Bargoo: I'm not a regular on this thread but I wanted to join in with the most heartfelt and powerful good wishes that I can give to you. They are in the air on their way to Davis now (I'm a Davis native BTW, so I know where to send them ). Jen
Bargoo, I too am wishing you the best. UC Davis has an excellent Oncology program, which you probably knew. After your whole-brain radiation, you may want to consider clinical trials with your oncologist; there may be one or more that are specific to bone and brain metastasis: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials.../breast-cancer
Bargoo, I too am wishing you the best. UC Davis has an excellent Oncology program, which you probably knew. After your whole-brain radiation, you may want to consider clinical trials with your oncologist; there may be one or more that are specific to bone and brain metastasis: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials.../breast-cancer
Thanks, Andrea, yes my oncologist has mentioned trials as a possibility, nothing definite yet. Right now I am working with an oncologist and a radiation oncologist.
Thanks for the suggestion and well wishes.
Dear Bargoo, I'm sorry to hear about this. I hope you have all the support you need. You have always been a kind and helpful person on these boards, and I am glad you have been here.
Bargoo, thanks for staying here on the board & telling us. That can't have been easy. Yes, that is something I would want to know about. I would not want you here talking about weight & food, but holding back about your health and your daily routine. When did you hear the MRI results & were you sitting with that all weekend? I am not one for prayers but I'll pray for you. How will these radiation treatments work? Will someone go with you when you go to them?
Thanks, everybody for letting me share, I will try and not turn this into a Medical Forum .I will try to answer some of saef' 's questions, though. I had the MRI on Friday afternoon and got a call from my Primary on Saturday Morning . It is usually not good news when they respond so quickly and it wasn't. I had several calls from him during the day Saturday and a call from the oncology radiologist on Sunday. I will have ten radiation treatments, the first one being very lengthy as the need to be very precise and must please the radiation oncologist before treatment could begin. This involved consults, photos, x rays, CT Scan and the making of a face mask which I will wear during treatment. It is not at all painful or uncomfortable but you do know something is on your face. I thought that before molding it to my face it looked rather like a fencer's mask .Radiation treatment only takes a few minutes and is painless. It can have side effects, though. I am also on a steroid medication, not to happy about that as one of the side effects of steroids is weight gain. Loss of hair and weight gain , just what every woman wants. My DIL is taking me to my treatments, now, but younger DS is going to order a car service for me so DIL can have a break.
Bargoo you are in my prayers! Wow it's amazing the courage you show (though I know this must be scary).
I promised I would report on my progress so here we go again... I'm maintaining at 195, not dropping down to 185 as I had hoped. This past week has been terrible... not only the loss of our business, but now a friend who had a heart transplant 17 years ago may be rejecting her heart, another friend has aggressive cancer, an aunt going into hospice quite suddenly, and of course my virtual friend Bargoo now as well... I'm not focusing too much on dietary perfection right now, just maintaining in both the realms of weight and life.
Bargoo, it's good to hear you have support and a great medical team working with you. You deserve the best of the best!
Chris, holding steady in the face of stress is a victory of its own. Hang in there - things do get better, and when they do, it's preferable not to have to fight off extra pounds as a "reward" for surviving it!
I'm burying into my 5-year plan. I realized I haven't had one since before DS was born, and to say he changed my course is, as all parents know, a significant understatement.
Chris, thanks for the prayers. What would we do without our friends ?
3FC reminds me of my Aunt's Kaffee Klatsch When I was a young girl lI would sometimes be visiting her on Monday. This was back in the day when housewives washed on Monday, ironed on Tuesday, cleaned on Wednesday, etc. anyone remember ?It was the custom in her neighborhood for the ladies to do their laundry, hang it on the line and then gather in someone's backyard, someone would put on the coffee pot and they would have a Kaffee KLatsch. I wanted to grow up and be lady like that. I have an automatic washer and electric dryer, no clothes hanging for me. But 3FC is my Kaffee Klatsch. Thanks, everyone !
My grandmother and her friends all worked for Playtex when I was young, made bras. They didn't have a kaffee klatsch, but they did have a weekly pinochle game that often included wine. Same kind of thing I think. I think 3FC is mine, too.
Bargoo - I hope someone will still go with you when DS rents a car for you. And don't worry about the steroids, sometimes it is okay to snack.
Chris - it all hits at once, doesn't it?
Becky - I haven't had a five year plan in ages. I'm not sure I ever will again. LOL
I'm sleepy today, I went down hard after dinner last night and woke up still draggy. Have to run this afternoon though, sore legs and draggy aside.
I've heard that one of the side effects of radiation is that it leaves a bad taste in your mouth and kind of turns you off of eating as it makes everything taste weird. Maybe this will offset the steroids? In any case, you still need to eat to stay healthy.
I just checked my airline reservations for my trip to Barcelona. Ugh! We are seated in the VERY LAST ROW on both legs. That means right in front of the galley AND right next to the restrooms. No sleep for us on the transatlantic flight. Maybe, jut maybe, the flight won't be full and they can move us up.
I had a nightmare last night. A serious nightmare. In the dream, I was in my family room when I noticed a man in my back yard. He was wearing a uniform (not police--more like Salvation Army). I didn't like that he was back there, but no way was I going to open the door and tell him so. I walked into the living room where I noticed the area where my couch is located was surrounded by a huge curtain. I peeked in the curtain and the guy was now sitting on my couch! At this point I thought I had woken up but apparently not. The dream continued in my bedroom--me sleeping next to DH like normal when in my dream I heard my DH say "get the F*** off of me." Still, thinking I was awake (but still dreaming) I tried to see what was bothering DH (thinking it was our cat) when I realized I couldn't move (in the dream). At that point I started thrashing and yelling and finally woke myself up.
bargoo I'm sure you will show the same strength and determination in facing your treatment and its side effects as you have shown in losing and maintaining the weight loss. I hope you can balance this with being kind to yourself too. This is very hard stuff to face and the occasional bout of comfort eating is natural.
And if you feel it's getting out of hand let us know if you want us to you. You have shored up all of us at one time or another with just the right amount of virtual back-patting and *ss kicking. We can do the same for you.
Chris Maintaining a constant weight in the face of ending such a major phase of your life is an achievement!
Shannon I think you should trust your DH's evaluation of the change your healthy habits have made. I think we all tend to be too self-critical.
Becky Returning to your 5-year plan?
Allison I'm sure your vacation will erase all the stress you're feeling about it right now. Once you get off that plane you will enjoy!
I am getting really excited about finally buying the %$*# house. The money changes hands (actually bank accounts electronically) tomorrow. That is when I will really feel I own the place. I hope to get the keys before Monday - the actual closing date - as my pet sit starts on that day. I live 3 blocks away from the new place - surely we can manage a transfer of the keys. But I'm sure there will be all sorts of liability issues and I will wind up having to shlep downtown again. To have my lawyer hand me the keys, turn around, and shlep back home.
I'm off for back out in the heat for a dinner walk now. I think we would have been able to smelt metal down at the off leash today - white hot and no wind.
). Jen
you. You have shored up all of us at one time or another with just the right amount of virtual back-patting and *ss kicking. We can do the same for you.
I think we would have been able to smelt metal down at the off leash today - white hot and no wind. 
and 
I can barely think. Going to take a cab to the lawyer's.
