January 2014 Surgery Sisters
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Hi All!
Glad to see so many positives and "normal" days! I hope the summer colds are for both Michelle & Diane.
Beverly- I will be going back to school for the first time in August since January! Anxiety is high, but looking forward to getting back to "normal", whatever that maybe!
Hubby and I just celebrated our 19th anniversary and it was spent with doctor visits! Both went extremely well, so best anniversary ever!!!!! Spent the weekend on the ball field with my oldest son and felt like the old me for the first time! Hoping I can find a happy medium!
Hope everyone has a wonderful day!
Joanne
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Joanne - Welcome back and happy anniversary! So glad your doctor visits went well! The new normal can be pretty good.
I'm much better. My fever broke last night and I would probably go back to work if I didn't have a coworker that is pregnant. I just won't take a chance on giving this virus to her, so think I should be 24 hrs without a temp to be safe.
Mary - Hoping you are recovering okay and can find a moment in your hectic life to check in and let us know how you are.
Hugs to all of my beautiful sisters!
Diane
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Joanne,
In addition to gealing from exchange and now excision of area and a TAH/BSO that was done on july 1, I am finding it difficult to stay active and out of the bed!!! I feel like I'm up for a couple hours and back in bed for a couple hours... I have 3-4 weeks to get healing and transition back into a "normal" schedule!!!! Ugh
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Hope everyone is "all better"
Just sucks that you have colds on top of everything else.
Ann, what a lovely picture of you and your wonderful daughter. So fun to have great kids, I have them too. You'll rock that speech. Funny after all you have been through that speaking in front of a crowd is scary.....last time I did that my knees were literally knocking. lol I vowed to never do THAT again. Maybe you could have your lovely daughter sit in the audience and you could focus on her.
Anne, your time with your grandchildren sounds awesome. They surely do make us aware that life goes on. Now, if my married son would get it in gear......I'd be spoiling my grandbaby rotten.
Joanne, so wonderful to hear you are playing ball! Again kids are incredible for helping us get up and get moving. Happy anniversary! It is undescribable to have a special relationship with someone. I value my nate beyond words.
So I finally, after months of procrastination made appointments with my PCP and for a well woman exam. Yuk! It will several weeks before I see them but I feel better for getting it done.
Anyhow, all is well here, ahhhhhh! my son just texted me, he will be home this week. OMG, I haven't seen him in two years. I am one happy mama. Woot woot!!!!!!
be well my friends,
Eve
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Beverly - I hope all is well before school starts! I can't imagine how difficult this journey has been for you! I felt very similar during my chemo treatments! Hang in there! I am cheering for you!!!
Eve-it is wonderful to spend a special relationship with someone! I adore my hubby and he has just been awesome through everything! I am so excited for you and the visit with your son! Precious moments to cherish!
Diane-so glad the fever broke! Glad things are getting better!
Hope everyone has a great night!!
Joanne
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Joanne,
The really awesome thing is that my son will be going to college here, which means he'll be here for years not days. Woot Woot!
E
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Joanne,
Thanks! Just noticed tonight I have a low grade fever between 99.8-100.3 ugh!!! I have appointment w ps tomorrow at 930 to check to see if hole closed.....
Not sure if I should be concerned about breast incision or abdominal incision!!! It just never seems to end... Wth?!?
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Eve,
That is super! I bet you are just bursting at the seems!!!
I am so happy for you!!!Joanne
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Beverly,
So sorry to hear about your fever! It will all be better soon! You have made it so far-just keep on moving forward!
I will say a prayer for you and let me know how the appointment goes!!!
((Hugs))
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2-boys mom,
Thanks! I will let you know.... Fingers crossed!
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good luck this morning, Beverly!0 -
Have been hanging out on the internet today looking for natural ways to reduce my blood pressure and of course prevent BC from coming back.
