Ottawa ladies?
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I hope to make it to the August 10th meeting.
Jojo, I'm feeling OK after yesterday's chemo, just a bit tired.
My hair has slowly started falling out. I guess that means that the chemo is working.
It will be hard to look at myself in the mirror when I'm bald. I know it's only temporary but that doesn't make it any easier.
Chantal
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Chantal, thanks for keeps us posted. We are here if you need to reach out. I leave on holidays this weekend but when I get back I can meet you if you need a shoulder to lean your head on or an ear to listen.
Cristalle, how are the rads going?
Beth, did you see your FP today for your hormone results?
Saw my ORCF cancer coach yesterday for follow-up. She mentioned Stepping Stones. Are any of you women partaking in this one? She also mentioned that a new session of group coaching called 'Coping with Cancer' was about to start soon.
Wishing you all a great weekend!
JoJo
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JoJo: hope you have a terrific holiday, and keep ringing that bell because you are done. Woo hoo!
Chantal, am thinking about you and hoping that you're doing okay. Losing your hair will be tough so hang in there. You got this.
Cristalle, I do want to go next Wednesday and I'd be happy to carpool/drive. Chantal if you feel up to it want to go? Did you guys meet up at the cancer centre in Thursday?
Let's plan a get together when you are back JoJo. Friday's are good. I'm trying to work but this week was pitiful..I was exhausted. And I don't work on Fridays anyway.
Other tidbits:
I've signed up for Headstart through the OICC which starts in September. It is supposed to be quite good. Stepping Stones I think is run by Linda Corsini at the hospital? Plus the programs at the ORCF are starting too
Today saw my GP and found out I'm ER+, PR+, HER2- so I'm quite glad to have all of the pathology confirmed and pleased with what came back. I'm terrified of chemo so these results were good. I'll wait to hear what the MO says next week.
And I bought a bird, a yellow budgie with green under feathers. Her name is Ria, would have been Rio except she looks so feminine we had to make it a girly name! Today was a good day.
Sorry for the long post...
B
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Hi everyone, Beth steered me to this group and I am glad I have found you!
I was just diagnosed in June with IDC, a 2.2cm lump with a smaller one adjacent to it. I am FINALLY having my lumpectomy this Monday. Will be so relieved to get this part over with....seems like I've been in no-man's land all summer. Beth, sounds like a good pathology report. I am trying not to obsess too much over the fact that they told me the tumour was Grade 3 so really hoping I am not triple negative! They said probably stage 1 or 2. Oh you should be so glad they found it early, everyone says. No, not really glad I have cancer.
I guess I should add my "particulars" to my profile
Would love to meet up with some of you sometime!
Alana
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hi Alana, I'm glad the link worked out and you found us!
I meant to mention that I also had Dr. Arnaout and she did an outstanding job for me.. Even she seemed pleased when I thanked her for doing such a good job...my boob scar isn't that noticeable. Much less invasive than I thought it would be. Are you east or west end?
My biopsy pathology said grade 2, but she said to disregard until after surgery because it isn't fully accurate. mine ended up that same grade but was more comfortable knowing it was at least fully accurate.
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hi Beth,
Glad to hear Dr. Arnaout so highly recommended....the anesthesiologist I saw yesterday also said she is fantastic, I only really talked to her for five minutes at my apt back in June, (was mostly talking to another doctor first). Did she come and talk to you after the surgery?I'm hoping my scar will be fairly hidden-- the lump is on the outside edge, closer to the bottom of the breast. That is interesting about the grade, because they said not to worry too much about it, I guess that is why.
I'm in the east end, in Overbrook, not too far from the General, that is where I'm having the surgery. Sounds like your recovery was fairly uneventful? Hoping this will be true for me.
Alana
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Hi Alana! Nice to meet you. Monday is big day for you. My surgery was at Montfort and I was very pleased with their care in the pre-op and recovery room. We are fortunate to have good hospitals in this city. I was in Disney World 8 days post-op so recovery for getting back to very light activity is pretty quick. This trip had been pre-planned a year in advance but all medical personnel not only assured me I would be ok (no rollercoaster bumpy rides allowed), they recommended it to get my mind busy. Do you have a good sports bra? I lived in those 24 hrs a day for the first week. You will probably have bandages and a large tensor on as well so make sure there is comfortable room. Good luck and let us know how you are doing.
