Mastectomy Sept 2011
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I will be having a DMX September 30th with TE's. I am getting a little more nervous as the date approaches. This is the one time in my life I wish I was with more of a belly so my PS could do a DIEP.
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Thanks for the good wishes, ladies - I can't believe I'm finally next up! Feeling good today, so far - a big sense of relief already that after 3 months of waiting I can finally get this over with - as of 6 a.m. tomorrow I'm off duty - yes!
Monse812 - Great news! So happy for you. Good luck w/the research - lots of us are having different types of reconstruction (I'm doing skin/nipple sparing w/immediate implants and Alloderm), so if you have questions, ask away - dunno if you're on it already but the reconstruction thread is really great too.
Christine - welcome - hear you on the nervous - it's hard to wait. And yes, this is the first time in my life I was told I was too thin for something - no flap procedures for me, either.
Sarah
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Sarah, Enjoy today! I completely understand how ready you are to go ahead with tomorrow. Even with my bad morphine reaction and a 3 night hospital(lovely as the hospital was), the days since surgery have passed quickly. I had nipple sparing, one step implants with a lovely Alloderm sling and although it's early, I am pleased so far. I look like me, just a bit beat up! I did not have enough fat for a flap procedure (apparently the never looked at my thighs!) but I was to squeamish to consider it anyway. Caryn
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Sarah, I am glad to have been able to bring you a smile or chuckle as my wacked since of humor is what gets me thru. Enjoy your day, find some peace and sending lots of positive thoughts & prayers your way .... Gentle hugs to all.
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Oooh, that's right, Lorraine, I need to take a minute here and be sure to send you and Tina off to surgery with all my best wishes, too - dunno that I'll make it on to the board tomorrow, after all. So please know I'm with you both in spirit (even my drugged up spirit will be rootin' for you!). Can't wait to reconvene here on the board.
Caryn & Odie - thanks ladies!
Sarah
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Moving on...I loved my drain management camisoles. I want to keep the Amoena since it looks like a stretchy tank top. The Softee Two looks a bit more like an undershirt but is super soft and comfy, even for sleeping. I wore it only twice. It is a size small. PM me if you think you might be able to use it and I will happily pass it on.
Caryn0 -
Sarah- best of luck to you tomorrow, hope you have a peaceful night ..
Christine- welcome, you have found a great group of ladies to help you through this
Monse- I'm also looking into reconstruction now as long as I get the all clear next week.0 -
Best of luck, Sarah. I'm glad you had a chance to spend quiet time with your family presurgery. It sounds as if you're surrounded by love. I'm impressed that you are going to work out the day before! I can't get myself to work out on a normal day, let alone now. But good for you! The strength will help in the healing.
The party last night was lovely. Friends brought great food and the last guests stayed around the table until midnight, while my husband was falling asleep in his chair. One friend brought a crystal (Yes, I do live in So Cal) from one of her friends who had had surgery for tongue cancer. All her friends held the crystal and imagined filling it up with love and wishes for health, and then she brought the crytal with her into surgery. The second person to get the crystal was a woman who just had a single mastectomy and finished radiation this week. Last night the crystal was handed off to me. It was passed around at the party and when it was given to me, it was literally warm with love. I'll take it with me into surgery Thursday.
As unwelcome as this disease is, it has given me the gift of seeing the depth of love and graciousness in my friends and family. In that, I feel blessed.
I'm thinking about you all, wishing you increased strength and a return to full health--wherever you are in this process, just diagnosed, preop, or postop. If I could magically duplicate this crystal, I would send one to each of you. But with or without such a tangible symbol, may you all be surrounded in love and light!
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Thanks, Caryn, Odie, and Sarah for your responses.
Wishing you a speedy recovery Sarah and Lorraine!
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Best of luck to Lorraine, Tina and Sarah on their upcoming surgeries!
I wanted to share a poem with you all, a poem that has given me hope when I wasn't so confident that I could handle this (and other shocks to the system in my life). I hope it helps you "sail through this to that," with the emphasis on sail.
blessing the boats
by Lucille Clifton
(at St. Mary's)
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that
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Sorry about the weird extra code! Not sure why it did that.
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Sarah and Lorraine - praying for you. You know everyone here will be here for you when you get back!
Therese- thank you for the good thoughts and poem! That crystal sounds very similar to the love and prayers I received from my church group on Friday night when everyone laid a hand on me on prayed and this morning after service I had more prayers... Such comfort and love!
I had a very busy weekend but also full of lots of love and prayers and good wishes - so very blessed.
Headed in Early Tuesday AM for BMX with Lat and reconstruction.
Thank you to all the sisters that have gone before me for paving my path and to all those coming after me - I will be here for you!
Lots of love and hugs to everyone!0 -
my favorite poem " The Oak Tree"
A mighty wind blew night and day.
It stole the oak tree's leaves away'Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark
But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around.
The weary wind gave up and spoke
" How can you still be standing, Oak?"
The oak tree said: I know that you
Can break each branch of mine or two,,Carry every leaf away,
Shake my limbs, and make me sway.
But I have roots stretched in the earth,Growing stronger since my birth.
You"ll never touch them, for you see, They are the deepest part of me.
Until today, I wasn't sure
Of just how much I could endure.