I don't typically go to Dr. OZ, however he spoke about a new study out od Harvard medical Center that took 75,000 BC patients and found that eating peaches cut the risk of getting BC by 40% . You can eat 2 fresh, frozen or 2 cups canned a week to gain the benefits. Wow! Who knew...putting peaches in my smoothies, for sure. Another study confirmed drinking 3 cups of oolong tea a day would cut the risk of ovarian cancer by 82%. And drinking 2 cups of coffee a day would decrease risk of liver cancer.
No sugar added!
I thought this was fascinating.
Oh! and check every label for soy. It is in everything. Very, very bad for BC ladies.
Love you.
Eve
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Eve,
Well saw ps this morning. She removed all the bandages and steri strips. She applied more "skin glue" and steri strips that supposedly hold better. She said keep my fingers crossed that it works.... I go back to see her August 7. I was hoping by August I would feel no pain and at least be healed on the outside!!! Ugh!!! Like 2 more weeks until I have to be back in my class..
Going out to buy me some peaches!!!! Lol. We are leaving for Brooklyn new York Thursday morning for my sons baseball tournament (world series) . Hoping to relax a bit and bring home a win
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I had a peach for lunch (before I read Eve's post) LOL
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well, just so you all don't think I am nutso, here's a link for the research on peaches...again I find it interesting. Eating peaches can't hurt. Just offering it up for your consideration.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140325164445.htm
Eve
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I love peaches so I'm making sure I get enough...plus some. Just have to steer clear of that peach cobbler
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Eve - thanks for the link. I love peaches anyway. Great plain, great in smoothies, great over ice cream...just say'in! I don't suppose peach margaritas or daiquiris would count? So happy for you that you will finally get to be in the same room with your boys. I picture big hugs and great food! Enjoy my friend.
Michelle and Marissa - I hope you are both recovering from your summer colds. No fun!
Beverly - I'm glad they were able to get you fixed up. Hang in there. It will get better!
Ann - I think of you every day when I step on the matt. Dedicating Koreo to you has made my form even better. The countdown is on. Only a week from Saturday...yikes! It's hotter than the hinges of hell in the studio (it will hit 100 tomorrow, and probably cool to 90 on testing day), but it beats being cold and pulling a muscle any day, and we'll stay hydrated with Cytomax.
I am feeling truly grateful and inspired by all of you ladies. Because of you, I don't feel nearly as alone as I did when all of this started, so thank you!
Love and hugs,
Diane.
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Diane, I will be in your pocket during testing next week. You are ready and master instructor wouldn't let you test if you weren't. You are one strong woman and I am so excited for you! I can't tell you how much it means to me that you have dedicated Koreo to me. Amazing!
My niece gets married today. I am off to help decorate the ballroom at the hotel. Her makeup artist is going to apply fake lashes on me.. Can't wait! I tried it on my own and I failed miserably. I would be wearing them on my lip:-)
Have a great weekend everyone!
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Mmmmm...peach daquiri
BMX girls - how many still have serious range of motion & discomfort issues? I know we might not ever be 100%, but I am still having a lot more trouble than I thought I'd be having after this long. I know radiation didn't help, and my left side (cancer & rads side) is way worse than the right. My right is almost where it should be. My left side is still really tight in the area between my breast and shoulder, my underarm and all down my arm. The arm is getting worse - I just started having pain going all the way down the top of my forearm. I don't have any swelling other than the back of my underarm area where it feels puffy, so I am grateful not to be worrying about lymphedema. But still. I saw my lymphedema specialist yesterday and asked her if I'm just not stretching enough or if my body was just being stubborn or stupid or what. She said that she would blame it on radiation....she said burn victims are told they will need to stretch the affected area for up to two years, and basically I'm a burn victim on the inside from rads. She said after rads your tissue just continually wants to shrink up. I just hate the whole spiderweb feeling of tightness all down my side and down my arm. <sigh>
Today marks one year since diagnosis day for me.0 -
peach compote with brandy on top of homemade custard vanilla ice cream....crap, I just gained 5lbs thinking about it.
