Dis Breast Cancer Survivors - GAGWTA!

[snappy]

Hello ladies- I leave in the morning for the beach and I won't be back online until Wed. so I wanted to wish everyone a fun, relaxing holiday!

Drive safely and have fun.

 

[Tinkertude]

Hello everyone! hope you have a FireCracker of a day tomorrow. They did some thing really cool at church today. They projected picures that went with America the Beautiful and had our church members pictures that are serving our country intermingled.

 

[Disney Debbie]

That is cool Tinkertude!

Hope everyone had a great 4th! We spent the whole weekend working on our den!! But it's going to look great - I told my very grumpy DH that we were celebrating our freedom from ugliness!!

As I suspected - I DID NOT start Herceptin today. They did my echo Friday afternoon at 1:00. The cardiologist in town - the ONLY cardiologist in town - who is also my PCP - is on vacation until next Thursday. So I knew no one here would read it - and if they wanted someone in Macon to read it I knew it wouldn't even be sent until today! So after explaining this - AGAIN - to the scheduler at the Cancer Center we decided I should start next week!

 

[Cruise04]

Contuining to keep you in my thoughts Kelly!!!!! I remember waiting for those PET results when my mom had her test - waiting just plain sucks but.....

Good luck tomorrow too LauraJean - hope everything goes well!!!

And very nice to see you Shugardrawers!!!!!!!

 

[laurabelle]

Hi all, I'm home! I ended up not going to Hilton Head as planned, but went to a local MD beach instead. You can read a little about it here : http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=854187

Debbie, I'm so sorry you 've been put on hold, I hate that! You get yourself all psyched up and ready to start, just to have to wait more. I'm saying a prayer right now that things move forward quickly and smoothly for you!

 

[NHAnn]

Laura...I read that thread...and yikes! forgive me but I had this thought..."sheesh...what a kick in the pants it would be to beat breast cancer but get eaten by a shark!" Hope nobody's offended...

I have to confess my thought processes can be a little weird lately, and I'm rather weepy at times...I think coming off the estradiol upon diagnosis is finally getting to me

 

[laurabelle]

Laura...I read that thread...and yikes! forgive me but I had this thought..."sheesh...what a kick in the pants it would be to beat breast cancer but get eaten by a shark!" Hope nobody's offended...

I have to confess my thought processes can be a little weird lately, and I'm rather weepy at times...I think coming off the estradiol upon diagnosis is finally getting to me

Lol! Ann, my youngest dd asked me, "What would you have done if that shark bit me mom." to which I replied, "I would have bit him back!" I don't care who you are, you don't mess with a survivor!!!

I'm sure hormones are coming into play with the way you're feeling, but it's also part of the roller coaster of emotions that comes with the territory. I have to tell you, even at 6yr past dx, it can still get to me too...

 

[Miss Mickey Mania]

Just dropping in to say bye to you all. I'm heading off tomorrow morning to POR for 11 nights.

I've been looking forward to this trip for a while but right now I'm feeling a pang of regret that my family can't join me. Background for those who don't know, is that we go over every summer, since 1991 but the existing holiday was cancelled due to my mum's breast cancer diagnosis in early March. So this trip I'm going solo. I know it's more important that my mum gets her chemo (#5 of 6) next week and that is what's keeping me upbeat as best I can.

I'm going to be SO TIRED when I get there! I fly down to London at 6.15am, then have a 3 hour wait, then fly over to FL, arriving at 8.15pm my time (3.15pm EST). Trying to stay awake to a reasonable hour to avoid jet lag is quite a challenge .

I'll be back on July 19th. I'll try my best to have fun!!!!!

Take care of yourselves and each other everybody.

Louise

 

[laurabelle]

Louise,
I'm sure your mum wants to you to enjoy your holiday! Have a magical time for the both of you! Before you know it, you two will be planning a celebration trip for the whole family there! I'll be there from the 17th-25th at Vistana Resort and Beach Club Villas!

PS- I read in an in flight magazine that it's best to fly into another country in the afternoon like you are, then you can go to bed at the local time and your body gets in sync with the time difference quicker.

 

[NHAnn]

Have a wonderful trip Louise...my thougths are with you, and your mum!

 

[CheshireVal]

Hey all.

Louise, I hope you have a great time at the world. You probably deserve some fun time and I'm sure your mom understands. Use your trip to plan future trips with your mom!

An update on my situation:

my mom had her follow-up mammograms and ultrasound yesterday. They found three suspicious cysts that they want to do a needle biopsy on next week. She's had this done before (which is why she stopped going to the doctor), but given my aunt's recent diagnosis, it's really scary. For anyone who's had a needle biopsy, is this something she needs me to be there for? She's 3 hours away-- I'm moving to a new apt that very day, so it's going to be a struggle to try to have DH handle the move all by himself (he doesn't have a car, for one thing). My mom says not to worry about it, but I just don't know if she's just being nice or not. I'd be there in a heartbeat if I knew she really needed me.

My aunt started chemo on Friday and is in a *lot* of pain. I just hope it's doing it's job and attacking those bad cells as best it can.

 

[snappy]

Hey all.

Louise, I hope you have a great time at the world. You probably deserve some fun time and I'm sure your mom understands. Use your trip to plan future trips with your mom!

An update on my situation:

my mom had her follow-up mammograms and ultrasound yesterday. They found three suspicious cysts that they want to do a needle biopsy on next week. She's had this done before (which is why she stopped going to the doctor), but given my aunt's recent diagnosis, it's really scary. For anyone who's had a needle biopsy, is this something she needs me to be there for? She's 3 hours away-- I'm moving to a new apt that very day, so it's going to be a struggle to try to have DH handle the move all by himself (he doesn't have a car, for one thing). My mom says not to worry about it, but I just don't know if she's just being nice or not. I'd be there in a heartbeat if I knew she really needed me.

