Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part II -GAGWTA!

[laurabelle]

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

gemjoy- I'm glad your surgeon comes so highly recommended. I hope you are able to enjoy your Thanksgiving knowing you are in good hands.

Thanks for all your good thoughts and prayers. I'm trying not to bleed before I'm shot! Really, I've been through this sort of thing so many times, I wish I could say it got easier. I tried calling yesterday and didn't get through. Today I spoke with the secretary and all she told me was that all the results were not in yet and she would tell the dr. I called. I am going to leave it at that for now. If I don't hear back this week, I'll call on Mon. But I'll certainly post if I hear anything.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

GAGWTA, Ladies!

Laura, I would be crawling out of my skin. I am so bad at waiting I think I would go nuts. I hope they get back to you by the end of the day tomorrow so you don't have to go the whole holiday weekend without knowing something.

 

[NHAnn]

Laura as Laurie said, we're waiting with you. I too did not realize the implications of the hypercalcemia.

gemjoy and grammienelliebelle.....waiting with you two also!!

I too am so thankful for the friendship and support here and wish you all a good Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends. We'll spend the day with Avery and family (for newcomers, Avery is my now 7yr old grandson, he was diagnosed with luekemia Thanksgiving weekend two years ago....he is doing well with about 14 more months of treatment to go if he stays on track )

DD is out at a wake tonight a former high school classmate (only 22 yrs old).....he died last Friday, apparently having been in a Boston hospital for several days - after being found unconscious in a T station. Info/details are sketchy, I guess it's still under investigation. But I imagine it will be emotional for everyone and many of her old classmates are back in town for the holiday weekend.

We're thinking of some traditional retail therapy Friday, though we don't usually buy much we enjoy the spirit, and hopefully they will have the traditional Mickey Snowglobe tokens at JCPenney as usual!

GAGWTA!!

 

[laurabelle]

My dr. called...
NO CANCER!!!!!!!
All my tests came back normal (except my thyroid was borderline abnormal)
She has a theory that my hypercalcemia is due to my screwed up immune system and it rises when my UC flares. When I'm on steroids, it treats the high calcium, and the labs come back normal. This has been going back and forth for years, but no one has explored the other yucky possibilities. I'm so relieved and grateful!
She wants to retest after I'm further down/off the steroids, which is probably also causing my whacked thyroid.
Ultimately, I cannot walk around with high calcium, it's not good. How to treat it is not an issue while I'm on steroids, but when I'm off, who knows. I know removing my colon will solve all my problems, ugh.

In the meantime, there's so much to be thankful for!


Thanks for being here!

 

[laurabelle]

Laura as Laurie said, we're waiting with you. I too did not realize the implications of the hypercalcemia.

gemjoy and grammienelliebelle.....waiting with you two also!!

I too am so thankful for the friendship and support here and wish you all a good Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends. We'll spend the day with Avery and family (for newcomers, Avery is my now 7yr old grandson, he was diagnosed with luekemia Thanksgiving weekend two years ago....he is doing well with about 14 more months of treatment to go if he stays on track )

DD is out at a wake tonight a former high school classmate (only 22 yrs old).....he died last Friday, apparently having been in a Boston hospital for several days - after being found unconscious in a T station. Info/details are sketchy, I guess it's still under investigation. But I imagine it will be emotional for everyone and many of her old classmates are back in town for the holiday weekend.

We're thinking of some traditional retail therapy Friday, though we don't usually buy much we enjoy the spirit, and hopefully they will have the traditional Mickey Snowglobe tokens at JCPenney as usual!

GAGWTA!!

Ann- I always think of sweet Avery around Thanksgiving.

I'm so sorry to hear about your dd's classmate...saying prayers of comfort for his family.

 

[snappy]

Glad to hear you are CANCER FREE~~!!!

I feel like yelling like the people who are DEBT FREE!!~!!

YIPPEE!!!

Tragic, Ann, anytime a young person like your DD's high school classmate is lost, regardless of the circumstances.

