NOLA in September?
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The package went out in today's mail. I sent it priority just to be sure you get it before you leave.
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Oh WOW, thank you so much Eva!!! HUGS!!!
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seriously . . . has no one posted since yesterday? this must be a record for this thread! lol
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I'll jump in with a question. There was a restaurant that was recommended and when we got to NOLA it was booked out. I want to remember to reserve. Can't remember the name. I think it was Betsy? A formal place. I think jacket required? I will make a note this time! Thanks. (c:
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6 days until surgery!! Oy vey!!
Here's a question I'm still debating: nipple sparing or no? What did everyone else do? (what about those of you with a cancer diagnosis?)
Thanks, girls!0 -
I had no choice on the right, cancer too close to nipple, decided to make 'em even and will have Vinnie give me some tattooed ones eventually. (c:
Good luck in your choice Jen.
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Was not offered nipple sparing when I was originally diagnosed (and I asked about the option) - had a unilateral skin sparing DIEP done locally. I now realize I fitted the criteria the Center uses for nipple sparing and if I had been offered it at the time I would have taken it - tumors were very far away from my nipple. Recently went back and had a prophylactic nipple sparing GAP on the other side.
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My nipple might be just fine in terms of closeness to the tumor... It's probably "borderline"Ncloae, which makes me hesitant. Did anyone save a prophylactic side nipple and get rid of the cancer side? One tattoo and one real one? If so, what do you think of the outcome?
Oh yes! I need restaurant recommendations too. Dinners mostly, not too too pricey. Thanks!0 -
I had nipple sparing and Dr. Stolier did a beautiful job. It seems like it shouldn't be a big thing, but it makes me happy to have my nips. Since my mastectomy was prophylactic, I had the option and Dr. S felt the risks were small, though he was honest about what to consider.
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I won't have the option to save my left nipple, but I'm choosing to have the right nipple taken as well. I'm big into symmetry. I'm thinking I may get pink zinnia flowers tattooed on rather than nipples.
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I like the idea of using recycled symbols...
Actually, I've been thinking about getting a tat of a phoenix - something small and simple - when this is all completely done.
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This will be my first time flying since diagnosis (& SN biopsy in November). Did anyone take precautions for lymphedema when flying? I have no symptoms, but have read it can happen at any time during or after treatment and that air travel can increase risk. Would appreciate any thoughts, or maybe I should go to LE forum...?
(I've had no symptoms of LE but have had foot swelling from chemo, which has been scary at times.)0 -
Esmerelda - I am a BC survivor. When I met with Dr. Stolier, he said that I was a candidate for nipple sparing because my tumor was not close to the nipple. So, my plan is to have nipple sparing. I would like to keep all of the parts I can! I all already feel like I have given up a lot.
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Jenlee- In terms of LE this is a question I would ask the Center- they are VERY cautious when it comes to LE. I had a sentinal node biopsy almost 5 years ago (took one node- also no chemo) and have done lots of flying with no LE precautions - never had an issue- but this is just me.
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Husband and I really enjoyed this restaurant. Not expensive, not cheap. Yummy.
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Jenlee, I don't know which Docs are yours but I know Dr. Massey is very prevention oriented. I only had the sentinel node removed on one side and she prescribed a sleeve and gauntlet (glove). Also before my surgery I had lymphatic massage and also had one during hospital recovery. It felt great. Hope this helps.
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Adey... Its Commander's Palace
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That's it! Thanks!!
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About flying... I had 2 nodes removed and flew a few times before any mentioned LE to me.. so by the time I got to NOLA, they figured I didn't need to worry about it.
About nipples, I was a candidate for nipple sparing, but my local BS thought I was trying to eridicate all breast tissue and to leave the nipple would open me up to risk.. so I had cancer side removed and other side spared.. Dr D built me a very matching nipple that just needs a little tweak and then I will also get tattoos. If I were to do it again, I might just choose to take both off and make them exactly the same. I too am into symmetry.
Anther great restaurant in NOLA is Court of Two Sisters .. they have a very pretty courtyard.
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Another restaurant is Superior Seafood towards the Garden district a couples of miles on the streetcar past the center. Really good oysters!
