Kiwi ladies who need encouragment, but all welcome.
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i don't know yet, its a combination of all. the iron levels are down, my thyroid is elevated and saying and i am low , and having a colonoscopy and gastrocopy, but the endocrine clinic may be able to establish a connection to that of my throat or neck, this is new yesterday that he found, and even i did not know or feel any swelling, i cough alot when sometimes after i have eaten. he said, the bloods are showing signs of acute anemia. so i am all up in the air.
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Kiwikid, everyone's worried about you in the January chemo group board. We miss you.
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Hi everyone, how are you all getting on?
Kiwi mum have you been back for your 4 week check? How is the healing going?
Midnight are you feeling better? I hope so
Kt I'm with you, only having ac!
And whoop whoop I'm finished with chemo! Last Monday was my last one. Thank goodness that is over!
Single mastectomy booked in for April 15, reconstruction surgery at the same time, permanent silicone and saline expander! Pretty exciting
Hope you are all getting on with your good lives
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Hi Kiwi kid, thanks for asking, i have my days that i feel good and today is one that i feel drained, the weather aint helping much either, lovely inside tho. very hot out. honestly if we don't get rain soon, we will be in trouble, and the north island seems to be bad. brown grass all over.
How are you doing, hope you ok You having surgery soon, wow kool as. i am having a colonoscopy on the 23rd of that month. i am not looking forward to the prep of that. But they say the actual preocedure is not too bad and am supposed to be having a gastroscopy too, but don't when that'll be. well hope yr surgery goes well.
Dx 8/12/2011, IDC, 1cm, Stage Ia, Grade 3, ER+/PR+, HER2-Surgery 08/31/2011 Lumpectomy (Left); Lymph Node Removal: Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection (Left)Radiation Therapy 10/10/2011 ExternalHormonal Therapy 11/23/2011 Tamoxifen
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Hello Everyone
Hope things are going well. I had my breast reconstruction done and a lift on the right side last Tuesday. And I have to say it looks fabulous. District nurse came yeaterday to remove bandages and I was too scared to look. I started taking small peeks and realised it was not that bad. Wounds are healing up nicely and Im feeling pretty good. And no drains this time. I was 7 days in hospital in relative comfort in my own room. The nurses were lovely, my surgeon is brilliant and I have very little pain. I was given antibiotic, zoplicone and tramadol to go home with. The sun is shining, life is good, and I hope all those who are suffering right now end up like me.
God Bless and Best Wishes for a great outcome for you all.
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Hi there, Patc, glad you had a positive reconstruction and it all looking wonderful. makes you feel good when things go right aye and it helps when you have good nurses looking after you with follow up care. you will feel a million bucks when it is all healed up. I have not had a masectomy as yet, well did not need one at the time, not sure what holds the future tho. get these tummy issues sorted first. i rang my GP nurse yesterday and i was more a ess told that now i am under Hospital care with this issue, it is not their concern. i di not mention it to my hubby as he would of been livid. but my procedure is not til end of april, so where do i go to in mean time about this, if they don't with it once it becomes a hospital issue.. as the Hospital says,if i have any isues contact my GP. Makes you feel like discarded rubbish. they pass the buck this Hospital nz medical system. so hopefully i don"t get worse in the mean time as i am in nobodies land.
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Midnight, your GP should be looking after you, it is their concern. You should let your DH speak to them. My GP was wonderful when I had my stomach trouble and was waiting for my hernia and stomach operation. It is not good enough. I think its your Doctor or rather the nurse who is at fault. I would ring again and get an appointment with the doctor because without the tests the hospital and the GP don't really know what is wrong.
Big big hugs.
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Kiwikid - yay!!! for finishing chemo. That is a huge milestone and a huge achievement.
I am great. I'm now 6 weeks post recon and everything is great. I had my 6 wk check up yesterday and my PS is really happy. I'm off all pain meds and went back to work this week. I feel really great and am thrilled to have a cleavage and 2 breasts again. I'm planning on shopping for some pretty bras this weekend.
