August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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Well I had my ultrasound done this morning went to see my bs and he told me the lump under my arm is a healing process and the cancer didnt come back, he also told me I couldnt have radiation until I heal some. He also told me thats why its taking me a long time to heal is because of the chemo. He wanted me to continue on with the antibiotics through the iv, he stated if my breast still dont heal like it should he would have to remove my whole breast.
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well thats good news about what the lump is, not so good on the maybe removing the breast.... did your BS speak with your oncologist, usually they dont do things surgery wise if you're planning on chemo because chemo does affect our ablity to heal....
Good luck with everything! only a few weeks til your chemo is just a memory!
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Good day, warriors!
I am less philosophical today…!!! Most likely because I am drunk on Words With Friends once again!!!!!!!!
Tex: Yes, that is precisely the upside I was referring to!! Ability to breathe!! You poor thing, what you have been through. I think you are an absolutely remarkable human being. With your attitude and optimism, you will be making 60!
Speaking of eating and cancer, the more I study Chinese people and their low cancer rates, I found in rural areas where modern med is virtually non-existent, when they “suspect” cancer might be present they FAST. They stop eating. Cancer can’t grow without fuel. Of course, this is a very back woods approach to cancer but banal as it is, it is also indicative of an incredible level of understanding on the part of people who have no access to a MSK or DF etc…
With the meat post, the implication is that all cows and pigs look sick but when I drove by a farm not far from my house where they have cows, I do not think they look sick! I think they are cute! I don’t think pigs look sick either! It was just a funny post I wanted to share. It was so odd to read that someone thought a chicken looks “healthy” compared to a “pig!” I could go further but…!
Felis: I am very glad to hear you don’t have recurrence. This is a tough disease to deal with b/c every lump from here on out, for every one of us, has a huge dose of fear with it. I am glad you are ok. As for the breast removal, mastectomy (mx/bmx) had a negative connotation for so many years because it was our “only” option and there was no reconstruction option. My PSs at Yale did such an amazing, amazing job on my reconstruction, I cannot overstate how fortunate I am to have had them and how fortunate all of us are to have new, great options. Lumpectomy is great to start with but if it gets complicated, or like Sptmm had a problem with insurance which led her to a bmx w/flap recon, you don’t have to give up your physical identity as a woman. You are going to be just fine no matter what happens and don’t be worried about an mx and/or a prophylactic bmx. Our lives are more important and as you know, Sptmm and I are absolutely enthralled with our results. Hang in there, you have many options and every reason to be optimistic. Finally, however, I am very happy your BS discussed removal b/c things can get murky if you have to go back for another lumpectomy.
In my situation, my BS was really behind me getting a lumpectomy initially b/c the biopsy indicated I was going to be a Stage 0 or 1 and by the time they were done, that was totally not the case, I had almost 3 cm of cancer cells and 3 cm of pre-cancer cells in that breast and I most likely would be dead by now if I did not get a bmx. My feeling is it all works out but just listen to your inner voice. It is your guiding light!
I woke up in the middle of the night with a massive pain in my head. It was like if you took ½ of your index finger and stuck it in your head, right above your ear, that is what it felt like. The pain woke me up. It felt like it was starting in my head and shooting out my eye!!!! All spooky, spooky stuff! I had to fight to keep myself calm so I could go back to sleep and I did! I went right back to sleep!
It is snowing and it is beautiful here!
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Speaking of snow and a great Christmas gift, the LL Bean catalogue came in yesterday. They have a set of 4 very clever rubber sleds that are pliable and look like nothing but fun! For a set of 4, if memory serves, it was less than $50. You can buy for a family of 4 in a snowy climate for 12.50 each...not too shabby!
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Feliz--I was glad to hear that the Doc said no cancer and that you need some additional time healing. Hopefully, as you get stronger after finishing chemo--the healing will speed up.
Lizzie--Sorry to hear of your scares. I can only imagine how worried you were. I have been through a few scares since my diagnosis--ribs, breast and pelvic pain. After having both cervical and breast cancer, every pain would scare me--every headache would worry me. My Docs have been good with checking out the various concerns--I am guessing that they may have thought it could be something. My rib pain was the worst and I seriously Dr-Googled myself into a frenzy. I thought that I would be so much more relaxed going into followup scans--but I am not. It is always a worry and I doubt that will ever end. However, I know for me that returning to regular routines was the best thing--I am a worrier by nature so given the time to worry...... Being at work, busy kids etc is the best thing. I would say that cancer is in my mind--but more of a back seat...perhaps when I hear about someone else or someone asks me a question.
