Radiation recovery
Comments
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Btw today is my birthday too - 29 again! Haha
Diane
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Hello everyone; I am just checking in to see how you all are. The last three months have been SO busy with projects and funerals to go to and another recent CT and Bone Scan; the CT scan came back as negative for disease, and my oncologist did not anticipate anything with the Bone Scan; in fact, she said she thought they were overstating the possibility of metastases in the spine, as she believes it is calcium build up because of osteoarthritis. I had the Scan yesterday and she said if there was no change, she would not order any more. So my "happy news" is that I am 16 months past surgery and 11 months past radiation therapy, and everything seems to be good. That doesn't mean I won't worry about what the next scans will show, but at least I can "rest easy" for a little bit. This has been a crazy week with four appointments in four days, but hopefully we can sit at home for a while and have some quiet time. Hope to have some free time to catch up with everyone these next few days. Thinking of you all, and hoping those of you who are celebrating Thanksgiving today have a very good one.
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Great news Nancy!
Diane
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Diane, thank you. I was so concerned something would show up. The only area of concern is that I have elevated blood calcium levels (which concerns the bones more, I guess), so will be having a parathyroid scan whenever it is booked. I was amazed at the immediate effect of the good news on me; when I went in, I was so stressed out and bloated, and within a couple of hours the water retention was gone, and I ended up having a great day. Had the bone scan on Wednesday and hopefully have the results by Monday or Tuesday. Today, I feel so energetic and ready to go! Hope you are doing well, and wishing you a great day., And Happy Belated Birthday, too!
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Thanks Nancy. Keep us posted on your test results.
Diane
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Happy Thanksgiving
Happy B-Day Diane
Fingers crossed for good results Nancy.
Heard from Bunkie, She is still spinning, nothing has worked, poor thing.
Got the main floor of the house all painted now, taking a break probably till after xmas. Except that we have to go to daughters to build her a kitchen countertop.
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Thanks Fran. Sorry to hear about Bunkie. She can’t catch a break.
Diane
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Hope everyone is doing okay. Had to report this sad news. One of my son’s friend’s mother died a week ago from Triple Negative BC. She lasted 2 years. Despite treatments the cancer kept coming back. She was 53. This is the second friend’s Mother who has died from cancer. The other lady had anal cancer and she was 56.
It’s so depressing. My son was upset of course and I’m sure thinks about my BC. Even though I’m 7 years out we all know there aren’t any guarantees.
Diane
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Diane, so sad. I'm sure he does think of you in these situations.
Don't know how I am doing. I think I need some counselling. Just trying to make it through "today". Our province offers mental health coverage but it is a 6 month wait, like that's gonna help people.
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Hello All -- I'm floating over to this board -- on day 6 of radiation after triple negative BC. Diane -- that is awful. I think of my boys, and what other stories they are hearing out there of other situations. Congratulations on being 7 years out!! Were you TN as well? Carol
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Diane, I'm so sorry to hear about yet another cancer death among your friends and acquaintances. It's hard for everyone, friends and family alike. It sure seems like your area has more than its share of this dreaded disease but I like to think you just have that large of an extended family.
Fran.....you take care girl. The Holidays are so tough emotionally on people and when you're already stressed it's just that much harder. I think signing up for the 6 month wait for professional help is the thing to do, then you can cancel it or go when they finally get you in. Is there a priest or minister from your church who can lend you a non-judgemental listening ear? Perhaps you have senior services who have group support groups you could join? It probably all seems just overwhelming and we're rooting for you girl.
Mostlysew
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((gentle hug)) for 70charger
Sounds like things are hard and discouraging for you right now. Hope you find something good in your day today.
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cefinkc - no I had IDC, Stage 1b, Grade 1. I know it is the most aggressive kind of BC.
Fran - so sorry you are down and out and this is such an emotional time of year anyway. Agree with Sew I’d get on the waiting list. Are meds an option?
Also there is a lady on staff here who is a therapist at the West Tennessee Cancer Clinic(where I went for treatment) who has been very helpful to several ladies in my church group. She’s not a cheerleader but she’s a great listener. We had her come and talk to our church group. At one time this same clinic was supposed to organize a survivors group but that hasn’t happened yet.
Keep your chin up girl we are all here for you.
Diane
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Maybe it’s something in the water Sew. Regardless it’s hitting way too close to home too often of late.
Diane
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Diane, that may be closer to the truth than you/we know. You ever read any of the Grisham books?
Everyone...send good, healing thoughts to my sister-in-law Janine tomorrow. She’s got a second cancer (same breast, same spot, 5 years after the first ) and will be having a mastectomy tomorrow. She was going to have a bi-lateral but her surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota told her it wouldn’t prolong her life and is a difficult surgery for 73 year old especially since she does not have the Braca gene. Blasted disease. Let’s send good thoughts to Joan 811 too....just because
Mostlyse
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I have read his books and in fact just picked up his latest The Reckoning from the library. Makes me anxious to say the least.
Will definitely pray for your SIL. My sister’s came back after 4 years - local recurrence but still back. It seems we are forever branded with the C word.
Ditto to Joan. We are all thinking of you and hoping you are okay.
Diane
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Hello, everyone; I am just dropping in to let you know that my Bone Scan was clear, so my oncologist is not like to order another one. She felt that the hospital where I had it done has been exaggerating the "possible" metastases bit. I also got the results of my Vit. D test this a.m., and they are good, so was told not to increase my intake. It has been hard to deal with not consuming anything with calcium in it, and that is a long list, but I will do anything to get the blood calcium levels down. One thing I realized yesterday is that I finally am back to the strength level I was at in the spring of 2017. I can go up and down stairs without having to stop and rest, and no longer ask my husband to carry stuff for me, unless it is really heavy. Yesterday he commented on me taking five water bottles (3 cups each) up at one time.
