NOLA in September?
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((((((((((((ANNE)))))))))))))))))))
Praying for you!
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PLAINJANE - Say it aint so!!!!!! WORK!0
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Greetings, all. BAck in the hotel after my Stage 2 SGAP. In a bit of a narcotic haze, so please forgive typos and incoherence!
It really only hurts when I move! And I need to move. Gotta walk to avoid DVT.
Marga was all set to do nips--she had told me previously that she'd wait till everything else was really good. But when she looked at my girls Sunday, she was pleasantly surprised. Decided they were already loooking great! But I wasn't ready to commit yet. Still on the fence about nips vs tats.
Let's see...she lifted one side a tad and did some scar revision. Reduced the flap on that side to a lollipop. The other side--which was radiated--still has a bit of a football shape. That's as good as it's gonna get. She broke up some substantial necrosis on that side, and it looks and feels better already.
And she lipo'd the hell out of me! So generous. Love handles, outer thighs, inner thighs, and tummy are now one big bruise! She is so swet--she loved my tummy (feminine curves!) but I wanted flat. So I got it! The bruises are tender. But they don't hurt unless I'm changing positions.
And about those Spanx with the hole in the crotch...there is NO WAY to pee without getting the backside wet! I am NOT a neat pee-er. And with post-anesthesia urinary retention, it was even harder to go neatly! She needs to order up some of those female urinals that are used in camping!!
I highly recommend getting the up-to-the-boobs Spanx if you're having your waist lipo'd. The others will hit you at your waist, and it's so tender!!
In the hotel today and back to Myrtle Beach tomorrow. Walking on the beach will be my exercise. How wonderful is that? I missed out on a foot and a half of snow at home this weekend. How wonderful is that??
All for now. I feel another nap coming on...
More to follow. Thanks for all the well-wishes!
Anne
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Oh--and Ashley, from Marga's office, was here this week to watch surgeries. I got to visit with her a couple times. She's a doll! I feel like I've known her forever, and I'd never talked to her before! Now I need to meet Jenny!
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Anne - SO GREAT to hear that you are up and about! Are you one big purple blob from waist to knee or are they individual bruises? Regarding the Spanx - have to check into getting the ones that go up higher - mine are the waist high ones and from your description that just isn't going to cut it. Speaking of cutting it - looks like I need to figure out a way to cut a really big hole for peeing. Now to find a discount distributor....... I've been working with Ashley (not Jenny) and I really like her - I'm hoping that she'll be down at the center when I go for my Stage 2, maybe Jenny too. Would love to meet both of them also. I can just see Dr. M trying to convince you to keep the curvy tummy! You have such an athletic build to begin with, I can't imagine where she found the fat to lipo off of you! Is there much pain where she broke up the necrosis (I think I have a substantial area of this also).
Plainjane - back to work.....geez, just in time to go back out again for Stage 2!
Sandy - I will definitely try to get to the center for that meeting. Maybe they will agree to not release me until just before it starts and then I can go to the meeting before heading back to my hotel......we'll see. Would love to get some tips on bra fitting for the new girls!
CANNOT believe the news report about mammograms and delaying the first one until after 50. My bc was not caught by the mammogram (had one in October, dx in January w/6cm! - but I have -HAD- very dense breast tissue).....HOWEVER, I know that this tool has helped may women and I am in shock about this.
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Good To hear from you Anne!
All the bruising sounds painful. I like that- It only hurts when I move.
Hope the pain does not last long.
Nice that you got to meet Ashley.
Wow, so many of the Stage 2 gals will be here before you know it!
Linda- hope you are doing good, Im thinking about you.
My BC was found from my annual Mammo. no lump & I have very dense breasts. The DCIS was spotted...not my Tiny IDC- but still- it was found because of my Mammo.
Pam
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Okay Anne...now I know you are sore...but walk, walk, walk! On the beach too! I LOVE the ocean! SO good to see you posting!!!
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Ok, Spring...........Thank you.....sorry I dissed Susan Love but she DOES (did look like a man on that NBC newscast last pm).....................And YES.............I too was part of the dense breast club......and frequented the MRI due to my MD and breast center's vigilant protocols..on prevention BUT until then- How DARE they DENY EVERY woman basic screening!..............Everyone should have that benefit.