Tex--Glad to hear that you are doing well.
I am so grateful for this thread and that a group of us have stayed in touch
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I wish it snowed this far south... I miss sleding! and what a gread deal!!!! we used to use whatever was handy growing up, innertubes (the pool kind) cardboard squares, trashlids... or even on our butts! But sometimes neighbors would have actual sleds and we'd share. i never did own one.
Did any of y'all do this- we'd layer a pair of gloves, plastic grocery sacks and thicker gloves to keep the moisture out. We did that with socks too...
Rachel i am also thankful for this thread!
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www.suntimes.com/news/metro/16581681-418/boobies-rock-t-shirt-company-cashes-in-on-cancer.html
i am unable to cut/paste onto BCO but someone posted this in the stage 4 forum- This made me sick!!!!! lizzy remember the whole i heart boobies thing, well this is the guy and he probably made millions off of it!
of the link doesnt work you can find the thread on stage 4 under Suntimes "boobies rock"
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Lizzy, me being the resident expert on migraines I want to comment on your headache. I think you will want to let your onc know about this headache. It isn't like a migraine and is different than any other headache you have had, plus it hurt a lot. I do not want to scare you, I want you to get care if you need it. Please give your Doc a jingle. If I had this sort of headache I would let the Doc know. It is probably nothing more than an angry ear nerve.
About the migraines, I went from having them a few times a year or less to having them every other day! It scared me very much. The Doc told me that this was not the way mets would reveal themselves. I am still off of Aromasin and the migraines have remained stopped. I suppose they will put me on a different AI.
Hugs Ginger
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Good day, warriors!
It is cold here today but it is nice nonetheless. I like the seasons and I like it cold at Christmas!
Rachel: You & Ladyinbama have had new primaries and Tex with mets, you all seem to all be handling it well so I look to you for inspiration
By well I don’t mean you all don’t have your breakdowns and your moments but I think overall you all set a fine example of how to smile in the face of pretty tough adversities. I don’t think about cancer too much but when I start getting weird headaches, losing feeling, albeit intermittently, in both arms, numbness and tingling in hands, a lump in my lower abdomen, a lump in the breast where the cancer was before and neck and back pains, I do start to think about cancer again!!! I don’t know why?!?!?!!! The busiest of lives would not deliver me from cancer thoughts under these circumstances!!! You are right, however, in that unless somebody asks, it is not front-and-center anymore.
I am very grateful for this thread and that we all have stuck together! It feels good and I love this little group.
Tex: there is a special place in hell for people like those in that Denver suburb who thought up this capitalistic pig plan to make money on bc with their dumbass t-shirts and I don’t know what DNA one must have to even comfortably go there. It frightens me to think about the (no doubt) liquored up meeting where, what I hope are frat boys, came up with this idea but it is sad. I would really hate to find out women are running this business. I will investigate! It is all ill-gotten money so no good will come from it. Fate will take care of them!
Ginger: I am going to my onc in the next few weeks, have a laundry list of things to discuss and not the least of which is that headache. Thank you, though, for encouraging me to reach out to my onc. I think you probably have the impression by now I might very well ignore what I would later find out to be a caveat, shrugging it off as nothing to be concerned about and you would be right!!
Did you have a good holiday? Did you give your beautiful dogs some turkey?! How was your dgd? My great niece went to a farm in CT with her dad to see colored turkeys. One of them pecked her through the fence and she responded by saying “I cook you!!!” She is 1 ½ years old!! Funniest thing: in Northern CT there were some wild turkeys on a main road that had traffic stopped and were attacking the cars, pecking at the doors etc… and when people lowered their car windows, the turkeys were pecking them through the open window!!!! You can come up with your own punch lines! The media had a lot of fun with it as it was a few days before Thanksgiving.
So Dr. Oz is back on my radar! I do so love him! In any case, the other day the talk from Deepak Chopra, Oz’s guest, was Amalaki (for constipation), black currant jam (I think this was to help with memory) and Acorn and butternut squash. I looked up a recipe for Acorn and butternut squash soup so I will let you all know how I feel after my power lunch of soup, black currant jam on wheat crackers and a bit of amalaki!