Michelle, I seem to have ok rom. But I am numb on the back side of cancer side shoulder. My foobs still get zingers
. I can't wear a bra for more than an hour so I have given up completely. The areas around both foobs where the drains were placed burn. And areas on my sternum hurt also. Remember, when we had the surgery the skin was cauterized (burned) and scraped to no end. (in addition to your rads) I see the PA for my BS on Tuesday so I will ask if all this is normal and what to do about it.
Soooooooooooooooooooooooo how about peach brandy?
My son came home today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 1/2 years without a hug...ha ha ha ! Had the most fabulous SQUEEZE this morning. Just FABULOUS. I can't describe the feeling of connecting again. heart to heart. We chatted for hours about his future and all the steps he needs to take to assimilate back into Florida and back to school. He is sad about the break up with his long time girlfriend but after finding out the details he is better off.
Sean served our country as a corpsman with the Navy and Marines in Afghanistan and has earned his next step in his journey. He will start college (again) and it is all paid for under the GI bill. He is excited about his future.....I am just grateful that he is home and safe.
Woot Woot!
On a serious note. I am really worried about Mary. So prayers that she is ok.
I have given my husband my password and sign on ID for this site so he can tell you guys if anything has gone amiss. Please do the same. let someone know how to get on here...just in case OK?.
Mary, let us know how you are doing if you so choose, I for one miss you.
have a great weekend
I am riding my son being home high for days.
love to all
Eve
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Eve,
Enjoy your special moments with your son! I agree about having someone connect with the group if we are unable to.
Mary, thinking about it! Don't worry about posting a long post just connect to let us know you are ok.....
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Michelle - I'm not sure if Happy Anniversary is the thing to say here, but you have had an amazing year of just putting one foot in front of the other and charging forward. It sounds like the radiation is the culprit. Sorry you are having to battle that one too, but I just know that you will come out of it punching!
Eve - I can totally picture you hugging that big man of a boy of yours! Have fun! Good luck Tuesday. Hopefully, you will get some answers.
I have pretty good range of motion, but do occasionally get zingers of pain...usually when it is cold (like at the office with the AC blaring), but I was also lucky that they only took 1 lymph node. What I mostly have is a pretty constant burning across my chest, which I now think of as my new normal. We'll see how things are in a few weeks, after the next surgery. I'm both excited and nervous about it.
Ann - realized looking at my post that I mis-spelled Koryo...oops! I've always liked the form, but now I find I love it, and am losing myself in it. This is something that hasn't ever happened with a form for me, so I thank you. Making it personal changed everything.
My other black belt form is okay, but it needs more energy or something...still trying to feel it. The form is Choong Moo, a nick name for Admiral Yi So Sin, who was thought to be perhaps the greatest military man in Korean history. He became so popular that they imprisoned to keep him from becoming too powerful. When they realized they needed him, and asked if he would help them, he didn't hesitate, because he loved his country to much. He invented these turtle ships, which were basically a precursor to the submarine and was able to defeat the Japanese invasion even with 10 to 1 odds. The form is full of high blocks and open handed blocks (symbolizing a higher plane) and ends not as most other forms, with a right punch, but with a high left punch, symbolizing his untimely death (stray bullet from friendly fire after the battle had been won). Although I never like focusing on death, his life was pretty amazing. Much like Mandela, and many of my surgery sisters here, although much was taken from him, he never gave up. I think I feel some inspiration coming my way!
Mary and any of you having surgery - please check in, or have someone do it for you.
Here's hoping everyone has a lovely weekend! I'll be going wine tasting in Napa tomorrow (after I train), so will tip my glass to each of you!
Love and hugs,
Diane.
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Diane- Enjoy Napa!! How fun! It is so interesting to read your posts and to get a mini-lesson in your art. I think it really helps others to believe they can reclaim their lives after dealing with all of this stuff. Keep blocking and kicking (if that is even a correct phrase...haha).
Ally
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Diane, thinking of getting into a Tai Chi class. I've always had problems relaxing and I need to stretch more. Stretching for me isn't a problem, I just forget to do it. What do you think of this type of class (you are the physical expert here)?
