Any 40-ish survivors?
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Hi Girls,
Just here for a second, recovering slowly from the hyst/ooph...we don't know the results of the uterine or ovarian biopsies yet, but one thing the surgeon found was that I had loads of adhesions inside my belly... My uterus was adhered to my stomach, which explains why we have only one child.
For some reason this was worse than the BMX... I burst into tears in my hospital room. I was on the GYN floor, which means I was next to women celebrating the birth of their children. A wonderful occasion, to be sure, but why do they put a woman who is mourning th loss of her female parts on the same floor?
I'll be back soon.
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Angelfromabove--I think it's always important to follow up any symptoms with a doctor, and don't hesitate to get a second opinion if you feel it is warranted. From what I can tell, Tamoxifen is absolutely causing back pain. I have always had a weak back, but since Tamoxifen, every day is some kind of battle with back pain and sleep is hard some nights. I've told my pretty thorough and excellent oncologist this every time I see her and she's not recommended bone scans.
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LtotheK... You are not making me happy... I will start tamox in December... My MO says there are few SE from Tamox, but I replied "That remains to be seen." So I hope he's right...so why won't your MO do scans?? You don't have your diagnosis in your signature... what is your diagnosis?
Anyway, angel said she stopped Tamox in Aug... ANGEL... how long were you on tamox?
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Eema... Good to see you. Hoping you will feel better soon. Yes, that sounds kind of silly for them to put you on that floor. Hang in there my friend
proofbee...hope you feel better too. I know you know this ...but do keep an eye on the fever. I was told that 100.5 is the magic number anything above and I was to call. Maybe other onc's have a different number though. Take care ... probably just that cold
Angel...Have not had any spine pain myself either...
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Eema - I am sorry you are hurting so much ...it does seem very inconsiderate putting women with serious gyno surgery in the same ward as labor/delivery...sending you hugs!!
Angel - I had bone/joint pain and body aches on tamoxifen plus it made me a little psycho (Jekyll and Hyde). I stopped after 9 months because of the se's and my pain has almost gone away...it has been almost a year so it can take time...definitely tell your onc though just to be safe.
Profbee- I was told the magic number is 100.5 too...please be careful and drink lots of fluid...dehydration is another worry with fevers. I hope it is just a mild cold...
Betsy - not everyone has bad SE's on Tamoxifen...actually a majority of women has very little issues. I am hoping you are one of the majority with no SE's
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Eema - thinking of you.
Angel - I'd check out those pains. They don't sound fun. Hopefully you can get some relief.
Betsy - I'm on week 3 of Tamox. No issues so far.
Profbee - make sure you contact your onc if your temp gets higher. The sooner they can get antibiotics into you, the less chance of your last chemo being postponed. Onwards and upwards after this week.
I've had a great weekend. The sun was shining and we just had a lovely family time. Children running around having fun, lots of life in the house, chores done. Feeling happy sitting here on Sunday evening.0 -
Hi All...Kiwimum...I just had to smile...sounds like the best kind of day...very happy for you. Soon you can tell us all about pool life and how warm it is...and we will be freezing and the snow will be blowing --good news from you---
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Angel, I'd call the doctor's office if I were you. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Speaking of, does anyone know if I could take Afrin nose spray while I'm on AC?
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I did not have A/C, but did use nasal spray during chemo. I don't know why you would not be able to.
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LOVE you, Lisa. Thanks!
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Profbee - I agree with Lisa. A girls gotta breathe.
It's Monday here (Halloween) and the girls were very excited this morning. My eldest is heading out with her friends to go around the neighbourhood streets and my youngest is being escorted by me to a few friends houses. Halloween isn't big in NZ, not nearly as big as my perception of it in the USA. My perception does come from TV so it probably is exaggerated.
Because the suburb we live in has a lot of young school age children and is very family, we do tend to get into it a bit. It's fun watching the children dress up etc.
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Halloween is indeed a big deal here.
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Well, I tried to post yesterday, but we lost power briefly at first then for good. We were out for 24 hours, got it back on a few hours ago. We got about 5 inches, our town is a mess, we have so many old trees and the snow was so heavy, so there are a lot of branches down. My neighbors tree had a lot of branches fall into our yard and slide off our roof, but there doesn't seem to be any damage. He was nice and came over with his chain saw this morning to cut them up into smaller branches, then he took them to the curb while we were at church.
It was a tiring week. I told many people at work on Tuesday and that was just emotionally draining. Saw PS #2 on Wed. and back to PS #1 on Thursday. I just have a greater comfort level with PS#1, so have decided on BMX with DIEP recon with him. Now I just have to call him Monday to tell him that's what I decided and get the ball rolling for a surgery date.
