MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Eli, you do have such the way with words. Journey, I'm glad they helped you
Skype - definitely cool way to stay in touch! I hope your son has an awesome experience while studying abroad (no phonetics allowed there!) Our youngest dd went to Ireland for a semester and really enjoyed/made the most of it. She travelled a lot while there - the school seemed to encourage that with the students from abroad, scheduling classes mainly Tues/Wed/Thurs, so lots of long weekends for travel. I wish the same enjoyment for him.
The #1 thing on my 'to do' list for today was to clean the bathroom. Now it's my #1 thing for tomorrow! Did lots of laundry, changed the sheets (that's not one of my fav things to do) and went food shopping. Somehow when I got done all that and went into the bathroom, I decided that I needed a rest! A beer and some guacamole seemed way more important than cleaning at that point! For better or worse, I feel no guilt whatsover. I wish you all a guilt free weekend
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Marlegal must be the cleaning weekend, I did laundry, washed the bedding, mopped teh floors and then went to a wine and cheese tasting at the only local winery with my son, it was a great afternoon, now I am home enjoying the rest fo my Saturday. Bought some very good Italian cheese, nice flavor.
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journey, Share away. She's a nurse. It's not like an editor will be judging me on number of typos or anything.
marlegal, Similar. Classes M-TH, with 2 regional field trips, a 3rd one to Istanbul; plus they will have regular Spring Break there, so a chance to go further afield. As you know, the whole deal is not cheap, but what a chance of a lifetime, eh? Sounds like you ran out of steam today. Me too. I gave a haircut, then took a 2-mile walk, then had to conk out on the couch. It is going to be a while til I am up to full power. So what? I'm re-popularizing THAT phrase...so what!
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So there I am, 2nd from the right, flashing my awesome eyebrows!!!!
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When the going got tough, I just could not do my usual outreach on here and didn't get around to many threads. So, tonight I was posting to Noobs on those "Just Diagnosed"-type threads.
One woman wrote that she "felt better" after reading my post. I felt helpful, like I "made a defference." Win-win. Fantastic!
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Eli, my first contact with BCO was the chat room and I still go in there on weekends. Nothing gives me more pleasure that meeting a newbie and being to show that 7 yrs later, I'm here and doing great. To be able to answer some of their questions makes it all worthwhile to me. Giving back is an awesome thing. And you, my wonderful cyber friend, do that in spades every single day for dozens of women in here ... know that.
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DianaRose, Your comments on your oncologist's approach caught my eye, as I just squirm when docs treat people like that. I also live in Maine. I agree with the others who urge you to consider finding a new doc who can follow you in an attentive and caring way. You deserve that. With the specific features you are dealing with, it seems almost like malpractice for your Onc to brush you off and be so detached.
All best to you, Mame0 -
Welcome, MameMe! Sorry you had to deal with a second primary. Any big differences between the first and second time around? Other than being more mentaly prepared. (Other than meeting so many other unfortunates on this website now that it exists.) Are you with same Cancer Team?
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Hi Elimar, Thank you for the kind welcome. I think that having a second episode has been Familiar, but it also has given me PTSD and a load of anxiety from the first treatment round in 2003. I had a painful stereotactic biopsy, a lumpectomy, an SNB and excessive swelling and draining for about a month afterwards. I finished rads with the usual unpleasant skin effects, then declined Tamoxifen, said goodbye to the med. onc that I met with once, and never looked back. I threw myself into several goals that were, "Someday, maybe's", like grad school, and a long distance hike with my sister.
I have been working as much as I can to pay off the school loans and to build up some savings eventually. When I learned I had this tumor in the contralateral side, I was very chill at first. As I got closer to treatment, I got very tense and just felt like RUNNING when it was time to meet with a provider. The radialogist, the bc navigator, the surgeon and the rad onc were triggers to me at a very deep level. I felt nuts, as on the surface I was not that upset.
I chose a completely different tx team and am glad I had that chance. Everyone was just lovely, and could not have been kinder or more professional. I just hated being in that role of cancer patient again. This team is located much closer to my home and work than the other group.