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Just popped in and Im not an official January surgery sister but I occasional will check in on other threads to see how all our sisters are doing.I had terrible range of motion after BMX and went to physical therapist and she did wonders, ask your BS or PS for scrip to go see one and insurance will cover as its all apart of BC treatment!! Also if you have any issues of soreness from where your drains were is possible scar tissue or cording, just keep massaging and it will break up
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Sisters- Catey is so right. A PT can do wonders for ROM and for scar tissue build up. Often yOu have to ask for a prescription but ask!!!
Ally
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hi everyone
Michelle- I had surgery I think within days of you, and yes I am still having problems with ROM., Especially on the right side- cancer side. I also have pockets on my chest under my arms. Again, the right is worse than the left. If I move around too much, or not enough, they seem to swell and get very painful. I have started wearing a sports bra, then a regular bra with the prosthetics over that. I have a real tightness when I try to lift my right arm. And between the underarm and front chest area is a very hard section that I don't have on the left at all. I think it may be scar tissue from the lymph node removal. And I feel like I am wearing a bra 3 sizes too small 24/7. Like you, I thought by now I would be back to normal ( minus boobs, of course) I feel much better than I did, but no where close to where I thought I'd be.
Anne
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Diane, checked out Koryo on youtube. Looks pretty easy (sarc). I am sure you have it down pat and you look strong and graceful while performing it. Do have to do all eight (is it?)n forms to obtain your black belt? I'll be cheering you on! You've got this.your synopsis of the history surrounding the forms, is enjoyable and very interesting.
Hope wine tasting was tasty, I tasted a bit myself yesterday. nothing like a good merlot.
Thanks CateyZ2 for the info. I will definitely have my BS check on Tuesday for scar tissue and cording.
Anne, I think this healing thing is just going to take some time. We'll get there.
Hope everyone's week is the best.
Love and hugs,
Eve
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Eve, I notice you are living life so smoothly and enjoying it all despite this BC. You have such a positive attitude. I know you have a great support around you but how did you decide to not take AI...
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Hi Ladies! I typed a long message on my phone yesterday morning before class and managed to lose it before I could post...so trying again with a real keyboard.
Ann and Ally - thank you for your inspiration and encouragement. I do hope that I will make a difference and help encourage others. It would be so nice to have something good come from all of this.
Polly - LOL, thank you but I am far from an expert at anything. I have never taken Tai Chi, but would think it would be excellent for your core strength, range of motion and for it's meditative quality. I say go for it!
Anne - I'm with you. It does feel like I'm wearing a bra that is too small ALL the time, even when I'm not wearing anything and it burns nearly all the time. I think that tight feeling is the new normal, given what I've heard from my friend who is going on 15 years post reconstruction, so I'm trying to embrace it. Cording is an entirely different thing Eve. So glad you are checking it out with your BS.
Eve - I love that you looked up my forms! Yes, I do all 8 color belt forms (we do the Palgwe forms) and 2 black belt forms, Koryo and Choong Moo (which has a 360 degree jump/spin ending with a twin knife hand block in it). We'll also do kicking, blocking and punching drills, one step sparring moves with a partner (20 that are part of our school curriculum, 5 that are original moves created by each candidate and 5 original knife defense moves. It's also likely that we will do some of the many Hapkido defenses we have, but it is all at the discretion of the Master. After lunch, we will spar, first one on one, then 2 on one, followed by breaking. We'll speed break 1 board with feet (spin kick) and 1 with our hands (probably just a punch, but I'm nervous about this one, since my right power arm is the BC side), power break 4-5 boards (back kick for me), specialty break 1-2 boards (mine will be a blind folded jump back kick, covering my eyes with a pink bandana I've worn around my neck for every BC walk I've done), and finally the brick break (either a simply punch straight down, or a hammer fist I mess up my hand in the speed breaking). It will be a very long day, but I can do it.
This week is going to wiz by and David and I will be out there Saturday doing our best. Feeling the love and support I've had from all of you will help me dig deep when I need to. I will crush that brick for all of you!
Love and hugs,
Diane.
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