I too think very often of Avery. I still receive the updates by his mom and dad on caring bridge. Were you there when he addressed that large crowd recently so calmly and coolly?

What a guy!!! Gotta say reading about him gets me teary.

I had a bit of trouble today in the tear department at work. One of my co-workers is also a BC survivor although I did not know her then. She had the same surgeon and was diagnosed same time frame as me. Anyway, today she comes in closes the door, and tells me it is ok, but she found a large mass on her GOOD side about two weeks ago that has been growing big time. Today she was scheduled for the mammogram and sonogram. It just blew me away.

The two radiologists who do breast stuff constantly, who also go to our church both agreed it was a cyst.

Thank the Lord. She is a little angel, who also lives and works with a disability, blindness. Her family just moved into the new home they have been building forever, and I could not stand the thought of her going through a recurrence.

Love good news.

Laura, thanks for sharing yours. Now we have more stuff to say thanks for, don't we?

 

[annrae]

Wonderful news Laura - Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! You should plan another weekend at WDW to celebrate!!

To all of you - I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving, good news to all who are waiting for reports, support to all of you who are going through testing and hugs for everyone! So happy to hear Avery is doing well, Ann. He sounds like a promising young speaker for this cause.

I think I'll get a retail "fix" also on Friday! Barbara

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Thank you all for your kindness. Grammy

 

[snappy]

Grammy, good luck tomorrow with your doctor visit. Let us know how everything goes.

Maureen, are you hanging in there?

 

[NHAnn]

I hope Maureen is getting home for the holiday!

Keep us posted grammienell.......

LAURA!!! I am so glad at the cancer free news!

annrae,nice to "see" you!

Laurie, glad your friend at work is OK, I cringed at first when I first read the "fast growing" thinking of my sister's phylloides ..

GAGWTA!!!

 

[MerryPoppins]

Lots of good news reports here lately. I like that. Lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, right? I rejoice with all of you.

I'm also continuing to pray for those of us waiting and undergoing treatment.

I also follow Avery's story, and got teary picturing him speaking before that huge crowd. Amazing how his cancer has changed his life, much in positive ways I imagine. Funny how all the obstacles in our lives can have positive impacts when at the time we may only see the negatives.

DS didn't come home tonight after all. A fraternity brother was going to be alone in the house tonight. His flight didn't leave until Wednesday. So David offered to stay and keep him company. At first I was sad that he wasn't coming home, but I quickly realized that he was doing the right thing. And tomorrow we'll all be together.

I still have this stupid cold. Pressure in my head, coughing and now my asthma is kicking in. I keep getting better, but I'm just not over it yet. Ugh. Hopefully in a few more days.

GAGWTA!

 

[snappy]

Lots of good news reports here lately. I like that. Lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, right? I rejoice with all of you.

I'm also continuing to pray for those of us waiting and undergoing treatment.

I also follow Avery's story, and got teary picturing him speaking before that huge crowd. Amazing how his cancer has changed his life, much in positive ways I imagine. Funny how all the obstacles in our lives can have positive impacts when at the time we may only see the negatives.

DS didn't come home tonight after all. A fraternity brother was going to be alone in the house tonight. His flight didn't leave until Wednesday. So David offered to stay and keep him company. At first I was sad that he wasn't coming home, but I quickly realized that he was doing the right thing. And tomorrow we'll all be together.

I still have this stupid cold. Pressure in my head, coughing and now my asthma is kicking in. I keep getting better, but I'm just not over it yet. Ugh. Hopefully in a few more days.

GAGWTA!

You brought him up right, Mom.

Here is hoping you shake that cold today so you can enjoy the spread tomorrow.

What is everyone having? My sister and her DH are making the turkey so we going there. Mom usually makes oyster dressing but we don;t think she is up to it this year although she wanted to . I am making an oyster dish called Oysters Mosca, one of the signature dishes of a great, quaint, out of the way restaurant across the river from New Orleans. We went many times theres when we were younger, have NOT been for a long time, I am not sure if it even reopened after Katrina. I have had the recipe for years, used to make it all the time, not so much lately. Lots of butter, olive oil, garlic, romano cheese, bread crumbs. Goes good with turkey, although not the same as oyster dressing.