I am just now going back to work after having surgery on 1/15, which is longer than I wanted to be out. It took all of ten days for things to knit together and calm down where the incisions were, enough so that I can do my life without constantly being reminded of having just had breast surgery. As my neice reminded me, I am ten years older and that does affect healing time. : )
Not to be too repetitive, but my next step is to make a decision about cost/benefit of rads and anti-estrogen meds. I lean toward declining both, as I have fam. hx of heart disease and osteoporosis. I SO want my next decades to be vital and healthy. Hopefully a consult with the med. onc. at the hospital here will help sort this out. Last time it was having a stage 2 cancer that pushed me toward accepting rads. This time, the stage is a 1, but the grade is a 2. Have yet to see final path report, tho, which may influence that.
All best to you, and I look forward to following this most engaging thread!0 -
welcome MameMe. Don't think I've seen you before. Good luck with your up-coming radiation!
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Welcome MameMe - sorry that you are having to go through all of this again. Best of luck with your decision making. It is never easy, but it sounds like you are on track as far as knowing what is best for you.
Come back often and let us know how you make out with your onc appt.
Here is some great inspiration for a Monday morning. Shared from Ann's fb page. Happy Monday everyone!
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Good luck MameMe with your decisions, hopefully no additional treatments will be needed.
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LOL! As someone who's just finished rads to that area, I found the glowworm jingle hi-larious!!!!!! Surely mine is glowing now!
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Hi to Eph, Barsco and Butterfly, I am on lunch break at work, first day back after 2 weeks off. So far, so good. I was pretty anxious all night, despite my efforts to calm myself, as my work calls for lots of mental and physical energy, and I am JUST getting that back. It helped to have several staff members welcome me, and for the boss to ask me how I was holding up just now.
It was great to hear from you all in the same sort of way. In reading thru some of the forums on this list, I feel the most comradeship with this one. I really want to be a wise consumer of health care and not reject standard care automatically, nor accept anything that has potentially damaging side effects without knowing the real risks I might be running.
It's warming up a bit in Mid Coast Maine, after a deep freeze in which we went through a LOT of firewood. Nothing like a wood stove in a small living room on a cold night for major comfort!
Nice to be out driving and in the world again. During recovery it is hard to imagine functioning relatively normally again. Warm wishes to all, Mame0 -
LOL Eli - I never thought of that. I'm sure JoC and her Dragon's breath can relate as well.
Hope you both are healing more each and every day.
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Welcome MameMe I hope you continue to heal and make decisions that are best for you.
I agree I did think of Elimar when I read about the glow worm, I know warped sense of humor!!
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Hi Ladies i have a problem i hope someone can help me with. I had a lumpectomy a year ago, now i have a seroma 2cm that has become painful any suggestions for uncomfortable pain
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Mame, it sounds like you have a good handle on things, and I'm really glad that you're happy with your team. All my best to you.
Loved the glow worm!!!
Ducky, have you seen your doctor yet? I think that is the first thing I'd do. I personally never had a seroma so I can't offer suggestions for pain relief. Good luck.0 -
Marlegal, thxs for the reply i did see the dr she is keeping a close look on it really dont want it drained tyenol will be my friend
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I had a seroma after my mx twice, doc drained them, it didnt hurt at all to have them drained.
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Welcome, MameMe! When I read about your bad stereotactic biopsy it sent chills up my spine. I've had the ultra-sound guided biopsy, too. That was almost relaxing. The stereotactic lasted 40 minutes and I was silently sobbing the whole time. Ugh, the things we have to do!
When I was in college, we had a small living room with a wood-burning stove. I knew nothing about them - I was roughing it during the hippie days. That stove was the most marvelous heating device I've ever seen, even to this day. Of course, the most pleasant part was watching my sculpted boyfriend swinging that axe to chop up kindling and firewood for the night.... ahhh, sweet memories.
Oh, Eli! What a perfect song for you! The Mills Brothers "Glow Worm":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WuZ3zV_w4Y"shine little glow worm, glimmer, glimmer, shine little glow worm, glimmer, glimmer"..."Light the path below, above and lead us on to love." Take it, Eli!
