NOLA in September?
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Hey you guys, now that I've been the first to wish Dr. D and the rest of the NOLA folks "Happy Thanksgiving" (I thought his site would have been swamped by now!) and directly express my thanks to them on behalf of all of us, why don't you guys trot on over to his site and reinforce the gratitude!
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Sandy? Are you slipping?
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Just stopping in to say Happy Thanksgiving to my "other" family!! Hope you have all had a wonderful day!! And, before someone asks..... I still have one drain <sigh> Everyone cracks up when I tell them I am just a juicy old broad! Happy Holidays!!!
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Minnesota? Which site are you going to for giving the Thanksgiving wishes to the NOLA gang? Little slow tonight after all the turkey! lol
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Hmmm, I cooked a feast and had family over, and now that I'm up WAY too late adding Black Friday sale banners to my site and changing prices, and just happen to come by to check out this thread, I am made to feel that I am slipping!!!! I have to get to work early tomorrow, while most of you are probably going to be shopping or relaxing. I'll go post my thankfulness right now!
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Hi ladies! Glad everyone had a wonderful t-giving. I DID get called in and spent the holiday w/ my work buddies,a few patients and their families and nothing horrifically depressing-fixable stuff- thank you God..... SO......I am celebrating T-giving today! in the construction zone T, under a jacket. Turned the heat on for first time this season last pm....family still in town but on the other side of FTW so about an hour away....and YES...they ALL know now! lol!
QUESTION...because I want to ask a question on 'ask the Dr.' and YES! saw all the nice wishes and (our own )Mel's post? I'm a bit confused...how, do? I have to join or? to be able to post a question? went to the breast cancer support or? mother site? Maybe it takes a while and am I waiting for a password or green light? Or am I just missing something?
Thanks girls. Have fun shopping...
Oh man do I ever wish I'd sold stocks earlier this week!
I'm staying away from the crowds but might need to check Sandy's site. btw- Sandy big thumbs up on the crystal force logo's....gave each to friends who've had close family or friends affected by ovarian/breast issues...they loved and it was a very meaningful, pretty and reasonablely priced thank you token.....
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NEVERMIND! I figured it out!
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Sandy,
I'm sorry, I was just joshing - I know you'd never slip.
Eve
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I thought this was good!!! Friends needed everywhere!
6 Reasons to Be Thankful for Friends
Tip of the Day 11/27/2009 - Dr. Weil www.drweil.com
When you thank your friends and family this holiday season, the reasons to do so may extend beyond good wishes, and actually benefit you and your health. Study after study has shown that social connections - through family, friends, or even with companion animals - seem to pay off in terms of good health, longevity and even prolonged survival among patients with very serious diseases. Some evidence linking good health with strong ties to family and friends includes:- The immune system's natural killer cell activity (cancer killers!) is negatively affected by three "distress indicators" - one of which is lack of social support.
- One study of 75 medical students found that those who were lonely had more sluggish natural killer cells than students who were social.
- Research has shown that people who have companion animals have less illness than people who do not. Companion animals' owners also recover from serious illness faster.
- Susceptibility to heart attacks appears to correlate with how often people use the words "I," "me," and "mine" in casual speech.
- And believe it or not, studies show that people who get out and spend more time with others during cold and flu season actually get fewer episodes of colds or flu than those who choose to be alone.
- Being grateful for what you have has been associated with physical and emotional health.
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Eve, no worries! It was about 2:00 a.m. and I was having an issue with setting up the sale on my online store. I was so tired that I couldn't think of anything very bright or witty to post on Dr. D's board. I wanted to thank him for allowing me to take my quest for perfection this far, and just couldn't compose it to my satisfaction, but I did write something. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Yesterday, I received an email from my favorite brain doc, Dr. Daniel Amen. He's the nephew of a very good friend of mine, and we recently attended a taping of his PBS show coming out in March, (in conjunction with the upcoming book release) called "Change Your Mind, Change Your Body". He mentioned a new study that showed that depression is as big a cause of death as smoking. He does brain scans and has looked at a person's brain when they are feeling gratitude and when they are focusing on their worries, and highly recommends that we write down five things to be grateful for, every day. He is an amazing guy, and we left the taping with some very memorable reminders to eat right, such as "The whiter the bread, the quicker you're dead." In teaching us to stop ANTs or "automatic negative thoughts", he says "A negative look from someone else may mean nothing more than he or she is constipated. You don't know. You can't read minds." You can sign up for his encouraging email newsletters at www.amenclinics.com.0
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Hi Spring.
