MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Jbokland: HOW exciting!! Keep us posted!!
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Pretty cool news today. First I have been fighting for disability for over a year for depression, ADHD and anxiety. I went to court 2 months ago and I finally got my judgment saying I get it with nearly 2 years of back pay.
Then the local school called and said that next week is their annual pink out for breast cancer awareness. They give a portion of the proceeds from selling t shirts and a ball game to help one person with BC. Its usually someone they don't know but this year they are giving it to me. Its times like this that its nice to live in a small town (500 in the school pre-12th) People all know each other and pull together w there is a crisis.
And its a week after chemo so i feel great.
Anyway its been a great day.
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Great news, justamy!!!0 -
Hello all. I am new to the forum, so please be patient as I learn my way around!
I need help, advice, information.... the whole caboodle! I am looking for information about re-routing the lymphatic fluids after mastectomy. My double mastectomy was in April 2014, with complete Axillary Lymphectomy. I do not have lymphedema in my arm, I have a different issue, that I cannot find ANY information on. My lymphatic fluids are dumping into the chest cavity where my breasts USED to be. It builds up and is quite painful. I have had six surgeries since April for them to "expel" the fluids. They are finally sending me to a Lymphedema therapist next week. But from what I've read this technique is only effective 50% of the time.
I cannot heal as long as the fluids continue to dump. There has to be some information somewhere out there. I am lost and confused and desperately seeking information.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this or any information you might be able to share.
ilytib
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omg, ilytib. thats awful! are they sure that it is lymphedema? it could be a seroma, in which case, i have never heard of a surgery being able to fix either one. i know that there is a thread somewhere on here where some of the women did do a node transfer from another part of their body, but i am not sure quite where to find it. if you use the search function to the left and type in lymph node transfer, something will show up. look for binney's name or kira, they may be able to direct you very well, and there are other ladies too, i just cant remember the names right now. after your surgery, did you wear that kind of elastic and velcro sort of tube top? to keep fluids from collecting? is there a therapist there that is trained in lymphatics that you could see about? i am wondering what kind of surgery they did, to fix it...that didn't work. i am so sorry, that does sound painful, and it can be dangerous also to have those protein-rich fluids collecting anywhere on your body. wishing you the best, and hope you find the help yu need.
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ily. If it is LE, you need to be evaluated by PT who specializes inLE. There are specific self massages you can go to help move the fluid. I do them and they are very effective when done correctly.
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ily - there are several very good LE threads on bco.org. You can search the topic. In addition here is a link to the LE site that most of the ladies here recommend. Good luck.
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ilytib: please head over to the lymphedema forum and ask your questions there. A lot of very knowledgable women post over there and I hope someone will have some ideas for you.0 -
Thank you all for the replies. I apologize for posting in the wrong place, I haven't learned to navigate in here yet! I appreciate the input, I have felt very helpless and alone with all this going on. No one I've talked with has ever heard of such an instance, and I couldn't find anything on the web. I have to admit, I'm scared. I will try to navigate to where I should be, so very sorry for the mis-posting.
ilytib
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ilytib, No apologies necessary! These ladies are so kind and helpful. It sounds like you have a unique and terrible problem. I hope you get some help on the lymphedema thread (I saw you found it) and a solution from your doctors.
JustAmy, I am so happy for you after all you have been through!
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ilytib-not the wrong thread at all. Questions are our specialty! Hope that you get some answers soon.
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Homemom, interesting that they said that about soy. I am curious though, how is soy in "everything." I can't think of any food I eat that has soy in it, other than soy sauce.
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Hello ladies
This is my 1st post so please bare with me. I was a member of the site some time ago, but lost contact details: Email etc, so this is a brand new profile (not that I participated much In the past, everyone seems so much more eloquent and this makes me shy)
I'm 47 years young, and was diagnosed with grade 1, stage 1 IDC in the left breast in 2010. I had 2 lumpectomies, radiotherapy and was prescribed tamoxifen. I had awful side effects from the tamoxifen so after much soul searching I stopped taking it after a year.
Fast forward to May this year, I found a lump right by the scarline of my lumpectomy. Unfortunately this turned out to be a recurrence, though at grade 2 this time. I have since had a double mastectomy with no reconstruction and am getting monthly zolodex shots so I'm able to take arimidex. An oophorectomy is in my near future.
I am currently awaiting an appointment for an MRI as a recent bone scan showed a suspicious spot on my right hip. More waiting and wondering!
