds of disclaimers and warnings that it could kill you? Well, so goes Effexor for hot flashes. It works HOWEVER it will cause weight gain and a few other horrors. Then when it comes time to get get off of Effexor..........well, that is worse than getting off heroin. I need both of these situations like I need another breast lump!!!!

So I'm just going to set here in a puddle of sweat for the next 4 1/2 years!!!!!!!!!!! That is the pits. O, maybe it will get better as the body gets adjusted to Arimidex. I'm the optimistic type!!! There is always the home remedy of cold packs. This is cheap and effective. And no side effects!!!

ChemoBrain Update: I may be getting a tad of acuity back. I took another Bernina digitizing class in CorelDraw 4 this week and managed to keep up with the class and re-create the embroidery when I got home!!!! Granted the instructor is excellent, but I think my brain was working better also.

Geneva Update: Definitely a poodle!!!! She has been to the groomer and looks great now. She is still pushing Domino around!!! Poor guy, she is more pushy than Gigi ever was! Her ears are still showing some infection so more drugs. She has gained a full pound but is not overweight. Maybe she is just shaping up from the last litter. Geneva is almost ready for obedience classes. I'm NOT going out until this heat wave clears so it will be a few weeks before she gets some formal training.

BUYER BEWARE NOTICE: I've had to replace my kitchen chairs after only 2-3 yrs. The problem is that the wood was not dried properly before the furniture was made....IN CHINA. The first break was easily repaired. The 2nd break isn't fixable. So I  found some nice OLDER leather chairs at an estate sale and will put the China chairs on Craigslist. I'm keeping the table only because it is covered with a glass top and not so easily abused. I think I'm staying with estate sale finds for future furniture.

That's it from the old folks home for tonight. The dogs are asleep and the Rangers are not winning. I think I'll just go to bed!!!

Life is good in the slow lane. Kinesiology tape is working!!!

I'm all taped up on the left arm and the fluid accumulation is down considerably after 24 hours. And I did get a better night's sleep with less shoulder joint pain. I am definitely going to get more lessons on proper taping. The tape is more comfortable and not HOT like the ace bandages or the elastic sleeve. Katherine's friend Pat told me about the Oliver pillow which can prop up the arm more comfortably for sleeping. First, I'll have to learn to sleep on my back. Second, I'll have to learn to NOT snore beyond my room mateS tolerance level.

Joan and I went to the Quilt Show on Saturday and got really inspired to get back to our sewing rooms. We saw quilts that would take me YEARS to finish.,...maybe....maybe I would just QUIT and wonder what it might have looked like if I hadn't overshot my target!!!! I'm definitely sticking with small art quilts, kids size quilts, and maybe a few throws!!! If I EVER even think about starting a king size quilt I hope I have sense enough to fix a bourbon and/or take a nap until I get my senses back!!!

The stock market was crazy last week. I don't know if I'm solvent or illusioned. I do know that I will be more conservative in spending until there is some resolution to the insanity. And from what I observed at the quilt show my non-spending is definitely a "trend." I saw far more people with NO purchases than with purchases. And didn't see anyone carrying a huge stash. That is not normal for a quilt show where the vendors have the latest and greatest fabrics and toys on display.

Dog update: Poor Domino.....we thought we got him a buddy and playmate. What he got is a micro-supervisor. He gets no privacy and has to plan ahead to get the best toy, bone, window. Geneva is no longer the shy, quiet wall flower. She is Queen of the Backyard and has to be reminded that she now lives in the city so no more barking just to announce her presence in the yard. She doesn't have an OFF button yet. Does she ever look shaggy!!! 1 more week of ear medication then she can go to the groomer. I can hardly wait!!!!! Now that she is proud and happy, strutting around with tail straight up and wagging, she will look fantastic with a proper grooming.

