Another bad start to the year

I might have to wait about the uke till thing calm down in my mother-in-law's place.  My father-in-law has just died so, although she offered the uke to my kids a couple of years ago, now might not quite be the time.

Hi @arpie - Curcumin is the refined and stronger version of turmeric- have a friend with a pinched nerve taking it with great success. Statins were fine for a few months and then noticed problems but only temporary once off them back to normal quickly.Iunderstand from a friend who had same they can vary type of statin to mitigate problems but too spooked the first time plus enough other health stuff happening.For arthritic pain think you can take Krill Oil during treatment but check first with your doctor please.There is a great site recommended by BCNA which details pluses and minuses of all types of supplements which I find useful - come out of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in NYC which is a hospital specialising in all types on cancer research and treatment.Is easy to understand for non medical me but site needs a bit of time to understand how to navigate. Here it is :

www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/herbal-remedies-and-treatment

All the best xo

Thanks @Romla

I love my kayak fishing and do that for my main exercise (often being out for up to 8hrs, 2 or 3 times a week!) Working with my uke group and preparing sessions keeps me pretty busy too, so not much idle time.  I’d like to think that I am reasonably fit for my age and hope to continue doing what I love, until I can’t!

I’ve had to stop taking tumeric during my rads treatment and am now having severe arthritic pain back in my hands in particular! I can’t even open a bottle of water!  :(   I can’t wait to get back into it and hopefully be relatively pain free again!

Hmmm, i’ve been wondering about the effects of statins on the body ..... we are both on them and both of us have no been having memory issues ... with me quite concerned about the other half’s possibility of dementia!

I probably WILL go with the tablets and just wait and see how I go with them.  I had quite severe menopause side effects from my mid 40s for at least 10 years and don’t want to go then that again ... for what I understand to be a benefit of just 1% improvement of it not recurring.  It was no fun for both me and my husband!  :( 

@Sister

Uke is MUCH easier than Guitar.  4 strings, 4 fingers!!  :)  I find it hard putting my arm over the big old guitars as they are so 'deep' in the body!!

I've got a heap of info I can send you to get you started, plus a song base of 5 Songbooks I've put together ...... about 500 songs .... and I have thousands more on my computer!!  ;)    If your mother-in-law has a spare uke, borrow it, get her to show you how to tune it (and buy a tuner.)  Get her to give you a few tips & have a go playing with her (you always learn faster when playing with others & it makes it way more fun too!!)  

Most people settle for a Concert Uke (a little bit bigger than Sopranos & a little more mellow.)   You will notice that the Uke Chords are basically the same as the 4 'high strings' on the Guitar chords - but just with different names!!

THEN ..... if you are enjoying it - get your family (kids, sister/brother, partner) to give you $$ for your birthday/Xmas etc ... and put THAT towards getting yourself a really DECENT uke!  They usually sound better and are easier to play (you gets what you pays for!!)  Kala and Lanakai are good brands, - if you go to a music shop & have a strum of quite a few, you'll notice that one will just sound that little bit nicer or is easier to play ..... 

Then .... there is 'the plan'!!  You get your Partner & kids to buy one too, so you have someone else to play with in the house!  :)  

If there is a uke group near where you live - I'd suggest you join it - it is the best way of having fun and learning at the same time!  :)  

Hey @arpie How hard is the uke to learn?  I started learing guitar (sort of self taught with my husband's assistance) before, then we moved back to the boondocks and time became an issue, then bc reared.  I'm not sure I've got the reach to try the big box now but wondered about uke.  I'm sure my mother-in-law has a spare one.

Glad treatment has been going well @arpie even though some mishaps on the home front.Can’t speak for all hormone tablets or indeed everyone’s experience but been on Letrozole 8 months and whilst some side effects managing reasonably well.

For me the key to coping has been a daily one hour walk - enables me to walk thru joint pain, the endorphin release lifts my mood , time to think ie MY time and also helps with weight and a tendency to fluid retention in my lower limbs in hot weather especially.

Yes I do have hot flushes - some days none - but is my 3rd round of menopause symptoms so kinda know what’s what.The worst side effect for me has been a spike in my formerly good cholesterol which I need to careful about - I won’t take statins as after 6 months I thought I had dementia but back to normal rapidly after stopping them.Just low dose aspirin , rolled oats for breakfast daily  and being careful with my diet with the occasional breakout.I also take Krill Oil on recommendation of the medical oncologist to prevent joint pain but it also thins the blood and helps with cholesterol as is a type of fish oil with omega 3.

Just a word to the wise Aromatase inhibitors like Letrozole thin bones and there is an exercise program several have discussed on here @Deanne  may be able to help - the results sound amazing.I started with poor bone density and an existing fracture so am on Prolia 6 monthly injections at the PBS price.I do a gentle exercise class twice weekly called Stretch and Balance which I find helpful - it includes some light weight work. 

