yellowtownhouse

Hey All,

Sorry I've been a bit on the quiet side lately just lots of "stuff" going on.  I'm thrilled to read about some of our happier moments with you all  closing out treatments and getting great MRI results and new nipples and foobs and possibly new jobs too!  Perhaps there's closure to some of this madness after all. 

I was back to the radiation oncologist for my 6 month (and final) check up.  All was well except I still have a fair amount of discoloration on my breast.  While there I confided to him that I had been disillusioned with my medical onc. for a long time and gave him some reasons but not all.  He recommended a female onc. that is in the area but not part of his practice.  When I left I scooted back to talk to the techs for a few minutes and basically asked 7 of them their opinions.  All of them stated that yes, she is who they would see.  When I asked why they all said that she has an excellent reputation and that they see lots of her patients and everyone of them rave about her.  So......Nashie I am biting the bullet and calling for a consultation and perhaps making a change ASAP!  My last visit in Sept. to my current was the straw that broke the camel's back...the place is a zoo/ I waited over an hour after my labs and then she was 'frosty and rude."  I just decided that I'm been nuts to put up with this and even if the new MD isn't right for me then by God I'm going to keep looking!!!!!!     My other question to you all is even though I'm scheduled for every 3 months visit, I only see the onc. every other time and the nurse practioner (who isn't any better) the next visit.  To me this is a huge waste of time and effort.  YOUR opinions please?

BTW I'm still trying to get the results from them regarding the vitamin D testing they did! 

Most of the reason I've been absent has been that we've been doing some remodeling on our townhouse (not actually us but Expo).  It has been maddening with hurry up and wait and wrong or broken products being delivered.  If my DH didn't work 10 minutes from home I don't know how we could possible have managed all the appts. for measuring/remeasuring/delivering/re-delivering and installs.  But thankfully it's basically finished and we're beginning to get back to normal.  Hey girls I didn't have kitchen countertops or a sink or dishwasher for almost 10 days.  Since I don't do well with a lot of restaurant food and love to cook this was a real bummer.  But I'm enjoying my new kitchen and baths.

P.S.  Once again I don't have any upper eyelashes.  I don't get it...this is about the 6th or 7th time since finishing chemo that they have all fallen out.  I know they have to recycle and sort of get in synch again but geez!!!!!!  Any of you still dealing with this?

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  We're enjoying the beautiful trees in north Georgia right now.  Best to all...

June

Hey All,

A quick addition to my Vitamin D post.  Doc also said that the use of sunscreen blocks most of the affect of sun exposure!  D........ we can't win since skin cancers are also rampant!   I don't actually use much of it except what's in my makeup unless I know I'm going to be on a boat or the beach for a while.  Atlanta is very sunny and hot also Nash but I'm sure not like southern Cal.

DeAnn.....hope the puppy gets better.  You know they're just like family and we worry over them just the same.  I add my voice to yours and Nashs......what IS going on in our lives today to cause this epidemic of cancers in old and young alike? 

Best to all...

June

Hey All,

This is the first chance I've really had to check in with everyone...but I READ every word of your posts.  :)  Let me chime in with the rest of you all by saying yes indeedy this board has been a god send for me and I know you all agree.  And yes, it is so wonderful to see each of us 'gettin on' with our lives after BC.  We all know such intimate bits and pieces about each others lives that I believe  the connection between us will never be totally broken.  YEA!!!!!!  We seem to be this strange mixture of 'pinky swearing' and pen pals and sorority sisters and virtual mentors and prayer group and oh so many other things that it's almost impossible to explain to anyone else.  Though most of us have never met I know in my heart that Miss Nash is going to fix that!

Nash..a window was closed so that now a door can be opened my friend.  I identify with you in so many ways and you remind me of myself at your age.  For I am also a crusader and a rebel when it is necessary and in BC it always seems to be necessary.  What you're trying to do is extremely worthwhile and also ambitious....so what if it doesn't get accomplished in the exact timeframe we've been discussing?  You'll get there and we'll be here cheering  you on each part of the journey. 

Kaye..did I  miss the wedding pics by accident?  I so want to see your beautiful daughter on her day and all of the loving family.  29 years????  We celebrated 30 in July and what a blessing to have wonderful husbands.  Congratulations to you both. 

