Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part II -GAGWTA!

[snappy]

I will echo the 2nd opinion suggestion. I actually saw 3 P.S.'s and the interesting thing was they all guided me to the same procedure. Their bedside manners varied widely. And I cannot abide any doc talking down to me or treating me in a fatherly way. I like someone who I can relate to on the same level and is willing to explain exactly why one procedure is preferable to another for ME and exactly what to expect.

Also, I just got ready somehow and fear left. I was really surprised after seeing the doc I used that I knew it would work out. Gut feeling or something. Also I sought and received a lot of feedback from people in the medical field, mostly nurses. I got very good advice, and I think delaying my decision (I went 10 months between seeing doc #1 and having the surgery) helped me arrive at the right place to proceed.

 

[judithen]

Merry Poppins, I just feel for you...what terrible experiences with doctors! I've had some real winners in the past so I can understand. With doctors like that I can't help but think "what goes around, comes around". My mastectomy was 12/15/04...and Christmas was an issue, too. Obviously not as much as yours would have been on Christmas Eve. But worries about the whole family entered into a "before Christmas" date. Sending good thoughts your way.

Snappy, thankfully, all my cancer docs were great. I was very selective with my hospital. So instead of going local (Chicago suburbs), I went into the city to a highly recommended teaching hospital. My gynie doc was all ready there so one thing led to another. If I do see a plastic surgeon, I trust my breast surgeon to recommend a good one. Though not so much that I won't check out the recommendation and get multiple opinions after that

Thank you both!

 

[snappy]

Graduation for DD17 tonight.

ooh la la !!!!!

Thank goodness the party is Sunday and at my sister's house, the dear soul!

There IS light at the end of the tunnel.

Or as my husband says, two down, one to go!!

 

[MerryPoppins]

Congratulations to your DD! Your graduations are early down there. We've still got another week of school after this one, so graduations in our area are next week and the week after. Have fun tonight! (Are you finally feeling better?)

 

[snappy]

Thanks Merry.

Yes this is early but we start school early in August, around the 10th or so. I like ending early, we are getting to WDW early hopefully before the full court press of summer visiters.

I am feeling better. I did not work today which helped but I ended up putting out pine needles all morning (one of my mother's day presents. . .one I asked for ).

I must have overexerted or the antibiotics caused it again, you guessed it, the BOZO look again.

Off to graduation. Why do I have butterflies?

DD17's BF asked her if she had her honors drape or whatever you call it when he picked her up. She did not even tell me she was graduating with honors. . . maybe it was due to passing enough AP tests?

 

[MerryPoppins]

That's great! Here I think the honors are 4.0 and National Honor Society. DS didn't have either, so I guess I didn't pay enough attention.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Congrats to your DD, Laurie. Honors, wow!

In our family we have one graduating HS and one graduating college this year. We started the tradition last year (for our Godson) of doing scrapbooks for all the kids upon graduation, so we had two this year. Every family does few pages. They're so nice!

Pine needles - that is one of my favorite smells.

 

[laurabelle]

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

judithen- I had bilateral masts with implant reconstruction and I get those muscle spasms from time to time.

Laurie- Congrats to the latest graduate!!! I can't remember if you decided to fly or drive to WDW, but yesterday I checked and my flight down in June on SW dropped from $78 to $54 ea way.

looking forward- This is exactly why I'll never bring anyone else to WDW...some people just don't get the magic. Sorry.

Just popping in for a quick hello. My dd has been soooo sick with strep throat this week. I had to take her back to the ped. yesterday to have a CBC since the rapid strep test was negative on Monday and the dr. wouldn't give her an antibiotic. My dd was 2hrs into her latest dose of Motrin and had a 102.8 temp... CBC showed elevated white count, so she def. has a bacterial infection. I still say strep, we'll see when the longer test results are in...mom knows best!

Still no word on my ins. appeal. I am starting a slow taper on the Prednisone, which is good because I'm going a little crazy the longer I'm on it.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Hi everyone! I am just back from disney...it was good and bad. The good part was just simply BEING there...since I love it so much. The bad was that my friend who was with us decided that she did not like disney and that it was too expensive...so she complained a LOT. It was HER idea to go, but she began to insist that she did it for me. I was not happy! The highlights were feeling well enough to walk around (three weeks after chemo ended), eating food that tasted good! and enjoying time with my daughter. We had an amazing meal at Tokyo Dining and had a window seat for Illuminations. Anyhow, I am excited to plan an all out trip for December since I had to cancel my last December trip for my surgery.