Anne W you sound Fab as do you Pam/Dejaboo is really quite a beauty...what kind of doggie?
I Did have somewhat of an emotional moment upon enetring the garage at work............just thinking.........I DID IT! I made it thru and am BACK at work! Had to wear sunglasses to keep the tears not so obvious. Work was social hour x3................2 hours in employee health because everyone WANTED to hear my story and w/ the details!....And apparently I'm the new 'go to' for them to send BC pts,or breast recon pts...and that's GREAT-I'll do so happily!.......got my TB skin test placed and H1N1 vaccine. Then visited on the unit and w/ my mgr, all very positive...showed my mgr and director the new girls. The construction zone T was A HIT. again! Went shopping at the gift shop, crate and barrel outlet, and Barnes and Noble afterward.
Still gotta do thank you cards and study for my bible study test on thurs pm...Bought Charleton heston Ten Commandments...sort of like 45 yr old cliff notes as we're doing Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers.
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So with these new recommendations only women that have a family history of BC should have mamo's at age 40. Approximately 70 % of women have no family history of BC so we should just ignore that group.This is not a health issue it is once again an economic issue. This task force is saying that it is not cost effective to save a few lives from mamo's of women under the age of 50. Screening 1900 women under the age of 50 to save one life is not worth it. But screening 1300 women over the over the age of 50 is?????? I think what angers me most about this is that after spending thousands of dollars to promote women being proactive with self exams and annual mamo's women will be either confused or frustrated and will not follow through with their medical care. How long will it take the insurance companies to begin to decline these services? My guess not long!!!!
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Hi gals! Upset over mammo issue (both of mine were found by mammo, both 2001 and this latest one,,,,and was still 49 at 1st one, so guess it would have been another year before it was found?) Excited for all you Dec Stage 2 ladies!! Neutral about starting back to work this past Monday - wasn't as tiring as I thought it would be. And - last but not least - frustrated with the fact that starting chemo again was put off because of still having tummy drains, and has been rescheuled for 12/10 - hopefully!! Told someone at work today that due to having had drains put back in, I feel like I have had drains and abdominal binder since birth! lol
Can't wait for all the updates on how wonderful Stage 2 is!! Good luck all - and also to newbies having Stage 1 also!!
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Stage 2 ladies- are any of you having tissue necrosis removed? If so what is your Doctor doing to replce the tissue that will be gone?
thanks everyone
Happy
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Happy, I think that is a big question for us all......Maybe Sandy knows...is this the centrifuged lipo'd fat thing? I dunno....BUt I DO want to know what your master MD does too!
Gin, those drains WILL come out....and then you will feel liberated. As I read your e-mail I kept thinking...How wild is that to be so READY and willing to get to chemo! But Girl, I have to imagine or HOPE I'd be thinking the same way.....like let's GET this DONE please!
Macksix/Steph...............DITTO! I am disgusted.....and personally......I believe it IS all financially motivated....this is a GOVERNMENT appointed group and the current GOVERNMENT is working hard and fast(and STUPIDLY) to cram thru this healthcare crap..............Excuse me...let me tell you how I REALLY FEEL! sorry......There is another thread on here and apparently Fox news is requesting stories from women less than 50 who have benefitted from current(?) whatever we had guidelines.......I'm sending mine in....I feel obligated and passionate....it's one of the only ways to redirect my negative feelings...not just feelings GROUNDED factual DISGUST...so there!
One more thing in regards to mammo's.....I DID question why do I need mamo's if I get MRI's...thinking why the H%$ll must I be exposed to even MORE radiation-even tho supposedly not a huge amt! Being radiation phobic I asked my rads onc during rads. What she told me.....forgive me if you all already know this BUT...........MRI's do NOT show calcifications...hence the need to do BOTH MRI and mamo. My initial ADH that started all this fun WAS identified on a screening mamo at age 41 by....CALCIFICATIONS...that was indication for MRI which was appropriate due to age/density, etc, etc....and the rest is history that I won't bore you w/ again!
