Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Good for you for getting ARM. That should help your recovery. And you're so right, we all want this to be over and behind us and never on our radar again. HUGS!!!
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Peggy....I'm tight too in the same area. I didn't realize it either until I started back doing yoga. Still tight but beginning to loosen up the more I stretch. Yoga gets to areas you didn't even know you had!!
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Nash, it was such a peculiar area to be tight - at least I thought so. It didn't hurt but I could feel it. After my 2 hour session, I realized that the top of my hip bones were a bit touchy. I didn't do anything in that area. That was strange. But it's so good to stretch everything out!
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A question for those who are well-past their surgery.....
I am 4.5 weeks past my lumpectomy, and my boob is still pretty swollen. MO seemed a little concerned, but I will be seeing RO this week so I'll get his opinion on it. The incisions look fine; it just seems as though there is fluid build-up in the boob.
Question: when did your swelling go down? When did you know the size/shape of your post-lumpectomy boob?
Thanks for any help you can give me with this.
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Elaine Therese, probably several months post-Lx before my boob returned to what is its new normal. Say, maybe 3-4. There IS fluid in there trying to fill the space. Sometimes there is too much and they will remove it. Mine just dissipated. Do have your RO take a look and see if it needs to be removed. Does it hurt? HUGS!!!
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Good morning, Peggy!
Happy Valentine's Day to all my lx sisters. Fill it with love and kindness - whether to yourselves or others (pets included).0 -
Good morning to you, Hopeful! I braved the snow to visit DH (roads not terrific) but didn't take our doggie. Stopped at the store, got a few things and am now indoors until at least Monday, probably Tuesday, due to the extreme windchills that are moving in. No desire to be out in it since I don't HAVE to be. So the rest of Valentine's Day will be spent cuddling with the pets! Happy Valentine's Day to you, too, and thank you!!!
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Happy Valentines to everyone as well!
Tgtg-I can't change my radiation to the morning, I am working 7-3, treatment at 4:20. My drive to work is at least 40-60 mins. each way so need to keep afternoon. Yesterday went very quick- glad for that!
I ordered a traditional Kings Cake and will be making a sugar-free one for Tues., having Jumbalaya & Gumbo as well. Just a potluck get together, kinda a tradition. I was in NO two weeks before Katrina hit and was heartbroken to see the devastation of where I had just been. Hope to go back again, lots of good food & people.
Hope everyone enjoys their day doing what it is they want to do
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Hi everyone, I was just thinking about you Shaz, really!!! (While I was soaking in the hot tub). So happy to hear you are doing well. Happy valentines day to everyone, hugs and kisses to you all💝. Here are my before and after pics, getting everything ready for my next BC journey...so much to read on this site and so much anxiety about chemo. Tonight, dinner and a movie with DH, so I'll try not to think about it. We are bracing for yet another snowstorm, with fridge temps, good thing my mom made me some hats👒
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My surgeon put me into a supportive bra post lumpectomy which was on the 12th of February. I had previously gone to Victoria's Secret as well hoping to find a stylish, make me feel better bra to wear post surgery, but ALL of them had underwires which I was told is a big no-no. I have been given narcotics for pain, but have made it through two days with just extra strength tylenol. I have my reconstruction next week Friday and will save big drugs for then! I wish you the best of luck! Stay positive and relaxed. God will take care of the rest!0
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BikerMom, love your new 'do! You look fantastic! Also like your scarf - where'd you find it? Good luck on the next leg of of your BC journey. Most of the women who've posted here and on the rads forums say it's doable. Positive attitudes help and you definitely have that! HUGS!!
TheRockAndRollMom, glad you haven't needed the big guns for pain. And glad you were given a good bra. The last variety of Vickie's bras I bought (many years ago and, of course, they don't make anymore), I took out the underwires because they hurt. It has to be challenging to face more surgery so soon but it definitely will be worthwhile! HUGS!!
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Elaine..I was fortunate not to have any swelling nor any change in the shape of my breast...just a few scars that I'm hoping will fade with time.
Bikerbabe...I LOVE your new do. You look young and hip. My DD is getting her hair dyed "plum" on Monday. I really didn't want her to do it but after seeing yours I'm feeling better about it. Thanks for sharing the pic.
Happy Valentine's Day lumpies...you are LOVED!!!
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Bikerbabe - That is a great look for you!
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Bikerbabe: I love your hair cut and colour 😊 well yesterday got was a hot 41degrees and today is supposed to be 39. Although it feels much warmer today already and its only 8am. A sharp contrast to the snow my lovely sisters are dealing with.
My LX was about 5 weeks ago. I'm hoping the swelling has all gone otherwise I need a bigger chicken fillet.
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I will be glad to finally "qualify" for Medicare soon, Peggy, because the way commercial health insurance in this country is now is not good at all. On top of a fairly hefty premium (and I have one of the less expensive policies available to me), there's of course the deductible, which I knew, but there's also the maximum out-of-pocket limit, which I also knew, but what I failed to anticipate is how much of the expense of just about everything has been shifted onto the policyholder now in the form of co-insurance and co-pays, plus the long list of things not covered at all. It's pretty outrageous, even without idiots telling your hospital you don't have the coverage that you do, in fact have! My mother has Medicare and a supplemental policy through the teaching job from which she retired a long, long time ago, and she hardly ever has to pay for anything, I think, including prescriptions. As it is, with my dx & treatment(s), I've pretty well charged through the 2014 deductible in only 2 months, and now also the 2015 deductible in less than 2 months, but because I still haven't paid the thousands I need to pay to get up to my max out-of-pocket, I expect to be receiving large medical bills for months.
