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  • AnneWisc
    AnneWisc Member Posts: 338
    edited July 2011

    Bluewillowskys, try posting that question on the "radiation, before, during, after treatment" board.

    We went to the other condo (that needs clearing out) to make decisions on the stuff.  A small amount was "throw away," a small amount was "keep," and a very large amount of it was "yard sale!"

    We do have some furniture like a couple of dinette sets (cheap) but I don't know if that will be brought over, but put these on your list of items for the ads: 

    • Many vintage/antique kitchen items.  
    • Christmas decorations, interior/exterior.  
    • Housewares, gift quality, some in original box. 
    Hope you feel better soon.  Ask the nurse or technician about the food thing at your next radiation appointment.  I do know they urge people to keep up their nutrition.  Maybe very small snack-size meals would be easier on you?
  • bluewillowskys
    bluewillowskys Member Posts: 268
    edited July 2011

    I am feeling quite a bit better today. I asked the radiologist today who said it was probably dehydration and low blood sugar...just got myself in a vicious cycle from not eating/drinking enough which made me feel weak/tired and then i was too weak/tired to want to eat...i managed to drink a glass of orange juice and some milk and after a couple hours i started to get an appetite back. She checked my skin today too....apparently my itchingnness is because i am starting to peel and burn more under my arm pit area. She said it would get worse this week from the regular daily rad plus boost happening at the same time.She said she would check on my skin friday and then i see Dr.Bradley (as Dr.Anderson will be on maternity leave) in about 4 weeks.

    ANNE: I probably would have room in the garage for one dinette set and a few chairs, but not room for more than that I have it fairly full with some kitchen cabinets i will be putting out for the sale...unless you waited and brought those items closer to the sale day after i move the cabinets out of the garage... i figure i will cover them with plastic after i get them carried out to my driveway.

  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited July 2011

    Lisa, that's good news.  I hesitated to respond as I didn't have rads.  But it's always good advice to stay hydrated.

    So far, I have five boxes: one is paperback books, another is clothing, and the other three are household items.  DH says I can donate his old Gibson acoustic guitar.  How the heck does one get dust out of the inside of an acoustic guitar?  Maybe reverse the hose on my porta-vac and blow the dust out with air.  I have an electric typewriter/word processor that works but I don't use and will donate if I can find the manual for it.  And, I'm wavering on my collection of cassette tapes.  I went through them and man I have some good stuff but I never listen to it anymore. 

    But we still have a cassette deck (with a record player LOL) and I listened to some Windham Hill while reading yesterday.  And remembered how much I love it.  Maybe I'll keep the tapes.  Just need to play them once in a while.

    Tomorrow, we're headed to Chicago for a couple of days vacation.  Hope everyone is well.

  • AnneWisc
    AnneWisc Member Posts: 338
    edited July 2011

    whoa, Gibson acoustic guitar, put that in the ad, definitely!

    What, badger, only ONE box of old paperback books?  laughing... we may have 6 ... or 10!!   My DH wants to look through them first though - he found two that are rare, collectible, and worth $50!  "So ... are you going to sell it for the money?"  "Well, not right away."  LAUGH.

    I swear this was just like one of those episodes of Hoarders on TV - except everything is in very nice condition, no rat droppings or public health concerns.  Just the accumulation of a lifetime by people who just hated to get rid of anything that "might come in handy some day." 

  • Faithroad
    Faithroad Member Posts: 165
    edited July 2011
    Everyone - Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, they sure make a difference!  God is good!
    I was able to come home from the hospital the same day as the surgery.  I had a choice to stay, but with this fourth surgery, I just wanted to come home as soon as possible.  It feels soooooo wonderful to have the implants out!!!!!!!!!!!!  I thought I might be sad about it....but I actually feel elated!!!   I'll be bandaged up for several weeks; trying to take just the a minimum of pain meds as they make me feel sick. I don't know how I look under the bandages, but I don't even care!!  I'm so thankful right now that God made a way for me to have the implants taken out.
  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited July 2011

    faithroad, thanks for the update and the good news!  While I would never dis anyone who chooses reconstruction, I just knew it wasn't for me.  I hope your recovery goes super-smooth.

    Anne, yep just one box of books.  And most of those are coming from people where I work.  I had just donated a trunkload of books to Goodwill, a week or two before I knew about Lisa's GRACE garage sale.  Oh well, it's all for a good cause, right?

