NOLA in September?
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Diannenc...yes I have those too...they r awesome..do you have the ones with or without the molded cup?
My drain is already down...only 60 cc today. I should have been sitting around on my a** all along..who knew haha
Maggie0 -
Springtime, Thanks for adding me to the list!
Thanks for the answers about chemo and stage 2. I am wondering if Herceptin is an exception for the waittime for stage 2. My new cancer is HER2+ and I'm told the standard is 1 year of Herceptin. I'm wondering if ey will make me wait until that is done.
BCO doesn't call this chemo, they call it targeted therapy. I was on Tamoxifen and Arimidex for 5 years and I don't think that would have been a problem but herceptin is given intravenously.
We checked the rental cars and they are available for $16 per day through Hotwire (nonrefundable) and $23 in other reservation sites. This was for pickup in JazzFest weekend.
On the topic of bras, I could not wear an underwire for 5 years but now I wear one comfortably. My lumpectomy incision is on the bottom edge of my breast. So it's possible that you could wear one sometime in the future.
Marsha0 -
Lastar...I'm sorry to hear your news and I'm sending postitive thoughts!!!!
Perry I have the same emotions and concerns as you, but I know we are doing the right thing:)
MartyJ looks like we are on the same day! I might run into you at the center on April 11th. I will be there for preop. I got an email today and Dr. Sullivan has changed my surgery to Fairway hospital instead of Southern Surgical. I am fine with this. Just so they didn't change my date!!0 -
Melanie. Glad you are finally almost up. Marty will be in SC for hers but I am sure you will bump into somebody.
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Melanie - sorry I will miss you, but you will enjoy Fairway. That is where I had Stage 1. Glad they had an opening for you. Enjoy your time in NOLA. So glad you will finally get your chance!
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Drain was only 75cc yesterday...thanks for the tips ladies..gotta get the output down so I can get this thing gone
Courage to all the ladies up this coming week
Maggie0 -
Omg ladies....thank you Geralyn!!!!
I haven't been on cause I am here for a wedding and I have been running nonstop since I got here at 11:00 pm Wednesday night. Anyway, I emailed Jeanine last night at 1:00 am when I saw your message on here. She called me and yea they have to change my appt. I am having to work it out in between a bridal luncheon, trying to get to the hotel to check in (been straying at the brides house last two night) and getting ready for the rehearsal dinner to get in to see Dr. D while I am here. I was staying until Monday just for that appointment. Wow....nothing like a little stress, but Jeanine said we would make it work somehow. I don't have a car (my hubby is driving from Atlanta) and won't be here in time or will just be arriving at the time of my appointment which is ranging sometime between 2-3....lol
He really wanted to be there for the appointment but its just not gonna work.
Anyway, thanks ladies for letting me vent, but most of all, thank you Geralyn for posting that so I had time to try and make arrangements before my busy busy day started.
Hugs to all you ladies!!!!
Chelle
It's amazing what we do for all this huh?0 -
Getting my hip drains out on Tuesday, that will be a relief. I got home Wednesday been resting. Having wheelchair assistance at the airports is the way to go. I'm glad my aunt thought of this cause I didn't want to get bumped and all the walking sure would have tired me out. Hoping everything goes great for all the ladies coming up for surgery!
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chellehump...wow you are busy!!! Yes we do make it work!!
MartyJ....I was hoping we would run into each other but ummm...that's a little far! lol My chemo brain is still kicking..hehe0 -
Question for Stage 2 girls: I am planning a weekend with my high school girl friends three weeks after Stage 2 surgery. Will I be up for it?
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Chelle...you are having a whirlwind of a time it sounds like! Hopefully all goes well with your consult. I'm curious to hear what Dr. D. says!
KSue...can only speak from my experience, but I had a LOT done at stage 2 (it was 5 hours long), and I was at the mall walking the day after I was released from the hospital. My pain was gone completely within a few days. I certainly would have been up for a girls getaway 3 weeks post op. I say go for it...should certainly lift your spirits!
