brachy/Deanna

124

Comments

  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    Yogurt & brachy
    With my internal radiation coming up in a couple weeks, I just have to ask: Are you just EATING the yogurt, or do you actually coat the dilator with it? A nutritionist suggested that I eat at least a couple tablespoons of yogurt every single day of cancer treatment, and I have been faithfully doing that. I can just see myself squeezing a 'Go-gurt' yogurt tube up there, when you simply meant you were to EAT yogurt. So please clear that up for me so I don't do something insane! (blush)
  • Evelyn G
    Evelyn G Member Posts: 21
    brachy
    LOL!!!

    Unbelieveably, you slather PLAIN yogurt onto the dilator and hold it in place for 10 minutes three times a week. It helps build good bacteria levels in the vagina to help prevent a yeast infection. Unfortunately, I didn't buy a yogurt with high enough live cultures in it when I first used it at home. Plus, I didn't take the yogurt with me to Florida. Just the bacteriostatic Surgilube, which could be used but not as effectively. It didn't work as well and the infection blossomed. After calling the doc at home from Florida, his recommendation was to use yogurt. I found a Greek yogurt called Chobani and used it twice daily. It's "all natural plain yogurt with five live and active cultures including probiotics." It cost $1+ for 6 oz. That seemed to help more than the plain yogurt I bought at Aldi's at home. But my infection had gotten so bad that I needed a prescription when I got home.

    Moral of the story is, buy a plain yogurt that is natural and has high active cultures. It will save you a lot of pain and troubles in the long run.

    Good luck with your treatment. Don't be afraid. It's much easier than chemo but does have a few side affects. Hugs and blessings.....
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    Evelyn G said:

    brachy
    LOL!!!

    Unbelieveably, you slather PLAIN yogurt onto the dilator and hold it in place for 10 minutes three times a week. It helps build good bacteria levels in the vagina to help prevent a yeast infection. Unfortunately, I didn't buy a yogurt with high enough live cultures in it when I first used it at home. Plus, I didn't take the yogurt with me to Florida. Just the bacteriostatic Surgilube, which could be used but not as effectively. It didn't work as well and the infection blossomed. After calling the doc at home from Florida, his recommendation was to use yogurt. I found a Greek yogurt called Chobani and used it twice daily. It's "all natural plain yogurt with five live and active cultures including probiotics." It cost $1+ for 6 oz. That seemed to help more than the plain yogurt I bought at Aldi's at home. But my infection had gotten so bad that I needed a prescription when I got home.

    Moral of the story is, buy a plain yogurt that is natural and has high active cultures. It will save you a lot of pain and troubles in the long run.

    Good luck with your treatment. Don't be afraid. It's much easier than chemo but does have a few side affects. Hugs and blessings.....

    Catching up and HAIR ALERT!!
    Hi All,

    I couldn't help but chuckle about the yogurt. What a strange road this is!! I've been gone for awhile. Took a family trip to El Paso. Before leaving friends urged me to check about the wisdom of a trip with the swine flu scare. My chemo nurse laughed - she said "if you can get through chemo, you can take a plane ride". We do get strong with all of this, don't we."

    Ro, I'm glad you got the brachy behind you. And Deanna, I hope you get your chemo behind you.

    I finished chemo at end of Feb and have enjoyed my new silky shiny white hair with an invasion of gray. But on Sunday as I was getting ready for church I was shocked to discover mASSIVE spread of soft light gray hair on my neck and my FACE- I looked like a 70's guy with muttonchops - or a fledgling werewolf!! Immediate trip to SALLY Beauty supply and got depilatory cream which helped somewhat. I've been using it often to get more off. I thought - "I'd rather be BALD than to have hair on my face". I finally read on another discussion board that this is not uncommon about 2-3 months after chemo - and that the soft baby "fur" does go away. Caulk another new experience up on the cancer journey.

    I do agree with all of you that PATIENCE is a lesson that I am working on.

    I finally had the long awaited CT/PET scan and am awaiting results of that and my CA 125. I imagine I will find out next week. Trying not to think too much about it.

