Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part III - GAGWTA!

[luvmarypoppins]

Good evening ladies

TruBlu - Wishing your mom all the best. The ladies here have a great wealth of information and experience to share.

Lisa - Wow, You are one amazing sista! Glad the meds are kicking in and I couldnt even imagine doing all the things you do. I am a physical mess right now.

Melissa - Hope Amy is adjusting day by day.

Laurie - Did you ever say how your ds test results were?

Sha - Wishing you peace and comfort. That is a lovely way to honor your friend Jen.

Linda - I am always amazed at your medical knowledge

Laura - Arent our dh's just great. Hmm, maybe we should give them a big ol
"Wound Packer of the Year Award". huh? I can't believe my dh was doing this twice a day since March Yup, hmm that works out to approximately at least over 300 wound packs nd changes I just my dh

Drumroll..we stopped packing the wound today and are just covering it. I hope the dr. thinks this is o.k. but he is on vacation so we will see sept. 8th
and speaking of my dh..he is doing alot of crying and telling me he loves me lately. I asked him if this is because of the cancer and he said..YES!! Did any of your dh's do this? Really its the 1st time he has done it more frequently. Oh and he tried to do the massage stuff on my shoulder like the physical therapist. I actually lke the way the pt does it...and speaking of massages, ds17 complained to ds20 how his back hurts from his bed. Ds 20 said to ds17...lets go for a couples massage at the spa What is happening here??

GTAGWTA. Thinking of you all.

 

[snappy]

Isn't it a beautiful service, Laurie? Are you watching it on a national channel?

Really moving. I am quite impressed. It seems very personal instead of the pomp and circumstance of recent state funerals. I can't help but wonder how much of it was from his ideas.

I watched it on Fox. It appeared to be shown in its entirety.

So many of the speakers spoke with wrenching emotion and the video, I loved seeing his family together on the boat. It looked like it might have been recently filmed.

My good friend who lives in New Orleans was originially from the Boston area. She continues to sail in Florida when she can with her father who is of Kennedy's age. I was thinking of her and her dad during that video.

 

[snappy]

Here you go TruBlu

You will see that, it's pretty well accepted today that lumpectomy w/radiation has the same long term survival rates as mastectomy for women with small tumors. (I realize your Mom's was probably bigger initially, but shrunk with chemo and is now "small"; I have some survivor friends whom that was the case for also. One who had a 7cm tumor followed by chemo to shrink it, then lumpectomy and radiation, and she's doing great going on 8 years or so. )

Good luck to your Mom with her decision and further treatment.

http://health.discovery.com/centers/cancer/breast-cancer/mastectomy-lumpectomy.html

http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/mastectomy-versus-lumpectomy1002

http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/mast_vs_lump.jsp

I knew Linda would have the specific facts and some good links.

My intention was just to post that if having the mastectomy would have a statistically better effect, the doctor would steer her that way (if she had multifocal disease). I could not remember all the percentages, etc.

Since your mom has had chemo, if she does opt for the mastectomy, the reconstruction, especially a flap, is a lot of surgery to recover from.

I waited 2 years to have reconstruction, no chemo but I found the prospect of more surgery daunting. When I got to the right place and felt I found the right plastic surgeon, I did it.

Some will say the results are so much better if the reconstruction is done at the same time. Cosmetically this is true, but it takes its toll. Waiting does mean going under anesthesia twice so that is a consideration.

Has your mom had any radiation? That is a big factor.

 

[snappy]

LMP, over 300 wound changes, oh my, you have a keeper there.

My DH is not much of a crier around me. He did lose it at work after my diagnosis, but was very careful around me. I think it is a protection thing.

The only other time I really saw him lose it was in 2005 after Katrina. But we had a house full of people and pets, his mother's house where he and his siblings were raised was 10 feet under water, and we had to turn away one of his nieces and her children as there was literally no more room at the inn. We also were unable to reach everyone in is family since cell phone service was impossible. He actually had what I would consider a sort of temporary breakdown and the crying lasted over an hour. There was so much tension, and I guess he had to release it.

Does he open up to you? Talking everything out is important. Men tend to hold it in far too long. Encourage him to talk to a friend if he has one who is a true confidant.
Very good therapy.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good afternoon sistas

Sad news...Alyssas grandma passed away last night. Millie was such a sweet lady. She fought both lung and stomach cancer. The e mail said she went peacefully in her sleep, so sadly I am going to have to go to a viewing this week. Breaks my heart.

Laurie - Yeah, my dh basically is good, I just think when he saw what the physcial therapist was dong and then knowing the other operation is around the corner and hearing the therapist say stuff about that test I have to have in oct. just all got to him. Yeah, he has a really great friend he sees on sats. His wife has uterine cancer and has finished her chemo and rad. I sat with her at that dinner. They are an older sweet couple. So they talk to each other.

