I am so over the moon about a couple of things I bought /was given I wanted to share them. It struck me as another good theme too as I can't have found them all -- so go on: what were your amazing useful finds for us poor beleaguered ladies of the OC Order?
Mine are:
M&S dance pants -- like leggings, stretchy but loose at the top without a nasty elasticated waist. Simply brilliant for uncomfortable post-op tums and they actually LOOK good!
Spray mineral waters -- Evian and others are amazing for spraying away the surgical menopause hot flushes (ok it's about 85 quid a litre if you were drinking it but you aren't!)
I hate to admit it but: the Tesco fleecy onesie the other half bought me today. Zero pressure round my sore middle. Ok with the bald head I do look like a giant baby but I simply do NOT care it's way more comfy than any of my PJs
The Kegel Trainer app on iPhone (other app stores are available...)I know I've said it before but I have remembered to do them every day for weeks now!
Trying to justify my new kitten in here but I really can't -- she's just ... Because!
My list includes my Ladycare magnet .....I know, some of you have heard and read bad reports (see Ladycare magnet in search box at top of page) it keeps my hot flushes under control, also I agree about the Kegel trainer. A really good way to remember. I would add M&Co big cotton knickers (post op)- really soft and gentle on the tummy after surgery. Oh, and add a glass of Poilly Fumee every so often, just to spoil myself
Ooh yes I did the giant pants thing too. V good! Mind you I did not mention the size 24 pink tartan pyjamas my husband bought me (I am now a 16...) - luckily he has now stolen and started wearing them...
Must try the magnet, can't get Kegel trainer for the Ipad and my phone is an HMC so have not looked for the app on that!. My stoma nurse recommended support pants to help reduce the risk of hernia and M&S support pants are very comfy! I'll happily add the wine though my white of choice would be Sancerre! As for red? Montepulciano!
d'abruzzo is acceptable though York Theatre Royal has stopped stocking it but if we are going for gold it has to be the Vino Nobile! My daughter and I had a villa 10 mins drive from montipulciano in 2000 and glugged away at the Nobile every night! I AM NOT A LUSH! Honest! LOL!
We obviously need a wine blog with some of your expert recommendations. I'd particularly value advice on Italian wine .... and olive oil.
I skied north of Bergamot some time ago where Valpoliccela is a popular local grape variety. Have to say the wine was delicious even though I wouldn't generally touch the stuff sold in supermarkets in the UK. We came to the conclusion it must be like Guinness and doesn't travel well.
As for oil - I was recently given a bottle of estate-bottled Sicilian olive oil. It was fantastic! Now I'm all of a dither at the supermarket as I've noticed there is a lot of choice in high-quality oils but have no idea which ones are good and for what purpose. Perhaps you ladies with experience of Italy can advise? xxxx
I could see a wine blog going very well! I think I could make more of a contribution to a single malt whiskey blog than one on olive oil. I'm afraid I look at the prices of the speciality ones and usually end up buying Asia Extra Virgin. Obviously the refinement of my palate only goes so far. Any Balsamic vinegar experts out there?
I'm up for any of the blogs you mention. Funnily enough the reason we really noticed the flavour of the refined olive oil was in baking humble potato wedges. They were delicious with the right oil.
Definitely with you on the single malt blog. Try Welsh Penderyn. It really is very good. xxx
I'll have to look out for it. I do have a bottle of a Welsh whisky liqueur called Danzy Jones in the house. Rather nice although I haven't touched it for ages. And, as I said, my capacity has decreased and I have a nearly full bottle of the Macallan which will probably keep me going till about 2014! I do seem to have got through a lot of brandy lately... But it all went into Christmas cakes. LOL
Been meaning to check and just done it -- you CAN use the iPhone Kegel app on ipad - search for the app then flip the view top middle to iPhone apps rather than ipad apps and install as usual. I tested it, it works fine!
Best is to search for all apps mentioning Kegel there are quite a few this is way the simplest and easiest one. Look for the Olson apps and its just called Kegel Trainer, purpley screenshot.
