NOLA in September?
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Wow I thought I was the only one cringing sometimes on the reconstruction pictures (and I am not talking about just on TimTam's site) however I am grateful for all of the pictures. I have not posted mine yet but I will once I complete stage 1.
Nordy~ You look awesome.
Okay I must run I am supposed to be wrapping and cleaning for Christmas.... and a house guest. My MIL is coming up for Christmas
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Hi all,
Just a quick drop in to say 'hi' and "Merry Christmas" to each of you. It's been such a wonderful gift this year to have this place to come to for information and comfort! I'm two weeks post Stage 2 now and doing pretty well - still sore sometimes, but it's getting better.
PlaineJane, Trish and NebrNan - it was so nice to meet you guys at the center when we were all there. I just wish I didn't have such a mind numbing reaction to anesthesia so that I could have spent more time in NebrNan's room talking with you guys! PlainJane - glad to read you are doing better after getting so sick!
Trish - I would love to come to where you are and do the wine tour!! That would be so fun!
Nordy - GREAT Christmas tree skirt! For being such a "non Martha Stewart" I think you did an exceptional job!
AnneW & Danny - it was wonderful to meet up with both of you for lunch this week! It's so nice to be able to have people close by to share this journey with.
I know I'm forgetting to comment on a lot of what I've read above, but there is SO MUCH to read each time I stop in here that my mind just can't keep up!!!
Merry Christmas!
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Stopping in to wish all of my new found sisters a Merry Christmas. I feel we have created bonds that will last a lifetime. Thank you ALL for the support and love, as I give the same back to you.
And Spring, will you add me as Stage 2 (second time) on February 11, NOLA Dr Sullivan? I have to go back for more revisions. Having the left side a stacked DIEP and the right side HIP tissue is presenting a few challenges, and Dr. S wants to do some more work.
Thank you ALL for enriching my life this year,
Carolynn
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And I just noticed that in another 600+ posts, we will pass the "1st Ta Ta Sisterhood Reunion in Vegas" thread. At our rate, we'll be on top by the New Year! LOL
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Oooh, "Exchange City" has over 9000 posts, didn't see that one! LOL
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Apologies for the deletions, ladies. I made a boo boo.
I meant to add that I only had two drains this time and am happy to say I was able to take them out ONE WEEK post op. Much better than SIX WEEKS & THREE DAYS in Stage 1!
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Merry Christmas Everyone!
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Hello girls - I am almost human again. Here is my most detailed post, hope you enjoy it and that it might help some of you ladies awaiting stage 2:
Mon 12/14 - worked all day, had an intense board meeting that lasting til 4:30. Left there and picked DH up, began the 900 mile journey to NOLA, YES we drove, because this way we can carry our clubs, and if we drive straight thru we can get 2 rounds of golf in before pre-ops and surgery. I drove the first leg, till midnight, then DH til 5:30 am. We decided to nap for an hour or so then, at least til daybreak. We pulled over in Hattiesburg MISS into a nice hotel parking lot and snoozed for about 2 hours, it was a DRIVING RAIN! How IRONIC! And do not tell my MOTHER or My Kids! We arrived at about 10, to MORE RAIN, there will be no golf on this trip! 9 inches rain on Monday and Tues alone, 19 inches for December! PLAN B - FOOD.
Checked into Hope Lodge and slept for several hours, then to ZEAs for dinner, Preservation Hall to see the Preservation Hall Stars (GREAT!) and then CDM for coffee and bengiets! Back to bed at around 1 AM. Tried to hook up with SASSIE but it did not work out, but did get to meet her when she visited ME at St Charles. So sweet of her to do that. She's a real sweet gal.
Wed morning, Fluer Di Lis for breakfast, some shopping and then to the carousel bar to sample the goods! Off to meet Sally for pre-op at 1:45, then lunch at VooDoo BBQ and then DrD at 4. It was nearly 6 before we got in. He was held up in the OR. Let me tell you, he goes a little crazy with the blue marker ladies! (thank you!) He immediately said I did not need to tummy muscle tightened and I immediately felt relieved about that, did not want those drains again and wanted a quicker recovery, HOWEVER, if he would have recommended it, I was going for it. Why not, right? SO he planned to take hip fat and inject into the breast area to contour, lipo the muffin top I have left over from DIEP and the inner thighs, and of course NIPPLES! (I have been calling them FIPPLES over the last few weeks...everyone thinks that is funny!)
