June 2017 Surgery Group
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I'm joining the post surgery population by finally getting back to the non-drain parts of life. Today was my first day back to work, it was great and Wednesday I begin 6 weeks of radiation. I expect to be done just before my big annual work conference and hopefully I can go swimming in the hotel pool
Sounds like everyone else is moving forward and doing well. Yay, us!
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woohoo last drains out and first fills. Chemo starts 8-22
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Yay Mucki!!!
So everyone is drain-free now? We made it!!!
Meanwhile - anyone interested in forming a "quitting sugar" accountability group - let me know. 5 weeks post op and I still can't quit. Was going to start a "group me" me for encouragement.
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Hmmmm. I kinda like sugar. Mostly just ice cream. I'm not a candy person though, and I drink mostly just water. It probably would be good to be accountable though. I'm not familiar with group me. Is that an app?
Illimae. Nice that your back to work. I thought about going into the office today but I'm all set up at home and I don't really have any "work clothes" that fit me. I lost quite a bit of weight - like 15 lbs. I started out at only 115 so that's a big %. Still working on getting that back. I drink a special high calorie boost (special order) as well as high protein boost that I get from sams club. The weight is not going back too quick though. I know it's not an issue that most people have but just as frustrating as someone trying to lose weight.
I'm feeling good though. Keeping active. Just got back from a trip to the Michigan U.P. I was able to hike 4-6 miles each day. Missed the kayak trip around pictured rocks but the rest of the family enjoyed it. I was afraid that would be too much on my chest muscles and I did not want a tight life jacket on anyway. Maybe next time.
Hope everyone is doing well. Radiation starts Tuesdayfor me.
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Hello all;
I'm checking back in. I have my surgery date ( Thurs aug 24) for bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction. It's 2 weeks away. I'm terrified again - even though i was grateful I had the time to choose to do this. ( vs radiation, every 6 months surveillance and meds on and on - I am check 2 positive and had grade 3 high grade cells and lumpectomy end May with DCIS confirmed ( 3 path reports at 3 hospitals and all said something different!) I have learned to demand answers to my questions from doctors and surgeon - even if I am crying my way through it. I hate the ambiguity or pretending i understand when they go so fast. ASK QUESTIONS FOR SURE. Can i get advice on diet 2 weeks before? im also a coffee and like my glass of white wine end day - should i stop or cut down on both now? I am tying to reduce my stress ( so hard with my mother recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and a heavy duty job in denial im taking leave and adding pressure and new boss). i started swimming again for serenity and building up my core and tight hips...my adrenaline is high and i have high anxiety so a few mood ups and downs...therapy helping some...trying to calm down but tough - any advice on pre surgery diet, best practices, exercise, etc. so needed and WELCOME. bless you all xx toughiebird
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Mucki, controlling sugar is a great idea and one my MO recommended but quitting it may be impossible. I use stevia instead for most things but still enjoy fruit and the occasional wine or ice cream.
Lego, I'm happy to be back at work, I like most of my coworkers and missed my friend in my group, we've worked together for about 15 years. I am working on weight myself, I lost 40 lbs last year with diet and exercise and 25 lbs on chemo, 50 more to go.
Toughiebird, sorry to hear you have so much weighing on you and agree that getting answers is critical even when you're too upset to think straight. As for diet, I don't think you need to do anything pre-surgery. Post surgery, I would have some prepared or easy meals, you probably won't feel like cooking right away. Coffee should be fine, I wasn't advised against it and drank daily but I would skip the wine for a while due to anesthesia and pain meds.
Best of luck to you and your mom.
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thank you so much, illimae - greatly appreciate your advice.
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good advice Illimae. I stopped my daily martini before surgery and have not gone back. During Cocktail time I drink water. It was really only about the ritual that my husband and I enjoyed at the end of the day before dinner (a real throw back to the sixties)
I did lower my coffee intake gradually a few weeks before surgery. I did not want to deal with a withdrawal headache on the day of surgery.
I wish I could tell you how doable giving up sugar is. When I became diabetic (early or pre as they call it) of course it was off the table for me. It is just like addiction....,sugar craves sugar. Once you break the cycle it is amazing how many wonderful flavors are out there. It took me two weeks of hell to retrain my pallet. This is just my personal opinion but I think the sugar subs just keep the sugar cravings alive. Good luck to you all.
I hear you about the weight. I am looking at three months of chemo starting in two weeks and I am terrified of losing more weight. I lost 7 pounds at the surgery and have not found them. So now I am 127 at 5' 7" and looking too thin. I can't eat high carb drinks to gain weight without having diabetic complications. So I'm stumped. I eat high fat with no trouble but wonder if it is a problem with breast cancer.