Excellent blog, the kegel trainer made me laugh (sorry) looked it up on my iphone but not sure I can fork out £1.49 in the current economic climate. No great finds except Galaxy and Champagne - sorry
ROFL! The vision of a giant baby amazes! Have not seen a onesie yet but sounds like something we wore at night in the war for sudden exits to the Anderson shelter. We called them siren suits! Even Churchill wore one! Mine had bunny ears! Must look out for them!
As for that spritz! Buy a bottle of Evian or other mineral water of choice and a small spray bottle from Boots. Fill the bottle with the water and spritz away! Drink the opened bottle and refill the sray from a new one when needed, this only applies if you are using the fizzy sort because it goes flat but has the advantage of rehydrating inside and out!
My oh my! We're reet thrifty in Yorkshire! Which, speaking as a Lancastrian born daughter of Ulster parents is rich! It is more probably growing up in the 50's! LOL.
Now to think about my best buys!
Still ROFL! (well actually rolling around in bed laughing - too cold to do it on the floor till the heating comes on!)!
What a good blog this is. Thanks for the Kegel tip ladies. Had never heard of it before but have just downloaded it. £1.49 is a small price to pay for a strong pelvic floor. I'm actually quite annoyed my oncologist and oncology nurse haven't mentioned this ap as I've asked a couple of times about improving pelvic floor muscles.
Post-op for the bedside my husband found a kettle that dispenses 1 cup of boiling water. Just press the button and moments later a steaming cup of hot tea - so no lifting required. It's a shame we can't pass on this sort of resource.
I agree with Wendy - Pouilly Fumé every so often though I did read in the Anti-Cancer book that red wine and single-malt whisky is good - so it would have to be Pomerol (for special occasions) and Laphroigs whisky with a dash of Water.
Boux Avenue pyjamas and wrap. This shop doesn't appear to be everywhere in the UK but you can buy online and they have the prettiest PJs and undies ever.
A blanket. I found a powder blue cable knitted one. I've reverted to childhood and wrap myself up in it.
A Journal. A colleague painstakingly decorated a spiral-bound notebook, adding pictures and homilies at intervals throughout the blank pages. I used this to track how I was feeling from diagnosis until the end of my treatment. I really felt loved to have been given such a thoughtful present. It was helpful at the time and very interesting to read through two-years on.
Ikea easy chair. Lightweight, slightly reclining and pliable. This usually lives by the fire in the dining room but is light enough to be pushed into the kitchen where I was able to sit by the window and look out - or sit back and be part of things even when I wasn't well enough to actually participate.
Sketch pad and artists' pencils. My 6-week recovery was ideal for taking up an old hobby, long forgotten.
I'm looking forward to hearing other ideas on this blog.
Dear oh dear, ladies! Am I sensing a very slight alcoholic theme here?
I have been so careful to avoid my customary G&T and half a gallon of wine a night.... Mind you all those spare alcohol calories have been quite handy to compensate for all the cream and sweet stuff which I have been forced to eat!
The Boux Avenue White Chiffon fragrances are good too. My daughter bought me the ceramic drawer perfume hearts and they're still going nearly 2 years later. xx
Ooh that reminds me. My cherry stone cushion - 3 mins in the micro for when the neuropathy/parasteesia shakes make pouring boiling water into bottle a bit dodgy!
I was given but pop the search cherry stone cushion or cherry stone pillow into google and you'll find you can buy lots of places -- have never seen in a shop and most of the other micowaveable hotties die after a few uses. If you like lavender (I don't, yuk, makes me think of really old ladies but each to their own!) you can also find lavender pillows to heat in same way!
These are great as they mould to your body. I tended to use for period pains.... Guess I don't need to worry about that any more
They do dry out -- so you just chuck em in with the washing every few weeks to extend life. Eventually they start to char but mine lasted 2-3 years before needing to be replaced
Have to agree with the bio oil ..it is really good and the V shaped pillow helped my back no end when resting on the sofa ...
I took Glutamine..a protein powder during my chemo ..ran it passed the Oncol and he said it was ok to take to protect against neuropathy ..it seemed to have worked ...
On the subject of Wine ..as one could not drink too much of it ..did find a good book by Joanne Harris called Blackberry Wine .... for some parts of the story the 6 wine bottles do the talking ... She of course wrote Chocolat .... Wonderful film ....
