CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS
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(((MRDRN))) sorry about your pain and hope you are feeling better soon.
In-cognito -- I suspect that there is some psychology behind the waiting but I haven't decided if it is devised to protect the patient or the doctor from additional stress. I had a theory that they didn't give bad news on a Friday but I was surprised when my doctor called me on the weekend after my lumpectomy. The pathologist who initially diagnosed me definatley avoided me for a few days. As far as making the right decision, we all 2nd-guess ourselves. These choices are just really hard. Reconstruction has not been a smooth road for me but there is no turning back so i have to remind myself why the bmx was right for me. It might be reassuring for you to realize that you haven't made a decision that limits what you do in the future. Not one of my doctors pushed in one direction or the other and I know that they would not have allowed me to make a decision that was dangerous and I'm sure your docs wouldn't either.
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MRDRN, sounds crazy but I found that placing a cold can of soda from the fridge under my arm helped relieve the pain. It was easier to hold there than a bag of ice which wanted to squish everywhere. Hope your pain subsides soon.
Welcome Grannyduke. Please check in soon.
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MRDRN - I had a lot of discomfort after my SNB were removed also. I worked really hard doing the exercises they gave me for a couple of weeks and then went to physical therapy to a place that specialized in understanding how to help me with out causing lymphedema (which I was the most afraid of!) I just finished my PT and my arm it back to normal. Good luck!
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Hi Ladies! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
AStorm - I sure wish bad news on a Friday was prohibited! I got my initial diagnosis on a Friday at 9:15 am - will never forget that day. Luckily the nurse navigator was able to see me at 1 pm that same day so I did not have all weekend to think about the unknown. You have a point - two breast surgeons told me I can always take more off and that a mastectomy really was not necessary in the beginning. The PS told me to have a bil mx, but that is his territory. I'll be calling my BS's office again today to get the results of my re-excision.
MRDRN - hope your pain is better now. I had a lot of discomfort as well with the SNB. Mine was mostly irritating because the scar fell right long the same line as the sportsbra arm cutouts. It took a few weeks to where I did not notice it anymore.
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In-cognito - actually one PS that I interviewed did tell me to do the lumpectomy because I wouldn't be happy with reconstruction. Didn't go back to that PS even though he is considered the best in town. Thankfully I am close to the Bay Area and there are lots of options there! Hope you get your results soon. Having ER+ means you can reduce your risk considerably with perscriptions. Don't plague yourself with worries about recurrence though -- if you think you will worry, talk to your onco about the OncotypeDX testing. Your tumor can be analyzed, along with your treatment plan to calculate a recurrence risk. Mine was very low and I think that has helped me relax even though I opted out of chemo (no advantage according to the test).0
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Hi AStorm!
I'm in Northern Ca too - right outside of San Francisco!
My Oncologist has the results of my Oncotype score - I just spoke to Genomic Health today to see when it would be ready and they released that info via fax/mail and email to my Onc and BS last Thursday. I still have not heard or gotten a call back from this morning/last Friday afternoon. So much for that. Would you all be upset about that? I actually am. I guess it is because I work in the medical profession and know how it all works - to me it is unacceptable.
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in-cognito - yes, I would be very upset! We were in Sausalito yesterday for Father's Day and it was such a beautiful day! I'm closer to Monterey but my teen daughters love SF so we go there frequently. Hope you get ahold of that doc and remind him who's boss!0
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yes i.m here i just joined about 15 minutes ago..
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hi patoo....i have no path report but i will get one on june 30th.right now i am off the meds and i still feel sick to my stomach and my hair is falling out..i dont want to go on any meds but from what i am reading i think i will have to.i am also losing weight which i really cannot afford to..mentally i am a wreck..i was better after the surgery.i think i was in denial..thank you so much all of you for your help.in one day my eyes opened up.
GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU.
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Hi, all! 9 pm at night and I'm enjoying a very fattening hamburger, yum!
AStorm--I am so with you on enjoying life now and not worrying about a nice retirement. So loving life now!
NEW SUBJECT...has anyone here ever moved across country? Thoughts on your experience? Positive or negative outcome? What about the kids...how did they cope? I live in NJ and am possibly moving clear across country in October and wondered if this is the right thing to do?
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Are you heading to the left coast? I can't give an oppinion as I live within 45 miles of the house I was born in. I do know living in a small town, then moving to a city, is way different.
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yep, the west coast...seattle in particular.
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cake - we moved from Michigan to California when I was 8 years old to be closer to family. It wasn't a problem for me at all - I loved living near family - but my older sister (11) and brother (15) had a harder time adjusting. It probably depends on their ages and ability to adjust to new things.0
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That's very helpful, AStorm...I have an 8, a 9, a 12 and a 14...they are all looking at it as an adventure (if we go). My 14 yo says she likes it a lot here, but she knows she'll be fine out there also. If we go, she will be starting high school out there (they start in 10th grade apparently which is interesting), so that might help with being new.
Any other thoughts?
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Sounds like you have the biggest hurdle cleared. A teenaged girl could make your move very stressful, but she sounds like she is all in. Lucky you!
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Cake, how could it not be the right thing? Aren't you entitled to enjoy your retirement years? Kids adapt and can always hop a plane or a train. Just make sure you go somewhere there is lots to do and people in your same age group. My sister moved south many, many moons ago and the only down side was visits from friends and family were few and far between. Most of the time she did the travelling back for family affairs. She was working however and her work called for lots of travel so it worked out okay.