Ok, a few more hours of pain free and sore free, what shall I do, I know EAT! So we went to Mr. B's, not so much by choice, but kinda stumbled on it. We wanted to eat at the gumbo shack, but it was WAY crowded, so fell into MR B's, GREAT CHOICE! Food was excellent, the bread pudding to DIE FOR! Ok, back for a decent nights sleep and then off to the OR at 7!
6 am, 3 attempts, 2 blown veins, finally a working IV! The location - not so nice, at the base of my pinky finger. OWIE! And guess what? I am NOT pregnant! HA! Those nurses are FABULOUS, the level of care, second to NONE! My surgical nurse Robin told me to think of a place I wanted to go and to dream of that, and to be sure to take her with me. So we went to Arizona and Utah in the fall to golf. I hope she plays and it was as wonderful as I hoped it would be. I was under for 4 hours.
Back to the room, I am so THIRSTY, I down an entire water bottle (you know those BIG cups with the straw made into it). That's when the nausea started. Pain is completely controlled at this point though. I send DH in search of a cracker to settle to stomach, its apparent real quick like that I am not going to get to try the cracker, call the nurse for a basin, at that point DrD and Dh and nurse walk into my room to see me PROJECTILE VOMIT nearly 15 feet...all the way across the room to their feet, thru my fingers as I was trying to hold it in there........WOW is all I can say. The looks on their faces were hysterical! DR D just backed out of the room.......Drama over for now, I feel way better.
Now I have to pee, Wow what's this little black thingy I have on....DOMINATRIX, yes! WOW, are you sure I do not pull this thing down to pee? WOW, that's how that works? Incredible, down right INGENIUS! (DH kinda likes the look too!) Oh and the nipple guards that you get fresh from the OR are reminiscent of the cone bra that Madonna used to wear! A real riot! AND OUCH, sitting on the toilet is painful. But still not so bad. The soreness kinda creeps in and peaks then subsides. I think the 3rd day is the worst for peak soreness for me anyway. I have been getting better and better ever since then.
I sent my nurse on a reconnaissance mission as soon as I could, needed to locate CCBABY from our board. She should still be here from Stage 1. DON'T KNOW her name! ARGH! Too stupid to get it in advance and too dumb to realize that her posts have her name at the bottom......CHRISTY!!!! I only knew CCBABY, Springfield MO. Well Hippa was a deterrence, but my nurse was great and funny and she found her and CCBABY and her DH came to see us Thursday evening. Let me tell you she was LOOKING GOOD! I could not believe how she was getting around and how incredibly adorbable she was. I LOVED THE HAT CCBABY! She visited me again on Friday right before being discharged. It was lovely to meet her and hold her hand and feel that bond that we all share.
So mid day on Friday I managed to pull the IV out "on accident" and my kids used to say. Luckily they were getting ready to remove it anyway. I was glad to get the IV outta there, I was peeing so much it would have been easier to just stay in the bathroom. I was drinking a ton too.
We hung around most of the day on Friday, mainly cause the room is really comfy and the TV is much better than at Hope Lodge. We left there and went to Houstons and shared the grilled red fish (also great) and grilled artichokes (great as well) stopped in at Zeas to take a bread pudding back to the lodge to share. It was good, but I prefer the traditional kind better, Zeas uses sweet potatoes in theirs. I forced it down! HA!
Up at 6 am Sat morning to begin our journey home, we've had a pretty big snow storm at our home (at least for us). My 14 yr old daughter is outta school, staying with my Mom and their PC has a virus, not to mention there is NO WIRELESS internet (so no iTOUCH). It could get serious if I do not get home soon....we drove about 650 miles, before the storm forced to get a hotel in Tenn. I was ready to stop anyway and DH was tired too. The trip was long as I had to stop literally every hour to PEE! I mean, I have never seen this kind of fluid before. CRAZY! I was also nauseated and had not had a BM in days..........This was getting UGLY! HA!
Anyway, we made it home late Sunday evening to nearly 2 feet of snow, I really hate I did not get to see it falling, that's the best part I think. Now the soreness is really set in and I am grumpy, and listless. I always get this way several days after surgery, it takes me about a week to sort of COME OUT OF IT! Anyway, I slept all day on Monday and made it from the bed to the recliner on Tuesday. TODAY I am HUMAN again. I have gotten some energy back, been victorious in the bathroom! All is well. I have select areas that are terrifically SORE, but I have not taken the pain meds since Monday evening. And only a couple of Tylenol since then. DH took me to the store today, and I got a haircut and feel so much better.