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Try Cochon on Tchoupitoulas. Amazing Southern-style. I had hogshead cheese with rabiit and dumplings last time I was there. Make ya slap yo mama.
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KSue, I had a radiated breast and it was worked on by Dr. D for several surgeries and all is fine. No problems. You may feel this way if you talked to local doctors. They all scrared me, and said it was a complicating factor, as well as scars that I had from a previous breast reduction. When I consulted with Dr. D, he said none of these things were issues for him, and they weren't. No worries!
Esmarelda, I had nipple sparing on my healthy side and Dr. Stollier took the nipple on the cancer side. He did not recommend I keep it that nipple because of the location and size of the tumor; but, he said he would spare it if I wanted. I wish I would have kept that one too, in retrospect. Although it is reconstructed, it is not the same exactly as my real one. I am really happy to have at least one real one - to me it is a huge difference. If you are offered to keep both, I would do it, hands down. Even my surgeon at home said that cancer in the nipple is caught early and easy to deal with, in the worst case scenario. Just my input!
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More restaurants:
Le Bon Temps Roule... magazine street
Pascal's Manale (uptown).. very casual
Domilise's Sandwich Shop ... best po boys in town... a dive, but great
Central grocery (not a restaurant, but BEST Muffellata sandwich)
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Oh yum . . . Muffellata - careful with Central Grocery - I think they are closed on Sunday and Monday - I have been bummed out more than once and could only stare through the window . . .
Mike's on the Avenue was wonderful when I was there in December for dinner . . . It's on St. Charles, but not near the Center - It's near Lafayette Park . . .
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Jenlee-before surgery I was a VERY FULL LARGE 34DD (actually should have been in a bigger bra size but I refused) now I'm in a 34 D. I asked for smaller, and they are. It is something that you will need to get use to, but I can actually try on those cute little sun dresses now and I don't look like I'm pregnant. I always had to buy bigger sizes to accommodate the girls. But Dr.D told me to eat a cheeseburger and play with my weight gain 10 pounds or so and see how I like them. But after all is said and done I'm happy with them. My hardest part has been finding a bra that is comfortable.
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Sherry... your diagnosis sounds like mine... (your signature says DCIS but I assume its IDC since you had a node involved)... And we had similar treatment.. I did go through a lumpectomy first and after chemo decided on the MX, but same end result. So did you have a micromet or isolated cells?
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Betsy-not sure. See if this helps. When they found it, it was .5mm, had MRI and PetScan went to 1.7cm. I had decided at the very beginning I was going for mastectomy. I have/had very dense fibrotic cyst tissue and radiation would have changed the tissue so much. After the mastectomy the path. report came back that it was 2.1 cm with a slight (0.03) trace in 1 node. The oncologist decided for no port no more nodes removed and to do 4 rounds of T/C. And it should be IDC not DCIS, changing that.
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So your tumor was 2.1cm.. mine was 1.9cm.. and my micromet was .38mm... was yours .03mm or .03cm? I also had no further nodes taken. My doctor told me that micromets are up to 2mm, and larger than that is a macromet. And smaller than .2mm is considered node negative. So mine was also treated with TC (6tx), and having the MX meant no rads.
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Someone said that this is the place to post this: A lot of people who get FLAP surgeries or implants don't specifiy what kind of body they had, so here's an issue just for us: thinner women with larger breasts.I know this surgery is ideal for heavier women, or women with smaller breasts and enough fat somewhere to donate, or women who had had kids and have excess abdominal skin/fat.I will soon undergo a BPM - bilat. proph. mastectomy, but for my immediate reconstruction, I was told I don't have enough fat for a DIEP for my particular breast size, as the donated tissue would not fill my breast "envelopes" and that the payoff would be extremely poor (to have tiny pancake breasts after a 15-hr surgery).Is/was anyone else in this same situation? If so, what will/did you choose? The easiest is to try implants to see if they work OR, I guess GAP flap.Thanks!0
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I'm not thin but I was told that I probably didn't have enough belly to do a DIEP and am probably going to get a hip flap. The breastcenter.com web site has several photos of slim women who had GAP flaps and they look great. I have heard from some women that the hip or GAP flap procedures are easier to recover from than the DIEP but the drains can last longer. I'm looking to reduce a few cups sizes so this might be a different situation.
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