Community Connection: Ovarian Cancer Canada is looking for volunteers! Could you help?
OVdialogue – consider joining our team in the role of Peer Support Volunteer. Over a few hours each week, you would be part of a team that helps connect people, support conversations and are thought leaders for OVdialogue. This is your opportunity to give back to those who have/continue to support you through the tough times, share your unique experiences, and help celebrate successes. For more details of what this entails, please reach out to @Mfallis (mfallis@ovariancanada.org).
OVdialogue – consider joining our team in the role of Peer Support Volunteer. Over a few hours each week, you would be part of a team that helps connect people, support conversations and are thought leaders for OVdialogue. This is your opportunity to give back to those who have/continue to support you through the tough times, share your unique experiences, and help celebrate successes. For more details of what this entails, please reach out to @Mfallis (mfallis@ovariancanada.org).
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Well ladies, I've had fun chatting with all of you today but it's time to say goodbye for this week and see you all next week. Wishing all of you continuation of your wonderful moods, much luck and comfort in treatments, and that each of you get a an early robin on your front lawns this week.
Cheerio for now......
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Have a great week everyone0
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@ToughAsTeal One of my very favourite eras......the 1920's. Strictly for the dresses they wore. Not the rest of the stuff like drought and the depression they went through.0
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Good Afternoon ladies. I seem to keep missing these chats. Even with my sleeping pills i still don't wake some mornings until 1030am or 1130am. It takes me about half hr to get up. Bit groggy still from the sleeping pills. It is a beautiful sunny day here in Kelowna BC. I did see a robin myself last. week. Snow these last week has been almost all gone. I can see almost my whole front laen and back yard now.
Reading about your shows. I too watch Tulsa King and yellowstone. Did you know they also have started the 1923 series on now as well. On paramont plus? It the earlier yellowstone they just started and harrison ford is playing the great great great grandson of the current yellowstone.
As for me well i still not able to get the final day 15 gem. My platlet count drops down too low. This time it was 54 i think i asked if i should be stopping my blood thinners. My chemo nurse told me she will check into it and call me back. I told her i was starting to get a bloody nose. So yes got the ph call stop my enoxoparin injections for a week. Other than that my last blood test did show my CA125 levels rose about 40. So now at 118. Wonder what its going to be at next week when my full blood count will be. I mean other hand my ct results were positive 2 weeks prior to my last full blood count so i am trying to concentrate in that for now. Energy levels up and down. Had 1 day i woke up their about 2 weeks ago had so much energy feeling like my old self i was like wow haven't felt this good in yrs. Not sure why but it only lasted 1 day. Maybe from not taking sleeping pills for a few days??
I love your hats and sweaters @ToughAsTeal wonderful work. I did also mention in my last chat i was too working on a project and pics to come.
Well my oroject stsrted i wanted to add a bit of xmas in the house seeing as i gave my oldest son all my xmas decorations just wanted a few maybe snowfkaes in front room. I watch alot of love stories. It makes me so in a good mood gouing to bed. Anyway this one lady did a bunch od snowfkaes and hung them on the deiling. Well i wasnt going to attempt that but though hey maybe doing some snowflakes and putting them around my frontroom. So googling i thought i just dont want reg. Snowflakes. Mm i wonder... 3d snowflakes. Came across some video. Og i thought. Ive got toilet paper rolls and computer printer paper why not. So ok made some. Hey this is fun i thought. I saw one video where they used food color to dye one. Try that of i like. So long story short it let me to this beautiful 3d flower om goodness i like that. So i started watching video where they say you can cut and make your own if u don't have a cirvuit machine. Shoot hey i have one of those but my youngest daughter borrowed it last summer i told her just keep it if u need it for more stuff. So they talked about this special paper mmm maybe i have some colored cardboard i use to kerp on hand when my granddaughter use to comr every srcond weekend before this stupid cancer and we use to do arts and crafts. Ok go digging through my art containers. Dig out some stuff. Mmm ofgice supplies not mych their. Oh wait my late hubby. I saved all of his office supplies when he had his office. He had his own construction company so he had a big office. Ok go to the storage closet drag out all those 6 boxes. Man that guy had a lot of stuff in his office. Then i thought well his office always looked like a hurracane hit it when i go ask him for something i needed. I would get dont touch anything i know where everything is. I tell you he had a desk that went around 3 walls. And messsyyyy!!!!# to his shops of tools and supplies for jobs were not like that!# so spending a few hrs hey i found colored cardboard paper we use to use when we use to make our own homemade xmas cards valentine cards. I rembered spending hrs with him on his computer designing them on his program and his printer was the only one that did double sided. Ok great. Drag my lot in the frontroom organize it. Didnt have alot of the same colors. So my next days turned into weeks. I was so happy making these took alot of time. Time flew by. Id say some days it just was time consuming just to make the petal shapes and cut them out. Oh when i stsrted to actual sit and thoroughly watch these videos on 3d paper roses. I was beside myself to realize i had the exact cardboard paper they said u needed. Oh wow cardstock paper. Thats what we used for all our cards. So mow im really happy. So ladies. I kind of ran out of paper to do my project and each time i would show my kids all my work. Well at a stand still or so i thought ok another project bombed.