Beth, will check out this HeadStart program. I have not joined this OICC support group yet.
JoJo
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Alana, just wanted to wish you well for tomorrow. !! You will be in very capable hands. Dr. A came to see me post surgery but she may have just had the time that day. Chances are you will be feeling a little dopey anyway! She does call your first point of contact after surgery before your family sees you, so it's good to make sure that person realizes that and takes a note or two.
Recovery varies from one person to the next. I'm slower than JoJo is so it just depends on your body.
Take care and let us know how it goes!
Beth
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Welcome Alana, I hope everything went well today. I am in week 2 of radiation, will be done Aug 23.
JoJo I didn't know the Montfort offered surgery, It would have been so much closer for me.
Beth yes I want to go Wednesday, Stepping Stones is highly recommended but seems to be on hold at the Civic campus (staffing costs?). Maybe Andrea will tell us more at Maplesoft Wednesday. I am near Blair Station but could take a bus to St Laurent for instance.
My replacement GP called today after I emailed about moderate to sever menopausal symptoms which came on suddenly when I stopped HRT. I never had any before so it's alarming. She is trying to get me into my old gynecologist if she can still see me. Any female doctor suggestions? I'm a singer so I may have voice as well as vaginal atrophy. I'm ER+ so probably no more estrogen (sigh).
Thursday I will be halfway through rads (yes!). Other than slight achiness, no side effects yet.
I joined the BCA for $25 Friday. It gets you into the fitness programs that restart this fall
Cristalle
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Hi everyone, i'm in Ottawa, too. I hope to get a chance to meet some of you soon
Melodie
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Hi everyone,
Had my lumpectomy yesterday and it went very well! The only problem I had was it took SIX tries to get the IV in--was finally done in the OR by the anesthesiologist. I'm pretty black and blue! Also have about a loony-size bruise on the inside of my elbow from my bloodwork last Friday--the tech just jabbed the needle hard into my arm!
My main worry with surgery is always nausea, of course, but also I almost always get a huge migraine. Well I had neither this time! I told them about the nausea ahead of time so they must have given me the right drugs because I have not had any at all. And I think being able to drink clear fluids in the morning really helped prevent the migraine. I woke up at 2 am this morning with one starting so I took my migraine med and it nipped it in the bud.
Dr. Arnaout and all the team were really great. I didn't see her afterward but she called my husband and said they got all the cancer and the lymph nodes looked good! I am going to go with that thought until my follow-up which is Sept. 2. Just SO relieved to have the surgery over.
I also got a home visit from a nurse today. (Not that I really needed it, but that was very nice, and they will come back in five days). I have to say after living in Alberta for thirty years my husband & I are so impressed with the health care system here in Ontario--much more efficient!
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Welcome Melodie. Sorry you have to be on here but glad you found our Ottawa hangout. I really like your name--my mom wanted to name me that....with a Y though.
There is a meeting tomorrow night, see my earlier post, hosted by Andrea Schade Douglas of Breast Cancer Action. Please attend if you can.
Alana, I too feared nausea because it happened after my polypectomy, so they also gave me a cocktail of two drugs. So glad you sailed through. Get lots of rest and try not to use the arm on the affected side at all. Time to let yourself be pampered by friends and family. I was Stage 0 so guess I didn't qualify for the nurse visit. Found out I am allergic to the red stuff (Hibiclens) so I itched like crazy under the stretch bandage.
Cristalle
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Welcome Melodie! Like Cristalle said, there's a group tomorrow (Wednesday) evening at 7 pm at the Maplsoft Centre. She and I are meeting for the first time and going. We will plan a meetup at some point when JoJo is back from holidays.
