Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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Okay, Ladies. I just signed up for Match.com. Now I need a lot of handholding and support!!
HUGS!
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Good luck, Peggy! Hope you can feel my hand through the screen! You're amazing.
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Grazy, I hope I don't break your hand holding on! Thanks for the kind words!
HUGS!
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I'll be your official hand holder as well. By the way....before you date any of these people, Google their names and pictures (separately). There are some "cons" out there who post pictures (not their own) and attempt to scam women. The worst can easily be identified on Google. Fortunately, most of the members are good people
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Sue, thanks for the laugh!
Octogirl, I'm envious of your trip.
Thereisnodispair, I echo what everyone else has said. I didn't have to make same decisions, but I understand the stress & anxiety that you're going through with trying to determine your treatment plan. All the decisions to be made & the waiting. Sending positive thoughts your way!
Kacey, glad you like your new MO & you have a treatment plan your comfortable with.
Grazy, I have been wondering where you've been. Welcome back! Glad you're about to get your mom settled. Good luck with your Zometa shots.
Dara, I appreciate your positive attitude.
Peggy, good for you! Cheering you on. And like everyone else, anxious to hear all about it.
Made it through family reunion last weekend without blowing my diet too bad. Back on track this week. I've steered away from my chocolate candy, but my one vice is low fat chocolate milk
My family reunion was in the small town I grew up in & it coincided with the town's summer fest. So I also got to visit with old friends & people I went to school with. While I enjoyed catching up I found it weird to know how to respond when they asked how I was & what I'd been up to. Mostly I responded with fine & told them about things DH & I had been doing.hope everyone has a good rest of the week
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Katzpjays, good idea. I hadn't thought about Googling any of them. I've gotten several responses. When/if I find out real names, I'll definitely check them out.
Trish, I'll put all the gory details here - you guys are so salacious
Glad you had a good time at the reunion. It is hard to know what to say and I think you handled it just right. HUGS!
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Peggy, holding your hand. Will enjoy hearing what happens.
Tbalding, I went on a bus trip to a quilting expo last week and had lots of questions about what I did to my arm since I wear a lymphademasleeve and glove when traveling. I said oh just some swelling from some surgery. Most people accept that but the few that push on and ask if it was carpal tunnel etc. then I explain about lymphedema from bc. Some then drop the subject or some go on to tell about someone else they knew who had it or some then let me know they are also survivors. Hard to decide whether to take the opportunity to educate people or just brush it off sometimes isn't it?
Jo
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Jo, thanks! Appreciate the support. Your quilting expo sounds like it was fun. I likely would have responded to the questions the same way you did. Wasn't it nice to find some others who have gone through BC?
HUGS!
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I salute anyone who can still get on a plane in her 90s! (And can sympathize with any daughter trying to keep up with such a feisty old broad--which I eventually hope to live long enough to become).
I have two friends who used computer dating services. One who used match.com just celebrated his 10th anniv. with his “match.” The other, who used JDate, and her husband, just celebrated their daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. So yes, it’s possible to find true lasting romance online.
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Sandy et al, you guys are so encouraging! I think I have just arranged my first date! I'm shocked. Lunch at a local sports bar/restaurant that's safe and fine and close. It's Friday. I'm scared! And really looking forward to it.
HUGS!
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I’d like to say “in your pocket,” Peggy, but don’t want to freak the gentleman out! ;-)
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Sandy, you're too funny. I'll put you in my pocket and tough toodles if he is freaked out. You can chaperone
Being overly cautious I won't even give out my phone number until I've met him. It's all set.HUGS!
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Peggy, I'm so happy for you. So much excitement and change in such a short time. It sounds like your hands have been taken, so I guess I'm hoping in a pocket, lol.
Kacey, I had my port placed under general anesthesia. It had a kind of pulling sensation for a couple of days, but I don't feel it at all now. My nurse did a lidocaine nerve block before doing my chemo, so I don't know if it hurts without the block. My biggest annoyance with it was I couldn't practice jiu-jitsu. I'm going to be getting it out soon, and I was given the option of local block or sedation.
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Peggy! Yay!
What time are you going on Friday.... if it's in the evening Mike and I will find a table the same place and spy on you to make sure you're safe!
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1step, my pocket works fine.
Traci, we're going to the Boiler Room at lunch time. However, it's possible that we'll be going to the hot rod show at the fairgrounds this weekend if we hit it off. I love cars. I appreciate the offer to chaperone. I feel rather exposed. All I can say is this guy seems nice. We'll see. But I'll keep your offer in mind!!!
HUGS!
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Peggy, Way to go!!!! I can imagine how difficult it is to take the first step, but you should be so proud of yourself! Sandy, I laughed at your pocket comment. I think we should all jump in that pocket and have a party! We'll give you little positive pokes and your gentleman caller will never know the difference! My nephew, one of my best friends, and two colleagues all met their current spouses in an online site and it has worked out perfectly! Just have fun with it; you deserve it.
Trish, isn't it funny how just the normal greeting, "So how are you today?" takes on a whole new perspective now. What cracks me up is when it's someone at the cancer center. I know they mean well, but I can't resist just saying "Peachy!"
Today was finally a normal day for me. Mouth still recovering, but energy was great at least in the morning. It was like I hit a wall on day 7 post infusion, but then everything started improving. Went out and bought 2 more scarves today. My scalp is getting quite sensitive, but no shedding yet.
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Peggy, no surprise you had lots of responses so quickly. You are a very young looking and attractive woman!! Best wishes on your first meet up.
