Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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I see my MO monday morning at 9 for the oncotype... so will miss everyone.. will be available sunday though
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Judy, maybe if we meet early enough you can join us then trot on over to your MO appt. It's a thought.
HUGS!
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I could do that
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We can figure that out Sunday night. The Quality Inn isn't very far from you and that's where breakfast would be. Free even.
HUGS!
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That sounds good
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I am jealous of you gals living near each other!!! Rose, Sophia, Dorothy and Blanche!!!!
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Michelle, I get that. I'm lucky here in Spokane. There are 4 of us BCO'ers here (maybe 5). And to have gals come from all over the West Coast to visit here is so wonderful!
HUGS!
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We Illinois gals really need to have a meetup. Michelle is in Springfield, Trish is w. of Indy, Jackie is near Mt. Vernon; Ritajean is in Bloomington-Normal (“Blooming Abnormal"); Suzanne (Brithael) is in the far S. Chicago suburbs and LindaB is in the far NW suburbs; Nancy W. (Peaches) is in Evanston; lago, termite & I are in Chicago. Where should we split the difference—Effingham? Champaign-Urbana (“Shampoo-Banana")? Kankakee? Any ideas?
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Probably Bloomington. I just measured the distances of Marshall Il, Mt. Vernon, IL, Naperville (guestimate) and they are in the 1.5 to 2.0 hour range.
Did anyone have light peeling of skin after lumpectomy. I have a little peeling around nipple area.
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Michelle, I have had concerns about the side effects of Tamoxifen, which I think is later on my treatment schedule. I have seen reports about the numbers of women who give it up because they found it too difficult to tolerate. But I am post menopausal and found the menopause also gets a pretty bad press, but for me it was a positive experience. No more erratic bleeding, and just about everything else has stayed the same. Maybe the estrogen which my body fat makes is filling in for my ovaries. But until this happened, at 6 years post menopause I was feeling physically as good as I've ever been.
I also wonder whether it's easy to blame the pills we take for some of the things which would happen anyway? Weight gain, depression, muscle aches, all things that can happen when we aren't taking anything.
At 56, I guess I have another thirty years in which my cancer can sneak back, so I will take the pills and make the best of it.
Italychick, 10 cms! I guess that must have been oncoplastic reconstruction? I had a Genelli round block therapeutic mammoplasty, where the only incision is round the areola, and after surgery my new breast looked better than the other one(except for the bruises). My D D's have never sat up and been perky like that. But sadly re excision has flattened out the upper curve. But I'll wait for the radiotherapy to see what the end result is, and what I'll be matching the other side to.
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Michelle -- the ovaries are not the only part of your body that produces estrogen. Fat produces it too. I am post menopausal and I will still have to take hormone therapy to block estrogen. This is a very good section on all parts of the Hormonal Therapy.
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Thanks, Elizabeth and Dizzybee, I understand that the endocrine system is very complicated and that different areas of our bodies make female and male hormones. The adrenal gland makes a small amount of testosterone and our fat cells do contain estrogen. Besides having a pharm background, I had to school myself on the endocrine system when I had postpartum issues. I have done endocrine therapy, herbs (not very long), accupuncture, etc. to balance my hormones. I don't eat soy, banned for life. Mostly a vegetarian except around my regular menstrual cycle. I don't eat dairy or wheat, and avoid gmo's. I am just going to figure out what works for me, that I can tolerate. Non smoker and non drinker, want to go to Paris but can't take the European cigarette smoking. I am Catholic and will find a saint to pray to as well.
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Elizabeth, try St Peregrine. Here are a couple links including a wiki and some prayers
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_Laziosi
http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/prayers-to-st-peregrine.html
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The fat cells also make an androgen which aromatase (secreted by the liver) converts to estrogen, just as with the androgen made by the adrenals. We can lose fat from the cells, but the only way to lose the cells themselves is surgically (including liposuction). But unlike men, when we gain fat we can also make new fat cells. That, and hormones designed to ensure enough fat for fertility (evolution hasn’t caught up to the reality of women living past their childbearing years), is why it gets harder to lose weight with each successive attempt. And it’s also why our MOs implore us to at least maintain our weight at diagnosis if we can’t lose some—a gain might not just fill fat cells but create new ones.