  • Faithroad
    Faithroad Member Posts: 165
    edited July 2011
    Thanks Badger.  Yes, I'm always happy for people that have reconstruction and like it.  That's very wonderufl!  But implants just weren't for me.  Everyone is so different, there is no right or wrong, each person just has to find what is most comfortable for themselves. 

    Good luck the GRACE garage sale.  What a fantastic idea!!
  • AnneWisc
    AnneWisc Member Posts: 338
    edited July 2011

    Hope you are feeling terrific very soon, faithroad.

    I've given away more books than you can count on both feet, squared, easily, in my lifetime; but that doesn't hold a candle to the insane collecting zeal of my DH.  Oh, well, at least he is well read!

    Rads:  7 down, 3 to go.  And it's a lovely day in Wisconsin. 

  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited July 2011

    This thread has really quieted down, is everyone doing OK? 

    We had a wonderful time in Chicago.  Visited the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum of Natural History.  Had to skip Shedd Aquarium due to time constraints, maybe next time.  Went to a comedy show and ate Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. 

    Loving the nice weather today!

    edit to add: I called Komen Madison about the 2011 survivors photo.  They are currently working with the photographer to make it available and I am to check back in a week for more info. 

  • bluewillowskys
    bluewillowskys Member Posts: 268
    edited July 2011

    Hey badger and ya'all,

      i am all done with my rads and now the peeling and healing begins. The area under my arm has been burning/stinging  alot so have been skipping bras now. Lots of lotion and aquaphor at night. I see the onco next week here in RC. Then the radiologist for a follow up in a couple weeks. Start Tamoxifen August 1st...  I am feeling a bit strange and like i have so much time on my hands now. Without the running to rads every day and more frequent dr. checks... mentally i feel kinda weird after putting so much energy into fighting this and now its like totally out of my hands...other then starting Tamoxifen, I have done all that I can do...I dont know when it will officially be okay to take a deep breath and relax and not be so hypervigilant about everything. Does this make sense to anyone ? The tamox. has me a bit anxious with it being a daily reminder that i had this cancer and that it could come back... i am worried that the hot flashes will be too much for me and then my chance of a reccurence will be higher if i dont follow through on it..

    For those that are done with treatment...how long did it take before you could feel like you could relax and not think about cancer all the time ???

    I am still taking things a bit easy this week,only grooming a coule easy dogs. Trying to save my main energy for the Yard sale next week... we will have a really good variety of items...I really hope it is successful...

  • kll22
    kll22 Member Posts: 31
    edited July 2011

    Congrats on finishing, Bluewillow!  Check another milestone off your list!

  • AnneWisc
    AnneWisc Member Posts: 338
    edited July 2011

    Dang, it's hot in Wisconsin right now!

  • pebee
    pebee Member Posts: 96
    edited July 2011

    yes, yes, it is....

    Here is to cool drinks and hoping the lake breeze holds up......

  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited July 2011

    Here's to root beer floats at the A&W...

  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 515
    edited July 2011

    Hoping Lisa gets good traffic at her sale despite the heat wave. Free ice water, anyone?

    I have my third chemo tomorrow so will be hibernating indoors over the weekend... 

  • bluewillowskys
    bluewillowskys Member Posts: 268
    edited July 2011

    vlnrph: thanks for the good yard sale vibes..good luck with the chemo:) (((Hugs)))

    .i sure hope ppl come despite the heat. I put in a newspaper ad, radio ad, and some online bulletin ads...thanks again to badger and anne for the great donations :)

  • zogo
    zogo Member Posts: 19,730
    edited July 2011
    Forecast is for 97 in Milwaukee today!  Stay cool ladiesCool
  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 515
    edited July 2011

    Rain here in the southeast Friday morning, cooling things off a little. Maybe it's already passed thru Richland County leaving it nice for Lisa's sale. Good excuse for me to stay in & rest! Expecting steroid crash & more fatigue over the weekend...

  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited July 2011

    Rained here in the southwest too, the farmers will be happy and so will my petunias.

    Good luck with the garage sale, Lisa.  Here's to good weather and lots of customers.

    Anne, thanks from me too.  I was there the day after you and there's some great stuff.

    Mary, wishing you a soft place to land when you crash.  One more infusion to go, right?

    Take care everyone and stay cool.  Cool

  • bb226
    bb226 Member Posts: 23
    edited July 2011

    Hey I am another Wisconsinite and unfortunately joining the BC club. I live in the Milwaukee suburbs,

  • zogo
    zogo Member Posts: 19,730
    edited July 2011

    Hey bb226, I'm in the milwaukee suburbs too.  Welcome to the club no one wants to join.