Ds 19 starts college mon. and ds 21 starts college on the 9th. He is going to Dorney Park onTues. Dh is still in the midst of the job stuff, promisiong him anything, offering money not an amount yet. Gotta l my dh..he tells them, money is not going to cure my wifes cancer. (This is when he is making the point that he doesnt want to travel so much etc.). He is torn, and then today a godwink..he sees the one future boss at the Home Depot. I told him, its a sign from God!! You would never see this guy in Home Depot, He hires people to do his work etc.

GTAGWTA, have a great week end.

 

[snappy]

LMP, sorry to hear about Millie's passing.

It sounds like your DH has his priorities right. I am sure it is torture being in limbo about the job. Don't you just love Godwinks?

Hey, your tags came back! What in the heck happened?

 

[luvmarypoppins]

No, sadly my old tags have disappeared. I REALLY want them back, would it be bad to beg the tag fairy. I figured out what 2 of the other ones mean, actually what I said is cut off, so it makes no sense, unfortunately, one was a comment about dh antenna topper that someone stole and the other one was I was the coolest sister as the ac got fixed. The coollest word was left out. I dont want to complain too much because I really want a SURVIVOR or at least a CANCER FIGHTER TAG one day.

I do know that Dan Murphy complained once and they fixed his back I think. Oh well.

Forgot to say my stomach is really hurting alot. Dh wants to take me to the emergency room, I of course, will insist on not going. I wish the surgeon was not on vacation. I just hope I can put up with this till sept 8th,. I think a cat scan might be in order by then etc.

 

[Aliceacc]

No, sadly my old tags have disappeared. I REALLY want them back, would it be bad to beg the tag fairy. I figured out what 2 of the other ones mean, actually what I said is cut off, so it makes no sense, unfortunately, one was a comment about dh antenna topper that someone stole and the other one was I was the coolest sister as the ac got fixed. The coollest word was left out. I dont want to complain too much because I really want a SURVIVOR or at least a CANCER FIGHTER TAG one day.

I do know that Dan Murphy complained once and they fixed his back I think. Oh well.

Forgot to say my stomach is really hurting alot. Dh wants to take me to the emergency room, I of course, will insist on not going. I wish the surgeon was not on vacation. I just hope I can put up with this till sept 8th,. I think a cat scan might be in order by then etc.

LMP, go to the ER!!!

Whatever is causing the pain, it will only get worse if left alone.

 

[laurabelle]

Forgot to say my stomach is really hurting alot. Dh wants to take me to the emergency room, I of course, will insist on not going. I wish the surgeon was not on vacation. I just hope I can put up with this till sept 8th,. I think a cat scan might be in order by then etc.

Maryann- I know you don't want to have to endure the joys of the ER, but I hope you will go in spite of it. You are in my thoughts and prayers and I'm right there with you in spirit sista.

 

[snappy]

MaryAnn, please post how you are!!!

 

[Candy30]

LMP I agree you need to at least get it checked out! For your friend who lost her grandmother. Your husband is great and you can tell loves you very much.
Sha- Sorry for your loss. You are doing a wonderful thing for your friend.
PNM= How are you?
TruBlu- Welcome. This is the best place for support and answers.
Alice- I have 16 days until Disney! Get ready to be packed soon!
Jacks- My family thinks I am crazy for packing so soon but I am not going to get caught missing something.
Laura-Glad to see you ar feeling better to post. Take care and keep healing!
Snappy- You and PNM always have the 411. Love it!!! Where is your husband's family now after Katrina!
Honu- Skeeters get me alll the time. I swear I have a NEON sign pointing down at me for them. FREE FOOD!

GAGTWA!

 

[honugirl]

Ha ha ha, Candy! I swear I've got a neon sign that says "Eat Here" pointed at me. Ugh. Just hope I don't get West Nile... that would be my luck!

MaryAnn, I hope you're doing OK and I hope you went to the ER!!!!!!! Otherwise I'm going to have to come over there and body check you all the way to the hospital.

 

[snappy]

Ah, Candy, thanks for asking.

My MIL, 2 SIL's, and our niece relocated for a while to a REsidence Inn in Dallas, where our niece's employer (Oreck) staged everyone for awhile. When New Orleans was reopened fall 2005, they made do for awhile in our niece's double with no belongings and no furniture.

My mother in law had her house which took on 10 feet of water in Katrina gutted and a contractor rebuilt it last year.

Sadly all the uprooting stuff hastened the progress of MIL's dementia. After my SIL's house which only had about a foot of water was gutted and redone, the three of them moved in there.

It is still in process. They are on the long term renovation plan.

Many family members were north of Lake Pontchartrain so on higher ground, they did not flood, and once the electricity was finally restored, life goes on.

I guess it is a testimony to the pull New Orleans has on many residents or former residents that two of our offspring, the ones in college, are both going to school in New Orleans.

