NOLA in September?
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cherrie, I met with the genetic counselors and oncology gynecologist at UNC. They both recommended a complete hysterctomy at age 49. I was pre. My mom was diagnosed with uterine cancer and I know this played a big part with the tamoxifen. There are certainly pros and cons. I will say for me that one less worry is good. The recovery was easy for me. Hope this helps.
Happy Birthday Harmony and Audrella. Hope you have great ones!
Russell1, loved the dream. You'll have to let us know what Dr.D thinks of it.
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Harmonysun- my energy level is excellent. I feel I could play tennis today, but I have to wait andother 1.5 weeks due to doctor's restrictions. But I only had- revision of the middle of the abd. scar and ends of the scar, lipo, and breast shaping. The glue is now all off the abdominal scar, it is all closed. Still with significant glue on the breasts. I called, and I can now sleep without a bra as per doctor's instructions and do not need to wear the bra throughout the whole day- but I probably will because of the betadine. I am walking the dogs for 1-2 miles. I do sleep about 8 hours each night. The fatigue I had the first week, needing to take naps, is gone. I am in my jeans with regular underwear, wearing the center's bra.
I wish you all well, those of you going for your surgeries. Be excited thinking about how lovely you will look.
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Downey, can I ask which gynecologist you met with at UNC? Did you like him/her? I am thinking of switching to one there instead of Raleigh so all my docs will be together. My MO said we would talk about the ovaries at my next visit, so I'm not sure where I will go from here. I am BRCA negative, but I am the third of my sisters with breast cancer. There's got to be a genetic screw loose somewhere!
On the bright side, I heard from Candi today and my surgery is approved by insurance. Yay!!!! So we leave Thursday morning, pre-op that afternoon, and surgery Friday. I am beyond relieved!0 -
Great News Diane! Big whew!
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Oh thank goodness...
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Wonderful news, Dianne
Sorry you had to go through this, especially when it is so soon to surgery. You will be great!0 -
That's neat we share the same birthday, Harmony! I hope yours is a great one. It will be my 36th
I'm so glad all ended well with your insurance Dianne. Big relief!
I recall your bear dream, Betsy...that was a funny one, too! It still makes me chuckle. I'm not sure if I will share mine or not, although, it certainly wasn't one of THOSE dreams! He was a crazed hillbilly with a blue marker, definitely not sexy! lol
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"Crazed hillbilly with a blue marker"
Maybe better to share post-op, if at all! Yay, Dianne! I'm so glad it worked out for you!
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Would definitely stop at the overall scrubs with no shirt! I certainly wouldn't let on that I thought he'd lost his mind in my dream. I kept repeating in my head in the dream "What is he thinking?" Might end up keeping it to myself....because I don't want him thinking "What is SHE thinking" lol
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hello gals....
...so preop appt with dr m went good....she is such an amazing woman....very compassionate and funny beyond her skill....i will be going into stage 2 feeling very comfortable in her hands....she will be fixing my behind and reshaping breasts a lil and some lipo but wont be doing anything to the bad flap at this time because she could sense my fear of damaging it further...time will tell...
....i have a very big new worry on my mind this morning that makes me feel breast shape not that impt....i got my presurgery blood test results and the hospital system i am in lets me log online and have a table comparing all past results....
....so my platelets have been dropping very steadily for the past couple years as much as 20-30 percent and are now below normal....my white blood cells have been declining and are now 3.4 (normal 4-10)...my lymph percent has skyrocketed from 23 percent to 48 percent (12-40 normal)..although absolute value is normal....and neut has declined to 1.4 (normal 1.5-8)....
....i am so scared that i have something like lymphoma in my bone marrow of something....i just want to cry my eyes out....
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Brenda - was Dr. M worried about the bloodwork? She must have seen it. If you need to allay your fears, call her on her cell for advice. Otherwise you will be very distracted and you need to be in a good frame of mind for your surgery on Tuesday.
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Harmonysun,
Did Dr M give her opin on your labs?
My white blood cell labs have been dropping like this starting about one year before being diagnosed with BC. My microsurgeon made me get clearance first before my stage 2, which my PCP did clearance stating my WBCs and always lymphocytes have always been borderline over the years.
