TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP
Comments
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Today was tougher than yesterday, but not bad enough for pain meds. I sat up most of the day in a recliner. I am not liking the fact that my body is going to smell and I can't really clean my underarms well....stitches in one from lymph node removal and the other one just hurts. Ten days without a shower, that may be the worst thing about all of this..lol. Anyway, my throat doesn't hurt today and I ate mexican food for lunch...sans the margarita. Could be worse. Lots of bruising...they must have really manhandled me!
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Nancedawg, I couldn't take a shower until the drains were out. That was three weeks after my BMX. A washcloth works fine! LOL. Use a little baking soda if you don't want to use deordorant. I still do that when my knees won't let me up the stairs to take a shower. As a matter of fact, it almost faster to do that then take a shower. LOL. Stay clean and much love.
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Nancedawg - yes not being able to get a full shower was gross! My bmx was last august. I used the hand held in my shower for a lower-half shower. Try the waterless shampoo -treseme was pretty good if u don't feel like going to a salon for a hair wash.
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KayB: Exactly what my onc said. Stay away from green tea and any antioxidant supplements...if they are in the food naturally, she was ok with that otherwise they tend to fight with the chemo.
Heal soon Dance!
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Dance: the cyst only hurts when I palpate it too. Am I to expect more cysts on my other boob after reduction surgery? Not complaining though, still grateful its benign.
Nancedawg: Once I was able to, I sat in a shallow bath and carefully washed with a cloth. I was more desperate to wash my hair though and had to wait a long time for that (cant be specific sorry, like labour our minds block it out, ha) I do remember an important timescale milestone though. 4 weeks after the op I was able to enjoy a holiday in Dorset. Granted I did have a lumpectomy and reduction combined. I was still wearing a small bandage but healing well.
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Yes, jackboo, it's a possibility. According to my radiologist, any breast surgery can cause fatty cysts to form. Some of us are just more likely to develop them than others, no rhyme or reason offered.
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My daughter is going to wash my hair today. I will lean over the sink. I went to the airport to pick up a puppy today, and wore a long raincoat so people didn't see my drain tubes. I still smell under my arms, but I am using organic wipes to clense them...cucumber and something....anyway that helps. I like the idea of that shallow bath just to wash the lower body...may try that tomorrow. My tube got caught on the window sill and I was worried that it pulled out. It still seems to be draining, but I will have to be more careful. Another day.... I get pathology reports on Tuesday.
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Nancdawg, the drain tubes are about 18-24 inches long, and have a stitch at the skin line (what you feel when it gets caught on something) so they aren't going to come out that easily.
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Thanks for the information.
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nancdawg I sponge bathed till I was allowed to shower. I also went to my hair dresser the first time (1 week post BMX) to get my hair washed. After that my drains were out and I washed my hair with the hand held sprayer in the kitchen sink.0
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I had a cyst that I found in my armpit. I freaked out. Saw the ps, who sent me back to bs, who didn't think it was a return but did an ultrasound. Couldn't tell anything, so immediately did an MRI. They didn't think it looked like anything. However, I was a month out from my fat grafting, so between the ps and bs, they decided everyone would be happier and calmer if he removed it. Turned out to be some kind of cyst/keloid from scar tissue that had formed in the muscle.
On hair washing, I had ordered this tray thing that fit around the back of my neck and then down into the sink when I sat on a chair. DH washed my hair pretty much every day, and then I found a person who came to the house for $20 and washed, dried and styled. I had her come on Fridays. I couldn't style well, but at least it felt clean. The time I tried to bend over, the pressure caused pain and wasn't comfortable.
For vitamins, I read all kinds of different opinions...take them, don't take them. So, I decided that for the 3 months on chemo, I would not take them. The onc had me take CoQ10 as he believes it can help protect the heart. I also took iron pills,when my Red counts dropped.
Nancy, what kind of puppy did you get? We just drove 5 hours one way to pick up a rescue dog a couple months ago. Dirty Harry, worlds cutest dog....a dachshund/schnauzer mix.
Sol and Moon....not to freak you out, but after my TE removal, I had drains in. A few days after, my husband one evening was stripping the drain when he said there is a black dot showing and smoothness that isn't on the other side. So, we call ps at nine at night. He is in emergency surgery and calls back from the operating room. Determines that the tubing is coming out. Tells husband he could probably pull it out. Ummmm....I don't think so. So laughing, he told me to run to the hospital surgery center . We show up, settle into one of the rooms. One of the nurses came out to remove it. Barely touches it and it falls out in her hand. I had to be careful for 48 hours to make sure the fluid would absorb ok. Leaked for about 24 and then was fine.0 -
I took that shallow bath and washed my hair in the sink and I feel almost clean. Nothing to be done about the surgical sight for a while. Need to learn not to sweat.
The puppy is a labradoodle. Kind of a spur of the moment decision, but turning out to be a good one.
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Fluff, just curious how long was that freakin drain? I know they come out without too much trouble when they remove them in the Dr office, bit I suppose if that stitch is broken then it could pull out, Yuck! Bet that wad not fun. And it would happen to you! LOL my daughter lived with me during the recovery period after my BMX, so she did washy hair for me at the Sumo every couple.of days. She also helped me take a shower when I was allowed. My knees were so weak. I wasn't steady right away. And, yes, I had a shower seat and hand grips too. What fun.
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Wash MY hair at the SINK! LOL
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Lol....my Ps is one of the ones that believes in showering. Thinks it is gross if you don't. Bs, on the other hand does not. They are very close friends but disagree on that point. So...which to choose. I waited three days and tried. My nurse practitioner friend came over to help. I had the shower seat which I used the first time, and the hand held, but by the time we figured out what to do with the bag for the pain pump and the drains, then showered, she was soaked and I was exhausted. Although we were laughing a lot. From then on, I just did the sponge bath. I have a garden tub, so couldn't bathe for awhile since I couldn't use my arms. If I had gotten in the tub, I would never have gotten out.