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K-Sue, (also only my experience) but not only could I have taken a girls weekend at 3 weeks post-op...I did! I drove about 3 1/2 hours and had no problems at all. I felt perfectly fine, and had no ill effects.
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I know a few months back there was discussion on weight loss here...I am now in the position to lose those 20 pounds and wonder if anyone found something that has worked for them...be it online or other. I know how to eat healthy but do so much better when there is accountability. I would love to give Dr M a better canvas to perfect this mess of a body now
Maggie
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K-Sue. I went to a HS reunion weekend 4 weeks post DIEP... and Stage II is easier, so I say yes...
So SPRING... you can put me on the boards up top for a stage IIc with Dr D on November 22.
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Hurray Betsy! What are you having done this time?
Is that how far out things are being scheduled now, or is that what you requested? I was hoping for a consult in July/August then possibly IIb in November. Maybe I should go ahead and schedule both now and cancel the surgery if I change my mind after the consult? Maybe I don't need a consult? Did you need one for IIc?
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Well, the car picked me up at the hotel as soon as I there for the bridal lunch and I got here about 2:20 and I just left without seeing Dr. D :-( He got held up in the OR and then left and almost made it over and then got called back. Hope whomever he and Dr. Trahan are working on is ok :-) We tried to wait, but I had to leave to get back to the hotel and get ready for the rehearsal dinner and pictures that are 30 before the dinner.
It's ok, Jeanine took additional "close-up" pics to try and see the "ropes" under the skin along with the flat top and my horrible scars. Not many people have the issue I have with the scars, so don't get scared anyone. Jeanine said they will do additional "stuff" now that they know how my body reacts and it'll be great!!!
So, that being said. I'm off to get ready and then the wedding is tomorrow night with tons to do.
Love you ladies!!!!
Chelle0 -
Maggie - try My Fitness Pal. Several of us are friends there and try to keep accountable. It tracks exercise and food consumption. You can adjust the calorie goals and blanace your intake for the program you are using. For example, I was looking for high protein, with balanced carbs and fats and adjusted accordingly (like 40%-30%-30%). My only problem with it is that when you enter exercise it adjusts your calorie allowance (more exercise = more calories allowed) so I usually ignore that part.
Chelle - thank heavens for Jeanine. I know she will share all your concerns with Dr. D. Hope you have a wonderful weekend celebrating in NOLA!
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Hi ladies. I need to know if my experience with the NOLA staff is typical. I can't get Liz to call me back. I sent medical records going on 3 weeks ago and emailed photos Monday. She said the Dr. Would look at them on Tuesday and I still haven't heard anything. I emailed her today.
I have active cancer and don't want to drag this out forever waiting on phone calls. Sorry for the vent. I'm just frustrated.
Sharon0 -
Sharon... I would call back and say just that. And perhaps if you can't get Liz, ask to speak to someone else? Like Laura or Jeanine or Celeste.
Tracy... For my November surgery (and I chose this time frame), Dr D will reshape my left breast, take a little fat away from the outside of the breast and add fat to the middle/outside (next to nipple). He will also revise my scar on the left side where he did the rotational flap. He will also do a little fat grafting to a hollow on the inner right side. Thats it. Nothing to butt or abs. I wanted to wait til November so that it wouldn't interfere with my summer, and also give me plenty of time to heal from stage IIb... I planned it right before Thanksgiving so I can capitalize on the Thanksgiving break and miss less work. So I will miss about 5 days of work. Not bad. And my kids can come home for break and I will be there.
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Betsy...you are amazing...you will be so perfect soon.
I used the washcloth suggestion--70 cc's yesterday and today only 55 so far! Thank you...maybe this drain will be gone next week...I really hope so!
ssla01--sorry you got a bit of run around. I know one of the docs is not in NOLA right now and it sounds like from Chelle's post that it is a little chaotic at the center this week. Hope you get some answers soon...waiting is the pits
Maggie
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Wow, so much to catch up on... so busy here!!!
