Starting Radiation October 2019
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Today was beautiful with clear blue skies. It's was in the 60s but I like it a bit crisp.
My mammogram results are unresolved. I had the mammo done and then they came back for me to have some more pictures done. In the waiting room, when women are done, they will bring them a full sheet of paper and sent them to change. Well after the second pictures, I sat in the waiting room for about 20 minutes. When the technician came out and read my name, I didn't see the full sheet of paper. She told me the radiologist needed to talk to me. She found two spots on the left breast (cancer side). She said it might be just calcification but she can't tell so we need to do a stereotactic biopsy. I told her I was having surgery on Monday and I was in my second week of fasting. She told me to discuss with my MO that I will be seeing tomorrow. I'm going to push him to let me have my surgery and then I'll get the biopsy a few weeks afterwards. I don't think there is a rush. Besides, I've been waiting for this surgery for over a year and I don't want to postpone. I'm actually calm but who knows how stressed I'll be by the time the biopsy is done.
I've taken up coin collecting. I came home after four hours at the clinic and starting organizing my coins. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.
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I forgot to mention that I was talking to the technician about the COVID vaccine. She said she is hearing that many breast cancer patients are having lymphedema afterwards. I guess that makes me more and more lean against. Mayo sent me a letter last week saying I was eligible to get it. Today at work we had a all hands call (2000 people). In the chat box, so many people were really aggressive saying that they would not work with anyone that had not had the vaccine. I'm hoping that's fear talking and not mob hatred.
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Kamboka, I hope the spots turn out to be nothing. You are so close to having that surgery. Don't let anything interfere.
I have not had the vaccine, yet. I am waiting the the J&J one dose vaccine. Some of my friends that have signed up are still waiting for the first dose and they are all over 65. It is a rural area of mostly older people and distribution seems to be the problem. It is the Moderna vaccine here.
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The MO said today that I should go ahead and have the surgery and we will do the biopsy on the 22nd. I will try to be positive and only believe it's just a few benign blips.
The fast is going okay just boring. I'd love to have some crunchy salty food but I'll have to wait about six months.
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Petite1 - I'm glad all of your testing came back fine.
Kamboka - I'm glad you can have your surgery on Monday after all the fasting you have been doing. I hope and pray that those spots are nothing. Remember I had a couple lumps turn up a year ago and they were nothing but a side effect from the radiation. Try and focus on your surgery on Monday and recovery. One thing at a time.
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I am heading to the MO today.
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petite1: Good luck with your visit. Since we are all fairly new to cancer, it seems like every MO visit is a 50/50 proposition.
mocame: It was kind of funny in the RO office when she can can I get the biopsy soon. I said "oh, no", "I'm not going through this two week fast again". I think my brain wasn't even thinking cancer. That's how I'm going to keep it.
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Good morning. The visit went well. My mamo was good and I did get a referral to an Ortho that specializes in hands. Bone scan was no changes, but it is from 2020.
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petite1: That's great news. I hope this new ortho can help you with the pain. I told someone recently that I'm always in pain. Most times, I can block it out, but it's still there.
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Good morning, ladies. It is actually hot. I got sunburned on my neck during my walk. I missed covering it with sunscreen.
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Petite1 - I'm glad your visit went well. I hope the Ortho dr can give help your with the pain in your hands.
We had some snow again overnight but then it changed to rain. We had our 2nd vaccination clinic at the retirement community where I work. It went very well with only a couple people reporting side effects from the 1st dose of the vaccine. So many residents tell us how thankful they are that they can get the vaccine and get it within their community. Many of them said they have friends who can't get in anywhere to get it. My FIL finally got his first dose a couple counties away. Very frustrating.
Although we had snow and rain last night, it is now sunny and 45 degrees! Woohoo!
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My mom has decided to take the vaccine in a week. She was ambivalent since her friend died right after he took it.
Today, I bought an accent chair off Facebook but I might not use it. When I went to pick it up, it was the right colors and looked nice. While I was waiting on a fellow to come out and help the older man, the old man starting talking to me. He told me his wife died six weeks ago. He found her in the house dead from a heart attack. I didn't think anything of it until I started driving home with the chair. Was this the chair that she died in? Is that why they were selling it? If he hadn't told me this, I would use the chair, now I don't want to. I can't ask them if this was the chair so I'm stuck. It's sitting in my garage as either I need to clean it and use it or try to get rid of it. I paid more than 'throw away' money. (I'm really scary when it comes to ghosts, etc. I can't watch scary movies.)
One more day until the surgery. My brother gets here tomorrow afternoon. I've done some ordering of baby food, protein shakes and mushy stuff to get me through the first couple of weeks.
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I hope everything goes well with your surgery. I will be praying for you!
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Prayers and cyber hugs, Kamboka
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Hello, Petite1! I hope you are having a great day!
Kamboka - I hope surgery and recovery are going well.
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mocame, I am doing OK. I have a dental appointment today and the Ortho doc. on Friday. It would be nice to have my hands back.
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Petite1 - Let us know how your ortho appt goes. I hope they can do something that will help you. How long do you need to be on the Arimidex?
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I just got out of the hospital today. They kept me for an extra night because I wasn't taking fluids. I tell you, the first night was painful. Now, I realize how much we depend on those stomach muscles. Every time I move, I have to use them and it's not fun. I really didn't realize completely how major this procedure was. I'll have to write more tomorrow. I only had four sick days and I guess I'll have to use the fourth tomorrow. Maybe Friday, I can do something and take a few calls.
