A lot of pain in my right hip today. Bit the bullet and decided to call my oncologist. He's away for 2 weeks but have an appt on July 17. Going to discuss some options:

quit all together..
take every OTHER day...
switch to another brand...
stop for a few weeks and see if an improvement...
or
just continue as now and ask for "mild" pain pill.

We'll figure it out as he is a very compassionate guy,easy to talk to,and a great doc!!

You've never heard me complain but Ive been hurting for some time now.
I have been on cancer drug Arimidex for 4 yrs 3 mos. I have 9 more months to go. It is prescribed for some breast cancer patients whose cancer was estrogen positive,,,mine was. It is supposed to help prevent the cancer retuning to the 2nd breast.

One of the major side effects is bone and muscle pain. I have noticed the pain getting worse in the past 3 months..mainly in both hips, lower back hands and knees.. my muscles hurt constantly!

I've had all the blood tests to rule out rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lyme disease, sed rate for inflammation, creatinine kinase for muscles and all tests are negative. That is good but by ruling out all the bone and muscle diseases, it just proves the pain must be from the Arimidex Doc says.

I could stop the drug on my own, like 40% of women do in the first 6 mos do.

Every morning as I look at the smallest of the 6 pills I take,(also 6 at night) I say "do I want to take this pill and be in pain again Today"?

The problem is I can take only so much of Advil, Motrin, Aleve, etc because of my small stomach from the lap-band. It eats at my stomach so I end up popping Pepsid like candy.

I just can't win! My husband,Bill, keeps encouraging me to take them,cause he doesn't want the cancer to re-occur.

Today and the past 3 days, I can hardly walk and move...my hips especially and yet i cringe and tear up every morning just to go to work.

So I am feeling a little down and miss all my LJ friends. What would help me the most?

I'm going to ask all you guys to do a little favor for me.

PLEASE SEND ME LOTS OF HUGS VIA LJ ROUTE< as you can't hug me in person.

KEEP "EM COMING, and maybe my tears will diminish, and I'll feel better. Ive already lost 12% of my bones in my hips in the past 4 yrs, and go for another bone density scan in Aug. to see if the liquid FOSAMAX I drink once a week is preventing further loss.


SEND THOSE HUGS!! PLEEEEAAAAASE

LUV and HUGS to you all!

I was having a little trouble reading the road signs on vacation.

Today I went for an eye exam, even though I had one in Jan. I guess my eyes did change, so getting new glasses!!!

I've been gone 8 days and am finally home. Went with hubby to Virginia for a week. Left CT last Fri and traveled thru NY, PA to Harrisburg, down thru the tip of MD and WV into the Shenandoah Valley of VA.

The first 3 days were unbearable.. the temp near 100, so stayed inside our timeshare.

Tues we ventured to Loray Caverns where we walked 1 1/2 miles 150 ft underground thru the most beautiful caverns. It was refreshing at 54 degrees.

The weather broke Tues night so Wed went into DC. Drove to Fairfax and took the Metro into the city. This was my first trip to DC. We toured the US POSTAL MUSEUM (my hubby is a postal clerk!!) which was quite interesting.
We then ate lunch in Union Station before heading over the Holocaust Museum.
Very moving and personal!! as my husband was born in one of the resettlement camps in 1947. His parents(Polish Catholics) were taken by trucks to the camps where his dad built the rails and carried stones while his mom dug the graves. She actually was pulled out of line to the gas chambers because a guard noticed she wasn't wearing a yellow star. She was only 18. After the Americans rescued them, his parents and sister stayed until 1952 in the relocation camps. They emigrated to Ellis Island, then to Hartford, CT after a Polish church sponsored them.

So to actually stand in a railroad car, see the bunks,food bowls, clothing, hundreds of old shoes and the wall of shaven hair was very emotional for me and Bill.

That was all the time we had as the buildings close at 5:30.

As we headed back to Falls Church via the Orange Line one of the rails buckled due to the heat. Stuck standing up packed like sardines for 45 min, while we waited to switch cars. NOT FUN!!!

Thurs we did a side trip to see where the Battlefield at New Market. My husband is a civil war buff so we try to see something historic relating to the Civil WAR everywhere we go.

Left Virginia Fri am and traveled thru the Amish country on our way home. WE traveled thru the back roads to see the farmers plowing and baling hay without farm equipment, just horses. WE ate lunch at an Amish restaurant and tried things from the buffet that we had never eaten.

