jackieinbama

Hey, Chris. Happy 4th!!  Glad you have done so well.  I had a bit of thickening at my incision site that was just scar tissue but it evenually went away. 

Have a good rest of the weekend.

Karen, how's the Arimidex going? 

Gilda, still praying for you.
Jackie

Chris,Yeah!  So glad you had an easy time of it today.  Doesn't it feel great to be done?  I'm glad that things worked out well for you and you are on your way to getting back to normal.  Hears to quick healing.

Gilda, here's to continued prayers for you.  Hope you're doing okay.

Jackie

Chris, I also had to lay on a very narrow table for the duration of my txs.  It was the same table they did the ct on twice a day.  I had to hold both of my arms up above my head so I would hold one hand with the other to make it a litlle more comfortable.  Congratulations on finishing 2 txs hoping the next 8 go well.

Smirasky,  I feel lucky to have had Mammosite as well.  Glad you had such an easy go of it.  Sounds like they took good care of you down in FL.  Almost a year for you. WooHoo.  Glad to meet ya.

Gilda, still keeping you in my prayers.  Hope you're doing okay.  Praying for b9! 

Karen, how was your trip to AT.  Hope you made it home okay.  Have you started the Arimidex yet?

Marty, not sure if "cysts" are common or not but I sure am glad there in no more pain.  I still get sore if I wear my bra too long but I'm not having a constant pain anymore.

Jackie

Thanks you guys for asking about me.  Sorry I haven't posted.  I just was in a crummy mood and didn't want to sound so gloomy.  My sf ended up in the hospital last week for 4 days.  He was running a fever and wbc count was below 1 so not good.  He got to come home on Sat. and when I talked to him yesterday he was feeling better than he has since he started the whole chemo thing 3 1/2 weeks ago.  He goes back in on Monday for a week for second round of chemo.  If he holds up he will do this every twos weeks for a year.  My poor mom sounds so tired but she is keeping a good attitude.  We live about 45 minutes away and with gas prices the way they are, we only get to visit once a week and don't get to help the way we'd like...sigh...  Sorry to hear about your BIL, hope he's doing okay.

Gilda, so sorry to hear about your having to have surgery.  Is the mass benign or will you not know until after surgery?  I'll keep you in my prayers if that's okay. 

Karen, hope you're having a good visit with your daughter.  My in-laws lived in Marrietta, a suburb of Atlanta several years ago.  Good luck with the Arimidex.  Good idea to wait to start until you get back to start it though.  That's what my onc. wants to put me on if I am ever menopausal.  I'm still not on anything right now.  He will check me again in 2 1/2 months.  It didn't take much time for my catheter incision to heal. How long has it been since your surgery? I just had alot of burns from tape allergy that took forever to heal. 

Marty, my aunt lives in the mountains of North Carolina.  Her house is literally on the side of the mountain with a huge drop off on the front and the back of the house.  She loves it there.  Sorry you hate FL.  My son and his fiance went to Panama City last week with my brother and his family.  They had great weather and a had a wonderful time.  I'm jealous of the pontoon boat.  Hubby has always wanted one.

Funny thing happened when I had mammo last month.  I have had a pain in bc breast since surgery and lately it had gotten to hurting alot, all of the time.  Mentioned it in March to bs and he said I could have pain for another year or so.  Had mammos last month because of lumps and oddly pain stopped as soon as they squeezed breast and hasn't hurt since.  Mentioned it to onc at last appt. and he said, "cyst that ruptured maybe?"  I guess so because it doesn't hurt anymore.  One good thing about a mammo I guess...ha, ha...   I am a volunteer at voicesofmammosite website and the makers of the mammosite catheter have come out with a little spongey pad for use on mammos to make them more comfortable.  I got a sample in the mail last week, so next time you have mammo ask if they have the mammo pads. 

Boy, was I wordy tonight!  Guess I'm over my gloominess.  I am usually very upbeat and positive.  I have faith in my Heavenly Father that He will not give me more trials than I can handle and I have never lost faith.  I have just been emotionally drained.  Docs ask me if I'm depressed.  Ya think?  Not enough to warrant meds though so I feel blessed for that. 

Thanks again for all that asked about me.  I hope you are all doing well today.

Jacke

Marty, I'm so sorry to hear triple neg.  Not because I think you have anything to worry about but because I know that having continuing treatment options offer a sort of peace of mind.  I am not currently taking a hormonal at this time and know that I have those reccurence thoughts that slip into the back of my mind.

