August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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Lizzy - SERIOUSLY? I can't believe that ignoramus believes that nobody dies from breast cancer anymore! WHAT? UNREAL!~ I hope there is some serious fallout from THAT statement! Must be nice to be so very distanced from cancer that you don't even know anyone who's died from it.
GUYS- I have discovered GENIE bras - let me tell you that I'm addicted! I bought a 2 pack at Walmart for $20 while DH was checking on line. I had nothing to do so I went to the front of the store where they keep the "as seen on TV" stuff. I got it home and guess what - it has a pocket inside it to inserted or remove these pads it comes with. You can stick anything into this pocket................DOH - it's a mastectomy bra!!! Without the $300 price tag!!
And it's comfortable as anything -like a nylon stocking, all in one piece! It would be great for anyone with a lumpectomy also since you can pad the other side to even things out. I'm so excited - I came home and ordered three from Ebay for $21 plus free shipping on a Buy It Now -cheaper than Walmart! So I landed in the ER the other night. New herbalist I'm seeing at the medical center that I go to has me on an anti-parasite for tummy troubles - it's taken care of it but it's a 30 day program. So meanwhile I got re-bit by a tick and lyme for SURE.
He put me on something for that but told me to take it 12 hours apart from the other thing. Well, I did -took my second "kit" at 11;40 at night and instantly became dizzy and passing out - everything was blacking out and it was kinda like a panic attack - my muscles all got tight and felt like I couldn't breathe. Waited a few minutes and made DH bring me to the ER> Never had a reaction like this before. Long story short, the ER took so very long to even SEE me that after 2 hours of vomiting and diarrhea in the ER bathroom, I was good to go and feeling better. Finally we just up and left before we saw a doctor. Now I bet we're going to get whopped with a big bill! They did nothing but made me wait and take my vitals but not before registering me. Let me say that we walked the parking lot for 40 minutes with me feeling like this because i did NOT want to go into that ER, as I knew I would be getting a HUGE bill as a result. Anyway, so called the herbalist the next day and he is having me back off one until we're done with the other. But WHoo-EE! That was some bad trip!
My friend's daughter ar also accicdentally mixed hebs from silmiar kits and ended up passing out on their bedroom floor with the similar diarrhea that I had. So people think herbs are safe but they are as dangerous as drugs and you have to be so careful!This is our VBS week so it's craziness every day until 12:30 - and tomorrow I have an oncologlist appointment. I'm about to start taking the ativan now. Scared.......
Lizzy - sorry to hear about your lump! Remember that I had one of those at my collar bone and they took it off and it was nothing. It sure is scary and that is a huge understatement! I hate this disease.................hang in there!
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couch to 5 k- I totally didnt post how horrible i am at it! I seriously got winded after maybe 20 second of jogging, forget it! even the brisk walk had me breathing heavy. At one point in my cancer journey i had to use an inhaler because my lungs werent expanding very well, my dr said "As-needed" i may need to start back up on that if i intend to ge my butt in gear! miserable, just miserable SMH! i need a running partner to A- push me into running and B push the stroller! it seemed more difficult with that thing!
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kel- what! it has a pocket! someone was telling me about how wonderful they were but i explained i cant wear clothes with the extra material in the front because i have no extra body to fill it! would have been nice if she told me it had pockets for my FOOBS! i have honestly only wore mine once b/c the bra i have for it is UGLY and doesnt fit under any of my blouses correctly- hey i am still young and want to dress like it!
i hope they DONT bill you! How did your appointment go today???
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okay about my "breast prostheses" it would be crazy strange for me to wear them around town because i had JUST moved here when i was DX'd so 99% of ppl that know me have NEVER seen me with breasts.... i just had a laughing fit thinking about the gossip that would go around lol prob thinkin i got a boob job. sorry- both kids are asleep and i am bored to tears LOL i find this super funny!
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Tex, you're a hoot and a half!
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Tex: Small town gossip can be brutal. It would be funny to walk into a meeting of some sort one day with double D's, just to see the look on people's faces... LOL! Me, I have to wear my prosthesis because I have a boob on one side and 1/4 boob on the other. You should see the looks I get if I stop in the store or something on my way home from the gym (I don't wear my prosthesis to the gym). I giggle at what must be going through peoples minds as they try to figure out why I am sooo uneven...LOL. On the couch to 5 K, be patient. You are having chemo and your body is not at its best. The important thing is that you are getting out there and being active, if you have to walk then walk. If you can only run 10 seconds, that is still good for you. Take it at your pace. It is the exercise that is important, not how fast or hard you exercise. I give you tremendous credit for even attempting the couch to 5K while undergoing chemo...You are amazing!
