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NOLA in September?

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Comments

  • Cherrie
    Cherrie Member Posts: 921
    edited September 2013

    Thanks Marty, I am doing well. Bruising is major, but I am in very little pain. I walked 1.6 miles each of the last two days. My struggles are laying on my back for two weeks of sleeping and a mind boggling 6 mo. of surgical compression. These are minor compared to what some girls go through. I have been lucky to heal rather fast. We must get together to celebrate when you are done. We started and pretty much ended this journey together.



    Klanders is right! Stage two is a whole different ball game compared to that first surgery. You will be pleasantly surprised. 👍👍

  • denouement
    denouement Member Posts: 190
    edited September 2013

    Thanks all, this has been really tough on my family.  My cousin and I both found out we were BRCA+ 2.5 years ago.  We both had scans right away and mine showed up suspicious while hers were clear.  I choose to have prophylactic surgery and she choose survellience.  Fast forward to 7 weeks ago and she has very aggressive cancer - it's been a huge shock to the family, she's only 36.  And she is having an especially tough time, in the form of daily panic attacks.  The whole family is pulling together to make sure she is well taken care of, I'm just hoping since I recommended NOLA that nothing goes wrong, I would feel so guilty if her experience is less than fantastic :-(

    Pat - let's stay in touch, maybe we can meet up down there!  Who is Dr. Furhman?  I just heard Katie left, what a bummer.  Everything is changing, please tell me they still have the slushy machines :-)

  • Pattysmiles
    Pattysmiles Member Posts: 147
    edited September 2013

    Dana, are you staying at hope lodge? Our paths would cross there. I am checking in on the 30thand go into the hospital on the 2nd for surgery.

    Dr. Furhman (so?) is the breast surgeon for the mastectomy. (Was supposed to be doctor Stollier? But dr, furhman takes my insurance, so I lucked out there!)



    Katie was very sweet to the very last day she worked to the end (I have a 6:05 email from her!)



    Pat

  • denouement
    denouement Member Posts: 190
    edited September 2013

    Hi Pat, we have 4 family members coming down so too many for Hope Lodge, we are staying at my old stomping grounds, the homewood suites. :-)  I will be in late on Sunday and checking my cousin out of the center on Monday.  She has her post op on Thursday 10/3 so you would still be at the hospital post surgery - if you are feeling up to it I'll pop in for a quick hello. 

    Aw, I miss Katie already!  I did get a chance to talk to Carly who is helping now with car transfers and she was super sweet! 

  • Pattysmiles
    Pattysmiles Member Posts: 147
    edited September 2013

    Dana...we will be at Homewood suites on Saturday night and Sunday night, then moving into hope lodge!

    I will PM my info...maybe we can meet for a quick hello. (Which would include alcohol if you drink! Lol)

    Pat

  • Jane123
    Jane123 Member Posts: 198
    edited September 2013

    I am humbly asking you all for prayers, etc.  I had a total hyst/ooph 11/11 after finding out I am BRCA2+.  Then PBM with recon at NOLA 2/12 & 11/12.  I joked that I am done with medical stuff because you cannot remove your skin! (BRCA has a small increased risk of melanoma - but none in my family that I know of, just LOTS of breast cancer).  I had my last skin check 12/12 and all was fine.  Well, I had a wierd red spot (that appeared on my abdoment four months ago and has hung around) biopsied a week ago and found out today that the local hospital lab has now sent the tissue to Univ of San Fran Med Center to be sure of the finding.  I know it is probably nothing, but man, I just do not want this.  So, if you can say a prayer...I would appreciate it!  

  • Pattysmiles
    Pattysmiles Member Posts: 147
    edited September 2013

    My prayers are with you Jane.

  • Cherrie
    Cherrie Member Posts: 921
    edited September 2013

    🙏🙏🙏🙏For Pat!!

  • Cherrie
    Cherrie Member Posts: 921
    edited September 2013

    🙏🙏🙏I mean Jane!

  • Cherrie
    Cherrie Member Posts: 921
    edited September 2013

    I mean Jane!!!!🙏🙏🙏🙏

  • klanders
    klanders Member Posts: 152
    edited September 2013

    Praying too, Jane!

  • motherandchild5
    motherandchild5 Member Posts: 111
    edited September 2013

    Good morning Ladies...

    I'm all marked up... and look like a member of the blue man group... or a smurf.  Good thing I don't have too much of a complex about being  overweight or I might feel really bad about myself... lol.  I love Dr. D.... just love him.  What a kind and caring doc.  See you all on the other side.

    xxoo

  • Pattysmiles
    Pattysmiles Member Posts: 147
    edited September 2013

    Motherandchild...wishing you all the best!



    I am scheduled for next Wednesday (I have pm'd to be added to the list, hasn't happened)



    Today I woke up with a drippy nose....so here comes the cold.

    I started Zicam cold tablets, added vitamin C to my daily list of vitamins, any other recommendations. This sucks. Usually I don't get a "simple" cold...I usually wind up with a chest infection. Ugh!



    Pat

  • MartyJ
    MartyJ Member Posts: 819
    edited September 2013

    Mother - have a wonderful rest today!

    Pat - so hoping that this is more allergy than cold - the pollen, maybe?

  • Jane123
    Jane123 Member Posts: 198
    edited September 2013

    Thanks, Pat, Cherrie, and Klanders!  Peace, Tamara (Jane)

  • chellehump
    chellehump Member Posts: 374
    edited September 2013

    Thinking and praying for you Mother :-) Rest well

    Jane, you are in my thoughts and prayers!!!

