Calling all TNs
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LUVRVing~ Sending you hugs, comfort and support!
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Hello my sisters, long time no post. If u have FB, PM me cause I post updates there more often. Been so busy with family, treatments, and surgeries. Finally finished my brain radiation last Tues, also got CT on same day to do radiation on spine and appendix, cause they have been most painful. A few hrs after I got home, I get a frantic call from my radiation onc telling me, I don't have a tumor in my appendix, but rather have appendicitis. He told me to go to the nearest ER before it bursts! I went to my local ER, where they confirmed it was indeed appendicitis, so I had an appendectomy using endoscopy, so less scarring and faster recovery.
I was scheduled for port insertion on same week Thurs, but it was too close to appendectomy, so they rescheduled for this week Mon. Tues was scheduled for another CT for lung radiation, cause cough not going away and having shortness of breath after walking only a few steps. So unfair that I have lung cancer when I never smoked, but did inhale lots of second hand smoke. Tried to get a walker with a chair, but don't have Medi-care, so might have to pay cash. Hope I qualify for Medi-care. Been working on applying for disability back to Oct 2011 to now.
Will try to read your posts later. Been really tired lately, but hanging in there.0 -
Julie- wow, what a whirlwind of treatments! I am so glad you posted and let us know you are hanging in there. Sending prayers and hugs.
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Well, I feel real dumb right now. I checked the lump I was feeling and it has apparently gone away, so it must have been a cyst. I am going to call and cancel the MRI and wait until March when the next MRI was going to be scheduled unless something comes up before then. At least, I am relieved.
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Oh Julie, I didn't know you had lung cancer as well. Is this lung cancer, and not breast cancer in the lung? You are so strong, hang in there and you'll feel better now that you have had your appendectomy. That is a lot to go through! Let us know if we can do anything for you. How long will chemo be for? Best of thoughts to you - I know you'll be back to making us laugh soon again on these boards!
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Okay Ladies: This is how I made the cabbage roll better yesterday - just took a bit of internet inspiration:
In small pot, throw in shredded cabbage (already cut in the bag), chopped green onion, chopped celery and chopped carrot, and a dash (baby dash) of low-sodium soy sauce. Steam. Then scoop out and place in a healthy tortilla or wrap. I used the Ezekel tortilla wrap. Roll it up and place in heated oven, turned off. Once oven gets hot, turn the oven off, and place the rolled cabbage roll in there while you clean the pot and boil water for hot green tea. The heat from the oven will warm it perfectly. I found this to be very edible this time, and I don't like my own cooking, but this came out very decent. Cabbage has anti-c benefits!
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It's been 3 months since I've been on here - it started messing with me. I've since had another MX and am back working in the office full time (I worked from home for 10 months). Going back in the office was a great feeling. I have an inch of hair and loving my pixie haircut. I feel good but i feel a major depression swing coming - I'm taking my pills.
I'm at the part of the mental healing that I just want to pretend it never happened. My DH's aunt was just dx with colon cancer and I think that's setting me in overdrive. Plus, it's almost been 1 yr since dx.
I feel like a failure by not eating overly healthy, juicing and taking all these pills. I'm scared since i don't have ongoing blood work or scans. I need help with the mental healing.
I come to you for comfort. I am terribly saddened to come back on here and see the news about Luv.
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jen...don't freak out too much about not exercising...ect...but..and it is a big but..lol...walking a little and eating right..at least some of the time..will make you feel better..not sermonizing here..please don't take it that way..ok? I just feel good because I do exercise and eat right..but I still like my wine and a big hamburger too.....take it easy on yourself..you have been through hell and back....
I was worried about Luvrving and wondered what was going on...dang...she is such an inspiration to us all
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Thinking of you LuvRVing and how you are such a wonderful lady, you have been there for all of us so many times. We miss you and hope you know how much we care about you! Sending you loving peaceful vibes.
Supidboob-I get bloodwork every 3 months at my checkups.
I also had trouble on taxol, I couldn't breath within minutes of having it dripped in, I wanted to quit after the first treatment but my doc just doubled up my steroids and benedryl. It was truly awful, much worse than ac.
Naan-As if cancer is not enough to deal with! But I guess it is good news that it was appendicitis instead of a tumor?! Glad they caught it before it burst.
Cat-Yay for disappearing lumps! What a relief!