Lizzy: Keep it up girlfriend! Aiming for the Revlon sounds like a very realistic goal. Like I said to Tex, any exercise is better than no exercise. So, if you have to repeat week 2 a couple of times, so be it! At least you are running a little and you will be in better shape for it! I am sorry you are so worried about your surgery, I can only imagine the thoughts going through your head. I am sending tons of positive vibes your way and hoping that you get resolution to all these questions with that surgery, and gorgeous new boobs!
Cal: You do have the worst luck when it comes to health! I hope you are feeling better and your onco appointment went well!
Have a great night everyone!
Debbi
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thanks debbie! i will get back out there and try again!
thanks adey!
me sans the beer!0 -
Good evening, warriors!
I hope everyone is well! Nice weather these days. I am loving it!
Calamtykel: that is wicked scary how you felt and then going to the ER? Awful. Very scary. What is even more disheartening is the fact that you will be getting a big bill. I would send whatever bill you get to Gov Christie and ask for some consideration. For the love of God, you don't have a money tree in your yard. It really bothers me that you stayed outside, in the parking lot, because of the doom of the impending bill. That sucks. My father was very smart and when I was body building, and getting into playing with amino acids, he reminded me that the body has it's own balance and it is delicate. He was cautioning me into putting too much of anything in it. His caution was helpful and the same goes for herbs, vitamins etc... We can easily make a molotov cocktail out of ourselves!
I remember your collar bone lump...that was so scary also. The reason I am so bothered by these lumps, besides the fact that I am an unradiated (b/c of infection in left breast) Stage IIb, the fact that I get so much pain in that pocket and under my arm. Also, and away from those other rocks that are in there, I found a pretty good lump right where the cancer was before. I know on some level I am petrified about all of this and I am just trying to not flip between now and surgery.
That is really cool about the bra you found!!!! I have never purchased clothes at Walmart/Kmart/Target (not b/c I am above it but rather I can't get comfortable shopping on the midway, across from the automotive dept and adjacent to electronics!) but b/c of this surgery I needed a cheap pair of like cargo shorts to accommodate drains etc... Sure enough I found a pair at Walmart for $11!!!!!!! I could not believe that I actually found clothing that cost only $11!!! It was such a great feeling! I am about as happy w/my shorts are you are with that genie bra!
Timothea: I am so disgusted with my inability to complete week 2 successfully. It is challenging. If you read the site, it tells you to stretch it out meaning repeat the weeks as many times as necessary. Honestly, though, Timothea-I would seriously take it easy if I were you as you are on chemo and it must be, at least on some lever, be affecting your breathing. Pick it up again when you are done with chemo.
You know, yesterday I met one of my surgeons for the first time. He will be in one on the team for my upcoming surgery. He is younger than me, handsome and is very, very likeable character! I can't explain it but he has a very, very nice way about him. In any case, and in speaking to your point about being young and wanting to dress that way, I was talking with him about my age and this weird place I find myself. He said whatever it takes to make you feel whole again is exactly what needs to happen. How emotionally intuitive is that? I just thought he said that very well. Timothea, it is hard to be w/out boobs at such a young age and I don't blame you for wanting to dress and look your age. Go get a genie bra!!! That boob job issue is very funny!!! My bf who I have known for 24 years, went to college together. Her boobs were NO WHERE NEAR the size they are now and I keep telling her that I know she got a job done and she insists it was from breastfeeding! Well, I confronted her with some of our old college photos over a few bottles of wine one night!!!! She still claims feeding her boys did it! Her breast s are like 4xs larger than they were in college!
Sptmm: that is so funny about the lopsidedness!!!! I, too, am pretty flat and the left has rocks in it so it is bigger. One of the masses is pretty substantial. In any case, and I am sure you would expect this from me, but some guy (he was a little old so I was nice to him!) was looking at me in line at JC Penney. I said "sir, if you must know, I donated them to breast cancer!" He said he was just trying to figure out what was going on!! I have a man journal with over 300 first dates (anecdotes...nothing graphic!) and I had all my fun at the man farm so I have no compunction about telling it just like it is! You know, I guess all my playing paid off b/c I feel like I missed nothing and am not so uncomfortable in my current situation! After all, I am not out looking to meet anyone with ½ my equipment gone anyway! For the record, however, I want *something* back where they were!
BTW, woman, if I make it through this surgery, and even if there is recurrence and I have to have some radiation, I promise you, if I am back in the swing of things by November-ish, I will be running the Revlon with you next year!!!!! MARK MY WORDS, SISTER!!! We are there!!!!!! I think I will fly Timothea up to pass us water from the sidelines (like it is the NYC marathon!!!!!) She can provide dramatic services on our massive 5k!!!!!All this talk of running makes me think of Wherria. I wonder we our good old friend Whitney has gone?
Calamtykel: sorry to talk about running so much...I feel bad that you can't do as much as you would like right now.