I had been seeing a specialist at another institution for several years who pulled my labs history up in front of me on screen and his face looked concerned and suggested I bring this up to BC docs as I had just been diagnosed that week. All my WBCs were dropping.
Well the breast center doc said it wasnt severe enough to cancel surgery and after my BMX, ALND, and immed breast implants 10 hour surgery, i had to have blood transfusions and then had massive hematoma. i was weak for many weeks. My labs while I was in hospital crashed to really low levels back came back.
I was then told I should see a hematologist who was booked for three months. I didnt understand the point of a hematologist when seeing an oncologist. Many oncs are onc/hema docs anyway.
I made appt with my PCP to discuss my concern about low lymphos So PCP said my labs always have been a little low even though my lymphocytes have persisted to be lower than others. So I let it go.
Fast forward to my stage 2 in December and my microsurgeon one month before date doesnt like my labs and said to get clearance from my onc or PCP (who has been following me for 13 yrs). PCP gave clearance. Again no complications with surgery or recovery. I forgot to say my labs for stage one were right on the line but my lymphocytess were below and microsurgeon didnt require clearance and stage one surgery and recovery had no complications.
Sooo I still dont have answer as to what making my WBCs and particularly the lymphocytes low.
In two weeks I have to get labs for my Stage 2b. I hope they are normal. If not, PCP will just give clearance again. Either way, I WILL be reviewing my lab results, as all of us should and have the right to be able to.
I pray HarmonySun that your numbers are low for another reason not as serious as a blood cancer. I hope that you can get compassionate care and answers without dealing with doctor ego.
Blessings for your surgery and recovery and contined compassionate care with Dr M.0 -
Brenda- I agree with Marty. Call Dr. m and see what she thinks about this. Remember, odd are it isn't cancer. I know our minds tend to go there.
Diane- What great news for you. You must be very relieved.
Thanks for comments on hysterectomy. My mother did have pre-uterine cancer and her sister had ovarian cancer. My sister has had BC. I tested negative for the BRCA gene, but the geneticist did say I could have a mutated gene they don't know about yet. I am wondering what the recovery is like if I combine this with my 2b. I can also wait a couple of years. I am 58. L0 -
Cherrie - although I didn't have at the same time as DIEP, I do remember that because the hysterectomy was done abdominally the recovery time was 6 weeks. No worse than Stage 1. If it can be done vaginally, then the recovery is a week or two. I had endometriosis and that mandated abdominal. I believe that they may be able to do hysterectomy and oophrectomy via laproscopic incisions (mulitple little incisions the same size as those for lipo). I believe that they do the robotic procedures in Charleston at Roper where Dr. M operates here. If I remember, you did want to come to Charleston for part of your procedures.
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Yes, if I decide to do this, Dr. M suggested Charleston. She doesn't work with a GYN in Chicago yet. My GYN here does it vaginally and I love her. She was so supportive of what I have been going through.
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Good evening ladies...
Just need to vent a minute. My birthday was Thursday (Valentines Day) and this was the first birthday since all my surgeries and the DCIS diagnosis coming back with my pathology report. I wanted to celebrate and just cherish the day, well the whole weekend. I have a few people who don't understand and made me feel like I was making a big deal out of it and what I went through. I thought this person was a friend, but with this a few other things she has said and done (and not said and done) I am rethinking our friendship. I don't need people around who make me feel bad, but unfortunately our husbands work together so I can completely delete her, but I think I have to put space between us. Anyway, thank you for letting me vent :-)
But, on a happy note...I celebrated and shopped and had an amazing birthday!!!!! Here's to living, laughing and loving!!!!!
Good luck and well wishes to all those coming up. Happy Birthday Harmony & Audrella!!!0 -
How lame, Michelle! You do not need that negative energy in your life. If breast cancer does anything, it helps us focus on the things that really matter in life. Happy birthday to you! I've been wondering how your son is doing.
Happy Birthday, Audrella and HarmonySun!! You girls really know how to party! We'll be thinking of you next week.
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Happy Birthday to all. We have a lot to celebrate and definitely know what matters to us. Let's keep that positive energy all around us. It makes a big difference.
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Harmony.... Just want you to know that I'm thinking of you...Good luck with your surgery tomorrow.
Take care!