    Glad to catch up with all of you. Hang in there sisters.

    Hugs and prayers. Mary Ann aka Daisy
  • deanna14
    deanna14 Member Posts: 732

    Yogurt & brachy
    With my internal radiation coming up in a couple weeks, I just have to ask: Are you just EATING the yogurt, or do you actually coat the dilator with it? A nutritionist suggested that I eat at least a couple tablespoons of yogurt every single day of cancer treatment, and I have been faithfully doing that. I can just see myself squeezing a 'Go-gurt' yogurt tube up there, when you simply meant you were to EAT yogurt. So please clear that up for me so I don't do something insane! (blush)

    Yogurt
    I have had a lot of problems with yeast infections over the years and have used yogurt to help combat them. I have never had a doctor tell me to use the yogurt vaginally, but I know that some people do. I eat the yogurt, but you have to make sure you are getting the kind with acidophilus and live cultures. You can also buy an OTC supplement called AZO Yeast that seems to help with the symptoms of yeast infections. I'm sure that there is no harm in using the yogurt topically, I just haven't heard of it.
  • deanna14
    deanna14 Member Posts: 732
    daisy366 said:

    Catching up and HAIR ALERT!!
    Hi All,

    I couldn't help but chuckle about the yogurt. What a strange road this is!! I've been gone for awhile. Took a family trip to El Paso. Before leaving friends urged me to check about the wisdom of a trip with the swine flu scare. My chemo nurse laughed - she said "if you can get through chemo, you can take a plane ride". We do get strong with all of this, don't we."

    Ro, I'm glad you got the brachy behind you. And Deanna, I hope you get your chemo behind you.

    I finished chemo at end of Feb and have enjoyed my new silky shiny white hair with an invasion of gray. But on Sunday as I was getting ready for church I was shocked to discover mASSIVE spread of soft light gray hair on my neck and my FACE- I looked like a 70's guy with muttonchops - or a fledgling werewolf!! Immediate trip to SALLY Beauty supply and got depilatory cream which helped somewhat. I've been using it often to get more off. I thought - "I'd rather be BALD than to have hair on my face". I finally read on another discussion board that this is not uncommon about 2-3 months after chemo - and that the soft baby "fur" does go away. Caulk another new experience up on the cancer journey.

    I do agree with all of you that PATIENCE is a lesson that I am working on.

    I finally had the long awaited CT/PET scan and am awaiting results of that and my CA 125. I imagine I will find out next week. Trying not to think too much about it.

    Glad to catch up with all of you. Hang in there sisters.

    Hugs and prayers. Mary Ann aka Daisy

    LOL
    Mary Ann, I laughed out loud reading your post. I am not yet finished with chemo, but have noticed the fuzzy white hair on my face! It reminds me of the lanugo hair that babies are born with. Very soft, fuzzy and white. I have quite a bit of soft fuzzy hair on my head as well. I have always had fast growing hair and I guess with the couple of weeks delay, my body had decided to get a jump start on growing hair. It's okay with me, but I suspect it will fall out after I do finally get my last treatment.

    I do hope you enjoyed your trip and felt well during your travels. Sending positive thoughts about your test results. I know how hard the waiting is. Hopefully you will know something soon and have good news to celebrate. Keep us posted.

    Stay Strong!
    Hugs,
    Deanna
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    deanna14 said:

    LOL
    Mary Ann, I laughed out loud reading your post. I am not yet finished with chemo, but have noticed the fuzzy white hair on my face! It reminds me of the lanugo hair that babies are born with. Very soft, fuzzy and white. I have quite a bit of soft fuzzy hair on my head as well. I have always had fast growing hair and I guess with the couple of weeks delay, my body had decided to get a jump start on growing hair. It's okay with me, but I suspect it will fall out after I do finally get my last treatment.

    I do hope you enjoyed your trip and felt well during your travels. Sending positive thoughts about your test results. I know how hard the waiting is. Hopefully you will know something soon and have good news to celebrate. Keep us posted.