Dawn...I am so GLAD to hear from you! Sorry about the lymph nodes. I had one sentinal positive and one axillary with micro amounts..so I had TWO also! I took the hard chemo and while I will never say it was easy....I made it through. It was challenging but we will be here to support you!

I decided to do radiation...it was not mandated...and I start that this week. I am prepared but nervous. I figure by December I will have my implant in and my expander OUT and my other breast reduced to match...but even more importantly... I will have my HAIR BACK! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

GAGWTA!

It sounds like things are progressing nicely! I am sorry your friend wasn't thrilled with WDW.
Good luck with the radiation!

Graduation for DD17 tonight.

ooh la la !!!!!

Thank goodness the party is Sunday and at my sister's house, the dear soul!

There IS light at the end of the tunnel.

Or as my husband says, two down, one to go!!

How exciting! Congrats to your DD!

Laura - I hope your DD feels better soon! Still sending good thoughts your way for the insurance/medication to work out!

My mom's oncologist was supposed to talk with the surgeon yesterday but I haven't heard anything. Since the surgeon was out of her office for several days I imagine she is still playing "catch up". DS and I ae flying up to see Mom next weekend. Hopefully it will be nice weather!

 

[snappy]

My mom's oncologist was supposed to talk with the surgeon yesterday but I haven't heard anything. Since the surgeon was out of her office for several days I imagine she is still playing "catch up". DS and I ae flying up to see Mom next weekend. Hopefully it will be nice weather!

The waiting for news game continues. I sure hope you get some info soon!

 

[snappy]

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

I can't remember if you decided to fly or drive to WDW, but yesterday I checked and my flight down in June on SW dropped from $78 to $54 ea way.

looking forward- This is exactly why I'll never bring anyone else to WDW...some people just don't get the magic. Sorry.

Just popping in for a quick hello. My dd has been soooo sick with strep throat this week. I had to take her back to the ped. yesterday to have a CBC since the rapid strep test was negative on Monday and the dr. wouldn't give her an antibiotic. My dd was 2hrs into her latest dose of Motrin and had a 102.8 temp... CBC showed elevated white count, so she def. has a bacterial infection. I still say strep, we'll see when the longer test results are in...mom knows best!

Still no word on my ins. appeal. I am starting a slow taper on the Prednisone, which is good because I'm going a little crazy the longer I'm on it.

Thanks for the SW tip. Three of us are flying up in order to use up some credits. Our flights have stayed high, but I thing it is the timing.

I hope your daughter gets better fast. I am still not 100%. I still can't tast or smell anything. I did not have a culture done but it was clear I needed antibiotics.

Hope you don't flare up due to reducing the steriod.

 

[snappy]

Graduation turned out to be right during a weather downpour and it is still storming and flooding.

Our governor Bobby Jindal who graduated from DD 's HS not so very long ago (he is a young'un) did the main speech at graduation but the sound system was a dud for the arena and we could hardly hear a thing throughout the ceremony.

DD had honors for her GPA, magna cum laude with a 4.08 on a weighted 5.0 scale. I think her unweighted GPA was about 3.75 so still good. She was also in the second row on our side so we could see her.

Long night though with the weather and then eating dinner afterwards with her BF and his family.

I am pooped.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

The waiting for news game continues. I sure hope you get some info soon!

Yep. Hopefully I will hear from her today or tomorrow. Chances are she isn't giving it any thought, so she may not be planning to call and pester the surgeon. (That is much more my personality, not hers!)

Congrats to your DD! She sounds like a very intelligent young woman! Sorry the weather was gross!

On other fronts, DH and I bought in at AKV on Monday so that has proven to be a wonderful distraction for me. SO much information to wrap my brain around!

 

[snappy]

Congrats on the AKV purchase!!

I hope your family enjoys the membership. We are new since last year members and have stayed so far only at OKW on rented points (three times since 2005). Our first stay at Boardwalk using our points is next week.
I am so ready. DH dropped a bomb this morning when we both ended up awake at 4 am that there is a possibility he may not be able to make it due to work. He thinks the more likely scenario will be that he has to work some by computer. The countdown is on for the company he works for to get their permanent financing in place for their big project. It should have been complete long ago but in the current credit crisis all bets are off. Very stressful for the folks at his office, but DH is bearing up well.

Now I am a basket case as I may have to drive if he can't make it. I can do it, hey I drove home from New Orleans over the spillway (long bridge) a couple of weeks ago for the the first time in a few years and did fine. Orlando is just a little further, right?

