Any 40-ish survivors?
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Kmur, I have been taking the ambien for sometime (pre bc) I don't think the generic works for me, maybe it is just in my head. Since I really don't take much else, I don't mind paying for the name brand. My tamox is only $10/ per month, so I splurge on the ambien, cheaper than wine.
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I will look at the bottle..I don't know if I have the real stuff or not...I have had this scipt for a long time..I just don't take any meds really..Fareston only ( I can not metabolize tamox. )
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Eeema - Thank you so much for the laugh. Almost caused an accident during the nipple search........I am scheduled to get rid of these wonderful TE's (like them about as much as the drains) for soft squishy saline implants. My PS is also going to do some pocketwork and mastopexy to enhance & perfect my new foobs. Figure if I had to lose my real ones, the least he could do is give me really good replacements.....ha ha And just fyi or TMI, I have my own nipples since I had bilateral NSM/SSM which has made all the difference in my sanity dealing with this crap.
Love the idea of the note to the PS with a sharpie.... Will be thinking of you tomorrow and softly chuckling...Please hurry back and let us know the outcome & PS response...
Christine47- Thank you for the good wishes... Scary, but I am looking forward to this surgery to get rid of the bricks I have now and get closer to the end of the surgical road...
Mom2one - I totally understand your hesitation for more surgery as I am excited to be getting close to the end of the surgery road myself. As I previously said, being able to keep my own nipples has made this process so much more palpable. I wish you the best and a speedy recovery...
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kmur - I had major issues with sleep and finally weened myself off of Ativan by taking a homeopathic pill called Neurexan (my acupuncturist gave it to me). Around 8pm I would put one tablet under my tongue to dissolve. Then 30 minutes later another one. Then I would go to bed to read a little. I would only make it a few pages then I was asleep. At first I would wake up after a few hours, then put another pill under my tongue, and I would fall back asleep. After about a week I was able to actually sleep through the night. Then I just stopped taking those pills.
christine47 - so glad about your scans.
Best wishes to all of you having reconstruction surgeries.
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Eema - you crack me up!
I wish I could join in the conversation - it will be another 6-8 months before I start reconstruction. I wish it was now so I could just get on with things.
Another rads done today. I'm down to single digits - 9 to go. I finish on Monday the 28th.
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YAY...for single digits!!! I know you will be happy to be ALL done Kiwimum!
Proudmom...Thank you for that information. I will look into that
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Betsy--sending good thoughts and energy your way tomorrow. strength and peace.
Thank you all for the positive thoughts for tomorrow and the mri. have any of you had an mri on your spine? My oncologist did not order a bone scan..just the mri.0 -
kiwi mum--thats awesome...counting down to the finish line!!
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odie - we read The Shack last year and I wasn't a fan. Out of the 12 of us, only 1 person really liked it. And I meant "Still Alice", not Just Alice.
Angel - glad you are getting your mri! I have been happily surprised by my insurance company, but it is such a pain to have to worry about $ and insurance.
Mamachick - Happy Birthday! And I think you will love the Kindle - I love mine!!
Profbee - I have one Herceptin treatment to go and it hasn't been bad for me at all. Mostly joint aches and headaches, which I'm prone to anyway. I would recommend treatment over 1 hr (vs. 30 minutes) if you can, seems to make the side effects less. Check out the Herceptin side effect thread also, some nice ladies there too. Unlike Michelle, I was usually in and out in 1.5 hrs when I didn't have to see someone - I only saw the nurse or dr every other time. Why every 2 weeks, do you know, I thought it was usually every 3 weeks or weekly?
kmur - I take OTC Unisom. I didn't like Ambien b/c although it put me to sleep quickly, I would always start awake after 6 hours. I also take an anti-anxiety pill about 1 hour before bedtime.
Betsy - good luck on your surgery!!
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Hope everyone on here is OK. I napped too much today and here I am up at 2.35am again!
Sarah x
PS - I'm now seeing rows of nipples in front of my eyes!!!! Good luck to Eema and Betsy with the ops/procedures.