Well, it looks like I am getting out of the hospital on the day of my very good friend's 40th birthday party! I don't know what I will do with my drains and pain killers!!! I really don't think I will be going after all! I can't take any chances, god knows I can't take any chances. She understands but is kind of sad about it...as am I.
Timothea: that pic of the duck holding the beer made me think of some of those t-shirts at Walmart! As I walked around there, I mean some of those prints and patterns are just atrocious and I realized they do with clothing what restaurants do with food: try to serve us the cheapest cut of meat possible dressed in some tasty sauce!! At Walmart the tasty sauce is the price but they are buying the grossest, cheapest materials/prints/patterns, sewing them together and cramming them down the throat of America! I mean who wears this shit??!!! Even an old lady nearby was complaining to her daughter! Constant fashion victims!
I hope you all are doing well and having some fun for yourselves. I overdid it with the sun exposure and my shoulder and part of where my left boob used to be is burned....oh well!!!!!! I just don't care!!!! I am tired of shadowboxing, trying not to wake up my cancer!!! If I die tan and drunk on Bud Light Limes, it is all good!!! Speaking of sun, drinking and summer, what about those Yankees?!?!?! #goodtimesI hope you all have sweet and wicked dreams!!!!!!
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Lizzy- fyi ducks have webbed feet- thats an owl for adey's hoot comment
Oh and you think i WONT be running along side y'all! j/k i'll gladly pass the water, not pull a kramer and have some boiling coffee in it! (had to give some sass since i am in a deliriously feisty mood LOL)i bought a pretty decent jacket at walmart a few weeks ago on clearnece for $1!!!! i couldnt believe it! and a pair of stretchy capris for $3!!!!
check out walmartians- google it! thats who wears the stuff. my wardobe is sadly plain mostly blacks... i LOVE this store called fallas y paredes. ASWESOME! i bought this backless top that ties at the neck, but flows down to mid thigh. for $3.99... its this discount store here in TX. Also i used to buy my daughter's levis there for under 5, cant remember the price exactly but they were CHEAP! (maybe they fell off a truck! lol)
i can just imagine you slinking around in the shadows.... lol well off to bed, i'll let ya know if they were wickedly sweet!
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oh the only reason i know that bird is an owl cuz i googled "texas owl" and clicked images- this came up!
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Lizzy - 300 first dates? Write the book, I want to read it.
My daughter passed her driving test - whoo hoo! She was so nervous the tester told her to calm down but she did it.
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Congrats on the new driver! Omaz!
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Tex - Thanks! I pushed her pretty hard to move forward with the driving, I think she would have preferred to wait a couple years but I wanted her to be able to drive to and from school. It's ony 1 mile. It's a lot better for me because I won't have to leave work by a set time to pick her up from school. She is proud of herself and is the first among her friends to get a license.0
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Good day, warriors!
OMAZ---YAY!!!!! She passed!!!!!!! That is so exciting! It was 16th birthday and I will never forget passing, going home, getting in my car and having the best summer yet!! Tbonds were also fetching 16% that summer!!! Go figure! As for the dates, it was over the course of several years and certainly, as I am in my 40s, it is not a gargantuan number but during my Manhattan days, I was very, very active
That is where many of the stories come from. Also weekends in CT and ...oh what bifurcated, FUN life I used to have! Tex: ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! I love throwing down the gauntlet!!!!!!!! My plan is working out brilliantly!!!!
Good day, girls-
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LOL good memory bout the bonds... When DID you get into that scene????? At age 3?!?!
j/k
at 16 i was busy babysitting to make a quick buck! Oh also had a paper route and did yard work in the summer... fun times, fun times! LOL no car- had to take the public trans, otherwise known as the BUS! which by the way we'd call the "welfare wagon", as if we were above riding it! it was fifty cents for a one way pass or a buck for the whole day. For the fun of it i looked up this trip i used to take riding my bike (thanks to google maps!)- it was 9 miles round trip, i'd ride out in the AM- babysit all day and then ride back. I was maybe 13 at the time.... Hmmm i dont think i could even ride a mile now! lol
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Tex - YES, they have pockets in them just like a mastecomy bathing suit! I am absolutely OUTRAGED at what places charge for "mastectomy" bras -for goodness sake, you'd think they were selling you an actual BODY part! These bras are amazing. For the first time this week since I've had my mastectomy I've felt even and comfortable - and guess what I filled the other side with?? Polyfil!! It's breathable and you can push and shove it into the little corners so it fills the pocket perfectly! I'm just really loving it. I had bought a large for me and at first was afraid they might be too small but they are not - so I bought the XL on Ebay to have set with more room and comfort but now i think I'm going to go and buy one more set of the L - for $21 with free shipping on Ebay for a set of three how can you go wrong?
Just be SURE if you buy them to get the ones WITH the pads. They sell them without a little cheaper. You do have to shift those pads around a little bit so that they're in the right place, but they seem to stay put pretty well.