April isn't far away for your MX and recon. Exciting! Who is doing your surgery and where? You look so young and getting the surgery out of the way is a big step forward and a step towards getting on with your life.
PATC - you sound happy and it sounds like the recon went well. I'm happy for you.
Midnight - I hope your surgery goes well and sorts everything out for you.
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Thank you so much for acknowledging this milestone for. Yes, I am incredibly happy because in the early days when they could get no clear margin it was terrifying for me amd my family. I feel I have a new lease on life and nothing can stop me now. Thank you for acknowledging my positivity. I remain humble when I speak with some of you and always will because you are battling still. I have just posted on the trade me breast cancer thread and was ignored completely.
Good luck all you strong, tired and lovely women.......I am hoping that all of you will end up with an outlook like mine. God Bless xoxo.
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Hi NZ ladies
I am from Christchurch and have a few questions regarding 3 topics-Tamoxifin and Vitamin D and back aches.
I started tamoxifen last August and things were ok , just really tired. Since December my hair has starting falling out , slowly and this layer of fat has wrapped its self around my waist and back , bloody awful. Is anyone else having this side effect.
I am exercising a bit but getting more fatter by the week.
I read about taking Vitamin D to help prevent more cancer, does anyone else take it?
As for pain in my upper back and spine when in bed, why is this starting now. Any clues and suggestions much appreciated.
Bit sick of doctors and specialists telling my to take another anti flam pill. Just putting up with pain at the moment.
Keep ya peckers up.
Regards Zita
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Hi Zita
Welcome to this club that none of us signed up to. Will answer your questions in the morning.
Big hugs
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Hi Zita, welcome.
Im sorry to ear of yur issues.
Not sure of your Staging and your general status which may or may not be relevant to your back issues.
Yes Tamox is well known to add layers to the midriff unfortunately. Not sure about the hair though, that didn't happen to me when I was on it. It is a known SFx of the AI's (aromatase inhibitors) which are typically used for post menopausal women rather than Tamox.
I take 1 Vit D3 50,000 IU(CHolercalciferol) every 2 weeks. The following info I supply for when I last looked into it a year or more ago.It is probably the same , but things do change.
The D3 50,000IU is ONLY on script. VIT D3 as far as I'm aware, is available in CHemists but they charge an arm and a leg for low dosages. Your 1st plan of action is to get this test and make sure you ask your Doc for the VIT D3 test. Dont take D2. You may need to be somewhat forceful about getting this test as my doc said they are really starting to clamp down and make it harder. Also the acceptable levels when I last looked, were waaaay below par for what other places deem as acceptable.
If youre not opposed to this, the best way to get your 10,000UI's of D3 is the sun. Midday sun is best especially for our latitude, but do NOT get burnt and take into avccount your skin type. Expose as much skin as possible. It is becoimng a recognizable and provable fact that the majority of the worlds population is D3 deficient. IMO the whole VITD issue is well worth looking into.
As with any medical advice it is best to see your GP and making informed choices by finding out as much info as you can.
Ive written quite a bit about VIT D3 in this thread. You might like to do a search within it where therell be some relevant links and more info.
Musical
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Morning all,
Pleased to see that Musical answered you. I was so sleepy last night that anything I had said might not have made sense.
I was on Femara which is an AI so can't really comment on tamox though have heard people complain about back pain as well as weight gain. Not sure about the hair loss though it is a listed se.
Back pain can be from the operations as muscles have been moved etc and some of the ladies with recon talk of post op back pain. Unfortunately so many thing can occur after mastectomies and some doctors don't acknowledge them at all.
Sorry can't be more help.
Where in Christchurch are you?
Big hugs
I took vitD for five years on script. Probably need it as present as i have no energy.
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Hey Zita, i am on Tamoxifen, but had no hair loss, back aches yes, but mainly joint pain and muscle aches mainly A Tamoxifen combo really, but not hair loss, amd sorry you going thru this. Glad Musical and Alyson anwsered you. good luck, take care. and a big welcome.