I am not around much on here these days. Trying to get as much done for the holidays before next Tuesday....the big day! I want to wish you all the best with stage 2 on Dec 1st and hope all goes well and that you will be up and around soon after. I am a little nervous still with this being stage 1 but happy in another way.
Jill.
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Jill, good luck to you too! You'll get stage 1 behind you, and be feeling better before you know it...
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Jill,
Is this your first visit to New Orleans?
Springtime,
When do you leave?
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Minn,
Jill is having her DIEP in Victoria, Canada...
We fly out on a 6AM flight Monday!! I think we'll be getting up at 4AM. I have my pre-surgical appt around 2PM, and my appt with Sally in the hospital just before that...
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Victoria is a gorgeous city!!! Best of luck!
Spring...it's almost here! Can you beleive it? It has gone so fast!
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GOOD LUCK SPRING! You are UP!
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JILL-45 - You are going to do just great! AND ALL THOSE NEW CLOTHES!!!! YEAH! HANG IN THERE AND POST WHEN YOU CAN............xxoo Mel
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Holy Cow - leave for a few days and there is a novel to read!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
I, for one, (yes, Spring, using the word "I" in a sentence - and it looks like I am going to use it a lot this post!... teehee...
) am very grateful to have a negative CT scan... well negative for metastatic disease anyway! There are some other things that may be a bit concerning, like the new cyst on my ovary - which did not show up before, but hey - it is coming out on Wednesday anyway! AND the fact that I haven't even hit surgical menopause yet and they say I already have osteopenia! WHAT the???? So, I consider this knowledge a gift and am off to the gym and out walking... and upping my calcium and vit. D intake! Here is just another time that it doesn't necessarily pay to not be overweight! The highest incidence of osteoporosis is in thin white females... (well, I wouldn't really refer to myself as thin, but not really overweight either!) - so just more incentive to get moving!!! Too bad it is going to be short-lived for this coming week, but hopefully the Davinci hyst/bso will be as easy as everyone says! SPRING!!! I cannot believe it is time!!!! I will be thinking about you and missing meeting you! I am sooooo excited for you! Wow! You will do great - you know you will! I can't wait to hear all of the details!
Jill_45 - Good luck to you as well! You will do just great and before you know it this will all be behind you!
....ps - Gin - I am still juicy too... been putting off going to get my butt drained, but think I maybe need to do it before surgery on Wednesday as it is getting pretty uncomfortable and don't know how long afterward they would want me to wait before having it done again. I think I had just better get used to going for everyother weekly drainings until stage 2, when they can revise my scar and remove the pockets that seemed to have formed in there! Anniese - are you still collecting fluid too? Maybe it was the moon the week we had surgery... LOL
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Im having a hard time getting my post to stay put!
Wow, Nov seems like it was never here! Did you all feel that way for the month of your stage 1?
And now Dec is next week!
Wishing all 3 ladies who are up the Best!
Danny On Monday
Spring! On Tuesday
& Jill also.
BreastcancerDiva on Wed!
Thinking of you too On Wednesday Nordy!
Pam
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Danny, Spring, Jill, BreastCancerDiva...
My thoughts are with you all. It's your time!
I'll be up soon. I can't wait!
Carolynn
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Thank you all for your kind thoughts and words. I can't belive I'm doing laundry and cleaning house today to get ready to leave for NOLA on that 6 AM flight on Monday! Danny, I hope to meet you in NOLA as well as Spring! I am very grateful for all of you who are farther down this road for your insight and willingness to share. I look forward to joining that group!!!!
Namaste.
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Pam...................YES!..............September....OMG ....actually more than sept- the first half of the month......EVERYTHING you do seems as if SOoo focused on "the big day"....so I think yes, tho Nov did seem to have sped by for sure! And I'm sort of freaking myself as I have barely gotten back to one week of full time work, etc and ...OK, going again! What a ride this has been! And continues to be!
