Radiation recovery
Comments
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SAB, not the news you wanted but try to remain positive. Praying for good results for you tommorow.
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Oh SAB so sorry. We are in your pockets and you are in our prayers. Def let us know.
I have a heads up for everyone:
At our BC support group meeting last night one of our group, Betsy, a radiologist, told us some changes are coming next year for BC treatments that we won't like specifically how often your insurance will pay for mammograms, treatments, etc. The website is USPSTF. Follow the BC links. In the government's never ending quest to save money on health costs they have targeted BC. Their misguided approach is outrageous. There hasnt been a public outcry because the word isn't out yet.
Betsy advised us to verify our insurance coverage before we schedule appts, etc. She said she is fearful colon cancer will be next on the chopping block. These so called experts are quoting percentages of survival that is absurd. Had these new restrictions been enacted I'm sure a lot of women might not have survived.
How any scientist or medical professional could in good conscience, not to mention common sense, sign off on these new restrictions defies logic.
I am going to call our provider, BCBS, and get their take on all of this. It is supposed to take effect sometime next year. Not sure they will discuss something that hasn't hapoened officially yet but they have to at least be aware of what's on the table.
Check it out.
Diane
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Sab, Yikes.......still holding your hand here.......
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Sab, you are in my thoughts and prayers for a good outcome (((Sab))) Having gone through a scare just yesterday, I totally get it. We are in your pocket!
Diane, that is INSANE!
Here is the clickable link for all of you to read about this!
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It is April. Thanks for the link. Btw I asked BC/BS today if they had heard about the changes and she said not yet.
Glad you survived your scare. Now SAB's turn.
Diane
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Sab, thinking of you. And hoping we can all toast scar tissue, normal lumpy bumpy breasts, and fat necrosis later today (i.e. all the scary feeling things which we don't have to worry about)........
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Big huggers to all. been busy with fruit & not so much with veggies. Also been trying to get quotes from contractors for a shop/garage.Also getting addition insulated. Had grandkids for a week. Still renovating daughters place. Also repairing old shed, got new doors on it. Trying to sneek in a car show or two. Our car was featured online for August. My foot got worse than ever, now have brace on & told to get a cane.
Sab fingers crossed for you.
Glad the scares are over for some of you. Nothing worse.
hubbies co-worker has been dx with bc, she has no idea what is in store, won't talk with me. She has a farm with lots of animals. Her hubby does nothing to look after them. I can't see her throwing around bales of hay & lugging buckets of feed etc. She thinks she will be fine after a couple of weeks. Silly girl. So frustrating.
Here's to improving health for all of you. Fran
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I'm sick with relief--all clear.
Thank you everyone, for your kindness.
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SAB: HURRAH!
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Happy Dance for you SAB!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
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Happy dance!
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Sab.......here's to all clears
. Wish they didn't have to scare the sh&& out of us doing it0 -
SAB - so relieved for you. Prayers answered.
Diane
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SAB, congrats I'm so happy for you. What a relief.
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Congrats SAB.....
Just went to that F**d up website and I got a pop up asking me to rate the webpage, so I did and everywhere I could make a comment I did. The last question was what else could we do to improve our service.... I typed "Go F*k yourselves... Now I feel much better.....
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You have such a way with words, Red!
Do you mean the one about the new screening recommendations? I particularly liked the part where they implied that women over 75 aren't worth bothering with as they''re all about to kick the bucket from other illnesses. So warm and cozy.
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I'ts never good to cross me when I have spent over 14 hours with 88 at Prompt care, and wound clinic and then at a old farts fishing club dinner........ What I thought was interesting was that they didn't see value in teaching breast self exams, and felt that our doc's didn't need to a clinical exam for us if we had the screening mammogram. Now the date at the top of that page was 2009...... But I thought, oki, lets just replace treating women with breast cancer to treating women with strokes after they hear this crap.......I was serioiusly dizzy after I went to bed thinking about it.
Who makes up this group anyway?
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YAY Sab! Go Red! xo
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Yeh don't you just love how they play Russian roulette with our lives? We are not only a statistic but a dispensable one. Absolutely reprehensible. When the blank hits the fan all hell will break loose.
We are all day to survivors and if that anxiety isn't enough now there is the treatment and financial strangle hold to worry about.
There is only one person who decides when our time is up and its not any of those morons.
Diane
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OK. I'm at a loss here. Who is this they and what website?
I got super lucky that my cancer was diagnosed at an early stage...by a mammogram.
BTW.. I start my radiation Monday, 17th, but I thought I'd check out what I can look forward to afterwards on this thread.
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Hi keys, the website is above on my post in clickable form. It is from the United States Preventative Services Task Force. They are recommending much too long a time between mammograms and NONE before age 50! So many women are diagnosed in their 40's that it boggles my mind. They don't want women over 70 to be screened either! WTH?? Since when are women done living at age 70?
Good luck with your rads! Lots of protein, and lather up that breast with your cream before and after rads (you can't do it within so many hours prior but after, make SURE you put that cream on it. Hope yours is uneventful!
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April..Thanks for the good wishes.
