Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
Comments
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IHGJann, principles of zentangle in beaded bracelet. Nikia Angel project from 3 years ago.
BTW I get my oncotype test back around the same time you do. ugggg More test results to wait for.............. takes up too much space in my brain......
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Molly, do you have the virus from hell? Sore throat, coughing up junk, sinus issues. Many people in my area think it is allergies and it is some virus resembling allergies. It is really rampant here and I started in with it last weekend.
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Michelle, that's what my husband has. Mine is resolving faster. More cold and fatigue symptoms than the cough.
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Molly, hope you & yours can catch a break from the Cold Fairy soon. Michelle, up here in Chicago the mold counts have been off the charts—in fact, because of that Friday was an “air quality alert day,” during which those of us with mold allergies were urged to stay indoors and run the (scrupulously cleaned) A/C. I ventured out only to rescue a couple of ripening tomatoes from squirrels. That jewelry is amazing. Friends of mine exhibit and sell at jewelry shows (lindab, who had her lumpy a bit after I did, sells at local shows); one, who is also a singer, sells at music conferences that have exhibit halls. My sister doesn’t work with gems the way they and you do—the closest she’s come to that was a necklace of garnet beads, gold rondels and freshwater pearls —and designs & makes jewelry as a hobby.
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Judy, those patterns are fascinating and imaginative—but my head swims figuring out how to color them. I’m just too left-brained (odd for a performing artist) to get into the Zen of abstract coloring.
Dara, the “amber” in my eyes is also kind of rusty. My dad’s eyes were pale steel-blue, turning gray when he was depressed. My mom’s were so dark brown as to seem coal-black, and my sister inherited them. I Googled “hazel eyes,” and supposedly they’re among the rarer colors—but in my experience I see many people with some variation of them; and when I tried to learn the genetics of them, I found it hopelessly complex. And contrary to what we learned in high school biology, even though blue eyes are supposedly a recessive genetic trait, two blue-eyed parents can in rare cases produce a hazel or even brown-eyed child. I find it easier to hold on to my unscientific belief that hazel is just splitting the difference between light and dark-eyed parents.
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I have exhibited at juried art shows, etc. It is so much work to set up and take down. That is why I had a mall location. I love designing and creating jewelry pieces, but am not an enthusiastic seller. I am very fortunate that I can have this opportunity to create without worry about selling. With that freedom, I can be as creative and stylistic as I want to, without the worry of what anyone else thinks. I would like to either write a book on bead therapy or articles on jewelry design. My sister in law is the head of a large art gallery that has shows 6 times per year. If I have the desire to sell, then may be the route I go.
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here are some of the ones colored...
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Did you see the bracelet above? It reminded me of your zentangle drawings.
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Those are beautiful! mine is perspective drawings.. here's one not colored
it depends on how it's colored, it can look like it comes out or goes in, what kind of layers you want it to show... when i'm doing this, you could drop a bomb and i wouldn't notice it... keeps my mind occupied0 -
Michelle your jewelry is gorgeous.
Judy, I don't know how you design those or figure out how to color them. Beyond me. But I appreciate the talents you gals have.
HUGS!
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Thanks, Peggy. Everything I do and have done in the last 8 days is going to be called, "Oncotype Designed," derived from the phrase Oncotype DX, which means waiting in a slow purgatory to hear what other hell you will experience in the future. Door #1 - a daily trip to the radiologist for some healing rays which you may or may not get a tan or sunburn from, Door # 2 potentially a trip to Alaska, or just feel like you went, enjoying a Penguin cold cap on head with a side of chemo, or Door #3 after a bone crushing day, treating yourself to early bedtime compliments of Tamoxifen or Arimidex.
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Michelle, Good name for your sanity-saving jewelry designs. I'm glad that I was too busy to have time to worry. I knew I'd do whatever was necessary to kill the cancer and hopefully continue to care for DH. It was over 5 weeks after my surgery until I got the results of my Oncotype. I truly didn't think about it. DH was sooo bad there wasn't room for another thought in my head but him. I've been very lucky that I went through rads with no problems and none on Arimidex (I take the generic made by Teva). I hope you'll do the same!
HUGS!
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Peggy, I call them Grace Designs because that's how I did the designs and the ability to color them. God's Grace, I can only draw them once and if I lose them... they are gone.. I can see them in my mind but can't put them back on paper.
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Michelle, I take Door #4... go back to bed and wake up to a world before bc... I can dream....
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IHGJAnn49, can we go back to that time? Is there a yellow brick road to follow back before diagnosis and have a do-over? I do feel like I am stuck in a bad dream.
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Judy, that's interesting that you have to draw them immediately or they are gone. But they are gorgeous.
Time to wind down and read.
Good Night, Ladies!
HUGS!
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Michelle, sometimes it doesn't seem real, wish we could go back
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Michelle your jewelry is gorgeous, I love your designs
Judy, beautiful drawings I would love to do some of them in stained glass
well my 2 weeks of waiting is over, the Ki-67 came back at 35% so I start Chemo on Oct 8th
12 weeks of Taxol, I still do not care for the MO, her response to my comment about the side effects out weighing the benefits was " some thinning hair and a few pins and needles in your hands and feet" that was it not a word about any other side effects she then says I can skip Chemo class since I have had Chemo in the past, I just cannot take to her at all and can see some battles ahead with her "Chemo is nothing" attitude.
