Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Peachy & Kaneli, your SILs are rock stars! What inspiration they are!

My platelet count went up and my bone scan was good. Finally done good news! I just need that path report to say scar tissue!!!

Peachy - great news about SIL. The significance of that for a TN is huge! Yay!

MLP - I think the pink roses are a sweet gesture. Another thing I did during my cancer treatments is to tell my friends and family --we're Italians-- no hugging no kisses no hand shakes during this time. I also didn't stand in lines at stores or museums (to avoid being close to people), and I shopped during non-peak hours. I didn't get sick or feverish at all. I think it helped me. My SEs we're the outliers like foliculitis and skin rash!

so exciting happy hammer. Good luck!

DO DOCTORS WORK ON DIFFERENT TIME CLOCKS THAN THE REST OF US FOLKS (that is the subtitle to my post)

I guess I have to get on the April surgery list. My "lumpeeeectomy" is now on April 7th. Due to abnormal EKG combined with a week off work the first week in April, I have moved the surgery to that time. Question for all of you experienced folks out there - Probably for another thread (wow this one is massive)... How long would you expect to have with your BS before, during, and after the surgery? My first BS was a nightmare and I left her. She didn't do the core needle biopsy anyway.. but I ended up three times in her office and she was RUSHED. Left her behind (bye bye bitchy BS). I found another one, Spent more time with me, around 45 minutes for two visits, before going to the LX. I did/ actually I do have a couple of "residual " questions but I am feeling like her staff is guarding her time. For example, I wanted to talk to her about the surgical delay and was told initially by the schedule that it was "no problem" I wanted to ask her for her clinical credentials to give me that advice! Just feeling like there isn't enough time to talk to the docs. What is a reasonable expectation? I need to feel confident in my doc before surgery. Thank you and I look forward to reading more of your posts

MLP3, It is astonishing and so very sad that your friends don't get why you are concerned about being exposed to whooping cough. Take care of yourself - YOU matter most!

Peachy, that's wonderful about your SIL!

HH, good luck going back to work. Let us know how you feel when you get home!

Poodles, ARGH! I can't believe how much difficulty you are experiencing getting the damned incisions to heal and heal properly. A big relief that your girls are numb. Poor DH. Poor you! Glad there is a bit of progress, though.

Eleanora and Natchout, Finding the right BS to fit your personality and meet your trust levels IS a challenge. I was so lucky that I loved the BS my PCP at the time referred me to. I didn't have look around to find the right MO or RO either. Both were referred to me by my BS. And they all have different personalities and seem provide different avenues of support for me. Eleanora, if you don't feel comfortable with your 2nd BS, you may want to search for another. If you DO trust her, then tell the staff that you need to talk to her. Perhaps they can work in another appointment for you. Natchout, I'll be in your pocket Tuesday.

Jill, hope you are feeling better!! If you feel up to it and your tummy and taste buds agree, have a nice big glass of wine to celebrate TGIF!

HUGS!

Poodles, you'd think there would be a better, less icky way to get you healed.

HUGS!

Hello Everyone:  I took today off of work because it is a "Teacher Work Day" and I am allowed to use my comp. time today.  Comp. time does not roll over and I lose it every year because I am not allowed to use it on a regular school day.  It was awful that I could not use my comp. time last year when I was having my bc tx and I ended up losing comp. time at the end of the year.  That plus the fact that I couldn't use the comp time the year before and I was forced to use sick time when my doctor told me that I had to stay home from work.  That caused me to have less sick days for my bc tx.  I had to take 5 weeks off of work.  It is a terrible system.  As a single parent with no help (physically or financially), I need to accumulate all of the sick time that I can get because I cannot afford to take time off of work without getting paid.  It really bothers me that I am forced to work on my own time without getting paid and then I am not allowed to use the comp. time when I need it.  (Thanks for letting me rant.)

It has taken me a while to catch up so I am sorry if I will miss responding to some of you.  I am thinking about all of you.

First of all, I would like to thank all of you who sent prayers for my son.  I finally got the results back from the lab.  It was faster than waiting for the doctor.  My son's doctor was on vacation this week but she ended up calling me from vacation. I find that to be incredibly wonderful.  The results show that my son has mononucleosis, Influenza A, Epstein Barr virus (which is associated with mono so it is kind of the same thing, sort of), and he had food poisoning from bad sushi in February.  "Luck o' the Irish"/Lucky Boy!!!  My son's doctor was stunned by his misfortune.  She said that it is extremely unusual to have so many illnesses at the same time.  However, she said that although he needs to rest to recover, that he can go to school.  He cannot do any physical activity due to the possibility of a ruptured spleen.  I am thankful that it is now Spring Break so he will have 1 week to rest and recover.  He will have to catch up on his schoolwork.  Some of his teachers have been very supportive.  The rest did not respond to my emails to them.  I will see how his grades look and then I will deal with the situation. 

Dear Iammags: I am so sorry that you were dx with diabetes, CLL, and BC all at once.  Good luck.  Luckily, you upped your health insurance.