    Audrella, hope you are doing well my dear!!! Hugs!!!

    Pat, Spring hasn't been on in awhile and that's who adds people. Hoping its just a simple cold or allergies.

    Hugs to you all!!!!

    Chelle

  • MartyJ
    MartyJ Member Posts: 819
    edited September 2013

    Jane - I really hope this is a nothing.  I am thinking about you.

  • Russell1
    Russell1 Member Posts: 413
    edited September 2013

    Thinking of you Jane and praying!

  • harmonysun
    harmonysun Member Posts: 62
    edited September 2013

    hi lovely ladies....i havent been on in quite awhile and have a lot of catching up to do...hope all are doing well....i hope someone has some input on something.....i am 1 year out from bilat gap....never finished because of a problem with one flap and not sure what to do....well, anyways, that breast with the hardish type flap, i am suddenly feeling quite a hard lump a the top outer part...seems different than the rest and i am trying to stay calm and not panic....i am 5 years out from bilat mast.....i will make an appt with my breast surgeon...but meanwhile....i just keep touching it and thinking what it could be...i know fat necrosis, but how do i know.....

  • MartyJ
    MartyJ Member Posts: 819
    edited September 2013

    Harmony - have you called Dr. M?  I believe she might be in Chicago now.  She would probably know faster than a BS what the problem might be.  Or would calling her be a problem?

  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 3,192
    edited September 2013

    Harmony... Has it been hard all along? Or is this new?

  • lastar
    lastar Member Posts: 553
    edited September 2013

    Hi, Harmonysun - the same thing happened to me last month. I noticed some new little hard lumps along the top of my flap and up on the chest wall on the side with necrosis. I already had a plan to visit NOLA to see Dr D, so I had an MRI and also made an appt to see Dr Stolier. He determined that they are just oil deposits from the necrosis. It was a huge relief to verify with him. Of course, you should follow up with your onc, but DR Stolier warned that local docs will not know how to interpret the imaging. The radiologist who reviewed my MRI thought the skin thickening was IBC when it was really skin on a breast that has shrunk from the necrosis. How bad is your necrosis?

  • Del11
    Del11 Member Posts: 398
    edited September 2013

    I'm not an expert so take this with a grain of salt... based on my experience, it could be fluid and inflammation developing around an area of necrosis. A lot of my hardness in the flap that eventually failed was fluid-filled cysts (or maybe just one big one) that ended up being liquefactive necrosis--the necrosis tissue liquefying. My body eventually drained or absorbed that fluid.

    Given your bc history I think you have to have it looked at, but it could very well be related to necrosis. Probably not new necrosis this far out, but it could be some kind of inflammatory process related to necrosis that was already there.

    P.S. It can be really hard to tell what it is without at least an ultrasound. Even then, it's not always clear. 

  • Jane123
    Jane123 Member Posts: 198
    edited September 2013

    Harmonysun,  Re: breast lumps (mine were post stage 2).  I had an ultrasound and found the hard spots were lumps of fat.  They have since disappeared.  Hoping the same is what you are experiencing.  I am sorry you are going through this.  Peace, Tamara

  • Barbmal5
    Barbmal5 Member Posts: 76
    edited September 2013

    Tamara, added you to my prayer list. Try to keep busy. It's the waiting that gets us.



    Hope all the September people are doing well.

  • besa
    besa Member Posts: 289
    edited September 2013

    Harmonysun-I just found a small lump on my prophylactic GAP side - just under the surface. It has been over a year post stage II.  I have had imaging all along with no mention of a problem and of course I couldn't feel this until now.  Just saw a new breast surgeon and a new (very experienced) radiologist.  The consensus after a new mammogram and two sonograms is that this is a small area of fat necrosis - birads 3.  They did not want to do a biopsy but will follow me closely for the next six months.  I was told that fat necrosis (I am assuming from lipo and fat transfer) can take a year to form.  The radiologist told me that it takes some time for fat necrosis to calcify and before that happens the imaging can be more difficult to interpret- I think part of the reason for following me for 6 months.   

  • Russell1
    Russell1 Member Posts: 413
    edited September 2013

    I have a MRI scheduled for Dec. I am freaked out about them reading it because of all the things that can be found from flap surgeries.

    Hope it's nothing Harmony!!!!

    Audrella where are you? Anxious to hear from you sweet friend!

    I am having a consult for bunion surgery on Monday. Want to get this over with. Just found out Blueshield is getting rid of my healthcare plan!!! I have met my out of pockets, so this would be 100% covered. Anyone else losing their plan due to this Obamacare? Makes me nervous. My hubby has his own business and we were not grandfathered in so we have to pick something else. I want to stay PPO. Any suggestions on other companies to go with? Any else have bunion surgery? Ugh!! Another 6 week off my feet thing!!!!!

  • cider8
    cider8 Member Posts: 472
    edited September 2013

    I do want to share that I've had MRI's both locally and at MDA and I've not had problems with them reading the MRIs accurately.

  • Pattysmiles
    Pattysmiles Member Posts: 147
    edited September 2013

    I am at the airport awaiting my flight to NOLA.

    Big breath. I set my motherin law up as best as I could.

    Next step , surgery Wednesday. In the interim I plan to check out the area.

    Pat

  • Russell1
    Russell1 Member Posts: 413
    edited September 2013

    That's good to hear Cider! Eases my mind:)

    Good luck Pattysmiles💗💗

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