CRAZY TOWN WAITING ROOM - TESTS coming up? All Stages Welcome.
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Sandy, So happy you are off the ledge and back in through the window. Except that the blob is there in the R eye, everything else, roundness, color, no fluid, seems copacetic. And Merkel tells it like it is- no false assurances. He’s facts, studies, statistics and what I feel is his kindness takes second to these. He’s, as much as it’s possible to be with this disease, a truth teller. So I would feel most reassured. Speaking of the Ledge, I see him 2 weeks from yesterday. Have not seen anyone, both Winchester appointments cancelled because of Covid, in six months, when I last saw Merkel. So,I will go back into my PTSD, and expect when he examines me that he will step back and exclaim,” OY GEVALT,” though it would be so surprising it would almost be funny if those words came out of his mouth. But there could be an equivalent- a before/ after where life changes again forever
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Judy, I am trying to imagine Merkel speaking Yiddish--I think even Yao is more likely to do so! He said that Law will "definitely see" me in Oct. so at least she's not intubated in an ICU somewhere.
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Hysterectomy went well on Wednesday. By Friday I wasn't needing Percocet anymore. Just Ibuprofen and barely even needed that today. My left ovary looked "perfect." Go figure! Glad it is gone...it was like the car you take to the mechanic that can never be fixed! Anyhow I feel silly I was worried and very annoyed there wasn't anything wrong there when it caused me pain off and on for 18 months. Just doesn't seem right. Talk about Crazytown! Also glad I don't have to worry about it making any estrogen since I was never able to tolerate the Tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. On to the next goofball thing!
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I, too, keep thinking of time as "before/after," on either side of a break in time: losing my parents (20 yrs. apart), breast cancer, Trump (which seems to get worse every day), the pandemic, racial injustice, two senior cats--one with special needs) and now this.
But I look at the way our Stage IV sisters are plowing ahead and living their lives even as they deal with the uncertainties and treatments. Life goes on...until it doesn't. As the old Bad Examples song puts it, I'm "Not Dead Yet."
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eggroll ..so pleased to hear your hysterectomy went well !
Iris ..how are you ?
Hugs
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Still in Crazy Town, but have relocated from the haunted mansion in Psycho Place to a studio condo in Neurosis Neighborhood. My bloodwork & CT scans came back negative for mets. Ocular onc. will order the radioactive seeds & plaque tomorrow--takes 10-14 days to order & make, so we're looking at 2 weeks from tomorrow for biopsy & brachytherapy.
Iris, how are you doing?
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yeah for the negative scans, Sandy! It's a start, in any case.
Hoping to hear from you too, Iris..
Virtual hugs to all
Octogirl
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Iris..missing you !
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Just got back from two week follow up post-hysterectomy. Turns out I had ELEVEN cysts on my one remaining ovary (lost the first one when I was 18 to a cluster of cysts that destroyed it). And my uterus was the size of a melon. Hmm...I have been suffering along for the past 14 months, thinking "hey menopause is here, this pelvic pain should be gone soon." ...anyhow, I am very happy because it was all benign and also because I thought I was really losing my mind moving ahead with the surgery during Covid even though the ultrasound was "normal." Turns out I had good reasons for being in pain.
ChiSandy, glad test came back negative for mets. I guess the biopsy is to check for a whole new cancer then? Thanks for keeping us posted.
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eggroll, here's hoping your upcoming surgery is uneventful.
The biopsy is of the tumor itself--for genomic analysis, to check for gene mutations that either make future mets likelier, make me a candidate for a trial of combo MEK & FAK inhibitor therapy should mets occur, or both. The trial is conducted at Wills Eye Hospital in Phila., but presumably if I were in it UIC could obtain and administer the drugs. New estimated plaque "placement" date is 8/13, with removal 8/17. The radiation oncologists are fashioning the plaque to fit the tumor's dimensions, and their physicists will be affixing the radioactive seeds in precisely the right pattern.
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ChiSandy, wow, that is some kind of rare thing going on with you. Never heard of it. We were diagnosed one day apart in 2015 and have been kind of keeping track of you since then off and on. Will continue to do so. My hysterectomy was two weeks ago, I feel like a new woman.
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Sandy - Continuing to be in your pocket as you go through your ocular issues/treatment. It all sounds pretty scary to me. You are a strong woman!
eggroll - Glad to hear you are doing well.
