ifyourstomachoffendsyou

Apples, Shot of Toradol. My brother and i have both had this instead of morphine after surgeries. Also, after I type my Fast Reply I highlight with the cursor and then do color and size. You know how to highlight don't you? Hope that works. Maybe you have to re-highlight for each change you want to make. So much to respond to, but bed beckons. Just wanted to let you know that Rachel's tumor is now barely discernable, seems to be shrinking daily. Also, at U of Chicago, when they did an ultrasound of the baseball sized cyst on her ovary, it was nowhere to be found. Power of Prayer. Go God. Cheri

Going on strike sounds good, Jessica! Like Karen's suggestion. Call Dr. and give leftover meds to hubby. Take care of YOU! How are your meds? Get a coach or tutor for this course. Ask for an oral quiz prior to next quiz to see what you're not getting. It could be the way the questions are being asked. Meredith, maybe your friend doesn't want to go alone with her husband anywhere and that's why she wants your company. Maybe you should ask her what the hey is going on. Sometimes, listening before confronting can pay off. My daughter's tumor has shrunk significantly after first chemo. Second round should knock it on it's a$$! Thanks for all your prayers and continued support. Today's chemo is the one that's going to also knock out all her hair. Pray it doesn't knock her out too badly. She's supposed to go to U of Chicago this week for consultation. Cheri

Eva, there's a trick to getting back up. It's all in the arms. Try contracting your biceps only. You'll get it. It took me awhile. My husband stood next to me for a few weeks to make sure I was alright and could handle it. I need to get on the table again for my neck. I can feel I need to relieve the pressure on my disc. Cheri

Hi all, Congratulations Jessica. You are one hot chick. All you eating eggs, I have to say that I can barely eat one most days (per meal). If I could eat more than 1 I know I'd probably need a fill. Hard boiled are the worse. This is about the densest Protein you can eat. Also, I have read now in more than one reputable place that you do not need to get 8 glasses of Water in addition to other liquids you drink. That's a fallacy. As long as you're drinking about 64 ounces of liquid it does not have to be water. If you're peeing that much you're doing just fine. Just avoid liquids that are full of salt like pop and limit your caffeine. fruit juice is high in carbs. I count my Protein drinks as part of my liquid intake and my decaf coffee with milk. I'm always peeing and have no desire to increase that. Just got done with my big concert. Didn't eat enough before the concert and the weight of the music folder pinched my neck, not enough room where I was standing to shift my weight, and it got very warm, became sick and faint and had to bend over. Fortunately, another woman had a little stool which they shifted over to me and I was able to sit the last few songs. I was very discreet and kept myself from fainting but I'll have to do something different next concert. I'm going to need to eat protein just before because we started practicing at 2:30 and were in concert till 6. I hadn't eaten since noon. Cheri

Hey guys. See Facebook for my daughter's "coming out" party. She's bald, beautiful, she's a beast, and she will "beast" this disease. Cheri

Welcome back Julie. Happy Birthday Joyce. Apples, we'll always love you. Laura, I know you're going through the cancer thing, too, right now. I am so sad sometimes. I'm just praying Rachel doesn't also have Ovarian cancer. She might not know till May when the surgeries are being scheduled. I wish they could get a biopsy right now. I was remembering an incredibly funny incident involving Joi and Mikey when they were in 5th grade last year. We were reading a book together the period after lunch, and I looked up from the book and all the kids had their shirts pulled up over their nose and were casting evil looks at the usual culprits, Phillip and Dapo. Phillip is usually so bad that he has special permission to go into the hallway as needed, no questions asked. However, several of the boys kept asking for permission to go to the hall as well, the two girls, one of whom was Joi, were casting evil looks, and making disgusted noises, and giggling, and I was getting exasperated and Mikey says, with an agonized look on his face, "It's the cheese, Mrs. Flory. We had cheese. Can I please go to the bathroom?" It's one of my best memories of that group. And, of course, it involves farts. Cheri

