Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Dec 3, 2009, 10:43 am
I've been home with a head cold since Tuesday. Haven't even been out of the house except to walk the dogs. I don't get colds and flus very often, so when it happens I lose energy more than...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Dec 1, 2009, 11:05 am
While on the bone scanner bed yesterday, I kept getting tweaks from my right hip. Not pain per se, but annoying twinges that made me realize I might have new mets there. I have had mets in both hip...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 30, 2009, 10:40 am
I am spending the bulk of the day at the hospital today, getting my monthly zometa infusion and a bone scan. Here's how today will play out -- 11:00 AM Place topical anesthetic Emla cream over por...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 28, 2009, 11:02 am
Peel and thinly slice 6 onions. Saute onions in a large skillet over very low heat in a little olive oil until onions reduce in size and caramelize (turn brown and sweet). This takes a long time, mor...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 28, 2009, 10:43 am
Last night we hosted the friends who gave me a copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (both volumes). In their honor, I served an (almost) entirely Julia meal: Challah they bro...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 26, 2009, 10:22 am
Ever since I was a little girl, I have watched the Macy's Thanksgiving parade on television. The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes are my favorite part. I wanted to be a Rockette, but the minimum he...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 24, 2009, 10:51 am
How effective is my medication? Can I miss a dose? The Megace is doled out to me in 100 mg/ml liquid form, in small bottles. It can be hard to predict how long the last few doses will last. So when ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 20, 2009, 7:56 pm
It's been all over the news, the recent recommendation that women between the ages of 40 and 50 no longer need to have a mammogram, and women over 50 can have one every other year instead of every...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 19, 2009, 12:46 pm
It's a typical Seattle November -- cool if not outright cold, rainy, grey, overcast, windy. It's hard to go outdoors when the weather is so miserable, so I have been trying to focus on in-home...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 15, 2009, 6:53 pm
The second part of the big 50th birthday celebration was an (adults only) birthday party. A catered dinner, a special cocktail, the closest of friends and family all combined to make for a memorable e...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 15, 2009, 12:17 pm
As part of the great 50th birthday celebration, I asked for an aliyah, to be called to the Torah at Shabbat morning services. The rabbi made a special blessing for my continued good health and leaders...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 13, 2009, 10:33 am
A Facebook friend challenged me to write a Friday haiku. Here is mine: Birthday coming up Celebrate with ev'ryone It's the big 5 - 0
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 12, 2009, 8:11 pm
In a few days I am going to turn 50 years old. After my mets diagnosis, this is an age I wasn't sure I would I would see, much less get to celebrate with family and friends. Originally after my ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 12, 2009, 12:52 am
To quote a friend from my online support group: Choose to be happy. What else is there to say?
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 10, 2009, 10:53 am
Yesterday I had my monthly appointment with Dr. G. He still says it's time to change therapies as my tumor marker CA 27.29 continues to rise. But the newish breast tumors have shrunk slightly and ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 9, 2009, 4:58 pm
My hand continues to improve somewhat. I have been sleeping without bandaging for about a week. Today I have been able to be without the glove until now, about 3 PM. I also saw the oncologist hits mor...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 5, 2009, 1:04 pm
I think my hand may be beginning to improve. If you remember, I slept without the bandaging one night last week(?) and then felt I hadn't gotten enough support without the wrapping. Last night aft...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 3, 2009, 10:36 am
We've had a couple of sunny days in Seattle lately. The mornings at least are bright and I love walking the dogs to get my daily dose of (external) vitamin D. Sadly I then focus on household stuff...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 2, 2009, 10:38 am
My arm felt uncomfortable in the sleeve by late afternoon yesterday, so I am afraid I spoke too soon about no longer bandaging. I wrapped my arm again last night, perhaps a little too tight since I wa...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 1, 2009, 12:40 pm
This was in today's funnies: We love our Pumpkin (and his Bob too)!