Jackie..I am never going to be a cover girl for anything!!!!  But you my friend were stunning and such a great article.  Your family has to be so proud of you cause we are!   :)

Harley..I don't know if you read my posts in July & Aug.  but I was in for a 6 mo. check and they found something in both breasts.   Eight weeks later and a dual biopsy everything was negative. I've kidded my family by saying my knees are still so sore because I can't get up and off of them for giving continual thanks.  Now, I'm going to add you to the top of my list during my 'knee time' and just know that all will be well. 

lilith..happy days when the results are negative!  I still need to get mine scheduled and over with. Just one of those things we all have to make ourselves do I guess.  Glad yours is over.

Roya..welcome to our board and I hope you become a regular.

DeAnne..all quiet on your homefront these days????  :)

As for me I was to my oncologist this morning for my regulary scheduled visit.  You all know that I've complained before about this group and their 'cattle call' techniques to their patients and it just seems to get worse.  I want to bounce something off of you and ask that you give me your feedback please.  9:30am appointment/ arrived 9:00am (they insist on you being there 30 minutes ahead).  Called back to the 'inner sactum' at 9:45am along with 10 others for lab work. got weighed and sat until 10:15am/ in for bloodwork and re-seated.  At 10:30am called by a tech for vital signs and the usual list of questions and reseated (told there were no available exam rooms).  at 11:15 was placed in an exam room/ nurse enters and asks the same questions the tech did and said doc would be in shortly/ doc arrives in room at 11:30am and says 'sorry for the delay'.  Now please know this is not the exception here but the rule it seems.  Am I nuts or are they??????

Best to all...

June 

Hey All,

Have to jump in here and welcome everyone back from their travels (except you lilith :( 

Hurry up with those pics Miss Kaye!

DeAnn, I'll never forget sending mine off on that big first day.  There were about 12 mothers standing at the bus stop and we were all boo hooing to beat the band.  It really is a landmark day, more for us I think than the kids.  LOL    Oh, the pics were precious. 

Nash, how goes "Pink in the Rink?" 

lilith, how long will you be staying in Istanbul?  Really rotten to be in a foreign country and not have anything to see in the evenings......are the restaurants closed early also? 

Well, believe it or not, DH and I went to the Gulf Coast this past Friday morning!  Y--eee-sss,

we knew about Gustav.  However, this trip had been planned for a couple of months and it was extra special to go and celebrate my recent good news.  Anyway, we had planned a 5 day trip and ended up flying home Sunday morning.  But we had a great time and Gustav be d......ed! 

Best to all...

June

Hey All,

Like Suz I've been mainly lurking the past 2 weeks.  I've got my head down and am pretty much staying in my 'foxhole' until I get the results back from next Thursdays bioposies.  I do believe that this has been the longest six weeks of my entire life.  And if I had it to do over, I would have said 'no...we're not waiting...just schedule the procedure ASAP!  I know all this agonizing has not done me any good whatsoever but I just can't seem to stop it. Even the thought of starting back down the bc road again is absolutely unendurable to me at this point.  I have talked very seriously with my DH and right  now my feelings are if the results are positive is to take what time I have left and forego any further treatment.  I'm so sorry to be laying this crap on you girls I'm just nearly out of my mind with worry. 

I've read every word that's been written over this past month and glad to see that lilth and DeAnn returned safely from great vacations.  DeAnn....good news on the mammo and what great pictures those were! 

Kaye....is this Saturday the "big day?"  

Jackie and Nash....sure hope you two are having a ball on your trips.  Jackie, DH and I celebrated our 30th. anniversary on 7/21 and like you I couldn't believe it....hope yours is very special for you both. 

lilith....I'll be over to visit your site as soon as I can get my head together a bit better.

Kaye....I totally agree that it is important that we keep this thread alive as long as possible.  If there is ONE person out there that we can help in even the smallest way then that makes it all worthwhile my sisters.  Besides, a part of me feels like this is sort of an on-going memorial to Stacy and Kim. 

Hope all is well with everyone.....

lots of hugs,

June 

Opps....hit submit too fast.