Will you have genetic testing and are your docs recommending hysterectomy or oopherectomy?  I have heard that some triple negs do this.  Have you checked out the triple neg board? 

Hope you are doing okay and find out more with having blood work done again.

Thanks for asking about my mom.  She is holding up okay.  My stepfather just came home from the hospital from his week of chemo.  He will be going back in the hospital again in two weeks for another round.  Onc told him if he lives through the chemo he has a chance at remission.  We're praying for the best.

Karen, Gilda, if you're reading, how are you doing?  Hopefully back to your normal activities. 

Hugs to all,

Jackie

Hi all.  Hope all are doing well.  Sorry I haven't replied to anyone this past week.  I've had a really bad week.  My stepfather was just diagnosed with stage IV mantle cell lymphoma and will be hospitalized tomorrow for at least a week for his first chemo treatment.  My dm is taking it really hard as we watched my father die from an extended illness.  Now she is facing this with my sf of only two years.  He had his biopsy on their second wedding anniversary.

MAA123, thanks for asking about me and blood tests.  All came back normal thankfully, however no answers to my medical mysteries.  Medical onc suggested going to Mayo Clinic for a week for extensive testing however, finances and family situations won't allow that just yet.  You mentioned being er/pr-, are you also her2-?  Tamoxifen was no picnic for me, but will look at going back on it this month since I'm through with testing.  Sorry your options are limited by this.  If you are her2- you might want to check out the triple neg. thread here.  There are alot of women that know alot about it there.

Gilda, hot flashes are the worst.  While on Tamoxifen I seemed to have one continuous one.  My family nearly froze because I would turn the heat/ac down so low.  Not looking forward to that again but will suffer through if needs be.

Bras are another story.  I still can't handle an underwire and nothing with a seam.  I am currently wearing a cotton Bali that really doesn't give much support.  I am able to wear it for a few more hours now though.

Karen and Sue, sorry you both are dealing with osteoporosis on top of everything else.  The treatments for it do not sound like much fun to me.

Hope all of you have a good week and those still healing are doing well.

Jackie

gg44 and Karen, so glad both of you had easy times at your treatments today.  Just 4 more days, eight more treatments. 

When they took my catheter out it did hurt a little.  It felt like a bandaid being ripped off but not enough to need a pain med.  The rad onc said that it hurt me because I didn't have much drainage so it was kind of dry around the balloon, so maybe you guys won't hurt 'cuz you've got more drainage than I had.  Maybe there is something to be said for seepage! Ha, ha.

MAA123, how are you doing now.  It's been a couple of weeks hasn't it?

Hope you all have good treatments tommorow and not much fatigue.

Jackie

Karen, I have heard that some people have had quite a bit of seepage although I was fortunate enough not to have much.  The nurse at the radiation clinic did tell me to keep a check on the drainage and as long as it was clear or light pink, it was okay.  If the fluid changed to cloudy or yellow, then let them know because that could be a sign of infection.  They, the rad onc and nurse, seemed surprised that I had as little drainage as I had.  Sorry you're having such a hard time with it. 

Hopefully someone else will be along soon that can offer another perspective on this as I'm not sure how much is too much.

Jackie

Karen, I'm glad you've come through your surgery well.  I am assuming that your visit back to radiation oncologist on Friday will be to check for placement.  They will do a CT scan at that time to make sure there is enough tissue between the catheter and the skin and also the catheter and chest wall.  I'm not sure but I wouldn't think you will have treatment that day. 

As far as the travel.  I live about 45 minutes from where I had tx.  The first day I went to my Mothers house between txs and did fine but the next time and thereafter I drove home because I felt a little uncomfortable at my mom's because she was newly married and I didn't know my new stepdad very well and felt uncomfortable going without a bra around him (couldn't stand a bra for very long at a time).  I would come home and lay down in between treatments.  I have issues with fatigue anyway so I may not be the best to answer but all in all I got through it okay and was able to drive myself back and forth from treatments fine.

There will probably others that will come along soon that can offer other experiences but from what I've read.  Many women have very little if no fatigue at all, go shopping, have lunch,etc. in between their treatments.

Good luck to you,

Jackie

MAA123, I got my test results back from UAB yesterday, all normal.  I am still awaiting one blood test that was sent out but so far so good. The stuff they were testing for was a bit scary. Thank you for the blessings.

I hope you are doing well with your recovery.  Did you have any fatigue with your treatments. After the second day I would come home from my morning rads and crash until I had to wake up and go back for my afternoon ones and for about a week later, I slept alot.  Take care and God bless you, too.

Jackie