Toughiebird you have a lot on your plate. Prayers and hugs. Good for you for advocating for your needs. I'm sick of the whole medical machine that wants to heard us through like cattle. We are making decisions about our lives. We get to ask questions and sorry if we can't fit it all into there little 10 minute time slots.
Illimae I am so happy that you are back to work. You have really walked the walk. Your story gives me hope.
Also, my chemo regimented will be Cytoxan and Taxotere. I'm scared all over again
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Yay for no drains!
I've finally regained my energy now that I'm 8 weeks post op. I have a second surgery at the end of September to tweak a few things and then I am done. My range of motion is slowly returning, but my radiated side is definitely tight and sore. I start PTi two weeks. Massage has helped a bit.
SusanGa, I had four rounds of cytoxan and Taxotere. I cold capped, so I didn't lose my hair. I took 300 mg of alpha lipoic acid to ward off Neuropathy. Drink something cold and slushy during the infusion to help eliminate the chemo metallic taste. Everyone reacts differently, of course. I took Claritin the whole time to ease joint pain from the neulasta on body injector. I used vitamin e and tea tree oil on my nails to keep them healthy. Sending you healing thoughts for your next phase of treatments.
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hey did you ladies have a lot of neck pain after port? I had mine today and I'm pretty miserable
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I was achy for a day or so. Not really pain though. More discomfort and it was more by chest than my neck. I only have one incision though and it is in my chest. Did you try to take Tylenol? Maybe that would help. You could try an ice pack too. I remember using that.
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Lego,
thanks for answering it hurts to chew and swallow my tube runs up my neck and I'm a little thin there so you can see it. None of my pain pills are relieving it much. Guess it's just my luck lately .
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Hi everyone! Started school last week. Friday is chemo day. Have 5 down with 7 taxol & 4 ac to go! Hair started going this week - no problem. Have a wig for school & hats for the weekend. Some body aches but not too bad.
We have survived this summer & more importantly are healing & getting on with life! It has been a crazy whirlwind since May. All of our lives have changed in ways we wouldn't have every thought about. It's definitely a marathon, not a sprint. But all of us are strong, determined and resilent! Here's to us!!
Toughiebird - you will make it a day at a time, a step at a time. illimae gave you great advice.
Mucki - sorry about the port. Hope it's better.
Lego - how is the radiation going? Flbuckeye - any problems with the radiation? any suggestions? I'm hoping to finish chemo the end of Nov & wait until late Jan to start radiation.
Have a great week!
Karen
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Hi Karen - that's a lot going with school and chemo! So relieved your side-effects are not debilitating.
Praying for you, Karen, Mucki, Toughiebird, Legomaster, FLBuckeye and everyone else!
Did anyone see the eclipse yesterday? In Georgia we had 97% - my church had a little get together for it. I was so amazed and how much more fun it was with the glasses than back in '79 with a pinhole camera. I was 6 and I remember it was not very satisfying to see the shadows. I wanted to see the sun. So yesterday was super fun actually being able to look up. My 8 year old enjoyed it so much, we are considering traveling for the next one.
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Hi all Hope everything is going well for everyone. Mucki, is your neck better? Good luck Thursday Toughiebird. I pray your surgery is uneventful and that you heal quickly.
Radiation is only 4 days in so still a long way to go. No issues yet though. Still just working from home putting in more time lately. I kind of like the freedom of working from home. I am more productive that's for sure.
We did see the eclipse yesterday but only about 80% coverage. We are very close to totality in 2024 in SE Michigan though. I fully intend on seen by that one too -seven years from now.
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Hi all, I'm happy to see everyone moving on to the next thing (work, treatment, life, etc) and recovering well. I've completed 8/30 rads, so far, so good.
Saw yesterday's eclipse too but only about 70%, still pretty cool though. I plan to be around for the next one too!
