zap

Carol:

 I just closed my eyes and said a prayer for you to bring you some peace.  Waiting like this is just awful, but like Rita said, don't read too much into it.  The doctor is busy with patients and will get back to you soon.  For what it is worth, I once was advised, "it is what it is" and worrying and prayer will not change it.  Strangely that gave me comfort...kinda like giving up some control over something.  The prayer may give you some peace.  Anyway, stay connected to us.

susan 

Julieb:

I totally understand your sadness.  My cat is my comfort.  She too  got me through  so many hard times.  Grooming her and caressing her was so comforting, and still is.   She would purr and snuggle. I remember one morning I was not  doing so well and I caught her looking at me...and I swear I saw worry and compassion in her eyes.  I know I once suggested I could come to your home and  get your cat  and take her to the vets.....you were not ready then Obviously you needed to do what you did.  Unless a person loves and knows animals, they just don't get it...but I get it, Julie, I am sorry.  Susan

Welcome elf-song.  Yes, lots of people have BC.  I remember sharing it with a few here and there and they would whisper, "Me too."  This forum has no problem discussing it, while there are some who  went through it all quietly...mostly older woman.

I never had nausea but I was 58 when I went through chemo.  My chemo nurse said that younger women have the nausea while poeple my age are spared.  I have no idea why.  She may have just said that because this young woman I was sharing the room with was ill and she wanted me to believe I was not a candidate for nausea.  I too took the steroids and another pill BEFORE I got the chemo. They (doctors and nurses) always swear they can find the right pill to eliminate the nausea. 

Kater, your mom is such a trooper!  What determination she shows for us all.

Jackie, I too think that my hormone replacement brought all this on.  Who knows, really.  I just think we have to  think twice before we take a doctor's advice.  I was told to take it to save my bones as my mom had osteoporosis. 

Julie, rads tomorrow....you'll do great.  Just visualize those bad cells blowing up with each zap.

Susan 

Have a great Sunday....maybe the Bear will do something good today! 

I was referred to Dr. Fenner but chose to live what is left of my breast.  I was told he was an artist when it came to reconstruction.  I have  a huge scar, no nipple, yet decided on no further work due to my age and my aversion to hospitals and surgery.   I would  encourage all woman, regardless of age, to  get reconstruction if they are up for it.

As Kater would chime in...OFF TOPIC.......Rita, was your last year teaching a bit difficult?   I have been a teacher nearly all my adult life and I am 60!  I never skipped a beat while teaching. Even BC did not stop me.  I kept showing up and teaching.  It is what I do and frankly, it is what I do well!   This should probably be a PM to Rita, but maybe some of you can get this. I am not sad.  I am just baffled that my life career is actually coming to an end!  AND, I do not golf!  Everyone asks me if I have a plan. Ironically, it is the same as the plan after  BC....first survive and then thrive!  

Have a great weekend.

Susan 

Maybe I could take a day off.  I am so "by the rules"  kinda girl.  Where is lunch?  I have like 165 sick days....so it is possible.   My personals  are saved for when my daughter has her second baby in February.  Kater, I have no idea what you are talking about, but it sounds good.

I was pagets too but had the invasive cancer.  Be glad you are getting it so early.  I walked around with that rash for a year as it was believed to be a simple rash  as all the mamos were just fine.  After my daughter's wedding, I went to a dermatologist  to finally deal with my "rash" and was horrified  that the  skin biopsy showed cancer.  I had another mammo, and it was just fine even though the biopsy showed cancer.  The MRI finally found it and it was big (4 cm).  "Stuff" behind the nipple are harder to see.  I am grateful I had the rash as it kept me going to doctors to determine what was causing it.

Susan 

Thanks for the well-wishes.  The memorial was good.  Yesterday was  a holy day for Catholics so it was a group thing.  Then we did Olive Garden food as my mom loved Olive Garden.  We ordered Chicken Alfredo (as a side) as that was what she ordered each  and every time.  It is so rich that we each just took a bite.  We started to laugh when we realized that the last two years when the Alzheimer's was so bad, she would cover herself and order "the same" and we just assumed it it was the Chicken Alfredo.  In fact, she probably forgot what it was called and we just carried on.  She was a doll.

Thanks again. You are such nice people.

Susan 

Hi all:

To all in treatment, keep your chin up as it does get better.

 There is no scientific link between the aluminum in our antiperspirants and breast cancer,  although there has been controversy.  I am wondering, however, as now I have a terrible reaction when I put on the stuff and all since breast cancer.....even the non-radiated side. The dermatologist tried creams, deodorants, heavy duty cortisone, but I cannot put deodorant or antiperspirant on my underarm (and I am a sweater) as I get a terrible skin reaction that moves into the surrounding areas, including the breast. It is moving through blood as these areas are not exposed to the antiperspirant. It takes a week of ointments to calm it down and I am now using cornstarch as a deodorant ( a very messy alternative). I  am just wondering  if my body is telling me something research hasn't proved.  Just a thought.

 Last Halloween school party for me. Happy about that.  I love the holiday but I hate seeing students stuff their faces at the party and the waste of food!

Memorial service for my mother today.  Time marches on!

Susan 

Hi:

Great to hear from you Rita.  Yes, this is perhaps the worse time EVER economically to retire, but I am going forward.  I carry my husband on my health  insurance, so that will be a huge expense. I  figured out I would have to substitute 8 days/month just to pay the monthly insurance for him.  When I fretted about that, he said he would write me a check instead !  Of course, if our state stays solvent, I will have my pension.  These are worrisome times.

Dr. Dragon is my doctor and I love him.  The name was scary, but then I researched it and the Chinese believe the dragon symbolizes benevolence and power and the bringer of good fortune. That is very cool.  The Europeans have a whole different take on dragons, so I am sticking with the Chinese on this one.

Irena, I would love to purchase one of your kittens, but my "beater" cat would no longer feel like the princess we have made her believe she is.  She had a botched hysterectomy and her poor belly drags to the floor.  My daughter adopted her.  She then  had anxiety issues because of the baby and the bully cat she lived with so we took her in just about when all hell broke loose with the BC.  She has given me such comfort during harder times.  Anyway, your "babies" are beautiful!

Well, I have my Halloween costume already for school.  I am going as "Night" in a black robe with stars glued all over it.  I am wearing a top-hat with stars glued to it and I am carrrying  a "man in the moon"  in the form of a round, white helium balloon with a man's face on it.  The English teachers decided to go as metaphors, so I am Night. My colleague (about 32 years YOUNGER) is going as DAWN.  

Have a great week.

Susan 

Michelle:

I just went to the bs because I had funny red marks on my breasts that stayed for awhile and I was worried they were skin mets as my original dx involved the skin.  She looked at them and said they were bug bites!  How there, I have no idea.  She told me that skin mets look like pimples, like ozzie says, and that if my "bug bites" get bigger or do not go away, we would do further investigation.  Happily for me, they faded and then diasppeared.  Mets do not come and go.  They stay and get bigger.  I never heard of them on the legs.  I wish you well!

Susan