Best Of
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.
betrayal
Re: CT and Lung Nodules
Hi @kks_rd, Welcome to the lung nodule group. A lung nodule is a dense area of lung tissue that appears like a spot or shadow on a chest CT. A nodule can be caused by a previous infection, scar tissue or inflammation, all of which are benign. Less frequently nodules are caused by cancer (lung or mets from another cancer) which is why doctors keep an eye on them. Pulmonologists have a protocol called the Fleischner guideline which recommends how often CTs to observe them should be done and when they should be biopsied. Usually a biopsy is recommended when a nodule grows to over 10 mm. Lung biopsies can be very difficult so the location is also taken into account.
If the nodule size stays about the same over the protocal time period the frequency of CTs decreases and most people don't have to continue them after a period of stability. If more nodules appear and those that were already there grow it's a warning sign. If cancer in the lungs is caught at the early nodule stage it is easier to treat.
As an aside, since you recently had pneumonia your lungs might be more susceptible to radiation damage. The CT in three months would show pneumonitis which is a relatively rare SE of rads but needs to be treated with steroids if it appears. If you develop a really bad cough for no reason let your MO or RO know. I had a cough appear later than my final (at that time) RO appointment, was treated for pneumonia/allergies by my PCP, and eventually was diagnosed by CT with pulmonary fibrosis since I had progressed beyond the pneumonitis stage. Thankfully it didn't spread into my other lung but I had no idea this could happen.
I would ask your team to be vigilant about the possibility of radiation damage because your lungs were recently inflamed. With triple negative you can't skip rads but catching a problem when it is treatable is important.
Having one more type of scan adds to the anxiety but on this thread we report our results and support each other. We also support the few who do develop mets/lung cancer. I hope your radiation goes well. Let us know how the next CT goes. We'll be cheering for you.
maggie15
Re: Parathyroid disease and breast cancer
I was dx'd with Stage IV IDC, and had high calcium levels at the time of dx. My ionized calcium levels were a little high, and my Intact PTH was also elevated. The Sestamibi scans was negative. Regardless, my endocrinologist recommended me to the Norman Parathyroid Center. I opted for the surgery, because I was already osteopenic, I was worried the hyperparathyroidism would rob calcium from my bones, and the AIs already increase my risk of osteoporosis. Two parathyroids were tested and removed with benign tumors, in addition to part of my thymus gland. Since, then my calcium levels have been steady in the normal range.
Parathyroid.com provides A LOT of information in easy to understand language - including a discussion about negative Sestamibi scans.
I will say, it you're going to have the surgery, make sure you go somewhere that will test the parathyroids during the surgery.
seeq
Re: Share Your TNBC Story
Hi I'm Lisa. I am 40..I was diagnosed as triple negative in January. I have currently finished AC Chemo and I am now doing weekly Taxol. I have 9 more to go and then 3 weeks of radiation. I had a lumpectomy in Dec and they removed 3 lymph nodes which were clear my tumour was 3 cm. I had genetic testing done and my cancer is not heredity. I have cancer in my family tree but no one has had breast cancer. I am brca 1 and brca 2 negative.
It was hard to hear I was triple negative. When you research it all you hear is the negative. It's really scary but I know I am going to beat this. This is just a bump in the road in the road of life
blamoms
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@irishlove Do an immediate CtrlX when you lose a post and see if you get it back. I also make sure I am logged in first.
Are you immune compromised? I have been on some of my treatments and got sick a lot, but not anymore. Just a thought.
Yes, we are going to be cooler here and may barely reach 70° here today.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@intolight Yeah, once my two are gone, no more cats I do not think, just get a stuffy to sit with. It is a lot of work to keep up with their litter etc. Must not have filled the box enough, one of them left me a present just outside. but that is removed already. Still smells nicer in here. I still have a lot of loose litter to get rid of from the spill yesterday but is coming along. Good news is that cat has accepted the new amount of litter and used the box.
I slept like a dead person, part was sleeping through the reels I watch on facebook, then set the rain noise I like to sleep with.