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Sandy, Weight loss is a top priority for me, so I am working with a dietician since July and have dropped approx 10 pounds. Only 1,498,267 pounds to go!! Do you think liposuction could be used as a treatment for bc and our insurance company can pay for it?
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I went through the easiest menopause in history. Of course, I had been in perimenopause for about 14 years, so I was READY. My MO put me on Femara in March and so far I have not had any side effects. My knees hurt, but they were bone-on-bone 5 years ago, so I don't think it's the Femara that's doing it. It's just severe osteoarthritis and I need two knee replacements.
My sister has been on Arimidex for 5 years and she also says she has had no side effects, other than her hair got thicker. Go figure!
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I sure wish it could! I know bariatric surgery is covered by Medicare for BMI >32, regardless of medical conditions. But given how conservative they are about approving new drugs & treatments long after they’ve stopped being experimental, I would expect them to consider it purely cosmetic and not cover it. I imagine conventional insurance would be similarly stingy.
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Girls, I am itching over by the sentinel node biopsy area. Not on it, before it on the breast. It is probably nerves reconnecting, but what the heck. Any ideas? Talked with nurse, and I can use benedryl cream if necessary. I used a steriod cream and the jury is still out.
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Michelle, if you are REALLY brave and REALLY extremely careful, try Zostrix. You can't let it get on any open sore and lordy don't touch anything until you wash it off your hands. (My boss had groin hernia repairs and the nerves were driving him nuts. It did work on the nerves but he was really unhappy when he accidentally got it on his man bits
).Poodles, like you I sailed through menopause. A hot flash here and there but since I'm always cold I thought it was great! And no hot flashes or anything else on Arimidex. I had some hair loss but I think it was stress induced. I believe (but not positive yet) that my hair is coming back in. I'm taking 5000 units of Biotin daily and that could be helping.
HUGS!
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Michelle, you can try 100% aloe vera gel (no dyes, alcohol, or fragrance). The brand I use is Fruit of the Earth, eight bucks for a 20-oz pump bottle (got it at the Kellogg Cancer Center pharmacy). You’ll likely need it anyway once you start radiation (use it at night—and then shower all products off in the morning so you come into treatment with clean skin. On the weekends, you can use it whenever you need it). I have found that when the back of my leg or inside of the elbow itches, Curel Dry Skin lotion (very thick, but lightly & not florally scented) works as well as Benadryl cream without the drowsiness—even CeraVe cream, which is unscented, seems to help (I take the travel-size tubes when I travel). The itchiness is from the skin healing—the incision developing into a scar. Nerves reconnecting will feel more like sharp “zaps” deeper in the area.
Poodles, I had a blissful menopause (so happy to be rid of weeklong periods and disabling cramps every 3-1/2 weeks). Never had a real hot flash—maybe one towards the end of my pregnancy; with letrozole I just get an increase in neck & scalp sweats (had them for years, which is why I always clip up my hair for sleep; slower metabolism, slight increase in joint pain (in the natural joints I haven’t had replaced) that makes me hobble for the first few steps after I stand up; and that trigger thumb (which appears to be abating). My ophthalmologist says that my cataracts were ripening at least a couple of years ago, and my stylist mentioned hair thinning back then (doesn’t seem to be any worse now—could be that my follicles are back in a growth phase; and like Peggy, I too take 5000 IU of Biotin).
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Hi all, made it through another work week. Just polished off a pint of chocolate frozen Greek yogurt. Figured it was better than the bag of cookies I wanted, lol! Have been doing good at watching what I eat until last weekend. Trying not to get into my old habits.
I've been on tamoxifen for 11 weeks tomorrow & still no noticeable se. The only supplement I'm talking is biotin. So for you newbies, don't assume that you'll have same issues others are reporting having. Everyone is different. Weigh the benefits of taking it & then deal with se when & if they happen.
As far as meeting up with other Illinoisans, I'm 45 minutes from Effingham, hour or so to Champaign, 1-1/2 hrs Bloomington, 3 hours Kankakee, 3-1/2 hrs Springfield.
Hope you all have a relaxing, stress free weekend. I'm hoping DH will want to ride motorcycles tomorrow.
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I asked my BS nurse about the itching near but not on the sentinel node area. A few minutes ago, I got a text message that I have any appointment for next Wednesday. I am waiting for the oncotype test, so I had no immediate appts. Guess I will be under someone's watchful eye until the results are in, then, hopefully on to 16 days of radiation and get it done....
