Any 40-ish survivors?
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Hello Ladies, I hope you don't mind me joining you. I was diagnosed last year age 44, I divorced in '99 and my kids are 16 and 19. I'm trying to stay positive as all you ladies are such an inspiration and I have a few aunts and second cousins on my mums side who have survived bilateral BC so far. I've recently had blood taken for genetic testing too. I consider myself a survivor even though I had a second (different) breast cancer diagnosed a year on, in July. I've just finished chemo after initial lumpectomy and I'm having BMX with TE and left axillary clearance 12/29.
I'd like to ask if any of you had weird twinges in particular areas during chemo? I've been having feint pains at lumpectomy site, under my arm and around my collar bone. I know they aspirated cancer cells from a lymph node, when they did fine needle biopsy with ultrasound. The pathology after forthcoming surgery will show if there's anything bad remaining after chemo but I'm worried about the pains at the moment and I wondered if anyone here's had similar?
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Hi to ellieg! I did have chemo. twinges last year, but I also had mets to deal with under arm and collarbone. Sorry if this is discouraging, but I thought at least they were being destroyed by the chemo. If you are having an mx, anything there will be taken away. Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick. It's non-stop worry, I know.
Just a note to Kiwimum - I realised after I wrote it that I got your and Burley's friend mixed up in my memory. I see now that your friend seems seriously ill. Love and kind thoughts to you and I hope they can do something for her. Love to burley and her friend too. I know my thoughts make no difference, but this disease is too cruel for words.
Must start tidying and decorating! My son is insisting on a real tree for that authentic smell - pretty expensive, though.Yes, I do spoil him! We've got 2 artificial ones, but they just won't do! My poor credit card is worn out at the mo. Do you know the term "credit crunch" over there - ie since 08 onwards - ?
Time for some frugal living in 2012, I think!
All the best, Sarah x
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Sarah - we bought these scent sticks that hang on the tree and smell just like pine (without all the oine needle mess)...you walk in the house and it smells like Christmas. Not sure if you can find them in the UK but they are a great alternative to a real tree.
I also bought a pine scented candle but can't use it right now...I was trying to move the tree back a few feet and broke one of the support legs, of course I was home alone when the dang tree fell on top of me with decorations flying everywhere. I was able to reach the coffee table where the candle jar was and was jammed the jar under the broken support...the tree is now 6 inches shorter, shoved in the corner of the room and leans at an odd angle to the right. My DH thinks I did it on purpose because I was telling him we needed a new tree but I still want to wait until after the Christmas sales. I figure as long as the cats don't try to climb the old tree, it will get us through this Christmas
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Hi all,
Christine. Thanks for your concern. I am ok just now and then I get to questioning and doubting I guess is a better way to put it. Most of the time I keep my sense of humor and try to see the funny side of things. It just makes life more fun for me So when I joke here it is really my lame effort to make light of really kind of hard stuff. Hope that makes sense. I am sorry you did not get to show off. So not fair now that you look great you can't show off some. Lol. It sounds like your appointment went well though. Sounds familiar with the stats and so on. Hope you have fun skiing.
Sarah. Have fun with that tree. I do appreciate the pine smell as well. You are a good mom.
Hi ellieg, sorry you have had to go through this twice. I do recall having odd pains. To be honest, I don't know if this is chemo brain or selective memory, but I do forget sometimes all of the SE I had along the way. Someone on this thread mentioned "Taxotears"and I remember thinking. Oh ...I had tissues everywhere and I had forgotten that ....I don't know how I forgot that. Taxotere was harder on me and I did have aches and my fingers were very sore. I also had eye twitches. I always shared anything like that with my ONC though just to help me feel better. I hope that helps.0 -
Ellieg...I had some weid minor SE from chemo... teary eys, twitching eyes, sensitive teeth, tingling feet in bed... it has all passed...
Ladies, your stories are so funny... been reading just not posting much.