ProfBee - hope you are feeling better!
KiwiMum - glad you liked my idea about the scratchies, one woman in my Rads group won several hundred dollars!
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So Meegan, who is doc #1?
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BDavis, it is completely liveable, I hope I didn't upset you too much. If it weren't, I'd dump the stuff. I am a Stage 1 patient, and therefore, doctors are not inclined to do scans at my hospital (not that my mind hasn't wandered into the "what if" camp, but after a while, you just can't fall prey to the every-knick-and-bump-is-cancer mentality).
I actually have had few side effects, but it is not side effect free. It is also a mild chemotherapy--I think it's a bit unrealistic for a doctor to suggest that five years on that kind of medication is going to be without any SEs. The point is, the worst SE would be a distant recurrence, I guess that's their thinking.
I don't want my diagnosis public (I teach, a lot of student trolling, would be terrible if they put 2 and 2 together...) I am IDC 1.2 cm node negative Oncotype 12 grade 3 ER/PR+ patient.
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This is the second time I posted and then found other posts before mine when I thought I was up-to-date. Anyway, we went to a nice Halloween party in our neighborhood last night, even though they didn't have power, we didn't either, so we figured why not go? Halloween is big here, and the decorations keep getting bigger each year. Now they have those blow up things, like for Xmas. We decorate, but only a little. We do have a pizza party every year, so that will be interesting this year. We are doing our best to keep it outside, having some fire pits even, but we'll see. We invite the whole neighborhood, so it could be 60-70 people. I think it will be less though, given the weather.
School has been cancelled for tomorrow, it will not be fun having the kids home on Halloween and they are upset to miss the parade and parties at school.
Betsy, I am trying to read the whole DIEP 2011 thread, but am only on page 34! Usually I'm lucky if I can read 2 pages before I have to do something else. PS#1 is Dr. Small. We saw Dr. Levine and liked him, but I just get a better feeling from Dr. Small. I think he is more conservative and that suits my style. Dr. Small only does DIEP, so if I was doing a GAP or PAP, I would go to Dr. Levine, although Dr. Small usually refers to Dr. Keller in LI. I sent a contact e-mail to NOLA, and I think I got an automatic response like we got your e-mail, someone will get back to me, but no one ever did. But I feel both these PS are qualified, so don't feel the need to go there, was just going to see if I was covered.
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Hi ,
I am new to this thread. I am 45, and got my diagnosis April 26, this year. I had two lumpectomies, started my 6 rounds of chemo, and year long weekly herceptins on June 7, and had my last chemo on Sept. 21. I started my daily 7 weeks of radiation last week, and will start tamoxofin, in Dec. unless my next test shows that I am really post menopausal, not just chemo memopausal. I have been married for 24 years,, and have a 16 year old son that just got his drivers permit, (yikes, here we go again) and a daughter 18 who is graduated and still lives at home, while working and saving money to go to a trade school, (her mind changes all the time on the type of school) I work part time as a bank teller and part time as a zumba instructor at a local gym. I was super healthy and fit, when I got my diagnosis in April, so I was over welmed by the news of cancer. I am the first breast cancer in my family. anyway, I have tried to remain positive during this journey, and continue to work most of my way through chemo, and hoping the radiation won't effect my teaching zumba. I am already red and peeling after only one week of it. I will be creative, and make it work., so nice to find this thread. I appreciate all of you wonderful ladies.
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Welcome Zumba! My son is 17 but just got his permit n June...oy vay talk about stress
I did not have rads so hopefully one of the other ladies will come by with words of advise, Sunday can be slow...Have a good night!
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Welcome Zumba. What a year 2011 has been for us!
We are on the same schedule, I've just completed my first week of rads. I am having 5 weeks (25) in total. No redness or peeling yet!
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Hi Everyone..
Hope all you girls in the snow zone are doing ok today and have power and all....gee wonder what this winter will bring??? ( or do I want to know)
Welcome Zumba, I did rads as well...28 of them...I can only speak for myself as everyone seems so different...but I did burn at the end. I have to admit I was not here on the boards getting all of this information so maybe there are some really good creams to help with this SE. For me..no burning until the end(maybe the last week) I did peel as well so if this happens do not be alarmed as nice new skin will appear under. BUT...as I say this for me...you may not burn at all. I hope that helps???
Kiwimum...I think Halloween may be right up there with Christmas here in the states. That is funny to me...I heard somewhere about all the money people spend on costumes for the pets too.
Hope you are feeling better profbee.
