Best Of
Re: Scared and alone. Please help.
bossmom,
You are very far from leaving your babies! While it is tempting to catastrophize at a time like this, and we all likely have from time to time, it is only adding to your anxiety. Focus on what you know to be a fact today, period, full stop. You know that stress and anxiety won’t change the ultimate outcome of your situation and while it isn’t easy to stop the anxiety, it’s worth practicing how to do so. Meditation, yoga, exercise or even binge watching your favorite show are all good distractions.
I will say that I’m a little peeved at your radiologist. Although her/his experience has given them the skills to evaluate imaging very well, the biopsy is what will be the determining assessment, not imaging. I find it highly unprofessional for her/him to have made this pronouncement, even if they are correct in the end. Declaring something breast cancer without a biopsy is overstepping IMO, especially when they can’t give you any details, support or proposed tx, because none of that will known until the biopsy results are in.
Breast cancer is a highly individualized disease and it’s not easy to do any head to head comparisons between patients though there are some generalities that apply. Additionally, it is very unlikely that it has already spread beyond the breast as even more aggressive breast cancers are relatively slow growing. Only about 6% of newly dx’ed breast cancers are metastatic de novo, so that should absolutely not be a major worry. Most of us know how difficult waiting is and nothing seems to move fast, but breast cancer is not considered an emergency like a stroke or heart attack. Focus on what you know now. Not easy but worth cultivating. Take care.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Hi all, we (bff and I) had a great time at the music fest and met the singer of one of my favorite bands, it was awesome. 15,000 steps that day, whew, I’m happy to rest up now. Sunday was lunch and margaritas at the beach will a school friend (elem through HS). Great vacation!
illimae
Re: Starting Chemo May and June 2024 Support Thread
Than you! I broke out my one from Temu! I’d like the Velcro ones the chemo sites sell, but when I add it all up, and think how I’d then need to glue or sew the other side of the strip in my hats first, I could get a whole wig for a little more with less effort. So cheap hair hats it is! Wore mine yesterday for chemo #2.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@threetree Sorry you are struggling a bit more today. Hope things clear up quickly!
@mara51506 Your cats will get used to the vacuum. I hope you get lots of use out of it.
I thought I would provide you a little 70s picture chuckle…52 years ago I married my dear husband. It has been a wonderful life and I pray we have many more together. And yes, we were teenagers! (well, I was—19 & 20.)
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Wow - you are all so talented. I am so uncoordinated that playing a musical instrument is way beyond me and it is actually a kindness to people's hearing if I don't attempt to do that. Family members are still scarred from my attempts on the recorder. But that doesn't stop me from appreciating the wonderful skills of others @tougholdcrow and @intolight.
@tanya_djamila, my sympathies about dentist appointment. They can be extremely stressful and painful afterwards.
@sondraf, so sorry about the hair loss. In your pocket with hugs.
@chicagoan and @intolight I hope you both begin to get energy back soon. In your pockets with hugs.
In everyone's pockets with lullabies for those who are having trouble sleeping like @micmel.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Just want to weigh in with my own experience regarding a couple of scan results:
Had a previous bone scan report state "increased uptake, suspicious for metastases", which turned out to be a fracture, not a tumor. CT scan revealed the fracture clearly.
More recently, an xray of my thoracic spine (where I had rods and screws placed) noted "laminectomies present". I did not have laminectomies during spinal surgery. Emailed my surgeon to confirm the report was wrong, and he said "yes, it's incorrect, that's why I review them myself."
It's so emotionally difficult getting these scans, and then adding in potential error when the scans are read...ugh.
sf-cakes
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Hey Malleemiss251 - Thank you so much for the Koala good thoughts and supports. They are much appreciated. Holding out for a possible mistake or misreading on my part or something, until the onc at least, weighs in. I do not want to go off the drug regimen I'm on now. Fingers crossed.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Sondra-losing your hair in clumps must be very distressing. Wearing the gaiter sounds like a good temporary solution until you can get some cute wraps.
Intolight-I can relate to the lack of energy. I did a load of laundry and cleaned up the mulberries on my sidewalk, dishes next but I'm taking a break. I think I'll sit outside this afternoon without any guilt for "doing nothing."
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@sondraf So sorry to read about your hair. This disease is tough enough without the added downheartedness of losing your hair.
I would love for us all to sit together in the living room listening to music and enjoying each other's company. I would bring out my keyboard or join you all with my cello if I had any strength…
It is a beautiful day here. The plants and trees are planted and life should be good, but I just don't feel good. I want so bad to be able to do stuff, but instead I find myself sitting in my chair doing nothing much. I washed the dishes and hung my summer wreath on the front door, but now I have no energy left. It is even tough to crochet today. Sorry—just needed to vent.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Hard to keep up with the thread, but if I really were in Mel's living room, I might not be so chatty, but I would play you Scarborough Fair on my new guitar.