I'm pleased to say I feel great and am back to my pre-surgery activity level and healthier eating habits. I am looking forward to many good years despite my diagnosis, making lemonade out of lemons
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hello ladies; i go in Thursday aug 24 for my bilateral mastectomy... tomorrow (wed) lymph node mapping... finally finished up work today , pressuring me like crazy...trying to stay calm... been swimming (my go to zen place and i know i wont be able to for a while) celebrated my daughters sweet 16 last night - grateful, anxious, scared, want to be done with the surgery already - id LOVE any words of support, reality checks on emotions i will feel and anything anyone wants to help me with. Im a neurotic organizer so think Ive set up household (city apt living) as best i can... outsourcing my lovable dog for a few days to friends, having help come in to help with drains but feeling like im going into the abyss...this community is great. TY TY
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Toughiebird: I will be thinking positive thoughts for you this Thursday! It's the waiting that's the worse, once it's over you'll feel amount a tremendous of relief. 0 -
Toughiebird, it sounds like you have prepared well for the time after surgery. Good idea having friends look after the dog for a while especially if he is a lap dog or extremely jumpy. You wouldnt want to have to be taking him out on a leash for a little while if he is a puller. Drains are a hassle but emptying them is really easy. Nice to have help. I a sure your daughter will be helpful as well. It's the little things like reaching and carrying that are tough for a while.
Good luck tomorrow. Prayers that it goes as smoothly as it can and you recover quickly. We are here to support you so just reach out.
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Toughiebird you will fine! All of us have made it through and you will too! Right after my surgery I remember being surprised at how not-bad I felt and surprised that, while not fun, it was so much better than my expectations. Let us know how you are afterwards. I'm sure you will be feeling relief!
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Im sorry I haven't been keeping up here. Im trying to stay focused on school and I work nights too. :P
Toughiebird I think that you have had your surgery by now no? I hope you are doing well. I found my pets to be lifesavers after surgery. IDK how big your dog is, but the walking part I would have wanted help with for sure. But I found the focus on something to do, like feeding, watering, and petting helped me with keeping range of motion and I'm pretty sure the whole furry pet love lowers pain. One of my cats who is my sleeping buddy was a special lifesaver for me. She took to sleeping by my head instead of spooned up beside me since I was sleeping more on my back after surgery. I hope you are well. A week out from surgery was when I first had my bandages off. It was a lot of overwhelming sensations. My surgeon told me "you don't need that anymore" about the binder etc. Well I wish that I had put it back on after she did her wound inspection..... i didn't wear it the rest of the day and my body was so overwhelmed with all the different sensations.
My advice is.... be extra kind to yourself. Grieve when you need, relax as you need (thats hard for me), let yourself flow through the waves of varying emotions. I found 3-4 weeks out the hardest. That was when my body is past the majority of the shock, but my emotions caught up. I went back to work at 3 weeks and it was too soon. Not physically.... but emotionally.
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Toughiebird,I have been thinking about you.I hope everything went well for you.
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hi all! 5th day out of surgery...i made it...what a slight shock in some ways but not in others. home now - had amazing care in hospital - so lucky ( some angel) along the way put me in VIP status so got my own room and great nurses in hospital. what kills me, pain wise are (i guess) these xpanders? its the bottom part where the bottom of my breasts were and feel so tight - like as if i have wires digging in my skin and chest. is that norma? . taking Vicodin and Tylenol and gives some relief... sleeping hardest at night. seeing plastic surgeon tomorrow for post op - hoping to get the fuckin drains off...every piece of advice from this site was true - so grateful... path report in about 7-8 days and hopefully good news...exhausted! xoxo to all for your courage and comraderie.
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Glad you're doing well, those drains may end up being the worst part of recovery.
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I didn't have expanders so I can't really say, but just judging from how my body hated the drains (I kept having chest muscle spasms while they were in) I'd guess its normal. The drains tho...... omg.... HATED them.
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Glad you made it Toughie bird - hope the drains come out soon! Mine did feel like I had something poking me too. I just stayed still a lot. Hang in there!
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eureka! Drains out today - thank god...and i looked at myself for the first time but it was time...- i am super sore but nothing like those jabbing, biting, tightening, spasms with the drains - grateful one day at a time for sure - today its the drains... tomorrow hopefully a shower!
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Toughbird, Congrats! Drains are the worst!
illimae, are you okay? are you able to have treatment? Know Houston is a mess.
Taxol #6 has kicked my tail. Very bad leg & body pain. School started for the kids Monday so it was a hard week. Hate this stuff, but ready to get it behind me.
Think about all of you daily! May not log in but still wondering how everyone is doing. We survived the summer together & only we really know what it was like. But survived we did!!
Have a great weekend!
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ouray17, I'm doing fine. The flooding got to some nearby neighborhoods but thankfully not mine. I did miss two days of radiation but they've added one for Saturday and will add the other to the end. Otherwise, no issues except stress as I am involved in the clean up process for work. Getting around is tough because I can't travel south without going several miles east or west first but I can't complain.
Hi everyone else, hope you're doing well
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