Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
Comments
-
Molly, you bet I did feel all my wonderful friends here in my pocket. It was so very reassuring and comforting.
HUGS!
0 -
PontiacPeggy: I'd argue for Nevada tying North Dakota for Most Boring Drive Evar, once you get past Vegas. Nine hours of absolutely nothing at all, and I mean absolutely nothing. That's the only time I've ever come anywhere near running out of gas. Not that I'm planning on driving through North Dakota anytime soon.
But glad you made it!
0 -
Glad you made it, Peggy. Now, to get your furniture and stuff. I don't know about North Dakota, but we went through South Dakota a few years ago and I swear it was 3000 miles of Badlands.
0 -
QueenMomCat, I have not driven through Nevada so cannot comment. I do recommend stopping at the Teddy Roosevelt National Park just west of Dickinson, ND. We hit the rest area and the views were spectacular. Worth the stop (the only touristy thing we did). If you're coming thru Spokane, let me know!
HUGS!
0 -
I know some of you have bought and sold house several times, so I want to pick your brain. We have a 3BR, 2BA split level that is listed on Zillow at around $170,00. The surrounding homes are well worth over $250,000 (ours is the smallest house in the neighborhood.) I'm pretty sure we will not get that much for it, as there are several cosmetic things that need to be done (or not.) However, we have a spacious fenced backyard, which is great for dogs or kids. We have already re-done the kitchen, put up Hardy plank siding, put on a new roof, sump pump, & new hot water heater, and all new thermopane windows. We live in the metro-Atlanta area, in a good school district (Cobb), north of I-75, so it's a pretty nice area, and our small neighborhood is quiet, lovely, and safe. I would say our house is perfect for a young family just starting out.
So, here are my questions. Understand that we will be unable to do these things ourselves:We have pecan colored inside doors and trim. I'd personally rather not paint, as I would expect that to be an expensive project. Do you think it is worth the effort to repaint those white or just leave them alone?The downstairs hardwoods are in decent condition, except for some wear & tear at one end of the dining table, an area 2' x 2ft near the back door, and an area of about 6ft x 4ft in one end of the kitchen. Otherwise, they look good. Would you sand and re-stain the whole thing or just polish real well?The bathrooms have dated tile. The tub and shower surrounds are in decent condition, white tile. I would be willing to put in new counters and sinks, and re-glaze the tub. Do you think we need to redo the floors or just go with it?Popcorn ceilings, ugh. We have taken down the popcorn in the kitchen and main hall, but the rest of the rooms have popcorn ceilings that are not attractive. Would you take them down, leave them up, or just dry-wall over them?We plan to deep clean and re-paint the whole interior and that is probably something that I *can* do myself, with the help of the adult kids. We also plan to have our landscape guy come in and freshen up the front and backyards.We need to put down flooring and baseboards in the basement, and finish out the laundry room with flooring, trim, and drywall, all of which would need to be completed by someone else.
So what do you say? We plan to bring n a couple real estate agents later this fall and get their opinions, as well.0 -
Poodles, my realtor said to not do any updates. What you do the new owners may not like so easier to leave it. Definitely leave the floors, painting alone. Don't do the basement. Perhaps it makes a difference on your area. Make sure everything is clean. If you plan on buyers using FHA you definitely need to make repairs that FHA might flag (been there, done that). Make sure you have GFI outlets in bathrooms and kitchen. No peeling paint. Listen to what your prospective agents say but unless it is something YOU want while you live there, I vote for doing nothing. Decluttering is VITAL! Pack up, toss out. Make closets look spacious. Store excess furniture. Pretty bedding seems to help. Do everything to highlight the master bedroom's best features. Pretty towels. Cleared off bathroom counters. Flowers out front and back.
Hope this helps!
BTW, I would swear ND is 5 zillion miles of badlands. And nothing-ness. Obviously SD is closely related
HUGS!
0 -
Great news, Elaine! I'm still waiting for my genetic results, but I did get my pathology from my lumpectomy today!
Met with my surgeon who informed me that all 5 lymph nodes were clear, they got clean margins with the tumor, I'm listed as Stage 1A, and will start radiation as soon as they get back my oncotype test results. That will be two more weeks, but the surgeon feels confident that the oncotype will be low. I'm on cloud 9 as well!
