Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Alice-love the hat!
Makes my blood boil when I think of your MO. You sure need a new one as this one has serious interpersonal skill issues. Hoping you can find one soon...she is of no value to you
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Poodles, oh gosh, I didn't realize there was such a quantity! You made the right decision! And your secret is safe with me. I love your avatar
Sue, thanks!
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Sloan and Sandy, have fun together! Sloan, enjoy those grandbabies. Moondust, it sounds like a camping trip is what you need. I would be very angry with your MO and your gyn's office!! Grrr Poodles, you do what you have to do. Can you come throw out some of my DH's stuff?
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Moondust, gosh, your MO appt sounds just dreadful! Are you sure you want to stay with her? From what I understand, we see an MO basically for life, and I can't imagine facing that type of personality even yearly. I know I met with 5 different orthopedic surgeons before I found one that I felt was both knowledgeable AND had a disposition that I was comfortable with. Have a great camping trip!
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Dara, I'll switch MO's as soon as I'm done with chemo. It would have delayed my chemo even more if I had tried to change before I got it. I was afraid the insurance would say it was too late by then. On the bright side, the nurses at the center are very nice, attentive and caring. And I see them more often than the MO.
By the way, I thought your photos were very good! You are developing some skill there!
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Thanks for the responses regarding my first mammogram post treatment! I will go into it confident, and not panic if they ask for extra pictures!
On another note, have any of you had a port taken out yet?? I am having mine out on July 18th, and am wondering about that too! If you have any experience, could you let me know how it went?
Thanks!!!!
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Peggy - This made me think if you!
Happy decluttering lovinggrouches!
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^^^hahaha good one!
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Sloan, PERFECT!! Done that too. However, all my furniture arrived today and I think I didn't declutter enough! Yikes. My house must resemble Poodles' mother's (very scary thought!). Boxes everywhere.
HUGS!
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Hi All! I know many of you from spring rads and thought I'd punch my train ticket here for the longer ride!
I've been reading along but have not jumped in. On the issue of decluttering I think my DH and DD would be so surprised to find all of their possessions gone as I found no joy when I touched them!
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Peggy, that is a very scary thought indeed. I had intended to do more decluttering today, but I spent the whole day fighting fires at work and everyone was losing their minds. By the time I got home and made supper I was worn out. It doesn't help that I'm still very anemic and I forgot to take my arthritis pain med for 3 days, apparently. No wonder I'm walking around like a 90-year old.
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PlanB Welcome! I'm sure they would be surprised to see their things gone. Got a good laugh over that one! We're glad you're here. Where in Michigan? I just moved from Pontiac last month.
Poodles, I'm sure my house isn't QUITE as bad as your mother's but it is far too messy even for my overwhelming low standards. Thank heavens #2 son is coming over tomorrow to help me put things away.
Good Night, Ladies!
HUGS!
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Peggy, you will feel better once you put things away. Welcome PlanB, glad you decided to join us.
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Moondust you should take me to your next MO visit. One of the SEs I'm having is that my patience is short and my filters are off. I would let your MO know exactly what she is doing wrong and how to fix it. It is funny because I'm normally very tactful but the last few days I've let people know exactly how they have pissed me off. I told my mom if she needs me to help her with her car issue I'm sure I can get things done for her. HA
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Sloan, you made me laugh! I would throw out 3/4 of what I have if that was the case!
Peggy, you might find yourself like me when i moved. Got rid of so much stuff before I packed. When I unpacked - I got rid of even more lol!!!
Plan b, welcome. I am so glad we are done with rads. I still poke my head over there every now and then. This is an awesome bunch!
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Hey friends! SO quick update- saw MO on Wed. Diagnosed my itching/swelling/pain as an infection due to lymph injury from all of the treatments. He said this happens, especially in those who have lymphedema (which I have not and do not). Prescribed 10 days of 875 Augmentin and told me to let them know by today if it wasn't better as I might need IV antibiotics. OK- so, then saw surgeon yesterday for that darned thrombosed 'roid- which needed an in office procedure- but, not before she looked at my "rash". It had progressed over entire breast and right side of abdomen to waist...red, blistery, swollen, itchy/painful. Guess what? I have shingles, not mammary infection. On antiviral 5x/day for 10 days without antibiotic. We shall see. The best news is that no one thought any of it was cancer! Am so relieved.