The drains are loooong! I don't know how that thing worked its way out. I think a stitch must have pulled, but they appeared to be intact.
The really long things are the pain pump tubes. Those things are crazy long. They told me I could pull those out too, after 4 days. Ummmmm no. And I had no idea they were so long. If I had pulled them myself, I would have stopped at two inches, thinking something was wrong. They were like 18 inches long. But....that thing was a lifesaver. I didn't rally need pain meds either. Just to get to sleep on my back.
Nancy....love labradoodles. They are so cute. After things healed up, and I got the ok, I slept on my side, even with the expanders. I cannot get to sleep on my back. I had a medical wedge pillow, so I wasn't really laying flat.
I even mastered a technique to lay on my stomache, using those microbead pillows at strategic places so The expanders weren't squished.
I now wedge a pillow between my neck and top of the foobs to lift things a little and sleep on my stomache. I can't do full on flat, but sometimes, I just have to start on my stomache. Mostly sleep on my side now, though.
I have my petscan on Tuesday evening. After winning the battle to have one, I hope I am now not going to be a casualty of the "be careful what you wish for" phrase. At least I will have some kind of resolution, good or bad. Takes more prep work than I realized.0 -
Another book that I found fascinating is called "The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer" by Siddhartha Mukherjee. He is a really good writer.0
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This is interesting, don't you think?
http://www.investorideas.com/CO/AEMD/news/2011/09291.asp0 -
Good article Fluff.
I was scheduled for deporting this morning and it has been rescheduled. Boo.
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I'm having my herceptin infusion right now. Question for you arimedex / anastrozole ladies.
Did any of you lose your eyelashes ? This morning was the first time I've used mascara in a few weeks and since starting anastrozole and they're much thinner!
I'm gonna see my mo after treatment. This is very depressimg. This disease is diabolical. The treatments needed to keep us alive take away everything we have that makes us feminine! €£¥%#^!?$(&!!!!!0 -
That is so true Ashla!
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Ashla, I too agree.. I am almost 11 weeks PFC with very LITTLE hair regrowth. I never completely lost my lashes or brows but they a lot thinner it is so hard to put mascara on. Physically I feel great but I sure don't feel very good about my appearance!!
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Dance and Eileen,
I was feeling so great this am..first time I was driving to infusion on my own..it's an hour away....beautiful day...my hair is about an inch long Eileen 6 mos Pfc but Im feeling okay about it..I've been working out 6 days a week and i'm feeling great. I go to put on my mascara and on one eye there's hardly any lashes! The other eye isn't quite as bad. I burst into tears. I fought off tears the whole ride and during infusion.
Saw my mo and he says it's not the anastrozole! It's a residual of chemo. That hair on your eyelids and brows grows much slower and the ones I lost were stragglers from chemo!
If it's not
I'm friggin going out and getting a facelift...or botox ..or fillers or eyelift or something elseto make feel the least bit attractive again.....
In the words of one of my favorite people Roseanne Rosanadanna..
" if it's not one thing, it's another"!
&$@)($&@!!!0 -
Soltantio, just read your post. Unfortunately Dr. H isn't covered for me or I would have gone. Everyone says how great she is. I hear Kaiser is really good for C pts. so you're in good hands. Now that I've finished chemo, surgery, rads & yr. of Herceptin I'm cleared for anything. I am taking Anastrazole for 5 years. Hey, typing that just reminded me that I've been on it 1 full year as of this month! I just can't believe it's been a year already. TG!
I'll PM you about a possibility for you to consider parking for UCLA. It's just too expensive to park in the buildings.
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How many cc's liquid b4 your surgeon will remove drains?
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Mine was under 30 a day. Terrible aren't they?
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I Think I remember my drains had to be under 2 for each
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Ugggh, Ashla - that sucks so bad. You would think you'd be in the clear 6 months out. Holy crap! &$@)($&@!!! Cancer sucks.
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Hello sisters. Glad to know everyone is doing well.
Fluff, I also found a cyst in armpit in Sep 2011, went for an US, did not see anything. Seems no change since then.
Quite busy lately so haven't come here since April. Went to see my onc for 3 month check last week and saw the most recent ultrasound results. It turned out the fibroid in my uterus, as well as uterus, has slightly enlarged since Jan 2012. He made an appointment with my gyn for Sep 4th for me. The ultrasound said my uterus is now almost complete full of fibroid. Scary and sad. I was expecting the fabroid could be smaller as I did not have period any more and the gyn considered me as postmenopause. Now have to prepare myself again for a sugery to remove uterus in early Dec so I have a long break to recover.
I have a friend at work who had uterus removed at age 35 and is doing fine. That makes me feel not too scared but just kind of sad to have more surgery.
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Dance...
Apparently they can all fall out a FEW times! Makes sense. I tgink eyelashes are on a 3 mo cycle...they all ome in together and then shed ogether.
My mo explained luminal A/B Her2 ERBb2 to me. I think i understand a little now.0 -
Ashla both my eyelashes and eyebrows thinned and I believe its the ESD. Ironically my mom had to go off the small amount of hormone replacement (because of me). Her eye brows thinned too. She never had a lot of eyelashes though.
BUT your eyelashes/brows can keep shedding up to 2 years after chemo so it could be that. I did have that kind of shedding for about a year. Now not so much. But I do have enough lashes to put mascara on.
meglove I have 2 friends that had their uteris removed in their 20s. These are gals I graduated HS with so they are my age (one is 52, other 51). They are doing great (both with adopted kids).
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