    Stay Strong!
    Hugs,
    Deanna

    I have that white peach-fuzzy face hair now TOO!
    It's so funny that you said that about the dense white peach fuzz on your face! I thought maybe, after being so completely totally hairless for so long, that maybe I used to (pre-chemo) have this soft fuzzy white facial peach fuzz and never noticed it, and that now it is coming back. But I don't remember being this fuzzy! You're right, Deanna; it's just like baby hair. I'm so grateful that it is almost transparent, and mine isn't so noticeable that I feel the need to do anything about it, but I am definitely fuzzy.

    The little new hairs on my head are super-soft and fuzzy, too, soft like my bunny's fur but MUCH more sparse. Another wierd thing: my eyelashes came in more than TWICE as thick as they were before, although they are still only half the length of my pre-chemo lashes (which were never anything special). And my eyebrows, which are 3/4 of the way in now, look so WIDE/thick compared to how I remember them, although I don't have the heart yet to tweeze them when I have waited so long for them to re-appear!! My hair is still so thin that my head shows through everywhere and my semi-baldness still screams 'CANCER' and would never be mistaken as a fashion statement. But I love rubbing my soft fuzzy head and wearing mascara again has done wonders for me, making me look so much more like ME again. (For reference: my last chemo was March 26th, so this is 2 months later.)
  • Evelyn G
    Evelyn G Member Posts: 21
    Hair
    I'm so glad to hear of everyone's hair growth. My last chemo was Feb. 9. I only had the three rounds but all my hair was gone and my eyebrows and lashes fell out even after treatment was stopped. My hair is now 1/2" long and I'm being told how elegant it is. It's dark brown with more silver than I remember and thicker too. (Of course, I've been using Loving Care for many, many years.) I even had to trim around my ears! My lashes and brows have come back as well. Because of the toxicity I experienced, I was looking like a monster. It feels SO GOOD to look human again.

    I didn't get the peach fuzz on my face, but those darn chin hairs have grown in more than I remember--courser and white, too! Those grow faster than the hair on my head!!!

    I pray we are all on the road to recovery.
  • Reddie
    Reddie Member Posts: 72
    Ro10 said:

    Not what you want to hear Cookie
    I was told by my gyne and the OB/ONOC that because I had no symptoms, and a pap test caught the suspicious for adenocarcinoma cells a hysterectomy would probably take care of the problem. When I had the hysterectomy my tumor was so small 1.5cm by 1cm and it only invaded 50% of the uterus lining, but it had spread to 5 of 20 lymph nodes and I had metastic cells in my abdominal washing. So until they do the surgery, they really don't know what stage the cancer is in. They need to check the lymph nodes, to for spread.
    Because serous cancer is so aggressive is why the chemo and radiation are recommended. They want to kill any microscopic cancer that may still be there. The chemo goes through the blood stream and goes through out the body. The radiation focuses on the area where the cancer cells may remain.
    When my ONOC first explained my treatment plan he mentioned pelvic radiation for 5 -6 weeks. When I went after my first chemo treatment, I asked if internal radiation would be done also, after reading so many USPC sisters have had or are having internal radiation also. He said that is up to the radiation onocologist. So I won't know until I meet with him what I will have.
    I too am having the sandwich treatment of 3 chemo treatments, then radiation treatments, and then 3 chemo treatments. There will be a 3 -4 week rest period between each session of treatments, so it will be a long process. I had my surgery January 5th and my first chemo treatment January 29. I too am in good health with only high cholesterol. So it is so hard to understand how I have such a serious disease. I feel so good.

    Chemo treatments
    Hi Ro10,

    Can u tell me what is "sandwich treatment"?

    thanks! Reddie
  • deanna14
    deanna14 Member Posts: 732
    Reddie said:

    Chemo treatments
    Hi Ro10,

    Can u tell me what is "sandwich treatment"?

    thanks! Reddie

    Sandwhich treatments
    Some people have their treatments sandwiched. It just means that they give a certain number of chemo treatments, then do the radiation and then finish up with the remainder of the chemo treatments.
    Some people even have some chemo and radiation together.
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    Reddie said:

    Chemo treatments
    Hi Ro10,

    Can u tell me what is "sandwich treatment"?