Alana, so glad to hear that you made it through to the other side.!!! I also had a home visit from a male nurse which was rather interesting. ;-). Rest up and let yourself heal girl
Today I finally feel like myself again...I went for a good walk this morning, worked, made a healthy supper, hit the DQ (okay not so healthy) and I felt great. Barely sore all day. Okay now very tired, but it sure beats what I've had the last 3 weeks. I must be a slow healer. I'm hoping rads (assuming that's all it will be) goes better.
Beth
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Oh Cristalle, forgot to say.. Yay for halfway through..that's close to ringing the bell!
For gynos, I recently saw Dr. wolffish at U of Ottawa. I liked her, she seemed knowledgeable and efficient, and funny. But I've just seen her once. ( and hopefully won't see her anytime soon if everything comes back negative).
B
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Welcome Melodie,
I see on your profile that you are getting chemo too. I've having chemo #3 on August 18th.
I've got a ride so I'm going to tonight's meeting at the Maplesoft Centre.
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Beth and I will see you there too!
Christine
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It was great meeting Beth, Chantal and Melodie last evening. Lots of stories told and new info to digest. Ages from 42 to 70 so I'm right in the middle at 56.
Talk of making it every two weeks, although Wed evenings will will hard for me come fall. Nothing stopping us getting together on our own though.
Melodie keep us posted on Cool Caps, something new in Ottawa she is trying to save her long hair
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It was so nice to have a chance to meet some of you last night
This is the article that alerted me to the option of cold caps during chemo http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/keeping-y...
These are the testamonials i read https://penguincoldcaps.com/testimonials/
This is the type of cap i'll be using ($400+GST per chemo session) http://paxmanscalpcooling.com/
And the local contact for Paxman scalp cooling is Pamela Siekierski. (She has a shorter bob than in this picture, but you wouldn't guess she has just finished chemo.) http://ptisportsmed.com/about-us/our-team/pamela/
For me, scalp cooling is worth a try because i would like to remain as natural and healthy looking as i can to shield my son (and myself) from fear. I also like the idea that i will reduce my chance of being among the 8% who have permanent hair loss from Taxotere.
If anyone reading this decides to call Pamela for info about scalp cooling, please mention my name! It feels good to be a part of changing the norm. I suspect that in ten years we will see hair loss during chemo as medieval and unnecessary.
All the best to everyone
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I felt pretty good Tuesday, the day after the surgery, then yesterday....felt like I got hit by a truck! Unfortunately my brother in law and family were visiting for the day so I feel like I wasn't a very good hostess. They were very inderstanding. Feel a little better today but still tired.
Would love to meet you ladies next time you get together
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It was so nice to meet the 3 of you last night, and I hope we can arrange something again soon with chance for more chat. Maybe next Friday??? It may be hard to time this around the chemo in particular ( Melodie you start next week I think? And Chantal that would be your off week?).However I'm assuming that most of you are either off work or working little right now.
Melodie, thanks for the info..so great to get this all researched out if I need it. Alana, I'm glad to hear surgery went well and go easy on yourself for the healing. It takes awhile (week 4 and still healing for me!) Chantal, please send us a photo when you get your wig
Today I had my oncology appointments but now everything will be delayed another 3 weeks to get the Oncotype testing done ( and MO vacation), so I'll hopefully know the next steps by Labour Day. This means I can relax and enjoy the rest of the summer which I'm totally fine with this approach. I'd rather wait to be honest than make a decision now. I'm one of those gray cases as to whether chemo would be helpful/ necessary. Hopefully the results will be clear one way or the other and then I'll have more peace of mind about recurrence.
Stay cool everyone
Beth
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Hi everyone,
There are still a few spaces open in the Babes4Breasts Head Start program at the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre. I registered today and asked whether there were still more spots left and was told five or six. It would be lovely to see some of you there
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Hi Girls. Back from holidays. Just quickly read through forum. Welcome Melodie!
Alana, hope you are surviving and treating yourself with lots of rest. Everything going ok with recovery?
Beth, hang in there and stay positive.
Chantal, hope all is going well with you.
Cristalle, were you the one having the hot flashes??? I bought this cooling towel from Amazon.ca expecting the return of hot flashes when I start the Tamoxifen. The towel actually works as I had to use it for the heat wave we had. The cottage did not have AC! I start Tamoxifen tomorrow. Not looking forward to this menopause again but it is what it is.