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Shaz, so glad to see you back! I'm glad it went well.
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Thanks, Shaz. Yes, feeling better but still pretty angry that it was so hard to get the straight answer.
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Kay, It certainly does seem that insurance is terribly complicated these days. don't you love all these wonderful, ambiguous terms: co-pay, co-insurance (what the hell is that?) etc? At least the end is in sight for you. But you'd think your insurance would cover some of it, wouldn't you? HUGS!!!!
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Thanks Kay, its good to be back. I still haven't ridden yet! Lol but I will sooooon
I'm so glad medicare here covers everything. The only gap I need to pay is for my BS. if I want to see him, I elect to go private and if I don't mind who I see I go public. Since my surgery I have elected to go private as i feel more comfortable seeing the surgeon. But for some reason they haven't made me pay anything :-/
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SweetHope, that is one amazing-looking cake. Like Peggy, pretty sure I'd never make it, but I would certainly eat it!
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tgtg, I can't agree with you more about our politicians and our health insurance/health care hodgepodge, dictated by greedy private insurance companies. Ugh. My husband's people are from Norway—those Scandinavians get it right in many ways, though systems differ. My understanding is that the French have pretty great health care, among others. Heck, even Cuba, as I understand it, is pretty good in health care. It's not that we don't have great hospitals and doctors, but we pay more for our health care than any other modern country, and don't get the best outcomes by far. Okay, I'll stop. My birthday is June 23, so soon!
I'm hoping that strategy of scheduling my rads for about 9 or 9:30 a.m. will avoid the late-day pile-up and also the early morning rush hour! It's a delicate balance
I have a plan, but I don't know yet if they'll be able to accommodate me. I think I'll find out on Monday when I go for simulation.0 -
DakotaGirl, who knew I'd finally be getting tats at my age? I feel like it's gonna be like a secret handshake for a very special club that none of us asked to join, but that's okay.
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Surprised, no nodes and no drain for me.
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Kay, I was lucky. I got mine scheduled for 8:30. For a little over a week, DH had to go with me and he'd sit in the car (couldn't leave him at home alone). Then the next 3 weeks he was in the hospital (surgery and then pneumonia). I'd be up at the hospital at 7AM, run out, have the valet get my car, drive 2 minutes to radiation, get zapped, drive back and have the valet take the car, back up to DH's room. I was so exhausted I couldn't walk over there. The valets were so caring it made me weepy at times.
Less than 3 months till you're on Medicare. Make sure you have all your ducks in a row real soon now so it will go into effect June 1st, Kay!
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Kay, I teased my oldest son that I got tats to keep up with him! My youngest does not have tats - very different kids
. I don't mind having the tats - they remind me that I had radiation to kill the cancer, although some women want to get rid of them as soon as they can. They ARE like a secret handshake and if we had to get stuck in a group we didn't want to join, these are the best people ever!0 -
Bikerbabe, you look awesome! You'll totally kick cancer's a**!!
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I know, Peggy, I need to do that. Although, I had this crazy thought that maybe by June 23, I will have met my max out-of-pocket for my current insurance, after which everything has to be covered 100%. Maybe I should wait until January, if that turns out to be the case. But DH who went before me in this tells me it's a big hassle if you don't sign up for Medicare within something like 3 months of turning 65? I don't know if that's true.
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Kay, you want your Medicare to start June 1st. Do NOT wait. You'll be so much happier (and less broke). It can take effect the month you turn 65, don't have to wait for your exact birthday. DH's Medicare started Oct 1st 2010. The 10th he had his heart attack. He turned 65 on the 21st. DO NOT WAIT!!!
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Thanks, Peggy, I'll do it, then. I've already been getting teasers in the mail from the million insurance cos. that want me to buy a supplemental policy from them (is that what we call "Medigap?"), so I know it's soon. I know you can get everything set up sometime before your birthday month, but I don't know how much before. In a way, although a much less serious way, I had a similar experience to your husband, in that my DH retired on Nov. 1 and he switched from the crappy employer-provided insurance we had to full Medicare, and my individual policy I'd selected started that day too. I think it was maybe 2 weeks later that I had the first "suspicious" mammogram, and the whole bc train left the station. If I'd known THAT was going to happen, I might have shopped for insurance even more carefully than I did!
It's so unfair that we have to wait until we're 65 to get good health care coverage, isn't it? Probably if I'd had better insurance, I'd have gotten that fateful mammo a lot sooner and known about my DCIS when I was, say, 63, even. I'll never know.
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Don't forget that you have to sign up for MEDICARE itself plus Medicare Part B (unless you get a Medicare Advantage Plan), plus Medigap plus prescription. The Advantage Plans cover Part B & Rx. If you are not signing up for getting Social Security benefits you will have to pay (probably direct payment from your checking account). Sign up for everything NOW. Make sure you check that you aren't getting SS before June (and your first SS check will be in July. do it now. it will keep your mind busy. We have a Blue Care Network medigap plan plus a different prescription plan. It works for us. My former boss has an Advantage plan and likes it. Both of us have very little in out of pocket expenses. do your research. Get the most complete plan you can. DO IT NOW!!!!
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