Ham balls, homemade egg noodles, apple butter, oatmeal pie, and shoo-fly pie. They were all great!

We arrived back home in Connecticut at 8:30pm due to Friday night traffic over the Tappan Zee bridge in New York.

Today I went thru the mail, went thru 8 days of paper, did the bills, unpacked luggage and got caught up on a week's worth of LJ reading.

Gary--congrats on your grades!! You Rock!

Ed K.- sorry to hear of the loss of your aunt. My deep condolences.

It's good to go away, but always great to come home. I love my new home and took a long soaking bath with a "FIZZ BOMB" from LUSH that Richard sent me for Mother's Day.

IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Current Location: computer room
Current Mood: refreshed
Current Music: silence

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARY AND STEVE!!

HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY TOM AND ED!!

AND TODAY IS MY 33RD ANNIVERSARY...

MAY 30 is a great day!!!!!

After working a half day today(Sat), I have Sun and Mon off...YAY

Sat- 75 degrees
Sun- 78 degrees
Mon- 80 degrees

SUNNY AND MORE SUNNY

Planning on getting ready for our tag sale next Saturday---cleaning garage and cellar, so hope to get rid of stuff.

Sunday pm I'm going to an art festival in Northampton, MA just to relax and chill with my cousin.

Hope you are all enjoying the long weekend!!!

We have had beautiful weather for 5 out the the last 7 days...can't ask for anything more!!

Don't forget to call your mom tomorrow on MOTHER'S DAY..and for those whose mom is no longer with us, remember her in spirit.

For anyone who wants to give me a call on MOTHER'S DAY, I would love to hear from you!!.. I'll have my cell phone close at hand all day!!! 912-695-5445

Current Mood: happy

Just got back from our 8 day vacation. Left Hartford, CT and stayed the first night in Harrisburg, PA. Traveled the next day to Cleveland, OH where we spent 3 hrs visiting the ROCK 'N ROLL HALL OF FAME. It was awesome!! Me being a seamstress/costume maker, it was interesting to see outfits from Elvis, Chuck Berry, the Platters, slutty Madonna,etc. Even saw tiny tap shoes from the Everly Brothers when they were kids. I never realized how tiny in frame Mick Jagger is till I saw his pants and tops. Saw the double
neck guitar Jimi Hendrix used. COOL!

Day 3 traveled down to Canton, OH to visit the Football Hall Of Fame. My hubby really enjoyed that.

Then onto to Cincinnati, OH to visit the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FREEDOM CENTER.. we spent 3 hrs plus in the modern 3 floor museum. I was quite moved by all the displays and history. Walked 2 blocks to climb the tallest bldg and look out over the city. Cincinnati is right on the banks of the Ohio river, so we could see Kentucky about a half mile away. We then went to a recommended restaurant "The Montgomery Inn" where they are noted for their ribs. They were GREAT!!!

Started to head back East, where we detoured to the Amish area. I wanted homemade fudge and Amish dessert like treats.

We had great weather and it was very calming driving past farm after farm thru out Ohio and Pennsylvania. Definitely got de-stressed from our jobs... then hit New York traffic!!!

All in all a great and restful week with many memories.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!!!!
Hope you have a great day!!!

To Health, Wealth, and great friends!!(toasts champagne)...well maybe not wealth!!

LUVIN HUGS!!!!! XXXXX OOOOOO

Current Location: desk
Current Music: Righteous Brothers

Spring has finally arrived here in CT!!!!! YAY!!! Thurs and Sat it got to 73 and 75 degrees. Our brown winter grass is now green. Forsythia and weeping willows are turning yellow and I see the first bud on the bare winter trees... No rain in sight for this week... thank God.

Friday hubby and I leave for a short vacation. We're going to Ohio for the first time. Our first stop will be the Rock and Roll hall of fame in Cleveland, then on to the Football Hall Of Fame in Canton, the finally south to Cincinnati to the recently new Underground Railroad Museum. We always see something historical as well as fun and interesting when we go away.

Dad is doing much better, so I feel OK about leaving for a week.

My co-worker is back from the FINAL FOUR in Tampa and brought me back a neat pin. Even tough we lost, and so did Stanford in the end, they both had great years. It's a long time till college basketball starts in Nov...Oh well.

Hope you all had a great weekend!!