CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS

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  • tinat
    tinat Member Posts: 2,235
    edited September 2012

    justegan - Glad you found this thread.  I'm sorry for anyone who has to deal with all of this, so sorry for you at such a young age.  Some days this thread is serious, sometimes silly, but always supportive.  It's OK to come here and whine if you need to, we all get it!

    It's all rather confusing at the beginning as we crash course our way into a whole new world.  Once all your results are in and your treatment plan is in place it will get a bit easier.  So, chemo will depend on the Onotype results even though you had positive nodes?  Initially, the Oncotype wasn't used for node-positive women, but I realize that it is now so things have changed even in the 1-1/2 years since my diagnosis.

    How are you doing with the tissue expanders?  I hope you're tolerating things well and not too uncomfortable.  You might read on the TE threads from women who are having difficulties, but try to remember that many who breeze through simply don't write about it. 

    Best wishes!

  • joan811
    joan811 Member Posts: 1,981
    edited September 2012
    Mini, when I first came to BC.org, I kept checking the glossary for all those acronyms.  It would drive me crazy at first.  Unfortunately, we get used to it all.
    Justine, It sounds like your BC was found pretty early.  I hope and pray you will never see BC again after this.  You have a long and beautiful life ahead and I am glad that you are planning for the future.  Sending hugs and prayers your way.
    Joan
  • justegan
    justegan Member Posts: 27
    edited September 2012
    Purple32,
    Thanks for the welcome! I'm still waiting on the results which is nervewracking but I have been trying to not think about it.

    Mini1,
    You can never sound stupid on here. I know there has been enough times where I missed an acronym or two lol. And BMX you would think it would just be BM or BMS since you spell bilateral mastectomy with an m and s haha!

    TinaT,
    Thank you for your kind words...I have accepted that in the life of BC there are moments of complete seriousness, sadness, and then there are times of humor.

    Well actually it is difficult to explain I suppose. I should probably change that setting under my diagnosis. I "technically" do not have positive nodes...however they are not cancer free. They have what are called isolated tumor cells within the lymphnode(s)...so I still have cancer just not on the whole lymphnode(s) tested. That is the reason for the oncotype test.

    Honestly, they aren't that bad. Some days I get random sharp pains, but not all of the time. The worst part is having to sleep on my back. Last night was the first time I was able to kind of sleep on my side =). I try to stay away from the TE threads with women having difficulties as I find that will make me paranoid. I read one posting once and I was like "nope this is freaking me out". I know the signs I need to watch out for with regards to infection...so I am just going to do that haha.

    Thanks for your support Tina, I appreciate it. Many hugs to you <3

    Joan811,
    Yes, my cancer was found quite early. After the BMX, my margins were clear. Now I only have those pesky isolated tumor cells to worry about lol. Thank you for your kind words Joan <3

  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2012

    I had decided early on that I was going to get a small tattoo after radiation. I thought a lot about what I wanted. No ribbon or anyting like like that, not a rminder of cancer, but a smal reminder of what I am capable of and what I can continue to do for those times when things get overwhelming. I was leaning toward a bible verse I like, but then I came across the Chinese symbol for crisis which literally means danger or peril meets opportunity. That symbol is going to be my reminder. I may be facing peril, but I have an opportunity to use what is not in my control to help others, to crusade for cure, to share knowledge, etc. In other words, I have an opportunity, and while I don't have control over my cancer, I do have control how I choose to live the remainder of my life. And let's face it, cancer may put the possibility of death right up in our faces, but I have been to the funerals of several friends and even the children of friends that were much younger than I am and they had nothing to do with cancer. None of us has any guarentee on how long we have here on earth, so I am going to take my "crisis" and do the best I can with what I have to work with, both good and bad. And when you think about it, isn't that what everyone should do all the time, young or old?

  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2012

    Hi new to this thread and I was also thinking if a tattoo. My 20 year old nephew past away in june after a car accident and the day before the accident he tweeted..... You're here, you're alive, be happy. I am going to have that as my tatto in honor of him and remember how true it is!!! God bless everyone😄

  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2012
    Welcome Dakota212! We're all here trying to work it out together. Smile
  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2012

    Mini1-

    Thanks for the welcome. How true it is!!