Yep.I start 1 of 28 on Monday. I'm trying to keep the freak out monster at bay. I'm planning on just keeping my eyes closed and take a nap. Like I did for the CT and MRI.
I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the girls if I ditch my bra. Maybe I'll just tuck them in my waistband. Lol
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Welcome keys! You came to the right place to chat if you want and for help if you need it. This group is the best!
RADS was a piece of cake for me. I did 33 treatments. Burned a bit and fatigue about halfway through but other than that def manageable. Beats having chemo.
Mine was early stage too thank goodness. Had a lumpectomy and taking Tamoxifen. 4 years out.
Good luck!
Diane
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Welcome Keys.... I think you'll do great. Attitude is half the battle. And a nap on the table is a great idea, but it won't be much of a one. The whole treatment takes maybe 5 minutes. It takes an additional maybe minute for them to get you adjusted "just so" on the table so, short nap it is. I amused myself by counting "clicks". Don't be surprised when the machine rotates around you to a new location and starts clicking again.....but still fast. Sounds like you might be big breasted like I am, and being in Florida the heat may become a problem. The "wonder cure" recommended by someone on this site was to put some cornstarch in a nylon and tie it off making a "pounce". Dab this under your girls as often as you like, it really helps with the moisture problems which in turn helps with the burning which is possible with Rads.
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Thanks Sew.
Yes its warm and humid here. Even with a bra I use talc under the girls this time of the year, just because it feels better. But I've read, on this site, that talc is a no-no.
I bought an industrial sized box of cornstarch.
Everyone....buy stock in Argo. I think it will be going up over the next few weeks.
Yes I make bad jokes about it. Yes I think it sucks and I don't want to do it. And sometimes I get mad as hell . But what you gonna do? It is what it is.
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I try to keep this attitude. It works most of the time.
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SAB, a little late with the congratulations, but I am so relieved you are OK.
Now you can pursue that job...
My mammo is Monday and I am not expecting anything uneventful.Diane, Ugh that is so tough with your foot...you have such a busy life. What did your son (and you) decide about the shower? I hope things are coming into focus.
Keys-Plez, I am wishing you the best as you begin your radiation treatments. It can be pretty easy for some. I wore long cotton tanks from Kohls - they were inexpensive as between the lotion and occasional markers, they may not last for re-use. I got the one with shelf bra and it worked. When I got irritated near the end, I would take a silky neck scarf and tuck it in just where the elastic would irritate. I had itching, no burning. And no other difficulties. I was panicked for the first few visits. I brought my own iPod and Listerine strips and eucalyptus with wintergreen under my nose to keep my breathing clear. I made up games to pass the minutes. And it worked.
You will make it.
Now, we are post-radiation and chatting about "normal life" on this thread. We are here to support one another in all things - including follow-up bumps in the road.
About the mammograms....the women who are younger than 50 have a higher risk of aggressive BC. I will read the article.0 -
Keys...your attitude is just perfect! Love the sentiment. There used to be a thread on this site tittled "What the F###?" and people would post the inane remarks they received. Helped alleviate the tension and was pretty funny too, if you have a "sick" sense of humor like I do.
Hi Joan, glad you're over your cold. Summer colds are just miserable! I've had to up my dose of prednisone temporarily...this blasted lung disease tried to get away from me again, but I'm not letting it. In a few days I'll get to start reducing again, and I think it might "take" this time. Good thing too because at this point there doesn't seem to be any reign on my hunger and food calls to me constantly. Blasted stuff.
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Joan - thanks for asking. DS bailed on the shower. I think I mentioned I told him I would buy gifts but he said no thanks. Yesterday was his 26th birthday. He took Thurs and Fri off from work so took him to lunch Thursday. DH and I gave him $ - more than usual. We figured this is the last birthday before he will be sharing his wealth. Even gave him a Visa gift card from the pups! He celebrated last night with friends- bit too much but it's his birthday. I even sent a guy basket to his office. Bit over the top but wanted to esp this birthday.
So since he is home tonight DH and I are taking him to dinner. He was with friends earlier in the day.
I am trying to be calm knowing it could happen any day but certainly NLT Sept 3. That will be the time for the news break for my side of the family. DH's family already knows. I'm braced for the fallout but make no mistake I won't take any grief or judge mental attitudes from them. That's how they are sometimes. XGFF finally admitted to him she quit taking the pill. Seriously? We all knew that anyway. Have to keep praying for strength and courage to deal with this life changing experience for him and us. One of my big bumps in the road.
Diane
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Diane, sorry to hear it was a "sneaky" move by that young woman, stopping contraception. That is truly low, and I will never understand how young women (or men) play so casually with bringing life into the world. Upsetting.
Keys, best wishes for an easy time with radiation. Mine was a non-event. Just fatigue, and light exercise and a good diet helped a lot. (Lots of protein and water.) Also, aloe and calendula.
So I had the all clear, and pretty darn good blood tests too (except for vitamin D) but the doctor on call still left a message for me saying that even though the ultrasound and mammo were clear we still had to follow up on the lump. What do you think that means? I can't imagine.
Joan, I'll be waiting for your all clear!
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