Dis Breast Cancer Survivors - GAGWTA!

[NHAnn]

Ann, it is excellent that you are sleeping, you deserve it!! I am still celebrating your news.

I am still celebrating too. It has been a nice weekend...sleeping late...DD home from school on her spring break...the weather is getting a little warmer (in spite of some gray and showers today...things are budding...) We don't have noisy birds in the morning yet though...that will be in a few weeks I think!!!

A DIS/Survivor meet would be so great....

GAGWTA!!!!!!!!

 

[laurabelle]

~~~***GAGWTA sistas***~~~

Donna- I love giving and receiving those little surprises that show love! It means so much more than whatever it costs...

Ann- I think all that sleep is coming from all your peace and contentment! Life is good!

Laurie- My hubby has an old friend from school who moved to the Turks & Caicos Islands years ago. He owns a dive shop, and has a band that plays for the tourists. He comes to NOLA for the Jazz fest just about every year! Hubby and I came through NOLA once, just to change planes, and we were lamenting that we didn't have time to stay there. One of these days I'm coming down there to eat and play! I'd love to see you too!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Great news, Ann.

Beth, good wishes and prayers are with you in the days ahead...well, actually always with you. And everyone else here too. 's

 

[Pea-n-Me]

For some strange reason I find myself singing Polly Wolly Doodle today...

P.S. I love shrimp!

 

[snappy]

I have a great barbecued shrimp recipe if anyone is interested, a tried and true one I have used countless times. In case you are not familiar with barbecued shrimp, New Orleans style, it involves neither a barbecue pit nor barbecue sauce. It is more of an Italian dish with lots of butter, garlic, onions, spices, and french bread to soak it all up. You actually cook the shrimp with the heads on if they are fresh.

Laura, what's the name of you DH's musician friend? I'll look for him on the Jazz Fest lineup. By the way at the Jazz fest, at least during all past years, there have been many, many food booths serving all kinds of seafood and local cuisine. I am not sure how many vendors will be there post Katrina.
I need to check NOLA.com, they will have a list.

I guess I will have to make different choices this year on my low sodium diet.

Prayers for Beth. I know her surgery is this week. Is it today?

How ya doing, Kelly?

 

[laurabelle]

Laurie- He just always comes to the festival, I'm not sure if he's playing there, but his name is Mitch Rolling http://www.grandturkscuba.com/shopping.htm
So how come they call it barbequed shrimp???
Please post the recipe, I'd love to try it!

Yes, I'm sure Beth said her surgery date is this week...maybe today? Sending up prayers sista...

Hi Dan!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I would also like the recipe. We had something like that recently and it was fantastic! BTW, I don't think I've ever seen a shrimp with its head still on.

OT, but Laurie, wanted to remind you to ask the endocrinologist on Thursday about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. (It is an endocrine issue and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with having polycystic ovaries - bad choice of names). I still have the article I'd been meaning to send you but normally they would ask a bunch of questions about your history and also check an insulin level (not blood sugar - insulin). If your insulin level is high it is indicative of insulin resistance (a precurser to diabetes) - your body makes more to accomodate the fact that what you have doesn't work too well. There are other things that go along with it, too, they'll know. If you PM me your address I will send it to you.

It is best to treat it if you do have it because untreated, it can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other health problems. Suprisingly, many women have it but don't know it. I myself only found out I had it after I read an article in Family Circle about it and made an appt with an endocrinologist who confirmed it via testing. Now we're learning more about it but it's still relatively unknown, and the information on the net isn't that great, makes it sound like a GYN issue when it's really not. (The article I have is from one of my nursing journals).

There are a few here on the Dis with PCOS, have discussed it with others on other threads (it can be related to infertility).

ETA: found the Nursing Spectrum article: http://community.nursingspectrum.com/MagazineArticles/article.cfm?AID=983

 

[Dan Murphy]

I am pretty sure Beth's surgery is tomorrow, Tuesday.

 

[THE HAT]

hi all, well the dr. called back with my ultrasound results, and did confirm what the girl who did it said, that there were no cysts or solid masses, BUT my pcp does want me to meet with a surgeon as there are palpable lumps felt. so i thought i was free and clear and now i am back to the waiting, they are setting up the appt, and will call me back with that.