Hi all, Party went well.People came starting at 12:15 and didn't all leave till 7 p.m. Was pooped. Please pray for my daughter. The oncologist wants to get the ovarian cyst (because the pet scan is only 70% correct about ovarian cancer) out at the same time as the breast removal. But the reconstructionist does not want to do the reconstruction if they do the complete hyst. because he fears infection. The Dr.s aren't talking to each other and expect Rachel to figure it out for herself. She has a connection with the head of the women's cancer specialists at University of Chicago, a top research and teaching hospital. She is scheduled to meet with all their Dr.s in 1 or 2 days and they should be able to put together the best possible plan for her. We are all worried now that she also has ovarian cancer. So she has every right to be testy. Just wish I wasn't the target. Rachel is incredibly touchy about everything I say, making it very difficult for me to communicate with her. I love her so much but she's really keeping me at a distance. It makes me very sad. I also had another wave of grief today over the deaths of my students. Also, at the party I could really see the deterioration of my father's mind. He could not keep up with conversation, and with his cast and increasingly fragile body I felt so sorry for him. He's always been so gregarious and now the reality of his limitations is really setting in for him. My mom has taken the keys from him, since he can't drive with the cast and he's totally dependant on her to go anywhere. He's used to still being able to go grocery shopping and meeting his friends and now he can't. I'm so glad they're moving to MI next month and going where they can get the attention and care they need. His arm is still giving him pain. The cast itself is a strain on his neck and back. Grandchildren were the highlight. They loved playing in the finished basement. All the adults moved upstairs after eating and the kids had a blast. It was warm enough to take them all to the park on the next block, too. My grandkids love to come over and now I have a nice place and plenty of room for them to play. Children are what get me through. I love my grandkids and I love the kids I teach. And they return the favor. I get to see students have "aha" moments on a regular basis. When they do, it's so gratifying. Their faces light up. This week we're back on schedule and back to reality after our IOWA (like I-Sat) testing all last week. Not all kids were happy about that which means I had to do a little whip cracking. But I've learned to do it without losing my temper or raising my blood pressure. Frequently I smile and say, "Oh that is so sad. Now I'm going to have to do something about that. At this point you have a detention. Whether it becomes a documented detention depends on what happens the rest of the period." I've had to have a few students go out into the hall until they can stop disruptive behaviours. All without yelling. All without getting sucked into arguing with them. Always keeping my relationship with them intact. So they know they're welcome back in my class and I'll continue like nothing happened. Only two rules I have. Work hard and don't cause a problem. If you cause a problem, I'll have to do something about it. Might not know exactly what but I'll get back to you on that. What I do depends on you and what you do. So we do a little dance, a few detentions get turned in, a few get torn up, a few students get escorted to the office, a few come back in from the hallway with sunshiney faces, and we get back into the grove. Cheri Glad Julie's home. Hope she continues to heal and that some of her past complications don't develop. Hope this gives her the relief from constant pain. Jodie, good to see you posting. Glad the party was so good.

Melissa. I'm looking at your difficulty with food planning and remembering to test yourself 2 hrs after a meal. These kinds of things are often indicators of ADHD. You went nuts on your last job because you were tied to a desk, often alone. The job before that didn't seem to fit either. You like the Sam's job but you're already looking elsewhere. Your have a free association of ideas where your thoughts jump around. You remind me of me and many other ADHD people I know. I know you have a child with ADHD and its frequently hereditary. Anxiety and depression go hand in hand with ADHD and ADHD have more trouble than other people with maintaining weight loss, precisely because they can't stick with a plan or routine. You may not be ADHD. I could be full of crap. Just something you may want to be evaluated for. Arlene it's the Stevia, also known as Truvia that has a funny taste to me. I love Splenda. I just wondered if anyone else has that kind of taste reaction where it tastes bitter. Some people don't seem to taste that at all. Just like green peppers and grapefruit don't taste bitter to them. From the reading I've done on food addiction, I've learned that it's not very different from alcohol addiction. We have a physical or chemical dependance on certain kinds of food. We go through phsycial and psychological withdrawal when we quit using it and having just a little of some of these foods can trigger an out of control binge. Alcoholics can never drink again safely. Unfortunately, we have to eat. If certain foods are trigger foods, most of us need to do our best to avoid them. Scientists are working on drugs that target the addiction center of the brain. Hopefully it will help all of us addicts. Cheri

