Best Of
Re: Post unilateral mastectomy - recovery
I had a unilateral mastectomy with aesthetic flat closure. I started rehab after 4 weeks. I stayed on top of my OT exercises, and was back to full range of motion and cleared to return to work as a massage therapist after 8 weeks.
Listen to your body to see how you're doing. If you get tired, stop. Don't try to knock out "just one more thing".
Re: Am I being under-treated?
Hi @amerli— it’s great that your treatment plan was reviewed by the full breast cancer team. That kind of multidisciplinary review is common at large cancer centers and is definitely reassuring!
And like what @maggie15 said, and was echoed by @vlhvlh, this would be considered a team review, not a formal second opinion, which usually involves an independent doctor or care team outside the original group. IF a separate second opinion would give you more peace of mind, it’s reasonable to ask about that as well. If you feel comfortable with where they have landed, then you can skip until a later date. Sending you hugs!!
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Well, east coast lost Super Bowl. It was a good game. We enjoyed the gathering, food was great
We did go down to Bonita and heard some good music. Sun was so hot we took our chairs and went far back from the stage to sit in some shade. We’re never happy - too cold vs too hot. 🤷♀️
My stitches from the implant all came out. My follow-up is Wednesday and she would have taken them out if they didn’t come out on their own.
Olympics - Lindsey pushed it and sadly paid a price. She will be recovering for sometime. We turn the Olympics on after the Super Bowl and caught the skiers from earlier, replay of Lindsey.
cindyny
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.
betrayal
Re: Weigh in: What do you look for in a mastectomy bathing suit?
Lands End has lots of mastectomy choices in swim suits. I’m a uni and made a fob out of netting for the side I’m missing. They also make swim foobs
wren44
Re: Am I being under-treated?
Amerli, you may still wish to get a second opinion. The availability of virtual appointments makes that far easier and faster now. It's great that you have a planner ready to help you organize appointments, track symptoms, etc.
Lyn
vlhvlh
Re: Am I being under-treated?
@vlhvlh Thank you for shoring up my and my MO’s decision. It gives me some peace of mind going into surgery. I am very much a planner so believe it or not the first thing I did was to buy a dedicated planner and have been documenting everything in it. The thing I find most encouraging in your post is that it is possible to one day begin to forget some of this ordeal. I will hold on to that because right now I feel like I will never be free of this.
amerli
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
I know it is superbowl for fans or just a get together with really good foods and a choice of halftime shows as there are a couple to choose from.
I just woke up, nothing on the agenda for me as usual. We are going to be warmer into next week, all this cold was a bit much. Nice and sunny here though today which is nice to see.
I plan to cook up some ground beef to go along with some crispy lentils and rice. I am also trying to pick up a 3 pack of lean ground beef, expecting they will not have any but will find out. I do think it is worth getting lean ground beef since the regular stuff is just too greasy and bad for the digestive system. Later can add an egg into rice, cheese, seasonings and crispy lentils.EDIT They apparently had some of the lean ground beef stuff, 3 chubs for 10 bucks, now am paying tip but also should have ordered other stuff, next time keep minimum order to 35. I only placed order 15 mins ago and it is on its way already.
I hope everyone have a good day, in pockets for all and may the food be good.
Re: All about Xeloda
@eleanora Please update us after you have your meeting. Don't worry about your hair. Remember that early stage ladies are more likely to have lost their hair, too. Although I was the only Stage 4 lady in the group that I ran, I enjoyed the admiration that I received. And I also could share information about the various treatments that were available and how to deal with the side effects.
After my group was shut down, I was on a zoom BC group for several months during Covid. And it was kind of neat since we were all in different stages. But once the initial Covid scare was over, they stopped the Zoom and now just meet in person in Pittsburgh, PA…..35 miles from me. I don't like driving into Pittsburgh at all, so I don't go.
Denise
denny123
Re: All about Xeloda
@airlinegal I am so sorry about your heart attack! I hope that all is well now with no lasting effects. That is so scary!
I have been on Xeloda for over 8 years and it reacts adversely to foods that are high in folic acid. Those foods should be eaten in moderation because they are the reason for the bleeding, burning and infections in our hands and feet. I read about it early on, ignored it, and suffered greatly for 2 years.
Finally, when my feet were so bad that my onc wanted me to stop Xeloda, I remembered the folic acid advice. I had been eating huge spinach salads, and a lot of broccoli, etc. I cut way back on those and for the last 6 years, my hands and feet have only been dry. So just eat those high-folic foods in moderation and you don't have to stop eating them completely. I also stopped taking my multivitamins since they have folate.
I use Aquaphor at night on my hands and feet with socks and food service gloves. Aquaphor and socks during the day, and Gold Bond diabetic cream on my hands during the day. Remember to take the pills a half hour after you eat to avoid nausea. Xeloda has been very easy for me, now that I know how to eat while taking it.
Denise
denny123