January 2017 Surgery Group
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look what someone posted to me - http://www.islands.com/overwater-bungalows-caribbe... Is anyone headed to the bungalows soon? They look divine!!
Hope my chemo girls are gently coming out of the fog and hair growing back - is your scalp itchy?
Best of luck to the summer exchanges! And continued healing to those who got sidelined with complications.
Happy 4th of July weekend to all you wonder women. I hope you are surrounded by family and friends and get a few hours if not daysfree of thinking about BC.
Xxxooo
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Hello, my lovelies! Have taken a break from signing in, but not from thinking of all of you... sounds like summer is calling all of us! I am doing well after my exchange, finally feeling closer to 100% (still tire occasionally, but who doesn/t?!) Still not sure I'm happy with the results... takes some getting used to!... but nice to feel 'done' at some level. I am toying with the idea of a bit more fat grafting... I have a pretty big 'divot' on the cancer side, and the non-cancer side has a 'corner at the top, with a flat span where the nipple would normally be... bugs me. Hoping I get used to it all, but if I go the summer and find it still bothers me, I'm going to ask PS about it. Still haven't decided on nips yet... but thinking about this instead... what do you think (anyone else wish they could have the bod to go with this?!)?
Vargadoll, I'm 52 also! Don't worry... lots of life in us yet! About getting older: my dad always said "It's better than the alternative"... so true, especially this year!
I am having the "Summer of Susan"... vacationing by myself instead of with family. My daughter is back in LA with internships, and my husband and son are off on a lake vacay that his extended family takes annually (none of the inlaws enjoy it... not a comfortable bed or chair in the house). I begged off, so I get my house to myself this week (WHEEE!), then off to Barbados with a girl friend upon their return... then a few days of alone time at home again (!!), then a reunion in Chicago... gonna feel 25 again by the end of it!
Barbados house below... not a cabana, but RIGHT ON THE BEACH!!
Happy 4th to all!!! XOXOXO Love and healing to everyone!!!
Susan
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Dcbc-- I hope you'll like your boobs better as time goes on. It seems most women I know who have made it to that step are having some difficulty accepting the final results. It makes me realize that my final result is probably not going to match my expectations. That's probably a good thing that i know that going in I guess. The tattoos really are pretty and yes Id love to have that bod to go with it!😀 Wouldn't all those tats hurt more to do though?
Pugsmama is getting her exchange Aug 3. I get my expanders put in sept 7.
Annoyingboob- I'll post a pic of my hair soon. It'll be a few more weeks I think before I'll go out in public without my wig. But at home I never wear it anymore. My hair is kinda white but I'm just thrilled it's growing in!
Good to hear from you girls. Happy Fourth of July! Love you all!!
3Bears
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RoseRN - I haven't been on the boards for months, but thought I'd check in and see how everyone was doing! I've been taking Arimidex for 2 months now, and really have had no problems with it. I would say that I might have more fatigue, but it's nothing that I can't live with. My OC told me that if I had problems, I could switch until I found one that works; lucky I hit it on the first try! Good luck!
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dcbd - love your summer of chill and thrill (the Barbados house!). You are hitting the reset button in such a wonderful way. The tats! Oh yeah. My girlfriend who is 6 months ahead of me with BMX and replacement has gotten tattoos to cover the dips on her chest. It does seem like a cool idea to disguise those dippy spots and I'm keeping my options open after my exchange (in 2 days!!). I'm aware that fat grafting may not last and that just might be the ticket to bringing a smile instead of a sigh when I look in the mirror. I am planning to get temporary tattoos to cover my one nipple-less side and have even looked at the prosthetic ones (see the Nipple Exchange thread) if that side is a lot flatter than the other. Continuing the adventure looking for ways to make it interesting.
Good to have a little catch up from "the girls" and hope everyone is still enjoying the feel of summer.
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Hello everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your summers. Sounds like most everyone is doing well and moving forward, which is great news to hear. Sorry to those who have had some setbacks - hoping those get worked out and you're back on the road to seeing this in the rear view mirror!
It is HOT HOT HOT here in Arizona - the time of year I wonder what the heck we are doing living here! Ugh.