I envy you ladies who are close and can plan get togethers they sound like fun
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Girls, I need your help. I got an Oncotype score of 14% and a score of 9 (9%) chance of reoccurrence within 10 years. Going to meet my MO right now. Any words of wisdom?
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Michelle, your score of 14 is good. Is your 9 score of recurrence chances with or without Tamoxifen (even though you are likely to have an AI)? I would guess you'll go straight to radiation, no chemo needed but you will be on an AI for 5 or 10 years.
Charlene, I can see why you are not thrilled with your MO. I can't believe she is minimizing the SEs of chemo. That's irresponsible! You already know first hand about them. While what you receive for BC will be different, you are still likely to experience some. She sounds like a cold fish. Not the type of doctor I'd want to deal with. I gather you can't change to another MO. Good luck dealing with her and I'm sorry you have to.
HUGS!
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Aw damn, Charlene. I'm sorry you have to go through chemo again. That's totally unfair.
I didn't have Taxol, but I had Taxotere, which is in the same family. My experience was mixed. I got septic right out of the gate, day 3, and was hospitalized for a week. I had very bad lower back pain too, probably because I didn't take Claritin (known to help.) I also had to go to the ER twice for fever without sepsis and once, three weeks PFC, with severe diarrhea and vomiting (that was a stomach bug.)
My main side effects were daily diarrhea, changes in taste, hair loss on day 17 after first chemo, severe fatigue, and sleep disruption. Day 7-14 was always my lowest week. Could barely work from home, let alone go to the office (good thing my boss was understanding.) But by day 15-21 I felt pretty good. I was able to drive myself to home visits (I'm a community health nurse.) Then it would start over again.
Of note: I never threw up or looked pasty-faced during chemo. My experience was nothing like you see on TV or in the movies. I actually looked pretty good throughout, other than days 7-14. I stayed home as much as I could, so I wouldn't be exposed to germs. I did a few home visits to people who had no illness in the home, but no hospital visits at all. .
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Charlene -- I know how you feel. It would be nice to have more Canadian's in close proximity. Also, you can speak plainly to your doctor. Ask her if she has ever undergone Chemotherapy and if she has not, tell her you do not appreciate her making light of your situation. That if you have certain SE's you do not want to feel that she will not do her best to help minimize them. Make sure she answers any questions you have. Make a list before you go.
Ann -- Those are really awesome designs. I have seen some in the adult colouring books that not nearly as nice.
Michelle -- I really love the jewelry.
This week is my last session of A/C and then I will be doing 4 Sessions of Taxol (one every two weeks). So I quess we'll investigate the SE's together
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I met with my MO this morning, kind of an impromptu appointment. My oncotype score was 14, with a 9% chance of a reoccurence in 10 years. That is just with a SERM, did not include radiation. My MO wanted to do some other online test, and I said that we have enough information, and that I trusted the Oncotype DX as the gold standard for treatment direction. I did a hormonal blood test to see where my estrogen/fsh/etc. levels were at. At the end of the appointment, I had a coughing fit from this respiratory virus that I succumbed to. I had to go in the hallway and cough up a lung. So embarrassing. The MO noticed that the area around my nipple was a pink color as was the area that had the most tissue taken out. Already took antibiotic for infection, looks like a healing color for my skin type. Has anyone else had this happen, and if so how long did it take to go away?
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Michelle, glad you found your score... I'm trying to go for pink color, right now, mine looks like an apricot or peach color
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Michelle, I'd definitely agree with your conclusion and decision on path of treatment. I realize the newer standard says scores 11 and under, but knowing the damage that chemo can do to other vital organs, I would have made the same choice you did. My score was intermediate so warranted the extra test. I know I would opt for the rads with your results. And your jewelry is incredible. Wish we were closer, I'd love to get together and bead :-)
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Michelle, I think you've made the right decision, too. Now keep marching forward, don't look back!
HUGS!
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Michelle, I am a 13 and did not do chemo either.
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Thanks, girls. Now let's pray for a low score for IHGJAnn!! Dara, I know what you mean about the intermediate range. She also said I would do a bone density exam every two years. I asked her if she had heard about prunes helping the bones strengthen. I will be doing weight training and cardio and somehow will push through it. If I have another bc pop up later, I will get a mastectomy. I came back around 2pm, from an 11am appt and was so tired that i slept for over two hours.
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Michelle, I had a DexaScan before starting Arimidex and just had another one (after 2 years) last week. Don't have the results yet. I am taking Fosamax for my bones and apparently it can help prevent bone mets. I'm sure you were exhausted. A very worrying time and that is depleting. A nap was an excellent idea.
HUGS!
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The MRAP in my profile pic has a funny story in my city. Apparently, the Sheriff's dept. got a free one to use in hostile situations. Every now and then it has to be driven around to keep it in good running order. One night, my son was coming home from the university and he saw another kid get pulled over for speeding. The vehicle that chased him down, was an MRAP. All I could think was that kid probably crapped his pants when looking in his rear view mirror. I plan to be like an MRAP in my fight to stay healthy.
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