Dis Breast Cancer Survivors - GAGWTA!

[donnabres]

Christine, i am scheduled for a sentinal lymph node biopsy on the day before thanksgiving. You'll not be alone. My husband is going to do the cooking. My boss told me to keep repeating, THE TURKEY IS GREAT HONEY!!!!
I will be thinking of you that day.
Suzanne, I know what you mean about waiting, I think that is what is driving me so crazy. Talk to someone, it does help. I'm the type that has to talk if something bothers me, my husband is just the opposite.
Well, 4 of the grandkids just came in so better go.

great weekend to all, I'm going out to buy a couple new nightgowns and housecoats for myself.

donna

 

[Christine]

Christine, i am scheduled for a sentinal lymph node biopsy on the day before thanksgiving. You'll not be alone. My husband is going to do the cooking. My boss told me to keep repeating, THE TURKEY IS GREAT HONEY!!!!
I will be thinking of you that day.
Suzanne, I know what you mean about waiting, I think that is what is driving me so crazy. Talk to someone, it does help. I'm the type that has to talk if something bothers me, my husband is just the opposite.
Well, 4 of the grandkids just came in so better go.

great weekend to all, I'm going out to buy a couple new nightgowns and housecoats for myself.

donna

Donna,
Good luck to you--hopefully both of us will get good results!

 

[NHAnn]

great weekend to all, I'm going out to buy a couple new nightgowns and housecoats for myself.
donna

Oh--hint hint!! look for nighties or PJ tops that button up the front.....much easier to get the arm in and out of instead of pulling up over the head!

Christine....My biopsy (benign) in 1995 and the one I had in May were both excisional (surgical). I think it depends on a lot of factors as to what type of biopsy is needed....the size, location and nature of the suspicious tissue, the woman's physical characteristics, the surgeon...etc. I know that right after my magnified mammo views in May the nurse at the mammo suite at the Breast Care Center was assuming it would be sterotactic right there in their facility, but the radiologist said "No, I'm recommending surgical excision of the area" and sent me upstairs to set up an appt with the breast surgeon (which was a few days later) and she scheduled the day surgery at the hospital next door for the week after that.

Sending P and PD to all.....

GAGWTA!!

 

[Christine]

Christine....My biopsy (benign) in 1995 and the one I had in May were both excisional (surgical). I think it depends on a lot of factors as to what type of biopsy is needed....the size, location and nature of the suspicious tissue, the woman's physical characteristics, the surgeon...etc. I know that right after my magnified mammo views in May the nurse at the mammo suite at the Breast Care Center was assuming it would be sterotactic right there in their facility, but the radiologist said "No, I'm recommending surgical excision of the area" and sent me upstairs to set up an appt with the breast surgeon (which was a few days later) and she scheduled the day surgery at the hospital next door for the week after that.

GAGWTA!!

Yes, the radiologist who "freaked out" on me suggested that the surgeon may want to do a needly biopsy of the mass on the right breast (the one that has soft tissue inside) to "see what he was dealing with before he totally removes it."

But the surgeon never even considered it. Nor did he consider it for the woman who was in the office before me. I could hear the whole thing--thin walls! Maybe he just feels that they are not as reliable on solid lumps. I guess there can be cancer within the lump that the needle may miss. I know that is the case with thyroid lumps.

 

[suzadrew]

Christine & Donna I will say many prayers for you on Wednesday.

It's funny how strong the "It's not fair!" feeling is. I read through many of your posts & I just keep wanting a magic wand to make everyone better. I know that sounds silly but it's just breaking my heart to hear everything you've all gone/are going through.

I'm still trying to read all the posts from the beginnning but I'm only up to 300 because I usually cry the whole time. So I get drained fast. Probably what I've been trying to remember most is when Ann's husband told her not to bleed until she was shot. Somehow that phrase makes me smile & reminds me to take it one day at a time.

You are all amazing & strong people & I'm really glad I found you!

 

[laurabelle]

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

I'm feeling Christmasy! I did a search for online Christmas radio stations and found these: http://radio.msn.com/# I'm listening to the Christmas Oldies station...I love the old songs, it brings me right back to when I was a little girl roller skating around my kitchen table on Christmas morning... I hope I never lose that little girl inside me...

Christine- I had 2 biopsies. The one when I was dxed was an excisional biopsy (lumpectomy). Fortunately my surgeon was aggressive enough to want to take it out, even though he didn't think it was cancer. Then I had a lump in my scar during chemo and had a core needle biopsy done. I'm glad you are being seen by a top surgeon. I think they use different biopsies for different situations...

Donna- What a great hubby you have! I hope you get great news from your surgery!

