Any 40-ish survivors?
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Thanks for allowing me on your group gals. I have a question. Just had a hysterectomy 3 weeks ago. Also a bilateral mastectomy 14 months ago - Does anyone know what life without estrogen is like. I keep hearing I may be dry "down there" but I mean mentally, emotionally - do ya still feel like a girl? ha ha I mean what will happne to me? Will I still be wearing my pink toenail polish?
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Jane~ You crack me up! I actually think that's how some of this weight got on me, not enough exercise in bed!
Jojo~ we all coach each other too. I can tell you I get really scared thinking about cancer sometimes, then other times I don't think about it at all. I try to find what brings me peace, like going to the farmers market on Saturday mornings, and I like a slower routine now, since treatment. I still want to do everything and see everything, but quiet activities suit me better now, like photography. I'll capture memories now.
Sheribell~ I don't think I'm in menopause from chemo. Seems the one side effect I might not have minded, eluded me. lol.
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I have problems falling asleep also, although this pre-dates bc. But now I take an anti-anxiety (Clonazepam) an hour before bed and 1/2 unisom before bed. But lately I have been feeling so exhausted in the am, that I'm afraid the unisom may not be leaving my system. I didn't take it last night, but I knew that I could sleep later as I was off work today for dr appts. I know working late contributes to me being so tired also, need to get that under control.
Not a great meeting with PS today for Stage II surgery June 4th. He basically said he didn't really think he could make the left breast bigger because the "envolope" shrunk and is tighter due to the radiation. He is going to lipo as much as he can, but he is more focused on fixing the cleavage so it looks good in a tank top. Which I want to, but I would like more symmtery also. Then had awful call with nurse for intake, she was suppossed to call at 4pm and never did, then basically did not tell me anything, thank goodness I have had surgery before as I was promting her with questions, like aren't you suppossed to tell me to stop taking this med and that med, etc.
Profbee, will be interested in your decision about nipples as that would be next for me, but not until Sept. at earliest. Sheri, welcome and thanks for sharing your stories. I have heard others like it, I will have to think about this more after Stage II. I also am a full-time working outside house mom and have a 12yr old and an 8 yr old.
I went to Y today, so that was good!
Kim - I'm with you, my goal is always to go upstairs to bed at 10pm and light off at 10:30, but so often I am up later. And not on here either
I have also been organizing a girl scout fundraiser, so its either something with that or ...something else... 0 -
Welcome to the group Sheri!
I am packing to head to Charlotte NC in the a.m with my sister & niece. It is my nieces 16th birthday so we are doing a girl trip... Looking forward to some pool time, a margarita or two, the Nascar race Sunday nite and mani/pedi day on Monday!
Wishing everyone a wonderful & safe holiday weekend.
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Hey there, its been a while. I have been busy, but doing fine.
Welcome Sharibell
I am 46, and have a 19 year old daughter that doesn't live with us anymore , but she does still live in town, and works at sub way, so I eat there once in a while and see her, and I have a son who is almost 17 and lives with us still, (one more year and he will graduate)I finished chemo and radiation in the fall, and still have weekly herceptin treatments, until the first week in August, then I hope to soon after get my port removed. I take the 5 year pill Anastrozole (generic for Arimidex)
I teach zumba at the gym, and one of my warm up songs is "ice ice baby" , I love it.
This is such a long journey, from diagnosis, until your first few clear mammograms, but I am so thankful for the wonderful friendships on here.
I have my first mammogram scheduled since diagnosis, last April, this July, so hopefully all will be well.
take care everyone, and have an awesome day
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Hi Everyone. Happy Memorial Day tomorrow!!!
1st<<<<Sheri, I was 45 at diag, should have been 4 years ago but fear and "it's probably nothing" sounded alot better. It took my younger 2 (19 & 21 at the time) with there "BOOBIE" tshits on to go and have dr appt. and get my 1st and LAST mammagram. With 1 1/2yrs behind me, I still have issues that I am dealing daily with as is everyone else. So PLEASE, don't feel to old!!! It sounds like I have the oldest kids....... Sarah 20, Thomas 23 and Becky 24.
As for the nipple issue.... I stopped having expansions before my rads because it hurt and never did it again (205/215). Now I stand at 210cc and no nipples. Besides hating surgeries (carpal tunnel in 2wks
), I figured I didn't need permanent headlights!!! LOL Do you know you can get sticky ones???? Hee Hee Hee!!!! I just drew pictures and for my post-recon app, I used puffy heart stickers!!!!Good luck with your though!!!!! I'm curious how they do it. I don't have any extra skin and my rad side just keeps getting tighter EXCEPT for a bump (my nipple) that formed from a possible stitch that was never removed.We'll figure that one in Sept I guess.
Happy BBQing:D
????Just went back and read<<<<< why do they do EXTRA recon surgeries??? Mine look funny (only my DH sees them) and I can't things with"cups) to fit right and if I lift my arms, one of them is at least an inch higher. PS said "Must have placed it under the muscle wrong"
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Man, I write novels!!! Sry!!!!
Hey, FB friends, check out the highlight of my date night last night...... Hotair balloon lifting off. The other 3 were already gone. One day, I'm going to go!!!!
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Hey loves.
Well, I think I'm going through with the nip surgery. But I am a bit weirded out by having my headlights on high all the time. I'll keep you all posted with a blow by blow.
I can't believe it's on Wednesday! Sheri: I'm on Tamoxifen, but I haven't had a hysterectomy. You can get vaginal dryness, but there are some great products out there. I'm sure you'll still be you.
It is scary thinking about the unknown and how all this hormonal stuff effects us.Love to all. Must run...up WAY too late and need to be grading if I'm awake. ugh.