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I'm a real tree girl. We get a real tree every year, I just love it, even though the needles are a pain. But we buy a tree bag (like a big plastic bag) and put it under the stand (it hides under the tree skirt, you can't see it) and just pull it over the tree when its time to take it out. It help greatly to reduce the amount of needles that fall off during the trip outside!
o2bhealthy - hope that none of your ornaments broke! That would be the worst part and of course I hope you didn't get hurt!
ellieg - welcome. I don't remember twinges myself, but chemo brain makes it all fuzzy. I too am dealing with BC twice in a short time. This is a great group of ladies!
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Hi all, would love to join this thread. Diagnosed 2 years ago, a day that forever changed my life but trying to look on the positive note that it was caught early and doing my best to live life to it fullest. I just turned 46 and have 2 kids ages 11 and 8 and the highlight of my life. Right now watching Alvin and the chipmunks with my boy. Hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday and looking forward to getting to know all you gals.
June
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Hi everyone,
Betsy, how are you doing? Hope you are healing and feeling good.
Meegan. You as well. Hope the infection is healing also.
Hi June ..welcome. The girls here are great. I will be 46 in may. I was also DX in 2010 about a month prior to my 44 birthday. I have a 14 year old son. I know what you mean about your children...and I also know what you mean about living... It may sound crazy but BC really changed me in some very good ways . So I am thankful for that. I was really a worry wart!!! I don't worry as much anymore. ( I think anyway). Anyway. Welcome and I Look forward to reading.0 -
Profbee .... Forgot to say good luck with surgery. I think it is tomorrow? That one was not too bad and the end of TE's yay!
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hi kim.. i am doing well... i am glad i have made it to winter break, so some time to relax and enjoy the holidays...
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Hi to all, including our new girls!
Ellieg, I do remember having some wierd pains after each chemo. Sorry you will need surgery after Christmas, I hope you can enjoy the holidays and look forward to being over the hardest part in 2012. I had axillary node disection and port placement Dec 28, last year. Will you be having reconstruction too?
Welcome June. My boys are the highlight of my life too. Live everyday to the fullest is my new moto also.
Hope everyone is ready for Christmas. I am a big fan of real Christmas trees, thankfully where we live they are inexpensive and plentiful. They about give them away by this time of Dec.
We are on vacation skiing. My boys are disappointed that there is not more snow, but looks like lots on the way. I just hope we can fly out on Dec 24. I skied yesterday and today I am lounging around. I am going to a salon down the street for hair color in a couple of hours, I can't believe I am brave enough to do this while out of town. I just can not stand the gray another day, and know I will not be able to get it done at home before Jan 1. My hair is so straight, fine, short and gray, bright side is I have hair. Maybe I will gain some texture from the color. So I have consumed about 5000 calories/day since we got here. Gotta love being on vacation and a holiday, eat, drink and be merry.
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christine... your hair is straight? Mine is super curly.
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bdavis, straight as an arrow. But I just got some fabulous color (dark with reddish highlights). The gal who did it talked me into making an appt to come back for eyelash extensions. Several girls in the posh salon where I had my hair done had them and they looked fabulous. Hey, I am worth it. Long way from last year went I was recovering from BMX and getting ready for another surgery.
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Christine....how fun....I have not heard of eyelash extension...you should hoop it up and see what else you can get into!!!!
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I also haven't heard of eyelash extensions... what happens when your lashes cycle? I gather they fall out. My hair is SOOO curly it drives me crazy. I am going to the salon on Friday for a color update and a trim in the back. My bangs are down to my brows, but are so curled that they hang way up at the hair line... so I am starting to look like I have a mullet.
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Betsy, You are funny..I just can not picture you really having a mullet. I am curly also and much thicker. I have been coloring mine with henna and love it so far ( kind of messy though ). I think I have little old lady hair now though too long for edgy..too short for "long" it is just below my collar.
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The front, if I pull it straight, comes down to brows... sides go down to bottom of ears, and back goes to below the collar... of course it is all one length.. so the top hair needs to catch up... so mine too is too long for edgy and yet too short for anything else.so I will have the salon trim the sides and back. I have to use a ton of straightening creme to keep from looking like Bozo the Clown.
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Betsy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO, Bozo the 2nd here!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have super super curly, ringlets almost. But two products that are life saving - Aveda Be Curly Leave in Conditioner, then Pantene Mouse for Curls. I've started to comb just a bit of the front flat, with a part on the side, then puff up all the curls in the back. Unless people in my office are just plain cruel, they seem to like it.