I will advise you stage 2 gals to take your pain meds as indicated for the first few days, they really do help! I just had to get something going in the bathroom so stopped mine as soon as I could tolerate it. And I have been really itchy ITCHY, ITCHY! Particularly, where the fat injections occurred but also at the lipo areas. So I can not really tell if the itch is from the lipo or the outfit! JenniferJane also had itching.
Ok, so thanks for all the well wishes from everyone. JJ thanks for the crazy Text messages. You crack me up! Sassie and CCBABY, thanks for visiting me. It was great to meet you both. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and are feeling much better with each passing day. ALSO - I posted all this and then went to cut and paste and lost the entire POST! YES, I did scream! Sorry this is so long, but just had to fill you all in on how it all went down. I am thinking a tattoo party should certainly be in order sometime in the spring! Xxoo Mel
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Mel, Can I just say this:
I loved your post! Glad you are feeling better - you are a trooper with all that driving!Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Holidays, etc. to all!!!
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Thanks Nordy! Oh and one more thing to add and maybe the most important....
DR D came in on Friday morning to release me and told me I had just reached a MAJOR MILESTONE! It really hits home then Girls! YEAH!
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Melanie,
so good to hear you are home safely! You are a trooper driving in the dominatrix getup for 900 miles!!!!!!!!!!
Now rest and enjoy the holidays you have earned it!
gentle hugs,Marcia
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I'm so glad you made it home safely. i was worried about you sitting in the car so long (you know, blood clots and such) but having to get out hourly to pee was a blessing in disguise!!
I'm kinda jealous that I didn't get the Dominatrix! I had to pull my garment down and back up to go, because the crotch whole was definitely too small to risk pereptual dampness and stink!
Y'all have a wonderful holiday!
Anne
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Melanie,
Your post was amazing! I don't think I have ever laughed out loud about a vomiting story, but the picture you painted was absolutely hilarious ! Projectile vomiting 15 feet thru your fingers and the looks on the men's faces and Dr. D backing out of the room! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then - "Drama over for now - I feel way better!" LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow - and then that drive - and then that snow! We are getting it now - will probably be snowed in for Christmas - but like you, I love seeing it fall. Thanks so much for your blow by blow - it was great!!! And the rest of you gals - what a hoot we all are, aren't we?!
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Melanie,
I loved your descriptive post too!
And your Projectile story made me laugh.
Glad you made it home safe & Sound.
Pam
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Yes, VERY Merry Christmas /Happy Holidays to all of you! AND YES SPRING.....you are the creator that brought us all together.
Melanie....You out DID yourself! The projectile vomiting story....ROTFL! That sounds bad...I'm so glad your better because nausea is NOT FUN! You are one tough broad!
....I had to grill Stacy because can't find a lot of post op instructions on nipple sparing and there are some differences BUT I am still thrilled, they look SO GOOD..... NONETHELeSS I feel compelled to be crashing your party AND can't wait to go back and do the stuff I didn't get to do cause of swollen ankles or too sore. HEY! maybe I'll have my radiation dot tattoos covered or removed!
Special thanks again for the love support and being patient w/ my whining whilst I've had such the chip on my shoulder.
Off to brave finding a new dress for this PM that better hides my FINAL drain! LOve that I have an excuse to buy myself something new! OH almost forgot...Guess who got THE prettiest new feminine lacy nightgown? OMG.....can I JUST say I think it is the first time in ??? years my breasts are WHERE they are supposed to be in slinky lingerie! It was too good trying that one on!
Enjoy the holiday!
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Melanie...It was so great to meet and your DH too. You both are just wonderful. I am so glad you made it home safely. We were worried about you with all of the snow. We were going to drive straight through on the way back (12 hour drive) but we did some shopping before we left and I walked the mall for about an hour and I was a little tired, so we stopped halfway through at a hotel.