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Dizzybee nope, no fills. Surgeon went in through side of aerola. That scar never bothered me, but the sentinel node scar under my armpit what a major pain. It gave me more trouble because I swear everything rubs under the armpit. I didn't do fat grafting because I didn't want anything blocking the area for future imaging. One year and 9 months later, the slight crease I have remaining really isn't a big deal for me at all. I doubt I will ever get fat grafting. But the 2:00 position on my breast is a very forgiving area and pretty much camouflaged by a bra. Even without a bra, it is hard to tell
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ItalyChick, that damn armpit incision is so annoying. Seems like it took forever to go back to normal!
Trish, glad you had a good week! Have fun riding your bikes!
Happy weekend everyone!
HUGS!
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Hi all, have been a bit out of commission this week. Had my 3rd chemo on Monday and by Wednesday afternoon bone pain hit in with a vengeance! Yesterday it was all I could do to take norco and lay in bed. Every joint I've had replaced or operated on (hips, knee, foot, Thumb, shoulder!) was excruciatingly painful. Today is a bit better so hope SEs are on the way out. Just one more chemo and then I can start on rads (whoopee!) Mouth is so so, but at least this time I still have a few taste buds operational. It's so bizarre... I know what I want to eat, know what it should taste like, and then when I eat, there's nothing! Very frustrating.
Hope those of you getting together this weekend will have a wonderful time! I think I'll have a weekend with some jewelry making and load up on a couple of natural foods like granola that I love to make. It's one of the few things that always taste good to me. I was off it this last cycle as I was watching foods that have high calcium, but my last blood count showed no difference... so I'm going back to granola etc. My glucose is coming down; it kind of scared me when it went to 422 Monday evening. Seems I really react strongly to steroids!
Michelle, I still have issues with itching and stinging pains in my armpit area. I find I still get relief with short term icing. Hope your onco comes back quickly. Mine came back and then I was intermediate so had to wait yet again to delve deeper into the genomes. The waiting is the worst! Oh, and I also got a little medal of St. Peregrine's that I attached to my key chain. Figured it couldn't hurt!
Happy biking Trish! Hope you're healing well, Sandy.
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Dara, I'm so sorry you got hit so hard. At least it is lessening. Isn't it the Neulasta that causes that awful bone/joint pain? It must be very frustrating having things taste like nothing when you KNOW how they should taste. Just eat what tastes good and is happy in your tummy. And take it easy. AND Stay Cool!! (BTW, the gals will be in Spokane next weekend! Maybe next year you can come.).
HUGS!
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Thanks, Dara! I’m continuing to heal—the eye is barely bloodshot now, to the point where when I have glasses on, nobody asks “what happened to your eye?” Since my webcam shoots a mirror image, my right eye is on the right.
Just glasses, no makeup (but last night I wore it and I forgot what a difference it can make when I’m not wearing glasses). You can’t see it from the picture with this lighting, but I have a slight heterochromia: my eyes have always looked brown from a distance because of large pupils, but they’re actually a dark hazel. The left (which still has a cataract) is mostly amber with green; the right now is mostly green with an amber center around the pupil. Will try to see if my phone’s selfie-cam can pick it up.
Spoke to the ophthalmologist today—he said I could have stopped wearing the eye shield for sleep a week ago, so that’s a relief for when I have to get up for a different type of relief (tough to get to the bathroom with only one eye exposed…and it’s the one that still has a cataract). I asked about the heterochromia, and he said that my left eye will look lighter once the cataract is gone (since the ultrasound probe also does remove some melanin from the iris).
Thumb is behaving itself. But it’s been a bad-sinus week—and today was actually a “mold alert day,” meaning that allergy sufferers should stay indoors and run the A/C. So that’s what I’ve been doing.
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Sandy, you're looking good! And pretty. I don't look that good without makeup. Glad the body parts are behaving.
HUGS!
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Dara, you are almost there, to the finish line. It is wonderful when you can visualize it!! I am a jewelry designer as well and have been since I was a kid. My work is in bead embroidery, right angle weave, peyote stitch, stone setting. This is a piece that I finished after surgery. It is shattukite, with a button from my daughter's miss me jeans. M is for Michelle. Chain is from Realm of the Goddess in California.
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WOW, Michelle. Just wow!!!
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