Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Lovinggrouches, sounds like you've got a good working plan. GoFundMe works well with social media like FB rather than depending on co-workers. Funny that everyone does like to eat though! I used to go buy boxes of candy bars to sell for fundraisers for a yearbook class, but I was always lucky to just make a couple of hundred dollars. I was astounding at how quickly people have made a great deal with FB. A friend started a fund and bought her high school a 3-D printer. It's so good of you to have the snacks etc., and then help out your support group. Your homemade dinner sounds like a great idea! You are awesome!
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Dara and 614 and poodles, it feels good to concentrate on helping others! Keeps our minds off our own worries and is great to give back for all the little things that others have done for us!
Hugs to all!!! Thanks all for the advice!
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I echo the sentiment. Hugs to all!
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I had a lumpectomy in May, 2016 and now have chosen to do radiation and the Ai hormone. Mostly, I am having a hard time dealing with this all emotionally...the day to day, what happens if something bad happens down the road? Also, have been always super healthy prior to my diagnosis and I worry about the joint pains affiliated with Ai inhibitors. Any words of encouragement
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New, I remember being in your shoes not that long ago. I just completed my radiation a little over a month ago and had to put off taking tamoxifen to have this darn hysterectomy. I go to MO tomorrow and 3 month follow up with bs the next day, and then that will be it for the next 3 to 6 months. That kind of scares me. The worry gets to you so much. I cried and cried. I considered getting on antidepressant, I couldn't sleep. I had a hard time functioning at work and dealing with the cancer stuff at the same time. it eventually gets easier to where you don't think and worry about it 24 hours a day. It's hard not to when your actively going through the treatments, but when the treatments end, it doesn't consume your every waking hour. We will all still be having the worry in the back of our minds. I have found it helps me to come to these forums where you have wonderful people to support you mentally, and I have been blessed to have good co-workers who have supported me along with my mom and Dh. Cancer is the hardest thing I have ever dealt with. I'm willing to throw whatever I have to at this stuff so that it doesn't rear it's ugly head again. I will do like some others have done, side effects be darned, I'm going to take my tamoxifen every day and say, "thank you my little cancer killer wookie pookie!", kiss the pill and take it!!! I didn't have to do chemo, but just had total hysterectomy too, so I can say I did everything I could at the end of the day. Prayers sure don't hurt either lol! I couldn't get through it all without my faith! HUGS!
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Dear Newbcny: (I am from NY too. I grew up in Hicksville, Long Island, worked in Long Beach for many years, lived in East Meadow, and then in Saint James. Long Island has a 1 in 4 rate of breast cancer dx.)
Having a Breast Cancer diagnosis is TERRIFYING!
As LG said, after you complete your tx, you are able to put everything in perspective and it does get easier. For me, the worry continues to some extent, but I tend to be a worrier. This site is extremely supportive and I would recommend that you also find a breast cancer support group to attend.
I am taking Arimidex/Anastrazole (for 1 year and 8 months) and I do not have any side effects. You may not have any side effects either. Good luck. I am glad that you found us. We can help you get through this. Lean on us.
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Welcome newbcny, the fear and emotional side of cancer is definitely hard to deal with. Like LG I have found great comfort in this forum and these wonderful ladies.
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NewBCNY, Welcome! It's very normal to be worried about the future after a BC dx. As the ladies above have said, most of us are so glad there are things we can do to keep BC from returning and radiation and AIs or Tamoxifen are two. I've been on Arimidex (generic) since October 2014 with no issues. At 70 I do have little aches and stiffness when I get up in the morning but it's gone once I start moving. And most of us find that we worry less about BC as time passes. BTW, do help us help you by filling out your profile (including where you are) and make it all public. I know I find it difficult to remember each gal's dx and tx and that info helps immensely. Keep asking questions and we'll try to help you.
HUGS!
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it's unbelievable but my last day of radiation this today. I can't believe I'm finally going to be done active treatment. Not a moment too soon, my skin is a mess, red and peeling and broken, my nipple is actually oozing
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LTF, so glad that your rads are over today. Now you can concentrate on getting that poor beat-up breast back to health and hopefully that happens quickly. What ARE you going to do with all the spare time? Congratulations!
HUGS!
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Newbcny, I'm just a little behind you with surgery and treatment and certainly new to this forum, but being a newbie, I come here daily to be reassured and feel empowered and calm. One of the things that helps me being so at the beginning of this journey is to look at the info of all the participants. When I see when they were diagnosed and then their background of dx, it makes me realize that this disease doesn't have to win. I also know several friends who are bc survivors for 17-25 years. I have a strong history of cancer in my family, but I also know that every single person's fight is different, and I strongly believe that mental attitude is half the battle.
Hang in there, we're all here to help each other through this. Dara
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LTF, congrats!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!
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Congratulations, LTFly!! It will take at least a couple weeks but you will see drastic improvement in your skin. I found that once I was done with the creams my RO wanted me to use that my calendula cream is what really made my skin nice again.
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LTF, congrats on finishing but sorry your skin is so sore. Hope it heals quickly and you can get on with things.