MESSAGE TO YOU ALL: If you have a Paypal account, by now you know they are NOT a bank, although they act like a bank and have all banking properties. In any case, they sent out an email to all of us with accounts telling us if we did not opt-out, going forward we would be relegated to arbitration-only in the event we had a problem with them and their (often times) mishandling of our money. Basically they are taking your legal rights away/right to sue. I am not going to go too far on this but THIS IS BAD. This is bad for the holders of Paypal accounts and if anyone wants instructions on how to tell them you are not complicit, PM me. I will give instructions through PM. You all can only imagine that this is bad for us as why would they wait until the beginning of the very busy holiday season to tell us and then make it necessary to respond by mail, using certain language, to opt-out and that it must be sent w/return receipt and delivery confirmation ***BY DECEMBER 1ST**? Exactly. Not good! Also, they did not provide instructions on **how** to opt-out! I had to do a lot of research to find out exactly what to do. What a mess.
Happy trails, girls!
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Hi Guys!
Tex, it is great to hear that you are feeling better and the cough is gone! I agree with Lizzy when she says that you are truly an inspiration to all of us the way you keep your chin up and roll with the punches thrown at you by this disease with such a great attitude, all while being an amazing mom to four truly lucky children. I love your attitude! As for the guy and his t-shirts that is truly disgusting! I strongly believe in karma and people like that are going to get it back in spades when the time comes!
Lizzy: Great advice on maintaining the changes. Unfortunately the further we get away from diagnosis and the less we dwell on it, while a positive step, can serve to make us more lax. We really do need to "keep our eye on the prize" and stay focused on those positive changes we made when we were "scared to death". I know, as much as I loved running before my operation, the couch has become a very tempting place to relax. I have literally had to drag my sorry butt off the couch lately to go running. But I keep in mind that study I read and make sure that I get at least 4 hours of exercise every week, and eventually as I get back into my routine and the running gets easier, I will probably go back to loving it again. In the mean time I just make sure to get in my four hours every week! Thanks for reminding me why I made these changes and the importance of maintaining them. As for LLBean, that is one of my favorite catalogs and I saw those sleds, $24.99 for four!
Rachel, sorry to hear about your boss' wife. It is terrible how prevalent cancer is and also just health problems in general. My brother's best friend (45) had a heart attack a month ago and he was the picture of good health, into health food and exercise. Just a reminder that nobody is immune, I guess it is part of the aging process. Luckily he survived and will be okay, but a very sobering reminder and the older we get the more "reminders" we get.
Felis: So glad to hear you are approaching the end to your chemo! The chemo does slow the healing process, so just do what your doctors tell you and take it easy. And if they do have to do the MX, so be it. Like Lizzy said, I originally had a partial mastectomy and then last month went back and had a BMX with reconstruction. And I will tell you right now, I wish I had done it two years ago! My new boobs look great and the operation and the recovery were not nearly as bad as I had thought they would be. So, if that happens, you will get through it and may even be happier with the result.
Hope I didn't miss anyone, have to run and finish the laundry! Love all you guys!
Debbi
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I know what I forgot....
Rachel: 18 lbs. in a few weeks, AMAZING! Congratulations! You will be back to "pre diagnosis weight" in no time!
Debbi
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Having my breast remove is a last resort it did go down some but it swoll back up. I finish the antibiotics iv today im so glad but i have to go back in the morning for short treatment. I am about to freeze its suppose to be 20 degrees tonite with some frost. Thanks for all the information it really mean a lot to me. So im just letting everything take its course the chemo has cause some constipation i been drinking water but it seem like its not working. Any ideas.
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Felis: Deepak Chopra was on Dr. Oz the other day talking about "Amalaki" and how that is a natural "helper" for such problems as you have right now! Also, Senna pills and a glass of Metamucil should have you experiencing more comfort in no time!
Sptmm: Deb, I am going to start calling you "Deb Little" after Tony Little who is the exercise guru on HSN!! He has a long history, however, in motivating people to work out and I has been around for over 20 years with his workout tapes and contraptions!! You are the best, Ms. Little!! Actually the very name, Ms. Little, is rather suitable with your new state of svelte-ness!!!
Thanks for reminding me about those sleds! Don't those look remarkably comfortable, smart, easy-to-transport, lightweight and colorful?! All 4 for 24.99?! I suppose at that price, if we did not order yet, they are probably out-of-stock! BTW, we are clearly in the LL seraph circle as they have really cut down on their catalogues and are being very selective as to who they send them to!
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Thank you. I ate some turnip greens and it did the job right alone with drinking water. I still have to get some of what you talking about though.
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hey debbi YOU inspire me! i need to get my lazy butt up and at least walkin! LOL
Felisa- prunes! or prune juice. i actually love prunes- they come in a resealable back that i can pop into my purse.... If not maybe you can check with your dr about a stool softener. Stay warm!
i have NEVER gotten an LLbean catalog LOL just seventh ave and fingerhut! they keep warning me this is gonna be my last issue but lo and behold i get them monthly!