Suzanne- I'm glad we made you smile! Believe it or not, there can be alot of funny stories that come out of having cancer...most of us develop a twisted (ok, sick) sense of humor!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

GAGWTA!

Thought of you guys when I saw this movie and wanted to share. I always have to keep in mind that BC does not define who I am, that it's just something that happened to me on this road we call Life. Part of my "staying positive" has to be to love and care for myself more now than I ever did before. It's nice to have a reminder.

So to all here, those who've had BC and those who are struggling with biopsies and surgery, etc... Enjoy!

http://www.thecaremovie.com/

Have a nice Sunday, everyone.

 

[suzadrew]

That was a beautiful movie. Thank you.

 

[laurabelle]

~~~***GAGWTA sistas***~~~
It's so quiet here today...just sayin' hi!

 

[suzadrew]

GAGWTA

It's a beautiful day here in Southern Ontario. 6degrees. (I think that's about 45?) With bright sunny skies. I put on my new sweater & went for a nice fall walk.

 

[NHAnn]

It was nice here today too Suzadrew. I walked for 1/2 hour at 6:15 am and another 1/2 hour at 4:30 pm....that was before I even saw Linda's movie clip I'm dreading having to go to the gym for my walks, I much prefer the fresh air but with the short daylight hours and dropping temps, I will have to start using a treadmill at the gym at the end of the work day instead...for my "ME time"...which is good for my bones and heart and all that in addition to my spirit and mind!!

Thanks Linda...that's a nice reminder!

DH and I celebrated our 12th anniversary yesterday...had a nice dinner out...

Still sending thoughts and prayers for those having biopsies this week.

So I've been thinking .....how am I going to keep from getting overly emotional at the Thanksgiving Day table?? I'm so thankkful for SO much this year....
..and while I'm on that subject I just need to say THANK YOU to all of you here!!

 

[MerryPoppins]

I know what you mean. Thanksgiving has taken on new meaning since my diagnosis, but then so has life in general.

I'm thankful for all of you, too!

 

[snappy]

I second that emotion, Ann and Merry.

I am going to have a card with as many of your names as I can locate on this thread on our Thanksgiving table at my sister's house (Joan) in Grammercy, along with candles and an angel.

She and her DH will understand. His first cousin has been living with stage IV BC for more than eight years. She has just started chemo again, another met show up in her bones. Her name, Kim, will be on the card as well.

Hope you all have a blessed day.

I am on edge here. I have not been posting here lately, too much on our minds.

DH's oldest sister, who has the house they all are cleaning up from the storm, was hospitalized about 10 days ago. She became sick Sat before last while working in her house. She had a heart attack in 1995, seemed like similar symptoms so off she went to the ER. At first they thought it was dehydration, but they kept her in for "observation". Many tests later, cat scans, ultrasound, stress tests (to see if her heart can handle surgery),
a colonoscopy,and two biopsies, they found a large mass in her stomach and a cyst on her ovaries. She finally went "home" Friday to her daughter's house uptown where she and my MIL have been staying since they returned from Texas. She is back in today to see the surgeon to get the results. If cancer, they already mentioned chemo and rads to her, if not, half of her stomach has to come out, tentatively scheduled on Monday. She has a fighting attitude, but goodness, how much can she take? I can't imagine how she has been eating with that damn thing. I noticed she ate little when they were staying with us but I chalked it up to stress and being on a heart patient diet.

DH is a wreck, this is his closest sibling. His BP is sky high, I am getting concerned for him as well. I need to get him in to his internist, he really should go on a BP med at least for awhile.

So her name, Claudette, will be on my card too. Keep her in your thoughts too please ladies.

Thanks for this place to share this. It's all heavy but I am glad to have a place to talk about it. The real world goes on with soccer and swimming and confirmation and meals and just life.

GAGWTA!! Thanks for being there.

Good luck tomorrow with those biopsies, Christine and Donna.

 

[Christine]

Good luck tomorrow with those biopsies, Christine and Donna.

Thank you. I just want to get this over with.

 

[Cruise04]

Good morning everyone. Lots of posts since the last time I was here - didn't think it had been that long but it has. A brief update on me:

Today I go to finally have my breast MRI. Took a few weeks for the referral to go through. It will be done here. One worry is yesterday they had me come out to see if my breasts would fit in the machine to get a good enough read. They were concerned and finally at around 4:30 I found out that we were going ahead with the test today. I'm very nervous, my stomach is a mess. I'm not nervous about the test though, small spaces don't bother me at all. And now that I went in there yesterday and got to see what I'll be doing, that helped me too. The one thing I'm worried about is the IV. I'm not good with those and they usually have a hard time getting one in me. So we'll see.

Outside of that that excitement dd informed today that she has 21 more days until she is 16!!!! I'm actually getting very excited for her. We went out and bought a used Hyundai Accent last week and she has been driving it to get the feel for the car as she'll take her test on it. Much better for her to drive than my Trailblazer.

Wow to all that you have been through lately Christine!!!! Totally amazing.

HUGS to anyone who needs them. And prayers for EVERYONE (whether you need them or not ).

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving - we are all grateful to have each other and I'm very happy to have you all in my life here so I have someplace to go to share my fears and my worries and my thoughts and prayers for you all!!!!!!

Chris

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am also grateful for all the blessings in my life, and that includes all of you as well. Thank you.

Prayers all around, especially to Laurie (snappy) and her family, and all the others going through tests/surgery this week. Good luck to all of you, and hope everyone has as restful a holiday as can be possible.

 

[mickeymost]

Just thought I'd drop by and let you all know how I made out. I had the implant removed on Fri 11/11 and he actually let me go home that day. He said because I had started the antibiotics on my own that I was ahead of the game and he let me go with the promise to call if I started with a fever. He said there was alot of infecticed fluid (staph infection) and the muscle was very thin. I'm very glad it's gone. I have to go tomorrow to get my stitches out. I'm feeling very good though. Although my mom has come to help me out and literally won't let me do anything! I was fitted for my prothesis yesterday, but can't wear it yet. I wanted it before I go to Disney in 9 days. I can't believe the trip is here already, I haven't packed a thing yet. I also got 4 new bras. There's something new, I haven't worn a bra in 3 years. The PS is leaning toward the latissamus flap still, but I have time to think about it.

I wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to all. You will all be included in my prayers and what I am thankful for. You all are such a great sounding board. I'm so glad to have you!

Kelly

 

[laurabelle]