My husband and I continue to support the restaurants, etc., down there since we are back and forth alot.

Somehow, Mardi Gras, the Jazz festival, the food, the music, it all gets in your veins and you just can't deny your heritage.

I doubt that our kids will live there after graduation though. The job market there was abysmal years before Katrina and remains so.

Nice place to visit but you really don't want to live there. I read somewhere that it rivals Baghdad for being a dangerous place to live.

I have daily concerns about our kids' safety. They just are not aware enough of the dangers although we did convince DD19 to carry mace with her.

I hate making her fearful, but I would be derelict if I did not lay it on the line.

I had my purse stolen in a downtown New Orleans restaurant in the early 80's, our car stolen from Dh's employee parking lot in 1990, and our house robbed in 1988 (hours before our oldest was born).

I guess you become immune to a certain extent, but I believe it is much worse now. There continues to be a big juvenile criminal problem. Some of this element believe they have nothing to lose and would just as soon shoot you as look at you. One of my coworkers was robbed at gunpoint and hit in the stomach during the day time this past May when she was at a convention in a well lit tourist area by the river. There are people very desperate not sure if for food or for drugs. Scary.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

GAGWTA, Ladies!

Candy, I am VERY pleased to see that you are taking your WDW packing responsibilities seriously! We have been home for 2 weeks and I finally unpacked the last suitcase today. It was full of clean clothes so I figured there was no rush. I still have a few weeks before I need to pack for December.

Laura, I am glad you are home! I hope you are on the mend and do not have any other complications!!

Melissa, I hope your DD is doing OK! College is such a big adjustment.

Maryann, I hope you went to the ER!

Honu, Sounds like you have seen some improvement!!

Laurie, I am not sure I would want to go to WDW all by myself. Good luck making a decision!

Sha, I am sorry to hear about your friend. I think the DL brick is a lovely way to remember her!

TruBlu - My mom had a 5cm tumor. It was down to 3 cm when she had her surgery. She did just have a lumpectomy, followed by chemo and radiation. She just finished her treatment in February but she seems to be doing fine now. Sending many good thoughts to you and your mom!!

Linda - I hope your kids are settling in at middle school! This is DS's last year of middle school. We finally got his schedule changed so hopefully he will have a good year.

I watched a bit of the funeral services for Senator Kennedy. I am so sad for his family, and for our nation. I watched a PBS show about the whole Kennedy family the other night. I learned a lot - history and government have never been strong subjects for me.

Many hugs and good wishes all around!!

 

[honugirl]

GAGWTA all!

Well, I managed to completely freak myself out today. Sigh. The medication did too good of a job at lowering my cortisol. I almost ended up in the ER in an adrenal crisis. I was really close to going, if the last 10 of hydrocortisone wouldn't have kicked in, I would have gone. So that really scared me because I saw how loopy and stuff I was getting. I would have had to call the ambulance to take me or find a neighbor to get me there because I couldn't drive.

So after today, I'm really leaning towards getting a service dog after surgery. I went down hill pretty fast and had to take a lot of medication to pull out of it. It was like being on a plane in a nosedive and praying you were going to pull out of it before you crashed and burned. At least if I have a well trained service dog, they can make the call to 9-1-1 on my command or bring me the phone. They would have the ability to bring my medication because I was so nauseous I almost tossed the cookies several times. It's tough to get up and get meds when that happens. The crisis came on with no warning, so if I can work with the dog to possibly alert before I go into a crisis, that would be helpful too.

That seriously was the scariest thing I've ever been through.

 

[NHAnn]

GAGWTA!!
long lost GAGWTA sister checking in. Lots to catch up on here!

Laurabelle....you are on my mind and in my prayers daily

Honugirl, LMP, and others doing full battle these days, I am thinking of you too!

TruBlu....while it is nice to "run into you" here, I am so sorry about the circumstances for your mom! Wishing herclarity to make the best decision she can, and strength to heal and move forward. WIll be keeping you all in my thoughts. Our Avery turns 8 later next month, and is down to six months left on his chemo regimen!!

Linda, I too thought of you during the services for Ted Kennedy (native Massachusetts girl here). I have always felt such an affinity for Caroline, she is my age). Ted's passing is really the end of an era.

One of my local support group member's sent a link to this AARP article about Cancer Survivorship....I haven't read it all yet but looks good so I wanted to share. http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions/cancer_survivorship/?cmp=NLC-WBLTR-CTRL-82809-F4

I am getting ready to Make Strides again in October....http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY10NewEngland?px=1523828&pg=personal&fr_id=19916

DD is back to "school" today (her job as a speech/language assistant) after a fast summer at the same camp job she held last year for kids with Asperger's. She and her boyfriend found an apt right here in town so it is nice to have her closer, the boyfriend's old apt where she has been spending most of her time was about an hour from here. Not real sure where this is leading (or how I feel about it) but we shall see!