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well my onc called me and told me i had fluid in the pockets of my breast so now i have to wait and see what my bs is going to do. im tired i wish all this was over.
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Hang in there felisa. You are nearly done.
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I need a little advice. What do I do with a medical bill that should be covered by my insurance? I had nipple tattooing on my Diep breasts and my Blue Cross of Iowa won't pay it because Mayo in Rochester coded it as cosmetic. Really WTH? Especially when PS office told me everything to do with breast cancer reconstruction is covered and it should be !!! I didn't ask for this. Plus I took the simplest nipple procedure they had. I have gone round and round with both. Now the insurance tells me to appeal it. I am asking you ladies because I know you are smart about these things I am just dumbfounded on this one. If I had known it wasn't covered I would have gone to a local tattoo place and had it done for a fraction of the price. The charge from the hospital is a total of 2500. locally probably would have been 150. I'm totally ticked off. Thanks ahead for any input.
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Good evening, warriors!
Hope everyone is well.
Felis: you do get tired of it all, you get tired of appointments, seeing docs, scans, bloodwork etc.. but then you get to a point where it is much, much less. Better times are coming
Iowa: Mayo has to recode that. You can challenge it because obviously Mayo is not a cosmetic center! What are they doing over there that they even know what the cosmetic code is? Mayo must have another code. It is really not cosmetic per se as it is making you whole again. You did not go in to get your existing areolas darkened! Insurance companies cover nipple recon which is not cosmetic but to make you whole again. I will try to pull some legislation on the bc laws and your rights to reconstruction. That recon goes right to nipples.
What did Mayo say? You must have called them to recode. Let me know what they said. What did they tell you? They can't recode? That is ridiculous.
Happy trails!
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Lizzie I have talked to 3 or 4 different people at Mayo and had been told they'd resubmit the claim and medical record and they say insurance says its not a covered benefit and insurance points the finger at Mayo. I was even told ahead of time it would be covered. Has been my only frustration through it all.
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Iowa: I did have a problem in the past with this kind of thing. Call BCBS on one line (use DH cell and put on speaker) and call Mayo(use your cell and put on speaker) and let them talk to each other and get it straightened out. There is NO way I would be paying 2500 for some ridiculously overpriced tattooing at Mayo especially when you confirmed it was covered. It is covered, I know it is. They are resubmitting with the same darn codes and getting it rejected over and over again. Reminds me to double check that definition of insanity!!!
Does anyone else think the Powerball jackpots over 100 million should automatically start dividing into smaller jackpots with more winners and, upon winning, a financial management class requirement for all?! There have been so many that have gone broke. A woman in my hometown was one of the original "gone broke" stories. Sad.
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Iowa- you NEED to call BOTH places, like a 3-way call and get them to talk to one another. They will pass the buck like no bodies business. i honestly think they are trained to do that!!!!! i recently had some insurance issues with meds and i eventually had to get my insurance on the phone with the pharmacy! Its NOT MY JOB to do that, but no one wanted to take responsiblity!
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LOL lizzy- i didnt even read your response! i read her problem and then just answered right away! yeah or one a cell on speaker would work.
jackpot- it doesnt matter, teaching them to manage $ isnt really gonna make them apply that. Look how many people live beyond their means today.... if it werent for the extra expenses of my cancer crap we'd be doing alright. if we taught the ones that won the lottery, we should also require everyone to learn too.
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Hi everyone--Hope you all had a relaxing weekend. We actually had some snow on Friday--making for a crazy drive home from work--but it quickly melted and today--it was actually quite warm. My husband and I braved the mall to try and start some Christmas shopping. I am one woman who is not a lover of shopping--I think my husband likes it better than me. We figured we would try to get a jump start as we are normally the family fighting the crowds on Christmas Eve.
Hope everyone has a great week.
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SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! crazy! its in the 80's down here- if it weren't for the xmas stuff at the store i'd forget it was even winter!
Good weekend, not too relaxing though! You enjoy your week as well!!!!!!
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Good day, warriors!
I hope you all are doing well. These are busy times, girls!
I had to go for a chest xray today (process of elimination on what the big mass is!) and a few things occurred to me that I wanted to share with you all:
President Clinton broke his ass getting HIPPA through and not for us all to walk into these places and have them arbitrarily hand over forms that state basically we are waiving all our HIPPA rights. You know, the lawyers draft these forms and the non-legal helpers behind the counter have to “sell” the patients on this. I started talking with this woman today who said “oh, it is to protect you!!!!!!!” When I read it, all it said was you are waiving ***every*** right you have under HIPPA. I would encourage you all not to sign those forms. I am not signing away my HIPPA rights anymore. It is ridiculous as if you are to take the time to read what they are putting forth, it basically says they can give all of your information basically to anyone they darn well wish. That is exactly what HIPPA was designed to stop. I am no longer signing over my rights!