  • FireKracker
    FireKracker Member Posts: 5,858
    edited September 2012

    I have a tattoo plus got 5 or 6 more for the rads.

    Does anyone know how painful a real tattoo is?

    Do you really wanna know?

  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2012

    I know my niece said don't ever get one on your feet! Said it hurt like a mother. Some of my sons tats are big. He has to remove his wedding ring for work , so he had one tattoed on his ring finger. It was going to be much more elaborate, but he said it hurt too bad, so he did just the top of the finger in a plain band. Mine will be small and on a fairly fleshy area. Plus I have a pretty high pain tolerance. :-)

  • seabeal
    seabeal Member Posts: 108
    edited September 2012

    I'm 62 yrs and would have never believed I'ld be thinking of getting a tatto as this wasn't vogue for proper young ladies when I was a lot younger but before I even had my surgery I decided to heck with it I was going to get one when I finished treatment. After all I lived my life as a "proper young lady" and what has it gotten me. Don't get me wrong I've enjoyed my life and it's been interesting but there are so many doors I never opened much less explored because there was a question of "acceptability". If cancer did nothing else for me it took my morality and rubbed it in my face! Since that day I'm healthier (except for the cancer), happier, my marriage is stronger and I look forward to living my life trying something new everyday. I'm now the proud owner of Harley-Davidson Dyna Low Rider and sometimes I ride without a helmet just for the thrill of feeling the wind (Maybe a little stupid, but the point is that I'm trying to overcome my fears and live my life for the joy of it and not to just get to tomorrow because we don't know how many tomorrows we have whether we have cancer or not) After shopping for tattos the question now is how many, what design and where? I just can't make up my mind!

  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2012

    Seabeal-



    I agree completely I am 40 and did all the right things in the order I was supposed to do them and now I feel like saying f*** it. Where did it get me.



    Mini-



    That is the exact spot I was going to get my tattoo. May have to rethink it now tho!!!

  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2012

    You go gir!

  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2012

    Dakota - The finger or the foot? My son has an incredibly high pain tolerance. He had 4 wisdom teeth out at the same time and only took two Tylenol (at my isistance) the whole time. Nothing for a hernia surgery. For him to say it hurt really bad and not finish it off is saying something. I'd avoid the finger. I'm not sure about my niece. I just know she said the paws she had put on her foot, 3 of them, hurt really bad. But then again she may be a pain wuss. She's a new neice-in-law so I don't know her that well. She had 3 put on so it obviously wasn't intolerable. 

  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2012

    Mini-



    I was going to do the inside of my foot. I want it some place where it can still be professional. Thanks for the advice I have no clue about my pain threshold. 😃

  • FireKracker
    FireKracker Member Posts: 5,858
    edited September 2012

    I was 38 yrs old when i got my tat...im now 71.do i regret it?hmmmm.In the corporate world that i worked in it was highly unacceptable sooo i had to cover it up.I was once walkin in the Trade Center(goes to show you how long ago) and a man who was drinkin from a bag at 7am came over to me and pointed to the tat and said YOU ARE TOO OLD FOR THAT!!!!no one ever saw it again.

    think it over real good.And yes the pain was bad.real bad.

    My entire family is decorated with tats.male and female.

    Mine is below my shoulder...easy to cover since i dont wear strapless anymore.

    Good luck to whoever wants it!!!!

  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2012

    Dakota - I'm thinking of where to put mine too. I don't want it on my back where I wil never see it. A friend of mine has one in a dark tan color on the inside of her wrist. I hadn't even noticed it until she brought it to my attention. I was thinking of doing the same thing. I figure I could do it where my watch would cover it when I need it to.

  • justegan
    justegan Member Posts: 27
    edited September 2012
    Dakota,

    I am so happy to see you on this thread...we need to figure out a time to have coffee or something please =P =)

    Everyone else,
    I wanted to contribute to this tattoo debate/discussion! A week and a half after my BMX, I actually got a tattoo on the top of both my feet! I am putting the link with the picture so that you all can see what it looks like. 

    https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/418705_3695261335305_200209844_n.jpg
    It is an Eleanor Roosevelt quote, "We gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot."
    Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/eleanor_roosevelt.html#ir0XVvU6FH2WqQHg.99

    With all of the stuff we all have to deal with, it was nothing...so do not be discouraged by the pain!!!
  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2012

    Love it.  If you can handle all that, I know I can handle my little tat!