Wow,Great, your DD's MIL really is a biatch. Good for your daughter to handle her with such grace. She had a good model in you when you handled your own family of origin's insanity. Now she has you modeling how to no longer let insane people get to you and how to stand up to them effectively. Melissa, you may need to consider two part-time jobs while you prove yourself reliable at Sam's. Remember, they do treat you well and have a good work atmosphere. That means a lot. I wouldn't be too quick to give that up. There's that old saying, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Meanwhile, school just might be a good investment. My son, at 33, is taking classes in home inspection, something I urged him to get into years ago. It suits him perfectly. Instead of running from pillar to post, use this time to think about what you really want to do. Jewel went back to school and works and is raising a son and is running in marathons. We've all had to reinvent ourselves over time. When you see your counselor, maybe you could ask about ADHD. Being treated for that may be the secret to getting your life and your food in order. Apples, I miss your green ink. Gotta go. Getting ready for company. I'm not that used to it anymore. But now that my basement's almost finished and my parents are selling their home, I'll probably become more the center of get-togethers. Everything in God's time. Cheri

How many people like Truvia or Stevia? I find it has an extremely bitter taste, a lot like grapefruit or green peppers. Tried it in some tea and spat it out immediately. But not everyone tastes the bitterness in green peppers or grapefruit. Only some people taste or are sensitive to those flavenoids. I taste that same bitterness in asparagus, too, but a lot of people don't. So maybe for some people, Truvia doesn't taste horrible.

Lori, I know you empathize with your daughter. Her MIL is definitely a piece of work. However, different families have different ideas about what is rude. That's been really hard for me to accept. What's offensive in one family is not in another. What some people think is thoughtless insensitive behavior that leaves them highly offended wouldn't even raise an eyebrow in another family, and vice versa. There's a Bible verse that talks about choosing to not be easily offended. That really applies to in-laws. I've seen families torn apart over imagined or insignificant slights. It's a real trick not to take offense. Your daughter and her DH are going to have to find a way to deal with MIL. Together. I doubt dear MIL was deliberately slighting your daughter by taking her son out to dinner. She made an assumption that your DD couldn't go anyway, and she wanted some private time with her son. Probably didn't occur to her that your dear daughter would be offended. As a NICU nurse, she probably doesn't realize she's making your daughter feel inadequate with all her unsolicited expertise. She probably thinks she's dispensing important information. If she does realize it, then shame on her. If not, DD needs to learn to let it go in one ear and out the other. Sort of like we do on this thread. We have varying ways of dealing with our food. People have to take what they like and leave the rest. We share our experience, strength and hope. Sometimes we get a little preachy. That's because we want so badly to see people succeed. If we were in the same room with each other we might get upset or argue. Because we're online, we have a chance to curb those instincts. Right now your daughter's hormones are all over the place. You're going to have to find a way to be supportive of her feelings and to let her vent without feeding her sense of outrage. Hard to do and I'm not good at it. Maybe you'll be better at it than me. Give your daughter the book about Boundaries. Maybe she can learn how to deal with people like her DMIL at a younger age than we did. LOL. Cheri

My goal for my carbs would be to eat the low glycemic carbs in moderation. Unfortunately, when it comes to carbs, even low glycemic ones, my addiction center can get triggered. Frankly, most of the so-called low-glycemic good-for-you carbs don't appeal to me. Whole grains aren't very appealing. They need fat and sugar to make them palatable. Never been a huge bread fan. The only reason for pastry and breads is to convey mouthfuls of something gooey and sweet. So eating the good for you carbs triggers cravings in me because they don't taste good and I want to supplement them with something that tastes good. You aren't triggered by limited amounts of carbs. I am. I am not at all satisfied by 100 calorie popcorn. It wakes up all my cravings. A few grapes leads to eating bunches of them in one sitting, just like popping M & M's. Have any of you ever paid attention to how fast starches start tasting sweet in your mouth if you let them sit there? Put a "whole grain" cracker in your mouth and see how long it takes for your saliva to turn it into sugar. By the time most starches hit your stomach they have already turned into sugar which is going to trigger insulin response and all that bad stuff that makes you store your food as fat. I remember a science teacher making us do that in high school. Never forgot it. Your basic saltine cracker turns almost instantly sweet in your mouth. Have a great Sunday. Cheri