This part will make you all laugh: I went in and the rad tech was checking my chest, feeling for where the lump was. I went in for the xray and as I am getting dressed back in the changing room I hear her come out and say “it is not in your lungs!!!!!!!” I did not even want to mention all the problems with this statement! First, if it was in my lungs, I would not be able to touch it! Second, if it grew from my lung, out my ribcage and into my breast, it might not even be cancer but more likely is titanium!!! Furthermore, they were not chest xraying me to find out if it was in my lungs but rather to better determine the composition of the “big mass!!!!!” I know she meant well but I guess after being in this system for so long, I do find myself entertained quite a lot!! I did not say anything to her but said “oh great” and chuckled to myself!
Rachel: may you have a wonderful week also! We had snow here, a little dusting. No big deal. I think it is pretty and I do like the seasons and if I did not, I would be living in FL! The older I get, however, the more I think about FL et al as I can’t go north, that is for sure!
Tex: I heard it was wicked hot in TX these past few days! Enjoy your tan, girl! I know, no tan for you right now! I am so glad you are feeling so much better. That is my Christmas gift this year
You all are going to think I have gone mad but I had the most vivid dream I was having relations with our President the other night!!! I guess it is his bad boy image as we are careening over the fiscal cliff, that has me interested!!!!! I woke up stunned! The last thing I remember was we were laughing, doing cartwheels in the Rose Garden!!!! What a crazy dream and I never remember my dreams, ever!
Well I hope you all are well. I have my onc appt coming up and surely I will be quickly dispatched to scan land! I am going to draw on my inner 60s (even though I was not alive!) protestor and whine “hell no, I won’t go!!!!!” God help us!!!
Good day, girls
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I have to see my bs tomorrow to dicuss surgery, I found out that its two places inmy breast that has fluid in it. Do I have to stay in the hospital.
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I meant to tell you all: I saw some of the women from the bc event I spoke at in October today at the xray center. They were telling me about one of the women I met that night...she has been **stage IV** for eleven years!!!!!!!!!! Started as bc and went to her brain, bones and lung and she is fine, still, 11 years later. Also, it is soon to be 12 years!!!! I was amazed! It was really good to hear that. Also, in talking with her at the event, I would have *never* guessed what she was going through. She looked great, healthy, happy but I guess I am getting like all those people that look at all of us and become "eye" doctors!!!!!
Rachel: I thought I would tell you this as you are interested in our "healthycare" system! I was in the kitchen and had the tv on in the living room so I went to run to see a **commercial** for a local hospital as the voice sounded familiar! Yes, we are bombarded with drug, hospital and all kinds of healthcare commercials all day and night! I would say 40-50% of all commercials are healthcare related!
Felis: they most likely will not keep you tomorrow but will just discuss your options. Good luck and let us know what happens.
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Lizzie--When will you get the "official" results back from your xray? Fingers crossed that all is good. Time seems to pass so quickly...it seems just yesterday that I had my Oncologist checkups but they are around the corner again at the beginning of the new year. I will definitely need to get some sort of zen state of mind for that time as I do not handle the checkups very well.
In Canada, we do not have commercials for hospitals, pharma etc. It is strange when I am travelling in the US and watch TV or buy a magazine--that the advertisements are everywhere. No wonder these hospitals and pharma companies charge so much as they need to supplement their advertising budgets!
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Rachel: they would not have so much money for advertising if they were not gauging the crap out of us on pricing for their magic (and not so magic as it were) pills!!!
The xray was fine so it is not in my lungs. Next week will start the pet and bone scan series so I will most likely start drinking on Sunday in preparation!!! JK! We shall see. It is all scary over and over and over again. It is like revisiting the same fear over and over again. Alas what are the choices?! Let your body become a cancer garden?!?!
None of us handle the check-ups well, Rachel. You are in good, and plenty of, company! The other day these 2 guys were talking in front of me in line and were talking about their mom or someone female in their lives who had been dxd w/ the big C. At one point one of them said "well, dude, cancer is a life-ender not a life-extender!" My poor ears went and told my weary mind what they said! Awful!
Iowa: did you get anywhere with the Mayo jokers this week?! I sure hope so.
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