Is anyone starting to get anxious about their follow up scans? I am. I'm supposed to have my repeat scans done the first part of august and meet again with my radiation oncologist. How about all of you? I know some aren't that far out from finishing treatment so I'm not sure what follow up you're supposed to do.
A good friend of mine was diagnosed 4 years ago with stage IV and I recently chatted with her (to be honest I didn't talk with her much after my own diagnosis because it kind of freaked me out) and she's questioning why I'm not on hormonal therapy. My RO didn't recommend it for me. Of course, she was telling me about a stage IV group she's in and how many of them were stage 0 or 1 at diagnosis then now are stage IV. NOT what I needed to hear. I keep reminding myself that it's a skewed sample we are talking about, but still kind of freaked me out.
Anyhow, thanks for letting me vent - my husband is kind of over it at this point!
Kelly
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Hi ladies! It seems like everyone is moving along and getting stronger and more content and confident, yay!!
Bevmom, sugery today!!! Sending healing prayers for a great outcome and a speedy recovery!! Drinks at the Cabana when you are done!!
AB, I had a partial hysterectomy in 1991, kept my ovaries. My DX was Adenomyosis, basically I got my period and it never stopped all month. I was getting fatigued from blood loss. My doctor described the uterus as "boggy". The lining had been building up, not sloughing off completely each month. I suspect it began after my tubal ligation. Ever since the tubal surgery my periods were much lighter and shorter. It was about 5 years before the hysterectomy. Not sure if the tubal caused the Adenomyosis. At any rate, doctor told me I could either go back on BC or have partial HX. I was dumb and smoking at that point, divorced, had 4 great kids, so chose the Hx. Many years later, I remarried and desperately wanted one more baby. I found out there were other treatments my doctor never told me about, I think "ablation". I was bitter for a while, but what was that going to get me? I am just telling you this so you are informed as it is such a big decision.
Varga, DCBC, I am just ahead of you, just turned 53. I say its a wonder I made it this far, and I believe getting older is a priviledge. Barbados looks AMAZING!!! Have a great time Susan!!
3Bears, 2 months to go, it will be here before you know it!! You are getting a lot of info ahead of time, that is a blessing! I would not say to have low expectations by any means. What we need to remember is there is a lot of healing that needs to take place. Even after our incisions heal on the outside, there is a lot of healing taking place on the inside, the pocket around the implants. Patience is KEY. I am now 13 weeks out, and getting more comfortable with my implants, but do still have occasional pain and tenderness, mainly around the edges of the implants and my scars. While I really long to be DONE, I am considering revision but trying to make myself wait til I am 6 months post exchange to make the final decision. That being said, I can't think about nipple recon or tats until I am done with revision or decide to stay with what I have.
DCISinAZ, definetely put your stage 4 friend's comment far from your thoughts. It would have freaked me out too. It is imperative to not dwell on thoughts of recurrence. Instead, focus on regaining your strength and counting every blessing and living your life. I believe part of kicking cancer's ass is not letting it remain up front in our thoughts once we have gotten past treatment. I hope that doesn't sound insensitive, I know the battle leaves us feeling vulnerable, and I don't mean to diminish what we have gone through in any way. Its ok to have moments of reflection, to validate our emotions, yes surely!! Just don't allow worry to take hold. IF something comes up, we do what we did before, we fight!! I had my 6 month follow up a month early at the end of June due to a concerning hard knot on my left side. The PS had said he felt it was the edge of my implant. I wasn't so sure and asked for imaging. The breast surgeon's PA did an ultrasound and determined it was a fold in the implant. I follow up with my PS on the 17th to discuss fat grafting and scar revision beneath my right armpit toward the shoulder blade. Honestly now though I don't even feel the knot. Again, we have to allow lots of time for healing after the exchange, and also for the implants to settle into their final shape and location.
Pugs, congrats on your surgery date, less than a month away!
Much love and hugs to all!!!