    thanks! Reddie

    We had three chemo treatments and then our external and internal radiation. Then we will finish up with 3 more chemo treatments. We had a rest period between the chemo and radiation, and the another rest period before the last chemo. I don't know if breaking up the chemo is easier on the blood counts, or if they hope to kill any wandering cells that the radiation did not kill. I just pray that it is all working. Hope your treatment goes well.
  • Evelyn G
    Evelyn G Member Posts: 21
    Prempro
    Out of curosity, were any of you taking Prempro? I took it for 12 years.
  • shortmarge
    shortmarge Member Posts: 291
    Evelyn G said:

    Prempro
    Out of curosity, were any of you taking Prempro? I took it for 12 years.

    LOL
    What a way to start a Monday morning. Funny... I too had peach fuzz all over my face. Once I shaved it off it never came back.

    Questions, if you don't use a dilator do you slather up your husband with yogurt? Hahahahaha!

    Thanks for the laughs and God Bless you all...

    MIND, BODY AND SOUL!

    Hugs.
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    Evelyn G said:

    Prempro
    Out of curosity, were any of you taking Prempro? I took it for 12 years.

    I took Prempro for 18 months.
    I never had any problems at all with menopause, but in the early days of pre-menopause, my gynecologist prescribed a VERY low-dose Prempro for me, thinking that it would help with bone-density and heart health. When the studies came out showing that Prempro did NOT protect the heart as they had thought it did, I phoned her and went off it after being on it only 18 months. By then I was through what might have been the worst of full-blown menopause, with very little of the menopausal night sweats and mood swings you read about.

    From what I have read, the less time you ovulate in your life, the lower your chances of getting uterine cancer, statistically. So if your periods started early, and menopause came late, and you never had children or took birth control pills, statistically your chances of getting uterine cancer are higher than those who ovulated less. Of course for me, menopause came early and I had 2 children, so that stat didn't hold true for me.

    I don't think that uterine cancer is like lung or vulvar cancer, where if you were a smoker you can kick yourself. There's probably nothing at all that you DID that contributed to your getting uterine cancer. It's just a stroke of very bad luck, lousy rotten bad luck. In my case I think it perhaps cosmic-ly balances out all the wonderful incredible blessings, joys, and perfect health that I've enjoyed the rest of my life, in a wierd way, and I am at peace with that,....at least most of the time.
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980

    LOL
    What a way to start a Monday morning. Funny... I too had peach fuzz all over my face. Once I shaved it off it never came back.

    Questions, if you don't use a dilator do you slather up your husband with yogurt? Hahahahaha!

    Thanks for the laughs and God Bless you all...

    MIND, BODY AND SOUL!

    Hugs.

    MARGE!! HAHAHAHA! Now I have THAT picture in my mind! LOL!!
    Oh, my God! I read your post to my husband and he ROARED!!! I like the way you think, Marge! Every one of us will be giggling when we hit the dairy aisle! I'll never be able to shop for yogurt with a straight face again! HAHAHAHA!

    Thanks! I needed that laugh!
  • barb55
    barb55 Member Posts: 91

    I took Prempro for 18 months.
    I never had any problems at all with menopause, but in the early days of pre-menopause, my gynecologist prescribed a VERY low-dose Prempro for me, thinking that it would help with bone-density and heart health. When the studies came out showing that Prempro did NOT protect the heart as they had thought it did, I phoned her and went off it after being on it only 18 months. By then I was through what might have been the worst of full-blown menopause, with very little of the menopausal night sweats and mood swings you read about.

    From what I have read, the less time you ovulate in your life, the lower your chances of getting uterine cancer, statistically. So if your periods started early, and menopause came late, and you never had children or took birth control pills, statistically your chances of getting uterine cancer are higher than those who ovulated less. Of course for me, menopause came early and I had 2 children, so that stat didn't hold true for me.