Count me in for any meet-up. I'm anxious to meet you ladies.
JoJo
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hi everyone,
After a great day the day following surgery I feel progress has been kind of slow. Felt really out of it for three days, yesterday a little better and today a little more...in terms of the dizziness; however, I am in more pain now! I think I wasn't at first because everything was so numb. Beth I also had a home visit from a male nurse--maybe it was the same guy?! Anyway he said my incisions are healing very nicely, so I guess I don't need to be worried.
I decided to sign up for the Head Start program, I wasn't sure at first but am now glad I did. I hope I will get to meet some of you there! It starts Sept. 14th. That'sreally good timing for me as I get my pathology report Sept. 2.
Hope you are all doing well.
Alana
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Alana, are you doing better today?
I looked up the Head Start program and called them. Because I finished my treatment last month, I am no longer a candidate for this specific program and should consider the Anticancer Lifestyle one. I will think more about it as I was really interested in connecting more-so with women with breast cancer.
JoJo
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Hi JoJo, I am definitely feeling more like "myself" but still having pain. Plus I have developed a seroma under my arm--anybody had that? I don't know if this is why it is hurting, but under my arm and down the inside of my upper arm feels like it's burning and really sensitive--like I think something happened with the nerves during the sentinel node biopsy. I am going to try some cold packs. Reading up on the seroma sounds like there's not much they can do about it as draining it represents an infection risk. I'm sure the surgeon will have advice for me at my post-op appointment.
As if this wasn't bad enough, I visit the neurologist tomorrow for Botox injections for my chronic migraines--there are up to 30 needles and each one super painful! But end result is, it is really helping my migraines so I put up with it.
JoJo, even if you don't join a support program, I'm sure some of us can get together on our own--that's mainly why I joined was just to meet other people here in Ottawa. I'm sure we can arrange something!
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Hey would anyone like to get together on Friday? Late morning or for lunch? Just a thought. I have to be downtown for an appointment til 11.
Alana, I will say to you what everyone said to me...you've just had a big surgery and it takes time to recover. I'm week 5 post op and today felt completely myself...okay I then overdid it. But I really felt like me minus a chunk out of my boob. Sounds like you have neuropathy, generally from disturbed or injured nerves around the nodes. I had the same symptoms with 2 days of searing pain like I was being knifed or what I would imagine that to feel like! Icing it helped numb it out but no pain meds works. Someone on another discussion thread said they took Lyrica but had obviously had it over a long time. A sitting back rub helped to ease the tension in my back and Aleve helped me relax. Then it passed. I'm slowly returning to my new normal but I can now rest arm down with out jumping from the sensation.
Chantal, how are you doing?
Beth
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Beth, I'm doing well other than being a little tired.
Getting together on Friday sounds good. Downtown would be convenient for me because I take the bus.
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Hi
I can get together on Friday too--anywhere any time would be OK with me.
Yes I've decided this pain is nerve pain, and Tylenol and Advil is NOT working for it! I hope it will ease up soon. Today I feel a lot closer to my "normal" self, with the exclusion of this pain. Hoping I don't have it for too long.
I was so relieved that the neurologist said it was no problem to go ahead and get the Botox in spite of any treatment I'll be having for the cancer.....and the nurse said I will really need it as it will be a stressful time. I agree with her! I've been getting it for quite a while, but just over the last six months it has made a significant difference with my headaches.
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Friday is good for me too. I'm ok with any location. I suck big time parking downtown (2 parking tickets) with all this construction but I will if that's where you gals want to meet. Will look for a garage to park in.
Alana, I had a seroma and it disappeared on its own during radiation. It was about the size of a loonie and located exactly where the nodes were removed. Still slight tenderness where it was but not sure if that's from seroma or the incision still healing.
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I'm up for Friday...but also concerned about parking headaches. can anyone think of a restaurant or coffee shop near downtown where it is easier to park but also accessible by bus? I'm stumped so far. I've only been in Ottawa three years so I don't know too many places
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