Granny, glad to hear from you. Hopefully you'll get a copy of your path report soon as something just seems to be missing. It's really easy to get conflicting ideas just talking with our med team. Did you have anyone with you at your appointments? Please keep coming here for support as I think that may help to calm you to relieve some of the stress. That can be contributing to your stomach problems as well. Gentle HUGS coming your way.
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Okay, so I read your previous post wrong and thought you were enjoying retirement - now! LOL
Kids adapt, the younger the easier but teens may kick and scream but find out it works out. That your kids are on board will make it that much better for all as it becomes a family adventure. Nice!
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OMG..What a busy night and i missed it.
Cake....i wish you good luck whatever you decide at the end. Are you still going to Florida?
Welcome junebird.
granny...nice to see that you are back. We are here for you.
in_cognito...did you get your Oncotype result yet?
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Hi all - I got my oncotype score back and it was 14. The Onc still recommends chemo due to my age. He said that the research for the Oncotype is for 5-10 years or something like that and he wants me to go for 50 years. He recommended 4 rounds of T/C. I'm okay with that.
On another note, my pathology came back from my re-excision last week and showed 1 mm of additional foci on top of the 7 mm from the lumpectomy that was a surprise. The Onc recommended a mastectomy at this point. My breasts are dense. No one felt the lump to begin with and the mammogram barely picked it up so he thinks there could be more in there. I'm 37 and this only came to be because I thought I had a clogged milk duct from pumping - I just had a baby. So now, I am going to go back and read all the posts about bilateral mastectomies and the recovery, what reconstruction is best, etc. Can anyone here shed some light on the recovery from a bilateral if you had one? I have a 28 month old and a 3 month old so I am assuming I won't be able to lift them. Any insight would be appreciated. I would need to make arrangements for help - hubby works nights and sleeps during the day. Thanks in advance!
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cake - being new can be good. Everyone wanted to be friends with the new girl -- I was more popular than ever!0
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thank u sisters for all your help.i have another question for you.i am off the arimidex for 5 days now..i am still losing my hair and having the same pain in my stomach .also spending my morning on the toilet bowl.sorry(UGH).do you know how long it takes for this medicine to get out of your system?i only took it for 4 weeks.i also read up on the other meds.they have the same side effects.i am almost ready to say ILL TAKE MY CHANCES AND DO NOTHING..my stomach has always been a huge problem for me.why torture it?????thank you GOD that i found you.GOD BLESS.
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In_cognito - Sorry to hear that you are heading down the mastectomy path. I had the same type of pathology report from my lumpectomy also. Neither the mammogram or the MRI showed the invasive lump under my DCIS and my margins were not clear after my lumpectomy. I ended up choosing (after many long nights) a double mastectomy. I am 45 and have two children 9 and 11. I chose to have immediate reconstruction with the TRAM and I have been very happy with the results. My surgery was in February and I have no restrictons now, I don't have any muscle issues where the incision was and my new breasts look great. I think the lifting restrictions were 8 weeks with the TRAM. I had other complications, like allergy to sutures that set me back but it really had nothing to do with the mastectomy. Having immediate reconstruction helped me because I woke up with boobs and never felt like something was missing. I had a D+ to begin with so I went for a C+ size and my back thanks me everyday! Good luck to you as you make this decision and feel free to PM me is you have any questions.
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LOL, patoo, I'll be excited to make it to retirement! Of course, the way things are going I'll probably starve to death with no social security available by then.
Anyway, the cool thing about the move is that my mom will join us in 5 years as well as my hubby's mom will come with us right away. She's selling her house in SC and where we go she will go.
The downsides are my hubby having to go out first and we have to wait until our house sells which could take forever!!! my mil can stay and live here while we all go out, but then it's too expensive to have an apartment that houses 6 people (all these kids, LOL! but I wouldnt change a thing. Wish I could have 2 more but for this STUPID CANCER thing). We are a tight family, so that would be hard. Also, I have to say, everything in our lives here in NJ is so wonderful...amazing friends, amazing church, amazing school, and everything else. But my hubby always likes to better himself and the jobs in his company out there are better than here. Taxes are lower than here too. If it was going to Pennsylvania or someplace we could drive back to visit, it would be a no-brainer. But 6 airline tickets is yikes!
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((((((((((To My Sisters)))))))))
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That's pretty, Sheila.
{{hugs in return}}
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Cake, we will pray that everything works out and that your house sells quickly. You need to have your family together as soon as possible.
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Good Morning All
Yesterday i tripped and fell face down when I was crossing the street right by my house.
I heard the sound of the concrete when my body went down.
Anyway i refused an Ambulance. I was with my friend and were planning a fun day going to the mall and have some lunch. Instead I spent all afternoon in the ER. Cat-scan to my head Xray to my foot. Everything is okay but I looked like a beaten woman my face, my eye swollen.........
I have to rest my foot because its all swollen.
Now i have to ice my face and my ankle with my frozen okra bag.
I live you with the song that Christina Agguilera sang 'Im so Beautiful' LOL
Sheila
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Ohhhhhh Sheila - feel better soon.
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Seyla888- Where do you find the cute dolphin pics from??
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mari..I google them.
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