kidsmom

Hi girls,

My simulation and tats were yesterday.  I got 5 tattoos and  I thought they hurt.  I'm not really wimpy, but the ones in my underarm area really really hurt.  I was surprised that two tatoos are on my right side (my tumor was in my left).  Any body else have tatoos on both sides?  I found the whole process more embarrassing than anythng else previously.  The doctor (who I've never met) came in and started marking on me with a sharpie, the nurses who were really nice, taped wire all around my breast and shaped a mold for me.  It was just a long time to lay there half naked with my arms over my head in a cold room.  I'm glad its over.

My rads start next Wednesday.  Tuesday is my dry run where I guess they double check everything.  I'm kind of bummed about the timing.  All next week I'll have to take a half day off work for my treatments, then they move to 3:30 pm.  I teach junior high so I get out at 2:25.  My son is 20 months and having surgery next Friday to have his adnoids out and tubes put in both ears.  The poor guy has been having a much tougher time than me lately.  My kids put things in perspective and I keep telling myself, better me than them.

Thanks joeyann for all the information.  I feel better prepared for what to expect during the actual treatment now.

Kidsmom

Hi girls,

Count me in for December.  I have my consult on November 21st.  Not sure about the simulation test.  Amber I am 34, I can only sympathize with how you feel at 29 with BC.  I have a 3 1/2 year old girl and 20 month old son too.  I had 8 mm idc and 2 of 9 nodes positive.  The  nodes were both larger (almost double) the original tumor size.  I am curious how the rads and holidays will go too.

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving

Kidsmom

Kim - I'm so sorry to hear about your friend.  What a tragic situation.  I am glad your done with chemo though.  Everyone keeps telling me congratualations, but I am not sure what to think.  My oncologist was out of town.  The nurses hadn't even scheduled me to talk to the NP or anyone.  I was so bummed. I have all these questions about what to do now and I didn't get to ask them to anyone.  I am having the numb fingers and toes still.  It hasn't gone away since my 3rd treatment (2 weeks ago) and I have had a very sore spot behind my left shoulder blade for about a month now.  I really needed to see my onc.  They scheduled me to see him next week so I will have a chance.  Doesn't that seem weird not to meet with your doctor on your last treatmetn?

Has anyone heard from kaye?  Hope she's doing OK.

Ladies who had problems with your treatment and had to end early- it is out of your control and so you should just feel relieved your done.  It wasn't your choice- but I can understand your concerns.  Luckily someone made the decision for you though and they are informed about what is in your best interest longterm.  Would the extra treatment be worth it if I  made you so sick you were hospitalized?

I hope everyone enjoys they're weekend.

Kidsmom

Angie,

I am so worried about not being able to hug/pick up my little ones.  I'm glad your husband is helpful.  That makes a big difference.

Was not having a mastectomy an option for any of you who did?  I originally had a lumpectomy but when I asked my onc for numbers in regard to reoccurance he looked things up on Adjavant online and came up with a 1 in 4 chance of reoccurance and a 1 in 5 chance for death in the next ten years even with chemo and rads.  That's when we started the discussion about mastecomy again.  I originally wanted that, but was talked out by the surgeon.  My onc assummed that with a mastectomy I wouldn't need the rads.  That meant I couldn have implants which had a quicker recovery time.  Now with the rads and that not being an option I keep wondering if I should have the mastectomy?  Or just wait and monitor?????  These decisions are too hard to make.

I can also relate to everybody with the people wanting you to be OK.  Everytime I complain the least bit to my dad, he just says, keep your chin up.  It makes me want to scream.  My mom had bc then passed after a two year battle with lung cancer.  He knows what its like and still doesn't have any empathy.

thanks for listening again,

Kidsmom

I had a lumpectomy in July 07 for a 0.8 cm lump 2 of 9 nodes were positive, and a triple negative.  I'm almost finished with my chemo 4 A/C, and 4 taxol and after doing more reseach decided with the encouragement of my oncologist to do a bilateral mastectomy.  My mom had bc at 57, I'm only 34 but BRACA negative.  I met with a rad oncologist to confirm I wouldn't need radiation if I had the mastectomy and was shocked when he said I would need it.  He said 5 weeks with 3 beams, the boosters for the 6th week could be skipped because my original tumor was small.  He said my age, tumor grade (3), triple negative status, and the fact the tumor was double the size in both nodes as the original in breast, required the radiation even with mastecotmy.  I was going to have implants but PS won't do them if I have radiation.  I'm fairly thin and he said the chance of them failing with radiated skin is too great.  My only options for reconstruction are TRAM or DIEP.  I have two little ones 1 and 3 and the recovery for those are so great.  I'm tramatized for the first time since this whole BC thing began.  I"m going to get a second opinion, but wondered if anyone in their 30's or 40's received radiation after a mastectomy and chemo?

Thanks,
Kidsmom

Hello girls,

I already had a lumpectomy and am almost finished with chemo (4 a/c and 2 of 4 taxol done).  When I asked my onc for the chance of recurrance I found out it was 25% within the next 10 years.  That seems awful high to me, I'm 34 and have a 1 and 3 year old.  So I'm meeting next week with the surgeon and plastic surgeon to discuss a bilateral masectomy with reconstruction. 

I'm suppossed to have 6 weeks of radiation after chemo, but I guess that won't need to happen if I have the masectomy. 

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Kidsmom

How did you guys base your decision for what kind of reconstruction you picked?

Kaye,

thank you for the warning about not getting the neulasta.  You made me definately think that I should just get the neulasta shot. 

What kind of claritin are you guys taking.  I tried claritin -D the previous shot and didn't notice a difference.  Is it just the regular claritin?

Hope you all had a good weekend,

Kidsmom  

I also wanted to mention that I am going to have a bilateral masectomy now.  I originally had a lumpectomy with clean margins, and 2 nodes positive.  My onc and I looked at some statistics for reoccurance again, and he agreed with my gut feeling that its better for my to get rid of the "girls". I'm only 34 and with chances of reoccurance greater for us with age and greater once you have bc, I'm kind of screwed.  My gut originally told me to get rid of them, but both surgeons I met with said a lumpectomy had the same reocurance rate, and the recovery was so much shorter and with a 18 mths old and 3 1/2 year old and no family in town, and the confusion and fear when originally diagnosed I let them talk me out of what I wanted to do.  I really feel that for me, my future will be less anxiety ridden if I trade in these for a new pair.  After nursing two kids, they look like they are tired anyway (ha ha).

sorry for posting so much, I think its the steriods again.

welcome to the new people on the thread and hello again to the girls (kaye, june, nash, harley, etc,) whose posts I read religiously.

You are all so much support to me even though I don't post often, your always in my thoughts and prayers.

Kidsmom

June,

I hope your taxol goes well too.  Even with my migraine, I still think the taxol is better than the AC.  I feel like I'm 80 instead of 34 with all the aches and pains, but those are more easy to deal with than the naseua was.  I saw the nurse practitioner today and she said the same thing about my migraine maybe being from the pre-meds from the taxol in combination with the neulasta????  She didn't have a clue about my blood shot eye.  She said maybe I just scratched it.  Which in hindsight may be true.  I was pretty loopy from the benedryl after by treatment last Friday and maybe Idid scratch my eye when I took my contact out???

Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend!

Kidsmom

trigeek,

I have gained weight (about 5 lbs) during my 5 chemos and I'm sure its from all the bad food I've been eating.  For some reason, I feel justified eating junk because I did chemo and it sounds good.  Also, my mouth always has that metal taste so I think I'm looking for salty stuff to try and scape that taste away.

Kidsmom