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I know it has been a while, but I thought I would pop in and wish everyone a happy Easter. Sorry to hear that a few of you are going through tough times at the moment, I hope the test and results give you some information Annette and that Alyson your chestiness improves. Sorry I cannot comment on Tamoxifen, but I hope the problems you are experiencing resolve.
Quick question - I had my first one year check MRI post UMX two weeks ago. I have not heard anything, I like to think that no news is good news. But how long is normal for a MRI carried out in the Public Health system?
Cheers
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Hils, I think you should have heard by now. Your GP will have the results or will be able to get them.
Big hugs
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Thanks Alyson, my BS asked me to email him when I had the MRI as he does not always get the reports, which I did. I have to go to the hospital for another type of op on Tuesday and will try and get the report then. Failing that I will call my GP.
Thanks again
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Morning all
Hope you had a great Easter. Mine was very quiet because it appears I have pnenmonia. Seen doc this morning and have lots of drugs.
Big hugs to all
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Pneumonia that is not good Alyson - take your meds and I wish you a very speedy recovery. No wonder you were feeling so tired. Gentle hugs
Finally chased down my MRI report and no news was indeed good news, all clear - so I am good for another year YEAH
Just back from having a D&C and Hysteroscopy, feeling a bit rough, but should all be good soon. Hopefully I will also get a clean bill of health in two weeks. I think the worst bit is waiting for the results.
Hope everyone else is good, hopefully your tooth Annette is feeling a little better. At least you seem to have all of your tests scheduled now, hoping that you find out what the matter is and you start feeling better soon.
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Hi Hills, yes i have a dental appointmnet at one tomorrow, to nip that tooth out. its so good not to have that horrible horrible pain i had saturday, man alive that was chronicly painful.
Yay for a clear result, Woohoo. sorry you feeling under the weather though, yep and waiting for results and appointments. you take care girl, good to hear from you. big hugs and glad you call me annette as that is who i am and i invite everybody to do likewise, you can call me midnight if you wish, but i am Annette/
Alyson, look after yourself. you poor lady. sorry you got that. take care and big hugs
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Thought a few of you might be interested in this piece of research, it is in the early stages of trials etc, but lets hope it proves to be the answer or another piece of ammunition in our armoury against BC. Check out this link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22076692
Hope Annette you are getting some answers at the Hospital and that your health improves soon. Alyson take it steady and may your recovery from pneumonia be a fast one. Positive and healing thoughts to everyone else.
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Thanks so much Hills for that, i have sent it on to my sister as she has not got it, but nurses somebody with it. I do have a prob with facial hair undr my chin that i try to work on, but i think i that i have alot of male hormone which does contribute to facial hair which alot of women do have.
I went to Endocrine clinic and they say i have technically become diabetic, i was apparently pre diabetic about jan and it has gone to a futher stage but still in early stages. i have to do a saliva test tonight to see if i have an over production of a hormone that causes weight gain. you do it late at night , bed time. and will be going on metformin.
My mummy was visiting me from Whangarei and so i didn't get a chance to say much to anybody, she gone now, so i am telling you today, i did tell some in a rushed haste other day. today i am tired. loved having mum. but she is quite draining at times as she requires on going attention, but it was lovely to see her. Anyway i have to do laundry soon, so will have a rest for abit. take care.
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Hiya ladies. It has been awhile....
Hope everyone is well- I think you've recovered from pneumonia Alyson? Hope you're feeling better.
Midnight, I hope you get to the bottom of your issues soon. It would be nice to have Drs who are on your side.
(I do read the Aussie thread- I guess I should post there too- I haven't posted anywhere for ages).
On Monday I have an appt with a Breast Surgeon (private- Hubby now works at a new co & has health insurance for us, with a waiver for pre-existing conditions!) to discuss prophylactic mastectomy. I'm still concerned about getting a new Ca there, as my last one wasn't picked up with mammo, so for peace of mind...
My GP reckoned getting prophy thru the public system was very unlikely...so we shall see if the insurance co will come to the party or if they will find a way to wangle out of it!
Anybody know or have experience with this?