Hey Inspired-thanks for the housework tips! I hate house work and that sounds like a good system. Life is always better with a clean kitchen:)
Hi Titan, JenJen, Cocker!!! And hi to Sandlake, lark, crs Maggs and Angstapp, Natl, kyak and EVERYONE!!!!
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Hi JenJen,
Glad to hear that you are back at work - that is a big step in moving forward.
I agree with you, the revelation that your DH's Aunt was dx'd with a type of cancer of course brings concern to your mind, and puts this at the forefront for a moment.
The 1st year anniversary ironically, a place of proud accomplishment does also provide some fears. I went through it too, and while I could help everyone else, I couldn't help myself. It's a challenging time, one of joy and one of reflection.
Here is what helped me:
Have a survivorship plan. That is, a lifestyle guide that you will follow. Make it lenient enough to where you will stick to it and not feel deprived, but enough to where you benefit from it. As Titan mentioned, just a little here and there adds up. I once heard that at each meal if we can incorporate just 1 healthy anti-cancer benefiting item, at the end of the year we would have eaten 1,000 items to help. So each meal, just replace one not so healthy item with one healthy item. example: hamburger or grilled chicken sandwich, add potato instead of fries / omelete, load it up but leave off the cheese and replace side item with half blueberries/half strawberries.
For exercise, start easy - park the car at the end of the aisle (unless you have lots of groceries without a buggy). Take the stairs, vacuum every day, clean the house more, etc.
MUSIC! At my appointment today I read an article that says music strengthens our immune systems.
Don't worry if you don't juce, some research states blending is as beneficial or better due to the fiber that is broken down into the drink ... having fiber instead of pure juice lowers the glycemic index and prevent the sugars from spiking in your system.
Get rid of anything related to treatment, including wig. Put your house environment back into the way it was before the bc diagnosis, to try and regain some normalcy.
I sure will be thinking of you. Just know that the moving forward process is a continual process and does take time. It's natural to have a day or two where you are not at your best - and that's okay. I always tell people when you have a bad day, don't try and fix anything that day. Give yourself a bad day. Avoid people (or be around people), eat what you want (don't go crazy here), cry, watch a good movie, turn off the phone, spend an obscene amount of money .. whatever it is, take that day to just be in your funk. Know, that tomorrow that sun will rise in the east, and that life will move forward and that you will get on that ride and you will make the best of it. You found your bc early, you had excellent treatment, and you will survive this! Know that the majority of TNBC women will not have a recurrence. Remember that often and set your sies on short-term and long-term goals. Having goals will help.
I wish I could make it easier for you .... just take it one day at a time. If it is any comfort to you, my Onc told me to eat what I want. LOL So just remember that it's a combination of things that will get you there, and you don't have to be perfect at everything. Find what you are good at and excel with that and build upon that.
Hope you feel better soon!
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Jenjen always come on here for comfort that's what we are here for. Don't beat yourself up about flaming exercise you work full time for God's sake. I also worked from home for a year and I'm now back at work full time. As for the diet I have always stuck to the same diet and it took me 65 years to get this frecken cancer so how can it be diet. I take my hat off to the girls that can exercise and keep to their own diet but I work from 7am until 4.30pm and I am knackered by then so I am going to eat what I want and exercise if I want and as Titan would say DANG to cancer. We've beaten it and hopefully it won't come back but in the meantime lets enjoy life as much as we can and if you feel like a wine, ciggy, hamburger then bloody well go for it life is very short.
Hi to you BAK. Agree with your comment on disappearing lump for Cat Yay. I still love that beautiful dog in your avatar. He is gorgeous.
Good to hear from you Tazzy. Hoping you come back on here cause we need some bloody good laughs.
Hi to everyone who's just reading and thinking of all of you going through or suffering from treatment.
Hoping our LUV is ok and and she will soon pick up again. So miss her on here.
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Debra- I did put everything away in an effort to get my house back to "normal", however, my 11 year old son keeps getting out my wig and running around the house in it and taking videos of himself on the I-pad acting like a rock star. He is a drummer and the wig is shoulder length and kind of shaggy! Silly kids!!
Sending love to LUV.
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Inspired, I benefitted from your post today, thanks.....
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Hey Gang,
Hope everyone is doing well. I ask a few days ago about how often you get your bloodwork done and only got two responses...Please let me know. Thank you.
Julie.........wow girl I am just at a loss as to what to say to you besides I am so sorry you are dealing with all of this. (wrote you personally too)
So sorry to hear about LuvRving..........please keep us updated.