 

[laurabelle]

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

Laurie- I hope your hubby can make it! I know you could do the drive if you had to...but know how you feel about it.
I think my long road trip days are over, but I never say never, lol! You are going to love, love, love staying at BWV!

jackskellingtonsgirl- I hope you don't have to wait over the weekend for news...
Congrats on your AKV purchase!
I forgot, you asked about the 0% 6mo. on my AP DDP package... I did notice that fine print on the Disney Visa website about packages including tickets. I'm not sure yet if they are charging it as a package or room only, since the statement hasn't actually generated yet. I did see it listed as "lodging" so I'm thinking it's room only and I'll have to pay it all next month. Oh well, a girl can try right?!? At least it's not a huge bill!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Congrats on the AKV purchase!!

I hope your family enjoys the membership. We are new since last year members and have stayed so far only at OKW on rented points (three times since 2005). Our first stay at Boardwalk using our points is next week.
I am so ready. DH dropped a bomb this morning when we both ended up awake at 4 am that there is a possibility he may not be able to make it due to work. He thinks the more likely scenario will be that he has to work some by computer. The countdown is on for the company he works for to get their permanent financing in place for their big project. It should have been complete long ago but in the current credit crisis all bets are off. Very stressful for the folks at his office, but DH is bearing up well.

Now I am a basket case as I may have to drive if he can't make it. I can do it, hey I drove home from New Orleans over the spillway (long bridge) a couple of weeks ago for the the first time in a few years and did fine. Orlando is just a little further, right?

I hope your DH is able to make it as planned! If not, just take it easy on the drive and you will be fine!
We have never stayed at a DVC property before. I have changed our ressie 3 times since Monday, I am sure MS just cringes when I call. We started off booked at OKW, then I split that to half OKW and half AKV, then I switched to SSR instead of OKW. DH isn't very happy with moving 3 times in 16 nights, but he'll be OK.

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

Laurie- I hope your hubby can make it! I know you could do the drive if you had to...but know how you feel about it.
I think my long road trip days are over, but I never say never, lol! You are going to love, love, love staying at BWV!

jackskellingtonsgirl- I hope you don't have to wait over the weekend for news...
Congrats on your AKV purchase!
I forgot, you asked about the 0% 6mo. on my AP DDP package... I did notice that fine print on the Disney Visa website about packages including tickets. I'm not sure yet if they are charging it as a package or room only, since the statement hasn't actually generated yet. I did see it listed as "lodging" so I'm thinking it's room only and I'll have to pay it all next month. Oh well, a girl can try right?!? At least it's not a huge bill!

Thanks! It turns out that I changed over to using points to pay for that section of the trip, so now the DDP is part of a DVC room instead of part of an AP room ressie. I was afraid I might not be able to get an AP rate on the room for the nights I wanted, and since I could get a room at SSR I went that way instead. My plans change very, very frequently.

I called Mom last night to see what's going on. Nothing, which is what I suspected. She forgot to call the oncologist Wednesday. When she called yesterday he was out of the office. His staff said he did call the surgeon on Wednesday but they didn't know what the surgeon said. Mom didn't bother to call the surgeon herself, so she has NO new info. She thought maybe someone would call her today.
I think the bills are starting to overwhelm her, and she hasn't filed ANY claims to her cancer policy. She says it's because she needs more information and she doesn't have time to make the phone calls because they put her on hold. She likes to make excuses. She was 4 years behind on tax returns but has now managed to file for 2 of the 4 years. She hasn't heard from the IRS though, so she isn't sure what the status of her returns is. She has thousands of dollars in IRS refunds and medical reimbursement just WAITING for her but she can't pull it together to file the paperwork. And of course I will be there over the holiday weekend when nothing is open, so I can't make any calls for her. I offered to help her fill out the claim forms but she doesn't want my help. Of course.

 

[laurabelle]

I was approved for Humira!!!!
Whooot! Thank you God!!!
I am happy!
That is all!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I was approved for Humira!!!!
Whooot! Thank you God!!!
I am happy!
That is all!

Oh, Laura! What wonderful, wonderful news!!! I hope it makes you feel 100% better!!!

My mom will be going in for a breast ultrasound the week of Memorial Day so they can see what the tumor is doing, then they will schedule her surgery from there.

 

[lookingforward]

I was approved for Humira!!!!
Whooot! Thank you God!!!
I am happy!
That is all!

YEA! YAHOO! I am so happy for you!

 

[NHAnn]

I was approved for Humira!!!!
Whooot! Thank you God!!!
I am happy!
That is all!

Laura!!!
That news made my day...heck it made my week!!