CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS
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Nicole112 - Here in Okinawa, they will not do immediate recon if you need radiation.
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Hannahbearsmom - hi, believe it or not I'm being treated in Raleigh. My BS and PS are right next door to the Museum of Art. Surgery was at Rex which is associated w/UNC. I was pleased with my treatment. Was just at the EC thread and was overwhelmed by all the info. Much to absorb and I need to be a bit more assertive with my PS. Will have to do my homework over the next few days. Any advice you might have on where to get started would be welcomed.0
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reeltchr: The Exchange city thread is excellent. Don't let it overwhelm you. The ladies there are always open to questions about the exchange process. They are a wealth of information. I just lurked there for a while beore I ever chimed in. They love newbies too. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions and I will do my best to answer. Whippetmom on that thread can help alot with determining what size implant to have put in. You can also go to the Implant 101 thread to read more about that.
Of course the women on this thread are very supportive as well.There are such varied experiences that someone can always offer advice on just about anything.
I am going to PM you. Have a good night!
TCK
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Grace, I looked at the link you sent me. I am excited to pass the info on to DS. He tried to cal to day, but after numerouse tries and numerous poor connections we gave up. Maybe sometime this week I can let him know.
Nicole, I waited 5 years to begin recon. I wish I had tried sooner. The rads have really come into play in the recon. It is amazing how something that does so much tissue damage (RADS) can be such a lifesaving treatment.
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Grace, no real answer. I had clear margins but it still came back. Will know more when I talk to medical onco on Monday, I hope.
hugs
Labby
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Hannahbearsmom: Thanks for your encouragement on the EC thread. I will wade in and try my best in sorting it all out. Oh my! MY PS will be bombarded on Wed. Have a good one!0
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Hey everyone. I met with the doctor after my echocardiogram, one last time before chemo. I went in and he had a paper on the desk in English with all the antiemitics that the hospital uses. Guess which one they just started using? Emend! I was so happy I teared up and wanted to hug his neck. Not the thing to do to a Japanese doctor. For me it was such an answer to prayer! I have been so worried about nausea and thought I should at least try Emend, but my doctor had never heard of it. He did write it down and then researched it last week! I just love my doctor and so thankful that he is not arrogant about learning something new!
Labby - will be praying for you.
Meece - excited to maybe be able to encourage your son. Also, why do you wish you had tried recon sooner? I am not at the point to even consider it. I have to wait until next summer now as I have to wait until all of my treatments are done and then I don't want to miss too much school.
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Grace, I wish I had done it sooner because I can't tell you how much body image effected my emotions. I would stand in my closet, trying on just about everything in it and stand there crying because of the way I looked in them. I never found a way to disguise the disfigurement other than baggy clothes. That was only how I felt with clothes on, to look at myself n the mirror often brought the tears as well. Yes, I was alive and I should have been happy and satifisfied, but our society focuses so much emphasis on femininity being linked with our breasts that I felt some how less. As soon as you tell someone that you went throught BC, you notice their eyes flashing to your chest sizing things up, so to say. I am so far from perfect still, but my clothes fit better and the tears don't come while dressing anymore.
I waited for surgery one, because I didn't know that insurance would cover it, and two, I needed to build up some time off. My first recon I had surgery on Thursday and was back at work on Monday...Stupid. But, I didn't have time off, and my work has been less that cooperative. The most recent surgery I had surgery on the 19th of the month and went back on the 30th. I still wish I had taken more time.
I am so happy you are getting Emend. It was an emotional lifesaver for me.
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Grace I am so happy that you are going to get Emend. I had treatment with and without it and it made the world of difference. I wish I had it the entire time I think that I could have saved some muscle mass if I had felt better.
Labby~ I am so sorry. I hope you get some answers from your Onc. today.
8 days until Gap Flap surgery for me....I am trying not to freak.
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I was Stage 1 and had bilateral MX after seeing the pathology from the lumpectomy (margins not clear due to small "bonus" tumor and atypical cells). I was 47 at diagnosis but I've had issues for years... lumps that we watched with mammograms and ultrasound... fiberous cysts... visits to the surgeon so that we could establish a relationship (!). I lost an aunt to breast cancer many years ago, but my Mom and another of her sisters had full recovery. I heard the statistic: lumpectomy + radiation = mastectomy... but what they are really talking about is *survival* rate, not recurrence. Although the 5-year survival rate may be the same for both types of treatment, some women will be treating a recurrence in that 5 years, so it really depends on how each woman feels about her own personal recurrence risk and ability/willingness to deal with that.
Maybe mastectomy sounds pretty radical for Stage 1, but I've been afraid of my breasts most of my life and I really needed to reduce my risk of recurrence. I had immediate reconstruction with tissue expanders which will be replaced with implants this week. It was a really difficult decision for me and I still second guess myself from time to time. But I did one thing that has made it easier for me to come to terms with it: I wrote a research paper on my options, my objectives for the final outcome, and the pros and cons of each option. In PowerPoint. no kidding. It helped me gather information and look at it with a little less emotion, and also helped me realize that every woman faces a different challenge with breast cancer and allowed me to frame the data for my own case. I laughed at myself a little... such a business-like approach to such a personal issue. But now, when I'm having a bad day I can pull out that report to remind myself that my decision was based on sound consideration of my options and that it was the right decision for me.