Sharon:I'm just learning but I think Liz and Dr. D only meet once a week. This happened to me before... I think I asked a question on a Wednesday but I don't think they touched base until the following Tuesday (not sure what time)... and she got back to me Tuesday late evening. Perhaps that isn't accurate but that is what was explained to me.
Mags:I have lost quite a bit of weight... and having been working on it since August. I became a meticulously healthy/clean eater and exercise was key. Green smoothies and tons of kale and spinach. I will say that the weight didn't start coming off more easily until I chose to go Vegan and Gluten Free. Absolutely, nothing processed.... and almost 100% plant based. That combined with hefty exercise has allowed me to release quite a bit of weight. Granted I have the worst metabolism on the planet and it takes an act of God for me to lose 1 lb.
Congrats Betsy! Sounds wonderful for you.
Can anyone answer these questions:
1. Did anyone send their tissue pathology out after NOLA's people reviewed it? And for future reference... who is "their" people. I am thinking of sending it to Hopkins after the look.
2. Will NOLA do Vegan meals? I am sure yes.
3. I asked for approval to fly into NOLA Monday morning instead of Sunday night. My Sunday night flight had me getting in at 10pm or so. If I adjust both my arrival and departure days by one day it will reduce my flight fare and hotel expenses by $750. (thanks a lot Jazz fest). That is huge for me.
- Has anyone flown in for Stage 1 Diep the day of the pre-op? The first flight from our area gets into to NOLA at 9:30am. It has a connection in Atlanta. It has a 93% on time rating.
- I just heard back that they cannot push back my appt with Dr. D any further than 10:30am. Liz says the travel time from airport to facility is 30minutes.
- If I don't make it in time, Dr. D will have to meet with me prior to surgery on Tuesday.
What do you guys think?
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Motherandchild... I had a pre-op appt with Dr D before my stage i but he got held up in surgery, and so we did it the morning of... I also had my stage II pre-op the morning of... so its not that unusual. But you may be a little stressed. With the connection etc. So as long as they are ok with you running late and possibly needing to have pre-op Tuesday am and you are ok with it, then go ahead and save the money. Not sure about the vegan meals.. but they are very accomodating. Don't know who "their" people are. sorry.
Sharon... also, Jeanine (Dr D's nurse) was not at work all last week for a family emergency, so that may have heard up your response as well.
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I would save the money. If you miss the appointment you can meet before surgery. I have met my doc before surgery both times so far. It wasn't planned that way the first time however. It works out just fine and I never felt rushed at all. $750 is a lot of money for me.
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They told me it would be no problem if I would had to do the pre op just before surgery, I thought weather was going to cause me to be late coming in for surgery, but everything went fine.
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Sharon, call. Be persistent. I don't know what goes on in that office, but sometimes, it is hard to get through. I would email, and call, everyday, being nice, but persistent, until someone helped me! Don't take it personally, which can be easier said than done when you in the midst of all this, I know.
Betsy, will add your date.
Russell, I changed your hospital to Fairway. everybody has good things to say about Fairway.
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Hi All,
I am sitting here in my hospital bed at NOLA reading all of your posts. I am feeling pretty good...my surgery was on Wednesday. I had a bilateral phrophylacytic mastectomy with DEIP flap reconstruction. Still swollen and bruised but so glad it is over. Dr. Trahan performed my surgery. I am hoping that everything continues to go well. Any advice for the next couple of days?
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Hi millersj,
Did you have your preop appointment tues morning around 9:30? Just wondering since I heard the name Miller called and I was wondering if that might have been you. I was there for my post op appointment. Dr. Trahan done my surgery the previous Tuesday.0 -
Miller...my only advice is to take it slow and easy...follow docs orders and take your meds
Maggie0 -
Yes that was me! What a coincidence. How are you feeling?
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Feeling good. I would feel better if my hip drains were out, but their suppose to come out Tuesday. I'm glad to be back home. I'd agree with Maggie just take it slow and easy and take all your meds.
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