Dr S told me that I could come back in 2 or 3 months for stage 2, whatever works out best for me. Well, in 2 months, will be Mardi Gras time and I think the town will be too busy then. So, I am going to get ahold of Liz and see if I can get in the second week of March. I will be done with Herceptin then and I will just have them take out my port while I am out. There must have been 4 different nurses ask me this time if I wanted the port out and I said, NO, I still have 4 more Herceptin treatments. So, when I woke up in recovery, one of the first things I did was feel to see if my port was still there..I was worried that they took it out. lol Even though I have hated this port ever since I got it in February, (it sticks out and looks like an alien is trying to come out of my chest) it has come in handy for the treatment.
Merry Christmas Eve everyone!
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CCBABY - glad you are home safely. My port was the same way, literally stuck up about 2 inches high off my chest. AND OH SO SENSITIVE! Its cause there is not meat on our bones to let it sink into.
Merry Christmas, I am off to make a few things for dinner tonight. xxoo Mel0 -
Happy Holidays to all you Lovely Ladies! I started back to work full time this week and I've been playing catch up on getting ready for Christmas so no time for NOLA reading. I'll catch up after the big day winds down. We are settling in for a big storm (6-12" after a couple of days of rain then freezing) so it looks like we may be spending our first Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in our own home with our 2 college boys. I actually think it will be so fun and relaxing. Just sent hubby to the grocery store for more food before the snow begins in earnest. We'll postpone the family party for a couple of days when we get plowed out which will extend the festivities.
I'm feeling good - trying it without the dominatrix outfit. Almost feels funny not to be compressed! And still braless which is weird, but I'm getting used to it and may not want to go back! Clipped off those pesky stitches and that feels better, too.
Enjoy the season!! Hope you are all on the mend and getting plenty of REST!! So happy to have "met" you all this year!! Here's to 2010 - hopefully a year with NO MORE SURGERY!
~Nancy
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Merry Ho! Ho! Everyone!!!!!
It's been a busy few days for me. My mom got Tre in for his MRI early. (She works for a chiropractor's office) Got those results yesterday. Marrow edema from a sprain and the beginning stages of ostearthritis.....at 17 freaking years old. It's one of the most common long term effects of adult childhood cancer survivors. But no bone tumors...so YAY on that!
It's part of the reason I want to take him to Dana Farber. The have a clinic for adult childhood cancer survivors. JJ~I looked at MD Anderson. The genetics counselor said there are 3 places that follow several Li Fraumeni families: Dana Farber, MD Anderson and City of Hope. I'll make some calls after the first of the year. I have my baseline PET on Tuesday.
Melanie~OMG! What a story girlie!!! You are such a trooper!!! Love your ability to turn a crappy situation into a funny story. We are all giggling with you, but feel your pain at the same time!
I got my before and afters from the Center. I have my own photojournal as well, but you know how their fancy cameras show SO much more....I have to post their before of my implants. The CC on the left is SO much more visible than it is in my pictures. And that's how I remember seeing myself in the mirror. They are miracle workers.
Anniese~come up with!! We would have SO much fun.
I have to make ceviche for tonight's festitivies and I am a bright red sweaty mess from step class this am. So I better quit messing around and get busy! OH! You all will appreciate this. Our family tradition is to make soups on Christmas Eve. Well this year, in honor of New Orleans being such a HUGE part of our lives, we are making seafood gumbo! I hope it turns out!!
Wishing you a blessed and wonderful Christmas and MAY SANTA TREAT YOU WELL!!
Love you ladies!!!
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Trishia sorry about marrow edema but HAPPY it's nothing else! Step class huh? OMG I can NOT wait!
Nancy, you go girl w/o the dominatrix! sigh....someday...like 2-3 weeks!
Ok girls....we are having a blowy windy but right at freezing point white Christmas eve here. Lovely, BUT in TX it does cause ALL sorts of fun on the roads!
Trishia, Nordy, Melanie....was seriously considering running away again today as I truly dread tomorrow, but temp supposed to drop to 20's, VERY windy AND I do just need to stay put and save for our tattoo party, reunion or other party...bah humbug!
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So Trishia expand on the before and afters? Did they ask if you wanted or did you request? I sort of wondered how they did the afters unless you live in/near town and went back after healing from stage 2, OR were getting tattoos? Anybody know? Or do they just pick certain cases based on REALLY good results and post on the website?
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Didn't they take before and afters of you? I have all kinds of pics that they took from all the stages. They did the final after right after tattooing, so that I actually like mine better...LOL! I was still bleeding in the theirs! I just asked for a copy of them and Celeste burned them onto a CD and sent them to me. I don't know how they decide who to put on their website. Every singe reconstruction I have seen from them has been beautiful.