Its a big decision isnt it, to chop off a possibly perfectly healthy breast
But I hate being lop-sided & I'm sick of yearly mammos which I feel are a waste of time as they don't give me peace of mind.Oh well....
Cheers girls, thanks for listening!
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Hi Kt. I seem to tick these same boxes as you...
I too:
- was concerned about a new C there
- wasnt picked up with my last mammo (only a month before) as my tumor was VERY deep and hence:
- no peace of mind at all
- HATED being lopsided
- Couldnt face the possibilities of more and more mammos UGGHH Pass.
Of course things can change in the public sector very quickly, plus your jurisdiction may also be a factor. That said, heres what I did. I had my Prophy 11mths after 1st Mast. I put it to my surgeon at the time what the pro's and cons were and showed him that I had made up my mind and that this is what was right for me. He didnt try and kick against me, but needed proof that I had thought it out properly which I thought was fair enough. Now there are typically other factors they like to consider for example:
How high risk you are .....
- What you are staged at
- Other family history
- Your age
- dense breasts
Then theres: How much discomfort you are suffering through having a large uniboob (ie backache and the nuisance factor of having to wear a heavy counterpart ) Other irritations like bra annoyance.
At the end of the day it is your decision, and you never know, if you talk to your GP or even if youre still under your BS, it can't hurt to have a talk and you just may be able to go public. You'll never know if you don't ask.
Hope this helps.
Musical
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Hi Musical. Thanks for the feedback. I think I remeber you saying something similar last year, its taking me a while to get my head around this!
I like my remaining boob, but I hate being lop-sided & it does hurt sometimes (can't blame that time of the month because I'm in medical menopause) & my GP is all for removing it as I am high risk (dense breast, ILC- doesn't show on mammo always & is slightly more likely to be in other breast etc) so I just need to be strong & say 'take it off'. I know I will be more at peace then...every time I chicken out of saying remove it I regret it later & wish I would just get it done.
I like the idea of going private if I can because I get to choose the surgeon (within the approved ones) and not just take pot-luck with the public system & get more say on when etc, not at the end of a really long waiting list.
I imagine it will be really freeing to be able to go without prosthesis & wear what I like, or wear small light, matching forms if I want
Its raining here again! My daughter has just got her learners motorcycle licence & is off for a road ride for the first time with her dad, just locally, but I'm a mum so I worry....listening out for bikes returning now...
Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend,
kt
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Hi Kt, lovely to see you, yes it be will nice to see you on Ausy thread when you feel like it. yes when you go on public system you have to wait, at least with private you get to choose who you want. i was lucky with my lumpectomy and gotmin very fast as i know of others who don't and i reckon you should when you are first diagnosed as while you are waiting, it could be spreading. but getting a mascectomy by choice as you are right, you are more at risk, i think i would want to get privately done, you wait for for months otherwise. i hope you get the best care you can get. I Guess if you read the Ausy thread, you would of angela passing on, very sad as i is whe that happens. She was posting right up to last sunday too, and in a good place and then she gone. was a shock actually as we knew she was on borrowed time, but as she was feeling much better than she was, it would be awhile, at least she is at peace. well goota go and organise my laundry for this afterrnoon washing as i take it to laundry. nice to see you, Hi musical, will catch up again soon. hugs
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Hi kt, lol well you've got a better memory than me. The important thing is you need to take as long as you need to get your head around it. It can't be any other way. Only you can decide what is that final "little push" that is going allow you to be ready in your own mind. Indeed if you can go private then thats sounds like the better option.
Now, I can say this of a surity! Yes we lose our boobs but when one "cheats on you" theres no telling the other won't either. When we make our final choice to take the plunge, I can promise, you will LOVE the part where you don't have to wear bras if you don't want to. You will love the part where you get to choose the size you want to be, if at all..... especially if u struggle with biggies lol. You will LOVE that you don't feel lopsided and the dramas all that brings. FOr me, that was plenty. I have an EXTREMELY sensitive shoulder on my affected side and a bra strap along with the weighty prosthesis really annoyed me big time. I also noticed a back ache starting up. Since surgery thats all gone by the wayside.
