Exchange City

Also wishing everyone uneventful surgeries with fabulous healing and great outcomes. Be good to yourselves. Maggie

PS Brenda, hope today is smoother sailing. I've only been thru one earthquake, and I was sleeping with my infant son. I thought he was having a seizure and freaked out.  And Julie, here's to nipple-iciousness this week. You're going to look fabulous. I took off the nipple shields this weekend (yes, a little early) and feel not only shield free, but bra free. Wahoo!

Best wishes for speedy and pain free recoveries to all with upcoming surgeries.

 Luna:  Your enthusiam about your results is so encouraging....thank you again for your kind words..... 

RE: The earthquake...we were just sitting down to dinner also NAE - when the earthquake hit.  I thought one of the kids pushed the pendant lights in the kitchen to set them swinging!  And then I suddenly felt the swaying.  The chandelier in the entry way was really swinging - because it is hanging from the second story...pretty harrowing as it seemed to go on  longer than most earthquakes...

Hello dear ladies - I've been m.i.a. for a while, but wanted to pop in & say "hello".  Hope no one was hurt in the earthquake, it seems there are quite a few of you in CA.  Also hope everyone is doing well after your respective procedures, and best to all of you over the next few weeks!!

I've tried to catch up on reading, but kids were on spring break last week & didn't afford me much time - so sadly, I'm skipping forward and missing a ton of info/updates.  ANNIEALSO - what wonderful news!! So very happy for you.

As of today, I am 9 weeks post-exchange, and finally have a little "drop" especially on the left side, and it seems to be evening out the section which I thought was a seroma.  In a follow-up visit, BS said he didn't feel much fluid, it seemed to be how the te's had expanded me & how the implant was fitting in - it looked weird, but thankfully it might be evening out a little. I still have what feels like "cords" under each arm where PS did lipo, and both BS and PS say it's just some fluid & scar tissue that will eventually even out (huh? I thought scar tissue, once formed, stayed there unless surgically removed!) Anyway, I'm looking pretty good in clothes, still not-so-great nekkid. I would also like to again publicly thank Deborah for her knowledge and expertise in my very dark days, post-exchange: thank you for your kindness!

Hope everyone is well, and please know I pray for you every day. xo, E

Hi all:

Congrats to all who had surgery last week...everyone sounds rather joyful!  Also, wishes for non-eventful procedures for this weeks' girls!!!  I have been busy trying to stay well enough to finish up my chemo.  I am getting the neuprogen shots but still struggle with high enough counts.  (My ddAC in the fall went well - but I had Neulasta shots which are much stronger.)  Anyway - only two to go and then we will schedule my exchange for hopefully mid to late May.  My TE's are still a bit tight at 475cc but certainly doable.  My my severe pain is mainly in my legs (deep bone) feet and fingers.  My onc thinks it is a combination of the taxol se's and the shots.  Soon it will be a distant memory.

I spend the time my fingers are "working" researching whether to do an Aromatase Inhibiter or Tamoxifen.  Both seem to carry their share of se's.  As I have had a hyst/ooph in the fall - not so concerned about the risks with Tamoxifen - but more concerned with bone and joint pain associated with the AIs.  It has been very difficult for me to curtail exercise and QOL/FUN these past few weeks with the issues I am having with bone pain from taxol/neuprogen and I do not want 5 years of similar pain.  I also got the results of my bone density test and I have osteopenia/borderline ostheoarthritis already.  I am not even 50   I took prednisone for nearly 20 years and also have always been a very thin build.  Despite my love of veggies and exercise (I run 3-5 miles every day) I still have brittle bones.  Accordingly an AI would only make it worse.

I would love to get together with my local Sarasota "sisters" as suggested.  The weather is finally cooperating here in our area and despite the annoyances of treatment, I find myself smiling from ear to ear and enjoying the beautiful sunshine.  We could meet for lunch outdoors before the heat of the summer.

