Illinois ladies facing bc

Happy Birthday Blackjack!!

Joan - will be thinking on you on Wed!  

Hope everyone had a nice Easter!

Lago- that is a BEAUTIFUL cake!!!  Did you bake it?

Good luck Joan!  And I believe it is because you DID your research that things will go just fine!  Easy for me to say, I know.  Feel free to remind me how confident I was for you when it's my turn.  

Dear Joan,

I know you are worried about this surgery.  I will be praying for you.  I have you on the calendar and you will be in my prayers.  You have had so much going on.  I hope that your stay will not be long.  Do you like to read and can reading distract you.  I am reading Once we were Brothers and I cannot put it down. It is about WWII, so maybe not the best for now, but it is a page-turner. Maybe you could pick up some DVD's to bring to the hospital in the event you are well enough to watch one on your laptop. Hang in there, Joan< soon this will be over and you will be back on bike!\Susan

HopefulHealing ~ Thanks for the info.  Mom now has a list of drugs to discuss with the ONC to see if she can get more relief.  All of your concern warms my heart!

 Joan ~ I know that this is scary, but Dr. Kim's team is top notch at this.  You are in fine hands.  I will be praying you through on Wednesday.  I don't recall what time you expect to go in, so please let me know. Before they give you the sedative to take you to surgery, just think of all of us holding you up!

I'll be watching this thread for any news of you when you are able to post. I even made my husband post for me to let my friends know that I was OK!  

Happy Birthday BJ - hope you enjoyed your special day!

Joan-I'll be thinking of you tomorrow and sending positive thoughts/prayers that all goes well and your recovery will be quick and with no complications. You'll do great. (((hugs)))

We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion.
Max de Pree

Hello everyone...I so look forward to reading these posts every day.  There is just so much warmth and good karma here.  For those of us just starting treatment it is a constant reminder that there is life (and laughs) on the 'other side'.   I am still in a holding pattern waiting for my BRCA results and an appointment for another biopsy.  I had no idea that this process would be so freaking long & frustrating.  I am one who 'makes things happen'.  I have had to learn to sit on my hands and accept I am out of control of this schedule. Tough for my little type A heart

Joan - I am sending good vibes and {{{hugs}}} your way. 

Lago - Google makes the best cakes.    Thanks for talking me off the ledge yesterday.  Your generosity of spirit just blows me away.

Jackie - I am choosing Inner Peace again today.  I lost it yesterday...but it's a new day.  

I got lost in Illinois yesterday.  Took a trip to Sycamore, Illinois and got all messed up coming home with my GPS acting like it was on drugs.  It kept changing the route.  I saw a sign that said "Elgin Area" and I seriously considered contacting Wendy to get my bearings on her deck.  I seriously have no sense of direction.

 Made my reservation to tour Alcatraz when dd and I go to San Francisco.  Funny what appeals to us.  BJ would probably book a spa, Rita would book a golf course and I book a penitentiary.

 Before losing myself in rural Illinois, I care for the kids while dd took Violet to the doctors.  On top of it all she has a cataract, but her reports are always getting better.  I am going to post this great picture of her.  Lago, can you post that link on how to post pictures here.  Navigation is obviously not a natural skill for me.

Joan.....we are getting closer and I know you just want to get this over with. Prayers ongoing tomorrow.

Susan

Susan....it is so easy for me to get lost too.....maybe I heard that in my younger yrs. too often and that is why it is so easy for me to do. 

Invisible....I'm glad you are still choosing inner peace.  We all stumble during the balancing act called life, but sometimes it is due to NOT making a choice or feeling like we have one.  I think we pretty much always do. I also like your karma description......something that is always at work.  Though I often feel I don't come close to figuring out many karmic things......it holds great intrigue for me.....but then, I have  a spiritual nature that always wants answers from that direction so the mysteries of it all have a solidly deep enchantment for me. 

Had I been told that in the later years of my earthly existence that I would lean so very HEAVY this way, I think I would have been terribly amused.  Now it is as much a part of me as my skin.  I'm sure you are with me on this Susan/Zap.  It is a simple matter of it is either there or isn't. 