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Nov 1, 2009, 12:21 pm
I gave myself a night without bandaging last night. My arm was stable when measured for a new sleeve last week, and I thought it was time to get off the ativan as well. As an anti-anxiety and sleep ai...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 30, 2009, 9:31 am
Yesterday the stars were aligned for my errands. I decided to go downtown to get my driver's license renewed, after trying unsuccessfully to renew online and via the US Postal Service. The timing ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 28, 2009, 10:38 am
The PT and I agree that since the manual lymphatic drainage massage doesn't appear to be working, it's time to stop wasting money and time on it. I went straight form PT to order new sleeves a...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 27, 2009, 10:40 am
Today is the last authorized day of physical therapy for my lymphedema flare up. I know I could get more visits approved, but if the PT thinks it's not helping, she won't recommend more treatm...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 23, 2009, 5:16 pm
It's now officially seven weeks since I began dealing with this lymphedema flare up. The physical therapist measured my arm today and there is no real change. I have had nine rounds of PT so as yo...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 22, 2009, 9:23 am
I have been staying up past eleven o'clock every night to check out the first five minutes of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode on reruns. Last night, despite my fatigue, my all-time favo...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 21, 2009, 9:34 am
Unbelievable! I just got an email from Young Survival Coalition in which they provide good info about breast cancer but then proceed to hawk more pink ribbon crap. And they don't disclose how much...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 20, 2009, 10:47 am
... channel surfing one night last week and came across reruns of Star Trek: The Next Generation (now to be known as TNG). The first episode I saw was when when the Borg captured ... back to his hom...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 19, 2009, 1:42 pm
I haven't seen so much pink this October. Maybe the concept of cause marketing is slowing down, or maybe there really is less breast cancer pink ribbon crap out there. Or maybe I just am not notic...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 16, 2009, 5:31 pm
Dunava is very happy to hold our first-ever concert with the Seattle Folklore Society! We will be singing Saturday, November 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the Phinney Neighborhood Center (Brick Building), in Sea...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 15, 2009, 9:05 am
Yesterday I saw the PT for the first time in more than a week. She confirmed for me that my hand and arm were no worse - but not especially better - after bandaging 20+ hours a day for five days in a ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 14, 2009, 9:09 am
Yesterday I wrapped my arm after breakfast and dragged my sorry ass around doing errands -- groceries, library, gas station, meeting. By the time I got home I was wiped AND frustrated, so again went t...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 13, 2009, 12:49 am
Saturday: bandaged for 22 hours (10 AM - 8 AM the next day) Time sleeping: 18 hours (2 PM - 8 AM) Sunday: bandaged for 22 hours (10 AM - 8 AM) Time sleeping: 16 hours (2 PM - 6 PM; 8 PM - 8 AM) Mond...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 12, 2009, 10:23 am
By Ellen Moskowitz - President, Metastatic Breast Cancer Foundation Oct 7, 2009 - 10:23:33 AM (HealthNewsDigest.com) - It’s October. The pink ribbons are out. Survivors flock to tell their succes...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 11, 2009, 10:01 am
I wrapped my arm around 10 AM yesterday and stayed wrapped until just a few moments ago at 8 AM Sunday morning. There does seem to be some improvement, but not enough in my hand. My, did I suffer yest...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 8, 2009, 1:12 pm
I saw Dr. Goldberg (Seattle's best oncologist) yesterday for my monthly checkup. Although my tumor markers continued to climb in the past four weeks, the few points' difference were not statis...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 7, 2009, 12:28 pm
This lymphedema flare up seems particularly stubborn. Or maybe I just don't remember from last time. After 32 days, there is a lot of fluid in my hand, wrist and forearm, so much so that even with...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 5, 2009, 10:18 am
From THE BOSTON GLOBE SUNDAY MAGAZINE - THE HEALTH ISSUE Sick of pink This month, like every October, a sea of pink ribbons washes over products from sneakers to snacks. While the effort raises rese...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 4, 2009, 10:11 am
After three visits to the physical therapist, it is clear that her suggestion to leave my arm bare at night for a few nights and do the self-massage twice a day did not result in any improvement. In f...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Oct 1, 2009, 6:31 pm
October has rolled around again. Even in September, Yoplait yogurt was advertising on national television for people to lick their pink yogurt lids clean and mail them to the company so it can make a ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 30, 2009, 9:53 am
My rabbi offered me the chance to lead the congregation as shlicha tzibur for the yizkor (memorial) service on Yom Kippur. I prepared as much as possible, learning new melodies, practicing every day. ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 27, 2009, 4:50 pm
Tonight begins Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. We spend the day fasting and praying, asking God and one another for forgiveness. The fast includes abstaining from eating, drinking,...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 26, 2009, 10:12 am
They physical therapist who specializes in manual lymphatic drainage measured my left arm yesterday and it is two centimeters (about one inch) larger in circumference than my right arm. That's a s...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 25, 2009, 9:20 am
I finally decided to spend an ultimate 20-22 hours bandaged to treat my lymphedema. When I do this I basically have to face a day/night with nothing to do since I can't type, cook, write, or even ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 22, 2009, 10:49 am
I thought there was some improvement in my left hand. Spending a quiet day was supposed to help. Well, I went without the glove until 2 PM yesterday, but things still got puffy in the late afternoon. ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 10, 2009, 6:05 pm
There is a great article about Harmony Hill in today's Seattle Times. A few years ago I attended a free retreat for people living with cancer. We ate yummy vegetarian food, talked, did yoga, made...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 10, 2009, 10:40 am
I may have done too much cooking last week. Since Saturday my left hand has been puffy enough to warrant wearing my glove much of the past week. Yesterday I thought I'd take a break from the glove...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 9, 2009, 11:00 am
Today is the first day of school. In our house, that usually means Rik stays up too late the night before, sweating over his curriculum, and then doesn't sleep so well. Of course, he also says tha...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 7, 2009, 12:18 pm
So far increasing the Megace dose back to 5 ml daily seems to have no ill effect. My appetite hasn't increased (the main side effect is weight gain through inducing hunger). My energy seems to be ...
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Jill C. posted an article on Dancing with cancer - Sep 4, 2009, 5:39 pm
I volunteered to cook for the synagogue's kiddush lunch this week and spent much of today making a truly delicious meal -- Four kinds of sushi (raw ahi tuna, albacore tuna, smoked salmon with cre...
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