    I don't think that uterine cancer is like lung or vulvar cancer, where if you were a smoker you can kick yourself. There's probably nothing at all that you DID that contributed to your getting uterine cancer. It's just a stroke of very bad luck, lousy rotten bad luck. In my case I think it perhaps cosmic-ly balances out all the wonderful incredible blessings, joys, and perfect health that I've enjoyed the rest of my life, in a wierd way, and I am at peace with that,....at least most of the time.

    prempro
    I was on Prempro for a little over a year- it was helping me with my menopause symptoms but the day I heard the news about the Women's Health Study on the radio I immediately went off it.
  • Evelyn G
    Evelyn G Member Posts: 21
    LOL
    No quickies allowed!
  • nursey420
    nursey420 Member Posts: 52 Member
    Evelyn G said:

    LOL
    No quickies allowed!

    yogurt
    My hubby ask if we have sex does he have to leave it in for 10 minutes I told him that he hasn't gone 10 minutes in years. But I like the idea of yogurt So Funny.
  • cookie1948
    cookie1948 Member Posts: 77
    nursey420 said:

    yogurt
    My hubby ask if we have sex does he have to leave it in for 10 minutes I told him that he hasn't gone 10 minutes in years. But I like the idea of yogurt So Funny.

    YOGURT
    You wonderful women are cracking me up. Linda, u are right, i'll always laugh now when i go in the dairy aisle.
    I DO want to say that a friend of mine's daughter was a missionary and when she had some yeast infections and/or burning, they would use plain yogurt as no meds were available but they managed to get hold of some type of plain yogurt somehow and it worked for burning and other issues.........................
    too too funny!!
    Cookie
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    Got my brachy schedule today: sounds like Deanna's.
    I met with my radiation oncologist after getting my treatment this morning. I just have 6 more external pelvic radiation treatments left now. They'll be giving me a week off, and then I'll have the 3 brachys 1 week apart: 6/17; 6/24; & 7/01. So it looks like 7/01 should be my 'gradiation day' from my initial treatment protocol! I asked about the catheter and marker in the rectum: YES-sir-ee. (UGH!) I will get a special 'positioning' CT-scan (no IV-contrast needed) during my simulation when I get 'fitted' for my vaginal tube. So it sounds like I'm getting the kind of brachy that Deanna got, although I hope it will be more sensitively given. He said we'd talk about the dilators on the 24th. (I can't WAIT to bring up the YOGURT theory to him!! HA!)

    Additional tidbits from my appointment to share: Apparently the length of time you have to lay there actually getting brachy radiation depends on how 'old' the radioactive material is that particular day. The 'half life' of the radioactive material gets longer as they store it, and if they have a NEW batch, it doesn't need to stay in you as long as it has to if the batch they have that day is older. Wierd, huh? I asked about side effects. He said my diahrea may get worse during the 3 brachy weeks and a few weeks afterwards; and that I may notice more urinary frequency and some burning. I asked about long-term side effects: he said they are possible, but not probable. He said it was important that I do the brachy as the best protection against a recurrance at the vaginal cuff. I am resigned to doing it.

    I ask about my next diagnostic CT-scan, which he said would be some time later in July; that they like to wait a full 3 months. He still thinks the tiny 2.7mm 'nodule' they saw on my lung in my last CT-scan is nothing, but said that if it has grown in my next CT-scan, it could be treated with more chemo, or targeted radiation, or VATS surgery. I hate to even think about additional treatment and a recurrance so soon, before my initial protocol is even over!! (understatement) That would mean that my cancer is VERY resistant to treatment and that would be really really bad. I keep telling myself that my CA-125 kept dropping even the week of that last CT-scan, and wouldn't it go up if something new was growing?? I hate it that this little doubt is ruining my joy at having just 1 more month of treatment left. I just have to believe that it is NOTHING, just as both my oncologists said. But saying it is 'nothing' in one breath, and then discussing treatment options if it ISN'T 'nothing' is pretty disconcerting.

    (Sorry. I took a fun discussion thread and made it all sad. Didn't mean to, but had to share.)
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    Evelyn G said:

    Prempro
    Out of curosity, were any of you taking Prempro? I took it for 12 years.

    I took Prempro, too
    I took prempro for about 5 years. When the information came out that it was not good for you I too stopped it.