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Bernard Chang did a diep on meand left my old tissue behind. I had problems from beginning. Stomach busted from hip to hip. He left a hole in my breast in middle. Alot of necrosis developed at bottom. During 5 yrs I emailed I'm. I begged him to help cause it was getting painful. He always said it will get better it's not cancer. I went 5 yrs with no mammo on that breast cause he said I did not need it. Finally 2010 a surgeon in Florida tried to help me only to discover that dr Chang never removed the old tissue from my chest. Dr Chandler thought he did but then admitted to my doc on the phone he did not. I was sick with worry . Well here I am that necrotic piece turned up cancerous 12 yrs later chemo again, Masectomy, radiation, and severe sadness and depression. What did Chang say? Sorry to hear this but I'm sure your in good hands.
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Bernard Chang did a diep on meand left my old tissue behind. I had problems from beginning. Stomach busted from hip to hip. He left a hole in my breast in middle. Alot of necrosis developed at bottom. During 5 yrs I emailed I'm. I begged him to help cause it was getting painful. He always said it will get better it's not cancer. I went 5 yrs with no mammo on that breast cause he said I did not need it. Finally 2010 a surgeon in Florida tried to help me only to discover that dr Chang never removed the old tissue from my chest. Dr Chandler thought he did but then admitted to my doc on the phone he did not. I was sick with worry . Well here I am that necrotic piece turned up cancerous 12 yrs later chemo again, Masectomy, radiation, and severe sadness and depression. What did Chang say? Sorry to hear this but I'm sure your in good hands.
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Bernard Chang did a diep on meand left my old tissue behind. I had problems from beginning. Stomach busted from hip to hip. He left a hole in my breast in middle. Alot of necrosis developed at bottom. During 5 yrs I emailed I'm. I begged him to help cause it was getting painful. He always said it will get better it's not cancer. I went 5 yrs with no mammo on that breast cause he said I did not need it. Finally 2010 a surgeon in Florida tried to help me only to discover that dr Chang never removed the old tissue from my chest. Dr Chandler thought he did but then admitted to my doc on the phone he did not. I was sick with worry . Well here I am that necrotic piece turned up cancerous 12 yrs later chemo again, Masectomy, radiation, and severe sadness and depression. What did Chang say? Sorry to hear this but I'm sure your in good hands.
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netty46- Thank you for posting. Bernard Chang's name often comes up as the most skilled microvascular surgeon in the DC metro area - your experience with him was exactly the opposite. Did you have a recurrence near fat necrosis within a reconstruction or in original breast tissue left behind? My understanding is that recurrences within a reconstruction can happen but is very much less common than a recurrence in the chest wall or near the surface. Do you know if the breast surgeon doing the original mastectomy left too much breast tissue behind? (I think this can be determined by a MRI.)
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Sounds like a law suit to me.
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Netty, where is that doc located? Good friggin grief!
4My4Babies, I added your stage 2 surgery to the list.
Cherrie, was it you asking about hysterectomy? I was 50 at time of dx, also not BRCA pos, and no history of any cancer in my family (surprise!). I thought initially about removing ovaries, and consulted with a surgeon on the cancer center who was going to use a DiVince device, and the recovery was apparently a piece of cake. Then I was reading how our ovaries, even after menopause, continue to eeek out exactly what our bodies need, and they are not even sure what is oging on or what this is, but it's happening. For me, I decided not to do it "right now" like Betsy. Good luck with your decision. It's never easy.
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DianneNC, Sorry this reply took so long but I was out floating in the Pacific...luckily NOT on the Carnival Triumph. I went to Dr. Linda Van Le at UNC. She is a very no nonsense type of Doctor. She did it laprascopically and I had an easy recovery. I think the worst thing is the gas they pump you full of. My girlfriend just had the Davinci method done in Fl and she didn't take anything stronger than a tylenol. Hope this helps. Jamie
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Dr Chang works out of Mercy in Maryland. He was recommended to me by a local PS. But we never met.
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Dr. Chang thought he had done it but my new surgeon read the surgical reports and discovered he never did.
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Dr chang is at mercy medical hospital in Baltimore.
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So here's a question Netty... Dr Chang is a PS, not BS, so whoever did your MX is at fault for not removing all breast tissue. The PS trusts the BS is doing their job.
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