Kaye, did the onc beat up on you?  Let us know how it went.

lillith, so good to hear from you again.  Sounds like a really nice trip.

I'm still hobbling around with an ace bandage around my foot.  The doc is afraid I may have an occult fracture (doesn't show up on a normal x-ray) and says if things aren't totally better by next week she's ordering an MRI.  It's not that I dread the MRI, but you all have to remember that this was a work related accident and our CEO just turns purple if ANYONE does more than visit the workman comp doc.  Oh well,  can't control it and I'm in count down phase for the next 3 weeks till I return for the re-scaning with my surgeon.

A wonderful evening to all.....

We're having BLT's and sweet corn straight from the garden. 

June 

Hey all,

DH and I have been talking about seeing The Bucket List since it first came out months ago.  Long story short we finally rented it about 3 weeks ago and settled into the den with lots of snacks to enjoy.  Well Angie, I lasted about 10 minutes and told my DH to enjoy himself but I was all done!  I really thought I would be okay with it and we so enjoy Nicholson and Freeman.  NOT SO!  Hubby refused to watch it either so it went back unseen.  It was the early dx and hospital scenes that got to me.  So, Miss Angie I think we're both pretty normal in our reactions.  It's just a little too soon and a little too close to home, right? 

DeAnn, good for you for throwing an anniversary party....you go girl.  Wish we could all be there to celebrate with you and hear you sing.  Your songs reflect all of our feelings you know.  Let us know how it goes.  BTW, I can't wait to see a picture of the "new do." 

Speaking of parties Nash...did you have a blast???? 

My foot and ankle are doing much better thanks.  I did manage to get a tennis shoe on this morning after I put the compression anklet on.  First time in 5 days.....I was really sweating going to work in flip flops.  LOL

Kaye, congrats on the weight loss......you are going to be smashing.

Harley, anything new happening?  What happened with the PA? 

Hugs to all,

June

Thank you Nash for giving us the updates all along.  It couldn't have been easy for you to correspond with  Kim's family and I know we all appreciate you so much for taking that on.  Do you know of anything we can do for her family at this time besides pray?  This is so hurtful that this  d&^$# disease has taken another one of us.  I remember from one of her earlier posts she said she had been NED for nine years before her reoccurence.  I agree with you that she's in God's hands,  at peace and knows no suffering any longer. 

Prayers and love to her family and to all of us.  We'll never forget you Kimmie.

June

Oh, this hurts so much.  Like most of us I've been hoping and hoping and praying for a miracle  for her.  And like like you all,  everytime I have opened this thread my heart has been in my throat.  Nash, did the S-I-L say how the children were?  I will be praying for them. 

I feel really selfish reporting on how my day went at the surgeons but I promised you I would and here it is.  We were there about 7 hours from start to finish.  The mammo was very uncomfortable but much better than I had expected.  While I was there I quizzed my tech and surgeon regarding mammos on reconstructed breasts or a bare chest wall. They both said exactly the same thing:  a mammo can be done on almost any chest wall regardless of what is there.  The difference when you've had reconstruction is that they must use lighter compression but also must take many more pictures and angles.  Practices differ on if or how often they are done.  In her practice they are usually not done unless something is felt/found/or suspected.  They do however order an ultra sound on some sort of a regular basis and don't hesitate to do an MRI.

After mammo and ultra sound completed, DH and I were placed in the exam room and only had a 45 minute wait here.  She said the mammo looked good and clear.  You can hear the but coming, can't you?  However, the ultra sound showed something funky on BOTH breasts and she wasn't comfortable with it.  Long story short:  I'm scheduled to return on Aug. 14th. for another ultra sound and if things haven't 'cleared' then she will do a double biopsy.  Needless to say it will be a very long 6 weeks until the appointment and in the meantime I guess I climb back on 'the worry train' once again.  I'm trying really hard to be positive especially for my husband, but girls I'm as frightened tonight as I probably have ever  been in this long past year.  Thanks for listening as always.  Hugs to all.

June

Nash, you're a doll as usual.  I got your pm....thanks so much.

And Kay, we're all grateful that you were able to make some contact with her family.  It's a sad night ladies.

June