Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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PlanB, Welcome to the group. Sorry you have to be here but glad you found us. I lived in Lansing for 53 years until we retired to the Clare area. Four of our five kids are still in the area....Lansing, DeWitt, Dimondale and Potterville. I did most of my treatments at Alma but also Midland and follow up tests etc at Clare and Mt.Pleasant. Where are you having your treatments? My SIL who is also a breast cancer survivor had all her treatments at Sparrow and she speaks well of her treatment there. I used to go to the MSU breast Clinic and I thought they were great too. Take care and if I can help let me know.
Jo
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Peggy -That would have been great sometimes timing is a bit off!
Jo Thanks I live in Charlotte so right next door to one of your kids! I had rads at Mclaren and I love my MO who seems to be everywhere! I got caught in a change of alliance at Mclaren who switch from UM to Karmonos. I loved my UM RO and was not impressed with the new Dr staff. Never saw the same RO for the last half of treatment! Techs were the same and great. May choose to see if I really need to follow up with them.
LG let's hope the Tamo is good to us!
Welcome Roz!
A friend who just had a clear 5 year check up from an IDC her2 experience was just dx with DCIS in the other breast. So disappointing for her! Damn cancer! No details yet on pathology. Scary stuff
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PlanB, timing is everything. That's awful about your friend. Since she had just had a good check up, she must have been blind-sided. Wishing her the best. And you, of course!
HUGS!
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PlanB- Damn cancer!!! So sorry abt your friend..please keep us posted. Is she on BCO?
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sorry about your friend, PlanB
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Peggy Thanks!
HH I am not sure. I am planning on calling her tomorrow. We have a group that meets once a week for wine and shenanigans and she let us know in a text. Her BS called her yesterday to give results and she said she needs An MRI so that suggests to me that they want to make sure they aren't missing anything else. She went in because she was bleeding from nipple. Mamogram and U.S. Showed small area of concern but felt it was benign but removed it and the path report is DCIS. I am so afraid there may be more. It's so strange to now understand what I DIDN'T understand when she went through this before it seemed so simple go through the awful treatment and you will be fine and after 5 years you're good to go! So not true!
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PlanB, knowledge is good but it doesn't always make for happy thoughts, does it? We know too much now and can't blithely believe in happy ever after even though it does happen all the time. We worry. And that doesn't go away. Please have your friend join us. As you now know, our lounge doesn't just have lumpectomy ladies - we have the whole shebang here. We'll support her, too.
HUGS!
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Hi ladies, the next step in my treatment plan is Zometa.... having my first infusion next month (my MO said there's no huge rush to start it and that it was ok to schedule it around vacation and other summer commitments, hence the delay on my part). Are there any of other women out there who have done or will also be doing Zometa? I don't see many posting about it, probably because the infusions are just twice per year and not that many people are candidates for it - but there may be other reasons of which I'm not aware. My MO said because she rarely sees fractures in her practice due to AIs, she prescribes it now solely for the prevention of bone mets/recurrence in early breast cancers in post-menopausal women. Just wondered if anybody else who has experienced this drug has side effects stories to share. I'll also take another look at Zometa discussion boards...
I've been on Arimidex now since April and other than achy hands/ankles two or three times within the first 8 weeks, plus a resurgence in hot flashes for a few weeks, things seem to have settled down and I don't notice any side effects now at all (save for the occasional hot flash/night sweat). I've had a pretty easy go of things all along, so I feel very fortunate. I will say that dealing with my elderly mom almost the entire time since I was diagnosed took the focus on my breast cancer, so in a way that was a blessing. (I'm now getting her organized for a move to a retirement complex - house is sold and now we're in the midst of clearing stuff out, deciding who gets what, etc. - I see some of you are in the same boat.)
I enjoy keeping up with reading all your posts on here, but this board moves FAST and I always feel behind the eight ball so rarely post myself!! lol This is a good place to come back to, however, once various stages of treatment end - just to have a safe place to land
I'm just back from a week's vacation so will try to pay a little more attention now to the goings-on here. Wishing everyone a wonderful day. It's going to be another very hot week here again.(Glad to see you've now got all your "stuff", Peggy!! Hopefully, the new house is now really starting to feel like home!)
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Grazy, Thanks! Things are starting to feel like home in spots. More like a maze mostly. I don't have any experience with Zometa so can't comment. Good luck with it!