Anyway as I said, this is my 1st post so apologies if its in the wrong place, and I do hope you're able to decipher my somewhat disjointed babbling. I hope to become confident enough to post often as I have read lots of threads on the site in the past and its clear that the support and information here is second to none.
I hope everyone is having as good a day/night as possible
I'm in the UK btw..
Hugs.. W xx
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Hi Wambles,
Sorry you found yourself back in BCO.
You don't need to feel shy in posting at all, the members here are kind and helpful so we hope you feel comfortable in coming here often :-)
You might like to check out the Recurrence Forum as another possible place to connect with others.
Keep us posted on your journey
Kind healing thoughts to you
From the mods
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ilytib: No apologies needed! We just wanted to steer you to the best place for answers. I have lymphedema myself,but have only had it a few months. I'm no "expert", but there are many ladies on the lymphedema forum who, sadly, are "experts" and have helped me greatly! So I hope they will help you out too.wambles: welcome to our gang,, so sorry for your recurrence. Cancer sucks! Waiting for tests sucks!! ((HUGS))
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Wambles, please join in, don't be shy. I am so sorry you are dealing with this crap.
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Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.. I'll get there eventually, new sites can be overwhelming, at least they are for me. I also suffer from social phobia, which not so much a problem online, it does make it more difficult to interact with others. I promise to try my hardest..
W xx
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It's ok to just read if you want,,, pop in when you want and say HI. We do understand. I'm having a hysterectomy, ovaries and all on Monday,, so I'll probably be gone for a few days. Be back when I can. Right now, house cleaning in preparation for post op recovery time. I'm sure I'll be restricted from vacuuming for months afterwards. **chortle**0 -
Ladies, ladies, ladies: You all bring joy to my heart.
I told you that although I am now of a mind to wander off(*) to less cancer-y portions of the world, that I would peek back in on occasion. I am so pleased to see that Newbies are being properly welcomed (not just by the Mods--ahem!) and that a great deal of info., support, and sharing is taking place, as usual. Also, extremely satisfied NOT to read mundane accounts of nationwide weather. Well done and carry on!
jbok, Hope to catch your Sassy Head on the Today Show one day soon.
justamy, I applaud your tenacity to stick to it and get those disability benefits that you deserve. Also nice that you received an outpouring of community support. Beautiful icing on the cake!
(*) And when I say "wander off" you better believe that I just crossed off states #49 and #50, and have now been to every single state in the U.S. Not quite by age 50, but when you get waylaid by BC sometimes you get off schedule. Whatever! Get back on track, I say. Which states were my last ones, you wonder? Well, they were GA and SC, and the historic occasion is marked by the photo below. Enjoy yet another "self-portrait." I really think I have revealed a lot of myself in this one. Ahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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lol; eli, I "see" you!
well done on the all 50 states. That is something I would like to care of soon, too. Are the light houses from your recent travels?
glennie, good luck (I am not sure if that is what I mean?) I mean, the doctors should not need luck to do their job, they should have skill. I guess I mean good healing!!! (and I would milk that not vacuum thing myself, too)
Oh ily, and wambles, you do not have to apologize. We were all new once and overwhelmed. Just chime right in, and even tho we are very vulnerable at the beginning most people here want to help you so try not to take offence if someone comes off sounding strong or overly strident. Keep asking questions and searching for the answers you need.
I have to have an excisional biopsy on a spot on my back on Tuesday. We're praying for Basal Cell. Just one more thing to deal with.
But I am also picking up my new car that day. My first ever brand new car!!!! So my DD gets to drive it first.
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elimar: Congrats on hitting all 50 states!! I accomplished that goal last year right after diagnosis and before the MX. North Dakota was my last state.macatacmv: Thank you for your well wishes! I do have faith in my GYN as she is a skilled surgeon. I'll be popping back on as soon as i have recovered enough to hit the computer again.
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Glennie - best wishes for an uneventful and successful surgery on Monday with a speedy recovery! I've had my uterus and left ovary removed in the past and am wondering if now the right one should go. My husband talked me into getting a robotic vacuum last year and it is GREAT! You should get one of those and be done with vacuuming forever!!
ilytib and wambles - I just started posting here, too...lot of nice ladies here! ilytib - I hope you can find some answers regarding your lymphedema and wambles - good luck with your upcoming MRI.
macatacmv - good luck with your biopsy on Tuesday and enjoy that new car!! What kind are you getting?