All this talk of wine reminds that I should be cooking fish ....well for me that is ...
Great blog trying to think of finds but mostly it's what I find helps my life. M&S jeggins are great and let me move around. Magnet bracelet when I remember to wear it. I wore the Snuggle blanket once but while wrapped up on the couch having a duvet day the phone rang and in my haste to answer it nearly killed myself jumping up to answer it. Acrylic paints to help focus my mind and enjoy the peace and quiet. Reiki which helps balance my mind and body. Gosh I could go on forever. What a wonderful life I have. Feel like Pollyanna playing the glad game, ha ha.
had not thought about the iPad, the iPod, the Kindle, my laptop, my PC! such a part of my life that I accept them as given.
Serious fundraising suggestion: Ovacome could have a not for profit website selling some of these more serious OC essentials at decent prices (maybe not the booze!). Could buy at trade prices and maybe negotiate a discount on that too....
Liz 's comment about cardigans reminded me ovacome could source a lovely teal cardie and a shrug I'm sure -- my mate sells these so could buy from source. Then any time anyone says " what a nice x" it's an excuse to spread the word!
Unrelated but I have another life support one too - moist toilet tissue! Not to be indelicate but handy whether experiencing any if the downstairs department issues we all seem to suffer!
I kept that to hand before the stoma now it is basic baby wipes! Can't have the scented moisturised kind as they interfere with the adhesive! But so good to feel clean!
Nothing to do with OC but my Tefal Actifry was a great find. Good for Roasted vegetables, potato wedges,etc. when you're not using the oven for something else. You dont need to use much oil. We're not big meat eaters but its also great for browning meat for casseroles without getting your kitchen all messed up with fat splatters. It's basically an electric frying pan with a paddle in the centre that keeps everything gently on the move so takes care of itself while you're doing other stuff. Set the timer and it will beep you when it's up, although strangely it doesn't switch off when the timer beeps.
Anyway, I'm choosy about gadgets. Haven't the space to have too many cluttering up the kitchen. But this is one I wouldn't be without.
Noone mentions cardigans. Jumpers are not wig compatible so I now have a collection of beautiful cardigans. Can't seem to walk past one. And noone likes to tell me I don't need another cardigan.
If I wear high rise knickers they seem to roll down under the flabby belly just like smaller knics do when your pergnant.
I always wore full pants when I was pregnant but now they seem to make the bulge at the tops of my legs oooooze with fat, which is so ugly and shows through some clothing.
I convinced myself the other day that I had lost at least 7 pound - how wrong could I have been I had in actual fact gained another 2 1/2 arghhh! I am eating less and less but the weight won`t shift.
Now 18months since end of chemo and this extra weight isn`t going anywhere on its own. Exercise is one of my main enemies because the CFS prevents me from this.
My oncologist just laughs at me and tells me they would sooner me gain weight than lose it. And according to them I am only a few pounds over weight. For me, me says around 2 stone over where I usually am.
Anyway, getting around to the support pants, I need the ones like cycling shorts to prevent the bulge at top of leg, and then they are sooooo hot, yer even in this cold weather!
Well, we all talk about the menopause hot flushes on here, support pants and hot dooes are simply awful, arn`t they?
Listen to us complain ing when we should be feeling lucky to be alive.
Well, while going through it all we can think about is staying alive for as lo9ng as possible.
Then when we are in remission all the trivia stuff starts to frustrate us.
I am trying so hard to love the new me look, fab and all.
I apologise for not reading all the wonderful posts on here, I will catch up later when I have a little bit more energy.
Love and God Bless you all from Tina xxxx
PS. Does everyone else have a tummy that now looks like a bottom? I am hating that too, the onlay part of my body I love right now are my boobs and if I remain cancer free they are coming off in the year 2015 to lower my 85% risk of breast cancer to 1%. I am not feeling at all sexy either right now.
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xx
Early stage OC diagnosis & Radical hysterectomy at 37 - terrified. Can anyone give me some positive words/experiences x
Chemo started today - standby worked!
Update - not great news
A message of hope for you amazing women.
Great Sunday Times Article Dec 09