Well little dud i know. besides my kids getting me gifts for xmas even though i said no. They got me a micheals craft gift card from all of them for 100 dollars. They said now u can finish your project mom. Well that did it i cried and got hugs fron everyone then and now weeks again later im finally done!!! these will be going up on my wall in frontroom and bedroom. Here they are0 -
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Love how your story builds up to the final gift card!!!!’ These are absolutely beautiful!!!!!0
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@HoldingOn
What you made are beautiful! Good job!
Biggest question of all....how did you feel while making them? By the work you put into it, looks like you enjoyed it a lot.0 -
I think you mean @Eileen, @Strongwoman. And yes, Eileen, they are beautiful! I especially love the white lotus at the top of the first picture😍0
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Thank you @HoldingOn for catching that and sending it to @Eileen. My apologies for the mixup.0
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Good Afternoon Ladies. Did most everyone receive snow yesterday?
How is everyone doing this week? Guess is a roller coaster of what emotions some are going through right now.
I was asked to host this week as @Fearless_Moderator has been hospitalized. They are trying to find the root problem currently but when I spoke to her yesterday there were no updates. She said to say "Hello" to everyone and that she is where she is supposed to be for now.
I will start the conversation and see where it goes. I will be in and out of this meeting, I forgot that I had made an appt so I will catch up in here as I can. I am going to see about pre-planning my funeral. I am sure it is going to hit me like a truck if not today but another day but am going anyways.
Other than that...Oncologist appt for me tomorrow,
Where are you all at Ladies????1 -
Hi @Strongwoman & @ToughAsTeal
So sorry to hear about @Fearless_Moderator. I hope she is ok and they find the problem quickly!
We received lots of snow...hardly stopped yesterday.
I managed to catch a cold. Have been fighting it since Tuesday. I really want to get it under control because I don't want next week's chemo delayed!0 -
Hello Thursday sisters😀
@Fearless_Moderator you will be on my mind and hope to hear an update that at least is pointed towards an improvement for you. I hope you are not in pain, or at least it’s managed.
sometimes… hospital is where we need to go.This past Sunday morning, I woke to rapid increase of abdominal pain, throwing up, and no output from ostomy. Concern I had a blockage. My protocol is to contact Bayshore nursing before a trip to hosp. My husband called the after hours/weekend number to a voice mail. We waited and waited for call back. I happened to know who was on call and sent her a text to watch for our request to see nurse. And we still had further delay before she could get that referral and call us back. Bottom line, all she could offer was to come and give me morphine “to keep me comfortable” (or wait for end of life). Bleak eh? So I said, I am going to hosp. We called for amb (no way Paul could’ve taken me). ER was beyond full and ambulance had to park me in a random nearby hallway with others there too. Because amb could not “off load” the patient to ER, they had to stay with me. I had 2 paramedics and a supervisor checking on me,!rationing what morphine they could give me (are authorized for certain amt). They left end of shift and I was handed over to incoming shift paramedics. About an hour later (around 8pm) I get a bed in ER, was sent for CT scan, had the bloodwork done. Meanwhile pain has been decreasing without needing any more morphine. Ultimately, no obstruction. Likely I had very large formed stools that were not able to pass through colon areas that have narrowed due to tumors.By late Tuesday afternoon, and many restorolax and lots of water, I started output. And lots of it.1 -
@GloHo hope you kick the cold quickly! Are you doing anything to help with symptoms? (Homemade broth, Vicks on soles of feet, etc)0
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@ToughAsTeal
So glad you go that cleared up (out) (haha).