Hi Gang, Tutoring at 8:45-one student. Then go for a walk. Then finish getting the house ready for my parent's 60th anniversary which we're having at 1 tomorrow. My sister and her family and my 3 kids with theirs. Gotta order some chicken and mostacholli (sp). We're cooking Italian sausages in the crock pot. Sister's bringing salad and my mother's bringing her famous cakes. Gotta go and get pretty table covers and paper plates, make sure we have enough pop and juice. My DH has been cleaning the house so I only have a little dusting of furniture and wood floors to do and my personal laundry. My daughter was only really sick from her chemo on Weds. She's finally set up a calendar for people to sign up to help her out as things get worse. Her husband hasn't been working in order to do everything and be with her for every Dr.'s apptmt., test and procedure. He needs to go back to work. Yesterday was my carb day so back on the Protein band-wagon today. Melissa, I hope you understood my rant about accusing yourself or others accusing you of trying to kill yourself with food. Will the excess food eventually kill us? Yes. Are we trying to have that happen? No. We have a disease, fatal, if left unchecked. We put it into remission by sticking to Proteins and letting the band help us limit our quantities. We are never "cured." We are never "recovered." We are always "recovering" food addicts. The carb monster is always lurking and we are rightfully afraid of him. Feed him and he grows and kills us a little more each day. Starve him and he shrinks and loses power over us. Cheri

Hi all, Melissa I had one thing to tell you. Do not accept that crap about why you're trying to kill yourself with food. Not one of us is trying to do that. If anyone lays that line on you you need to remember you have an addiction center in your brain that lights up when you eat food. For others its alcohol, or risk-taking, or drugs, or rescuing others. Do we have emotional issues that contribute to our addiction? Yes. Are they the cause of it? No! We have a chemical reaction to food that other people don't have, particularly to carbs. We don't hate ourselves so much that we're trying to kill ourselves with food. Anyone trying to peddle that crap is out of date and out of touch with the latest research. What a guilt trip to lay on you. Or are you laying it on yourself? You got the lapband because you want to live. You wanted a tool to help you get a fighting chance against that addiction center in your brain. So, make use of the tool. And reject any shaming message that tells you you're trying to kill yourself with food. Jessica, glad to hear from you. Gotta go. Cheri