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Betsy.... Oh gosh...I try to think of the bright side...this time last year I looked like Sinead O'Conner with hair you could barely see but mine also came in grey/white. So I am so happy to have any hair really. I have not had mine cut yet.
Gina..I bet your hair does look nice0 -
Betsy...had been meaning to ask you if you are now complete with surgeries? I remembered this to be stage two? I may have that wrong though? Are your kids home from school now?
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Christine - sounds like a wonderful vacation, enjoy!!! Definately Pamper yourself, you deserve it!!!!
June, welcome. My kids are the same ages. My dd is 11 (though 12 in Feb) and my ds is 8. They are the joys of my life!
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Kim.. My daughter is coming home Thursday and son is still in HS...And as for surgery.... my left nipple may need a little revision... and after this surgery, the doctor says it can take months for all the swelling to subside, so there could be a tweaking in my future... time will tell.
Gina... I may have to try new products. I am using John Freda straghtening creme, but ummm... not straightening. I have tried so hard to get the bangs to relax... nope.
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Christine - I hope you have a great vacation. Spoil yourself at the spa!
To the curly heads - some tips from a life long curly head: 1) you must blow it out with a round brush, which means you need at least about 3 inches of hair to get a brush under it to blow it out; 2) fekkai glossing creme is the best defrizzant/straightener I have found and I have tried A LOT of them over the years. . . Apply before blowing out with brush and then use a very small amount after dry to give it shine; 3) Pantene women of color conditioner is awesome for softening characteristicly coarse curly hair.0 -
Lisa... I tried blowing it out... I think its still too short, as the hair just wouldn't stay in the brush. I am familiar with wave and some curl as that is my natural hair... what I have now is freaky curly.
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Hey friends! Exchange surgery today. I spent about 20 minutes in recovery and am home! woot woot. I took a peek, and one looks good...the other not so much...looks like it sorta slopes in and then comes out to the scar. So there's like a dip in the middle of my boob. ugh. At least they feel squishy! I have to wear a bra 24/7 for 3 weeks until I see the doc...not happy 'bout that.
About to take more vicodin and hit the hay. Thanks for all the support, women! (And...oh do I wish I could say what my hair was! I'm just starting to get the outline of hair on my head...y'know...when you can see that it's dark up there and not just totally bald head. But still just some ducky fuzz.
Betsy...you are really making me dread the growing in phase...a mullet?! ACK!!!
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Hi all! Welcome June anyone else I may have missed in my absence. I too am in the curly ranks, but i was very curly before and wore it long. So not quite sure if it is much different. I too came in very gray and Mich thinner. I always had very thick hair. I hope that gets better.
Christine I am glad you are having a good time.Also had strange twinges with chemo. Runny eyes and nose time. Hated when my nip when I least expected it.
Travel this week.is killing me,but I did it to myself. Went to Charleston today. Looks like diep in my near future. Very excited though. I think this is what I am looking for and DH is on board too. He just doesn't want to get too excited, in case we are let down again,but I don't think that will be the case.
Traveling again tomorrow will check in when I can. Have a great Christmas in case I don't make it back here soon.0 -
bdavis, I would kill for just alittle curl. I would bet you will find it easier to work with as it gets longer and has more weight. I recall you having great color on the hair thread.
Kmur, NO cuts at all for you yet?? I have already had about 3 cuts/trims. My hair is fine and straight so I would look like an old man if I didn't. Maybe I look like an old man now, but no one has told me.
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mamachick and profbee, I was posting at the same time and missed you both.
profbee, I am so happy you are done with you exchange and home feeling well. Take those pain pills and recover so you are ready for Santa. The implants are soo much more comfortable than the TEs. Best thing will be soft hugs again for Jack.
mamachick, Great that you had your consult in Charleston for the DEIP. I hear the most wonderful things about the surgeons there. So wonderful that your DH is excited too. You will have alot to look forward to in 2012. Enjoy the rest of your travels.
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Thanks, Christine
profee,glad all went well. You will so much more comfy. Sleep well!!!0 -
mamachick... which doc did you choose in charleston?
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