HUGS!
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This board does move fast! I can barely keep up.
Just wanted to pass this along to anyone who is going through the experience of caring for an aging parent--I found a book on Amazon called "Voices of Aging" by Missy Buchanan (about $12). It is written from a Christian perspective but it is not a strictly Christian book. The chapters start with a short scripture, then a page of dialogue written from the adult child's perspective and another dialogue from the parent's perspective. After those two pages is a half page of insight for both individuals and a short prayer. The chapters are only about 4 pages long, easy reading. I am taking it slow so that the information really sinks in. I have been rather surprised at how accurately it reveals my feelings. I think I am gaining some understanding about my mother's feelings about aging, especially about this move, getting rid of her stuff, and worries about her health. its really an enlightening read.
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Oh, boy, that sounds like a good book for me, mustlovepoodles - thanks for the recommendation.
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I also have a book (actually two) that may be helpful for those who are caring for someone in hospice: Final Gifts. I bought this years ago when my MIL was declining. It isn't written from any religious perspective and is NOT depressing. Final Journey is a successor book. They are enlightening, helpful. Hints as to how to figure out what a loved one is really saying or asking and how to respond. When DH was in hospice or just before, I re-read Final Gifts. I think it helped me ease his mind about his transition. Other books I've seen are depressing.
HUGS!
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Hi everyone! Glad you stopped by, Grazy!
Peggy, I'm so glad your stuff is there, even if it is going to make a busy couple of weeks for you.
It seems like so many are taking care of aging parents in addition to dealing with cancer. What a double whammy!! Hugs to you all!!! Hearing all the stories of sorting and cleanup is really motivating me to clean up my own 30+ year collection of crap before DH and I decide what to do next. It will take months, even when I'm 100% healthy again. Right now I'm trying to avoid extreme dust and dirt, and it's hard to work on the junk without getting too much of it.
I hope everyone is starting out the week well. My camping/hiking trip was great. I stayed two nights in a nice forested campground in Mineral King, which is part of Sequoia National Park, and did two day hikes. Even took a few photos - might as well with all the rest stops I need to take on the uphill now! You can see them here.
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Bummer about your friend, PlanB. Whether invasive or in situ, we all know the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop--except cancer seems to have an entire shoe warehouse.
Grazy, I’m supposed to start Zometa next month too, but would rather have Prolia (fighting with both MO and Part D carrier about it since it has milder SEs and may be superior in preventing mets). Zometa does make you feel achy and flu-ey for a couple of days after, and since I have a gig to play up on Milwaukee two days after the first infusion I’m going to ask to postpone in case I can’t get Prolia. My PCP says the non-cancer label of Zometa, Reclast (exactly the same drug) has caused paradoxical horizontal femoral (thighbone) fractures--even though it’s supposed to prevent hip fractures. Before starting rads & AI, I was DexaScanned as osteopenic. Been on letrozole 6-1/2 mos. now. You’d think they’d do a second scan before starting the bone drugs, to see how much (if at all) the AI has weakened the bones, but nooo....insurers will only pay for biennial scans in the absence of symptoms. Zometa is also much cheaper than Prolia--if you’re on Medicare, it’s a “treatment” fully covered under Part B, but since Prolia is a shot, it’s a “drug” and thus subject to Part D, if your carrier covers it.....which mine doesn’t.
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Moondust, I am jealous of your camping trip. And your pictures are breathtaking, especially the doe with her fawns. DH and I camp in a trailer now, due to his declining health. Although he has been in a stable period for about 18 months, he still cannot do any tent set-up or sleep on the air mattresses. Plus, he has to lug his oxygen concentrator and I have CPAP. I miss the old days, before all this illness and catastrophe. But on the bright side, we have our rig permanently parked up in the north Georgia mountains, aka: God's Country. In fact, we are seriously talking about moving up there when we sell the house, at least until we figure out what we want to do next.
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I was able to avoid a CPAP by getting a mouth guard that moves my jaw forward and opens my airway. Expensive, needs rinsing and being stored in distilled water, but no plugging in and it’s small & silent.
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Sandy- DId I miss something? Never saw any pics of you and Sloan? How was your visit? Interested in the mouth piece you are using. Are you happy with it? I want to ask for a sleep study as my DH, Kevin, says that while I do snore some- he is mostly concerned by al of the twitching and jumping around while I'm supposed to be asleep. The idea of a cpap makes me want to take an Ativan...so would love to know more.
