Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
Comments
-
Poodles, I'm glad your mother is improving. Are you in Florida with her now? Nothing like having her violently opposed to something you are going to do. It's understandable why she might not be excited about you doing reconstruction but good heavens, wasn't that decades ago? If you think she will listen, you might point out that things have changed in the last 10-20-30-40 years, not only in BC, but TV, cars, planes, phones
Yeah, I'm sure that will go over big...NOT! Good luck with what looks to be a frustrating time for you.HUGS!
0 -
Poodles, glad your mom is better. I wouldn't push recon too hard especially if she's susceptible to infection. Recon can bring more complications. I am so glad you are considering NOLA, that's what I would do if I chose DIEP. I envy you that can see meteors. City living... Oh well. Took my first full shower today. It feels so good.
0 -
Ah, Poodles, the power (negative and positive) of "magical thinking" seems to have taken hold of your mom. Coincidence=correlation=causation. When I was first diagnosed, I was certain it was (choose one: ironic karma, jinx, “kinahurra”) because I had just purchased a whole bunch of fancy expensive new underwire bras. How many dreams have been dashed by adherence to the axiom “don’t tempt Fate?"
0 -
Molly, I'll bet you do feel good now that you've showered!!! Being clean isn't over-rated, especially after surgery.
You're all welcome to come here and watch the meteors. I have plenty of wine
HUGS!
0 -
Ah, that first post-op shower is always WONDERFUL, even after TKR, in a plastic wheelchair, with my knee wrapped in a trash bag & duct tape. The first hair appt. and mani-pedi are also delicious!
0 -
Sandy, I'll stick with the shower. Not a hair dresser or mani/pedi fan. I realize I now have to surrender my "woman" card
HUGS!
0 -
I am too much of a klutz to do my own nails, feet, and haircuts/root touch-ups/straightening. I barely do a decent job blowdrying & flat-ironing, and I couldn’t even do that without getting a straightening treatment every 3-4 months. And I’m too vain to go with wash-&-wear hair (unless and until medical considerations leave me no choice).
0 -
Sandy, I understand that. I just don't like fussing. I slap on polish on my toenails in summer. Usually don't bother with nail polish since I like my nails quite short and they are ugly. I still use rollers in my hair - absolutely no talent with a blowdryer. I also color my hair at home. I am NOT my mother's daughter
HUGS!
0 -
Peggy, I started having my hair colored professionally after I used a Groupon voucher and saw how much better I look. Now my hairdresser does such a phenomenal job on my color there's no going back. I have a much, much delayed (thanks to work) appointment for cut and color tomorrow. Even DH is telling me to get my hair done. I can't wait. My hair is down to the middle of my back and very gray. My apologies to my friends here who lost their hair to chemo.
0 -
Hi everyone, I also dreaded radiation as I read may lead to secondary cancer. Hence, I spoke another BS for second opinion. She said for anyone with large tumor or when cancer cells still remaining then radiation is recommended. It is not based on lumpectomy or mastectomy. My Dr.said many people had MX with no radiation thinking its done and over with so they don't care to follow up and recurrence happened. We just never know when BC strikes, some have lumpectomy with rads still have recurrence and some have MX with rads still have recurrence too. I just follow the protocols and hope for the best.
0 -
Molly, I can understand why you have your hair colored professionally. I just hate "wasting" all that time. My various stylists all seem to think I've found the right color and am doing it right. But each of us is different. Like you, I find I much prefer long hair and I don't give a damn that I'm 71 and long hair is a "no-no." I find it much easier to do things with than short (and exceptionally straight) hair. Isn't it nice that we have options??
Houston, I agree. I prefer to throw everything at BC that the oncologists think necessary. My thought is if there "might" be problems down the road from radiation, that's a lot less definite, than the thought of BC still running around in my body that radiation could have killed (and/or chemo). But that is what works for me.
HUGS!