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Hello my beauties! It's been a long time since I've logged in but was thinking about how far I've come which of course made me think of all of you right beside me all the way! I tried to read back a ways and looks that for the most part everyone is doing well and moving towards life after the big C! I completed my 2nd round of PT for cording and so far, so good! I still have a seroma in my armpit which is kind of annoying but tolerable. Like DCISinAZ stated...it's HOT, HOT, HOT here in AZ and I also second the statement about questioning why we live here! Every summer!! Didn't plan a summer vacation with all the medical bills but we are doing a long weekend in Flagstaff tomorrow...it looks like it will be pretty hot there too but 20 degrees cooler is still 20 degrees. I'm excited to get away from the desert and at least see some pine trees! Also DCISinAZ, I am getting a bit nervous about scans. I have the same as you scheduled for August...scan, oncologist and radiation oncologist. We went to dinner with friends we hadn't seen in years last Friday. One of the women is a 17 year survivor and her mom a 34 year survivor. She told me she fretted about her scans for years after. She said she would be very grumpy leading up to the appointments but now all these years later it doesn't worry her. So I guess if we worry for the next 10 years or so, its normal!!
Love you all and wishing continued healing, health & happiness! MUAH!0 -
oh dcis, sorry about that zero to four convo! I don't like hearing that either, and glad you could vent with freedom right here. 👊🏼 Thx you shoregirl for those words of wisdom and dang, so sorry about your long ago "lower lady bits" issue and the aftermath. What a ride we are taking as things loom on the horizon and we have a rear view mirror full.
And......Ta-da! Exchange is finally in done! My biggest problem was being given Percocet in recovery after 2 1/2 hrs of gen anesth in surgery. It put me in a near catatonic state and freaked me out when I got home. Late this afternoon, I walked around the house, seriously hydratied and ate, which finally helped me back into reallity. Nucynta, no more Percocet for me! And so far, the lipo spots are more sore then the exchange spots.
Still no baby, but Sunday is the deadline before they induce. Glad I didn't have to miss the birthing but so sorry she's having to wait for so long. It runs in the family, though, that daughter was 2 weeks late herself
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So good to see so many post! Just popping in real quick Bevmomduck -you have been on my mind!!! Of course it's grandbaby related! I'm so happy that you are almost done and the baby will be the grand prize! Nothing like new life to bring you back to life a little more! Baby Charlee is almost 4 month old now. She is doing well. She is the happiest baby this family has so far! She wakes up smiling. Wonderfull news that your exchange is behind you!
More later ladies!
Teresa
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Oh Vargad I can't believe Charlee is already 3 months! We all do have a lot of history going through these months together 😍
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bevmom, congratulations on your exchange!! Hope this round of healing is a breeze so you can feel great and focus on the baby - so exciting!! And isn't there a wedding coming up soon, too?! I thought of you today bc a girl wearing the heart t-shirt on the boobs walked by me on the street, and I giggled thinking of you!! It's the first one I've seen here!!
Sympathy to you Arizona girls. I've been feeling heatstroke when it hits 80 here, and I know you get up to 120, so please take care of yourselves!!! I think my sweet spot is low 70s - that's the perfect climate for me.
I'm headed back to Usa in oct for all my follow ups. And yes, the anxiety is there. But you know what? At least it's not such an unknown. I have a team I like and trust, and that will make anything new easier. Remember how scary getting diagnosed AND trying to find the right people was? At least if anything shows up on these scans, we are pretty educated now. Plus we have each other. And that, my friends, has made all the difference,...
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Hello
it is great to see everyone checking in. I can't believe how fast summer is moving along.I had stopped my tamoxifen before my june 6 exhange surgery and have recently restarted...I think I feel worse than the first time.
I also went to a sleep doctor for my insomnia from the tamoxifen. She has ordered a sleep study because I have had ongoing issues with fatigue, sleepiness, etc (prior to tamox) but in the meantime she gave me Ambien.
The Ambien seems to make me feel really sick, nausea, headache....has anyone else had experience with Ambien?
I think I am a bit overwhelmed right now, I have to catch up on other doctor appointments that I had put off after my diagnosis and I am back to work.
I feel my BC diagnosis is hitting me more now than initially.
Think of you all so often.