Dear MLP:  I am sure that the wedding has already taken place but I only read your post today.  I hope that you did not attend the wedding.  I also hope that you were not exposed on Monday. We were all vaccinated for Pertussis (Whooping Cough) (or should have been vaccinated - I get so annoyed with the anti-vaccine people).  However, it turns out that the Pertussis vaccination does not last.  A booster for Pertussis is necessary.  Doctors do not tell us this fact so most of us have not gotten the booster.  (I have not had my booster even though I know that I should get it.)  I only know this because a friend of mine and 2 of her 3 teenage children became ill with Pertussis.  They were all vaccinated.  He doctor informed her of the Pertussis vaccine info at that time.  Do not take any chances.  Your health is more important.  The pink roses is nice.  By the way, I completely understand the chemo brain and I did not have chemo!!

Dear Pink:  I am so sorry about the Stage IIIC dx and the positive nodes.  You are doing all of your research and you seem to be handling this well.  Good luck and we are all in your pocket.

Dear Sloan:  I am glad that most likely the pathology report will show scar tissue.  Good luck.  I love the picture.  I am the one on the top right with the pink scarf.  I love scarves and I wear them all of the time.  You are right about symptom #2.

Dear Poodles: "I'd be walking around the neighborhood in my pajamas picking up stray cats."  That comment made my day.  I laughed so hard.  It seems that my boyfriend took your advice.  He just adopted a stray cat yesterday!  I have to ask him if he was wearing his pajamas. 

I'm glad that you have meds now that will help.  The wounds sound terrible.  I hope that they heal quickly.  You are a nurse and this tx is hard for you.  I cannot imagine being able to endure what you are going through.  Good luck.  At least you had wonderful pie on 3/14.

Dear StellaMaris:  I love your housekeeping rules.  I literally lauged out loud.  Good luck with your upcoming surgery and I do think that you should have that tantrum in your doctor's office.  ILC is very sneaky and it is so difficult to diagnose.  It does not show up on imaging.  It is often bilateral and it recurs.  I would want to have a bmx if I went through what you went through.  My ILC and LCIS was pleomorphic so that makes it more aggressive.  I am always worried about bc now.  See symptom #2 of PTSD.  However, I was like you.  I never worried about lumps before my bc dx.  I always had lumps.  I have had so many biopsies to date.  My biopsies started when I was in my 20's.  In fact, I almost did not go for the mammogram/sonogram that imaged my bc.  I had finally been told that I did not have to go back for imaging for 1 year.  My gynecologist did not like the feeling of a palpable lump so he ordered a mammo/sono.  That was 4 months after my mammo/sono.  I told my gynecologist that the lump had already been biopsied and that it was benign so why would I have to go to check it out a second time?  Little did I know at that time.  That lump/biopsy came back benign a second time but came back malignant in the lx pathology report.  A different lump of mine that had also already been biopsied came back malignant and that is how I was dx.  If my gynecologist wasn't so diligent, I would not have been dx with bc.  I owe him my life.  He kept calling me until I had my imaging 2 months later.  I have extremely dense breasts.  My RO told me that my breasts are among the densest that he has ever seen at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center!!! 

Dear Blamoms:  Glad you are here.  Good luck with the rest of your chemo.

Dear LTF:  Yes, you are definitely the pink one in Sloan's pocket.  I hope that you feel better.  I am glad that you went to the ER.  Sorry that you cannot spend time with your children the way that you want to.  Being  parent is so hard when one is sick.  I hope that your headache goes away quickly.

Dear HH:  Bad joke.  I am glad that your DH was able to take care of you.  I love the plans for the trip.  I am glad that you are going back to work on a p/t basis.  Child Find is a great program  that helps numerous families.  I am glad that you will be affiliated with Child Find.

Dear Peggy:  I am so happy that you bought the house of your dreams and that you will be near your children.  It will be difficult to move due to your memories but your DH will always be in your pocket.  I am having difficulty being in Sloan's pocket due to your herky jerky dance moves.  I am not coordinated so I am knocking everyone else in Sloan's pocket over.  LOL!

Dear Kaneli:  Good luck with your surgery.  I have no side effects with the AI - anastrazole.  I have been taking it for 1 year and 5 months.  You probably won't have SE either.  I was dx with Invasive Tubular Carcinoma too.  My MO said that her TX plan would have only been LX for Tubular and nothing else.   However, I had rads and I am taking AI's because I was also dx with pleomorphic ILC and pleomorphic LCIS.

Dear JCLC:  My cousin had the burns on her back from rads too.  That is awful.  I'm sorry that you had to endure that along with everything else with your tx.  It is lucky that your kids can move back in with you with their family.

Dear One Step:  It is great that you are socializing with friends throughout your tx.  Feel well during chem tx.

Dear Octogirl:  I hope that you can retire soon.  Work can be extremely stressful.  Good luck.

Dear Peachy:  You are beautiful.   

Dear Molly:  I am praying for your DS and sending you hugs.

Dear ChiSandy:  You are always such a wealth of information.  I love your posts.

Dear Tess:  It is great to have wonderful friends.

Dear Brightsocks:  My MO concurs with your MO.  How are the rads going?  Are you finished?