Kinesiology taping for lymphedema giving some relief

Thirty five days of 100+ degrees daytime and 85+ at night is TOO MUCH!!!  The heat is giving me fits with the lymphedema. The swelling is bad enough; the pain in the elbow and shoulder is even worse. The standard treatment for lymphedema is ace bandages to encourage the lymph fluid to move toward the trunk for elimination. Winding yards of ace bandages from fingers to arm pit is not fun and once the job is done the arm begins to get hotter and hotter. I have an elastic sleeve to wear during the day [easier and cooler than bandages] but the sleeve works its way down the arm and can bind at the elbow. I use the Jobi sleeve to wear at night and that seems to keep swelling from increasing overnight.

My friend Joan learned about kinesiology tape from her massage therapist. The tape was placed in a deep V-shape from the back of her neck down to her shoulder blades. The tape gave her some really surprising relief for muscle pain. So I was hoping to learn more about kinesiology for lymphedema and for sore knees. At my last physical therapy session I got a lesson on how to position kinesiology tape to encourage lymph fluid drainage in my arm. How interesting!! The K-tape is used by sports people to reduce swelling.

The trick is to stretch the tape a little. This gives an elastic feel and massages the taped area with any movement. Well, check out the various web sites and see if K-tape will help your aches and pains. I am finding some relief for my super sore shoulder and elbow - where the lymph fluid seems to get stuck. But I can't seem to get the tape placed correctly to reduce the fluid in my upper arm. I think this is something I can learn with a few more lessons. Taping the elbow and shoulder is a not complicated.

I found a site on the internet on how to tape knees and will start trying this soon. I'm about to give up on finding relief for knee pain. In desperation I made an appointment with the orthopedic who has used cortisone shots in my joints. I generally get a shot before going on a trip. This time I'll ask for a review of both knees and am prepared for him to say NO MORE minimal invasive surgery will work. Bummer. I'm not looking forward to replacing joints yet. And the idea of replacing one knee, going through weeks of rehab, then replacing the other knee and going to rehab a 2nd time seems inefficient at best. Just what is the problem with doing both knees and getting on with life after just 1 rehab??? I've been through chemo...I know that there are some super good drugs out there to manage the pain. Bring 'em on and let's get this knee situation fixed all at once!!!

OK....of to play with my K-tape.....

Where can I move TODAY to get cool???

So let the heat win already!!! I give up!!! I'm not a fan of cold weather...well, I wasn't until this past month....and now I've decided I'm not a fan of hot weather. So I need to move where it is moderate weather all the time. Hawaii would work.... It does get hot there in August. So hot that the sand burns your feet and you wish you had air conditioning. And it does get cold in the winter...so you wish you had a fire place (as if we could have afforded wood!!! HA..)
North Texas is really HOT, even for Texans. And it is NOT A DRY HEAT. There is just enough humidity to choke off any breath you might dare to take!! O, how I dread the arrival of the electric bill... it will probably push close to the house payment.  Even knowing how big the bill will be DOES NOT mean that I want to turn up the thermostat from 78 degrees. That just isn't going to happen!!! Once I get hot I can't get cooled down without ice packs. This just isn't my year!!!

Being stuck in the house is not all bad. I did get the mending done and a few Christmas presents made. That is progress!! And staying indoors with my lymphedema arm bandaged is working ... the swelling is way down and the lymphedema arm is almost the same size as the right arm. If bandage wraps happen to shrink my bat-wings, I'll let you know!!!

Geneva is making progress too. She is walking tall, tail is straight up most of the time now, and she is beginning to demand what she wants. She is acting like a poodle. And she has claimed a corner of our bed as her spot for the night. Her life is good. She is clocking about 3 hours of lap time a day during the baseball games.