I am getting some stuff from Amazon today, the chocolate I felt I owed myself after my day yesterday, a garden trowel for when scraping may become necessary, I also got a standing dustbin. It comes with a broom although my vileda is likely better than that. Just have to figure out where everything goes. I currently have the proper corded vacuum, sweeper vac which did respectable in the litter mess .
Got some dishes that soaked overnight so will clear those out and see about putting together another egg, rice, bean and beef bowl. Will heat up rice first, clean the pot and spray a pan with some canola oil and cook a frozen burger, mash it down first, degrease the pan. Got some KD pasta 1/4 cup in some boiled water, put a lid on it and let the steam cook the noodles, no cheese powder but can make up a suitable taste, serving with chipotle beans as well. I feel hungry but not ready to cook up a burger currently. Egg will come later. Will also look up other beans to finish, I did purchase beans in a chili sauce which would taste good.
I find I like to flavour meals with more things like bit of dressing or mayo blends, watching sodium a little more and I go crazy with the dry ones sometimes, if I ease back on those, should go back to a normal or slight low BP. I can have everything, just taking all into consideration.
Re: Confused about genetics testing, treatment, risk of second recurrence
@moderators Thanks so much for the links to all this information, it's so helpful and I appreciate the direction. I plan to join a virtual group too. So glad I found this group right away, I know I need the support and I hope I can help support others along the way. Yes, I've got this!
Re: Anyone regret going flat?
Mustlovepoodles. Ditto on being satisfied with my DIEP flap reconstruction. I would have preferred to keep my sad, lumpy, droopy breasts,. At least they had feeling. Since that wasn't an option, this is the next best thing. I would never have been happy with implants.
Trish
trishyla
Re: Anyone regret going flat?
So, I went flat after my BMX. I had a one-step reconstruction called Goldilock reconstruction which uses your own skin and fat to form little mounds. In my case, VERY little mounds, which got necrotic and left me with gaping wounds that required 16 weeks recovery, 8 of those weeks with a wound vac! Needless to say, I was thoroughly SICK of the whole business by the time I finally got healed. I wasn't able to wear prosthetics for about 7 months, so I wore large flowy blouses and lots of scarves. Honestly, I think people were more distracted by my bald head than my flat chest.
I thought I was okay being flat. I really did. I knew I would never have implants, especially after all the healing fiasco. I didn't want any foreign body left in me. But about 18 months after the BMX I began to realize that I was very unhappy being flat. I was always large breasted, since the age of 12. I just could not adjust to having no breasts and a horribly mutilated chest. At the 2 year mark, I decided to have delayed DIEP reconstruction.
DIEP surgery is not for the faint of heart. DIEP is done in at least 2 or more phases. Phase 1 is moving the tissue and blood vessels to the chest and getting them to "take". Phase 2 is tweaking the size and shape, liposuction and fat grafting. Some need more than one phase 2. There are lifting and activity restrictions, drains to deal with, 24/7 girdles, sleeping on your back. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
My new "breasts" are soft and warm. They look and feel natural. I'll never have to replace them or suffer implant complications. They are mine forever. Do they look like my old breasts? No, but then my old breasts were ticking time bombs due to 2 gene mutations, so anything is better than those puppies. Am I totally happy with them? I would say I'm reasonably happy with them. I'm 62 and my breasts look good in clothes. They actually look pretty decent out of clothes, too. I would love to have a little more fat grafting to fluff things up a bit, but I think I'm done with all the surgery.
Re: Anyone regret going flat?
I'm seven years out from implant surgery. I was on the fence about it but my family pushed for it. It has been fine. Recovery was slower because I was limited in what I could do. Normally I'm very active with our own little hobby farm. That inactivity coupled with all the cancer crap threw me into a major depression. The recovery from that was harder than any surgery.
This many years out I have scarring and some deforming of the implants. I do a lot of upper body work and that has never been an issue. I'm 59 now. I imagine if they ever need to come out I'll leave them out. The really good thing about them is that my prosthesis is always in place. They get freezing cold in the winter and that is uncomfortable. I'm not at all concerned about any secondary cancer caused by having implants.
I know you are not considering implants but I just wanted to convey that the inactivity caused by additional surgery should be something you take into account. It can take a toll emotionally.Best wishes.