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Just dropping in to say hello . Hope everyone is enjoying a fabulous summer . I still worry about BC a lot more than I would like , but I guess having to see Dr.s regularly will be that constant reminder that .. oh yeah I had IDC . Hopefully , we will all remain free.
Think of you all often
❤️❌
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Hi ladies - it's been a while so I thought I'd stop in and see how everyone is doing. Tomorrow is my 11th of my final 12 Taxol chemo treatments (after the 4 AC I had) so next Tuesday I will officially be off the chemo train and hopefully start growing some hair on my head. I'll start rads 2-3 weeks later. I'm having my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed on August 31 - so during rads. Had a hard time coming to grips with one more surgery besides the exchange, but it's to prolong my life and minimize chance for recurrence. I am glad to see you all living life and moving forward and cannot wait until I am able to put this disastrous year behind me. As hard as it's been I've grown a lot and realized how precious every day is - life is for living and that's my goal.
The chemo support group on FB has been very helpful to me and I feel like this group - who I joined just 6 months ago - has also been such an important part of my support team. While I do not post as much I do thank you all for your support whether you realized you were giving it or not. Just knowing that there is a life after all of this is something we all need to know and see - it's the light at the end and you all are providing it to those of us still buried in ongoing treatments and surgeries. So, please accept my feeble attempt at saying thank you.
Have a wonderful summer and a life of good health!
Michele
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DCIS in AZ- what follow up scans are you having done?
I felt a little lost last week at my MO when she told me they would not be doing any x ray imaging to look for local recurrence since I had bmx and "pnly DCIS" She also said that the only thing they would be monitoring are my labs that could show any signs of metastasis. I have had an MRI or mammogram every 6 months for the past 10 years. Though it was inconvenient, it did give me a sense of comfort knowing that a recurrence would be found early.
Are any of you that had bmx for DCIS and recon havIng any X-ray imaging to assess for recurrence ? I'm not comfortable waiting for lab work to reveal mets.
On another note, I am so happy for you awesome brave ladies nearing the end of treatment, having exchanges, and moving on to a new normal life. Wewill all be stronger and forever changed from this experience.
My plan is undergo one more FG procedure in September. My foobs are kinda quirky looking but look ok under clothes or a swimsuit. I really miss having sensation in breast. All I get now is a weird itch that you can't feel when you scratch it.... 😝
Wishing you all the best!
Alli
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I know we all look at ourregular check ups from now on with a bit of anticipation, whether they're blood work or scans, but we're tons stronger now than we were before and we have faced life head-on and kept going through. We can only continue to support for each other cause WE totally get how every one of us and our experiences while unique to each of us, are still so very much alike.
Summer countdown 1 & 2 are accomplished!!! (reconstruction and new babe) - just the wedding in August for two procrastinating last-born performer musicians who somehow think a wedding will just appear before them 2 1/2 months after engagement 🙄. Sorry, attitude check.
Little 2 day old George laying on my tender but squishy new foobs tonight 😍
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Bevmomduck - what a beautiful picture. Congratulations on the new bundle of joy.
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Hello girls! Just checking in. You know, at this point in the game I was starting to get myself a bit worked up worrying about recurrence and the first people I thought of for support was you lovely ladies! And lo and behold , I come on here and I see all of these wonderful, uplifting thoughts and beliefs and I knew I came to the right place. All my treatment is over and I only have reconstruction ahead. My follow ups don't start til October. I do know this--that no matter what, every moment of my life I now see as a miracle and I try to live each day fuller and better than before. I appreciate people way more than I ever did. I'm not other perfect but i do try to judge less and be offended less . This experience has matured me.
Annoyingboob -- I'm thankful we have our teams in place already for sure.
Fightingirl-- thank you for sharing stories of 17 year and even more survivors. I think anytime we hear of any of this positivity that we should share it.
In fact, Shelleybeans-- I wanted to tell you that I have a friend with your same statistics- who is a 9 year survivor and skis and lives a full life and rarely thinks of her BC. I'm sure you'll be the same.
Love you all! Hang in there! We are together in this always.💜
3 Bears
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Bevmomduck -I'm so excited for you!! Precious baby George! And squishy boobs for him to lay on! What a celebration! Its so good to see everyone posting and still keeping up. We have just about made it to the finish line!
