NOLA in September?
Comments
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You got it, VickyB!! Prayers, healing energies and good thoughts.
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Good luck Victoria - I'll be thinking about you. You will be pleased in the end. It will all be worth it in the end. Hang in there!
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Will do Victoria!
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I didn't realize you were doing it so soon! What day is your surgery?
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Everyone stand up and clap
At last there is cause to be hap-py
It's been a tough go
But it's good to know
That Victoria's fixing her flap!0 -
Love it Eva!
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I think Eva just became the NOLA "Poet Laureate"!! Thanks for all the smiles, Eva!
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Poet NOLeAte?
Truly every one of you can write a limerick. Springtime wrote a very amusing one. The first one is the hardest, but it gets easier... and addictive. I don't know why, but I find it a stress reliever. It's silly, but it seems to work. Try it!
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Thank you ladies
for rescuing me from Hades,
Soon the new flap will join her sister
And in the end my hub will want to kiss her!
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Vicki, you are in my prayers. It is worth it, as you have many more years ahead of you that you get to spend with warm squishy beautiful breasts!
I had my second aspiration today. 140cc down from 210cc last time! Still a lot but I'm relieved it decreased as it was feeling more full than the first time. Anyway, one of the nurses (a little younger than me) asked me how I navigated getting DIEP, including ins and financially. She was one of my nurses when I was getting biopsies; she shared then that she hasn't regretted her bilateral mastectomy for a second. I found her words encouraging and it helped me not to be horrified by BMX and become firm and confident in my BMX decision. So apparently my show and tell from my first visit made the rounds so that this other nurse came to me to ask about it. I gave her a show and tell; she even felt my breast! Apparently another patient has said she does not want implants and the nurse wants to share a bit. I was so happy to share.
While I've been caring for my new nipples I have been grieving my breast sensation. It simply takes time and acceptance. I'm feeling envious of those that have even the slightest sensation, as I feel nothing at all in my breasts. But they do look good! I'm grateful for that.
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Anne - I will PM you, I am alone on tuesday during the day as my friends cross in the sky to be here with me.
Chelle - thank you, wil use all good vibes coming my way.
VickyB - I am here now in NOLA with surgery scheduled 0700 on thursday. Will be at the center tomm. all day from 11:30 on with all the pre-op. Wonder how we could find each other? I will be the one having breast reconstruction
It is balmy here in NOLA, I already look 10 years younger.
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Eva M, Love the limerick and the comic!
What if you're not that fond of your nipples--looks-wise? Mine look like ones from the cover of national geographic. Although I am not looking foward to the loss of sensation, I am looking foward to "perkier" breasts and nipples. If you get them removed/restructured they are always happy, right? I don't know if I can ask Dr. Sullivan about this with a straight face, so I am asking it here.
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LAura... I have been back at the gym and I am limited... I can do crunches, but its much harder to do the ones where I am elevated on my elbows and lift my knees up... I am better on the ground or a bench laying on my back and do the crunches... I am also using the crunch machine... got to 50 lbs yesterday without much discomfort. I am also still swollen, last week I looked pregnant.... had stage II 9 weeks ago??
Chellehump... The Target pants also come knee length that I bought for my July surgery... they were great.
VictoriaB... Good luck tomorrow... I am for sure thinking of you.
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Caitlin... I asked for low beam... you can ask for whatever you want... If you want high beam, happy nipples, just ask.
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Surfagirl - I had Hodgkins back in the late 80's when I was 23. Had Radiation and chemo and did fine until 2005 when I had my thyroid removed for suspicious nodules (benign) and started to get mammo's & MRI alternating every 6 months. In Oct. 09 had a "funny" ovary to be followed up in 3 months w/ultrasound. In nov. 09 my mammo caught the microcalc's which ended up being a DCIS.
Given the history of Hodgkins and how many of us end up with more breast cancer the best plan was for a BMX w/TE's. My follow up US for the ovary was 2 weeks before my surgery. The US showed the other ovary looked funny so they sent me for a pet scan. Well the ovaries were fine but a mass lit up on my stomach. So instead of BMX I got a wedge resection of my stomach and a week later a lumpectomy.
Since the stomach cancer is a nasty one they wanted me to wait a year to see if I would still be alive! Scheduled my BMX again at the 18 month mark and again, after my every 3 month scan they found a spot on my liver. The sarcoma metted to my liver and I had an ablation in Sept. 11 for that. So far am clear and my docs want me to have the BMX so I reduce that risk of reoccurance and if my sarcoma recurs I will not be fighting both.
That which saves us kills us!I hope you are getting good follow up care in regards to the Hodgkins. Wish I could have met you here in NOLA!
Here is hoping my internal mammary arteries are in good shape! The hard part is that to look at me you would never know. Even the people at the Sloan in NY always go "you look so good". Yes, yes I do. Still alive thank you very much.
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Vicky, when is your surgery? I don't have you listed? Give me the specs! I'll add you to the list!