My husband and I also took some fabulous photos of the shuttle launch this morning over Sarasota Bay.  We live in a penthouse looking east over the Bay and on the other side of the house - west over the Gulf.  The launch was east and reflected over the waters of the Bay.  It was as if we could reach out and touch it despite being all the way across the state.  We have taken many photos of day launches - but this one in the dark was stunning!

Have a blessed day everyone and "full boobs ahead"....peace

Jaclyn, I have osteopenia due to a parathyroid tumor years ago, and was uncertain about using an AI for some of the same reasons you have. I've found that salmon oil almost completely eliminates the joint aches, and I've asked to have an annual bone density test to monitor my bones since I refuse to go on a bone density drug.

The studies show that splitting your 5 years between tamoxifen and an aromatase inhibitor (2 years/3 years) is as effective as being on an aromatase inhibitor for the entire 5 years. So if my bones start thinning more, I plan to switch to tamoxifen after year #2. In the meantime I'm taking strontium citrate which had been improving my bone density before this all began.

Hi everyone

Good luck to everybody having surgery this week.  May it be painfree and a quick recovery.

I have been reading the posts lately and some have made me laugh.  You are all so upbeat about everything .... which is great. 

Susie123 you mentioned that your nips are getting done at the same time as your exchange.  I asked my PS about that and he said it had to be a different surgery..maybe we do things different here "down under".  Personally I'm not sure about whether to get nips or not.  If he could do it in the same surgery I would probably get nips, but seeing it will be yet another surgery, now I am not so sure.  Just want to finally put it all behind me and get on with life again.

I need to start working again, like yesterday, being a single mum, money is extremely tight at the moment, but I am due for surgery in August.  I have applied for a few jobs, but didn't get any, maybe because I mentioned August's surgery.

Question:  How many of you would mention you had to have surgery in 4 months going to a job interview?  I just wanted to be honest and upfront with them.

Jayne

Jayne is right,  no need to tell them before you are hired.  At least get the offer first, then tell them.  You're not being dishonest, just choosing the right time to mention that.  JUDY

Agreed, your surgeries are your business, especially before you are hired.  After you are hired, there are legal protections in place if you should need to take time for surgeries.  Best wishes to you!

Kristinka:  When I read your post about driving back to work to get your laptop with your pics I had a funny scenario in mind but felt too sick to share it.  Now I am SLOWLY feeling better.  So I pictured you alone in your car with the theme from Mission Impossible playing as you race accross town while your children wait at home alone foor their fearless leader.  Probably doesnt sound that funny now. 

Whippetmom:  It seems like ever since I shared my worries about my divot there has been a lot of chatter about fat grafting/lipo procedures.  Once again it is good to know that if I ever need that down the road I have the knowledge and experience of everyone on EC here to guide me.

I will pray (as always) for upcoming surgeries!

My Easter was no fun--bronchitis has been kicking my butt for the past 7 days.  Hopefully I'm on the upswing

Kristen

My fat grafting procedure was covered mostly by insurance.  I have to pay 20%.

Fat grafting is restorative and is covered by insurance..JUDY

I'm with you, Judy.  We can evacuate before a hurricane!

geneskirt....I had a Hysty/Ooph with the Davinci Robotic surgery performed by a gyno/onc who specializes in ovarian cancer.  The reason I did this instead of just a normal laproscopic by my gyno was so that if anything was found during the procedure....lymph nodes could be checked...frozen section.  I had already had so many surgeries that my gyno said this made sense because if the tissue he found had anything questionable then another surgery would be required to check the lymph nodes.

They kept me overnight I guess because it is a big surgery....but I felt like going home.  Felt fine.  I could have gone to work the next day.  So, if you could schedule your Hysty/Ooph on a Friday...you would definitely be fine by Monday with either the Davinci or a Laproscopic.  You wouldn't even have to tell them why you wanted the day off...or I guess you could just call in sick that morning   LOL