Lizzy - I did some fast walking and running on my foot the other day and it went well. No pain today. I actually talked to the oncologlist about it when I went the other day - my fear being cancer . She looked at the location and said "no" as far as cancer - that it is a tendon; she's almost sure and especially if the x- ray showed nothing, not to worry.
Meanwhile, waiting for my labwork to come back. Doctor gave me a big lecture about how I must come back every 4 months since I'm not on tamox, and have my liver counts and tumor markers done...meh. I asked her about scans - - guess what? Insurance companies won't pay for them anymore - not unless there is a problem that THEY deem to be worthy of scans ,or if you have high markers. It is more than ridiculous how now insurance companies can trump doctors who go med school for years and years............and this isn't just my insurance- the doctor says she' s having a horrible time getting ALL the companies to cover them! Seems to me like they are really circling the wagons to reduce "their" costs in light of the impending new health insurance regulations. It will be interesting if people are forced to purchase insurance that refuses to cover anything - I don't think there are provisions in that bill as to what the companies must cover.
Anyway ,VBS is done and now back to real life - - it's going to be a crazy busy weekend!
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Cal - A runner friend of mine told me about salonpas stickon patches for sore muscles and stuff - They are really helping with my plantar fascitis. They also help with other sore body parts.
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Hi Everyone!
Sorry about the "hit and run" posts guys, I don't get much time to come on.
Tex: Owl or duck, that picture made me laugh. You, however, are much cuter than that!
Omaz: Congrats on the DD passing the driving test. That's a great milestone and a help to you, because now she can drive herself..LOL.
Cal: I am with you on the mastectomy prices. I bought my swimsuit at Target because mastectomy suits were insanely expensive. I just looked for one with the foam inserts and put in my prosthesis and took out the foam. For the amount of time I am in a bathing suit, it works, and it was half the price. I will have to check out those bras, thanks for the info.
Lizzy: Something tells me that Tex will not be handing us water at the Revlon. She is a little spitfire and will probably be running ahead of us...LOL!
As for insurances. I think I posted a while back that I HATE INSURANCE COMPANIES! Lately they have been the biggest pain in my ARSE! When I had my partial mastectomy it was with the understanding that I would have yearly MRI and yearly mammogram, spaced six months apart. The mammogram for me is pretty useless as I have two things that are clearly stated on the mammography report to limit the sensitivity of a mammogram: dense breasts and a diagnosis of lobular carcinoma. But I had my MRIs and I trusted that was enough to catch anything that might come about in a timely manner, so I was okay with it. Well, this July I was due for my yearly MRI and guess what...The insurance companied denied coverage! I am absolutely furious. Who is this insurance executive to alter my plan of care, prescribed by my physician...the one with the MD after his name! Anyway, I went to my surgeon and demanded a Bilateral Mastectomy. If they are not going to pay for an MRI the sistas have to go! My surgeon and oncologist are both in my corner, but apparently they think it might take a fight to get the insurance company to approve it. I have an appointment with a plastic surgeon at the end of the month to discuss reconstruction and then when I make my absolute final decision, my surgeon will begin the process of requesting the surgery. It really pisses me off that I am going to have to go through major surgery and the physical and financial consequences of that, because some insurance exec decided that MRIs in screening don't save enough lives....not for nothing but if it saves one thats enough for me. Anyway, that is what has been swimming through my brain lately.
I had my four month follow up with the oncologist on Wednesday and now I have to go to the gastroenterologist....and I get to have a CT scan and drink that lovely Berry Conditioner crap (of course that is if the insurance company approves it!). It seems that my iron levels have gone through the floor, so much so that they wanted to hospitalize and infuse me, but I declined. I am taking iron supplements three times a day for two weeks and then will go back for a recheck. The onco says that it is usually a GI bleed that causes iron deficiency anemia, hence the urgent visit to the gastroenterologist. I had a colonoscopy in January so the lower end is good, he thinks they will probably order an endoscopy to check the upper tract. In addition, my tumor markers have jumped a little bit and I have abdominal ascites. Both are just a tiny bit, and my tumor markers aren't even abnormal yet. But he recommends the CT scan just to make sure. Hopefully the insurance company will approve it! I am not too worried about all this as I feel great. And I was severely anemic when I was diagnosed too, so I think they will find some benign but chronic condition causing this problem. But I will be relieved when I get the all clear.
Anyway, I would appreciate any input you guys have on the mastectomy issue. How bad was it? How long should I expect to be out? Do you think I am nuts to go through this now? Any other advice? I appreciated any opinions you have my friends, as I find it helps to sort things out when you have other points of view to look at.
And don't worry Lizzy, mastectomy or not I will be ready for the Revlon in May!