@Strongwoman
I have been thinking about the need to start planning my funeral, too. Would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the process, etc. Gosh...there is just so much we have to think about.0 -
@ToughAsTeal
I've never heard of Vick's on soles of feet...and I've been around awhile. I am eating well, drinking lots, taking Tylenol for headaches, using mouthwash frequently to ease sore throat, we usually have homemade soup in the fridge...this week, it was my husband's vegetable barley in chicken stock, took a NeoCitron the other night to, at the very least, improve the length of sleep I get (have been having a bit of insomnia - no problem getting to sleep, just don't stay asleep for longer than 4 hours (sometimes 5). The symptoms are easing a bit, but it's still there. I am one of those people that rarely gets sick - I have a pattern of catching something that knocks me down for a few days every five years or so - so right on schedule!1 -
Preplanning… there is the financial side then the “what do I want” and that is ongoing for me. Like I know I don’t want my nephew to sing his version of amazing grace… what outfit will I be dressed in (my black runners for sure)… I am being cremated so I don’t need to worry about a shade of lipstick (I don’t wear any makeup at all!) …. I have time to pick out some pictures, or create music playlist, with room for family to insert what is meaningful to them too.Doing the $$$ side was huge item of checklist for me.1
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@ToughAsTeal
Geez, sounds like you had a really rough go of it. That must have been quite scary for you and your husband. I'm surprised you had to wait so long in the hospital, I thought that they might move cancer patients up the line a bit. I am fortunate to be in a small town and any time I've been to the hospital (I'm usually the driver), the wait has been reasonable (usually quick).0 -
@GloHo Vicks bottom of feet at bedtime, and ya wearing socks to protect the Egyptian Cotton!! Lol! I pretend it’s 700ct! An old boss had told me that hack back when our kids were just little. I was surprised it worked too (was more surprised my boss knew something too lol)0
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@ToughAsTeal
You're too funny!!0 -
@ToughAsTeal
Preplanning - you mentioned a couple of things that I have not yet given much consideration to in regard to funeral planning. I have no idea what to expect for cost. For some reason, I thought there was an opportunity to pay monthly, with balance (if any) paid out of estate. If not, I might hold off...there are other things I want to do with my $$ right now, although it would be nice to check that off this list (as you say). Hmmmm...something else to think about.
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Hi, @ToughAsTeal I am sorry to hear about your recent hospital visit. @Strongwoman thank you for stepping in and hosting despite your own difficulties. I find it inspiring and I am amazed with the strength you all have in this journey.0
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@GloHo oh yes there are many options $ wise, like waiting estate $, the govt death benefit payment etc. I went for pre-paid for one less thing for my husband to think about. That’s just the funeral home/cremation. There will still be coats to being partially interred at cemetary, engraving a marker (do I want a Toronto Maple Leafs logo?!)
and also, I paid 2022 prices if I paid before the 31st. Lol always looking for the sale.
and yes, we spent money on things for “living” a new overhauled backyard, a few renos inside.
as a cancer patient, I am no longer in active treatment, so not bumped up… but have been in past.1 -
@Bojenka how has your week been? Are you in area that got the snow yesterday(Ont)0
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@Fearless_Moderator… I hope you get good care in the hospital and satisfactory outcome.
As for me I am coming to terms with having unexplained back and arm pain. I had a phone consult with my oncologist yesterday who is at a loss to explain why I have the back pain, since last scan on 16Jan shows the 5 cancer nodules but no disease progression. I came across a term cancer hangover. Anyone of you heard of it ?0 -
@ToughAsTeal, yes we have snow here. I am not far from you . We live in Waterloo0
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@ToughAsTeal may I ask how your hospice meeting went ? I understand they match you with a councillor?0 -
Hey Ladies...who wants a Freebie!!
I was in Shoppers the other day getting some hand lotion that really works on my sore, red, tight fingers in the morning!
As I was talking to the cosmetic woman, I mentioned that it was a side effect of chemo, and she gave me a La Roche-Posay kit for cancer patients - did I say free?! They are just the normal, very small cosmetic samples that you usually get when they give you something free, but one of the products worked really well on an itcy area on my back (I had tried numerous products to relieve the itch). I am going back to Shoppers today to pick up some of that cream. It's Senior's day - 20% + $10 gift card (if you spend $50 or more - not a problem!). I had noticed that La Roche-Posay scored really well on the "safe" products list on EWG (Environmental Working Group) database for skin care products. But I hadn't really looked into what they have done to produce products targeted for cancer patients. I am really impressed with their scores on EWG, the research and work they have done in the cancer domain, and I have tried a couple of the samples I received and found them to be quite nice. I have way too many products right now to go out and buy more, but this is a product I will definitely buy in the future.
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