Illinois ladies facing bc

Susan:

I trust in the ebb and flow of the universe. I trust that life's bigger than what I can see. I trust that there is a divine order beyond my control. And I trust that no matter what happens, I will be all right.
Oprah Winfrey

sometimes we don't get to pick and choose --- and you know there would never be a way to find out how strong we really are if there were not things to test us.  There is a season and time to everything and everyone and I'll admit, it is much easier to be philosophical in a situation that does not concern me other than I love and care about you....and to that extent about your loved ones.  I just know and feel that accepting our powerlessness makes us able to withstand whatever happens.  You know that I don't believe in luck, chance, or anything just happening.  So all we can do about most things is to pray for acceptance of what will be and the strength to deal with whatever that outcome may be. 

Of course in the meantime....I will be praying for a positive outcome,  and hope with all my heart and soul that it comes out that way. 

Hugs, Jackie

Feeling stressed out. I had to call my surgeon and have him call my primary doct to get the pre-op work up set up....I should have to be the one dealing with this.

It doesn't help that we got anew provider and I ve to start this process all over again. The old compan won't transfer any information to the new one.

Surgrey is a wk from tomorrow.

Lisak Wendy is so right. Before my BMX there were so many screw ups (ended up firing my gyno but that's a long story, place that I got my mammos/US took 3 tries to get the right US disk, hospital had me scheduled for the wrong kind of biopsy even after I questioned it, given someone elses blood test script!) You really need to watch all of this… but this first surgery was the scariest and most stressful for me.

The doctors usually catch these things though.

BTW I am now on my 3rd insurance starting Jan 1st since this thing started… another long story.

Self-care is critical to having a strong inner foundation.
Taking good care of YOU means the people in your life
will receive the best of you rather than what is left of you.
- Lorraine Cohen

Happy New Year to everyone! Went to Atlanta to visit old friends (two other families who also moved out of Michigan a few years ago). Had a good time, but car trips can be stressful at times. They have a very nice aquarium in Atlanta. Tasted some southern BBQ, too.

Kelly--congrats on getting the drains out!

A trip to Traverse City in June was one of the best sister weekends my sisters and I went on....it was unseasonably warm, and beautiful. Love the cherry gift shops and wine tasting. The coastline nearby was so beautiful....

I was focusing less on BC and more on family over the holidays...now it is back for two more chemo treatments before rads. 

I'm so glad to see the sun is coming up earlier and staying up longer again!!

Thanks everyone!  You are all the best.  I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your care and concern.  I hope that I can give to you in the way you give to me.  I will keep you posted.

Lots of chatter here. Corinne, as you get closer to zeroing in on your summer destination, let me know if you are interested in Waupaca.  The better places get booked by February and some lakes are better than others. I can tell you more.  This is definietly a family place and in no way spa-like.

Where is Laura?  I miss her posts! 

I am going over to the health club (actually it is a park district facility in Glenview) daily and I want it to become a habit.  They say you have to do something for five weeks before it becomes a habit and hard to give up.  I have a ways to go as I could easily give it up right now!

Lisa, it sounds like a tangle to me.  When I am under the weather, I want people to take care of it all.  Wendy and Jackie give the best advice, however, and again I am reminded that we need to be strong even when we feel so vulnerable.  Again, easier said than done.  Do you have a friend or family member who can go over all your plans with you to help find anypossible  loopholes? Or does the doctor have a person on staff who can help you organize? I know my oncologist had an office manager and she was great about coordinating events.

Have a good day, dear ladies, and thank you again for being there for me.  I have decided that we have three things in common:  we have or had breast cancer, we generally all live in Illinois, and we pretty much are the most caring people on the face of the earth.

Hi, Corinne ~ We (my DH and I; he is a rock and hasn't missed any appts!) are downtown on the 9th and the 16th in the afternoon, if that works for you.  Would love to say Hi! Just let me know.

zap - Sorry to hear that DD is back on the monitor, but I am glad to hear that she's with an MFM group now.  I know the "unknown" can be very scary, but it sounds like they're both in good hands, and much has already been ruled out.  Hugs to all of you.

amosmom - Interesting to read about how your reactions to things have changed a lot since your first dx.  I haven't had a recurrence, but I do often think about how different I was 6 years ago when this all started.  I like to think this unwelcome life "experience" we've all had has definitely made us stronger women, with a bit more insight into ourselves and the world around us. 