Tho I had to work(or got called in) T-giving. Did get to visit w/ family yesterday and attended 'parade of lights' in downtown FTW. fun, fun, fun. I sat w/ my oldest sister who is 20 yrs older than me and not in the greatest of health-she has scleroderma-literally she has almost died several times...on the other side of me was her daughter in law's mom who just recovered from her second heart transplant! Of course they loved my construction zone T ......and the heart transplant woman was just joking about making sure her pic was taken to prove she was 'alive' T-giving wkend 2009! since she too has been so close to death more than once. We were all about out w/ the bad/old and 'IN' w/ the new! My sister had to say our perforator surgeries were the ultimate in 'going green' surgery, as in re-using fat! Ain't that the truth!
Danny, Spring, breast cancer Diva and NORDY! it's your week..... HERE we go again girls!
ok, Dr. D answered my post on ask the Dr....YAY!!!! I'm not nuts! or am I? hee hee
eeks, notice all the I's! On that note!..........' I' Think 'I' will get out 'MY' Christmas decorations so 'I' don't have to lift heavy stuff, or 'I' don't have to deal w/ it right b/4 or after 'I' get home in Dec! LOL! AND so that when my friends come over they can help decorate and ENJOY w/ me when they come visit in Dec!
Have a fabulous rest of T-giving wkend!
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BreastCancer Diva - I missed ya! GOOD LUCK! xxoo MEL
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Oh goodness - I missed Danny on there - I keep thinking it is Dec already!!! SO, on that note - Good luck to:
DANNY, SPRING, JILL AND BREASTCANCERDIVA this coming week!!!
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plainjane! Happy Turkey Day! I got my whole house decorated yesterday, wreaths up, tree trimmed, candles in all windows and the mantled decorated. I have to be DONE DONE DONE since I leave here on the 14 to DRIVE to NOLA, surgery on 17th! Then drive back. Now I have to get the shopping done and wrapped and of course I am giving a friend a baby shower on the 13th! CRAZY! But it sure will keep my mind off things.....no time to think! I have about 20 people over for xmas eve dinner...do you think I can pull that off or should I cancel it? I hate to disappoint everyone that depends on me for xmas eve!
Hey did I miss something or are you NOT going to be able to have stage 2? Whats going on?
I go for CT's and Bone scans on Friday......wish me LUCK!
NORDY - GOOD LUCK, I swear I cannot keep up with everyone on this thread..so if I missed someone else, forgive me.
I am praying for EVERYONE HERE! Love ya Mel
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Spring is it time for you again? Well you can start off all the girls for stage 2. Go for the works girl, you deserve all the perks. Take care and speedy recovery.
Opps I see that Danny is starting everyone off for stage 2. Hope all goes well.
And for all you newbies , Jill and BC Diva smooth sailing to the other side. Drinks tons of water to flush all those meds out of your body.
PS Spring. It's official I finally have a stage 2 date, March 19th. So add me to the list.
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Happy Belated Thanksgiving to All the Ladies
Thank you so much to all the ladies that help everyone by sharing their experiences good and not so good.
Nordy thank you for sharing with me - have to rethink a lot. I will be saying a prayer for you - not that you need it. Everything will be fine.
Sandythank you for sharing and getting me through stage 1. Why am I MORE NERVOUS about stage 2? I really have part answer to that - I am very weary as sunandsandgirl said. I have had 7 procedures in two years. This will be number 8. I am really tired. The problem could be solved my waiting till next year except for one small problem - they are changing my insurance as of January 1st. So since I don't know what to expect, I feel I need to get things done now.
I as usual have sooooooooo many questions for all of you. Hope you will take the time to answer a few.
Sunandsandgirl
Do you know why your Stage 1 took 91/2 hours. Mine did too for a Diep!! I asked Katie for my records to find out why, signed the release form in August and have received nothing. I am so glad to see some others are also having a hard time getting their strength back. I am tired all the time. Of course I drive 112 miles a day and work in a very stressful environment - 3rd grade inner city atmosphere.