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Oh, heartnsoul, I loved the song! What a great start to the day! My husband got a chuckle out of it, too. With Barsco's poem, why, its a virtual tidal wave of silly sweetness! The wood stove is the ideal winter companion in a cold climate. We have a small salt box house that we built in the '70's, when we WERE pretty alternatively oriented. Now, we are just economical rural types with a taste for books.
My revised path report came in yesterday, with proliferation rate info. "Mib-1 proliferation index: High" Does that have any bearing on treatment decisions?
Time to get that oncologist appointment set up. I need a good advocate for making a tx plan that really fits my situation, age, preferences.
One work day down, three to go, then I can sleep all day on Friday if needed. I held up pretty well, tho, yesterday, so may not need to collapse over the weekend. It would be more fun to go see friends or go shopping, actually. Nothing like a clearance sale at a few choice vendors to take the mind off mortality...!
(((hugs))) to all, Mame0 -
ducky9, wecome! As you have heard, fraining a seroma is not really painful, but the release of the fluid pressure provides almost immediate relief. I'd have it done myself.
Rdunner, Thanks for joining in to help out on that question. Wow! You have a lot of Dx lines. Usually we just go with the "biggest" of the masses (which is the one that ends up determining treatment anyway.) I will say this, IF you have DCIS, it would be Stage 0 automatically. This is because, regardles of size of area, until it mutates further into IDC, it lacks the ability to spread. For a small amount of DCIS like you had, it is not neccessary to include that in your Dx. Why? Because probably half the women here with IDC also had some component of DCIS alongside it. I had about 5%. Unles it was an "extensive component" it does not make much difference by being there. So, tell us, is that all in one breast or both? Did you do BiMX? Getting recon or no?
HnS76, "glimmer, glimmer"... I've changed the top pic today in honor of the song.
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Eli, Love the jitter bugs!
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I am going to wear out my welcome at this rate, but here goes. Just after I wrote to you folks this morning, I got a call from the social worker who coordinates cancer care at the small hospital where I am being seen. She had an onc appointment for me and was able to tell me that hte onc has ordered an Oncotype test, so I need to wait for those results which take about ten days. I am glad to have that settled, and to have a week of no appointments coming up. The appt. on 2/12 will hopefully give me a better handle on what to do next.
Glow Worm ran around in the back of my mind all day!
Best, Mame0 -
Haha, Elimar! Don't know where glitter came from. Hope the song put a little rhythm in your rumba.
Life seemed so glamorous then!
Mame - A week of no appointments- how nice! Hope the Oncotype number comes back good and low! So glad you and your hubby enjoyed the song! It's been in my head all day, too!
I looked it up because we used to sing a few words when we were kids but I never knew the rest. Such a catchy little diddy! Can't you see our parents dancing to that when they were young? We have the neatest picture of my parents looking like movie stars sitting in a nightclub in the 50's with the heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey.0 -
I can't keep up with all the comings and goings around here, but seems like we haven't heard from Barbe1958 in a while. Are you doing o.k. Barbe?
When I don't see someone posting for a while, I don't really worry too much...I usually think they are off doing other things, but sometimes I wish that some ladies from way back would just reappear at some point to say how great and non-cancery their lives are going now. So anyone thinking of moving on, don't think you have to get cancer all over again to come back and say "hello" every once in a while.
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Yes Barb....I can relate to the glow worm as well LOL! Had my Abraxane & hercepton yesterday and the dragon came 6x....3 of those times I managed only 1 step away from the magic bowl. Took 8 Imodiums.....
So far today, ssssshhhhhhh...haven't seen the dragon's breath yet....so tip toeing, my sis is bringing me for a follow up with my breast surgeon....the one that didn't have the balls to tell my hubby and I that I had liver mets. So arrogant that she wanted to save face as she poo pooed me prior to surgery with only 7mm IDC and DCIS at the time...I have my 10 page path report now....10 pages for 1 boob! I'd like to hex her!0 -
Oops, lost most my hair, have to update my pic. Xoxox
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JoC, Was thinking about you...and if you ever did find out about that certain nodule that was giving you trouble? Wish you the best in handling those awful S/Es. Besides Imodium, they gave me Lowmotil, for dragon control but the dragon showed up daily for a while, with its blood-curdling dragon moan. (Oh wait, that might have been me.)
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