Pardon my babbling... lol. 

LisaK - GREAT advice from Wendy about the necessity of being your own advocate.  It's annoying dealing with the red tape between doctor's offices, insurance companies and hospitals, but SO important. Good luck to you with your surgery. 

Nancy Jill - Glad you were able to focus on family for the holidays.  Back to getting that pesky chemo done and behind you now!

Joan - No fair having a nasty infection ruin a perfectly good trip!  Hopefully that Levaquin will do its thing and you can enjoy the rest of your time there. 

I've only been home a week post-op and I'm starting to get a little stir-crazy.  As much as I always think I want to stay home full-time, I think I really suck at it.  LOL.  The new boobelas are looking fine, although still sore at the incisions.  My symmastia repair area is (as I thought) the most painful and slow to heal area.  I'm wearing my (notreally) sexy thongbra most of the day and night, and almost getting used to it.   There are still a couple of divots where he put some power-stitches in for the symmastia repair, but I'm told those will lessen in time.  

Looks like a ridiculously warm day for January out there.  I think I'll open a few windows and get a winter airing out of the house.  Unless the windows are stuck that is.  My pecs aren't really ready for battling jammed windows right now!

Welcome KatieP. I am in Geneva and have my docs at NW. Many of us have had BMX so ask any questions you like.



Corrine Dr Fine used my stomach skin and c section scar for my grafts. PM me if you have more questions or want to chat. I did put one photo on the photo board a few weeks ago. I have to update it though.

Welcome Katie

I see Dr. Bethke and Dr. Fine at NWMH.  Are you with Dr. Witt? He has a great reputation too.

I made the choice to have a BMX, although I had ILC in the left breast only.  I chose a BMX, and the decision was mine. I was told that a lumpectomy was not an option for me (small breast to begin with, would have to have a MX) so I chose a BMX to reduce the chance of it returning and for symmetry reasons. No regrets.

However be aware that you will lose sensation which is really hard to deal with. I didn't think it would because I was not that sensitive before but it is.

Corinne- thats how i feel totally, theyre telling me that the chance is low but i just dont trust that, also ive never been symmetrical and would like to be.. Do you ever wish you still had sensation? And yes im with dr. Witt and i love him more then words. What incisions did they do at NW? I want skin sparring but dr witt creates an ellipse around the nipple so a little bit of skin goes, but ive seen where they just take the areola?



Hopefulhealing- mine are dense too and fibrocystic so very lumpy which is what worries me i also dont want mammos and mris for the rest of my life and to always be afraid theyd find something... Sensation is something i worry about, but i didnt like my boobs before so id cover them up anyway during those kind of moments... Haha i thought about doing nipple sparing on the non cancer side.. But i duno if thats crazy.



Joan- you are close! Im actually in bhills right by fox river grove. I saw that you got rads, is the infection from rads? Did you get rads while you still had the TEs? Whatd that timeline look like? Does it put off the exchange for a long time? Any issues during rads? Theyree saying i need rads bcuz of my age even tho my nodes were neg.... So rads is my biggest worry on top of deciding whether to do bmx or umx im def leaning toward bmx i think the odds are just against me and i have to be extra careful

Katiep just to let you know a friend of mine was diagnosed a 2 years before me. She just had a lumpectomy and rads. She didn't do hormone treatment (issues with tamoxifen). She was diagnosed 2 years later just after my 4th of 4 chemo tx in her other breast. She again did lumpectomy rads and this time luprin shots and AIs. She's 49.

It's true what the say about sensation. Remember you will be watched very closely now. Rush is know for their imaging. I wish I had been going there for my mammos. I bet they would have found my a lot sooner.

OUCH! Wow...sorry to hear that! My experiences with them were great...yes, I am fortunate. A different hospital missed my 4cm TUMOR for 5 years...I am very pissed at them. So...I know the feeling! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

MadMom I don't think she sent one. I didn't get one either.