Laura, after reading some of the reasons for band erosion, I'm very grateful to be as stable as I've been. I've never had to have an unfill, partly because I made sure I lost extra weight after my final fill, even though I was at goal, and thus gave myself some leeway. When I get too tight, I immediately back off on the sliders and go back to liquid and then solid dense Protein to drop the Water weight fast, and then the real pounds. A few days of that and I'm quite comfortable again. One of the biggest incentives I have not to gain it back is that I have no money for replacing clothes. I've been staying away from the stores and the book stores (my other addiction). I'm not eating out or bringing in fast food hardly either. We just carpeted our whole basement, and still have to finish off the rest of the bathroom and do a little electrical. So I've almost prepaid my European concert tour and now that money will go to paying off the carpet in a year. After that I suspect my husband's car will need replacing and that will mean taking on another car loan. A good part of our main floor needs painting and neither Ken nor I can or will do it so that means paying someone else. And within a couple of years we'll need a new roof. By then, maybe real estate will be worth something again and we can sell it when I can't work anymore and go live someplace cheap. LOL. I actually need to lose that last 5 lbs I gained to look good in my skinniest stuff. I think once the weather warms up and the time changes this weekend I'll be able to walk outside when I get home from work, and that'll help me get that 5 lbs off. Puttering in my garden will help, too. Melissa, I think you need a fill. You're wide open and that's not helping with your hunger. Janet's test is a good one. If you can eat 4 oz of dense protein like chicken breast or tuna or steak (unaccompanied by liquid before, during, or after the meal or by any other sliders) and you don't feel full, you need a fill. I surround myself with protein all day long. More than one choice so that if head hunger hits me or physical hunger, I can eat something that will satisfy my cravings, not cause more. That can be Laughing Cow cheese, Atkins or Muscle Milk chocolate Protein shakes (not the light Muscle Milk, it doesn't have enough fat in it to keep you satisfied). (I don't do shakes with fruit and yogurt, way too many carbs), Atkins protein Breakfast bars (made of soy nuggets, absolutely delicious--chocolate chip or chocolate peanut butter), peel top cans of tuna and chicken, etc. I also have SF pudding Snacks at home and some SF choc candy (I limit the candy to 2 pieces because of the gas they cause and I only eat them at night so most of the farting will be in my sleep). I don't eat yogurt because even the low carb has too much sugar in it. You're better off scrambling some eggs with lowfat cheese and a few bacon bits. It'll last you a long time. oatmeal and apples are both very bad for me. They create unbelievable hunger for sweets. My stomach is growling within 10 minutes of eating them. They may be lower glycemic than straight sugar, but they are huge carb triggers for me. You work at costco, right? They have great rotisserie chicken to which you can add a little pesto or tobasco (no catsup or BBQ, too much sugar). If you make sure you have a stash of these things around, you won't be reaching for the bad for you snacks. Stay away from the 100 calorie carb snacks. They are huge triggers for us carb sensitives. Janet can eat them, but Janet exercises way more than most of us are physically or mentally able to do. I suspect you're ADHD just like I am, and that makes it very hard for us to plan meals or keep track of things like carbs, calories, blood sugar, etc. That's why its important to keep a stash of healthy choices around for when the carb monster strikes. And they have to be things we like. We need plenty of treats, which is why i go with the Atkins bars and the chocolate shakes and the SF chocolate evening treats. For us, eating helps us concentrate, focus, and stay on task. Don't know if any of that helps. To get in my veggies and a little fruit, I often have a mixed greens salad at night with Feta cheese, a few nuts, a few berries (fresh or dried) and a dressing with good fats like Greek or Italian. Again, these are easy to stock in the fridge and eat when you don't have time or the inclination to cook. I know you feel obligated to cook for your family, so keep things like ham steaks, hamburgers, rotisserie chicken, pork chops, etc. available. A few nuked baked potatoes that they can fix how they want (don't make one for yourself) and a veggie or salad and the whole family has a healthy meal. They can supplement with bread or toast. Don't fix it for them. So much is really simple. If you make tacos or burritos, just don't eat the shells. Separate out your meat from casseroles and don't smother it with sauce. Make Pasta or rice separate for them to combine with the meat and sauce. Don't ever bake. Ever. Just the smell can trigger the carb monster. That's a small price for your family to pay for a healthy wife and mother. I know there are those on this thread who can bake. You and I can't. Stay out of break rooms where there are snacks and snack machines. Our impulsivity is too great to trust ourselves around that stuff. ADHD people are terrible at planning and terrible at resisting temptation. We have to come up with compensating techniques. These are some of mine. Hope it helps. Cheri

Sharpeis are cute.

Lori, you are expected to rescue your grandmother, and be there for your mother and sisters while getting nothing in return and you used to do it and then feel awful because you were then excluded. That's right in the codependent family of behaviors. Enabling is one of the chief characteristics of codependency. We do for others what they ought to do for themselves. We are the soft pillow between their head and a brick wall. We hinder trying to help. We're all guilty. One of the things I'm proud of this group for is that we tell it like it is to people on this band. Maybe it's easier in cyberspace but it's good practice for real life. Cheri

Hugs to Julie. Seems like she was warned this might happen when they replaced the band after some past abdominal infection and surgery? Or was that someone else? She had all kinds of trouble after her gall bladder surgery, too? Adhesions? Am I remembering that right? Could be all her pain meds were masking the source of her pain. Think there's a nerve that travels right up into the neck and shoulder and makes it seem the pain is located there when actually its from the stomach or abdomen. Vega nerve? So the blood loss may have been from internal bleeding caused by the erosion of the band? Laura? Phyll? Praying she's all right. Janet, your post on codependency was pretty much right on. Codependents are not just people married to addicts. They are frequently people with their own addictions such as food addiction or prescription drug abuse. They are frequently people-pleasers, controllers--bossy and/or manipulative. e.g. my-way-or-the highway, no one can do it right but me, passive aggressive, guilters and shamers, etc. They need to be needed, and will do for others what others should be doing for themselves, patting themselves on the back meanwhile without realizing they've done more harm than good. They mean well. They can play martyr and put themselves and their own needs, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, last. They are rescuers, trying to fix other people, institutions, or situations. They are often humble and proud of it. When they help others it's really all about them helping others and making themselves feel good and superior. I have indulged in many of these behaviors and possibly all of them (and still do.) Most women are codependents, whether by nature or nurture has not yet been determined. Codependents help make the world go round. Every church pastor couldn't run the church without them. They are the volunteer armies, the grease on the wheel. But they also damage themselves and others. Essentially, they need to get their own life, and then out of the overflow of their own fulfillment, do unto and for others without needing love, attention, recognition, or gratitude in return. Linda, been there, done that, bought the T-shirt as far as neck problems. Herniated discs, spurs, stenosis, major surgery removing bone to relieve pressure on discs and nerves. 11 years ago now. Didn't get fused and glad. Fusions have a poor record. Went to neurosurgeon who recommended the bone removal rather than fusion. Kept a lot more mobility in my neck as a result. Cheri