Csr319 congrats and I agree if you can get off of the boards and get on with life that is a great thing to do. I will be doing good and then I get on here and read and I am depressed and in a funk for days afterwards..........it helps but it scares me too
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Hi Stupid Boob... I saw your question and replied but it was inside a long post so sorry about that. Thanks for asking it again.
My Onc does labs every 3 mo. He runs a quick check right then and then the kidney, liver and CMP lab results come in the next day.0 -
thanks Debra...................I did not see it....:)
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Maybe I forgot to type it in my message and went off topic... That has been known to happen!!
How are you doing?0 -
Stupidboob....I have bloods done every 6 weeks & scans every 12 weeks unless of course there are some 'issues'.
I'm on Xeloda, 14/7 & 3500 a day dosage. And the best news......it is working!!
(((Hugs)))
Take care ladies......Karen xxxxx0 -
I have CA-125 done once a year other than that nothing unless there are symptoms. The beauty of free healthcare.
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Onc does labs every 6 months. Liver panel, kidney panel, complete metabolic panel and CA 27-29. PCP does Vit D, Lipid profile and HgbA1C. I declined my Oncs offer for a PET scan in April. I see her again in November and plan on declining again.
naan-so sorry to hear your recent "event" Enogh already, girl!!!!. Hoping that you are recovering quickly.
Sending Luv some Love.
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Stupidboob, I'll be having lab work every three months.
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My onc has coming every 4months right now and each time we do blood work...cmp and cbc along with ca 27-29 and ctc. I have a pet scan every other visit but have requested we go to only if something shows on the labs as I just hate subjective myself to more radiation just because.
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Good morning ladies. I am 3 years 7 months out from surgery and last month I finally felt the fear had subsided and I was moving forward. Yesterday I went for my annual mammogram and ultrasound, the technician excused herself and 5 minutes later the Dr. walked in. He explained that they saw a group of calcifications that were circular in shape, at the base of the scar. He thought that it could be "fat necrosis". He then marked the area & sent me for another mammogram. As a result of that mammogram, he said that a biopsy was needed. My question is - has anyone had a diagnosis of fat necrosis 3.7 years out from surgery? My biopsy is 6 days from now.
I read the posts daily and am sorry to see all of the newcomers. Thinking of Michelle and her family.
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Love that pic, Annie! I am very crispy.
I go to the oncologist every four months and get routine bloodwork as well as liver enzymes and CA 27.29 markers. No scans unless something suspicious occurs. Mammogram for remaining breast every year. I usually see my surgeon every 3 months - the last time I went he said I could go to every six months. It has been a little over six months now and I need to remember to make an appointment next week.
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Hi Ka-cey,
Yes - I had a similar situation.
I had something at base of tumor site and everyone felt it was scar tissue and Radiologist said it looked like fat. I had an MRI done with diffusion imaging (diffusion is an add-on to standard MRI to reduce the need for biopsies), so I didn't have a biopsy. This returned a non-cancer probability to me, but due to bc history, it was still given a birads 3 which means very unlikely to be something, but not a firm negative. So I went to my PS (the path of least resistance) and since I was scheduled for an implant exchange it was good timing to ask him to take it out. So he sculpted some more and also removed additional bumps/scar tissue. He sent them to the lab, they were non-cancerous, and a few were called sclerotic fibrous tissue two were called dermal scar.
I truly 100% think you will have benign results. Positive thinking, and please report back when you find out the results. But I truly think it's something that will be related to the surgery and healing, etc.
Have a great day!
Over time, this does
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Inspired, my onc confirmed it's breast cancer with mets to lungs, bones, brain, appendix, left neck, left shoulder,...
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Can anyone share any info about rads with me? I had a bilateral mastectomy so I don't have any breasts for a 'local'recurrance. So why have radiation if the chemo is going all through my body, its also going where ever the radiation would go?
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Relocated,
I had BMX but still had radiation. The radiation helps get rid of any stray cells that might be in the small amount of breast tissue or in the skin or mastectomy scar. Another big thing is the rads hit the lymph nodes and help prevent distant spread. People can have small/undetectable cancer in the nodes. I went to a survivorship conference at Inova life with cancer today and tha radiologist speaker said that is one of the benefits of rads.0 -
Thanks placid44. My chemo has been postponed for the 3rd time now...and I have way too much time to worry/wonder/reconsider every option
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