Thanks,
Debbi
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Good evening, warrirors!
Had my pre-surgery appt today and they said I am ready to go! Yay!! Finally!
Tex: 9 miles is pretty darn good! I bet you could still ride that. Give yourself some credit as you are back on that luscious chemo that gives the body pause. In a few more months you will get your fitness back. Every now and again I find myself in my hometown and I remember my friend and I walking everywhere and riding our bikes inordinate distances! My father always took us wherever we needed to go at night but during the day, and in the summer, she and I would put some mileage on!
Oh, Timothea, I totally about the duck/owl thing! I didn't really even look at it! All I could think, however, as I marched around Walmart, is that very pic had to be on a tshirt or 2 I saw that night! OMG..that Walmart I was in was found to have "hidden cameras" (placed by some whacko that) in the ladies dressing rooms! So gross. Of course, I would not be using any dressing rooms in there but that little story was on the news last night! Some guy was being asked by the news to offer his opinion and he said something like "wow, that person must be desperate ...what did he think he was going to see in a Walmart dressing room!?" Such a jerk....not everyone wants to see super models!
Calamtykel: while at the hospital today I stopped about my LE sleeve. I don't have it but my onc said it is not a bad idea to just fly with it as a preemptive measure and I am fine with that. I actually that is smart. In any case, as soon as the woman in the store learned I was going to be having drains again, she came around the other side of the area where the cash register was to "talk" to me about ordering camisoles with the pockets built in! I already have like 8 of them but still! They are wicked expensive and I do believe there is at least some profit being made as well! Call me suspicious!
I AM SO EXCITED you went running!!!!!! That is great news! I am so happy for you. I know it is just awful to work yourself into such a physically fit state and then have an issue occur. I don't even know if this would help but when I taught step aerobics one foot would give me problems and I used some tape that looked like my brother's old hockey tape so I could get through my workouts. Do whatever you have to but definitely just do it!!! Good, so I hope you, too, are going to do the Revlon Run with us in May!That is awful about the scans. There is going to be a lot of "growing" pains while they roll us toward socialized medicine. This kind of stuff, unfortunately, is probably going to be going on for the next 25 years as insurance companies fight for their profit margins. Like I said, it might not be in our lifetime but hopefully your kids will enjoy healthcare that they don't have to go to a job to be sure they keep.
Sptmm: I think a "Wonder Bra" would work great for you, speaking of bras. They have these little pockets inside to accommodate these little "eye" shaped pads that are designed to create cleavage! It is such a joke as these things are pretty thin. I was just thinking, if you used both of those little pads in the one side where needed, it just might work pretty well for you. Just a thought.
Deb, I am positive little Tex is going to smoke us in that run!!!! We still, however, have the power of the "finger wag" and we can toss around the old "respect your elders" adage! That will show her!
The MRI was denied? That is as bad as what Kel is talking about with scans. If they are not going to cover your "detection" services then definitely go bmx. When you talk to the plastic, seriously consider a flap. There are all kinds of flaps. You are working out now and I am a bit of a Tomboy and all I could see is me bursting one and having to go in and keep getting them replaced! Something to think about. The flaps are a great solution.
As for the iron, coffee and tea between meals, fruits and red meat will all reduce iron absorption. It is entirely feasible it is all connected to nutrition. Also, as for tumor markers, so many say they can just drive you crazy, chasing down ghosts. They are good in some ways but can be misleading. Something else few people know: frozen vegetables contain as much iron as fresh. I am sure you are going to be fine w/the GI stuff but definitely would strongly consider bmx on the other issue.
As for your bmx questions, it was a long surgery but for you, probably only 4 hours or so b/c you are already basically down 1. If you do immediate recon the time goes up by 3 or 4 hours. Relative to being out of work, if you do immediate it could be 3-4 weeks or so. I would say you should do immediate recon b/c the way this insurance stuff is going, who knows? I would get it all done in one fell swoop. I think it is absolutely the antithesis of nuts to go through this now. Be smart, just get it over with. Again, I draw your attention to the suddenly precarious nature of what we might expect from insurance companies.
And, yes you will be ready for that Revlon in May, bmx or not! Don't forget also, on the anemia, almost all people w/cancer develop mild anemia after chemo and roughly 80% experience more serious anemia. I am sure you are going to be fine on that one.
I spoke to the nicest woman in pre-surgery today and we discussed the merits of a "bosu" ball. That is wonderful device and everyone should have one, and use it!, as it helps use increase balance.
Well, I hope everyone has a nice weekend! I feel like I am forgetting to tell you all something....perhaps it will come back to me!
Happy trails, girls!
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Hey Lizzie, so glad to hear you are all ready to go. I can't wait until you reach the end of this very long road you have been on...with totally new boobs! It has taken soo long I give you a tremendous amount of credit for your patience and perserverence! When is the surgery? I want to be sending you tons of positive vibes on surgery day.