i wonder what this will be like..................thanks for listening and i do hope you all are having a good day today,my thoughts are with you all.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The Hat, it sounds like you are in good hands. It stinks to wait, but better to have it fully investigated than to miss something. Hang in there, we'll be here with you.

 

[snappy]

Here is the recipe. I got it in the early 80's from the executive assistant of the CEO of the company I used to work for. It was supposedly the CEO's exwife's recipe.

Barbecued shrimp

3 1/2-4 1/2 pounds medium-large shrimp
1/4 cup Lea & Perrins's worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tablespoon salt
2 lemons squeezed

I do some subsstitutions that I have found enhance it. I use chopped garlic rather than garlic salt. I use little to no additional salt. I also put about 2 large onions cut in thin slices. I also usually slice the lemons the same way.

Wash, and devein and dehead shrimp, drain (I'll leave them on if they are super fresh-it seems to cook the seasonings in the juices better). Pur ingredients above over shrimp in a large deep pan. Cook for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees; open oven every 5 minutes and stir gently. Serve right out of oven with french bread. Serves 4.

A version of this dish is one of the signature dishes at several New Orleans landmark restaurants, Pascal Manales and Moscas in Waggaman (across the river from N. O. on the west bank).

I personally think this is too much for 4 people, depending what else you serve.

 

[laurabelle]

I am pretty sure Beth's surgery is tomorrow, Tuesday.

Thanks Dan...

THE HAT- I'm glad your doc is being thorough...I know you hate to wait it out again, but better to be cautious.

 

[snappy]

When we get shrimp down here directly from the shrimper, they usually still have the heads on. You can usually get them the same day they are caught and they keep them on ice. They have a scale on their truck and plenty of newspaper to wrap them up in. We have a guy who used to come to our house but I wasn't happy with the shrimp the last time so I have been turning him down.

If you are putting the shrimp in the freezer you dehead them but leave them in the shells. Lots of folks will buy 50 pounds or so at a time and freeze them uncooked in batches.

In the Bucktown area of New Orleans you can go to a seafood store where the owner(s) go out in the am for shrimp, crawfish and crabs in season and sell them in the store in the pm. The crawfish and crabs can be bought live by the sack if you want to boil them yourself. They also sell already boiled seafood by the pound (shrimp and crawfish) or by the dozen (crabs). You can also buy the crawfish tails already peeled by the pound (much easier if you are making etouffee or bisque). I am not sure how this area fared after Katrina, it is a few block away from the 17st canal, but on the Jefferson side. When we passed by ther in January my favorite place was still closed buy Deanies was serving food for limited hours.

Good Friday is the big crawfish boil day around here. You have to order your sacks ahead of time and naturally they jack up the price due to demand.

We have a crawfish setup (burner, big aluminum pot) but we have not had a boil in ages. It is a lot of work. When I was young my grandparents, both of my uncles and my parents used to have them regularly in season. We would have garlic French bread and a big Italian salad and lots of beer. Those were the days.

 

[snappy]

The Hat, I am sorry you are still in limbo, but I agree with Linda and Laura that it is better to make sure, even if it means possibly having a biopsy. I really don't favor the wait and see attitude.

I am sorry you are still in limbo. I hope you get the appointment pronto so you can get this all behind you ASAP.

 

[THE HAT]

thank you all for the wonderful support especially when you all have so much more on your plates then my issue, what wonderful women you all are!!!!!

i am going in for my appt on march 27th at 4:15. so two weeks from today. my pcp said it was up to me if i wanted to go see the surgeon, and of course i said yes. but i am so worried due to the fact that i can feel the lumps but none of them were able to be seen on the ultra sound. no cysts or solid masses just palpable lumps.
is this an appt i can go to alone? as we have no one to watch ds besides dh, and i can only get an appt after school hours as they are in surgery during the earlier hours.

thank you all for you time
wendie

 

[NHAnn]