Poodles and Peggy- the books sound interesting.
Peggy- how is the unpacking and furniture arranging going? Are the animals back to normal?
They say things come in threes so I should be done for a bit, right? Trying to heal from the shingles and thrombosed hemmie and, then my MO decided I needed an echo for the foot and leg swelling. I am convinced it is due to the Aromasin- so much better since going off of it for 2 weeks. However, with the chemo and a year's worth of Herceptin...he felt like we need a new echo since the last one in Nov. Oh my- sure hoping it is ok. If all is well, going back on Arimidex and hoping the SE's aren't as significant as before.
Hugs to all.
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plan b, sorry about your friend. I'm glad she has someone like you that understands what she is going through
Grazy, Sandy - why are not many people eligible for Zometa? I admit I haven't looked into this but since I had ovaries out, I am now considered post menopausal. I'm fixing to go on tamoxifen. My bone density test did not show osteoporosis.
Grazy, so glad you enjoyed your vacation!! You needed a break!! Glad yal got your mom's house sold! How long do yal have to get stuff out?
Moondust, loved your pictures! Made me long for my yearly vacation to the mountains that didn't happen this year because of stupid cancer!! There's something so peaceful there! I long to play in the creek or river, take a picnic lunch and dangle my feet in the water while sitting on a big rock listening to the water fall over the rocks.
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Moondust, I suspect it will be more than a couple of busy weeks! If I can get everything unpacked but the den (and all my books and DH's steins & mugs), I'll be happy. Glad you had a great trip. You are smart to avoid dust for awhile. Everything you want to sort through is usually dusty except clothes normally.
Poodles, life just doesn't seem to get easier for you, does it?
Sandy, glad you were able to get by with a mouthpiece! DH never could adjust to a C-PAP. I hope you will be able to get approval of Prolia. And yes, how was your visit with Sloan?
HH, I get why you aren't thrilled with the idea of a sleep study (or more likely what could result). Hope all your tests come out perfect and going back on Arimidex works well. Pets are doing well. My totally indoor kitty likes being able to go outside (especially the grass eating part). I'm making progress on unpacking. The kitchen, which I thought I'd have done first, is still far from done. Oh well.
HUGS!
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Hi Sandy - Zometa is automatically covered by my Province; luckily, we don't have to fight with insurance companies - one less stressor - we'd only have an issue if it were a brand new drug that wasn't yet covered by the government. My MO never mentioned Prolia during my appointment so I wonder why she prefers one over the other, but I like the sound of fewer se's. I would be very interested to know her reasoning.. They're both bisphosphonates? Had I known about Prolia at my appointment a few weeks back, I could have just asked her then - she just said "Zometa" and gave me a letter to deliver to my dentist to advise her that I'd be on that drug. I subsequently had detailed x-rays to confirm that things were in good shape with my roots/jaw and to have an opportunity to have any outstanding invasive dental work done, if required. I've had a crown replaced that had needed doing (wasn't "invasive" work per se, but my dentist didn't want to take any chances) and I've upped my cleanings to every four months so my mouth should be in good shape.
It is difficult trying to find a convenient time for this infusion, isn't it, especially when July/August are so busy with vacation, friends and family commitments! And you have your performance schedule to consider as well which makes things tricky.
If you do go the Zometa route, I'd love to compare notes as I've only had the opportunity to hear from one BCO friend when she had her infusion. Mine is currently scheduled for the 19th of August.
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Hey LG, just saw your post , quick response -- My mom's house closes on Aug. 29th, but I have two daughters to also move out and into their university homes in late August (daughter #1 going into third year and daughter #2 into first) - one is four hours away, the other will be 90 mins. My mom hopes to move the week of August 22nd as her place will be available anytime in August she wishes to move (she will have begun paying for it by then - she just wanted to enjoy her house for the summer as she's by a lake), so I'm hoping to have her house pretty organized and packed up before my Zometa appointment on the 19th - thank god she has actual movers booked for the formal move date. Most of us have taken the small items we wish to have and any furniture pieces will have to be moved before her houses closes by us with a u-haul truck - she lives two hours away, so that involves some planning. Busy time!