Posted by Rachel's best friend, Amy, whom she's known since 3. You requested prayers for the chemo to attack the bad cells in your body, and your mom has requested prayers for laughter. Here is my attempt to combine the two. Dear Lord, while the chemo is attacking the cancer in her body I have a few additional requests. Even though I think Rachel is skinny enough, I pray that the chemo attacks every cellulite and fat cell in her body. I pray that her butt gets smaller and smaller with each treatment and that eventually you can bounce a quarter off of it (if that is the sort of thing she and Jeff are into). Please also attack her mid section so she is left with a perfect six pack for bikini season, may her c-section scar reduce while her muscles expand. If she is to lose her hair I pray that the medicine only attacks the grays, strays, and everywhere she must pluck or shave (again Lord, bikini season is just around the corner). I ask that you take away every ditzy cell that has plagued her and fogged up her brain. She is going to need to focus on getting better and she can’t do that if she can’t remember why she went to the doctor in the first place. Finally Lord, I ask that you remove all the bad cooking cells so when she is back to 100% she can cook wonderful meals for her family, and so they won’t miss all the fast food and pizza they will be eating while she is sick. In Your name AAAAAAAMEN! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU!

CRS. Don't be offended if I don't respond to everyone. Arlene-happy B-day. My year to turn 60 also. Dec. 30. Great--baby will be fine. Joyce--like everyone else, had no idea you broke your elbow. You and my dad. I have a screw in mine. Apples--hugs, with that much snow why aren't you still in Arizona? Can't farm! Melissa--I have a feeling you won't stop eating till you deal with some of your codependency issues. Don't be offended, we're all codependents in various stages of recovery. Standing up to your husband--but also giving him consistent messages will help. Ask him if he would wave a bottle of booze under the nose of an alcoholic. I also think he's placing enormous pressure on you to carry the burden of working full time and providing insurance in a time and economy where that's almost impossible. The reality is, you're not going to find a full-time job with insurance unless you go back to school and upgrade your skills. Or are you the one putting that pressure on yourself to provide that? Instead, you're so stressed out you're ending up costing a lot of out-of-pocket money on your medical needs. Maybe your DH needs to take an extra job to cover insurance. However, someone posted that ultimately you are responsible for your own health and what you put in your mouth. Are you sure you aren't rebelling against all the expectations on you by putting your own health at risk? Take control of your life and of your food. Easier said than done. But ultimately, it's the only way. Sorry if I'm being too up front with you. I'm just especially aware of how fleeting life is. Don't waste it. Meredith, I'd like to know what to put in my increasingly curly frizzy hard to manage hair. Don't think a bush whacking will take care of it. I'm talking over the counter. Also will be posting the funniest post my daughter's best friend put on her page in response to my request for jokes. Cheri

I think we need to keep this thread. I couldn't even post on the other thread. However we could hang on to it for emergencies. Cheri