Thanks for the info regarding the anemia, I didn't know frozen veggies had as much iron. I eat frozen quite often and I am very happy to hear that. I am not a real fan of fresh veggies except for in a salad, which I eat quite often. I am not sure what is causing the anemia but I was severely anemic when I was diagnosed so I imagine that they are going to find a chronic but benign condition. Its funny about the chemo and anemia, I was on iron all through the chemo and before and apparently my iron levels have been low all along, just not this low, and the doctors credited it to the chemo effect. The onco said that I need to get checked out now because it has dropped too low and the chemo effect would have worn off by now. So, basically they have assumed my low iron levels all along have been chemo related. And the doc said tumor markers are notoriously controversial, but along with several other symptoms he just feels it is worth getting the CT and I agree. I'm not really worried about any of that at all....just really obsessed with this BMX issue. Thanks for your input on that. I am definitely going to do it and definitely going to go with immediate reconstruction. You are totally right on the insurance thing, not going to give them any chance to derail my treatment plan, getting it all done at once!
I have used the bosu ball in small group training situations. It really is great. Adds a whole new dimension to your workout without you even realizing it. You probably know more than me, but it seems like balance training is the new "hot" topic in fitness lately. More of the classes that I am taking are incorporating balance in, saying it is a great ab workout. A lot of the toning classes have you doing upper body (i.e. bicep curls) while standing on one leg to incorporate the abs, and things like that. Or they use the bosu ball or that big ball that you sit on. Anyway, that seems to have just come along, at least in my gym. Its great though, because I am big on multitasking and it makes me feel very efficient LOL...one exercise, several different body parts!
Debbi
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Thanks Kel for the tips- i am def gonna check out those bras!
Debbi- That is ludicrous!!!! It makes no sense as to why they wont cover the follow us scans. Especially in your situation where you have dense breasts and the MRI would be the most accurate test! They dont want to pay for PREVENTATIVE care then they are gonna have a lot of women sleipping through the cracks!!! And ending up like myself!
LOL @ the berry conditioner joke! I swear my conditioner prob tastes better than that stuff!!!
My opinion about the mastectomy is that you NEED to do whats going to give you peace of mind. If it worries you that you arent getting the MRIs to the point where you're concidering a full mx then that speaks for itself. As for healing time, i thank my speedy recovery to having my aunt fly down to help out with the kids. I didnt lift anything, or really do anything for the first week. Just laid onthe sofa and let other people do what needed to be done. I think had i had to do all that the healing time would have been longer. i got 1 drain out before the week and the second i got out i think the 2nd week check up.
Lizzy thats AWESOME! i was totally teasin bout the fowl LOL it might be a chicken or something too... That is so gross! ppl these days will do anything for cheap thrills! ANd you're right ppl are attracted to ppl of all sorts of sizes. That guy was so rude to say that.
Mastectomy clothes heck yeah there is profit being made- which to me you're wrong if you go into that business thinking "oh there are tons of women that need this product i can make tons of money!" Honestly i didnt get any special clothing, i took an ace bandage and hung it around my neck and pinned my drains to them. you could use just about anything...
LMBO you're too funny (respecting elders comment)
bosu ball- i have seen them but never used one....
Well i am off to enjoy the weekend! the kids are making sand art so i think i best be going LOL!
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Thanks for the advice Tex. You are absolutely correct and I hadn't thought of it before, but if I am even considering BMX it probably is the only thing that will give me piece of mind. Its great to hear you got your drains out so quickly. I will definitely take it easy, thanks. Hope you and the kids had a great day!
Debbi
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No prob! I have heard of a lot of women taking a lot longer to heal and i noticed the difference (besides their age) was that a lot of them tried over doing it too early in the recovery
Just want the best for ya!
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Good evening, warriors!
I hope everyone is doing well.
Sptmm: Timothea does raise a good point about wanting to achieve peace of mind through your next surgery. That is the biggest benefit to bmx. As for my upcoming surgery, I am way more concerned, and will be sick waiting, for the pathology on the 3+ masses that are in that breast pocket. That is totally what I am concerned about. I also just got to the point where I could put my hair back (Robert Palmer video style!) and all I can think is if I have to have chemo again, there goes almost 1 ½ years of regrowth. Hopefully they will try radiation first.
Deb, something else, I am going to go into the PET scan issue in this post. If you continue to have questionable results from tests etc.., request a PET scan. It is the only scan that will give you peace of mind.
Timothea: is sand art where they use food coloring and then layer it in like a bottle, for instance? I remember my older brothers and sister doing art w/rice by coloring it and then gluing it on plywood and I do remember them doing that sand art as well.