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Jill, ring that bell (real or virtual)! I second Molly’s advice to be patient with your skin symptoms & fatigue--it takes 2-3 weeks “PFR” to see a turnaround. Comfort is the key from hereon in--do whatever soothes your skin and avoid whatever further irritates it. HappyHammer suggests chilled cooked cabbage leaves--they seem to have an anti-inflammatory in them. As an athlete, you probably already own one of those polypropylene cooling towels; if not, you can find them either in sporting goods stores, near the register at Bed Bath & Beyond, or in the “seasonal” aisle of chain pharmacies. 100% pure aloe gel that is free of alcohol, dyes and fragrance (I used Fruit of the Earth) is wonderful--I stored it in the fridge for maximum soothing. Boiron calendula cream was what I used when I was tired of greasy Aquaphor. As I didn’t have whole-breast rads and therefore the radiation field didn’t include the parts my underwires touch, I can’t really offer comfort tips for large-busted women other than to avoid skin-to-skin contact (put a soft laundered well-worn piece of cloth--T-shirt, chamois cloth or fake suede, velour or microfiber--in the crease under your breast. If you must wear a bra, get a soft cup one and go up at least a cup or band size to avoid binding and seam marks--don’t worry about adequacy of support for now. If you must go braless, go baggy! Nobody will notice if you’re wearing flowy, floaty tops. And tepid showers for now.
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Jill- YAY on being "DONE"- sorry your skin is as well....yes I am a proponent of the creams, etc the docs recommend but am also very much a proponent of cabbage leaves- NOT cooked but RAW..cooled in fridge. They have chemical properties that help with the heat, burn and itch that is caused by rads. I was advised to do this and did- it really did help...pit the cooled cabbage leaf on the breast....let it take in the "heat"....then, replace with a new cabbage leaf as needed.
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Jill, Congrats on finishing Rads, it just reminded me that I finished today one year ago. I celebrated by getting my oh so short hair colored and stopped wearing my wig. Hope you have a big celebration planned. MJS
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Ah, Mary, I misread “cooled” as “cooked.” Dang cataracts!!!!
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Dear Jill/LTF: YAY! Congratulations. You are finally finished with treatment. I am not counting anti-hormonals because most of us will be taking those for years. I hope that your skin heals quickly and that you do not have radiation fatigue. My skin is looks normal now after radiation. I had radiation burns after my whole breast radiation but my radiated breast looks beautiful now. Ring the bell and celebrate. Congrats to you too MJS on your rads anniversary.0 -
thanks everybody! My skin is pretty bad but I will take all of your advice, I will buy some cabbage tomorrow. I know it will heal soon enough! Chemo already feels like a lifetime ago and hopefully radiation well soon. I dyed my hair over the weekend and started "styling" it a bit!
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You look great, LTF!!
Octogirl
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Jill, are those lashes I see? If so, congrats!
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Newbcny, welcome. I too have found this group to be encouraging & I've learned so much. I've found that I have to focus on keeping everything as normal as possible. It makes me feel like I'm in control not bc. Also, as others have said, I'm going to do what I have to do to keep it from coming back. Also, I have a lot of support from family, friends & my church family. I'm usually a really private person but I found with this, it was easier sharing with others. Didn't feel so alone. Today I spoke to a co-worker who shared with me that her very elderly grandma was given tomoxifen to treat her bc & it has "dried up" the bc, as she put it. From her perspective, tomoxifen is great. I found that very encouraging to hear. Hang in there. You can do this!
Jill, congratulations! Hope you can get some relief soon & it starts to heal quickly.
I'm at day 12/21. Itching has started at the chest. Using hydrocortisone cream along with my other cream. 4 more whole breast & then 5 boosts. Not sure what to expect from the boosts as far as how much worse will the skin get in that area.
Trish
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Jill, congrats on finishing the rads!!! WooHoo! My skin did not react as badly as yours, but it did continue to get a little worse for a week after I was done. Just sayin', so you are fore-warned. You are looking simply beautiful in your photo. My hair has mostly fallen out and I have a similar although less glamorous look than you do
My eyebrows are holding on. I wore my wig in public for the first time today. Too hot!!!!! It was 108 again today. My second infusion is tomorrow. 
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Oh, Alice, do be careful out in that sun! You need that hat not for camouflage but for protection. My center part is as pale as milk, so unless I want to sunscreen my scalp and get really greasy hair (and it's baby-fine to begin with) , I'm wearing a goofy khaki poplin golf hat whenever I'm out in the sun before 4 pm. Going back to Whole Foods tomorrow (forgot the hummus & babaghannouj today, and the fresh sockeye salmon sale starts tomorrow--$9/lb, half today's price) and will pick up a nice broad-brimmed and flattering gold-threaded straw hat. $22, but I think it's worth it to protect my skin!
Oh, and you’re still lookin’ good!
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LTFly, you look fantastic! Alice, I love the hair. I know it must be tough but you rock the look.
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LTF, Wow! You ARE looking great!
Moondust you are looking great, too!
What beautiful ladies we have here!
HUGS!!!
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Moondust - You look great! In your pocket today.
LTF - Done! YAY!
WELCOME NEW PEOPLE. Sorry you're here... Please ask this group any questions you have. Swelling, bumps, pain, medication, studies, opinions. Someone will respond!
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Jill-You look fantastic...love the hair color! Time to put rads behind you and get on with enjoying the summer. May your skin heal quickly
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Alice-you are rocking that look and in spite of treatment you look healthy, strong and determined! I've been watching the weather down there and it's the typical brutal summer. Hoping you can stay cool. In your pocket today...one more down
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