I don't know about you all...but my mind is not doing so good when it has more than two things to think on...I have such a hard time with keeping everything straight and not forgetting....today I am going to buy a big calendar so I can write notes to myself...now I just need to remember to look each day.. I guess this is the one time I don't mind using the chemo as my crutch...I just chalk it up to chemo brain
HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!!!
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Happy Halloween!!!!
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You Know I forgot to say...Thinking of you Eema...hope you are on the mend following surgey.
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Hi girls,
I have been off for about 4 days and no time to catch up on all the posts tonight, need to unpack and get ready for work/school tomorrow. Miss you all when I don't have time to read. Hope all are doing well. My boys are both out in other neighborhoods with friends (no costumes), hope they are not getting into any trouble. Worry about them tricking instead of treating. More later.
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So, I am feeling reflective tonight. I learned last night about an old friend whose son, age 23, was killed in a car accident this weekend. A car crossed the center line and caused a head on collision. He was about to graduate from college and was headed to law school. I used to baby sit him when I was in college myself. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a life can end or your own life can be upended. It literally only takes a few seconds to change your life completely.
As much as I hate having had cancer and fear its return, I feel grateful to have gotten this far. When I think back on myself at age 23 . . . I had done next to nothing in my life. I had never left the country (bahamas don't count). I was just starting a relationship that was the first time I was truly in love (though at the time I thought I had been in love before). I had not yet met the great love of my life, who most unexpectedly came into my life a year later. I was applying for law school. My spectacular nephew was not even a thought in my then just married sister's life. Not to mention my beautiful niece. So many great friends I had yet to meet. So many laughs and great times ahead. So many amazing things yet to see (the colosseum, pompeii, the pyramids, the parthenon, just to name a few).
No matter what happens going forward, I have had an amazing life. It is far from perfect. I have blown great opportunities on seveal occassions. And God knows I am a disaster when it comes to men and have driven away three amazing men who, bless their hearts, really tried to make it work. And, of course, there is that whole cancer thing. If I had it to do over again, I would probably do a few things differently. But overall, I can't complain. I am very lucky. I have enjoyed and hopefully will continue to enjoy things that many people only wish for.
And with any luck I will win the powerball jackpot this week!!! (had to lighten it up some here at the end).
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So sorry Lisa.. Anyone whose life is cut short is so unfair... I have a 19 and 16 year old and worry everyday, and will forever. I have known too many families who have lost their children. <<<HUGS>>>
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Lisa,
Nicely spoken, and definitely from your heart and your head.
I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your friend's son. I'm the parent of young adults too, and I'm not sure if or how I survive if anything happened to either one them.
And I think it's a good thing for everyone to take stock from time to time, but boy, nothing will drive that home more than a dx like ours. I spent the first part of this year, pre-dx, preparing myself for my "turning 50" exercize in taking stock this summer. But the dx accelerated that process...nothing like turning 50 right in the middle of chemo treatments.
Good for you for being reflective. And more importantly, good for you for acknowledging all the things you have on which to focus a sense of gratitude. That's something we all need to do more often. Thank you for that reminder.
Cheers! Martha
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Hugs Lisa. It's devasting when to lose a young person. I too worry about my children and my biggest wish is for them to have a long happy life. I want to be there to enjoy it with them and am kicking this BC crap to the curb.
Thinking of you.
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AMEN!
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Hi, Ladies,
I guess I am the oldie here. I am 45 with a 14 year old girl (yikes) and an 11 year old boy (overcompensator) I am three years out. Still feel like I'm not in control yet. I had reconstruction with silicone and then nipple reconstruction. Not a good outcome. Of course I am used to very tiny bikinis at the beach. I never even had tattoos because my "nipples" completely flattened out. But I am VERY excited because a sweet girl in my bible study group just recently went through a double mx. (sorry don't know the lingo yet) She has these new GUMMY BEAR IMPLANTS! Also, her ps took some cartilege from her rib and made new nipples!!! Obviously the implants aren't filled with gummy bears (darn!) but it is a dense material that doesn't ripple!!! I am really excited and have an appt with the doctor in nov.
So even though I am sooooo much older than you girls, can I join?
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Julie~ I'll be the first one to say welcome! I'm 42 and have a 20 year old (double yikes - she turns 21 in Feb!). Don't think we are ever in control....have never worn a bikini (I'd scare the tar off the Texas beaches!)...had lumpectomy cause the PS scared the crap out of me...and I think you'll fit right in! I'm in San Antonio by the way. There is a Texas thread on the boards when someone is traveling they can post there and see if anyone wants to meet for lunch etc.
Lisa thinking of you!
Martha~ I agree and I am so thankful I found this board when I needed it most.
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