0 -
Myra, we're pretty similar also. While my Her2 finally came out negative, it was marginal to begin with until they did the FSH test. My margins were all clear, 5 nodes were clear, but I've now wound up doing chemo as well as rads when I finish. My RO said that it's very important to look at the grade of the tumor cells; that's almost more important than stage. But again, we all really have to make our own decisions since we are the ones who must live with the end results. Sometimes my head hurts thinking about all these decisions! If your nodes were clear, it's my understanding that you won't have to have rads to the underarm, which might make it all a bit easier. My understanding is the same as others, with IDC, treatment should be mastectomy or lumpectomy with radiation. When dealing with invasive cells, there can be tiny microscopic cells in the breast tissue which can't be seen, but can be addressed through rads.
Moondust, Congratulations!!! Awesome to be done now! Today was a tough day for me. Still no nausea etc, but the deep bone aches from neulasta hit in today. It moved around from one joint to another, but my hips and knee that have been replaced seemed to be the worst. Finally took a norco and just stayed on the bed on a heating pad.
Octogirl, love that your hair is coming in curly. Molly, is the last drain out yet? Hugs to everyone else, I forgot about the meteors and will have to look tonight. :-)
0 -
Dara, sorry you are miserable. Can you take a Claritin for the bone pain or are you already taking Benadryl? Thank heavens for heating pads! Hope the pain goes away quickly! All those awesome meteors should boost your mood. Nature is amazing!
HUGS!
0 -
I feel much more resolved. Went for Heceptin today and saw another MO since mine was away on vacay and a resident just out of med school who was up on the latest BC cancer treatments. The MO was really wonderful at explaining why rads are necessary with lumpectomy. I'm fine with it now. He actually reiterated what Peggy said. He said it's best to try the cure first and see if you have a problem. If there is, deal with it then. I also found out I'll be on an AI for the next 5 or more yrs since I'm weak E+...didn't know that. So we talked about the SEs of those and again, he said, wait and see how you tolerate it before deciding whether to do it or not.
I also got the official printout of my pathology from LX. It felt like getting a really good report card. I want to frame it.
So, a few weeks off to heal and then on to rads.
Hugs all around Ladies!!
XO
0 -
Myra, when I started anastrozole (Arimidex), my MO said the same that yours did today. If you get SEs we'll deal with them. Don't anticipate problems. So I didn't and, so far, no problems after nearly 2 years. I'm sure I'll be on AIs for more than 5 years, too. Nice to get the complete report, isn't it!
HUGS!
0 -
Myra- glad you are feeling good about your plan! Peggy is right- expect no SE's and if they occur- deal with them then.
Woo-hoo- port out last week and stitches out today...last outward sign of the past year "battle"? I am very happy to not have to deal with myriad meds and appts...do have to deal with the fear of every little pain and itch...trying to give that up and just LIVE. My cancer was aggressive- seemingly- beaten back/down for now...so I need to LIVE and enjoy this. Thanks to all of you for your support. Hoping to be that to others.
Dara- how are you feeling?
Molly- hoping the drains are removed SOON and healing continues.
Sad about the cloud cover we have had all night...hoping to see some of the perseid show tonight- clouds are trying to impede that
Moon and others hope you get to see a spectacular show!
0 -
I still have one drain. I see my PS on Monday. He should take it out since the output is consistently less than 10 ml per day. Plus the longer it's in the higher risk of developing infection. Dara, sorry you are hurting. When is your next infusion?
0 -
HH, YIPPEE on getting rid of the port and stitches! I would guess that the worry over every little thing will subside as time goes on. Now you get to figure out what to do with all your newly found free time!! A nice problem to have!
Molly, Hooray for hopefully getting rid of your port!
HUGS!
0 -
HH, yay for getting rid of port & stitches! Do something special to celebrate you
0 -
Mary, hooray for no more port--and Molly, hope that drain’s days are numbered!
0 -
HH and all my lumpies, a toast : Here's to living... F Cancer... We have lives to live.
0 -
Absolutely Molly!!! With every pain or twinge I'm feeling I think , "ha! Take that cancer!" Legs are still pretty painful, but better than yesterday. That was not fun! Peggy, I started taking Claritin the day of the injection. It may have been much worse without the claritin. It seems like my two hips and knee that I've had replaced were the worse. I'm wondering if that's normal? I wound up taking a couple of norco throughout the day and finally did get some sleep last night. My next infusion is the 29th. Then I can say "Halfway done!"