Shellybeans - congratulations on your last round of chemo! I am sending you good vibed for an easy surgery and recovery with your up coming procedure.
Fightingirl- so good to see you checking in and to be done with PT and cording issues. I still have lymphedema and my surgery boob is huge. I kind of have a little dip were the incision is and that leads to a very swollen boob. I have one more week of PT then a few weeks off with a plan to reevaluate in mid August.
Annoyingboob - shame in your uterus for acting up! I had forgotten that I had some issues with fibroids in the 90's until I read your post. I had my tubes tied when I was 28 and around that time I was having pain. I ended up at the hospital thinking it was something to do with the tubal. I haven't had a problem with them since but boy do I remember the pain.
Ali- I think I will always worry!! I just read the other day that 30-40% of IDC will reoccurre! I did not research the source I just want to forget I read that! When friends share BC article and stories on FB like an idiot I have to read them. The fear is there without all the reminders popping up around us!
Life is almost good her under the Carolina blue sky! Our pool was finished and we were working on the deck. I was putting beautiful river stone around the outside and DH was building the deck. There was a problem with the liner and we had to drain the pool (17,000 gallons of water!) So the linet could be reinstalled. That put a halt to all the work because the liner would not be easy to get to with the decking (I requested a big deck and I'm getting it!) The reinstalled took place Friday and we had it filled back up by Sunday morning. The kids have been in several times. DH put the ladder where they could at least crawl in until the deck is finished. I got in last night and the water was 84. It was so nice. There has been a few bumps in summer but LIFE is still good.
XOXO XOXO
Teresa
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glad to hear everyone is doing well . Bevmom, that baby is beautiful. Life is indeed good.
I was supposed to get my first mammo tomorrow but , they forget to send in the order. So now I have to wait until I can get an appointment for that . Then a check up . Yes , I feel apprehensive and nervous. Ugh , I hate thinking about recurrence etc. It's so easy to get all stressed as when this all began , I felt great and had no clue , I would be Dx'd with BC. I was never sick ! Now the stress of a mammogram and my lungs feeling a little sketchy, which , I hope is just allergens from all the winds we have had , and sinus drainage, but you know , we now think everything is related to BC somehow!
Anyway , I love you all , and hope everyone continues to do well and live life to the fullest . Any suggestions on how to calm the fear is always a great read for me.
Love and Hugs to all
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Elem- if that doesn't just add to the stress level! I hope they get you scheduled soon so you can stop stressing with it! I to never dreamed I would have BC. No one in our family has ever had BC. I'm clean living girl! Never smoked, only have a few cocktails a year, free range eggs, grass fed beef and the list goes on! How could I get cancer?!?!
Whenever you start to worry just remember the cabana and all of us there with you! Laughing, sipping cocktails and living life without worry!
Love to you!
Teresa
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wow Vargadoll , that is incredible. I guess the clean living and food is also not a guarantee to a Cancer free life. It is so perplexing . No one knows . I remember my surgeon saying that if I could figure out the cause of why 1 in 8 gets it, there would be a nobel prize waiting for me! He said , we just don't know!
So that kind of stuck in my mind , but I still try to exercise and eat well or better than pre BC regardless. I hope we all never have to face this nightmare ever again . For now , I am hoping to overcome the anxiety waiting for this mammo.
Love You Ladies
I'll be in the cabana chilling!! ❌
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Hi lovely ladies! I haven't checked in here for a long time, and am happy to see everyone doing well and progressing (and spending time in those cabanas!). Got called to start prepping for my 6 month followup (already????) so I'm scheduling the dreaded mammogram and preparing for a whole wave of visits. All the doctors appearantly want to see me to say "how are you?" and have me say "fine. Sheesh."
I returned back to TKD practice, started competing again and won a District Championship in sparring. (Normally I'd win more than that, but given this year I will totally take it!). Went to worlds all excited to compete in the championship tournament where I immediately hurt my hamstring and didn't get to compete. LOL. If I'm not gimpy for one reason it's another! I went to my family practice doctor to check up on the leg and she was practically giddy to hear that I hurt it competing in taekwondo so soon after the breast cancer DX. She was like "you were doing WHAT? REALLY? That's SO AWESOME!". Then told me, all grins, that I'd heal up in time for my next tournament in August. I think I made her day.