Going in for a meeting today....and cramming for a test tomorrow night. have a fabulous wednesday all!
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Yes, the centrifuged fat thing.
I found this on Dr. Weil's website !!! Thought I would share!!
Healthy Holiday Drinks
The best way to minimize empty calories this holiday is to limit sugary and alcoholic drinks, or avoid them all together (see yesterday's Daily Tip, Unhealthy Holiday Drinks, for more information). But that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy traditional beverages, just be sure to moderate your intake of sugars and alcohol, and drink water between cocktails to keep hydrated. The following drinks are lower-calorie holiday options when you want something sweet or alcoholic.
- Sparkling non-alcoholic punch. The calories can vary, but most holiday punch can easily be diluted with additional sparkling water to reduce calories and sugars. If you are making your own punch at home, use unsweetened cranberry juice concentrate.
- Red wine. The antioxidant activity of red wine has been linked to heart health benefits, reduced stress, and even preserving memory. Limit yourself to a six-ounce glass, which typically has about 120 calories.
- Hot toddy. A combination of lemon, honey, cinnamon, cloves and brandy, this beverage has between 100 and 150 calories and provides some vitamin C thanks to the lemon juice.
- Champagne. This celebratory drink has about 90 calories in a four-ounce glass.
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I also have concerns about the recent recommendations, but you can't blame the group's recommendation on the current administration or tie it in any way to the current health reform debate. This is not a new recommendation - in 1997 an NIH panel made the same recommendation. Additionally, 12 of the current 16 members of the panel that made this recent recommendation were seated during the previous administration, and the remaining 4 were selected before the previous administration left office. So the current administration had no say in this panel's make up at all. In addition - the panel is not made up of federal employees, but is an independent panel made up of private sector experts in prevention and primary care from all over the country. Here's a link to information about the panel: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstfab.htm
If we're going to debate the recommendations, we need to at least have our basic facts straight about the panel, who appointed it, who is on it, and what its purpose is.
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Nats fan THANKs for that info/link! I wonder if any of the panel members have had their tires slashed?
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Wow...just peeked at that....how did you know it was AHRQ again? curious......I guess even the fact if it was........... how in the world does the media(at least the NBC version that I saw monday eve not even acknowledge the source except to say "independent or govt appointed"...(which ahrq does fall under dept of health and human svces) make them appear as if they TRUMP the american cancer society? baffling and DISTURBING to me...................ok, thank god wednesdays are not my day of the week to save the world!
OK, lets see back on topic for this thread!...I leave for Nola in less than 3 weeks for stage 2 and will be having pre op appt 3 weeks from TODAY..................How can this be?
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I think this is the last thing I am going to say about this mammogram thing, everybody has to do what is right for them. While some of us discovered our breast cancer early thanks to mammograms, Please be careful not to put all your faith in your mammograms, ( well that is silly of me, you've all had cancer so are hyper vigilant already.) But for other women you know and love.
Mammograms are not foolproof at detecting cancer in younger women, esp if you have dense breasts. FALSE NEGATIVES. (screw this crap on false positives, that doesn't bother me!). 20% of all breast cancers are missed by mammograms, and the percentage will be higher in younger women. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, maybe you are one of the ones it works on. Many of us here on bc.org were religious with our mammos had large tumors by the time we could feel them - totally not detected by mammo's, ultrasound, etc. I know it gave me a false sense of security. We need better early screening for young women, and women with dense breasts, (and my mantra: a focus on prevention, not just drugs and equipment that large companies can cash in on.)
OK. I will now practice self control and not say any more!
Jennifer, I leave for NOLA in about a week and a half for stage 2!!! Not looking forward to the "dominatrix outfit" as Nordy called it!!!
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Hmmm dominatrix...wonder if I will I have one of those? or just bike shorts?
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Plain - I live in the DC area, and there was a front page article in the Washington Post this morning about the brouhaha, and that had the info about the panel. I'll post the link, but you may have to sign up to see it.
