CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS
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Kim, my lumpectomy was on my left breast on the left edge of my areole so my nipple tilts that way since the chunk of boob was taken out.
But like I said, it's no biggie.
Jo, we'll be watching for your date. I also still don't have feeling on the scar under my arm. But that's no biggie either.
I just think that I have great "battle scars". It's a reminder that cancer touched my breast and I kicked it's butt!!!!!
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Ok thanks for the clarification!
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Onvacation I too was going to say that after my surgery for my partial mastectomy was when my nipple changed pointing directions. They took a big portion of my right breast on the outer side closest to my arm pit and so my nipple pointed towards my armpit. But the radiation (I had 39 treatments) did make it pull and draw more on me. I'm sure it's different for everyone. Just like everyone's breast doesn't shrink from a D to a B (I was a little uneven to start with) but not major noticeable.
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What a night! Tornadoes in my area. I had to grab what was important fast. i grabbed one drawer(something to try to save out of a dozen drawers of my life's work) of my studio paintings rolled it up - it is a part of my life's work. I took my family pictures. I took my novels. And I tried and tried to take my two dogs, but they would NOT go down the stairs, so I put them in their crates for safety. The tornadoes passed over us, thank God. It was a night. I found out what were my priorities in possessions.
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I was very lucky...my tumor was small and in the 3 o'clock position on left breast, so scar is on left side, and almost can't be seen. My BS did a masterful job of putting the breast back together after surgery. It looks the same as the other breast..no size change. Both of my breasts got smaller because I went off the HRT. Guess it will be easier to check them in the future.
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wow! truebff what a night indeed. Glad you are safe & that your stubborn doggies are too.
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truebff...looks like you have power....I am sending you a PM about the weather. Glad it missed you.
Thanks for the good wishes for recovery....I went back to work today after 2 days of not lifting my head off the pillow....long day but feeling better. I work at a college and see hundreds of people daily....strange I have not been sick in many years.
A word to all the new ladies....I know that some things you hear may be things you don't want to know....but many of us in Stage 1 or 2 are having a good recovery with few unpleasant effects.
My lumpectomy recovery was fast - I just rushed it a bit by returning to work in 6 days. I had onctotype score of 13 so I got a few opinions and did not do chemo. My recovery from radiation (Jan 2012) leaves me looking pretty much the same. I healed right away and swelling went down - a little downsizing, but not noticeable. I had retraction of nipples on both sides before diagnosis; but now the BC side is not retracted - probably due to residual swelling...nothing noticeable at all. My life is very "normal" but I have all the emotional fears and concerns that every woman on this thread has.
I didn't mean to go on and on; but sometimes the collective experiences can be a bit much. Each of us has a different response both physically and emotionally. Some of us heal better than others.
One thing for sure, each of us has a story to tell, and this is the best place to share everything that concerns us.
So grateful for all who share and listen here.
Good night to all...
Joan0 -
Joan, just the gal I wanted to see, though you're probably gone for the night already. Just wanted to congratulate you on your 7 or close to it years of non-smoking. You should be very proud!
A day or two ago you mentioned looking at the planets that night & when I read it, I was thinking that I was not the only one that did that. I love, love, love to do that. Love checking the alignment of the planets & waiting for them to show their lovely selves. I am in the country so don't have any city lights to interfer. I have seen the Space Station go over many times; very cool!
Sleep tight, dear friend!
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Val,
Am up...catching up....miss a few days, takes forever :-)
I love the night sky and this spring is such a show - and all free! Sounds like you have ideal conditions for viewing.
I was not expecting any congrats for not smoking...I was off and on during life...teens, stopped for kids, resumed ...stopped, more kids, Strangest thing....I was in my 40s in college and I started smoking socially with other students and it lasted all the way until I got my job. So this last time stopping was big, but pretty easy. I have bad allergies and couldn't breathe so it all had to go. LOL the many people we become.
I hope you escaped the nasty severe weather in MI...kind of early in the season for tornadoes....
I am the earth science geek - mainly geology, but I run a digital planetarium at work.
