Calling all TNs
Comments
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Yes, and my husband's dad, too.
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oh, crap - that's awful!
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*joins circle with all the sisters*
Inmate, Luv, Hope, cocker, I'm praying for peace and strength for all of you. Just think of it as me sending you positive, healing energy .0 -
Hi Kathy! And thanks!
Labs tomorrow, onc visit on Wednesday...maybe a decision about what's next. One of my labs is testing for an enzyme necessary to process one of the chemos in a clinical trial...lab rat, I will probably be!
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Inmate--Also joining the circle of sisters wishing you the courage, strength, optimisim to plough thru the crap that's been thrown your way once again. Holding your hand with love.
Jan
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Joining the circle tonight for all of you. Holding hands, pouring wine and finding comfort in knowing you all get it!!!
Keep us posted Inmate. I sure hope and pray it's the chemo drug SE or a pulled muscle from all that coughing.
Hope: I hope you are healing well and doing okay.
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I too would like to send healing thoughts and cyber hugs to Inmate and LuvRving.
I read this thread and have so much respect for your strength and contributions. You are inspirational to us just starting out in treatment. Also a wealth of information, thank you all for that.
Cocker, hoping your daughter is B9, and I have to add, I love your humour.
Healing thoughts to all TN's and all our sisters in this f'en war.
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There's a point in every true friendship, where friends stop being friends and become sisters 0 -
oh ladies, I can feel the hugs! Just what I needed and apparently the decadron (sp) doesn't hurt either. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I know I will get my groove back and be back to fighting fitness before you know it. As I said before, sometimes it's just hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. In this case I am pretty sure I was looking the wrong way. Thank you all for pointing me in the right direction. Yes, Bernie, that is what sister friends are for and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have such a fine group of extended family! I just love you all so very much!
Smooches all around!
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Luv honey......that is a very hard thing to do for your Mom. I know she will come to love her new place and the fact that you can visit much more often. Big big hugs to both you and your Mom!
Cocker....sending you and Mandy strength and love. I hope the next two weeks go quickly so you can get home to the old feller.
Love.........dawn
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okay ladies.....here's a new pic of the dance party going on on my chest. I am supposed to start seeing progress after this last session.
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Inmate-that looks painful and itchy. Is that area numb where you don't feel the skin mets? Have you noticed the regressing lately? Why did I think you said you are on ac?
I have a some more questions for you, I hope you don't mind! Your surgery looks like it doesn't feel tight. Does it feel tight across your chest and underarms? I am thinking my bs pulled things too tight, it affects my range of motion and is always uncomfortable. I am sorry to bother you with this, I know you are going through so much more than this, but I am curious. My incisions look like creases across my chest, of course I am not in shape like you are:) Am I making sense? I better go to sleep. I took a couple of benedryl because I am having some weird eye thing going on, practically swelled shut and I don't know why. Sorry if I sound all loopy, cause I am!
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Sheesh....I need to start doing push ups. I seem a bit puffy and lumpy. I wanna a 6 pack! Not sure if sit ups actually even out the lovely fat wing on my right side. Those might require the fancy side sit ups, oh joy!
good night sweet ladies......gonna finish my o'douls (fake beer is really just a test in mindtripping your brain into thinking you are actually drinking) and hit the sheets. A bit disappointing, yet oddly refreshing on a very warm, muggy, manic night.
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bak.......It's not painful or itchy. Most of my chest is still numb from the mx last year and the surgery in April. Not sure about the A/C. I did that as my first chemo in 2010. I don't know if I can do it again, but if I can I'm sure they'll throw it at me again at some point. So far only progression of the mets. Regression won't start until at least 3 treatments, which I had today.
You can ask me anything, anytime, my dear. I did feel terribly tight for a few months after surgery. It turned out the tightness was from the swelling combined with the numbness. After awhile, I was able to do my stretches and work through the remaining tightness. The surgery my surgeon did was like a peace sign incision at the location of each nipple. The theory being when I had reconstruction done the scars would not be seen at all with nipple implants or ones done with tattoos. I thought that was brilliant. Also the extra loose looking skin was what was meant to be my spared skin to fit my implant. If I have to have one more surgery I am going to have him remove the extra skin and just make it look a little less battle field and more beautiful meadow, then I may just tattoo a butterfly bikini top. What do you guys think of that for my first tattoo? Go big or Go home, right?!
