January 2014 Surgery Sisters
Comments
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Mmtagirl, 1 million US or 900,000 Canadian lol
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hi ladies, it's been an emotionally draining week for me. I've had a MUGA scan, doctor appointment, then a 3 hour doctor appointment at a new oncology center I may be transferring to (not to mention the 1.5 hour drive there and back), oh and did I forget...I've also been literally rushing to squeeze in my daily radiation appointment. All of this on top of working full time. I'm so glad my job is flexible and my employer understanding but, I do a lot of in state traveling for my job and am getting weary of all the appointments and miles and miles of driving to get from point A to B. Cancer is one huge inconvenience!!!!!!! Still I am so grateful, every day, for getting this far in a positive way. My TE's are holding up with the rads(yeah!!!!) and my hair is growing (yeah!!!!), my eyelashes and brows are back (double yeah!!!!) and my children are happy (yeah!!!).
I keep reminding myself of all these good things and thank God every single day. Like all of you, the emotional toll of this journey is heavy. Some days are better than others. Sometimes I literally find myself taking in deep breaths and reminding myself to "keep going, keep fighting ".
Please know that I love reading all of your posts. Your each unique and beautiful. I'm glad to know you. Sweet dreams ...
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Hi Ladies: Yes, I'm at home and doing fine. I left the house this a.m. about 7 and was home by 1 p.m. (hospital is 20-25minutes away) There were 26 posts on my phone between surgery sisters and the exchange city, which I was too stoned to read until after I woke up from my 3 hr nap!
Of course I have bandages and haven't seen anything yet, but know that I have incisions on the axial (underarm) sides and on the inside (bottom cleavage). I had some extra skin that was folding on the inside that my PS removed in order to smooth things out. I VERY gently pushed on my foobs, and even through the dressings and surgery bra, they feel deliciously soft!
I was in a little bit of pain when I woke up and they gave me a Percocet before I left the surgery center, but that was 6 hours ago, and so far, I'm just slightly sore. This morning I took some stool softeners and took some magnesium tablets after dinner at the nurse's suggestion. If I have pain tonight, I may take another Perc, but am otherwise going to see about getting by on Tylenol, since I have so much trouble with narcotics (nausea & constipation).
Thank you all for your messages and hugs. I read every one and I feel very loved and supported.
(((Hugs))) to all of you!
Diane.
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hi Diane!!! Welcome home, glad you made it through well and your foobs are soft
did you do silicone?? Please share all the details you can, I won't have my exchange for a while and so am still in "learning" mode. Hugs to you and smiles....0 -
Hi Marissa - Wow! You and Michelle are wonder women! It's so impressive that you are able to get so much done. Don't worry about getting down...what's important is that you are picking yourself up afterwards and trying to focus on the positive things. That is HUGE!
I had cohesive silicone, high profile round implants put it. My PS is going to do some fat grafting and my nipple recon in 6-8 weeks, depending upon how fast I heal.
Hopefully, I'll have more info Friday.
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Diane, so glad you made it through to the squishy side and are doing okay. Well done! Looking forward to hearing the advice you have for us behind you!
Girl strong, we can't be that far from each other. Pm me if you are ever in the mid-Michigan area and I would love to connect, especially if we are at the same oncology center as I am headed to chemo.
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Yay! Diane....you are home and squishy.
I am home from a dog park with a lake and I am really ikky.
Yuk...the dog smells like a DOG! lol
Hope everyone is enjoying a little down time.
love to all,
Eve
oh and the final bill came today from pathology...original bill was $3950. They reduced it to $25. I don't know why. I asked for a reduction because we are paying cash...but $25 bucks? I don't want to take anything from anyone ....I am not into welfare stuff....This is a gift from God! The reduction amounts in all of my bills have absolutely astonished me. maybe my karma is paying off? or maybe the medical/insurance/pharma communities charge too much to begin with.....
In any case I am grateful and will pay it forward!
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HEY GIRLS...I'm home!
I've spent the last hour or so reading all the posts since I've been away. Diane I'm glad to hear your surgery went well.
My vacation was wonderful. The first night I drank most of the requested drinks and certainly felt it the next day. I'm not used to drinking anymore...but just couldn't help myself. But after that I was much more responsible. A few beer during the day and that was it.
I had my ups and downs during my vacation...only one major panic attach the second night...thought maybe I might have bit off more than I could chew. Wanted to book the next flight home...But I had my meds and that fixed me up.
My foobs were wonderful on the beach....my boyfriend said I was the sexiest on the beach. I saw the others out there....but I was happy to know that to him I was a hottie.
The beach chairs are not conducive to laying on foobs. LOL My foobs just don't squish flat on my chest like that anymore. But I made due and I have a wonderful bronzy glow.
We had the all inclusive golf package...I wasn't sure how that would work out for me. Well let me tell you...I beat my boyfriend 3 out of 5 times we golfed! We golfed everyday but one! I could make a full swing as I always have...so I was absolutely thrilled.
I was exhausted every night by 8ish...managed 10pm a couple of nights. That was fine with me.
I wanted to share this pic. Check out the croc behind me....9' at least! I teed off with one this size about 10' from me! I kept telling my boyfriend...keep an eye on the croc while I tee off....LOL. It was amazing!
I'm tired right now...but I feel a new energy to get on with life...I'm going to go back to work in early may.
I'll post a few more pics once I'm organized. The resort was beautiful and the weather was HOT!!!
Laurie
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Laurie - I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation. I was just talking to Hubby about wanting to at least go to the driving range to see what my golf swing is like. I don't have full range of motion and with these expanders in, I'm not sure how it'll work, but I miss golf!