(The MO does want me to get an echo on Monday due to some continued swelling of feet and ankles even though I stopped the Aromasin 2 weeks ago- I am convinced that the Aromasin is the culprit but will have the echo since I did Herceptin for a year and my last echo was in Nov.)
Thank you ALL for your thoughts and pocket sitting.
Peggy- so glad your things are there- wish we could help you unpack but so glad son #2 is on the way!
Poodles- your secret is safe- have to admit that my sister and I did some of that when my mom was downsizing. It just had to be done and mom couldn't let go. While I felt badly about it- not badly enough to not do it again as needed
Sloan- love your poster- made me laugh! Also, your pool/kayak idea was great. I want to kayak, but am afraid of the in/out part. So glad it works for you! ENJOY your time with Sandy and those babies!
PlanB- welcome!
Moondust- hate that your MO is so awful but glad you have the good nurses. You look great in that cute hat- enjoy your camping trip.
Molly- in your pocket.
EJMann- same here about the SE's you described. I really have to talk in my head a lot to be sure I don't REALLY say what I'm thinking....sometimes it doesn't work. Oops!
Hugs to ALL!
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just saw this. I am stuck using an iPhone for all my communication right now so forgive my mistakes. 🙃 I also took the Aromasin for about two months. My patience was gone and my anger was so up front I thought I was nuts. I also had the muscle or bone pain I had with Femara. At least I didn't get the hot flashes. It took about Teo months to get back to semi normal. I found the aromasin to be harder to come back from. Although it has only been two months. Reading all the comments it is amazing how different our tolerances are! After doing some research I have opted out of the meds. Another thing I wonder about is how many of us were taking hormone replacement therapy for menopause? Does anyone know statistics
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HH, how awful! That's great news that it isn't related to your cancer but shingles suck. In spite of that, I'd probably be relieved. After this morning, the guest bed will be ready for visitors! Everyone is invited to help me unpack!
LG, I think you're right that I may wind up tossing more stuff. My SIL said that if in doubt, take it with me. I can always get rid of it later. I think she's right.
The pets have finally relaxed and seem normal. I hadn't realized how stressed they were until I cleaned up cat throw up all over the house and doggie poop all over the den. That was a pretty clear message. Now they can snuggle with me on the couch. And my poor sore derriere appreciates the cushiness.
HUGS!!
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HH, not glad you have shingles, but glad it isn't breast related!!!! I guess the treatments we do have more side effects than we thought. I didn't have cording until after rads inflamed the area under my arm.
Kalypso, you weren't able to take tamoxifen either? I'm fixing to start after total hysterectomy I had 4 weeks ago, I'm dreading it. I'm afraid it will make the HORRIBlE headaches and hourly hot flashes even worse.
I did take a clonidine that my mom gave me because I read it can help and last night is the first time in over a week that I got a few hours of sleep. May ask MO for script for it instead of effexor he mentioned, if it works for a few nights in a row. I heard effexor is hard to get off of. I just don't know if I want to spend a lot of money on supplements since they work for some, and others they don't work at all. My MO said he was ok with soy products or low dose vaginal estrogen for the vaginal problems associated with medical induced menopause, but any estrogen at all still worries me. I see a lot of people rave about vagifem. Anyone have any advice or experience with all of this?
Peggy, pets are sticklers for routine! My poor cat little man still follows me when I get up in morning, follows me in bathroom to keep me company while dressing and is STILL confused that I don't leave for work afterwards. He gets his loving on the bed and then lies down to sleep for the day while I'm at work - he still doesn't know what to do after routine I've had all his life is interrupted! When we go on vacation, we have to shut up our bedroom because that's the only time they will throw up hair balls all over the bed lol!!!! Good luck with unpacking!!
