Do you celebrate Valentine's Day ?
As yet another lonely Valentine's Day comes along I think of how others may be 'celebrating', how circumstances can be so different. Some will be cuddling up and enjoying spending time together. Some will be travelling near and far. There may be flowers and chocolates, plans for a great day out together. Some may be visiting hospitals or nursing homes, battling to even remember each other. Some may just think it is all a beat-up money-grabbing venture. With the new lockdown in Victoria I cannot go to visit my Valentine (he is at his final resting place). However you are 'celebrating', please take the time to appreciate all you have. Please, no political comments, allow others to enjoy this day if they want to celebrate it. Hugs to all, especially those who have no-one with whom to share the fun of the day.
Is anyone Type 2 Diabetes with diet control and Diaformin/Metformin Tablets, not on insulin?
Just wondering if anyone has Type 2 Diabetes and on Diamformin/Metformin tablets & diet control, rather than insulin? Or a partner who is? My husband is a Type 2 Diabetic & his levels are a tad high just now. I'll be getting him to the Dr for further tests in the next day or so - but am just wondering what your diet is & exercise regime? Feel free to PM me if you'd like. His Diabetes is almost certainly as a result of his stomach cancer surgery & chemo 10 years ago - he was diagnosed as Diabetic about 3-4 years ago. He only weighs 55kg & is already a life long athlete and still relatively fit, (tho slowing down now with age at 83.) We also have a pretty healthy diet - all of which are mentioned when blood sugar levels go up. grrrr Any info appreciated, thanks xx
Finding Happiness In The New Normal
I'm in the process of rebuilding my life after BC. My internal and external life. The oncologist says the physical recovery from chemo will take about a year. I'm at the three month mark from the bilateral mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction and feel more or less physically recovered though my belly is still quite tight. I've completed an oncology exercise physiology course which was brilliant. Run by Eastern Health in Melbourne, it was an hour of exercise, specifically tailored for me by an exercise physiologist after an assessment. Each exercise session was followed by an hour of education. That was wide and varied, including Tai Chi, sleep advice, an hour with a hospital pharmacist to ask about your meds, a session on fatigue, Feldenkrais and art therapy. Two sessions a week for seven weeks. The price for ALL of this was $10. Our public health system is incredible. So I feel like I've made a good start in regaining my strength, and I'm looking forward to gaining back more when I begin the ExMed programme in September. And walking more as the weather becomes more conducive! Setting aside the ongoing issue of adjusting to the side effects of a decade on an AI, that's the physical, but what about the mental? The hard bit. It sure is a rollercoaster. And very much a work in progress. Up and down, mood swings, anxiety, hopelessness, sudden joy in the lttle things, pointlessness, fear of recurrence, life with sensationless foobs, frustration, etc etc etc. When I was having chemo I kept a list on my phone of things I'd like to do when I was 'better'. The oft repeated advice to be kind to yourself, and put yourself first more often, rings in my ears. I'm taking it to heart and bit by bit I'm constructing a new normal (not overly fond of that phrase) which contains more for me, and less servitude to the family. Because you know, you could get run over by a bus tomorrow. Or get cancer... So now I hang the expense and buy fresh flowers each week. They make me happy when I look at them. I'm extending my kitchen skills. I don't want to die without knowing how to make good pastry and a cumquat marmalade. I'm doing a preserves & fermentation class later this year! I'm giving back by saying yes to every advocacy opportunity I'm offered. The biggest one in a way is the institution of a monthly day trip. I love to travel. It feeds my soul and makes me happier than anything. Travel doesn't have to be overseas or far away, it just has to be somewhere new. My husband works 50 - 60 hours a week outside the home, often interstate. Come the weekend all he wants is to be at home. Currently I work the same hours in the home. And come the weekend I want to be anywhere else BUT at home! For 19 years I've put his needs above mine on this front but no more. Once a month I'm leaving the house, the laundry, the tidying, the cooking, the cleaning, the music practice, the homework, the catering all behind and heading off to explore my home state. Up to roughly a two hour driving radius, a trip with the aim of exploring, being diverted, a good walk, a rummage in an op shop, a local sight or anything else that might take my fancy. This took a bit of persuading for my beloved to take on board. But he got there and we've had two fantastic day trips so far. The second was today. We went to Wonthaggi and Cape Paterson, two places I'd never been before. Sometimes I'll go on my own, sometimes with my husband and sometimes I'll use the opportunity to have some one on one time with the kids. Useful when you've got four of them I think. Today we took my 12yo nephew, wrenching him from his beloved computer. Initially reluctant and resentful he had a lovely day. We also took the big dog who adored our exploration of the kangaroo filled wetlands between the desalination plant and the wind farm, not to mention the tennis ball throwing on the beach. We came home with some Bitossi from a fantastic vintage market, a delicious bottle of local pinot gris, award winning lamb and mint sausages and a new red leather collar for the dog! I've done over 15,000 steps, had a delicious cup of coffee, ate fish and chips, learned some stuff I didn't know and seen a whole new part of the world. Which is all a very long winded way of saying what are you doing, or planning to do, to find some happiness in your new normal? Spotted today on the back of the door to the ladies loo in the Cape Paterson Tavern: Happy dog at the beach:
Everything is shrinking!
I haven't been here for a while and thought this would be a good place for advice. Its 4 years since diagnosed with BC and 2.5 years post treatment. I have been so focused on my general health, resuming work and looking after sick elderly parents that I have neglected my sexual health. Basically everything is shrinking (except for my waistline). 56 and post menopause, sex is very painful. I've been using Yes moisturiser and lubricant and not able to use any hormone treatments. My question is does anyone have experience using vaginal dilator therapy and physio? I think I'll need to see a gynaecologist at some point after the holiday period. Thanks in advance. CB
Rant- It's all about him!
I need to vent or I will explode. Lately every ailment I get, my hubby more or less says he has the same thing. I remarked a fellow lymphedema sufferer had a paper cut and her arm and hand swelled and she needed to go on antibiotics and all he could say is oh yes those paper cuts are really bad, I had them in the bank job I had and they are awful. I said about another friend with chemo brain on hormone therapy went to the supermarket and couldn't remember why until she noticed the shopping list was in her hand. Hubby- oh yes I forget stuff all the time when I go in a room. If I complain about any of my conditions or how I am feeling, he always has a comparative answer that he has the same thing. I am just so (insert swearword beep) sick of it! Grrrrrrr!
The Lost Libido Ladies
Hi everyone. If you're one of the many women who have lost their libido and are finding sex painful after cancer treatment, please do join us at the Lost Libido Ladies. Our private group had nearly 100 members but was unfortunately removed when the new website was set up. The group has been reinstated, but we can't access our old members. So please apply to join, and we'll get things moving again. Apparently some of our discussions are on other parts of the website, so we'll try to find them and see if we can add links or copy them across. I was going to do a broadcast post regarding an update on the Mona Lisa Touch for women in Melbourne, the successful outcome of using Yes Vaginal Moisturiser (new product) and finally getting DHEA pessaries from a compounding chemist in Melbourne, but I'll wait until we have got some of our old members back into the group. Hope to see you in the group soon, either as an old member or a new one. Best wishes, DaisyMarigold.