I guess I need to find a nice picture for my profile...maybe I will do one of my cute little Chugg, Dixie! Let me see if I can figure out how to do that
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Welcome ilytib and wambles. Although it sucks to have new members (due to the crappy reason we are all here) it is good to find somewhere that you can just ask any question, share any experience, laugh, cry, and just be you. There is only support, encouragement and caring to be found here. You will find that some middies are regular posters and others (like myself) are avid readers with the odd post every now and then. We are all here for each other regardless.
macatac - fingers will be crossed for you on Tuesday. Will also jump in your pocket to hang out for a while. May even stay for a ride in that new car! Love that new car smell!
glennie - wishing you an uneventful surgery with quick recovery. Wear big pockets so that we can all jump in with you as well.
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Eli - Good to "see" you - so glad that you are out there enjoying yourself and seeing the country!
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Thanks for the well wishes everyone. Carrying a big bag for you all !Mac: neglected to wish you well for Tues and hope for a Basal cell. Better yet,, nothing! And oooo, new car!! Sweet!
Mel: Dixie is very cute! Great job with figuring out the avatar.
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mac, Yup, lighthouse pics are from Tybee Is., Hunting Is., and Sullivan's Is. I know some folks are real afficionados. Not me, but I photographed them just the same. Having just returned from some beaches, I have to admit the sun is no longer a friend to my skin. I have the brown pigments and the white lack of pigments showing up in recent years...all sun damage. So far, nothing with malignancy. I will hope that your procedure on Tues. will be the remedy for your "spot." (BTW, I was told that everyone along that low country coastal region has their own dermatologists they see regularly. Comes with that beach lifestyle, I guess.)
Also, best of luck with surgery, glennie19! Is it laparoscopic (with or without robot?) The healing is not too bad when you just get those smaller incisions. I hope you are able to have that, and that healing is swift and uneventful. You still get a pass on the housework for a good long time, regardless. As a Middie, you automatically get a manservant sent your way to help out with all those chores while you rest up and recover. Will this one do?
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OOOOOO, my own manservant??? Thanks, Elimar!!!It is a robotic lap. HX,, plan is that I'll go home the same day. First a drive-by MX now a drive-by HX,, what is the world coming to?? LOL. Friends are always amazed that I don't have to stay in the hospital.
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Glennie - you've had so much great advice from experts - especially about the LE issues. Just my two cents... I always make anesthesia do the line in my foot BEFORE they give me anything to deaden my senses. In fact, after one bad experience w/anesthesia trying to start the line, I now ask for the charge nurse or Pre-Op supervisor to start the line. Writing on your arm is good. Pink bracelets are good. Knowing the line is already started in your foot is a winner!!! Hope all goes well.
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Good morning all!! (its 5.45am here in the UK, uurrgh)
First of all, thankyou for the replies and welcomes. I'm not savvy enough to remember individual names just yet but I appreciate each and every one, thankyou!!
I'm now posting on 2 threads, go me! Before long I'll be a posting veteran like most of you..
Aside from my newbie status, I have the added hiccup of not owning a PC or laptop, so all my posting is done via my mobi, which is also brand new. No, I've not yet worked out all the features so I'm afraid my posts will be extremely basic compared to others. Technology has never been my strong point. Haha.
To the lady having a hysterectomy and ooph (soooo sorry, I cant go back and check for names just yet) I wish u all the luck in the world and rapid rapid healing. All these procedures and surgeries just never seem to end. My MRI is scheduled for Oct 6 and I'm kinda nervous. Have heard its deafening!!.
Hope everyone is having good days/nights and thankyou once again for the well wishes
Hugs W xx
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okay, I gotta ask. mel, what is a chug? Chihuahua / pug? Very cute, whatever she is. Is she full size?
yep, eli, I have my own dermatologist that wants to see me every 6 months. Esp after the rads tx. I grew up in FL and then did a lot of sailing when I was younger. We figure whatever it is we catch it early. But this grew pretty fast.
must be a sad day for eph. George is married off, but still great to look at!
I'm getting a new subaru outback. I've had them for years and years now. I'm trading in my 2008 model. They work really well in our climate and road conditions. Also my "labox" fits in the cargo area in the back very nicely. she is 65 lbs of excitable, happy dog. She accumulates mud, drool and sand perfectly.
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