I also passed my midterm, 4 of which are required before I can test for my next rank of black belt in 3 more years. There's a fit test component, which was challenging and did me no favors, but I didn't tell them anything and I passed on my own merits. So relieved and proud.
Anyhow, keep on being awesome! We'll all need to support each other as those 6 month followups start rolling through our little group. That's sure to bring some anxiety back to the top for many of us.
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Pyrrh - I'm so happy for you!!! We had about the same surgery close to the sametime. I juse got my letter for my mammogram today. I called to schedule but the office was already closed. I have been in PT since April 23 for cording and lymphedema. It is what it is and I will handle it the only way I know how....bad ass style! Hope to start back to zumba next week and get some fitness going on soon!
Hugs!
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awesome and congratulations Prryh. I try to kick box and everything starts to hurt in shoulders and left boob. But I still donit because it keeps me strong.
Yes , I scheduled my mammogram today , but the radio oncologist only ordered the left breast exam. That is where my cancer and radiation was. Is this normal?
I am a little vnervous for the exam as my previous experience was not favorable. I had DCIS, then IDC so yeah , I don't feel excited about it! I am doing all I can I suppose . Did Rads and am on Tamoxifen since March . So I hope everything will be good . I go in Thursday morning for mammo and Friday to radiology oncologist.
Well ladies , Good Luck to everyone with the followups . Keeps us posted. Always great to hear from everyone
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Just made my first mammogram appointment since surgery. It is scheduled for July 31. Now let's pray I don't put to much thought into it before hand!
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pyrrh!!! Congratulations on your achievements!! Sorry to hear about your hamstring, but you will bounce back in no time. I'm so proud of you!!
I went to Sardinia which is a blue zone - have you heard of those? There are a handful of spots in the world with big populations living into their 100s. So I swam in the Mediterranean Sea and drank their cannonau wine and ate their fresh veggies, but, to be honest, it was mostly fresh delicious pasta. It was my first vacation since before this whole mess, and I HIGHLY recommend taking a break or a weekend away if you can spare the time and money. I feel refreshed. And even though I was in a bathing suit each day, i didn't obsess about boobs or body image. Prolly first time in my life.
Enjoy your summers ladies, and I'm thinking of you girls getting follow ups - keep us posted!!
Shelley beans, a big congratulations to you for finishing chemo!! It's been a long haul, and you did it!!! Hopefully the rest will be just a walk in the park. I think of you often and wish you a gentle journey.
Here is the gorgeous water I was swimming in:
Love to allXxxooo
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Annoyingboob - what a lovely vacation! Your life sounds so exciting to this very southern girl! We are still working on the pool! It's been one issue after another. We had to drain it once and have the liner reinstalled because it wasn't done properly. Now the pool is full and we have been in it a few times. Which was awesome until we felt "trash " under the liner!! There are rocks and bumps all over the place. So...we get to drain 17,000 gallons of water once more. We are in limbo with the while back yard now. Good thing is, I don't sweat the small stuff anymore! DH is out of town for a few days (first time he has left me since December bless him) so I will be in grandkid heaven. I will have 2 in every bed in the house! Lol
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Look at us!! I'm so happy to come and get some inspiration from you ladies this morning because I too just scheduled my follow up with rad onc for Aug 2nd and they are sending my order for first mammo after this whole ordeal. I can probably call later today and get that on the books and I see the med onc Aug 9th. Here we go again!! I feel so much better having read how all you ladies are doing and knowing that many of you are also nearing those first follow up visits with me.
Shellybeans, I have thought and inquired about you often and congrats on the last chemo! I'm so glad to hear you are getting through this and finding such good support! Pyrrh...back to kicking ass! I'm in awe. I love it!! I could go on and on with everyone...unfortunately I'm at work so must be brief.
Keep going ladies and once again thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything. I knew my day would be better if I came on here and I was right. Much love!!
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