0 -
Some repairs & updates, such as refinishing floors and finishing a basement don’t give you any ROI. But painting anything that should be painted (and good wood trim & doors ought to be left alone) any color other than some shade of white will actually negatively impact sale prices, since prospective buyers want to imagine the place as they would prefer it to look--and colors on the walls make that very difficult but also might necessitate their spending money on re-painting to their own preferences. Of course, walls that need painting ought to be painted, and things that are code violations and/or health & safety hazards (such as leaky basements & roofs) need to be corrected despite not being able to recoup the cost--because not only would that lower the sale price but make the place not even salable because of FHA and other lenders’ requirements. Same thing with dated wall coverings (foil or flocked wallpaper), popcorn ceilings and other "dated" (but not in a classic or antique way) items of decor like cheap paneling--wouldn’t meet with FHA disapproval, but might cause buyers to do the math of updating and decide to pass on the house.
But what does pay itself back and then some? Spiffing up landscaping: a neat lush lawn, artfully-placed shrubbery, stone accents & well-maintained trees. And modernizing (actually, simplifying) a bathroom: white tile is a good start, neo-classic features like sleek pedestal sinks or simple Scandinavian-style vanity cabinets, simple, ergonomic and sturdy faucets. Installing a glass tub enclosure, however, might not be a good idea; and luxury features like whirlpools & steam showers or bidets might be attractive to buyers but not translate to higher offers.
One thing most homeowners never think about is whether the house will be hospitable to its inhabitants as they age. Subtle things like grab bars on the tub & shower enclosure walls are always a good idea. And lever-style door handles instead of knobs are easier to operate. They don’t scream “a senior citizen lives here.” Obvious disability accommodations such as wheelchair ramps, exterior lifts, stair-chairs, etc. can be a turn-off to buyers who don’t envision aging in place or having elders move in.
0 -
Great news all around, Dara! But are they going to give you enough time to heal from surgery before you start rads? My team wanted me to wait 6 weeks.
0 -
great news Elaine and Dara.
I wrote a nice haiku about today:
nipple is on fire
It's like a million bee stings
Only 4 to go
0 -
They said most likely 4 weeks. They have to wait for the oncotype results anyway to be sure I wouldn't benefit from chemo then radiation. I'll know more once I meet with the oncologist. This is all so new, it's hard to keep track of who does what when. I did impress both the surgeon and the dr doing a fellowship with her though with my specific questions. I guess they don't always have patients who really read every word of the report and research every aspect of their care. All the info you all have provided here in the boards really helped. If I wasn't familiar with a term, I researched it. We really do have to be our own advocate.
Actually splurged after the visit and my DH and I stopped for an early dinner and had a great margarita to celebrate! Glad I won't having to drown my sorrows instead
0 -
Dara, great news!!!!!
Sandy, I wonder if the neighborhood makes a difference on what updates are necessary or even desirable? Poodles, listen to your agent. I definitely second doing all health & safety issues. It's hard to know what is vital and what isn't. Each buyer is different and what will bother one won't bother another. Keep that in mind. The two "kids" bedrooms were green - one very vibrant (not fluorescent!) and, while it bothered the inspector who wasn't FHA, it didn't bother the buyers at all. The bath original to the house has blue ceramic tile topped with black and does have some cracks in it but still presents nicely. I didn't re-do the floors. All relatively new stainless steel appliances seem to be a plus for the buyer. Washer and dryer were old.
HUGS!
0 -
As a rule, the smallest and the largest houses on the blocks tend not to bring as high a price as if they were the same size as their neighboring houses. And the largest house almost never brings as high a price as its size would otherwise command.
0 -
We've bought and sold 7 homes in California and Colorado. Our last sale was just 2 years ago when we decided to downsize. We had a presentable kitchen but thought perhaps we needed to modernize. We were told not to redo the kitchen (which surprised us). I agree with Peggy and Sandy. It's often the little things that can sway a buyer. I found that just spiffing up things to make a good impression like even having fresh flowers on tables, cute place settings with china, new towels in bathrooms, and yes, clean, clean, clean. I was always astounded when I looked at houses to see that it was as if the homeowner forgot the house was being shown and didn't even pick everything up. I even put a covered cake plate with cupcakes on the kitchen island, anything to make the house seem welcoming and appealing. (then I stuck the cupcakes in the freezer until the next showing (much to my DH's dismay.) The last two homes I sold were sold within 3 days of going on the market. Good luck! It's always a stressful time, but I agree not to do the big things.