I found the recipe, dusted it off, bought the oysters which are plentiful down here as oyster dressing is very popular.

I am also making artichoke balls, the biggest salad you can imagine, a fruit tray.

I ordered dessert, DD18 wanted strawberry shortcake (I know wrong season for strawberries and a chocolate pie.

Baking is harder for me and we have a good bakery that uses butter so it is what it is.

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Only four more hours to get to the apt. I have my list of questions ready which turned out to be not so long. I did do a little reading of this thread last night and am inspired by what you all share. I will post later when I get back. Funny thing, I notice there are a few RNs in the mix. I also am a RN, retired now two years. (Just turned 62) Maybe thats where some of my information seeking comes from. I practiced almost 30 years but most of my time was not in acute care, but in community settings. VNA's, early intervention programs, home based hospice program, and most recently in community geriatric programs. I think there was a little social worker hiding in my RN! Also we are big time Disney people. Last year my DH and I rented a vacation house for 6 weeks in the winter located off of 192 and got season passes! Each of our daughters and their families came down and spent a week or so at different times. (7 grandkids total) We have that house reserved again from mid Jan to the end of March. Ive got my fingers crossed. Thank you again for being here. Cooked my turkey last night and it is ready to be carved and warmed tomorrow and all of the sides are waiting in foil. Just want to kick back tomorrow and enjoy the gang. Hope you all do the same. Grammy (Carol)

 

[snappy]

Only four more hours to get to the apt. I have my list of questions ready which turned out to be not so long. I did do a little reading of this thread last night and am inspired by what you all share. I will post later when I get back. Funny thing, I notice there are a few RNs in the mix. I also am a RN, retired now two years. (Just turned 62) Maybe thats where some of my information seeking comes from. I practiced almost 30 years but most of my time was not in acute care, but in community settings. VNA's, early intervention programs, home based hospice program, and most recently in community geriatric programs. I think there was a little social worker hiding in my RN! Also we are big time Disney people. Last year my DH and I rented a vacation house for 6 weeks in the winter located off of 192 and got season passes! Each of our daughters and their families came down and spent a week or so at different times. (7 grandkids total) We have that house reserved again from mid Jan to the end of March. Ive got my fingers crossed. Thank you again for being here. Cooked my turkey last night and it is ready to be carved and warmed tomorrow and all of the sides are waiting in foil. Just want to kick back tomorrow and enjoy the gang. Hope you all do the same. Grammy (Carol)

Really cool to learn more about you , Grammie. We do have two WONDERFUL posters here who are nurses, Linda and Sha. So you are in very good company. We love our nurses.

We have rented houses in the WDW area too, once for 3 weeks, the other 3 times for shorter periods. Two and a half months sounds absolutely wonderful. I have lost touch with the owners of the houses we rented, if you don't mind, pm me some time the contact for the one you like.
Maybe we'll try this next time.

Hooray for retirement!!

It is great for an extended family, especially if you have more than one car. We like onsite too but our kids really would be happy offsite as well, as long as they have transportation.

Keeping my fingers crossed as well.

Glad you share that love of WDW. On our thread here we like to consider a WDW as a type of therapy here, one worthy of a doc's prescription.

We need to get the insurance companies to see the light.

Again, good luck today, I'll be thinking of you.

 

[lookingforward]

Hi everyone. I will respond in more detail to your posts when I get a chance to really read them carefully.
You are ALL in my thoughts.
I got "paroled" late Monday night. Now I am going for daily IV antibiotics once a day at my doctors office. No pic line, just a new injection every day. The nurse who does these is amazing, very careful and kind. One or two weeks of that and I should be better. I am exhausted but back to work. Excited about Thanksgiving but also so sad without my mom.
More later,
GAGWTA!