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Karen... A co-worker of mine is also at Sloan and had Hodgkins as a teen and BC last year... Too much of that going around. She had a BMX, but I am not sure if she has had other scans.
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Need2new
I feel so for you. I did not have Hodgkins but I have mets all over my skelton and now in the liver. Sometimes I get so tired of Dr's and treatments and scans I could just scream....but like you said I'm still alive. Everybody tells me how good I look too. Makes me wonder what I looked like before!
Best of luck to everybody coming up. You will be so happy. I am so glad I had the surgery! I feel normal (almost).0 -
I came across this cartoon today... http://xkcd.com/996/
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Betsy,
If I could "like" your post I would! Thank you!
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Paula... I have seen that before... who thinks this stuff up? clever.
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Hey everyone. Busy on the boards. Took me awhile to catch up. Good luck to all, with surgery and with insurance. Ugh! Tenacity does win the fight sometimes so if you got it in you, give it to 'em!
Regarding the nipple sensation, I had nipple sparing and do have sensation and responsiveness in both nipples. The left is significantly better, which I was both excited and disappointed to discover right away. My first shower after stage 1, I got undressed and got goose bumps and I felt the left nipple going up! I was elated, also expecting little in the way of sensation. Expect none I guess and then enjoy hopefully a little!? I teased it a bit and it kept on going! TMI? You asked... So I am now 4 weeks post stage 2 and myself and my husband and cold air can arouse them. The right is slower than the left.
I bought a few pairs of pull on knit pants from Eddie Bauer with a discount coupon. I need talls and they can be hard to come by. They were loose and covered the compression well. I used pink pockets for the drains after stage 1. You stick them to your undershirts and they stay put for many washes. I bought a few fitted tanks from target, stuck them on under my arm, then fished the tube from the top of the garment through the tank armholes and popped them in. Each one holds two drains, so one on each side. Them I wore a button down over the tank and they stayed tucked under my arms. I did use the pouchy thing at night sometimes. After stage 2, when I had the drains down real low, this did not work, the tubes were too short.
I had a hysterectomy at stage 2 as well and am glad to say the .075 vivelle dot estrogen patch seems to be doing it's job. I have spent a lot of time worrying about menopause so I am glad there hasn't been a sudden onslaught.I ditched the compression garments (I had a top and a bottom) exactly one week after the last drain, to the hour, which was 2 1/2 weeks post op. Stacy and Dr. S and Celeste swear that is all that is needed and honestly, I am such a happier person without them. I know the length of time varies widely by doctor and getting them off whenever it is feels good! I have heard how happy some are to have them on and I was going to try to out on my spanx or marena the other day and I just couldn't do it. Been wearing cute undies, which is fun now that my skin roll down low is gone. The string bikinis rub on the incisions a bit yet, but other bikinis are fine.
Also been wearing some more fitted shirts and been getting lots of compliments on how great I look. I cut my hair short (11 inches off) and I think that, combined with less baggy clothes and less fat and nicer boobs makes people take notice. Working hard on losing some more weight. Swimsuits! I may even try a two-piece...
I was one month on Sunday, so resumed exercise yesterday, got in the hot tub and bath tonight. As for exercise, I am weaker than I was at the 6 week mark after stage 1. I guess since it has been longer now with very little exercise. And I hurt my shoulder and it's been a bigger pain than any post-surgery pain!
I did ask Dr. S if the breasts will stay put and he said some gravity will take effect but nothing like they would be if I went through life with them in original state. And having had large droopy breats with large areola (after pregnancies), I am really loving that they are like they were when I was younger and sit up nIce and perky, even without a bra! Never thought I would have that again. They are not super high and round like implants but higher and rounder than before and very natural looking. My hubs can't wait to get his hands on em. Will try resuming that activity as well this week! Again, TMI??
Just trying to give you all the info. I was craving!0 -
KBodie, thank you so much for the TMI! It was really inspiring just when I was feeling blue!
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I am a slacker.....just got cleared last friday to exercise after a december surgery and I have made no effort yet. lol
It is officially a year I havent exercised. I stopped when they found calcifications on my mammogram. Oh I need to start!
I have to get rid of the weight I gained while on Tamoxifen (20 pounds). I've been off of it since March. Now the weight is probably due to not working out......I must get back in the exercise swing of things. Back to the gym I must go.
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Go Teresa.... I am off to the gym now... I have been going 3-4 times per week for about a month now... feeling pretty good and getting stronger!!
So... todays my 49th and last year on my birthday I had my first chemo... so this is bound to be a better day!!!! And year!!
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KBodie, your TMI is AWESOME!
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Happy birthday Betsy! May this be the first day of an awesome year for you!
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Thanks Celtic, AnneW and Betsy for your fitness comments. I guess I just need to keep working at it and stop thinking I should be able to do things by now. Every day is better!0
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Happy birthday Betsy!
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