As for the mx clothes, I got hooked up with some place in FL and they got me a bunch of camisoles with the drain holders inside. I have used the ace bandages especially in the shower. All I can say is us bc girls go through a lot and not the least of which is these surgeries and the drains etc..
Speaking of what we go through, I feel it necessary to list here on our thread what "PET Scan" results mean, when they are considered normal, when they are considered negative and when you might have a recurrence, as follows:
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• Use the Standardized Uptake Values (SUVs) scale to measure the brightness of a hot spot on a PET scan. The scale range is zero to 15. Zero indicates no uptake, and 15 is maximal uptake. Most cancers are above 2 or 3 on this scale.
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Decide if the SUVs are in the 2 to 3 SUVs range. If they are, discern whether the patient may have cancer or the hotspots may be a sign of highly metabolic normal tissues. Highly metabolic normal tissues can register in the 2 to 3 SUVs range also, but it would abnormal for this tissue to be closer to 15.A "zero" is a negative PET result and that is "THE" only negative pet result. Twos (2s) and threes (3s), if not in the brain, heart, lung area are indicative of an inordinate amount of metabolic activity. For anyone with a history of cancer, anything above a 3, is more than likely indicative of a malignant event. Don't let doctors and all their words and nonsense try to mislead you. If any of them had xray eyes, we would not need PET scans.
It is imperative you be your own advocate and I felt compelled to list this now as I have a friend who had bc, had uptake on a PET and all the docs kept telling her she was fine and it was b/c of blah blah blah. Well, as I type, she is at MSK in a very bad way, like last rights "bad way." This happened to her b/c everyone was philosophizing about her results. If you are not getting the answers you need or feel that you are not being heard, move the "EFF" on and find a medical professional that is going to listen to you. An ex boyfriend of mine, when we first discussed I had bc, told me the most important thing he learned through a healthcare challenge was you must be your own advocate. It took me until now to fully realize what he meant. I also know that I have mentioned what I now consider to be his "sage" advice before on this thread but it bears repeating.
Be careful and get the attention you need because as cancer patients, it is unequivocally a matter of life and death and you know what? Your life does not matter to anyone as much as it matters to you.
I also put the SUV range on this thread for our "watchers" and "read-only" cyber friends! Seriously we all need to be clear on this stuff.
Tex: that is another good point about people overdoing it. Deb, she is absolutely correct. You really have to pace yourself and listen to what your surgeon tells you relative to pacing yourself through recovery and back to activity. It is really, really easy to fall into a false sense of security when it comes to feeling a little better after surgery and then subsequently pushing it.
BTW, Timothea, you might be 15 to 20 years younger than Deb and I but after we put our dentures in, stretch out our hip flexors and take our arthritis meds, watch out YOUNG BUCK!!!! We are comin' for ya! Finger-wagging and all!
Bosu ball: Finally, a doctor I met at a gym who was struggling to keep himself up on the bosu ball was telling me that a very large percentage of accidents in the elderly population is due to balance issues. I did not know that but it makes sense. I figure if we start now, and Obamacare and cancer don't kill us (!!!), perhaps we should work on our balance! A challenging thing to do: try to balance yourself, on the small of your back, on top of the bosu ball and do crunches! No, it is not impossible! On the contrary, it is quite possible and a good core workout at that!
Happy trails, girls!
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Sand art: i was at michael's the other day and they had some of that colored sand that normally is used in a a sandart kit where you fill the bottles but it wasnt compleat, so it was on clearance. i had my kids draw their pictures on plain paper then put school glue on where they wanted the colors- similarly how you do glitter on projects...
Thats interesting about the PET scan- honestly i NEVER read mine- but i am getting a copy of it on thur when i go to the dr.... hmmm i will bring it back and see what this post is telling me about it. Well i KNOW there is uptake hence the chemo again, but lets see where and the number.
YES WE NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR OURSELVES! lol@ the xray eyes... Oh and just you wait hearing aids will be next
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I am back from Jamaica. After a cancelled flight and extra day there--we made it back on Sat eith about 2 hours to spare before we went to a wedding reception. We had wonderful time. I got sunburned on 2nd day due to crappy spray sunscreen. I am normally very good in sun--keeping hat on and in shade.
Lizzie--good luck on your surgery and hope you get the all clear on results.
Debbi--I echo the others--do what makes you get the most peace. If BMX is that--then do it. I know that if I had a scare--mine would be gone in a minute flat!
Met lots of Americans on vacation--all talking of Obamacare. Not sure if we talked to just certain people but those we spoke to were all Against it. Plus they had some misconceptions of Cdn healthcare. Hopefully I shed some light to them!
For whatever reason, I came back with swollen ankle and it doesnt seem to be getting better. I dont want to see Doc now as i have my GP checkup on August 1st and my onco appts late Aug. getting ready to head back into that anxiety time. Blah.0 -
Good day, warriors!
