The Hermit Club
Comments
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Sweet- I am really interested in traveling by train in the future. I have cousins that travel from east coast and back on Amtrak and swear by it. If they want to stop somewhere for a few days, they get off the train, go to a hotel and go sight seeing. My cousins mom traveled this way a lot in her golden years. Flying and airports are getting too hard anymore, right?
When are you going to be done with your treatment? I think a train trip sounds like a great idea.
Did you hear they are working on developing high speed rail here in the US?
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Jazzy, it wil be months before I can travel. I'm just starting a clinical trial which will decide (by computer) whether or not I get chemo. That's this Tuesday. If I get chemo, it will be ACT, then radiation, so my wanderlust must wait 'til probably Fall.
The best train trip is to board in Denver in the morning and travel through the Rockies, through the Continental Divide, beside the Colorado River and disembark at one of those beautiful, Colorado resort towns before dark. You don't need to rent a car; restaurants and hotels (all price ranges) are right there. I would turn right back around and take the next day trip back!
I love organizing these vacations and this trip to New York really appeals to me, because there are so many historic stops along the way. I'll plan one way direct with a sleeper, and the return trip with as many stops I can manage. It will depend on the trains timetable and getting a rental car delivered to the station. It's no fun having to return a car before closing at 6pm then waiting out in the cold for three hours in a strange city. It's doable if there is no other option, but avoid it if you can.
Amtrak.com has routes, timetables, even menus on their website. It is so much fun dreaming about this. Check it out.
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Sweet- you hold that in your heart to do the trip when you get through treatment. It helps to have something to look forward to on the other side of this stuff. My sister and I met up in Hawaii the summer after I finished treatment and the month after she finished her Herceptin treatments.
I hope the trial works and you don't have to do chemo.
I will have to check it out the Amtrak web site. I have some other trips planned for this year that involve planes or road trips, but do want to do an train trip at some point. I am just finishing a book now called Christmas Train that sort of got me thinking about this!
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Watching the Golden Globes tonight as I wind down from another busy day. House is almost ready now for the painters, just a bit to do tomorrow to finish up. Ready to get this show on the road.
Teka- did you see your boyfriend, GC, get his special award tonight on the GG? You Tube it tomorrow if you missed it.
I hope everyone here is okay at the end of this weekend. Blessings to you if you are continuing on with treatment in the new week, and special prayers for our friend Blondie on her surgery tomorrow.
Good night hermits!
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Shelley, I am thinking of you ... Hope you are sleeping ... Please post as soon as you can so that we know that you are okay ... Remember to pamper yourself as you recover from tomorrow's surgery.
Ducky, add my well wishes to everyone else's for Blondie. Thanks for keeping us updated
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Princess got her first sink bath since she has been with us yesterday. She didn't give me much trouble except for when she got hosed down in the kitchen sink and then the kitty shampoo got rinsed off.
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For Blondie! I know she posts on a few threads, but hopefully she will see this....!
And now we have a CLEAN kitty Momom! Can you post her picture?
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Blondie- it sucks to be in the hospital and to have to have surgery, and all I can say is I hope your doctor looks like this guy.
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And no Teka, that doctor is NOT for you! LOL!
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Isn't that "Doctor" George? He just gets better with age!
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Chevy- yes it is, Teka is one of his biggest fans! I loved him on ER. I like many of his movies too!
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Checked for Blondie........her room phone rings busy....figure they took it off the hook, so she is not bothred with calls............
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I know..... She probably is taking a lot of stuff, and needs to sleep....
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Hugs to Ducky and Blondie
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Ducky- thanks for being our connection to Blondie. I hope the surgery went well and she is resting okay. Hospitals are not an easy place to get any sleep......
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I talked to her son George yesterday......very nice boy.........I really hate to bother him again tonight........probably should have given him my phone number........will try to get in touch with her daugter.....
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Did get to talk to Blondie......she sounds good.......on meds, in pain.........she is going to try to send a message to you all.........
Her surgery went well, plaltes, screws, the who Magilla............has not yet talked to the Doc.......she said she lost her balance going down the steps (outside),,,,,,,,and grabbed for the rail, went over on her left foot, gained her footing, and the turned over on her right foot, and ended up on her back.....
Her son took her to the hospital......the rest is history......will keep you all in the loop.....
Told her by name everyone that was asking for her.....she sends her love and appreciation for your thoughts..........
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Ducky- oh and outside, fall, so dangerous. Given she landed on her back, I am thankful she was not hurt worse. Glad she knows we are rooting for her. Thanks for keeping us posted today.
She is a trooper, but still think the whole thing stinks.
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Thanks again Ducky!
Blondie, hang in there. Hope the food is good
Glad that you have family there to rally around you. Miss you here. 0 -
Oh no! I have been off the boards for a week or 2 and just heard about Blondie. (thanks Teka!)
Please let her know I am thinking of her as well. She is so sweet, and had so much on her plate already
xoxoxox super size hugs to you, Blondie!!
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Glad to know she is doing okay.
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Thanks for the update! Keeping her in my prayers... next comes the dreaded re-hab stuff.