In case I don't make it back on before Xmas, just want to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Great New Year. We have a lot of coming and going here for most of this month.
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Good news Nancy and happy holidays to you too!
Diane
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So sorry about yet another loss, Diane. I am always amazed that I do not know anyone at all in my community who has, or has had, breast cancer.
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Thanks Brookside. I wasn’t friends with her but since she was the mother of one of my son’s friends I had at least met her. My son even took a vacation to Florida with their family and on a ski trip as well. His dad is a sales manager at a car dealership where my son bought his car.
Collierville is a township where almost everyone is connected in some way like sports, scouts, school, etc. That’s one of the many things I like about living here. There were a lot of people at the funeral home. The funeral service was private. My son’s friend is married and has a little girl. They will be a lot of comfort.
Diane
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Brookside - the local paper here just released the numbers about BC mortality in the Memphis area and no surprise it’s higher than the national average. The national average according to the Susan B. Komen Foundation is 20.3 and here it’s 30.5 per 100,000 women. Scary stats.
There are a myriad of reasons not the least of which is lack of insurance. They are trying to rectify that by offering free mammograms and mobile units traveling to the most affected areas because transportation is also a deterrent.
Then there are cases where they suspect or know something is wrong but they don’t want to find out so they do nothing. Sadly it cost a friend of mine’s sister her life. By the time she went to the doctor it was too late. Heartbreaking. She was young with children.
The push to get women to have mammograms is ongoing. Hopefully they will realize having them can save their lives.
Diane
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https://med.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/research/innov...
Here's an interesting trial designed to improve lumpectomy results. Happens to be my surgeon.
Diane, that is so shocking. Looks like a 50% higher mortality rate. Do you think it is because they are not having mammos? I have a friend who has them only because she knows it is important to me since my diagnosis. She reads all those health magazines and pays more attention to the radiation hazard than to the health issue. She is also convinced (as was I) that she is not at risk for breast cancer and that she does not need annual blood tests, etc. because, as nurse (retired) she "knows her body." Scares me, but what can you do?
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Oops. The website brings you to a general page. You want to scroll down to Rich Barth, the video on precision breast surgery.
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I definitely think that’s a factor Brookside. I know some women who have the same mindset you describe. No family history and a healthy lifestyle so there is no chance they will be DX with BC. Thing is 70% of BC cases according to my MO are not a result of a family history. She also told me the fact is for the most part they don’t know why some women draw the unlucky card.
I do encourage women I know to get a mammogram. I know they are scared to find out at least in part because of me but I also remind them what if I hadn’t been having annual mammograms?
Diane0 -
I was actually shocked to hear I had breast cancer. Had it been lung, liver, intestine, etc., I'd have just assumed it was my time/turn to be diagnosed. But breast cancer? Never even gave it a thought. The family history was all in the "important" organs. Yes. I'm always amazed to hear how many of us are the first in our families.
And yes, my friend assumes that because none of her family had breast cancer, she is immune. I hope she is right.
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My mother had breast cancer in her late 60s. She had a MX. No node involvement. Fast forwarding to now both my sister and I were DX with BC. Me first in 2011 and my sister in 2012.
I remember THE call like it was yesterday. I was expecting my all clear postcard in the mail because it had been 2 weeks since my mammogram. I had had a few scares before that that turned out to be cysts. Then the call from the nurse. I was stunned. One breast larger than the other and I knew. That had never happened before.
I went through the process in a fog. I don’t think the reality set in until I got the call from my BS’ office that my Oncotype results were in and my score was low. I dodged chemo because of those results. That was the first time I cried about it. I kept a stiff upper lip and my hand face on until then.
Idk what my sister’s initial reaction was but I’m guessing shock too. She found her lump. I did not. I thought the weight loss I was experiencing was because I cut out sugar. Looking back that was definitely an early sign.
I hope your friend is right too. A false sense of security isn’t always bad I guess because you don’t focus on what might happen you just go about your life and if it does happen you deal with it. What choice do you really have?
We are blessed we are here to talk about it. I honestly never considered I could die from BC and as the years go by - 7 for me now - I don’t think about it except every now and then. My BS said I had a wimpy cancer whatever that really means. Turns out he tells a lot of women that I guess not to scare them.
Have a good week!
Diane
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1st place in our 2018 neighborhood Christmas decorating contest! Yea! Husband worked hard on the decorations and even made an outside Christmas tree this year. Angels are daytime version.
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Glad to be done with radiation before Christmas. But honestly, I'm a little bored now! As much as I hated dragging my butt there early each morning, it did get to be a familiar routine with a kind of perverse repetitive comfort. Christmas is low-key at this point - we had our get-together with Hubby's family on Saturday, and a dinner party at my son's church on Sunday. My Mom died last January, and the gathering planned with my sister and her adult kids got cancelled, or at least postponed until January. So now it's more ho-ho-ho-hum than festive. I guess it beats the usual stress!
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Welcome Alice! Glad you are done with rads. I was glad to be finished with thembut it did provide another method of fighting the disease.
I can’t believe Christmas is next Tuesday. We are celebrating with our son and his twins Christmas Day and husband’s family Dec 29. Both of us have large families. My family hooks up at Thanksgiving and Christmas everyone goes to their other families. Dec 29 is the only time his entire family can get together. Sorry about your mom. I’ve lost both my parents. They both loved the holidays. It’s why I always decorate just like Mom did.
Happy Holidays!
Diane
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Diane, your decorated yard is beautiful. I bet it adds to the Christmas joy for all in your neighborhood.
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