Continuing dental issues lately. Infected tooth treatment kicked off with a root canal on 7/15. Dentist injected some type of antibiotic into roots, temporary cap placed & will re-evaluate in 3 months before hopefully, all being well & permanent cap. At routine cleaning/exam on 7/29, mentioned some issues with pain near that tooth. Turns out that sometime in the 2 weeks between visits adjacent tooth totally cracked & extraction to be done on 8/3. Also, have Dr earlier that day in order to obtain statin scrip refill. MO visit was on 7/24. Tired of my only "outings" other than groceries being for these types of things. Although, I must say lots of others on this topic are undergoing more dire treatments than this & healing thoughts coming to you.
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Celia, in your pocket for the tooth extraction. Will you be getting an implant or just a one-tooth fixed bridge? (I've had the latter since 2003).
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Sandy - Thanks for being in my pocket. Tooth extraction, per dentist, was easier than expected & it came out cleanly (no bone issues). Just beginning to have feeling back. Taking acetaminophen for now & icing. In 2 months, I go back to see if root canal work with antibiotic (done on 7/15) on adjacent tooth is coming along ok & tooth will only need new cap vs extraction. If not ok, may end up with either a 2-tooth bridge or 2 implants. So, will wait and see what transpires & evaluate the cost in 2 months. Painful from a $ perspective either way, since I no longer have the excellent dental care plan I had prior to retiring. Glad I socked away $ in an HSA.
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Been stuck in Crazy Town lately. Hubby’s work schedule was really throwing me for a loop with this virus crud. It’s gotten better though.
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Got good news last month when I had my check-in with my oncologist by phone. Scans and follow up appointments now every 6 months.
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Seeing my derm tomorrow a.m. for my annual (6 mos. overdue, because of pandemic office closure) full-skin exam, which can only be done in person. I'd blow it off, except now that I've been diagnosed with ocular melanoma I may be at higher risk for the commoner cutaneous version. Not looking forward to it. (I used to, because I'd score lots of skincare samples. No longer).
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So sad to read on another thread that Iris has lost her battle with this awful , awful disease .R.I.P beautiful lady ..Fly high with the Angels Xx
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Appointment with my cardiologist today. Routine 1 yr. check-in
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Oh, no--not our Iris! (Didn't she start out with only DCIS)? May she be teaching a spin class in Heaven.
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I know , it's horrible Sandy ...Iris was such a lovely , gentle lady ....just did what she had to do , and never even complained ...
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Iris will be missed by all of us
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I am so, sad to hear the news about Iris! Yes, I imagine her spinning in heaven. I will miss her.
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Had a little traffic jam in Crazy Town last week. Went to my yearly check-up with my surgeon and there was a spot near the scar tissue that we were watching had grown a little from the year before. So my surgeon took a sample for testing but initially in her opinion it didn’t seem to her that it was cancer from the appearance of the sample. So I was a bit of a concerned and nervous wreck until I got the results late last week. Turns out it was an oil cyst and could contain a bit of fat necrosis. Surgeon said if it bothers me at any time I can schedule an appointment with her and she could remove it in her office.
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Whew, M0mmy--"close shave!"
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Yeah it was. Was so thrilled when I got the news that I hugged and kissed all my furbabies for several minutes.
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M0mmy, so glad it was not anything big! and love that you got to kiss and hug the fur babies!
And I can relate: today was my mammogram: I am supposed to have them every six months, but it had been longer than that as i had put it off a bit because of COVID..
Anyway, went into the imaging place, after COVID screenings...the mammo was 3D as I'd been having post bc diagnosis. It wasn't too bad, until they told me that the radiologist, after looking at the results, said she thought everything was ok but they wanted to do an ultrasound as a precaution.
This was the first ultrasound I have had after a mammogram since the one that led to my bc diagnosis. Talk about triggering: I could barely lie still on the u/s table!
However, all's well that ends well: the radiologist came in to the exam room and told me all was well and that I could wait a year for the next round. WooHoo! I see my MO soon: hoping she agrees on going to once a year followup.
Definitely crazy making for a bit there.
Hugs to all.
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Great news, Octogirl! I always have those few minutes of trepidation between the mammo and when they come back in after reading it.
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Mazel tov, Octogirl! Ultrasounds after mammos usually are stress-inducing, but most often they're "rule out" rather than "confirm suspicion." Went through that myself last fall.
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I'm so, so sorry to hear about Iris. She was such a steady presence, never asking for pity as it was clear her disease was getting worse.
Good luck to all going for scans. And stay well and safe!
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