0 -
Yay Elaine & Dara! What a relief, now you can move on to next steps.
I started radiation about 4 weeks after surgery. My MO told me that she recommended Tamoxifen over the Arimidex for me as I'm still pre-menopausal. I asked her what she would do when I go through menopause. (So far I'm very regular, no end in sight) She was uncertain if she would change my medicine. It depends on when I actually get through menopause & how much time left that I would still be on the hormone therapy. Mostly because of bone & joint se of the Arimidex.
Jill, I love the Haiku. I just finished 8/21 & skin is getting redder & nipple is very sore. Concerned on what kind of shape I'll be in at the end.
Peggy, so glad you & your cat made it safely to Spokane.
0 -
Thanks for the suggestions. I especially like the cupcake suggestion, Dara. DD is a pastry chef and I'm sure she could fix me right up. I guess the first thing to do is call in some real estate agents. It's going to take me some time to declutter and deep clean, but we can be gathering information in the meantime.
I'm about 2 years away from retiring (turning 60 in Sept.) If we sell now, we would probably rent for a couple years, then hit the road. We'd like to live half the year near Seattle, close to my sister, and the other half of the year in North Georgia, in our camper. This is the same place where we go camping and where the cabin is that we went to this weekend. I figure to give it at least 3 month in both places, to see if we realistically like that lifestyle. When we sell the house, we will put that money into an investment so we will have our money when/if we decide to buy another house.
One of the big things we need to do is root out DS. That's a whole nother issue! He has two rooms that are absolute pigstys. Yeah, yeah, I know we have allowed this to go on. He has been living with us to save money while he gets his welding certificate. He is set to graduate in August and we are ALL ready for him to move on. I hate to say it, but selling the house would force him out, and renting an apartment would discourage him from coming back. We are ready to be empty nesters!
0 -
Peggy- maybe we should have turned up the funk and danced a little more when we were in your pocket so you wouldn't have been so bored. Just glad you are there and have the things you need. Rest well...when the furniture DOES arrive, you will be busy!
0 -
LTFly- Jill- the Haiku is just perfect- though am so sorry your nipple is on fire...the whole last week or so is just a b-otch as far as I can tell...along with the 2 weeks or so after all is done. Is you RO staff giving you good intel on how to deal with the fire? Have you tried cooled cabbage leaves? (Swear by them for fire and itch!) Thinking about you!
0 -
Dear Balding and LTF: I hope that the rest of you radiation will not be any worse. Feel well and hugs. At least the end of tx is in sight. Good luck.
Dear Ejmann: Yay! I finished my bc tx and was medically induced (with zoladex shots) into menopause on my 50th birthday too. I had my oophorectomy 2 months later after 3 zoladex injections. I am glad that you have good news with your genetic testing. Good luck with rads.
Dear Dari: The waiting and wondering is so hard. I wanted to have my genetic testing results back prior to my bc surgery because that would have influenced whether I had a mx or a lx, but that was not meant to be. It took approximately 5 weeks for my genetic testing results to come back. It was agonizing. I was negative for all of the genetic mutations aside from a VUS (variable of unknown significance). They think that the VUS is for the colon but no one knows for sure. It is scary to have a VUS. Good luck and I am in your pocket while you wait for your results. Good luck for your oncotype results as well.
Dear Peggy: I am so happy that you are finally in Spokane. ENJOY!!!
Dear Molly: I would recommend using your foot. Do not take a chance using your SLNB/ALND arm. Ask to see whether they can use your surgery/non bc/mastectomy side. HUGS and prayers for your surgery in July. Good luck.
Dear Moondust: Feel well.
Dear Poodles: Good luck selling your house. Positive thoughts are the best that I can give you. Good luck.
Dear HH: You are funny.
0 -
How about a cooling towel?
0 -
Oh, I forgot about the cabbage leaves. I suffered a pretty bad case of nipple rash when was breast feeding, due to wearing breast pad which kept the skin wet. It was like diaper rash for your breasts--owww! I used cucumber slices, cool wet tea bags, and cabbage leaves to settle them and heal them up. Maybe that would work for you, Jill/?
0 -
Jill - The haiku was great. That pretty much sums it up!
Peggy - Yay on finally being in WA!