Guess I shoulda PM'd - sorry so long.
Have a great night...
Joan0 -
truebff: Those tornadoes are very scary. We used to have them every summer in North Texas where I spent time with my cousin's on their farm. I didn't know what was worse, the threat of the tornado, or going down into the root celler where all the scorpions and spiders hung out! I probably would have opted for the crate with the dogs! So glad you are safe!
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I was like Mimi. After the partial MX, the swelling lasted a long time. In fact I told the BS I loved what he had done because it made that side look perkier. But in time the swelling subsided and I noticed the pull towards my arm pit. Then with rads, the pull became even more noticeable. I have had 2 recons and the results are better, but it is still a reminder of the beast.
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TRUEBFF.................so glad your ok...................I get so frightened just watching the news about tornadoes.............I can't imagine experiencing one.............................when I see those people my heart aches for them.......................
Here in Pa. a tornado is rare, but occassionally we will hear of a threat, and honestly I am paralyzed with fear, just at the mention of it.................
I know it comes with the territory, guess that is why I will never leave the Philly area........I'm too friggin scared of "bad weather"............a summer wind storm scares the hell ;out of me.............................just glad your ok....................hugs
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I am 1 year past lumpectomy...........I am still a little swollen (at least I think so), but my BS says I'm in good shape..............sometimes I feel a little tightness too, but for the most part I am ok.................you almost can't see the scars....................my BS did a great job on that......................as Meece said............my surgery side is perkier too..................however I was told by my RO, that the Rads did it...........................she said "we will make you perkier"..........her exact words.......so I think the Rads is what gave us the "uplift", although I would have needed a lot more then 33 treatments to get my boob where it was originally......hahahahaha...........but all in all, I'm doing good...................it all takes time, and I never expected perfection.................................our lives have been changed, and we learn how to deal with it the best we can.......................hugs.
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I'm happy to have my two girls still, even though they may not be as "perky" as they used to be:) If this stuff bothers me again...off with them!! I don't love them that much!
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Kaara................agree with you...........originally, I told my BS at 75, they are friggin decoration, and I would love to be a B cup.........(hell I could lose 10 lbs without an exercise), but he did feel differently, although, he said "its your choice"......................his Asst. actually said to me............."that is a lot of surgery", and I guess with the tumor not being that big, it was (in their opinion), the way to go.
Even the day of surgery, I wasn't sure I had made the right decision, and only time will tell , but so far things seem to be ok........................like I said "we live from mammogram to mammogram".........or whatever your source of "testing" is.....................
It truely is in God's hands..............and I'm not a phenatic. I just think that is the case................when its your time............its your time.................
I began to belive that moreso, when my husband got Pancreatic cancer at 55 years old......he was not a drinker, did not smoke, was in fantastic physical shape, worked in construction, and "young"...............I know people very close to the family, who smoked for years, and just stopped, drank a case of beer on the weekend, and every weekend, out of shape, and ate poorly................they are still here, and 75 to 90 years old................so you tell me.......................I always say...............only one person really knows our fate, and he isnt' telling.............................
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bff how scary with the tornadoes. Glad all is well.
onvacation-my cancer side (left) I have had two lumpectomies 14 years apart and rads. That breast is higher and was smaller than the rt side, even though still swollen. Nipple and areola do not have much color to them any longer as I had a lot of damage during rads and my areola is basicly a scar. Then had to have lumpectomy on rt for a B9 tumor and they took a huge chunk. So now rt side is much smaller than left and my nipple turns outward a little. Having BMX on March 26th as I am sick of BC and treatments.
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In June 2011, I was diagnosed, and had a lumpectomy. I was just wondering if anyone out there worries about a reoccurance of cancer but not in the breast but elsewhere? I was told that if breast cancer were to reoccur it commonly comes back as ovarian or cervical cancer and now I have this on the back of my mind, especially with taking tamoxifen for 5 years.
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Jmland..............I think it will always be in the back of our minds..........................we just have to take 1 day at a time..................and do a lot of praying...........hugs.