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The kitten thinks she is being clever and that I can't see her lounging on the stairs. lol
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hi ladies, I had the lumpectomy yesterday. Path report will be back Tuesday. They removed one sentinel node but didn't do a frozen section after. I was a little disappointed. He said that 20% of them they don't get clear margins. Ugh. My pain is low but still feel off from the anesthesia. Did it take you guys awhile to feel OK after surgery? I feel a bit depressed this morning because everything seems so real now. plus I still don't know my node status. He said one showed it was radioactive but no others did. One thing he said that confused me (but I was out of it) he said if the sentinel node is cancerous, it won't change my treatment plan. Wouldn't they go in and take more if this one is positive? He acted like there would be no other node removal...
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Hi Shelley- glad to hear you are through surgery and home. The waiting for the path report is very hard, so your anxiety is understandable. Sounds like you will know in a week. Mine took 2 weeks (sigh.... )
I was the most sore about a week after my lumpectomy surgery, and the node incision area bothered me a bit longer (because they cut through the muscle, and it takes longer to heal). You should be up and around within a few days. Just take it easy for awhile. No lifting and doing anything crazy with your upper body. I remember being home for a week and then got out to drive.
I had sentinel node biopsy myself, they seem to do this more for early state cancers (Stage 1 or 2). Usually they do this to see if there is any cancer in the closest node, which if yes, that usually means chemo. I don't think they do more node removal after the fact. It keeps the risk of lymphadema (swelling) down.
Did he already tell you that you would have chemo? Sometimes they may advise this early on based on your initial pathology. I was node negative, so I just had the radiation treatment after surgery. Not sure what to say about his comment about your treatment plan not changing based on node status. If the nodes are positive, you should ask if you need chemo or some other systemic treatment? If it is just in the breast, they focus on treating that area. If it gets into the lymph system, usually you need more. Not sure what the radioactive status means?
They do their best to get clear margins during surgery. The final pathology report will indicate if they are successful. Hopefully you won't have to go back for any more surgery. My margins were clear and that was that. Onward to rads treatment. My hope is that is all you need to do also. The pathology report will tell you a lot more info about the margins, node status, etc. I expect you will have a follow up with the breast surgeon to check on healing and discuss next steps. Maybe the oncologists too.
Try to rest and not worry. Easier said than done, trust me, we all know that here. But you need to recover from this surgery and be ready for whatever comes next. The uncertainty of the whole think is nerve-wracking. You have to trust your doctors and just ask questions around your treatment plan as you hear more. Some may be open to it, others won't like the questions. Does not matter, they don't have to go through the treatment and live with this, we do. I always just said I was trying to understand so I knew what to expect. No one can argue with that.
Wishing you a quick recovery and good outcomes.
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I guess the part that stumps me is how will they stage me with just taking one node? If the node is clear then I understand how they can stage me, but if it's not clear and they don't take more nodes...I don't get how they can know what stage. Chemo is up in the air until path report and oncotype come back.
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Shelley- a lot of times the staging comes based on the tumor (size, etc.) and whether it may be anywhere else. Here is something you might want to read to help you understand a bit more. There is all kinds of indicators in the pathology report that help the doctors know the best way to treat your cancer. BC treatment is very focused now, on the type, staging, aggressiveness, etc. Lots of abbreviations here and it may help you to understand your pathology report when it is ready. You should ask for a copy of it too.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailed...
I am glad you had the Oncotype test. I had it too and it helps to know genetically if you have a low, med, or high risk for reoccurrence. Another piece of info to help with the treatment plan. Based on my results, my MO thought chemo would be over treating my cancer. So between that and the nodes, it went off the table.
It sounds like they have you covered with all they are doing. Just hard to understand as it is all so new to you and much to learn. I learned more about bc than I ever wanted to know going through this.
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Shell'y........I was great affter my lumpy........I could do almost anything except the "drain" was a PITA.........I slept in a recliner because of the big boobs, and they are not "perky" anymore so I wanted them as upright as possible.
I had no node but the "dye" did not take for me, so they removed 8 to be cerrtain.......that caused me to get Lymphedema, and they were all negative......great for no nodes, but the Lymphedema is foever.....hate it.
My oncotype score was 8....just 38 Rad treatments, and put on Femara which I took for 3 1/2 years, and just stopped.......could not handle the SEs anymore....would rather have a few more good years then a lot of yers feeling like "shit"......my MO is ok with me stopping......well not really but she sad my reoccurence rate is 12% witout the Meds.........6% with continuing...............
My margins were all 2cm all the way around......I don't agree with the Dr. saying 20% don't get clear margins......I know manny women who got good margins who had small tumors..........but everyone is different........
Just take it easy .....the beginning is the hardest............the more you learn the more you will understand and the less confused you will be........good luck.......
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Update.....Blondie sent me message..
She is going to Rehab for 7 to 14 days.
Off the foot for 7 to 8 weeks.
No help at home, so this is the best choiice for her....she will get 3 squares, Rehab, and good care......thought she did the right thing........
Will keep you posted.
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Thanks for the update on Blondie, Ducky!
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