There are a couple of estates sales with potential coming up this weekend. What a dilemma. I don't like to get "up and out" early in the morning; however I like getting out in the heat even less. So I'll try to hit a sale and get home before 10 am. I scored big time on Craigslist this week. Sister's grandaughter is coming for 2 weeks and we needed somthing to entertain a 12 yr old. She can watch old people pet the cat only so long. Scrapbooking seemed like a good option. I found a listing for a huge suitcase full of NEW scrapbooking stuff plus a big tote bag of paper(s) and a carton of stickers/buttons/etc enhancements PLUS a sewing machine for $100. I had the Jeep full of stuff. How great is that!!!

Stay cool.

Misc grooming, health, sewing etc.

The dark colored eyebrow pluckings have been spoken for so no more requests please. Many of my friends are also "of a certain age" and apparently need some dark eyebrow hairs to use as "low lights" in their eyebrows. Well, why not? One can buy false eyelashes to glue on; why not enhance eyebrows the same way? I have such smart friends!!!

My mustache needs attention. It is too dark, I think. Maybe if I just thin out the dark hairs [Any one need dark mustache hairs?] the grey ones won't be so noticeable. Of course I can only see the hairs in the make up mirror. Many of my fiends are close to my age so they won't be able to see the hairs just through their bifocals. Maybe I could "Drink More Milk" and leave a white stain on my upper lip and then the dark hairs wouldn't show. "For a price" a day spa salon would bleach my mustache, pluck my eyebrows, and dye my eyelashes. I'll have to think about this option. Generally I'd rather pass on the spa and save the money for a fabric store or travel. Or a dog.

The HOT HOT HOT weather continues and is certainly affecting my lymphedema. Over the weekend I was out to run errands and we went out for dinner. Between the heat and the salt in restaurant foods I had an extra 6# of lymph fluid, most in the arm. Back to keeping the arm wrapped during the day regardless of how hot and itchy it feels. And I still keep the Jobi pressure sleeve on at night. After four days/nights of constant wrapping plus drinking MUCH water,  I have the swelling down to  a tolerable level. It isn't worth the risk of swelling to take the sleeve off during the day regardless of discomfort level.

Speaking of fabric [and I generally am speaking or at least thinking about fabric] I am finally working on Katherine's 2009 Christmas present. I got some beautiful fabric when I was in Basel with her in '09. There was Swiss + in bright red with white +'s about 6" sized. And another piece of Swiss +'s only this piece has tiny +'s. The city of Basel has a flag pattern that is black and white and the symbol is like a piece from a chess set. [I can't play chess so don't know which piece it is.] So I got 3 different pieces of Basel fabric. Then I had this great idea; well, I thought it was great. My Sister-In-Law is a fantastic quilter...great designs and even better execution. So I sent her half the fabric to make anything she wanted to for Katherine. My idea was for each of us to give Katherine a "mystery quilt" from the Basel and Swiss fabric motifs. Fabric needs to "cure" just like meat. You should not cut it for the first year of ownership. However by 2010 when it was ready to cut, S-I-L was the one who got her quilt designed and made. I was late starting my project and then did the cancer ordeal last Fall. So I'm just now getting to the design and execution of the child's VERY LATE Christmas present. I finished the prototype this afternoon and was pleased enough to move forward on the remaining blocks.

Today was cleaning lady day. This is a wonderful thing for all of us as I'm much easier to live with when the house is clean. Her 9 or 10 y.o. daughter has been along the past 2 weeks. Last week she gave Geneva a good brushing. Today we painted Geneva's toe nails. A good time was had by all. Geneva had to sleep all afternoon due to all the attention and excitement!!! She is such a calm dog!!! What a change from Domino!!!

A couple of people asked if I would write about dog rescue and how we picked this particular dog. I'll get to that soon. This is it for tonight!!!

Hair Today....Good Grief, Charlie Brown

I had to go get a "hair cut" today. My fuzzy helmet wasn't "fitting" anymore and looked even worse than usual. So Della trimmed it. I'll bet there wasn't a full tablespoon of hair on the floor!!! What a hair cut!!! She didn't even charge me and said "Go home and grow enough hair to help support me." So I'll try. She said it will take a year or more to know what my new hair will be like...so far it is even finer than before, darker, and just plain nappy.