Btw, did you see my "champagne" toasts pics on the Rads board? haha! The bottle thrust in the air was for all of us Spring gals who've recently finished rads. I look like quite the party girl, but I'm REALLY not
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Peggy, I don't know if anyone's life ever gets easier. It seems our trials and accomplishments wax and wane in a never ending cycle. I could give in to the trial and think "this will never ever get better." Or I can tell my trial "I know that get through this by hook or by crook." I think that most of us just learn to cope with those trials and tribulations, given enough time.
One thing that I learned many years ago is to not compare my particular difficulties with those of others. Everyone has their own set of challenges and it's not a contest--none of us gets a big gold star at the end of our life. I remember when my DD was little and she had recurrent ear infections. She would cry and cry and I felt so bad for her. It felt like the end of the world, at the time. And then I had a severely handicapped child, and suddenly ear infections weren't such a big deal. Unfortunately, I became rather judgmental about other parents being upset about their child's minor ear infections, strep throat, diarrhea, etc. I wanted to scream, "Step into my shoes for 24 hours!" And then one day I had an epiphany: Those parents felt just as helpless to fix their child's pain and discomfort as I did. I realized that my handicapped child did not trump someone else's child's constipation. We were all in the same boat.
That lesson has stayed with me. I do not ask God, "Why? Why me?" Rather, I ask "Why not me?" What makes me so special that I shouldn't have breast cancer or other health issues? What makes my family so special that they shouldn't be burdened with work, health, or life issues? The answer is, I'm not so special. I look around and I see lots of hurting people. I don't know what others may be going through that I never see. I don't know their heartbreaks or pain. I decided a long time ago to just accept what comes and know that it's not always going to be terrible. Sooner or later the terribleness will change and I will either be relieved or find a new normal. That's what I've done with every challenge with which I have been faced.
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Poodles, you are definitely a role model in coping! You're right, of course. We all have our own challenges. And we just slog through them as best as we can.
HUGS!!
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planb, sorry to hear about your friend. Finding bco & this board helped me so much. Hope she finds us too.
moondust, so glad you are able to keep up with camping & hiking. Love your pictures!
grazy, I have my last round of rads tomorrow
Don't think I have any champaign, so may have to celebrate with DH & have one of his beers with him, lol. Starting tamoxifen this coming Saturday. poodles, I love your outlook on life. Having bc is the first major health issue I've had to deal with myself. It has given me a better perspective on what others deal with. I try to always find the positive & focus on that. It helps that I'm very hard headed & don't give in easily too (just ask my DH, lol!).
Hope everyone has a good week
Trish
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Trish, congratulations on your last day of rads tomorrow!
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Trish, yay on last day!!!!!!! Hope all heals quickly!!
Grazy, loved the pictures! You have a nice looking hubby!!!!
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Hi All thanks for the kind thoughts for my friend.
Tbalding Yay for being done with rads tomorrow! It's so nice to be done!
Grazy your August sounds crazy busy rest up for all of that!
I feel for all of you in helping your parents to their next stage in life. Sadly, DH and I have no sweet parents left. I remember the challenges well but also some of the sweetest and funniest times! At one point Dd was 15 and of course felt she was the only one with a curfew and my mom wanted me to find a place where "she could run around all night " I suggested to DH we find a place for them Together.
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Grazy - My sister has been on Zometa through 3 injections. She has been free of SEs and she is Type 2 diabetic. She said the infusions are pretty easy. I'm on Prolia and have been SE free too. You are my hero. You've sure had your hands full...yet you're still smiling :-
I just took my first Arimidex (generic). Keeping my fingers crossed that I slip by SE free. My MO said the SE % for her patient base is about 30-40%...mostly hot flashes,mood swings and joint pain.
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I just got back from a fabulous meet up with Sandy! We had such a great time. Sandy took me and my husband on a driving tour of Chicago, we stopped for a coffee at her huge house, and then spent the last 3 1/2 hours at dinner eating tapas and talking politics. The place was Ba Ba Ree ba's, and we had so many types of wonderful tapas, perfect seafood paella, some cava, and a choc truffle cake for dessert.
Sandy, I had such a nice time! Thank you so much!
Here's us with our paella:
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Sloan, not a bit surprised you had a great time! Sandy is fun and just a wonderful person.
HUGS!
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