The downside (theres always going to be some) is that even with a mast. in which there are (supposedly) no lymph nodes removed, there is still a risk of developing LE on that side. No surgeon can guaruntee that they dont take a few nodes because of the nature of that particular surgery. Just thought I'd mention that because the more informed we are about our choices the better. LE is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. It is truly great your GP is supportive. Im very fortunate that I have a great gp too.
HTHs
Any parent would rightfully worry where motorbikes are concerned. I used to ride back in the day. No doubt I gave my parents a few headaches. I hope you are OK up there in the north! Looks like you guys are in for it with the weather. Theyve been saying rain for us for days but next to nothing yet. I see the dark clouds are gathering here though. Lovely and mild and warm for this time of the year. Paddocks greened up well after the drought, but more importantly the grass is starting to get that substance to it now....but thats here...unlike other parts of Manawatu.
Hi Midnight, hope you are keeping well.
Musical
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Hi Musical. I went andhad a big Whine at my GP about been fobbed off all the time, i need to be told whats happening, not sent to the next one for answers, like when blood tests come back, if they normal, i still like to hear and after i said all that. and he looked at me and said, what have i come about today, i said, to have a moan, which i never do to them and get some answers and i said, i would like them to check my pancreas as with all the acid reflux i get, my Dad died of Pancreatic cancer and i have that at the back of my mind, but that ok. and i said, i am trying not to turn into a hyperchodiact, i think when you get BC we tend to worry about things more when we get the slightest different pain, i know you suffer with your lymphodema and the thyroid Doctor told me that when you have lymph nodes out, they should not do Your BP on that arm that lymph nodes have taken away on, as the tightness of the pumping up in yr arm does not help when it is swells up and can be bad for lymphodema. But what happens if you have it in both arms, actually just thought of that now, they have to do BP somewhere. I said, i had sentinel biopsy, so apart from that, i did not need any out. So hope you ok. Had a rough night, our Dog was barking, would not shut up, so hubby thought he better check it out and there was an incredibly drunk man sleeping out on the grass just outside our house, so hubby rung the police and they came, was about 2am and he tried to stand up and fell into our front lawn as there is a bank from the foot path to our pace and a drop of two metres, so the cops came in and escorted him to the car and away they went, the drunk guy was saying, all good sir , all good sir, cracked record lol.but we did not get much sleep as our minds were quite stimulated, he attempted to come over and pat our dog, but she was too busy telling him where to go, she was really hyped up. cop said, check it out before you tell them to shut up as they know more than us and she did.Anyway catch ya. love Annette
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Hi girls.
Sounds like you had quite a night, midnight...We had a stormy night weatherwise. I hope we all get a better night tonight!
Did you feel better after talking to your Dr like that? And did he reassure you & get where you were coming from?
Thanks again for the input Musical. I do hate being lopsided, even if I'm in my nighty I feel ugly being so obviously lop-sided, let alone being caught out at home just wearing a t-shirt with no bra, by unexpected visitors...
I've just got back from seeing the breast surgeon privately- she was lovely -& could understand why I wanted the prophy mx,
but also said the risk of anything happening in that breast is only 20% higher than the risk for the general public. And that the drugs I'm on now are the best prvention in my situation...
She thinks the medical insurance company won't cover a prophy mx, but will put my case to them. If they won't do it she knows another good surgeon in the public system who will do it.
So- we will see.
My boob is a c cup so not huge- but does look obvious if I'm not wearing a prosthesis. I would like to be able to choose to wear a bra etc or not, and not have people staring etc...But also I'm concerned about getting LE if I go ahead, or that I won't like how I look more. So have to be sure...
She did say bras tend to ride up a bit if you don't have the remaining boob to anchor it in place- would you agree Musical, or is it not a problem for you?
Anyway- I have got the ball rolling, so soon I will know where I can get the mx done. When? ... we shall see...
Hope you all are keeping warm. Its sure gotten colder the last day or 2.
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oh, also Musical- what does HTHs mean? Sorry I'm not very good with all the abbreviations out there, LOL!
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