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Well I know what MWAH means ( I think it means- like a kiss to you) and thank you Eema...MWAH to you too and just prayers for a successful surgery. So good to hear from you today my friend...we will be waiting for your return.
Angel...I have had an MRI- ( I think most of the girls here have had MRI) I have had just about all of them except PET scan. I have to be honest in that my memory is horrible now and I can not remember which scans required the drink and which ones needed dye?? Seemed at that time I had too many tests and they all ran together. I didn't find any of them to be bad though. The bone scan from what I can remember was the easiest? ( I think) Actually I meant bone density scan
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All done.... resting in bed and nurses are getting me everything I need... I am the only patient in the hospital tonight, so I am having no trouble asking for what I need.. snack food, drinks etc... OH... just made me think about a pina colada ICEE.. the machine is across the hall ... YUM
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Good to hear from you Betsy, and glad you are done. It sounds like you have the nurses at your beck and call. Ask for something outrageous and see what happens.
Eema/Kim. I had to look up MWAH on the Urban Dictionary site. It's a great quick reference for occasions such as those.0 -
Hope I don't forget anything. Betsy- hope you are doing well today. Enjoy being the only one there. Let them pamper you!
Eema- good to see you. I hope all went well today and I know for a fact I don't have yours either.
Don't know who asked anymore, but I also had skin grafting for my nipples and areola. The skin was taken from under my arm during my exchange, I had extra that he saved for this reason. No pain from the nipple recon. They have shrunk a little more than I would have liked, but I think with 3D tattoos they will look much better.
Thanks, Meegan. I actually am getting the Kindle Fire and it is suppose to get here today! So excited. I am so tech illiterate though it my take a while to learn how to use it. We don't even text on our phones! Don't have teens yet. I guess that is coming.
Kiwimum- yay for single digits. You will be done so soon!
Thinking about you, Eema, Betsy and Angle hope all went well today. Have a great day everyone!
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I am going to second Stacey's post - I think you got it all covered! and frankly unless I write things down or go back between posts, I can't remember who or what - thank you chemo and my new friend gabapentin.
As for the nipples, not all they are cracked up to be! I got to keep mine as we went in for lumpectomy and called it partial mastectomy afterward. My tumor sat on chest wall, very high up so my scar goes right across the top of my boob pretty high up.
But now I can write a paper (as we all could) but my topic would be, "Irradiated Breast Tissue", but if you know me well, I'd probably call it "Damn that burned my nipple".
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Okay, saw the PS today. Where do I start. no larger implants being made in the foreseeable future. Talked about all the options. Diep I think is going to be too long and involved for my life right now, too much time away from home and too long of a recovery for my life right now. Now we are discussing latissimus flap. PS says only one night in the hospitals, no new scarring except an extension to my back on the bra line. He thinks this will shape the breast better. Too many things to think about. Anyone have any experience with the lat flap? Am reading some other threads on here about it, but not getting a clear picture. But if I go this route can have it done in Jan.
Gina- completely understand the chemo brain, and menopause is my double whammy.
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Christine: Thnaks so much for the info about C-V graft. My PS wont do just the nipple. He said he is taking skin to do the nipple he may as well take it for the areola as well. I will see him on December 14th to find out where he takes the skin from. My surgery is scheduled for December 27th. I definitely did not want to ruin my Christmas.
Odie: Thanks for the well wishes. I know you will be glad to get rid of the TEs. The saline implants are great. I had my exchange surgery on a Tuesday and went to my DD volleyball game on Thursday (with no need for pain pills). All the vb moms were shocked to see me.
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Oh Gina..That made me laugh..seems we have all had some kind of nipple situation!! I'm with you all and the chemo brain with the added menopause issues...I forget stuff and can't think of stuff..and can't sleep ....
mamachick..I wish I could shed some light on that kind of recon,but I don't know about it. At least this time you can take your time,gather your questions and make a choice..at first everything happens so fast doesn't it ..made so many decisions so very quickly
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Mamachick.. the first PS I went to suggested lat flap.. You will lose back muscle, which may limit you for certain activities... and you get an implant with the lat flap. I chose not to go that route as I did not want a scar on my back and I did not want to lose muscle... But I have a friend who did it and I think she is happy... just wasn't right for me.