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I am rare in that my stage 0 tumor combined with my stage 1 size idc tumors were too large for a lumpectomy. 3/4 of my breast was tumor. Mastectomy was the only option I was given. Here they do not offer the bmx, but as I have said before, I was too chicken to take this route now. May do it when I get reconstruction next year.
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Hi all,
Don't usually put much "out in the universe" about myself, BUT today I am 58 years old!!
Have had many phone calls from family & friends. DH took me out to dinner yesterday, had my favorite salmon, yummy! DD is cooking me dinner tonight, actually SonIL is doing chicken stir fry for me, I don't have to cook!! YAY!
Hugs to all, have a great day!!
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Valerie.....Wishing you many many Happy and Healthy Birthdays.
And you didn't have to cook for 2 days, thats the best.
Hugs
Sheila
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Happy, happy birthday, Valerie! Enjoy your stir-fry - it sounds yummy!
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Valjean - Happy Birthday! I heard a friend complaining about her birthday recently and I told I will never complain about another birthday. I think it put things into perspective for her.
Sue
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Wa hoo, happy bday Valjean! I like to look at it as the 19th anniversary of your 39th bday.
And you look darn good, I must add. Enjoy your day and I desperately hope my Math is correct.
Sue
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Happy Happy Birthday Val! And congratulations!
AStorm, what is that picture of in your avatar? I wish the avatar pictures were bigger sometimes (not mine mind you , but everyone elses)
Joni
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I think Astorm's avatar is a cat. I could be wrong, and if I am, I will make another appointment with my opthamologist.
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VALERIE
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Anytime you don't have to cook is a great day.....enjoy
kim
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DH came home from work and said he'd treat me like roaylty, we are ordering out for dinner. I need to get some work done, so that's fine with me. And it isn't even my birthday!
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curious JSH 22 _ after your radiation 13 years ago, did you take tamoxifen?
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I trust you Meece. A Meece should know a cat by sight, and I thought it was, but does s/he have a hat on??????????????
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I think the cat has a headache and wearing a little beret.???
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Happy Birthday Val!
Yeah Meece...no cooking tonight!
Hi All! I am still a little worried about my faux paux with the BP on the affected arm, however my arm is just achy...it is that muscle under my arm and around my back that feels slightly puffy. Also my foob feels heavy and achy...who knows?! maybe I am getting feeling back in my foobs and I am just stressing about lymphedema...
Have a GREAT night all!
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It appears that the cat has a cap with ears and possibly horns on it. It could be a cow cat or a girraffe cat.
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Meece ~ You are soooo funny! Where do you get this from?!? I hope you had a lovely dinner with your DH, how sweet of him!
Sydney ~ I agree w/you on not complaining re: birthdays. Every birthday since my dx is a gift.
Sue-61 ~ I love the way you figure birthdays! 19th anniversary of my 39th! LOL
Thank you all for the b-day wishes! My almost 3-yr old granddaughter told me we would have a tea party for her birthday (Mar 1) when I go to her house because I didn't have one for my birthday today. So cute. Think I will take some special napkins & cookies, any other ideas?
{{hugs}}
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Meece - I hope you enjoyed your dinner! DH is out of town, so DD and I had frozen chicken pot pies while watching American Idol last night. Not really gourmet fare (or gourmet TV, for that matter!), but it's what was on hand.
Valerie - For a tea party with your granddaughter, you must wear hats. And maybe have little finger sandwiches as well. It sounds like great fun!
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Hi, I am the lady who's been screaming MASTECTOMY OR LUMPECTOMY, PLEASE HELP!
I was struggling over what decision to make since I was diagnosed on November 2nd, and on December 31 I had bilateral mastectomy.
I am really happy with my decision and it would not have been possible without the impute I got from many ladies on this and other threads.
My pathology report is back and they found three different cancers, two on the right and one on the left. Both breasts had Usual Ductal Hyperplasia Multi focal. Luckily, the nodules were all very small (2mm, 4mm, 1.5mm), no lymph nodes involvement, and very clear margins. So, the report is nothing to be happy about, but it is a very happy day for me because I went against the medical recommendation, found courage and a lot of encouragement on this site and went with my instincts. I can clearly see that I eliminated much pain and many sad days of my future.
I was out of the hospital the next day, and have been going on long hikes since the second day. Drains were removed 8 days later. I got 300cc on each TE's during surgery, and they're not nearly as bad as I was expecting them to be. I actually have a nice cleavage with them! Next week I will have my first fill and my PS said that I should be done with only two fills which will make me a size C cup. I was a small B before, so a C is a nice gift and I don't need to go bigger!
As for pain, I took Vicodin for 3 days but they made me nauseous and I started on 200mg of ibuprofen every 4-6 hours for 7 days, and now I am completely out of meds. It is still a bit uncomfortable to sleep but it is getting better each day.
Now I should proudly wear a tee-shirt that says -"Dam right they are fake! The real ones tried to kill me!"
(I didn't come up with it! I am borrowing it from someone in one of the threads on this site, and I think it is very funny!)
Thank you and best wishes to everyone!
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Erika, so happy that you are comfortable with your decision and that you are doing so well.
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