~~~***GAGWTA sistas Happy Thanksgiving a day early!***~~~

Kelly- I'm so glad to hear the surgery went well. I have seen beautiful results with the lat. flap too. I hope you have a magical trip! I'll be there right after you...

Laurie- Your family has been through so much... I'm so sorry to hear about you hubby's sister, I hope and pray it's not cancer. Thank you for putting us on your prayer card, that's a really beautiful thing to do.

Ann- Happy Anniversary!

Chris- I know what you mean about the I.V.s, that's the worst part to me. I hope your test went well and you get clear results!

I got to see a few min. of Oprah yesterday (I hardly ever do, 4:00 is a busy homework- or chauffering kids around- time for me) and it was about past guests. I actually did see when it originally aired, and I will never forget this because it on was right before I was dxed. Oprah had a woman on the show who was 31 and was dying from bc. She wanted a way to tell her 6yr old dd all the things she wouldn't be around to tell her, so she made videos, wrote letters and left presents for her to open after she was gone. She was a really beautiful person and seeing it again, I was thinking about friends I've lost to this beast who also left young children behind... I think how incredibly blessed I am to still be here to raise my girls, who were only 2 and 4 yrs old when I was dxed, and now they're 9 & 11. Oprah had this woman's dd and her hubby on the show. Her dd is now 13 and her hubby remarried. It was really wonderful to see how this mom's "gifts" she left behind blessed her daughter. Needless to say, that show did me in. I guess it's a good thing I don't get to see it everyday!

I'm grateful that I can still count my blessings...cancer didn't take that away from me!
I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving tomorrow!

 

[snappy]

Great story, Laura about the gifts that mom left for her daughter.

Tears in my eyes.

One of my co workers ended up with liver cancer back in 1996, she was 35. She did the same thing for her adopted daughter, only two years old when she passed away. Many of us who worked with her for years for long hours during stressful days each wrote a letter to the daughter about our experiences with her mom. It was made into a book for daughter to have later. Very sad time.

Thanks for the encouragement all. News not good here, the 2nd biopsy was still inconclusive. The doc wants to remove all of the stomach and hook up the esophagus to the intestine on Monday. She is going for a 2nd opinion this am. Moving too fast for her. She needs to know how her life will be after this type of surgery. She and her daughter who was with her at the appointment were too in shock to ask the right questions. Now that it has sunk in, they will be better prepared to question the 2nd doc. I sure would like my surgeon in Baton Rouge to have a peak at her but that would prolong it, trying to get an appointment.

Thinking of you Christine and Donna.

Glad you are recovering, Kelly. I am thinking of having that same flap but it's on hold now. Can't think about it while my SIL is going through her trial.

Hope Lessa is feeling up to enjoying the holiday.

Merry, how was your DD's musical?

Congrats, Ann.

 

[laurabelle]

Laurie- I'm sorry the news isn't good. I can't imagine what that surgery will be like...I will be praying.


Here's a link to the Oprah story...
http://www2.oprah.com/presents/2005/20anniv/celebrate/celebrate_350_307.jhtml