So now I've had to address hairy issues like every other woman. My eyebrow hairs came in dark and all over my eyebrow...what's this about??? I haven't plucked stray eyebrows for decades!!! Now I do like my new eyelashes. They are dark, which is a change from the pre-chemo lashes which were grey. Lashes are not as thick and are shorter, don't touch my glasses. I can use the time I save by not putting on mascara to pluck my eyebrows!!

I've had to shave my legs and pits twice now. And my arms are hairy again. So except for the hair on my head, all is back to some acceptable level of the new "normal."

This heat wave is really doing a job on my lymphodema. I can't get the left arm down to a size that is close to the right arm. The therapist said I will probably have to go back to the ace bandage wraps to get the size down.  Well, that is no fun in 100+ heat!! It is bad enough to wear an oven mitt from finger tips to arm pit all night and then try to sleep with it propped up on pillows to encourage the lymphatic fluid to drain down to the shoulder then trunk and finally out. Do I want to be even hotter all day and all night..............not really.

Bone scan was all clear so the long bone pain is just a result of the aremidex which I have to take for 5 years. That is better than having the bone scan show bone cancer or breast cancer showing up in the bone marrow. I had to go back to hospital for an Xray of my elbow because the scan indicated that the dye collected in the elbow pit OR there was something going on there. It was the dye. It was so hard to get the vein and then get the dye to go in....I'm not surprised that the dye didn't get moved around much. I really should have asked the RNs before I jumped on Dr's idea to take the Port out!!!! It would be much easier to keep the port flushed than to go through this vein stabbing!!!

Geneva update: Our baseball fan is fitting in nicely. She had a vet tech check up for the ears today and there is still some problems. We will continue the flush and treatment meds for another 2 weeks. She is eating nicely even without wet food. No accidents in the house. She is now bold enough to jump up in our bed after we go to sleep. Wonder how long it will be before she claims her own spot in our bed?? Domino "sleeps around" and spends sleep time in various dog beds, our bed, the couch etc. He often goes to bed with me and then back to the living room to finish the ballgame with Husband.

I'm having a good time cooking! Tonight we had sea bass with cumin dusting, saffron rice and a squash corn saute. Fresh peaches and blackberries for dessert. Pinot Grigo wine. NICE. It is good to feel well enough and have enough energy to shop and cook. Slow return to the new normal.

Dogs and Doctors...........what a life!!!

Husband LOST the new dog. It is 100+ on a HOT afternoon, I'm an hour away for an important meeting, and when FEDEX wanted an autograph Geneva ran out the door and down the street!!! She doesn't know her name yet, has never been on a walk in the neighborhood [still can't walk with corset or cord touching her] and she doesn't have a tag on yet. She is just plain GONE. Husband and lawn crew search and give up. Hours later I get home and Domino and I take out in the direction she was last seen. She was hiding in the scrub brush tree line behind OUR house....in the cedar stickers and POISON IVY. She was HOT and glad to see Domino and me, came right on in the yard. It took a long time to get the stickers off of her and then she had a nice bath. We all stretched out under the fans and enjoyed the air conditioning. Dogs, bah hum bug!!!!

This week is my week to get to the doctors I have ignored while doing chemo and radiation. So far so good. The dermatologist did a couple of freezes and one "slice and dice" but all is well. The eye doctor was nice enough to NOT change my glasses so there is a big savings. The dentist gave me a good report. The follow up visit to the oncologist was so-so. I' m having considerable bone pain and he ordered a bone scan just to be sure all is well. I would have preferred he say I was a wimp and "buck up" but that didn't happen.

It has just been too hot to be outside. So I don't go.  And it is too hot to cook in the house. So I don't. Thank goodness we have a grill or we would starve. If we could turn on the grill via remote control...wow...there is an invention idea for you. We hurry in/out to turn the stuff and that is dinner. Life is simple punctuated by hysteria.