Dara - Fantastic news! Was your PR + high? You're PR+ and higher PR+ is usually is a low oncotest score. Your doc sounds pretty confident, so she sees some good things there!
Great couple days hiking and canoeing with my DH and my dad. Thank you all for the tips about how to sort the house. I loved the tip about having a farewell dinner on the table before we sell it. We also had cousins and family members go through clothes and personal items of my mom, and my dad is getting a lot of joy by personally giving away her kitchen aid mixer to a lady who likes to bake and other items to specific people. You guys gave some GREAT tips!
614- My mom didnt pass away recently. It was right before my diagnosis. I'm convinced stress was a major factor in my cancer. Peggy said she had major stress before her cancer, too. I just read an article that said women who work over 50 hours a week are more likely to get cancer or heart disease in their 50's and 60's. That's us as educators! Hopefully next year will be less stressful for you!
0 -
Dara and Elaine, YAY!!!!!!!! It's always wonderful to get good news!!
0 -
Thank you, 614. I will talk to the nurse during my pre op and see what she says.
Poodles, whatever you do don't paint over the natural wood. There are people like me who love the wood.
0 -
Dear Molly: I absolutely LOVE wood. I would never want anyone to paint over wood.Dear Sloan: I agree that stress may cause cancer. I am sorry for the loss of your mom even if it was pre-bc dx. It must have been so stressful for you to have lost your mom and then having a bc dx. Hugs.
I agree that education is a very stressful profession. Thanks for your support. Next year is going to be extremely stressful and TONS of work. I agreed to become Guidance Director because I believe that we may be losing a Guidance Counselor due to lower enrollment. I did not want to be the GC who was "excessed". I became Guidance Director for no reason because 2 of our GC's left at the end of the year. I know that they hired someone for the ESOL position but I do not know whether they hired someone for the other GC position. I know that they interviewed but we have not heard whether anyone was hired. I can surmise that next year is going to be twice as much work for $10.00 more per week in salary. Oh well. I'm glad that I have a job.
Dear Dara: Sorry that I misspelled your name.
Dear Sandy: You always provide excellent information. Thanks.
0 -
Congrats Dara! I was healed up after 4 weeks. I looked healed at post-op two weeks later but after 4 I really think it was healed.
Atlanta is a hot market. I heard on NPR houses under $200k are in big demand across the country because builders are not building in that price range, only higher, so when houses come up in that range they go fast.
I would re-paint, probably a light gray. If you look at HGTV's house hunting shows, the houses that show well and even the gut jobs are all painted with a very light gray interior with a white trim. It seems to be the easiest way to update a home. I would also do what you can to update the bathrooms without doing a full gut. If there is wallpaper take it down. Maybe the drawer pulls and fixtures should be a silver tone of some kind. We did that to our girls' bathroom. Just changed the fixtures from gold to silver and it looks modern. Floors could go either way. I would not want to be the one to have to re-finish floors before moving in so it would be an issue for me.
I don't know exactly where you are. Is it someplace where the neighborhood is changing and people are looking for project houses or are they looking for turnkey. That would factor into my decision. What is the price/sq ft of other homes that sold? How do the comps look?
Good luck!
0 -
614, my SIL accompanied me on my drive to Spokane and she just retired from 27 years of teaching in elementary school. She is soooo burned out. The students are horrid and don't bother listening (and this is a GOOD school district). Fifth grade she's been teaching and one student has major mental health issues and his dad is making sure he knows all about shooting guns. SIL thought that was a wonderful combination. I do think stress brought on my BC, just as Sloan suspects hers was. I wasn't working, just caring for DH 24/7 for 4 years - by myself.
Time to call it a night!
HUGS!
0 -
Peggy, glad you arrived safely in Spokane! Should we call you SpokanePeggy now? :-)
Sending hugs to all!
Octogirl0 -
Mustlovepoodles, Do not go by Zillow for pricing they are by there own admission correct only 35% of the time. If you are planning to sell in the fall do get your Realtors in now for guidance on what repairs to make and what to leave alone. Every home and market is different. Buyer expectations are different in every price range.
0 -
Octogirl, You're the second BCO'er to ask if I was going to change to Spokane Peggy. I'm thinking on it but I've been PP for 2 years here and think that maybe I should stay with the name everyone knows.
HUGS!
0