Today I am off to my check-up with the oncologist (you original members on the thread will remember my Dr. Hottie ) SInce I am at 4 years and no longer on the clinical trial med, I think I will be down to annual instead of 6 month checkups...then after 5 years not sure, will find out today.

Have a wonderful week ladies!!

 

[snappy]

Good luck at the doc's, Ann.

Good for you for doing the ACS race again!!

It does not seem possible that Avery is going to be 8. I am still following his journey on carepages. Such a great story!

I understand about not knowing how you feel about your DS and her boyfriend. Who said motherhood was going to be easy?

I would love to pick your daughter's brain some day about Aspergers. One of my co-workers who has it or thinks she has it, and another has an 8 year old who has been diagnosed with it.

It affects the rest of our litle group at work more than you would think because of behaviour issues.

The coworker who has it gave us a very long "lecture" about it during one of the team meetings. It left us feeling worse, not better. She considers it a disability, and that our mission is helping people with disabilities.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Honugirl A service dog sounds wonderful.

Ann You probably had the torrential downpour on Sat too - we stayed in and watched the whole funeral pretty much. My heart went out to Mrs. Kennedy and the rest of his family. Sounds like Joe Kennedy is in the running for his seat. BTW, one of my nieces is the same age as your DD and is doing the same type of work, too. She just got engaged.

Laurie, my nephew has Asperger's. He is now 20, dx'd around age 8 or so also. Feel free to email.

Well we have a beautiful day for the last day of summer. Amazing how fast the time goes by, isn't it? Weren't we just getting ready for Memorial Day?

jsg, would love to see more pics from your trip!

lmp, Laura, hoping things are going ok. Merry, hope your DD is adjusting well, too.

GAGWTA

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good morning ladies

Ann - Its only natural to worry about your dd. I call myself "smother" these days. Hope your visit today goes well.

Alice - praying for your surgery and recovery that all would go well

Lisa - wow that is scary. A service dog sounds great

Linda - I was thinking of you too. Not just about the funeral but at the wake I was at last night the one guy said he was from Boston and was so happy about the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots etc.

Candy - keep on packing!! How goes the job situation???

Laura - Praying for you sista. How goes the wound stuff??? 10 years ago I had the hematoma too. That time dh had to stuff it with idoform gauze etc.

Laurie - I am sure you must feel like you walk on eggshells at work sometimes!! I hope things work out with the co worker.

No, I didnt go to the er, and as you know last time I went I got cut up like 1:30 am. The pain is ok now. It comes and goes. Yest. I had trouble breathing. It was the humidity I think. Last night was the viewing, very sad. There were 3 funerals at once. The whole place wwas taken over by all these emt/firefighter trucks, etc. Some retired guy passed away. Then the other poor person had a closed coffin and no one was there, maybe 5 people, that was sad. Tomm. is physical therapy. I have to ask if it was approved/authorized because the ins. co wont pay for it until it is. The telephone guy is here fixing the phone, so its day 4 and maybe we will have a phone today, we will see. Thank goodness for the cell phone.

GTAGWTA. Blessings to you all always.

 

[Candy30]

Hi Everyone!

Honu- First of all I am glad that you are ok. 2nd do you have a back up buddy system? You need to have someone be on the look out for you. I Love the idea of a dog but what about right now? Do you have a neighbor or someone that can help? That is toooo scary!!!!

LMP- Glad to see you are OK. I think if the pain persist you should get it checked out. I know it's more painful going to the ER than the pain itself!

NHANN!!!!! How are you? Good to hear from you. Yeah for 6 months checkups! I hope that is what that say. I just scheduled my PET scan right after my Disney trip. Time for round 2 of treatment.

PNM- I feel you on the summer flying by. This is my DS last year in HS. I can't believe it! LMP I feel like you too when you say S"mother".

Snappy- Your right their is not guidebook on motherhood. It is definitely not easy. After my DS had his Wisdom teeth removed he was all up under me. I know now he is feeling better because he is back in his room again.
Oh well can't keep smothering them for too long. I understand when you say about the pull of New Orleans. I was down there when I was a teenager and I never forgot it. I went back as a graduation gift from my relatives and loved it even more. I am glad your family is pulling together. That had to be devistating.

Sha-I wanted to say that you don't always have to be up and happy with us. You have seen all of us down at times and this is one place we get to vent. So post all the "down" you have. We are here for you in "good" and "bad" times.

Jacks- I told my Mom that I am almost finished packing and she like to fell over. I am last minute Lucy. So she is totally shocked. But now she has started packing and I have passed on your list to her.

Nothing new on the job. We are turning over a lot of information to them. That is 80% of what I do a day now. I have put in a few resumes here and there. I don't know what else to do.
GAGTWA!