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Hi bak94,
I've been having extreme tightness across my scar since rads, painful enough to take a pain pill every morning, so that I can get my day going. I hate taking that damn pill...'cause then I have to take a stool softener...
I had 3 mos of PT after surgery (UMX), and had great arm ROM. In fact, my surgeon released me after 10 weeks because I had healed beautifully and my ROM was so good. Then came rads...
My RO said that because I had healed quickly, scar adhesions were forming quicker than usual. It is a normal process - the body is trying to stabilize the different layers of tissue. Unfortunately, I don't have all the usual layers, and the skin incision is adhering to the chest wall. It keeps getting tighter and tighter, and now it is messing with my ROM. Ouch!!! And there's that maddening internal itch! Seems that rads causes the underlying tissue to scar in a lace-like pattern, which causes a tightening, shrinking. I also have a prominent mammary ridge - that firm fat pad that supports the breast from below. Mine has reduced some, but it does cause my incision to "crease", also.
My MO referred me to PT again, for deep tissue manipulation - basically deep massage - to break up the adhesions. I had my first session last Fri, and I could already feel a difference. Of course, it tends to tighten up again, but I keep stretching and massaging, until my next appointment. I can't believe I'm being punished for healing so fast! And I live in fear of absentmindedly massaging my chest in public, since I constantly do it at home! Oops!!!
Anyway, if you feel like your scar is "stuck" and won't move when you massage it, have your doc check it out, and refer you to PT. Insurance usually frowns on "massage", so have a PT do "deep tissue manipulation for scar adhesion". We're always jumping through hoops, aren't we???
Hope this helps ~ Shar
P.S. Jumping through hoops and into the circle with you all. Don't mess with us, FC... We're friends, sisters, warriors...
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Very good point Spica. I did massage both scars frequently with stretching directly after. Fortunately my stretching worked pretty well (maybe because I did keep it up in public) so no PT for me.
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Oh Inmate - I can imagine how annoying that rash is. Damn FC...
Your photos are so good - they are helping us all. Thank you!
Well, I am certainly not as photogenic as you, but I do have one photo...
First, let me say that my surgeon did a very nice incision, which is meant to avoid a dog ear at the center, since I was packing 42Ds and had a lot of extra skin left. The incision is shaped ---< to give that smoothness. I do have an underarm dog ear, my "side boob", just in case I changed my mind and decided on reconstruction (I haven't). When I finally get this scar "unstuck" (scar adhesion to chest wall), he will do another > to take it down and smooth me out. The little bugger keeps popping out of my bra band! And those 2 holes - from my drains. I kept those suckers for 6 weeks! Surgeon said I'm just too "juicy"!!!
This photo is on day 26 of rads - my first boost. I did really well, until this 6th week, when I started to turn red. They had made a template to put in the machine, so that only the scar is irradiated at this point- the boost. Yeah, that is the shape of my template! And no, I couldn't have it as a souvenir - it has lead in it - Darn!
I accused my rad techs of being graffiti artists...and of having too much fun at their job! And yes, we giggled all week long!!!
Who needs butterflies ~ Shar
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Inmate: Butterfly tattoo - sounds freakin' brilliant to me. I hope that in some small way we're all helping you get repositioned in that dark tunnel - and that with a clean scan on Wednesday, you'll have a big bright light to aim for. I so admire your spirit with all the shit you're going through. Big hug.
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Spica.....OMG that is the best, or should I say "raddest" outline I have seen. Laughing, a very nice way to wake up on a Tuesday morning. You look like you are doing great with radiation. I only got really red towards the end with no blistering. I also had rads before my mx as I was able to do a lumpectomy when first diagnosed so I think that helped me a lot. What a beautiful job on your incision. I had little Bs so my spared skin just looked a bit baggy. Oh those wonderful drains. Couldn't wait to get them out!