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LG, Vagifem is very low dose estrogen and is not supposed to be systemic. I would take MO up on the offer. You can always use it less than prescribed. I have suffered terribly since I had to stop my Estrace cream
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LG, my dog especially is a stickler for routine. She hasn't liked being without "our" furniture. No good places to sleep during the day but the crates (eugh). No soft places on the floor in the kitchen where I spent most of my time (now there's a big rug there). Strange yard and nothing to chase and bark it (for which the neighbors are thankful, I'm sure). For the most part the cat is doing quite well and enjoying going outside for the first time. The yard is fenced all the way to the ground so she can't get out and she thinks it's pretty nifty.
Kitchen now has REAL DISHES! No more paper plates (happy dance). Progress!
HUGS!
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HH, I am so sorry to hear about your shingles diagnosis! My mom just got them. She was due to travel up here on Monday, but broke out on Sunday and had to cancel the trip. Rest, and try to stay calm! I wonder if cabbage leaves would help?
Peggy, glad your furniture has arrived, and you have your real dishes!
LG, at the Facing Forward After Breast Cancer session that I went to Hyalogen was recommended as a vaginal moisturizer. The specialist said that it's best to try that to see if it solves the problem before using the creams with estrogen. It's available online.
Sloan and Sandy, have fun! Want to see pictures of you and the fabulous food that you are eating!
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HH, so sorry about the shingles! My husband got them last fall and while not as painful as I've sometimes heard of, they involved one eye, so he had to be especially careful. He recuperated completely but did need a lot of rest for a couple of weeks. Hope the episode is brief and not too uncomfortable.
Peggy, you're making great progress! I swear, when we moved two years ago, I think it took me 6 months to straighten things out. Of course it didn't help that 3 weeks after we moved in, a 100 year flood/storm occurred which flooded our house! We had completely renovated and had to rip out drywall and hard wood floors and redo. We did get to know many of the neighbors however as they all pitched in to help!
I think I'm doing great with downsizing and de-cluttering, but then I remember, oh yeah, we still have that 10'x20' storage unit!!! Since I haven't needed the stuff in 2 years, I seriously doubt that there are priceless heirlooms to be rescued. Does anyone else find that they have saved all these "treasures" from our kids childhood, only to find they don't really want any of it? Oh well, I've boxed it up and will let them throw it out. I just can't bring myself to do that.
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Oh, gosh, Mary Mallette! Shingles on your breast? That has to hurt. I got shingles on my neck while we were camping over Memorial Day weekend. At first I thought I got into some poison ivy, somehow. But then it started with the tingling and pain, waking me up at night. I went to the doctor when we got back and, sure enough, it was shingles. Foo! The worst of it only lasted about 2 weeks, but it has left a dark brown scar about the size of a half dollar on my neck, below my jaw. Very noticeable. Ugh.
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Mary, bummer about the shingles, but glad the rash turned out not to be cancer-related. (Does this mean you can stop the antibiotics too, since shingles is viral)? If it gets painful, ask about a nerve-targeted pain med such as gapapentin or Lyrica.
Sloan, did you ever luck out weather-wise! The entire weekend from today through Mon. is going to be moderate and dry (think San Diego). News reports mention that Logan Sq. is now considered among the nation’s top 15 realty resale areas due to it becoming a hipster hot spot (its predecessor trendy neighborhoods of Wicker Park & Bucktown becoming priced out of reach and too crowded).
This is going to be a big de-clutter weekend, not the least in part because Sloan’s visiting Monday, my housekeeper’s been off all week and I don’t expect her to come in Mon. (or if she does, to do much since she’ll likely be exhausted from her round-trip drive to & from Birmingham from tomorrow morning till Sun. night). Bob is staying in Oak Lawn tonight (early a.m. echo-reading and then office hours down in Hickory Hills), and Gordy is working (teaching sketch adaptation of prose works at City Lit Theater and running tech at pH Comedy Theater), so I will have lots of uninterrupted time. Gonna throw out a lot of paperwork on my daybed up front, so there’s more seating space there (nobody’s slept on it since I used it the night I came home from my lumpectomy); now that the CPA has our delayed tax paperwork, going to clear off the dining room table or at least stack papers atop Bob’s laptop in a corner of it; going to drag all obsolete books, software and peripherals out to the trash in the alley and let the “pickers” have at it; and completely empty my closet, since almost nothing in there fits or ever will; and if it does, it’s never coming back into fashion. Gonna bag it all up for Goodwill (or my housekeeper’s church), and put everything on the racks I won’t be wearing till autumn inside it. At some point Sun. I'll have to take time off for first a voice lesson and then a coffee hour on the next block to welcome our new rabbi.