Brithael, I know you said you got the bone pains with one of the injections. Do you remember how long they last?
Molly, I bet you're so looking forward to Monday. I've heard the drains are really uncomfortable.
HH, one more sign that we're all moving through this and getting to the other side! Congrats!
Myra, glad you got the information to make you feel in control (sort of). I always feel better knowing as much as possible. So far, yesterday was the only SEs I've experienced. No nausea, etc.
I know I keep saying thank you to all of you, and I know you all know that I'm really sincere... You all really are incredible and keeping me totally (or almost) sane going through this. I'm so very lucky to have found you and this site. Love you all! Dara
0 -
Dara, that's interesting that your "new" body parts are more problematic than the original ones. Hope the pain goes away soon. You're making progress! Glad we can keep you sane. That may be one of our most important jobs here!
HUGS!
0 -
Molly, you are spot-on. I hate chittin' cancer. It seems like we've had nothing but cancer cancer cancer for over a year now and not even close to done. @#?!
Dara, I had excruciating pain in my face and sacrum after my first chemo. I seriously though I was gonna pass out. I was crying and could barely move. And I was taking claritin and oxycodone! My DH had the audacity to ask if I was really in that much pain. Are you effing kidding me? I am not a crybaby. I have an extremely high tolerance to pain. When I tell you my pain is 9 out of 10, it is effing nine out of ten at the very least. To his credit, he was really scared. I was septic and extremely sick. I think he just didn't know what to do. It was the only time during the whole experience that he ever lost his cool and did something stupid. Thankfully that was the only time I had pain like that. I had headaches and facial pain after the next three chemos, but it was more like a sinus infection rather than being hit in the face with a baseball bat.
0 -
Poodles
HUGS!
0 -
Myra, I have been away and have not caught up yet but did want to comment on the Rads issue. I agree with the ladies that say you should go ahead with Rads. I had 4 nodes removed and have had no problems with Lymphedema. If you are really concerned there is a study, not sure if it is still on going, to determine the viability of not doing Rads to the auxillary lymph nodes if your SNB was negative. I didn't do it because I had positive nodes prior to chemo even though the chemo knocked out the cancer in my nodes, I just didn't want to risk it. Good Luck, MJ
0 -
Bula Everyone !!
Arrived from Fiji on Thursday morning.. When I finally woke after a 30 hour trip, I got a hair cut and picked up my meds at the drug store. Friday morning off to the CC for a class on Chemo, then a meeting with the pharmacist and then my first session. I was scared since I didn't know what to expect, but the nurse was a peach and it all went very smoothly... Happily, i was not nauseated and ate my two meals. But was very tired, so I napped and then turned in early for the night. I was up at 5am, so I'm not sure if it is still jet lag or just too much sleep yesterday.
I am still reading though the latest threads and want to lend my support to all of you.
Big Hugs,
E
0 -
Right on, Molly!
Dara and Elizabeth, positive thoughts to you both during your treatments.
I am at a family reunion this weekend at my parents that coincides with their town's summer fest. So having trouble maintaining my diet. Had a corn dog and cheesecake dipped in chocolate last night at fest and family reunion is today so there will be all kinds of homemade temptations
Hope you all have a relaxing weekend!
0 -
Welcome back Elizabeth. Trish, live it up! Diets can wait. Enjoy your reunion.
0 -
Houston2016 - I spoke with a lady who had a MX 7 years previously with no radiation. She was in radiation this year after having recurrence in her lymph nodes. Throw everything you can at it.
HappyHammer - Yay to no port! Mine is a really lumpy scar, but it's been a month today since mine was taken out.
DaraB - The bone pains I got started the evening of the first neupogen injection. They were quite intense as if my pelvic girdle was on a swivle and each time I move, it hurt. I wound up in the hospital the next evening with fever, and the pain was still there, but starting to abate. By two days later, it was gone. I had two more Neulasta injections, but did not have pain with either. I take Claritin daily because of allergies.
0