Mammograms and politics: Task force stirs up a tempest
Agree with Springtime about not being overly-reliant on mammograms. My mom died of b/c 30 years ago, and I've been getting mammograms religiously. I had a clear mammogram in July 07. Six months later, by December 07 I had multifocal IDC with lymph node involvement - I found the lump myself. I got my old mammograms and had them re-read by Johns Hopkins, and they told me no one missed anything - it's just that I have dense breasts and any cancer could not be seen. Just like Springtime says.
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Yes of course agreed, agreed, never disagreed! thanks for the link...
So............did you go to Nola for your recon?
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Nope - I guess I'm in intruder here - I just happened to click on this thread and saw the discussion about the panels and jumped in. I'm a Hopkins recon gal. Sorry - my last paragraph wasn't directly just at you - I was generally agreeing with Springtime - I wasn't implying that you disagreed with that. OK, I'll leave this thread to the NOLA gals now . . .
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No no no! all are welcome! Congrats on hopkins! I just read you had te's then diep like spring did! You are NOT an intruder! I was trying to keep MYSELF on topic my dear!
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Nats, did you do DIEP or GAP at Hopkins? We've sort of morphed into a DIEP/GAP/Lumbar recon thread, There are many women here, and not all going to NOLA. And we're way beyond September for that matter!!!
I am glad somebody agreed with me. (Thanks Nats!) I am still so sick about having this huge cancer in my breast all these years, growing away, while getting my "clear" mammograms, thinking I was fine. It makes me want to THROW UP!! And there are so many women like this. I am so sad about it. And do you know it was happening 20 years ago, and is still happening! It makes me crazy! My friend's sister was diagnosed in her late 30's with a 7+cm tumor 20 years ago. Clear mammos. Everybody goes back, looks at the mammo's scratches their heads and mumbles, "dense tissue". NOTHING HAS CHANGED. Our tissue is not getting any less dense! Ugh. I did it again. I have to stop! THis just makes me so sad/outraged! (Where is my self control, I ask you girls????) LOL.
Jennifer, didn't you also get that black compression garment that was (ahem) crotchless after your phase 1? That's what Nordy calls "the dominatrix outfit". And it cracks me up!!!
I never had Tissue Expanders, I had bilateral Mx with immediate implants with alloderm to get me through rads. Then DIEP/Lumbar stacked! I have done it all!! Some days I wonder if God wanted me to go through nearly every darn thing in the BC journey so I could empathize with all women. HA!!!
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AnneW...congrats on completion of Stage 2...I see Dr.M in NOLA in about 3 weeks. Ok..I am confused....you had both your "football" scars reduced to close to lollipops? Is this normal 2nd stage procedure? Did you have drains? As for lipo..I heard she is generous, but she won't flip and do anything on the back side..is that true? How is tissue necrosis removed? Is that the "hard spot" on my incision on my radiated side? Sorry...so many questions!!
I am just wondering what to expect exactly. I know its not as painful as Stage 1, but anything else you want to share would be so helpful! Thanks!
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Spring - I'm a newbie on this thread but yeah.. I feel the same.. like I've been through it all... I had DCIS, a lumpectomy and 33 radiation treatments.. all the while a cancer on the opposite breast was growing and nobody thought enough of it to biopsy. So, 15 months after that treatment I get a dx of IDC on that opposite breast.. which resulted in a BLM, 4 chemo treatments and a bonus oophorectomy. And everybody scratches their heads and tells me my breasts were dense and it's too bad that the IDC wasn't picked up the first time... and oh yeah.. this last dx wasn't detected at all by the mammo.. mammo all clear... MRI picked it up.... again.. I think it was there the whole time of course but noone thought it was suspicious enough to biopsy... Too bad for me. Dense breasts.. nightmares and I blame no one... because we can only work with the technology we have and it's far from perfect... but not even trying to look for cancer until 50... HOGWASH. Who knows how much worse I would have gotten had I delayed this journey until age 50....I'm 3 years from 50 and all this crap has happened already.... ok, I digress...
I'm excited about NOLA more and more.. my hair is returning and Dejaboo is talking me through the details.. thank you Pam... anybody else with Gap experience who wants to PM me and share their story... please do! I know I have traded messages with a few of you.. the more info I can get, the better I will feel about it.....I want to be a Stage 1 graduate like alot of you ... I just have to be patient.. (not so easy for me)...