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Welcome home Laurie! It's so great to see such a big smile on your face! I'm so glad you had a good time.
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Eve - fantastic news about the path bill! They make crazy amounts of money on people with insurance to fleece, so I'm sure they can afford to cut you a break! I say celebrate!
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You look fabulous Laurie. I am so glad you had a great time.
Can't wait to see more pics.
Have a wonderful day everyone.
Eve
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My foobie debut! LOL
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Vavavavooom!! Looking great Laurie!
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I wish I could all go....it made a huge difference in my attitude! I tried not to think about cancer at all. Just had fun!
Laurie
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I meant....I wish U could all go!
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Laurie, your foobs look fabulous and I love that you had a big debut in Cozumel. I cannot wait for my debut; now you have given me food for thought --some kind of coming out party for not only my foobs but being done with everything . My girlfriend keeps asking what I want to do to celebrate; were thinking sometime next spring . I'm excited to get back to wearing cute clothes and having enough hair to brush. I'll get there...just wait and see
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Whooohooo, Laurie! You look foob-ulous! Wow! Looks like you had an awesome time! So happy for you!
Yes, I think I will have to plan a coming out party for my girls, too
What a great idea! We should all celebrate our victories, no matter what they may be. 0 -
oooolala
I am so jealous Laurie. Lookie at that tummy...and a teeny weeny polka dot bikini....you look awesome.
Again, so happy that you feel renewed and ready to tackle the world.
Bravo for kicking a$$ at golf.
Love the idea of a coming out party. Mine will be in June. We are going camping at Desoto State park. Very beautiful area on the Gulf of Mexico. So that means losing at least 10lbs and getting those flabby thighs in shape... Is a thigh master in my future? have any suggestions for exercises guys?
Eve
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Laurie, bravo to you and your coming out! You look amazing and happy. So glad the trip was a success!
Ann
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I feel my cancer journey is finally coming to an end. I have a PS app on Wednesday....not sure what she's going to do yet. Then minor surgery in July to get the ports out...be glad to be rid of those! At this point I'm now thinking I'll skip on the nips and areola tats. Kinda used to how they look for now. They have a lot of scars so I'm not sure they'd look any better with areola.
Laurie
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Good for you, Laurie! I'm so glad you are feeling like you can finally put this all behind you! I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting closer. Hope you'll still hang out with us, though!
BTW, have you considered tattoos? I've seen some done that look really good and they seem to camouflage the scars very well. I know what you mean, though, I don't really mind the "Barbie" look too much. The incisions are my battle scars and I'm proud of them! But who knows, I may change my mind when I get to that point.
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Hey...
Do the wild tats. Having numb nips isn't all its cracked up to be. (I have 'em I know)
Have you all ever watched the show...American pickers? The woman on that show, Danielle, has the most amazing tats on her chest.
I had a tattoo done (owwwwwwwooooo) several years ago. I already said this...but it bears repeating......a slightly drunken weekend at Cocoa beach. The said tat is on the front of my left thigh. Supposedly an area that is less prone to pain from being stuck a gazillion times with a little needle with orange and blue dye in it. Orange and Blue dye you ask? Ah yes, orange and blue dye stippled and poked for hours (not really, just felt that way) in the shape of 2 firework bursts...for my DH's favorite football team , The university of Florida Gators. oh my goodness...the thing one does....
I love my tattoo, it was an act of defiance, an act of independence....Heck I may do my boobs, something pretty.
why not? why not indeed. OH and just so you know our tats on our foobs won't hurt....ok?
Call me crazy....but that is Danielle... love her tats
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Gorgious!
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here is another tat that face book banned...really? I think it is fab
why not?
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I have a couple of tats already. I can still vividly remember the pain. But I've looked thru the different breast tats too...it's an option for covering the scars for sure. I'm not in a rush I guess. We'll see how I feel on six months or so.
They really can be very pretty and delicate.
Laurie
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I've seen on other sites where women have had flower tattoo nips....if anything I think I'd do something like that. But the problem is, wouldn't you be tempted to show them off and be flashing your foobies all the time? lol!
I hope I'm not repeating this story....but in my first consult with my BS we were discussing doing nipple sparing, etc. I told her to take rightie, too (leftie had to go), so that when or if I had nipple surgery it would be easier to get them even. My DH pipes in with why do you care, it's not like you'll be going to nude beaches. We both kind of looked at him and my wonderful BS said, "You may want to start!"
I hear Brazil is the place to go!
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So with all of this talk about nipples, how does a PS make the nipple? Has anyone had that discussion yet? Interested to know.....my plan (at least for today) is to have nipples and then the tattoo for the areola. I absolutely love that I can ask you girls these questions.0 -
You might want to check out the Nipple Reconstruction thread. For me at this point, IF I decided to do anything, I'm leaning more towards the 3D tattoos vs. surgery, but it's always good to explore your options.
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Hi Marissa: I'm having nipple reconstruction with tattoos. I'm sure that every PS is different, but I watched a video that my PS had on his website, so I know that he uses the existing skin to create them by making an eye shaped incision and going from there. I will have a scar that they will cover with the tattoo. I don't expect it will be painful, since the nerves are pretty dead in the skin now anyway. It is a fascinating process (to me anyway), and my PS is known for the realistic work he does, but can easily see why many of you might just want to opt to leave them alone or go with 3D tattoos. My goal all along was to get as close as I can to a normal look and feel, realizing that there are limitations. So far, my PS is doing a great job.
Diane.
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