  • Cottontail
    Cottontail Member Posts: 64
    edited February 2013

    I was originally staged at 2b/c when I had my biopsy, but did neoadjuvant chemo a which shrank the tumor. My final staging after surgery was 1a. So here I am.





    I have a sort-of-large tattoo on my back** that I had planned on trying to get covered up this summer. (It's not a bad tattoo, and I get a lot of compliments on it, but it doesn't mean as much to me now.) Since I was going through chemo and all of this bc crap, it was put on hold. I think I might resume looking for a meaningful design and a tattoo artist good with cover ups, and plan on doing it next summer instead. I can attest that it hurts much more over bony parts of the body. I have a large dragonfly, and te body is directly over my spine, which hurt like HELL. The wings are over fleshier areas, and hurt a lot less. I've been told also that the outline hurts much more than when areas are filled in. Mine is mostly outline. I barely even felt shading on the wings.



    I had also been considering getting one or both nipples pierced, but at this point I'm not interested in any more pain (however minor) to my breasts.



    **I got my tattoo 15 years ago, before the term "tramp stamp" was a thing. Thank goodness it isn't low enough to show if my shirt rides up, but if I'd know the term tramp stamp at the time I would have done something different. :p

  • wren44
    wren44 Member Posts: 7,955
    edited September 2012

    There was an article in the paper here about a woman who had a UMX and had a morning glory vine with leaves and flowers tatooed over her chest and breast. It was quite attractive, but I can't imagine having that much done. I knew someone else who had an arrow tatooed on each upper arm to remind her to just go forward.

  • purple32
    purple32 Member Posts: 1,767
    edited September 2012
    Wow, justegan!
    That is very cool- my feet are not pretty enough to tat!  :>)
  • purple32
    purple32 Member Posts: 1,767
    edited September 2012

    To be honest, I would be concerned about the LE risk when it came to doing a tattoo on the breast.

    I already have an area on my lower breast that always looks pinkish ( Didnt have rads) and question whether or not I could have mild LE. They  say to be very careful about needles etc ...

  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 4,503
    edited September 2012

    justegan welcome and so sorry you are dealing with this at such a young age.  Let's hope for a low onco score.  I just had my exchange 3 weeks ago and once I healed from my BMX I never had any pain from the TE fills.  With my exchange I was only on pain meds for two days.  Good luck.

    Dakota welcome as well.

  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2012

    Hi everyOne-



    If I am having surgery in Friday can I drive for my drs appointment on Tuesday ??

  • wren44
    wren44 Member Posts: 7,955
    edited September 2012

    My doc didn't want me driving for 2 weeks. I would twist someone's arm to get a ride. And I had umx not bmx. Be sure to take a pillow for the seatbelt on the ride home from surgery.

  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2012

    Wren-



    Thanks for letting me know. It stinks getting rides, everyone works !!! Arghhhhh!!! Thanks for the pillow tip 😄

  • wren44
    wren44 Member Posts: 7,955
    edited September 2012

    Dakota, have you read the surgery to-do list? It's under the main heading Surgery, Before, During & After. The topic is packing and to do list for surgery. It's close to the beginning of the list of topics.

  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2012

    Wren-



    I will go over there now to look up things :) thanks 😄😄😄

  • tinat
    tinat Member Posts: 2,235
    edited September 2012

    Dakota212 - Since you asked Wink I'd say that driving yourself to an appointment 4 days after bilateral MX is a definite no-no!  Even if you don't take pain meds that day you are not going to be able to move your arms fully, twist, or be able to safely react to traffic situations.  Please don't do it!

    I hate asking people for favors.  However, I was stuck a few times when my husband was unavailable and I still couldn't drive.  I was really touched that my friends seemed truly happy to help out when I asked for specific small favors like picking up a prescription on their way home from work or for a ride to a quick appointment. 

    I hope all goes smoothly for your surgery and healing.  Take good care of yourself!

  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 104
    edited September 2012

    Tinat-

    Thanks. I figured. But thought I would throw it out there! I will think of something. Bus if I have too!! Have a great day!!!

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