Cindy
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Nordy, no drains for my Stage 2. The reason I got back and front both done is because she needed to take care of my drain sites and scar on the butt (SGAP, you know) so she was going to flip me anyway.
Limited meds required today. I still ache--the bruises are so deep that they irritate the muscles underneath. But I just got from a brisk 2 mile walk on the beach! Just like Tricia recommends. It makes a huge difference to drink water and keep moving.
Speaking of "moving"--I've got to get the big guns out. Damn pain pills, anesthesia, and no food for a day just makes things get stuck...Grrr.
Girls, my butt looks like it will be fabulous!!!!! And my outer thighs, too. Talk about a sculptress!
My "girdle" post-op was not quite like the dominatrix version that you all get at NOLA. Marga says that thying is so stiff! Mine is a soft, think Spanx-like thing with zippers up the outer thighs. I just tolerated getting it dribbled on when I peed. A nurse tried to make a funnel for me, which worked once. And I grabbed a big kotex-type pad to wedge in the back to absorb the run-off. That helped a little. Yesterday I used my own Spanx, and just tolerated the discomfort of pulling over the bruises.
All for now!
Anne
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Jane - aren't you sweet? Thanks. I was worried as some people are a bit possessive about their threads, and I didn't want to upset anyone since I'm not a NOLA gal.
Spring - I had a delayed bilat DIEP - skin sparing with t/e placement.
Warrior - I can't speak for NOLA, but at Hopkins for my Stage II I also had my football scars reduced to lollipops. She also did quite a bit of lipo on the tummy and sides. I also wanted some breast reduction (I had plenty of ab fat for huge flaps!), and ended up with 2 drains. But they came out in a week.
I also wanted back lipo to get rid of those fat pads that stuck out under my bra, but my ps said there was just no way to even try to justify that to insurance companies. So I decided to treat myself and paid for it out of pocket and got it done. I knew I'd never do it on my own, but as long as I was going to be in the same room with a ps with a lipo wand in her hand, I was doing it - I hated the "barrel" look I ended up with after chemo. I'm so glad I did that - she gave me a great shape. But yes, I was in the breast-to-mid-thigh compression garment for 6 weeks. You do get used to it surprisingly, but I was also very glad the day I was freed!I had a different brand than the Spanx so many of you talk about - my ps recommended buying from a company in California called Design Veronique.
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Design Veronique made the bra I had to wear after implant surgery.
I'm going to be computer-less till Monday, so I'll catch up with y'all then. I'm sure I'll have to wade through ten pages, the way things go here!
Behave!
Anne
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OMG! I am so EXCITED about stage 2 (after reading all your posts!).........29 days away!!!!!
And I am looking forward to Cafe Du Monde, and a big healthy helping of CORN GRITS!
xxoo Mel
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Oh, MY... this thread is busy busy busy!!!
Okay, I just want to say one thing about the new guidelines... besides that they suck. I listened to a panel on the radio today - one of them was explaining all the guidelines and she was actually there for the people putting these into place. Here is the thing that bothers me the most - it is NOT just the mammos that they are pulling. They also want doctors/health care providers to STOP teaching women how to do self exams. Huh... HELLO? Are you ______, kidding me? How many women have found their own lumps? I sure did and I was not yet 40... what if I never knew to check my breasts for lumps? AND, did you know that most of this study was based in England and Sweden, who, by the way, do not follow a western diet and typically have less incidence of breast cancer. Anyway, okay... I will get off my soapbox, but IMHO this is just another act of stupidity by someone who is lining someone else's pockets... whether it is govt, insurance... who knows... but to me, it just stinks. However, I was at a meeting last night that talked about a new device. can't remember what it was called - that is better than mammo at detecting cancer in dense breasts. I will look into it further and let everyone know what I find out!
Okay, so I had my preop for hyst/bso today and they also drew blood for my labs for CT tomorrow. I get my results from that the day before thanksgiving, so hoping it is all GOOD news.
Anne - so glad you came through w/flying colors! Really, the dominatrix outfit from Dr. D and S is really not so bad considering that it is plenty crotchless to avoid any splashing!!!
So glad to hear from all of you on here!
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