Unfortunately, Bob’s easy chair will continue to be his open-face auxiliary file cabinet, the blemish on our living room. I am forbidden to touch any of it--paperwork, medical journals, unread books, etc. Gonna throw a blanket over it.
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Well, ladies, I think I have some peripheral neuropathy going on. Whenever I drive, my hands go numb. Sometimes it's the outside of my hands, sometimes it's the whole hands. I keep waking up with my hands asleep. Sometimes it's my feet AND my hands. Oh, and my left upper thigh is still numb from hip to knee. I woke up this morning with both feet asleep up to the ankle. Thankfully, I was awake enough to notice, because I could easily have fallen. I have an appt to see a neurologist in Aug; couldn't get in any sooner, as a new patient. I don't know what can be done for it. Maybe splints. I'm already taking gabapentin, the usual med for PN. Damn chemo! The gift that keeps on giving...
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Molly, I might ask him about the vagifem when I go next week. I figure even if I use it only once a week or so, it will help with the vaginal problems. I have read where some women buy replens that has the applicators and alternate between that product, vagifem once a week and reuse the applicators with coconut oil. sounds weird but lots of women swear by that and olive oil.
Peggy, it's probably weird, but my husband would use paper plates ALL the time if he could lol! Not me! You might sink into your furniture and say to check with everything for a day. (You and the pets) lol!
Peachy, I will check out the halogen!!! Thanks!
Dara, My mom saved all my nieces stuff (since she raised her) out in a shed. My niece tried to help her clean and get rid of stuff (she has very little room in apartment shared with 2 other people). She wouldn't get rid of ANYTHING, even though my niece didn't want to keep much of the stuff. Her rationale is that "she is too young, she is only 22, but she will change her mind as she gets older and she will wish she had kept it all for her children" They might be collectibles one day she said. (SIGH)
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Poodles, it might also be nerve entrapment due to bone spurs from degenerative spine disease (osteoarthritis) pressing on and deforming disks which in turn are irritating the spinal cord. Femara is not blameless, however, since it worsens existing OA. Before my ODX score confirmed I wouldn't need chemo, I voiced my concerns to my MO about paresthesias in my fingers. She replied that Cytoxan & Taxotere are less likely to cause neuropathy than other regimens. (But she also didn't say anything about permanent hair loss with Taxotere, and still thinks Zometa prevents mets as well as Prolia does--and doesn't seem to know about or at least didn't mention the Prolia Plus program that helps with insurance and Medicare appeals).
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Oh, my gosh, LG! That is my mother to a TEE! Don't toss anything because one of the 5 kids or 17 grandchildren will want it. Even when I tell her that my 23yo and 30yo don't want anything, she insists that they are too young to make that decision. There is nothing remotely collectible in my mother's house, just piles and piles of old junk. My kids are begging me not to foist stuff onto them, hers or ours. Both have said they don't want children and I believe them. I just can't bring home Mother's old unsafe crib and playpen. , on the remote hope that they will want it some day. DS & DD helped raise their very handicapped brother--that's pretty good birth control, right there! They saw how we struggled with him and they understand that they, too, could have a severely handicapped child. Neither wants to do that, and I don't blame them. It's haaaaard to raise a child like that. So, we will just have to see what happens. When/if we have a grandchild, we will help the kids acquire the things we need, rather than storing them in the basement for another 10-20 years, gathering dust. (That reminds me--I need to figure out what we need to do with our old "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer Rocking Horse, LOL).
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So I have another question... Sandy, you mention several drugs for chemo. I know I"m jumping the gun, but I don't get my onco results until the 18th (killing me to wait!), but with that meeting with the MO, how can one know about all the different options? You mention the Prolia Plus program, are options usually presented at that time?
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