    I started close to home and ended up at Froedtert.  I'm still going through reconstruction after pbmx diep flap surgery.

    Glad we wisconsinites can connect 

  • bb226
    bb226 Member Posts: 23
    edited July 2011

    Zogo I am at Froedert too. It was my second opinion hospital and loved it. My surgery and first opinions were close to home. But I work in close proximity to Froedert. I am going for rads starting Monday.

    Nice to feel a connection to others. It is a lonely disease otherwise.

  • zogo
    zogo Member Posts: 19,730
    edited July 2011

    bb226, I did a ton of research when I found I had ALH and made the (difficult) decision to have pbmx and diep flap surgery.  Froedtert is one of the few places they offer Diep in the state and I feel I ended up with a fantastic doctors. In fact, the nurse doing my pre-surgery work-up looked at me part way through the appt and said "you have a REALLY good team of doctors"  out of the blue.  It made me have even more confidence going in for my 11 hour surgery and I absolutely love my plastic surgeon.  I still have more reconstruction to go, but am past the worst of it.

    Best of luck on with the rads tomorrow, let us know how it goes. 

    Lisa, how did the garage sale go?

  • bb226
    bb226 Member Posts: 23
    edited July 2011

    Zogo

    Another girl in my area was extremely pleased with her reconstruction work at Froedert also. We are both in the medical field but not at that hospital. She is the one who pushed me to get a second opinion at Froedert.

    My rad tech Friday, on walking me back to the dressing room, also said you have one of the best doctors. I aready know that from the researching I did. She was also great with my husband who is non medical. Made him feel part of the process.

    The bilateral diep flap took 11 hours? Boy I did not realize it was so labor intense. If I have a recurrance, I m going for the diep flap. Tried to talk my doc and husbad into it now but to no luck.

    Good luck with your following surgeries. I am assuming you will be having aerola (sp) and nipple construction.

    Hi everyone else. Wish that the heat and humidity would go down.

  • bluewillowskys
    bluewillowskys Member Posts: 268
    edited July 2011

    Hey ladies ! The sale went pretty weel yesterday for the first few hours. Made up 175 so far. There was so  much interest in the guitar...i wish i would have taken down names and held out for more money...i could have had a bidding war i think. Its rained for an hour so i closed up early , then it rained last night too so i have to go out and dry thing off as my plastic covers blew off...i am hoping to get the church folks in here today around noon. I have so many items i didnt have enough tables for it all so I will put more of my stuff out today.

  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited July 2011

    hey Lisa, that's great!  I don't think that old Gibson guitar is worth as much as some we've seen on Antiques Roadshow, but what the heck do I know?  Hopefully, someone got it for a good price and is happy for it.  Good luck today!

    hi to all the Wisconsin ladies and welcome bb226  :-)

  • zogo
    zogo Member Posts: 19,730
    edited July 2011

    bb226, 

    The 11 hours started with the bilateral mx with my breast surgeon (Dr Walker). Then the diep flap with PSs (Dr Hijjawi and Dr LoGiudice). I stayed in the hospital 6 days. It was only in December and seems so long ago already. I do have some more fat grafting and nipple construction left.  And of course, a tattoo to finish it up.

    Lisa, $175 is great with a day left to go!  Hope those church goers all stopped and shopped today. 

  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 515
    edited July 2011

    Hi bb226: count me as another happy transfer to Froedtert from another hospital. I'll be there again later this week for therapy on my sore arm. Fatigue from chemo kept me down the last couple days - or maybe it's the weather!

  • pebee
    pebee Member Posts: 96
    edited July 2011

    I am in Kenosha - I had my surgery done at St. Lukes in Milwaukee..... Who are you seeing at Froedert for oncology- I may have to take a trip up there for a second opinion.

    I am going to Froedert for my endo....

  • bb226
    bb226 Member Posts: 23
    edited July 2011

    Zogo-Dr. Hijiwa was the doc that treated the other person I work with. She had the fat graft due to rads and 2 lumpectomy sites in 1 breast. She loves her new look.

    vlnrph-Wondering if you also work in the medical field because of your call letters? I transfer from the hospital in your area.  Got some bad advice from a doctor I saw there. He thought I should skip rads with a grade 3 DCIS and just do TAM. Now I know that is not smart.  I will be in the rads dept at Froetdert for the next 5 weeks starting Mon. Stop by if you would like.

    Badger thanks for the warm welcome and starting the site.

    bluwillows-I am sad...always love a good garage sale. ;(

    Thanks very one for the warm welcome.

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