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Sheri, was 46 at dx, now 47. Some days I feel older, but starting to get back in the groove. With my first MO follow-up coming up in June I am starting to look to the future. 3 kids 18,20,22.
Profbee - good luck with your surgery.
My daughter had her prom on Friday. She looked so beautiful and had a great time dancing all night. Was so happy, she really deserves it. She was the only one living at home and has certainly been on this crazy journey with me. Just turned 18 and will be off in the fall to university, but I think we have formed and close bond.
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well i am new to all of this. dx in jan/biopsy/lumpectomy feb/ 6.5 weeks radiation april - may/ now looking at D&C and removing ovaries during the procedure end of june. Tamoxifen will begin end of July? some days seems like never going to reach that light at the end of the tunnel. original DCIS right side. All follow up MRI and mamms will be done in August. Ugh.....left side is always dense so i was surprised with cancer on the right. now what if i start all over on the left side in august? my thoughts are unsettled this morning.....sure is a lot of trouble for something being staged Stage 0 - not really cancer! Seriously? It's cancer to me!
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Well ladies I am about to have my 50th birthday. I used to really be dreading it but now its so different. I AM SO HAPPY TO BE ALIVE AND TURNING 50. I have this comment: Most people do not know when they will die, they don't have time to prepare or tell their loved ones how they feel. I believe I have had the gift of preparing, things I did: a will, telling everyone how I feel about them, forgiving, eating better, being a better friend, mother and daughter, really living each day for today and lately going through my bucket list. I may never have a recurrence. I could have one tomorrow. Only God knows that. But no matter what my future I feel like I have taken care of my life! Like the song says "live like your were dying".
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JAMIE.. where have you been?? Glad you popped in.
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bdavis - I have been working a lot and traveling when not. how are you? nice to hear from you!
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Happy LATE Birthday Dixie. We used to live in Slidell
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Profbee~ I bet you'll rock those headlights! Sending prayers and hugs your way for tomorrow.
I was 41 at dx, I guess I'm going to be 43 or was I 42 at dx, who knows it's all a blur! I have a 21 year daughter and a 27 step daughter.
I have an MO appt tomorrow.....checking tumor markers and I guess I get to undress for her. I'm going to ask her to check all this tenderness I have in the radiated area. by the way, is it radiated or irradiated?
Happy Tuesday everyone!
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HA HA HA!!! Gina you are to funny
I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't remember my age!! AND I agree with IRRADIATED!!!
Does anyone who skipped chemo because of Oncotype worry if it was the right thing???
Boy, I am full of questions this week aren't I!!!
Tomorrow is "Hump Day" and there are only 7 (count them..7) more school days for me!!! (6 with students)YAH!!!
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I don't think I was offered the Oncotype. What were the criteria to get that done? I've heard about it from others who scored low...
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Hi ladies!
Just a quick check in. Had all sorts of imaging today, CT, MRI, and tomorrow is nuclear bone scan. So much fun! Let's hope the spots on my bones, spine, and swollen glands are gone, but I don't feel hopeful today. I have a dr appt and want to ask her to put me on long term disability. I just want to feel better.0 -
Eema, I hope all your scans are good, hang in there!
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Sagina: Oncotype requirements are estrogen positive. There are 2 results charts given to the doctor. I for nodes negative and 1 for node positive. I see you are ER- therefore you would not be eligible for the test.
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Sagina... I was not given the Oncotype test as it is used mostly and most effectively for node negative patients, and since I had a micromet in one node, my MO decided I needed chemo either way.. and the micromet got me 2 extra doses. No regrets as it wasn't that hard, and helps me sleep at night. I figure if the cancer traveled from the tumor to the node, it could have gone anywhere. So I zapped it.
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Dixie (Jamie) I am doing well... will be back in NOLA in October!!!
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Eema: I would ask for disability. You deserve to be able to take care of you! Do you mind if I ask how you knew something was wrong? My MO sees me every 3 months but does no tests at all. It really makes me nervous. I had a pet scan in the initial dx stage that was negative but I have a friend who was a stage 2, 1 lymph node involvement, chemo, rads, lumpectomy and hormones and now 13 months later had abnormal labs and is now dx with stage 4. Her pet scan was normal too a year ago.
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bdavis are you having more recon? Hopefully its a fun trip?
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There is so much that we don't know!!! What is "micromet"??
Eema, I'm afraid to ask what a "nulcear bone scan" includes!! I'll be thinking of you though!!!
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Sometimes think about onco score. Hope that when the big tailorx results come out in a couple of years that they haven't changed their minds about what scores are. Also no info on how old the people were that they took tissue samples from to develop it. Hope it applies to younger women accurately. Since we are not in the majority of post meno BC.
Eema - good luck with tests and disability. You deserve both some peace and peace of mind.
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Well, PCP through a curve at me. I have hypercalcimia--high calcium, which is almost always caused by a parathyroid tumor. Or breast cancer. I had a blood test and we go from there...
I'm going to bed.
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Debbie.. a micromet is nodal involvement at th microscopic level. If cancer in the nodes is less than .2mm it is considered node negative (isolated tumor cells); cancer that is between .2mm and 2mm is a micromet; larger than 2mm is a macromet.
Jamie.. I will have a tweaking surgery in January, so October is just an appt... and some fun!!!
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Thank Betsy. I'm not sure what I was except node pos.
OMG!!! Almost 12, time for BED!!! I've been working on my "new at home" job and was trying to fix my wireles printer.. Printer done, having doc sizing issues. LEARNING time
Nite ALL... PS<
WHACK!!!!!!
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OK<<< Just an idea to add some FUN!!!
Someone can ask a question everyday so we can learn a new thing about each other
First QoD<<<< What is one GOOD thing that has changed since this all started ???
I am now in charge of feeding the birds and I LOVE seeing the moms taking care of the babies!!!!
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