Question to all: I have not been able to see Dr. D. after stage 1 nor after my abdomen closing in August. Therefore, I have nothing to go on as far as what he is going to do. I have nothing to weigh. Can you decide at the pre-op whether you want nipples or tatoos? Do they do the tatoos in the hospital? Who does them?
Question to all: I knew that the lipo was no peace of cake, but I didn't realize that it was like a Mack Truck hit you. I know to be perfect there is one small area on the right breast near the cleavage that needs more fat injected into that one space. So I guess that means lipo?
I am blessed because such a perfect job was done on me that I could walk away right now and be content. I guess that is what makes this all so hard on choosing more surgery and more recuperation.
Anne
Thank you for sharing your experience with Stage 2. Thank you for advising homeopathic tincture and Bromelain. Plan on getting some. Is swelling normal for lipo with fluid retention? I didn't have any of that with stage 1. I see you also used spanx again. Do you have to wear that for 6 weeks again because of the lipo or the revision of the SGAP? Doesn't Stage 2 usually include the nipples? Why didn't they give you nipples during your stage 2? Can you explain what necrotic area in the upper outer quadrants means?
I can honestly say that I didn't have pain after 1 week out except for the opening on my abdomen. Once they closed that I didn't have any pain. I am very tight across the abdomen where the incision/scar is. From what I am reading on this site some of you ladies still have that tightness and pull even after 2 years. Does it ever subside?
Sandydo I have to be concerned about a possible hysterectomy after stage 2? After talking to Nordy I believe I have to revisit that question again with another gynecologist. My mother had OV, my grandmother had uterine, my great grandmother had a female type cancer (no records) in Poland. I have been to one gyn.and a gyn/onco and they say they don't think it is necessary even with my history. I am negative for the Brac 1 and Brac 2. I am ER PR+.
I have found out some information from emailing Dr. D. When you have a delayed Diep and there was no skin sparing done with your mastectomies it is a different ball game. The amount of skin that he had to harvest from my abdomen directly correlated to where the incision line would end up. Mine is higher than others who have had skin sparing. I also was told that if you are VERY tight lowering the scar line may not be an option for me.
Who was it on this site who had a phone consultation before stage 2 at NOLA? It has been so hard to get to speak to Dr. D. I am wondering if a phone consultation is a possibility for me. I would like to send him photo's (although, I am sure he has enough) and ask him what does he think he will be doing for me at Stage 2.
Well, Ladies I think I have taken enough space up for now. But basically I can get on this site only on weekends.
Hugs to all
Sassie62
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Sassie - that is interesting that you never got a copy of your records... I signed a release back in October for my pre-op stuff and a copy of the CTA disc so that the radiologist could do a comparison study. They sent all the pre-op paperwork and preliminary CTA results, but I never got a final result nor did my doctor's office ever get the copy of the disk. I wish I had known that I needed to follow up to make sure it was sent! Now I have to do another CT in 6 months - so that there IS something to compare this one to! Frustrating... Hence I will be making a call on Monday to try to get a hold of that disk!
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Sassie, I think it was Warrior that had a phone consult with Dr. Massey. I don't think that is an option for the "boy" docs. Not that I've heard of anyway. They seem to want you to go through Liz at the office.
Well, BCDiva and I both fly out 6AM Monday - and we're supposed to meet for dinner that night, (we'll be falling asleep in our plates!! ha!) and I have surgery early the next day! They pick us up at 5:45AM, and the day prior, we'll be up at 4AM!! Well, just think, after the surgery, I will be able to sleep a lot, ha!
I am nervous again. I just now can't wait for it to be OVER. I am going to do everything that is offered in this surgery, whatever he can do this time, I'll say go for it. I hope this is my last time having recon surgery. I really need my body to be left alone to heal up and for my blood counts to come up. I was *almost* normal again, but the stage 1, 11 hour surgery, made them dip back down again! I just hope no blood transfusion this time!
I have compiled a list of things to discuss with Dr. D pre surgery. I hope my mind is sharp and I am not too wiped out from the travel! I have my pre-surgical appt the same day we fly in...
Spring.
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