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Good morning and MERRY Christmas! Hope santa was good to all! EEks embarressing, I don't even have kids and am up at 530! LOL! Santa came via Dr. D this year a couple weeks ago...he was very good to me!
Trishia...yes...I had before's at my consult in August, pre stage 1 in Sept again and pre stage 2 in Dec....so really NO true AFTER everything.... so unless I go back....to visit, or w/ you tattoo girls I won't really have opportunity for true 'afters' by CRBS....because I don't have to have tattoos or go back......BUT...I'm sure if I REALLY wanted them to take some afters.....I feel certain if I asked and went back to Nola they'd oblige me...... But seriously NOT a big deal. I don't need photos to know how much better I look.....But they do say a thousand words and YES, all their work I've seen is truly something.
Can't believe we really have a White Christmas here...or sort of a messy one anyways! should melt off as we're in the high 20s and should go to 40. Four Christmas's= new favorite holiday movie
Have an awesome day! Merry Christmas!
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Just stopping in to catch up on my reading, and tell my "sisters" here all Merry Christmas! Pretty much recovered from the low counts from chemo on 10th.....just in time to get it again on New Years Eve, lol. I hope everyones new year just keeps bringing wonderful things! Love you all
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You are all very welcome!!
Mel, I guess the moral of the story is.... after surgery, no matter how thursty, do not drink a gallon of water! Lest you projectile vomit towards your surgeon's feet! LOL.
Hope all are well. I heard from Warrior on FB chat last night, and she had something happen on her Christmas, but I will let her tell her story!
We had a fab time at a big family christmas party! Played with Wii sport - it was so fun! who knew I could bowl so well!!??? LOL
Enjoy ladies. Enjoy....
Spring.
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Girls, when you had your CT scan at NOLA, did you get the results?
I got mine at my post op appt and it showed three suspiscious areas -- on my lung, an ovary, and kidney. Recommended recheck, rescans, etc. Dr. M said this radiologist calls everything to the extreme and she isn't worried at all. And I had a CT a month and a half earlier that showed nothing suspiscous. Just wondering if anyone else had this happen with the NOLA radiologist?
I have been putting it out of my mind, assuming it will all be fine but it keeps creeping back in there. I really tend to stay positive and expect the best but with the holidays I'm having to wait longer than usual to see a doctor so I'm messing with my own head a bit today. The reason I went straight to NOLA for my Mx and Recon is because my tumor seemed to be tiny and there was no metastasis - so I wanted to get moving on and focus on positive recovery. If I went through all this only to learn that I have cancer somewhere else in my body, I'm going to be pissed.
Hope you're all enjoying the holidays.
T
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TEEL- I am sure everything will be just fine! Try to put it away and get to see another doc as soon as you can after the holidays. But I bet all is just fine!
JJ - YES! Four Christmas is a great film. I loved it.
I have a terrible rash at all incision sites and under both arm pits. I have been itching since my surgery, but the last couple days the rash developed and it has been unbearable. Called the Center today and I am now taking steroids, they think I have an allergic reaction to the surgical glue. I sure hope these steroids kick in pretty quick. I only got one in me so I am patiently waiting, sitting on my hands trying not to scratch! ARRRRRGH!
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Teel, I know of a couple of ladies who followed up after returning home and everything checked out just fine, so it sounds to me like Dr. M is right about the radiologist being very conservative. Try to enjoy your holidays and relax!!
Melanie, I cannot imagine how awful that reaction must be! Any improvement in the last hour since you posted?
Is anyone planning surgery Jan 21/22? I am so excited--I get to go to NOLA twice in January!!!! (and not for surgery this time!)
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Teel~Yes, I had 4 areas of concern. I am actually having a PET scan on Tuesday. My genetic defect makes all docs paranoid, so I am surprised I got away with waiting 9 months between scans...LOL! But when I first got my results, I did go to my doc and have my tumor markers ran. All the things they saw looked liked benign growths, so I didn't panic too much. Hope you don't either!!!
Melanie, I hope you get some relief soon! That sounds miserable.
I want to go to NOLA for fun!!!
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Melanie...You poor thing...I hope you can get some relief very soon. That has to be uncomfortable for you. Is there anything you can put on it topically?
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