But now I've found, with thanks to you, I'm stronger than I ever knew.
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Wish me good luck, tomorrow I start my chemo....
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Therese, your party sounds wonderful!!! I love the story about the crystal. I am a very "research-based" person, yet at the same time I believe in the mystical side of life. There is something to be said for the positive energy we all have and can share with each other. I remember reading a study once where people prayed for some plants to live and prosper, and no one prayed for the "control group" of plants...those that were prayed for thrived and grew significantly better than the control group. I'm not especially religious, but I am spiritual and do believe there is great power within each of us and that we can share that with others to help heal in ways we can't even imagine. I don't think you need a crystal to send your love and healing to others - I really think it can be sent and felt across the miles, and yes, even across the internet! So thank you!!!Thank you everyone for the well wishes and positive, healing energy! One more day to go! We made it into Miami and are chilling out in our hotel room. Tomorrow I have one pre-op appt and then we are going to go to the ocean to dip our toes. Nothing more healing, peaceful, and calming than the ocean.
Best wishes to you, chonikel, my surgery sister! I don't go in until late (4:30 p.m.) Tuesday, so that will be a long day indeed!
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Beautiful poem Olgah. May you find the strength of your own roots as you start chemo. You can do this!
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Sarah, Tina & dancetrancer - Will be with you in spirit and sending wishes for a speedy recovery as you have surgery this week.
Olgah - that poem was beautiful and so true as it seems we really do find out how strong we are during this journey. I will say a special prayer for you as you start the next phase of the process and hope it passes quickly & uneventfully for you.
Follow up with the PS tomorrow & BS on Tuesday. Stupid question to anyone else who had 4 drains post surgery. Any possibility of removing one at a time or does each side (meaning both drains on the same side) have to come out together? Won't be sad to see a drain or two go...
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I noticed that Sarah is the only one listed on tomorrow's surgery schedule but I thought there were a few others. Lots of positive thoughts and good wishes to any one else and good thoughts to Olga on her first chemo. I am going to watch my future son in law play hockey this evening. My first big outing! Caryn
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Thoughts and prayers for Sarah and Olga tomorrow, and Chonikel and Dancetrance on Tuesday. Olga, what will your chemo include? I did chemo last year, had a lot of support on these discussion boards. I may not be checking in much this week as I am going to a conference this week, looking forward to seeing friends and colleagues from across the country. I looked at the surgery list, and it scared me a little when I saw my name coming up sooner than I realized.... but plan on having a great time this week. Lots of love and gentle hugs to all of you.
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Olga, best of luck to you on your first chemo. At St. Jude, on the day of the last bag of chemo, the nurses have a No Mo'Chemo party for them. Confetti, cake and sometimes a water gun fight w/the kids. I think maybe they're onto something! Gives you time to think of how you want to celebrate your last chemo.
Caryn, I too thought there were a couple more surgeries for today. They must've changed their dates.
Sarah-lots of gentle hugs for you. Best wishes, and here's to a speedy recovery. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
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Sarah--- good luck today. You are in my thoughts and prayers for an easy surgery.
We had a golf tournament for Susan g Komen at our club this weekend and raised $20,000 for breast cancer research.0 -
Olgah. Good luck with Chemo today. I will be thinking about you.
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Dance trance-chonikel. Good luck tomorrow. You will be in my thought and prayer for an easy surgery and recovery.
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Ladies if I missed your surgery date please pm me and I will get it added. Thanks
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Oh Margie, that is fantastic news! Congratulations and thank you.
Odie, I only had 2 drains, but they were both on the same side. They took one out last wed. and I still have the other one in. Hopefully, the fluid will slow down, and I can get it out too.
dancetrance and chonikel-best wishes for tomorrow and for a speedy recovery. Gentle hugs to you both.
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Dancetrancer, I'm a very research-oriented person too, but I have come to believe more in the mystery of life. That's an amazing story of the reserach done with prayer. I don't know how it works, but clearly prayer and love make a big difference. Sending you and all our September sisters prayers and good thoughts for successful surgery and full and easy recoveries. Best of luck to you on Tuesday!
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Chonikel, how lovely your weekend sounds! To be surrounded by prayers of your church group and to head into this week and your surgery Tuesday buoyed by that love and support -- beautiful! 4:30 is late, hope the day doesn't drag too much. I'll be thinking of you.
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Thanks for sharing this poem, Olga. Yes, we have so much more strength and resilency than we realize until we're tested. Good luck with chemo today.
Margie, what a great accomplishment! Sarah, thinking of you today and wishing you the best.
I'm getting freaked out as Thursday approaches. Had trouble sleeping last night (of course, that could have been my husband snoring). I feel I have so much to do before my surgery and not enough time or mental focus to accomplish it.
Hugs to all.
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Peace and healing to everyone - got my official "start time" - 10 AM tomorrow.
Thank you all for the love and support - it helps get us through - together - united as sisters!
Therese9 - 4:30??? that is hard all day waiting - praying for peace for your mind while you wait.I will see you ladies all in a few days - coming out strong!!
HERE WE GO!!!
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I think Therese confused your time with mine Chonikel? Yep, 4:30 p.m. for me tomorrow. Ugggh!!! Good luck to you my surgery sister!
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