Too bad you couldn't have the template, but get that picture framed. That is a keeper! Maybe Christmas cards? Do people send out cards for cancer month? I think this one just speaks volumes on how people really think about cancer. It really can SUCK IT! Oh boy, I could just go on and on and I haven't even had my coffee yet.
Thanks for sharing your picture. You seem photogenic, but I can't see your smiling face so I will have to say that your parts are very cheeky, indeed......hehehehehe
The best thing that will happen today:
My sister and BIL (the saucy ones in the previous picture) are taking little Baker to his very first country fair. That was always my favorite thing to do in the summer. Corn Dogs, rides, lots of animals, all the funky looking chickens and the beautiful horses. The Clydesdales are my all time favorite. They make the ground shake when they go by on the track. Yeehaw! Oh and the obligatory new gold fish you won every year but seemed to perish before school even started. Since we grew up in farm country there was a cow from time to time named after my sister. She was pretty popular in school. I can just smell the fair now.....
Have a wonderful day Ladies.......
Love to you all!
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Luah.....if that scan comes back clean on Wednesday. I won't need to log on to tell you guys the good news. You will all be able to hear me from Seattle, including desertmama, bernie and cocker. You girls up in Canada are pretty close so you may want to wear ear plugs on Wednesday afternoon.
Thanks for those happy thoughts!
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looking forward to the sonic blast tomorrow..yell it out gal!!!!
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I'll be there waiting to hear that scream tomorrow!
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Inmate, I will be listening for you from Houston. I have been out of touch while here for rads or I would have posted sooner.
I finished my 4weeks of rads yesterday (clinical trial). Everything looks good. However I may keep up the mantra I used during chemo and rads treatnents of "kill the little f*ck**s!" I figure it can't hurt and it might help.
Phyllis0 -
Titan....I missed something a few pages back. We are up to 24 what? I wanna join, or have I already?
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No ear plugs here... .wanna hear that scream Inmate.
spica.... that picture made me spit my tea out all over my computer screen. Priceless.
I hope all you ladies are managing to have days filled with love and laughter xxx
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yeah Phyllis........woot woot!
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I agree with Inmate.. 24? Is it a good thing??
One of our TN gals that does not come here very often, is heading to her oncologist (3 hrs away) tomorrow. Seems she has developed a fist size ball on her back. Please add her to your prayer list. Her screen name is leannaclem. She is stage 4, but was given the title of "in remission" a while ago.
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Inmate - I want to feel the sound all way here in NH! The scream heard 'round the world!!!
Spica - not sure I could have held still long enough for a rad treatment with that graphic on me!!!
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Well Inmate, you did say "Go Big or stay home"!!!
I would definitely prefer butterflies. I had to keep that 'dude' for the whole week. My Mom was THAT Mother who always told us to " wear nice clean undies, just in case you have to go to the hospital" While driving home from rads, the thought of me having an accident with this gem...well, you know.
Oh my, I hope I didn't burn out any computers with assorted tea, coffee, or cola sprays. I had the same reaction when I saw it in the mirror that day!!!
I'm Done - that's why I can joke around and laugh. In fact, my 1 year Dx Cancerversary is Aug 22. Almost a year! I can't believe it has whizzed (pun alert!) by so fast. BC is so all-consuming... I think that is how time is so easily distorted during all this BC crap. And I can't wait for the time when "BC" means British Columbia, again. Eh, Tazzy?!!!
Sending out good wishes for no bad SEs, eased fears, and for that endless 'wait' time to speed up.
And for those wanting a unique tattoo, let me know and I'll hook you up with my favorite "Rad" artist!!!
~Shar
By the way, would you Gals in the western parts of the West, please send moisture and nice breezes to those of us in the eastern parts of the West? Smoke, dust and unrelenting high temps are making life miserable, here. Hubby and I drove up a few thousand feet to watch the Perseid meteor shower on Sat night. Overhead was a great view, but there was a thick layer of dirty, smokey air hugging the horizon in every direction. It's rain dance time!
How are you doing with this bad air, Lory? Stay inside and Think Rain!!!
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I hear ya Spica... I hate putting I live in BC - I tend to write it in full now
congrats for August 22 - wonderful news.0