It is going to be wicked hot in CT today, near 100 and humidity is not too far behind, so the news people are wallowing in hyperbolic speech reminding us all we are most likely going to perish today!!!! It is entertaining to hear all their warnings...like we are freakin' simpletons!
Tex: I would be curious to know what your PET numbers were. Oh, yes, certainly the hearing aids will be next! Well that sand art sounded like just a fun project! Bet the kids loved it! At their age I was enthralled with melting my Crayolas by leaving them in their hard plastic case, in the sun, and then making art from the result!!! Basically I ended up w/1 big, fat, multi-colored crayon and my mother explaining she was not going to keep buying me crayons every week!!! He he he!
Rachel: glad you had a good vacation! As for Americans being against Obamacare, the "healthy" Americans ie: those that have not yet had catastrophic health event are against Obamacare. What they don't realize is we have "healthycare" in this country and not health care. As soon as you get sick, you are marked. If you met one person who said "yes, I had a triple bypass/cancer etc... and I love the fact that I am now pre-existed everywhere, I can't buy insurance in the open market (thereby am uninsurable except through employer or marriage), I am not poor enough to be on welfare (insurance), and now I can't leave my job/wife/husband because I could never get benefits again unless I leave one job/wife/husband and get another job/wife/husband right away!!!"then I would tell you the power of the local crop in Jamaica has gotten much, much more potent over the years!!!! Fifty-three (53) percent of Americans are single. For those people, the only place they have benefits is either a policy they purchased (when/if they were healthy) or through an employer. What happens if they experience catastrophic health event, if they were lucky enough to work for a large employer with solid benefits and they also purchased long-term disability while they were working, they will have benefits for period certain but then are absolutely relegated to only being able to get "usable" benefits through employment or marriage. The reason you don't hear too much squawking on these boards is bc affects women 50 and older more than women 50 and younger. Women 50 and older are most likely married and are living off their husband's benefits while they go through this battle. It is now the under 45 demographic that contains a lot of single people and therein lies the issue w/pre-existing etc... One thing to know about single people: they just don't want to be tied down/to anything at all. For this reason Obamacare offers an option, perhaps not ideal, but an option to survive and live free or die (thanks New Hampshire)!!
My friend had a neighbor going through a cancer battle who lost his house, money etc... all to the healthcare system. He actually ended up homeless at 48 years old. Our healthcare system is a vacuum sucking up all the dollars of the sick meanwhile luring the healthy into a very, very false sense of security. Some lessons will perennially have to be learned the very hard way. Obamacare is not perfect nor will it be for many moons but it is a step in the right direction and guess what? This big fight and all this resistance is not because no one is making money!!! Don't forget wherever there is a big fight, a fat propaganda machine and strong opinions, there is a lot of money at stake. Plus Obama is not just arbitrarily pouring enormous energy into something that is unnecessary! Clearly the man knows there are some huge problems and that we can no longer go on with a "healthy care only" system. He knows what we have is a mess.Rachel, over the course of several months I will bring you up to speed on our pathetic healthcare system that ties us to our employers for life!!!! Literally for life!!!! That is exactly what I refer to as "sucking the corporate umbilical cord!" We literally need our jobs, which is how we get healthcare, to survive! Guess what? When you get sick, the jobs dump you. Therein lies the issue with our healthcare. Most people don't complain because they feel if they don't say anything and they stay nice and quiet, sequestered in their falsely safe corner, they will never have to burn through assets saving their life. I hope they are right!!!! But we know they are wrong.
Does anyone else think Hoda and Kathy Lee start drinking(alcohol) at 6AM?! Occassionally I watch them just for entertainment! I think their BAL is rarely below 2.0!
That is all, that is all...going outside to melt!!!!
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rachel- Thats cutting it close
i bet you had the freshest tan of anyone there at the reception! (unless of course you were still red) RICE (rest ice compress and elavate) if its a sprained ankle it should get better.... well aug will come and go and you'll forget about the anxiety!Art- LOL now they sell a machine that you put your broken crayons into it and melt them to make new ones.... very cool the kids enjoy it and i now keep their borken ones instead of tossing them LOL
Obamacare- Agree Lizzy put it all out there in a great light and to be honest i am guessing none of the triple bypass/cancer patients were in Jamacia becuase they were too broke to go (still paying off their medical debt) LOL
i have never watched hoda and kathy but just you describing them being drunk i bet it makes for great ratings.... off to youtube a clip of them LOL
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Guys - I'm reeling.
My CEA markers came back 2.8 - normal is 2.5 or below.
I have to have scans done. ;(
I don't even know what to think.
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Kel- think that the cancer markers aren't even taught for breast cancer in the most up-to-date schools because their reliablity hasnt been consistant. unless its colon cancer i think... I havent and any sort of markers done EVER.
I will keep you in my prayers!
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