Dear Heathet:  I look forward to/celebrate every doctor/imaging appointment.  The surveillance mitigates my fears and bc  anxiety.  Good luck with your appointment.

Dear Eleanora:  BC surgery usually does not happen immediately.  Ask your BS's staff about your BS's credentials.  I agree with Nachout.  You should feel totally comfortable with your doctors.  My BS, PS, and RO spent as much time with me as I needed and they answered all of my questions.  My MO always spends time with me.  All of my doctors are FANTASTIC!  However, I did not like the original MO whom I met with and I changed doctors.  She wanted me to have a BMX and chemo which I did not need.  I am extremely happy with my second opinion MO and I am so thankful that she is my doctor.

Dear Nachout:  Welcome and good luck with your surgery next week.  I had a SLND and a double lx on my left side and a breast reduction/breast lift on my right side for symmetry - the same surgery that you will be having except that I had a double lx and you will be having a single lx.  I recovered immediately from my surgery and I felt completely fine the next day.  There will be a lot of scars and bruising but you will heal and your breasts will look AMAZING!  I have 100% feeling in my nipples but parts of my left breast and left underarm are still numb.  My surgery was 7/22/14 - same day as Peggy's surgery.  I wish you the best.  Your advice to Eleanora was terrific.

Dear Peggy:  So sorry that you are sick.  I hope that you feel better soon.  You and I share surgery on the same day and we also share a complete lack of coordination/dancing skills.  I am glad that you have so many wonderful memories and that you and DH were together for so many great years.  That is priceless.

614, your poor son. Triple whammy. Do tell him to REALLY take it easy so he doesn't relapse. Somehow my surgery date keeps showing up wrong though it is correct in my profile. It was 7/23/14 - I remember because it would have been my parents 70th wedding anniversary. You started Arimidex about 10 days before I did - also with no issues. Nice to know there are 2 of us!

HH, sounds like you got a real dose of "uppers" today at work. I'm so glad!

HUGS!

(((((((Poodles)))))) big hugs from me! I cannot believe all you are going through. It makes me really want to avoid surgery. 614, big, big hugs for your DS. I think he used up all of his "luck" in one diagnosis. HH, glad you are back to work and enjoying. Peggy, feel better!! My DS is doing much better. Thank you again everyone! Anyone I missed I prayed for all of you this morning. My step father was going in for a HUGE surgery this morning. I was stressed out of my mind worrying about him and about my mom with him gone. He came through surgery just fine. I feel like a 1000 lb weight was removed from my chest this afternoon.

Molly- hope your son is feeling better.

614- what a confusing way to handle sick time. Does the doctor feel any concern that your DS has so many concurrent diseases? I hope he feels better by the time Spring Break is over, so he can get back to his studies. Maybe with a firm list of diagnoses, the teachers you haven't heard from will be more understanding.

LTFly- I hope that you're feeling better today.

Elenora and Nachout- welcome. Elenora, I also concur that you should be comfortable with your BS. Mine always sets her new patient appointments for last of the day, so she can take as much time as necessary. She made drawings and notes and handed them to me at the end of the appointment.

Poodles- what a crazy time you're having with that wound. Praying for continuing healing and a resolution already!

HH- congrats on getting back to work. Sounds like a great first day.

Sloan- isn't it wonderful how a small redirection in our thoughts can make such a wonderful difference?

I've had a rough week. Other than Wednesday, I've felt drained. Yesterday, my nose started running, and I felt a bunch of sinus pressure. I was hoping it was just allergies, but this morning my throat was a little scratchy, too. I had my Neupogen injection today, and, sure enough, I have a low grade fever. I went home, took some meds and a nap. I'm feeling a little better, but it's so frustrating to have to deal with these side effects

1Step, Aw. so sorry you're feeling lousy. Rest, drink and sleep. That's about all we can do to get rid of the bugs going around.

HUGS!

Everyone's getting sick. So many bugs are going around now that I want to put a fish bowl or something over my head when I go out.

I hope that everyone has a weekend that only brings good surprises.!

Sorry, I had meant to write this with my last post:

Nachout818, I had that exact operation on the 9th. It was the first time that my BS had done an oncoplasty. All went well, and I'm always joking that, as a bonus, I now have 22 yr old pre baby boobs! hahaaa. They look really good and I'm glad that I chose that road. I'm wishing the best for you!

Welcome, NJNancy! We're glad you found us. We've are warm, comforting, informative and funny. I don't know anything about seed planting but I'm sure there are ladies here who do. For your lumpy, wear loose, button/zip front tops and easy pull on pants. A Genie bra (step-in), front close sports bra, a little larger than usual to allow for swelling. Make sure you fill your pain pill prescription (and you may not need it). You want to stay on top of pain. Ice is your friend. If you're having a SLNB done, you will likely find it very annoying - everything seems to rub it. Take it easy. No lifting with your "bad" arm. Do the stretching exercises you are prescribed. If possible, take off a couple weeks from work. This is major surgery and your body needs rest to heal (but you should still be walking).

If you have your Diagnosis, you might put it in your profile and make it public, as well as your projected treatments. We also love to know where you are since we are all over the place and like to get together.

Good luck!

HUGS!