My aunt started chemo on Friday and is in a *lot* of pain. I just hope it's doing it's job and attacking those bad cells as best it can.

When I had one last May, my DH happened to be with me because I had it during my consultation with a second opinion doctor. She felt something, and offered to check it right then. You don't get the results back for a few days so it is not like you mom with get a definitive answer right then.

Having said that, I was very nervous about it, mostly because I had aleady had the steroetactic biopsy in the other breast and knew I had cancer. Being worried about the other breast too was making me think maybe the cancer was more widespread than we thought from the first biopsy. It hurt a little but I think the anxiety is the main thing. It actually hurt a bit more the next day, nothing that ice packs and tylenol could not take care of.

You will have to go with your own instinct. Since she has been through this before, she does know what to expect with the procedure. I think she will need your support more during the time waiting for the pathology results.

She'll be in my thoughts and prayers. You too!!!

 

[Disney Debbie]

Val - My family came with me for my needle biopsy - but it was more because they wanted to be there and make sure they knew everything that was happening. I was physically fine and could have driven myself home - they just did a local to do the biopsy and I went back to work.

Laurabelle - I'm going to Hilton Head this weekend and will be keeping a sharp eye out!! I rarely go any further then right where the waves break, but I'm meeting my cousin and her family there and she has two boys who I'm sure will want to go out further!

NHAnn - My emotions really played havoc with me in the early days of diagnosis and surprisingly last month when I was pretty much done with everything (I thought!) I've found it does me a lot of good to vent - either here or with my very, very good friends and let it out - instead of try to be "brave Debbie"!

Louise - I'll be at WDW for one day and night while you're there. I'm meeting my brother and his family July 15th where my 10 yo niece has said she'll finally brave TOT with me - I promised to buy the picture! My mom and I are staying that night at CBR and will be lounging by the pool the next day if you want to see a friendly face!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think she will need your support more during the time waiting for the pathology results.

That's how I felt, too. When I can go alone I prefer it. I always find someone to talk to but if I don't feel like talking I can stick my head in a magazine.

Ann, there are a lot of emotions to process with a diagnosis like this. Go easy on yourself, it takes time.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Hello everyone,

Just got back from my "procedure." I have a cluster of calcifications on my right side. Everything went well. I had one incident where they hit a nerve and I felt it up to my neck. Weird. I got more novacaine for that!

So, now I wait until I here from the surgeon. I'm taking the entire day off today to relax. Tivo-ed some movies to watch today. Any suggestions on how I should spend my day?

I hope everyone is feeling well today!

 

[snappy]

Hello everyone,

Just got back from my "procedure." I have a cluster of calcifications on my right side. Everything went well. I had one incident where they hit a nerve and I felt it up to my neck. Weird. I got more novacaine for that!

So, now I wait until I here from the surgeon. I'm taking the entire day off today to relax. Tivo-ed some movies to watch today. Any suggestions on how I should spend my day?

I hope everyone is feeling well today!

Glad it is over, I hope you enjoy your movies and truly relax.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Thank you Snappy. So far, I'm having a terrific day. I'm glad it's over, too.

I'm watching 50 first dates and then I'll watch Dangerous Liaisons. After that, maybe a light nap and play with pups.

 

[ElenitaB]

I only just saw this thread today... thanks so much for getting it going because so much is related to awareness, education and sharing. I'm a 4 year ovarian cancer survivor, but am facing a recurrence. Tomorrow I'm having a CT and then possibly a PET. Then we're on to surgery and treatment. Of course, this could all be a lab mistake (wouldn't that be nice... but unrealistic). I'm like "let's get this party started... I have a cruise to go on in November."

Over the years, I've learned that sharing with other survivors is rather important. I'd love to make a plug here for The Wellness Community. As a single mom, this site enabled me to participate in an online support group without taking time from my son or my job.

I ditto the recommendation for the book Chicken Soup for the Cancer Survivor. I would also recommend The Wellness Community Guide to Fighting for Recovery from Cancer, written by Harold Benjamin (I knew I couldn't go wrong with that book... my DS' name is Benjamin Harold). The whole concept behind the book is being "patient active." Powerful stuff.

Anyway, re: hair loss and chemo... I lost hair everywhere (nice not having to shave legs and pits) and was down to my last few eyelashes and eyebrow hairs by the time I had my last treatment. Your mileage may vary.

NHAnne... from many former survivors, we feel like a headache is rarely seen as simply a headache; a backache is rarely just a backache. They are but we tend to worry a bit. It's hard to deal with sometimes, but the fact of the matter is that we're here, alive and kicking, to deal with it.

I'm glad to have stumbled across this thread. If anyone happens to have some extra pixie dust, could you please throw some my way?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Laurajean, so glad your procedure's over. That must be a relief. Try to relax and enjoy your movies.

Elenita, glad you found the thread. Sorry you have to go through this, you'll be on my prayer list. Sounds like you have a great attitude and lots of support. I dreamed about my post treatment cruise all during my treatment myself. Let's hope you get some positive news.

I was thinking about all of you guys while I was in the MRI machine yesterday. I asked a pretty stupid question (about how much radiation exposure you get during an MRI - remember the discussion a few pages back?) and with raised eyebrows they said there was no radiation from the MRI, just magnetic waves (as I lay there with an antenna on my stomach). Guess I should have known that, LOL!! I guess these tests are making me

 

[Laurajean1014]

These mini ice packs are great. I would love to buy more of these when DS or DH has a small area that hurts.

How long does the soreness last?