wendie...I too am sorry you're still in a waiting sort of mode...it's very difficult. But I think you have every reason to have a positive outlook Regarding having someone go to the appt with you...you could go alone and bring a pad and pen with you to take notes on what the surgeon says after examining you. (Also to write your own questions down before you go.) But how old is your DS? Perhaps he AND your DH could come with you...and they could wait in the waiting room until after the actual exam and just join you for discussion w/ the doctor? It's always good to have another set of ears with you!


I saw the surgeon this afternoon...she paid more attention to the little "tape burn" spot I have from one edge of the steri -strip than she did to the actual needle incision point . The incision looks great...like a rapidly healing little paper cut. The tape burn spot that has gotten a bit irritated and was much mroe noticable than the incision
When I walked into the waiting area it was empty and quiet...the secretary (th one who'd called with the good news Friday) waved me to sit. When I sat...the background music sunk in to my consciousness and I ended up just sitting there by myself for 10 minutes .. grinning from ear to ear...listening to the same Disney CD that I have...

You're in my thoughts Beth

GAGWTA!!

 

[snappy]

I think it would be helpful to have you DH with you but not if it is going to stress you out trying to find someone to care for your daughter. I wonder if the surgeon operates Monday through Friday? My experience has been that they have certain days when no surgeries are scheduled. Can you call the surgeon's office back and check this?

My husband went to all my appointments with me. I think he had a conflict on the day of my stereotactic biopsy so my mom went with me on that day. He also went with me after surgery until about 3 mos post op. Now my visits are just a thorough exam, a few questions about any aches and pains and going over the chest xrays and blood work. However, on the earlier visits I found I was nervous and distressed, and it helped to have him there. He did not ask questions but it helps to have another pair or ears to hear what is said. When I am nervous I tend to forget things. I also found it helped to have my questions all written out and to take the time to write down the answers as they were asked. This can be hard, the docs are busy, but especially if you end up going by yourself, I would write as much down as possible. I have read that some patients use tape recorders, I personally never tried this. I also found that I was more relaxed in the waiting room if I brought some music to listen to as well as something to read. I had to wait several times for a longish period and being prepared with things to distract me sure helped.

I just noticed Ann's reply above mine. Great minds think alike, huh Ann?
Glad your incision is healing.

 

[MinnieM3]

Really Bad News.... I'm not up for much posting, so I asked Dan M. to post for me on the regular board, but I'll try to get through this for ya'll....

Had my PICC line and 3 CT's done this morning. Came home rested. Got a call from my surgeon that she forgot I needed a chest CT too. So Jim and I head back to the hospital and get that CT donw. Then we got a bite to eat, picked Kevin up from afterschool and went home.

Got home to a gazillion messages on the machine....we'd only been gone about 90 minutes..... and listening to them was like going into the Twilight Zone. We couldn't even speak.

It seems that today's CT's showed two areas they think are mets....one in my chest, enlarged lymph nodes, and the other in my abdomen. I can't even type this.......

Tomorrow, I'll go for a blood draw for tumor markers. If it's elevated, they'll assume that all of the areas are mets and go straight to chemo...do not pass Go , do not collect $200 and peace of mind. If the tumor markers are normal, they will immediately biopsy both areas to see what's up. One biopsy can be done with local, the other with general.

We're beyond disbelief and about as llow as we can get. I'm in need of some major Sista hugs. I feel like I can't go on. Please help me.

Beth

 

[snappy]

Oh Beth, all I can think to say is I am so sorry you have to go through this. The only other thing I can offer is a hug and all my prayers. I said many yesterday when DD and I went to 11 am mass, especially for you facing surgery this week.

If there is any way you get some rest tonight, I hope you do so. Do you have a sleep aid, like Ambien? You will be able to get through tomorrow better if you are rested. I imagine after all you did with your class last week you are exhausted anyway.

I am glad you felt up to posting here. You know each of us here care and will be be praying for you non-stop tomorrow, that goes without saying.
We will be there in spirit. I wish it could be more.

 

[NHAnn]

Oh Beth (((HUGS))) and prayers headed your way...and as snappy said I wish we could do more.
Have faith, have stength, have courage.