Don't know if I posted this. The good news is that the pet scan shows the cancer confined to the tumor in Rachel's breast and in one lymph node, which according to the oncologist means a very good prognosis. The good news is also that she passed the heart test and can withstand the chemo and radiation. The bad news is that intensive chemo starts Monday, she will almost immediately lose all her hair, she will be tested every 2 weeks to make sure the chemo is working, after six weeks double mastectomy and probably total hyst, followed by more intensive chemo and radiation. About 4 or 5 months of hell. Rachel is a fighter but she is also an obsessive worrier which is not conducive to healing. She focuses on all the what ifs and gets beside herself. I've asked people on her special FB page, Rally for Rachel, to send her jokes and suggestions for good movies and sitcoms and videos that will make her laugh. You all have seen that I'm a firm believer in laughter being the best medicine. Maybe I'll copy and paste some of my stories about flatulent farts (redundantly ridiculous). I may gross out all her FB friends but it'll certainly take her mind off her troubles. LOL Laura, I know this is really hard with your dad. Lori, congrats on new Grandbaby. Kelley, antibiotics can be hard on the stomach. Coat your stomach with milk before taking and take with food. Avoid all acidic foods, especially anything tomato or OJ. Fruit and veggies may not be a good idea at this time. Absolutely no pop. coffee with milk in it only to neutralize the acid. No tea. Full of acid. No chocolate. Causes reflux. Melissa, you may not be ready for the 5 day pouch test. Just start cutting back your carbs and substituting Protein. Increase your good fats intake with nuts and cook with olive oil. Do not use fat-free anything. You need the fatty dressings on salads to keep you full. Also, most fat-free substitute carbs instead. Learned an interesting thing. The way cancer cells are spotted on a pet scan is because they love sugar. To take the test you avoid carbs ahead of time and then they give you glucose(pure sugar) and watch the cancer cells light up as they devour it. Basically, they hog the sugar. All food, to be used by your cells, must be converted to sugar. If we don't eat sugar or carbs, then our cells will convert protein and stored fat to sugar to feed them. However, protein and fat are converted slowly into the sugar your body needs for energy. So your blood sugar doesn't go up, and what you eat doesn't get stored as fat, instead, fat gets burned up. So, I'm thinking, no wonder obese people have a higher rate of cancer than thin people. Just another reason to avoid carbs. Cheri

Just got back from visiting my daughter. Saw all her kids. She is really anxious and depressed and obsessing over every possible thing that could be or might go wrong. Can't blame her. She managed to depress me. She starts chemo on Monday. She feels like her Dr.s are not as positive as they could be. She wants them to be rah! rah! cheerleaders and since they're not she's afraid they think she doesn't have a good prognosis. Pray that she finds a Dr. who believes in her. Every two weeks she'll be checked to see if the chemo is shrinking the tumor. Hopefully after 6 weeks they'll do the surgery. She wants both breasts removed and she'll need a total hyst. Then they will immediately start with both radiation and more chemo for another 6 to 7 weeks. Can't think about much else right now. I know others of you have your issues and struggle, too. Cheri

Hi everyone. Good news. Rachel was told yesterday that her cancer was very aggressive but if confined to the breast and immediate lymph nodes it was 99% curable. If not, not good. She had the pet scan today and the cancer has not spread elsewhere. She gets a port put in tomorrow and starts chemo on Friday. She also called me last night just as I finished asking an acquaintance for prayer that she would start communicating with me directly. She was a mess and needed prayer and I prayed with her and settled her down. She called me at work today with the good news that the cancer is confined to the tumor and one lymph node. So praise God. She still has a rough road to go down in the immediate future but there's now hope at the end of the road. Rachel's page on FB is amazing. So many people rooting and praying for her. Weight is slowly coming down again. Been getting exercise the past couple of days. I have been so scared because the MRI showed a much bigger tumor than they thought and there appeared to be Fluid on the lungs but a chest x-ray showed no fluid. So I'll take today's good news and run with it. Cheri

Hi everyone. My daughter's tumor is larger than they thought. They are going to start chemo to shrink it before doing surgery in two months on the breast(s) and ovarian cyst/tumor. I'm scared to death. It's hard for me to get through to her by phone to talk to her. Had a hard cry just now. Going to be hard to sleep. Had trouble even in choir tonight. Helped keep my mind partially off of it but it kept breaking through. I love her so much. She was such a beautiful baby and she's still a head-turning woman. She has blonde hair down to her waist, she's 5'11" , dimples, big blue eyes, and a great smile. This is going to be the hardest thing I've ever had to go through and it won't compare to what she has to go through. Please keep us all in your prayers. Cheri