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As long as we're talking about nipples... (I already mentioned this on the Oct surgery thread) Unfortunately I lost both of mine, good and bad side (the tumor was too close on the bad side, and we just never got around to talking about nipple sparing on the 'good' side, but I think they wanted the incisions to match). Anyway, when I got my path report, all it said for the left (good) side was normal breast tissue "with unremarkable nipple." Talk about adding insult to injury!
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Thanks for the input, Betsy. I hope you are feeling as well as can be. I am leaning towards the lat. I already have the implant and he would just place the flap over that. He seems to think that there would be minimal muscle issues. The scar would be on my bra line and no new scars on the front since I don't need the top layer of skin.I know I won't be wearing any backless dresses or string bikini's. lol I am leaning because of the time frame too.
Kim- it is so true. At least now I don't have to rush into things. I felt like with the BMX it was get it done and this is your only option. I just wanted the cancer out, now there are so many options open since this surgery didn't do well. My husband is asking why I just don't go for the fat grafting, but I think it would take too many times to get it right.
Rachel- I had one good breast removed also, but I had 4 doctors telling me that I needed to go with the BMX. Glad I did. Finally was able to be BRCA tested this summer and am positive, so it just saved a future surgery or lots of biopsies.
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Hi Everybody,
Betsy..hope you are feeling pretty good ??? Sounds like they are taking good care of you.
Rachel...see you have a nipple story too... I also elected to remove one good breast and one bad breast..
Mamachick... I bet your husband is thinking about you being in pain and so on. My husband would probably think that way too. You will make the right decision though. Fat grafting takes time. I have had one go around, will need another I think. It doesn't always take. I think they hope for about 60%. I am very pleased with the graft though for nipple/ areola
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boy, we all have a good nipple story, lol. I gave up a "good breast" too.
Mamachick, I know a nice 30 something who recently underwent lat flaps and looks and is doing great, she also has implants, no functional issues, she is a delayed recon. No bikinis for me either.
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Betsy - Glad you are getting the personalized care you deserve! Enjoy the pina colada icee!
Mom2one - Thanks for the words of encouragement.
Hope everyone has a restful night.
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odie, when is your exchange? I could look back, but to lazy.
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11/17 - Thursday - Day after tomorrow - 41 hours 34 minutes... Can't tell I am ready, right?
oh and lazy is my middle name some days ...teehee
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Oh that is soo exciting, the day before my exchange I felt like a 5 year old on Christmas eve. Enjoy your day tomorrow. I have gone for massages and pedicures before all my surgeries, gotta look good in the operating room. You are now 11 minuetes closer.
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Thanks Christine..... {{Hugs}} Funny I have been saying it feels like Christmas come early. Not that I ever thought I would be so excited about something like this but I think it is because of what it signifies to me.. Maybe Christmas for hubby .. ha ha but more an emotional relief for me....
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Okay, so now I'll be lazy and ask about the nipples and nipple shields - what are they for, when do you need them? I'm also giving up 1 good breast and on that side we are doing nipple sparing surgery, but the other side (cancer) is not nipple sparing. So I'll have one nipple and one not.
When did you need the nipple shield, would that be after the nipple recon on the left side?
Betsy, glad to hear you are doing well.
MamaChick, I don't know anyone who has done the LD flap, sorry. My PS thought I was a good candidate, but similiar to Betsy I decided the DIEP was the best option for me at this time.
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I had one nipple spared and the other not... and my spared nipple is perpetually low beam, so when he constructed the bad breast nipple, I asked for it to match at low beam... it is not right now, but over time it will shrink...
As for guards, I have a silicone shield with bacitracin that will be on for a week, and then next week, I will be wearing them but taking it off for the shower, and i think doing that for 2 weeks.. and of course no stomach sleeping.
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