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jmland - yes I sometimes think of it, specially since I am triple negative and that has a high reoccurance rate. But they caught mine early and I'm going to kick it to the curb!
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Filter lady- the hospital gave me a wonderful camilsole after my surgery yesterday. You can step into it, it has velcro up the back to open and you has 2 breast forms that you can put in if you want that you can customize yourself. Their site is www.ladiesfirst.com
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jmland: I made a decision when I was dx with bc that I would make diet and lifestyle changes along with the surgery, that could prevent a recurrence. I am also on tamoxifen and taking a lot of supplements. It is what it is, and I'm not going to waste the days I have left on this earth worrying about a recurrence. I am going to get frequent thermograms which can detect suspicious areas in the breast about five years before a mammogram can pick them up. I think this is a wonderful diagnostic tool, even though the conventional doctors don't support it. I will pay out of pocket to have it done for my own self assurance.
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Hi. Thank you all for the kind words of support. It was scary. My husband never flinched though. He came home in THE MIDDLE of it all with a big grin on his face. But we watched the tv and very close to us, just outside of town, it hit hard. Thank God no one was hurt! Afterward, we trained (dragged) both our famous sheepdogs to go down the stairs to the basement. Once they got there, they were fine, but then wouldn't go back up again. We dragged one up and and had to carry the other. So funny. They are half-Border Collie / half-Australian Shepherd bro and sister, two years old. He weighs 90 pounds, she weighs about 60 pounds. Ever try to pick up a dog who is in NOT moving mode? Oh, my back!! Funny thing about the wild weather, it WAS more adventure than being sick by a long shot.
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Truebff - Praise God that you are all ok! That is scary.
Jmland - sometimes it is hard not to think about and then sometimes I don't think about it at all. I agree with Kaara - I am in the process of making lifestyle changes. It is not easy at all to do that though and not cheap.
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Dianarose...thanks for that info. I may decide I need something later.
Jmland....sure I think about cancer being somewhere else but I have the mind set that IF it rears it's ugly head, I'll deal with it the same way I dealt with this breast cancer. I'll kick it's butt!!
Truebff....those tornadoes are scary. I live in east central Mississippi and we got a storm shelter installed on our property after Hurrican Katrina. We've only had to go in it once, thank goodness. At least with hurricanes you get a good advance warning. I was raised in Pascagoula on the coast and my parents live about 5 miles from the beach and got over 3 ft of water in their home. Some people don't realize the power of that water. There is not much warning for those tornadoes!
I just celebrated 9 years of not smoking. It was easy for me to quit when I thought I had lung cancer due to a bad report from pre-op xrays. Turned out I was on the verge of having emphysema. That's all I had to hear, I put them down that day and have not smoked since then. I try not to say never but I will say I hope I won't ever smoke again. I don't intend to!
I too, am trying to lose some weight, exercise more, etc. to try to be healthier and am looking forward to the day that I don't have to worry about my granddaughters being diagnosed with breast cancer.
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Onvacation, you can do it! I am TN and was dx'd in 2003. I'm here to tell you, you can beat this. I only have one more year before my onc says she will cut me loose!
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Sorry I've been off the grid this last week. Just catcing up.
Hawk, congrats on being done with Rads! I started walking this week 1-3 miles everyday. I have officially gained 10lbs since starting chemo! Ugh!!
Truebff, so glad you made it through the storms okay. They were showing some footage on the news today. That was wild.
Welcome to all the new people, sorry you were diagnosed but glad you found this site.0 -
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
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I always thought people lost weight on chemo! Not sure why, just a lot of people I know did lose weight. I will have to be deligent about getting my exercise in and watching my diet. I recently lost 20 pounds before all of this, and do not want to gain it back!
Though in the scheme of things there are worst things than gaining a little weight!
Happy St Patrick's day!
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I lost weight during chemo. I couldn't eat much the week after tx, then I'd eat whatever I could the next weeks so I wouldn't lose too much. I bounced between 135 and 125 each cycle.
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Happy St. Patrick's Day
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Happy St. Patrick's Day!