Joan.....sincerely ---- we are going to be sending you so much love and care tomorrow. 

I hope the sun is shining bright for everyone.  A bit cool here and for a couple more days but that sun is making up so much for it. 

Hugs, Jackie

Jackie, I actually gave myself permission to be lost in Illinois yesterday and keep peace within and was actually doing okay until I realized my GPS was berserk and I went by the same landmark (this barn with a yellow silo) for the third time and I realized I was going in circles and the circumference of that circle was thirty miles.  Then it all came down on me:  I was running out of gas, it was getting later and true to me, I was driving with $12.00 in my purse and no credit card.  And so I abandoned the adventuresome  aspects of this and called my dh (yes, I had a cell phone). He got me back.  Solo world traveler.....maybe not.  Illinois sure is a pretty state, however, and it was nice seeing all the barns. I do wish I had made it home on my own. Maybe should just get lost again...not much of a challenge for me (I just will bring the credit card and more money).

On a far more serious note, I know that so many are facing really hard times right now Do work on the inner peace exercise as it grooms the strength you need. Too often we go direct to panic-mode or desperation mode (like I did yesterday) and WE DON"T NEED TO. Easier said than done when you are five years out from a BC diagnosis/treatment. Good wishes to all.

Susan

Susan: linky

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Thanks BJ. I'm just getting really tire of this.

Invisible any time. That's what why I'm still here.

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Here's the update on me if any really wants to read all this:

Saw my onc & NP today. Seems one of those liver "lesions" has gone away. The other 2 they are assuming are cysts and unchanged but still too small to tell. My onc now wants me to have another scan in 6 months. WFT. I asked why so soon. The other was 1 year. She stated I was further out from treatment. Also now they can't give me the results over the phone or email. I have to come in due to HIPPA law (says the scheduler). At least I can do that on the same day.

I was told my eyebrows thinning are not from the estrogen sucking drug which I will now call ESD (anastrozole). Not sure what to do about the nails that are still lifted either. Not sure if I'm going to see a dermatologist about these issues yet but my onc gave me the name of the super special dermatologist out in Melrose Park. I'm trying to cut down on doctors visits not add them.

So my NP says I only have to keep the port 2 years not 3. She was going to check with my onc. Forgot to get that answer. I figure when I do the liver scan I can find out. The liver scan & visit will be 1 month shy of 2 years having the port. I might be getting deported sooner rather than later.

Here's to deportation!

LOL Adey - deported :-)

Lago - good news that one of the liver lesions went away.  I like the accronym ESD.  I will keep it in mind when I have to start taking them.  I think the HIPPA stuff is a bit of BS.  My doctor gave me my biopsy results over the phone.  

Hopeful...that was such a perfect description of the last 8 weeks of my life.  Again, why I come here every single day.  Friends and family can be supportive but you guys all 'get' it. 

Jackie - your wisdom and kindness always amaze me.  

Spunky - good news all around!  

Zap...I loved my tour of Alcatraz in 1994.  My first impression was the view from the island to the beautiful city of San Francisco.  As if being in prison wasn't bad enough!  I met a gentleman there who wrote a book about his experiences as a prisoner in Alcatraz. His name is Jim Quillen.  He was at Alcatraz from 1942 to 1952.   I would be happy to loan you the book.  Send me a PM with your address and I will send it to you.

Today I steered toward inner peace.  I didn't let my internal GPS get me lost. 

FYI for the dense in Illinios: www.areyoudense.org
In CT if you have dense breast tissue issurance must cover an US. A law just passed in CT that states the radiologist must inform you that your tissue is dense.

Susan it's a good question to ask your MD. Granted an US without a Mammo isn't recommended either. I would think though even with dense tissue the tissue will still become less dense with age.

Yes I have read all about the articles and too many scans. linky

I do agree they can have us chasing things that aren't there. Your doctors will say the same but once you are high risk the risk is worth taking. (Think what is your recurrence or new diagnosis risk vs risk of having issues from radiation). Granted I too would question the value of the mammogram. Not sure where your tumor was located but I would think one in the posterior region is less likely to be spotted then one much closer to the surface… but I'm not sure of that either, just my opinion.