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Kamboka - Good to hear from you! How many days did they say the recovery time usually is? Your brother is there to help you, right? Take care of yourself and don't overdo it.
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mocame, I am on it for 5 years. One down 4 to go.
Kamboka, thinking of you. I am glad you are out of the hospital. I would think it will be about 6 weeks before you can be "full duty".
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They said I'm not supposed to drive for two weeks. I'll have to do that sooner since my brother is leaving on Saturday. We've tried to get all the supplies I need before he leaves. Today was better. Just still sore and as with most abdominal operations, it's hard to stand straight and when coughing. I have to hold a pillow over my abdomen to do a good sneeze or cough. I was able to get about 30 ounces of fluids today. I'm supposed to have 64. Having some back and side muscle spasms but the muscle relaxer helps. I switched insurance last November and this one might not pay as well as my last one. I just got a bill for 900 that included a few co-pays and my nerve block. I hate to see what this operation one will be. Thinking of health costs is enough to make one get sick again.
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Petite1 - Hopefully you can get some relief for your hands and things will get better after you are off of it. I have to be on it for at least 10 years. Ugh. My main problem/painful areas are my feet/ankles and hips but it's really not too bad yet.
Kamboka - I'm glad you are starting to feel a little better. I've had a few abdominal surgeries and I can relate to that pain. It is amazing how much we use those muscles. That stinks you are getting such high medical bills and they sent it to you already! I wish someone would actually do something about our country's medical costs but I don't think they have an answer and neither do I. I hope you feel better as each day goes by.
I had an appointment with my PS on Monday. It was the last follow-up appointment from my surgery in December. Everything looked good and I will see him again in a year. Until then, because of the radiation I had, I have to lotion for the next 2 or 3 years. He mentioned some people using Aquaphor but that has ruined my clothes and I don't want to do that for another 2 to 3 years so I'm sticking with the Aveeno lotion that I also used during radiation.
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Kamboka, I had a total abdominal hysterectomy and understand the abdominal pain. Be careful not to over do.
mocame, thumb shot hurts. Typing with one finger.
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petite1: Thumb shot? That sounds super painful. I hope it helps.
mocame: So glad that all is well with the last surgery. I try to lotion up but don't always remember.
Two weeks before the biopsy and I'm going to suggest that I sit up and not have to lay down on my stomach. I'm not thinking that that will feel good!
I'm feeling hungry and today I finally had some blended lentil soup for lunch and squash soup for dinner. It was so nice to have something hot and not sweet like my protein shakes. I'm still retaining fluid since I'm not at 64 ozs yet. I've actually up about a 1/2 pound since Monday.
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mocame, I am still using Aquaphor. Just opened a new tube yesterday.
Kamboka, I am glad you are doing better.
My thumb has some movement today and it is not hurting. Maybe the shots will work.
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Good news about your thumb. Many people get relief with the cortisone shots.
Recovery going well. I'm constrantly hungry, not sure if that is normal.
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I woke up this morning at 630 to find all the power off in the house. I had forgotten to charge my phone and only had 20% power but it was enough to check the power company site. Only 800 homes were affected. The power didn't come back on until 1000. When it did, my water dispenser on the fridge just keeps flashing. I can't make it work. Now, I have to break down and call the technician and spend $100 to do something that might be really simple. Since I have the surgery, I can't pull it out of the wall to reset or wrangle the ice maker out.
Today, my stomach has been sore and swollen with gas. It's uncomfortable but not painful. I've got a five day 1/2 day day training starting Monday. I hope it's not where we have to be on camera so I can move around. I can't sit for four hours.
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Kamboka, my refrigerator does the flashing thing when the internal temperature gets up to a certain amount. I think there is a press and hold button in the front.
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petite1: Is your hands feeling better? Some people get months of relief with the injection.
mocame: How did you follow up appointment go?
Luckily the lights stopped flashing and the dispenser started working. I was able to cancel the visit and save that money. Today, I had my first day of the four hour afternoon training. It requires me to do computer work and it was so tiring. First, it would have been a good in person class where the instructor can help but being only virtual, I was lost at time. Four more days to go. My lower back was hurting and my stomach was sore and bloated. I was restless. I ended up changing out my office chair for my rocking chair. Seemed to feel better. I can't sleep d/t the foot neuropathy and my back hurts trying to stay off my side. The muscle relaxer doesn't seem to be working. I might have to break down and use the pain med.
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Petite1 - That thumb shot sounds painful. I'm glad it's feeling better, though.
Kamboka - I'm glad your dispenser started working again. Those things are so frustrating when they happen because you know it's probably an easy fix. I usually end up googling my model # and the problem and can find someone else with the same question and a fix for it. Not guaranteed, though. I hope your discomfort eases soon. Not fun.
I have an appointment tomorrow with my MO, lab work, and my next Prolia injection. I've started with achiness in my legs. Usually during the night and in the morning. I find myself waking up at night moaning because it aches so much. It's probably nothing but I'm going to mention it to my MO. I haven't exercised as much since my surgery in December and apparently I'm more out-of-shape than I thought. Yesterday, I took off of work and took my son to an accepted student open house day at the college he is going to attend this fall. Everything was socially distanced and they only let in 50 students out of hundreds who will start in the fall. Masks, boxed lunches, etc. Well, we had to use steps (one way only) to get to some of the rooms we were going to and we were doing it along with the college students who were also trying to get to class. Well, I have realized that going up 3 full flights of stairs (2 section of steps for each floor) at a pretty good pace, is a little bit beyond me right now. I was the slow poke.
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