 

[snappy]

Hi everyone. I will respond in more detail to your posts when I get a chance to really read them carefully.
You are ALL in my thoughts.
I got "paroled" late Monday night. Now I am going for daily IV antibiotics once a day at my doctors office. No pic line, just a new injection every day. The nurse who does these is amazing, very careful and kind. One or two weeks of that and I should be better. I am exhausted but back to work. Excited about Thanksgiving but also so sad without my mom.
More later,
GAGWTA!

I am thrilled you are home, Maureen, even with the daily injections. Glad your nurse is so great.

I could not help but comment about the news story several days ago about which profession is seen by the public as the most ethical, trustworthy, etc.

Nurses came in #1, as usual.

HOlidays are the hardest for missing your loved ones. I hope joy peeks through the sadness for you this Thanksgiving.

Trying to find a joy smilie, nothing seems strong enough for my intnetion.

GAGWTA!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

GAGWTA, Ladies!

Laura, what wonderful news!

Ann, how sad for your DD! I am pleased to hear that Avery is doing well!
Enjoy your shopping!

Maureen, glad you are home! I hope the remaining antibiotic treatments aren't too bad!

Melissa, it was so kind of your DS to stay at school one more day! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Hopefully the cold will resolve soon!

Carol, hoping for good news from your tests!

Laurie, your dinner sounds yummy!

DH is making a dinner for the 3 of us tomorrow. Haven't heard from my mom about her plans, which is completely typical.

I'm working a half day today, then I am going to enjoy my time off and try to be thankful for the many blessings I have.

Wishing all of you a very happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It has been a busy week. Trying to keep up.

We saw Robin Williams last night in Boston and he was a riot. I had tears rolling down my face and could barely catch my breath when he was doing "Boston humor".

I am working Thanksgiving - tonight into tomorrow (holiday starts at 11pm). I don't mind, really - I kind of like being there with people who can't go home. Good news is that I'll be off for Christmas. It has been really, really busy at work.

Always glad to see another RN on board! Yes, Grammy, it's both a help and a hindrance going through this stuff when you're a nurse (or otherwise work in the medical field). There have been some really interesting things written by medical professionals "on the other side of the bed". Good luck with your surgical appointment.

I know removing my colon will solve all my problems, ugh.

Have you given that any more consideration? Is there anything we can do to help you think it through? It really and truly might not be as bad as you think. I know it's a difficult decision.

Merry, hope you're feeling better soon. That's how my cold was a couple of months ago - and it lingered so long, it turned into pneumonia. So be careful.

We're thinking about hitting some stores on Friday. We don't usually, but this year we might just for fun. I finished the majority of my XMas
as shopping last week. The one thing I'm looking for is one of those 8" Netbook computers, primarily for picture storage on the road. (It's kind of scary how much of my life is being driven by photography lately. )

Enjoy the holiday, everyone! GAGWTA

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Well I'm back! DH and I like the surgeon very much. He spent a good deal of time with us, reviewed the mamo and talked bx options. Since my microcalcifications were labeled faint I had concerns about the sterotatic proceedure. (Might be hard to find and get correct spot) We all were in agreement re the wire guided incisional bx.as being the best option for me. Waiting for a bx date pending review of my films by the radiologist. Hopfully within the next two weeks. Going for preop testing Sat am. Everyone have a wonderful day tomorrow! Prayers and thanks to all. Grammy (Carol)

 

[Aliceacc]

I just got off the phone with the oncologist. I met him for the 1st time a week and a half ago, then went for a CAT scan on Saturday.

He wants me to see a radioactive oncologist. My Phyllodes tumor was rare enough, and the margin around the mastectomy small enough that he's concerned. I never seriously considered the idea of radiology-- I thought the mastectomy and reconstruction was the end of it.

He said they also found irregular results on the thyroid and a goiter, so he wants a sonogram of the thyroid.

Not exactly the phone call I was hoping for.