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Dara, thanks for the encouragement. It was very difficult to take that step. I like full pockets - everyone jump in. Even my oldest son thinks it's cool. Haven't told my youngest yet since he is on vacation (he's the one I live near).
Molly, you are far too kind! Thank you.
I'm so lucky to have such a great support system!
HUGS!
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Peggy....way to go. You rock!!!! Hope you have a great time on your date.
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Nash, Lordy, it really IS a date. Not just lunch. OMG! I'm dating!!
HUGS!
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Peggy, I met my husband on Match.com. Seventeen years ago. Which makes me a very early adopter. I recommend it.
You go girl! It seems you have already taken the advice I would have given you if this thread didn't move so fast: no long email conversations before you meet in person. If they don't want to meet in person (in a pubic place where you feel comfortable) they probably aren't who they say they are.
Look forward to hearing all about it :-)
Hugs!
Octogirl
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Octogirl, very nice to know. You certainly were an early adopter! We exchanged quite a few very short emails. When we quit for the evening he wanted to continue tomorrow and I said I'd be busy - I will be and I am having company but I also wanted to meet before I shared anything else. I'm staying very cautious. Any other hints you can pass along will be greatly appreciated!!!
HUGs!
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hi ,I just had a lumpectomy and the removal of my sentinel node as well. The lump was very tiny
Only 7mm. The sentinel node was clear and the margins great in the lumpectomy .I have the Her2 receptor as well. Is it possible to just have radiation or do I have to have Chemo. We meet with the oncologist next week and I want to hear what others have done ... Thanks
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Did you have DCIS, or invasive cancer? Did your tumor also have estrogen &/or progesterone receptors? What grade? If DCIS, it’s not unusual for it to be hormone-negative and HER2 positive (in fact, they often don’t even test DCIS for HER2). Chemo is almost never given for pure DCIS.
But if your cancer was invasive, and HER2 positive, you would get “targeted therapy” for the HER 2 receptors (Herceptin &/or Perjeta). Targeted therapy is rarely given without chemo first. If your tumor was hormone-receptor-positive, you’d be recommended anti-hormonal (aka endocrine) therapy as well, either tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor (which one would depend on whether you are pre-or-postmenopausal). Because you had a lumpectomy, radiation would also be recommended. If you are getting the full panoply of therapies, the sequence after surgery is usually chemo, radiation, and then after radiation is over, herceptin (and endocrine therapy if your tumor was hormone-receptor positive).
It is always “possible” to have radiation alone, without chemo, for HER2+ invasive cancer. Yes. Nobody will force you to do what you don’t want. But is it advisable? No. Your oncologist will insist on Herceptin, and that means chemo first.
My tumor was invasive ductal, almost twice the size of yours, clean margins and no nodes, grade 2 (mitotic rate 1), hormone-receptor positive and HER 2-negative. Had it been smaller than 1 cm, there would have been no question--no chemo. But because of the size, I had a sample sent off for OncotypeDX testing; because that score came back low-risk, I was able to skip chemo. But OncotypeDX is only for hormone+/HER2- early stage cancers.
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Peggy, I went to bed and you were contemplating dating and I wake up and you have a date arranged!!! Fantastic. I don't want to be hidden away in your pocket, I want to be clinging to your back and peeking over your shoulder
I, along with everyone else, look forward to hearing all about it - good luck!0 -
Jo, yes it is hard. You never know how they'll react. I'm a quilter too. I should also qualify that to say I start them but have trouble finishing, there's always another project I want to do, lol! You went to the big AQS show I bet. I bet that was great fun. I'm excited to take a bus trip with my Guild in October to Missouri Star.
Sara, welcome, you came to the right place for questions. I didn't have to deal with the HER2 but others here have and will soon chime in. Everyone here is very helpful & positive.
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Ladies, I am so sorry to hear of your mother's troubles and passing. I still miss my mom everyday especially now with my new circumstances.
Lots of hugs to all of you still going through treatment. I'm right in there with you guys and still suffering from jet lag from the trip. I did learn to give myself the Neupogen SQ injections. Something I never thought I would be able to do.
Since, I started Chemo, I have stopped Golf and I really miss it. Now I have to find something else to do to keep me occupied. I have thought of pulling out the yoga DVD and giving it a whirl. Will let you know how far I get.
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Sara, welcome to the best place you don't want to be. As you can already see, we are helpful, informative, supportive and most of all, caring! Please help us help you by filling out your profile and making it all public. We can't remember everyone's particulars and it helps us answer your questions and often by someone who has a very similar diagnosis. We also would love to know where you live since we are all over and even get together in real life!
You might consider reading Dr Susan Love's Breast Book which is the "bible" of breast cancer. Tells everything you want to know and sometimes more. I have found it invaluable.
I can't answer your questions since I was HER2 negative. Sandy, gives excellent information on treatment options.
Good luck with your decisions!
HUGS!
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Grazy, I was dizzy from the speed things happened, too! It never occurred to me that I'd have an actual date within a couple hours of signing up on match.com. You can cling to my back - I'll feel protected! I told my oldest son about all this and he thought it groovy. My youngest is out of town and I just emailed him this morning. I'm still rather terrified at this process. Since I met my husband 51 years ago I haven't dated anyone! To say that my dating skills are rusty is an understatement and they were never that good. I'll let you know all about it!
HUGS!
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PontiacPeggy - Gratz on the dating! I hope it works very well for you. Another place I would recommend to meet people besides church is a community theatre group. You don't have to be ON stage if that is not your thing. There are lots of openings for people to help in many ways, and I can't think of a more fun group of people to get to know.
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