To me hormone therapy for 5 years is my best protection against recurrence and I am determined to stay on it and work thru any hassles.

Many thanks @Zoffiel
So far, I really think I have been let off lightly ..... I will be discussing the tablets next week and may see another Onc Dr to see what level they will benefit me.  I had 10 years of crap menopause .... so don’t want another 10, if they bring back all the symptoms!!  We’ll see what their arguments are!  LOL. My surgeon had suggested shortly after my surgery, for ‘trying them’ and if it didn’t ‘work out’, to stop them.

@Afraser
I hope you’ve started playing that uke by now ... you NEVER see a grumpy Ukulele player and it is just so MUCH FUN!!  

@Julesjourney
How are you going my friend?  I hope all is good with you.

To everyone starting out on their treatment .... take heart ... it doesn’t HAVE to be too horrible!  

So far, I’ve been lucky, found early, quick surgery, good margins, 4 weeks of rads ..... possibility of tablets for a number of years .... yet to be confirmed .... 

There will be ‘bits’ that aren’t comfortable - but the people around you and those here on the forum will be able to guide you to a better result.  

All the best to everyone on their journey xxxx

Good on you, @arpie Apart from the trips and falls, it sounds like you haven't had too bad a time which is excellent news, and just what anyone who is wondering what their treatment might be like needs to hear. it's all worth it if it keeps this mongrel disease off us! Mxxx

WOW!!  Where has the time gone ..... from having my first 3 sessions - now about to start my final 3 sessions next week!!!

I've been staying at the Rotary Lodge for the whole time since Feb 28th - and finish on March 28th, coming home for weekends.  I can only praise Paula and Phil for their wonderful management of the Lodge - they are such caring & supportive people. They've really made my stay at the Lodge as pleasant as it could be. The local Rotarians even come in every 2 weeks or so and cook up an evening meal for both management and residents - and next Wed, after my final session, I will stay on for the 'celebratory dinner' that night, before coming home on Thurs, in time for Easter!

So .... what's been going on in between .... there's been a little bit of drama when my husband fell off his stationery bike, badly bruising his ribs but luckily X-rays in Emergency showed no breaks, so that was good. However, he's been on regular pain medication ever since at 6hrly intervals ever since - so most nights, I've had broken sleep.  We've had the ambos to him twice more as he was in such extreme pain and we've been seeing Drs regularly for more pain killers for him!  Sadly, he will be in pain for many weeks to come, so is very sore & sorry for himself!  :(  Then it was MY turn - I fell over in a park, but luckily only sprained my ankle, which healed virtually the next day!  Phew!  

OK ... my radiation treatment .... on the whole, it has gone really well by my own expectations!!  I've gone a bit pink, a bit hot, a bit acne spotted and quite itchy (probably the worst bit!) and a little bit tender!  My boob still 'feels normal' and looks relatively normal, altho the nipple is a bit white.  I was thinking it may be quite 'cooked' & become hard or even mis-shapened - so unless it happens in the next 3 sessions, it probably won't .... At least I hope not! 

OK ... first 3 days of radiation done and dusted, tho the wheels fell off last Wed night when I lost my Guardian Angel Pendant. It had been given to me just the week before by a dear friend who is 5 years clear of BC. She really helped keep me sane from day of diagnosis to now and is my official ‘Guardian Angel’. The chain had broken and the pendant must have fallen off sometime earlier, as I only found the busted chain on the ground and no pendant.  We searched and searched and searched but could not find it. :( 

I was SO upset that Thurs is a bit of a blur too .... I basically just cried all day.  I feel better now, even tho I am resigned to the fact I’ll never see it again.

We spent the weekend in Coffs with my better half doing a triathlon there, winning his age group and qualifying for the triathlon World Champs later this year in Qld.

Treatment starts again in 2hrs.  So far, so good.  I’ve noticed the one area below my nipple is a bit pink so will put extra lotion on it .... 

I am Looking forward to heading home this weekend to catch up with a heap of fishing buddies ..... 

Hahaha, jennyss  Thank you.  Hehehe, you don’t have to be mad to join the Jumping Fleas .... but it helps! :smiley:   We just have so much fun and enjoy playing for the oldies.  Let’s face it - they were in their 30s when the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis etc were in their prime!

We have a terrific bunch of players and they’ve helped keep me sane thru all this!!  Some have been thru BC or other cancers themselves and have been a tremendous support.  

We often change the words of songs who’s lyrics aren’t always ‘positive’ ..... for the better, we think.  LOL

We’ve just settled in to our new digs at Port Macquarie for the next 10 days, then will head home for weekends.