Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part III - GAGWTA!

[lookingforward]

Had a nice day yesterday. Took my mother shopping, then made it to the nail salon. Had a nice mani/pedicure. My mother had her fingernails done, but outright refused to do her feet even though me and everyone in the salon was egging her on. She does not like the way her feet look (poor family, ill fitting shoes as a youngster during Depression ). She saw everyone having it done, though, and is going to think about it for later. When DD came home from school she was disappointed we went without her, so we may try again next month for DD's bday, the three of us. Later we had dinner with friends. DH bought me a nice big bouquet of fall colored flowers. Gosh, I love fall.

Speaking of which, this may be a dumb question, but do those of you in other parts of the country "get into" fall? Just wondering if this happens in places where there's no foliage. How do you decorate? I love putting up my fall decorations. Bought a few new ones yesterday.

Down in south Florida we go from summer to summer to spring to fall. If that makes sense. Its hot about ten months a year here, with two months of what might be considered fall like weather up north (50's, 60's, etc). I MISS the seasons and the cooler weather. We don't do anything for fall...in fact the only thing that sets it apart from the other ten months is Halloween. Everyone decorates for that, so I guess that defines fall for us. Sad!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

GAGWTA, Ladies!

Maureen, we have Summer, Winter, and Rain. So it is scorching hot, icy, or pouring rain. The days where we would have had moderate temps are the ones where it rains.

I have a Halloween wreath. But I am bad about rememebring to change my wreath. My 4th of July one is still up. We'll say it covers Labor Day and 9/11, too. Of course there really is no rational reason why my Easter wreath was up until the end of June.

Now that I think about it I have a Halloween tablecloth and a little haunted house votive holder I could get out. Hmm...

 

[lookingforward]

GAGWTA, Ladies!

Maureen, we have Summer, Winter, and Rain. So it is scorching hot, icy, or pouring rain. The days where we would have had moderate temps are the ones where it rains.

I have a Halloween wreath. But I am bad about rememebring to change my wreath. My 4th of July one is still up. We'll say it covers Labor Day and 9/11, too. Of course there really is no rational reason why my Easter wreath was up until the end of June.

Now that I think about it I have a Halloween tablecloth and a little haunted house votive holder I could get out. Hmm...

Too funny! I have a Christmas wreath that is Florida themed...it has holly and bells with...................sea shells. I'm not kidding. It is very tacky but I love it and hang it each year. It is getting a bit old (seven years) and looks a bit pathetic but who else has a Christmas wreath with sea shells??????

I also wanted to update everyone...I had been having horrible foot pain since chemo and tomoxofin. Anyhow, my oncologist had little to no sympathy for me and sent me to the podiotrist. He put me on a vitamin supplement that helps with nuropothy and it WORKS. My feet are feeling much, much better. Not perfect but better. I don't know if it is the placebo effect or real science but I'll take it either way. Its called Metanx...and is prescription. It has really helped and allows me to walk one to two miles per day.

I've been spending a lot of time on Facebook...if any of you have a facebook page message me and we can be "friends". Not that we aren't already! I have reconnected with so many college friends and they have been very supportive of the whole cancer thing...it is very heart warming.

GAGWTA!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good evening ladies

Candy - That is so great about your extra money for Disney. Enjoy your trip and have a great time!! You deserve it!!

Elizabeth - Thank you for reminding me about the ice storms. Dh and I always said we wish they would sand the roads down there when it iced up. Hmm, you forgot the tornadoes!!

Maureen - I am going to tell a friend about that drug. She is having really bad post chemo neuropathy.

Well I survived the ct scan. Yup 2 whole cans of the lovely berry smoothie contrast, yumm!! Or should I say I will be glad when all the after effects of this are over. Of course my stomach didnt feel as painful when I was getting the test as when it did yest. But who do we see walking past us but ..my surgeon. He says what are you doing here?? Hmm, is this 20 questions?? Hmm, well dh and I are sitting in the Cat scan waiting area, hmm, theres a clue So I said, well Dr. M. I am getting the cat scan that you ordered. When should I call the office about the results? He said call me tues. O.K. I know this guy just sees me as a faceless piece of meat he cuts up etc. But um, I was just in the office tues etc. sigh, sigh. Boy were there alot of sick patients in the halls waiting too. My tech asked me about my cancer. She said her mom is having hers out in oct. not at this hosp. though. I said she will be fine, good luck etc. She asked how long will she be radioactive. I said a week etc. I could tell she was so concerned for her mom etc.

GTAGWTA. Thinking of you all.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Maureen, I'm glad you found something to help with your pain. I met someone the other day just through with treatment for uterine cancer and she was saying her feet and hands were really bothering her, too. I will mention this if I see her again. Thanks.

Actually, where I live, Christmas wreaths with seashells are big, too. We have seashells for everything, LOL. I like them, too.

Nice to know everyone does Halloween decorations. My kids' bday is right before Halloween so that's been big for us as well. Right now here the air is getting crisp and a little chilly. It's amazing how fast it turns. Toward the end of the month we generally have Indian Summer where it warms up again before it starts to get really cold. When I went into the hospital to have my babies, it was in the 70s and I was in shorts. Ten days later when I left, it was in the 30s and DH had to bring me some warm clothes from home. I do enjoy all the seasons (but winter gets awfully long and summer flies by).

lmp, glad you made it through the CT scan.

GAGWTA

 

[annrae]

I decorate for all the seasons. At the moment I have a few Halloween decorations out along with a few autumn decorations and as we get closer to Thanksgiving, I will put the few Thanksgiving decorations out that I have. In the Northeast we have all four seasons; however, we have a very short summer. My favorite season is spring. I always feel very sad in the fall and the holidays also make me feel blue. I love having my family around and we celebrate each and every holiday but my heart never really seems to be in it. I've tried to "analyze" myself but cannot come to a conclusion! I'm happy that I could put up a good front for my children as they were growing up - they love holidays!! We will have a 9 month old this holiday season so that should be fun.

Hope everyone is doing well. They will be doing pin-point radiation on my dd's sister-in-law this week to try to lessen her terrible headaches and hopefully destroy the tumor that is behind her right eye - so sad.

Take care - hugs to all of you. Barbara

 

[snappy]

I have my fingers crossed until Tuesday that you have great results. Let us know when you can.

Barbara, the holidays can be hard. I become sad too during the holidays. I know exactly where my melancholy stems from. For many years (17 in fact) I worked for a Fortune 500 company in New Orleans with a December 31 year end. Every quarter was stressful by year end the worse. As an old company which had been releasing financial earnings on the same day every quarter for ever, as the company became bigger and more and more international, keeping the same timeframe took its toll. We used to take a lot of vacation days at Christmas and New Year's because we would workstraight through 7 days a week working long days through mid February.

It was difficult. The worst for me was after our youngest was born. I waited until January 2 to return from maternity leave. Needless to say I quit and went to part time consulting status by April.

I would always dread January 2, it was like being sent to jail. It is hard to enjoy the moment when you know what is coming. Thank goodness I have been away from that scene for years.

There oughta be a law against it.

Linda, did you say cool? I would settle for dry. It has been raining for 3 days. It finally let up to night and we were able to go to church. Gloom city.

 

[TJ's Mom]

Good evening ladies. I pop in every once in a while on here but not often. this Thanksgiving will hit my 6 year cancer free aniversary. When in treatment I did a mastecomy. I finally went to a plastic surgeon last week and have decided to do the DIEP for reconstruction (I am going to do a mastectomy on my other breast at the same time). Does anyone here have experience with DIEP?

 

[snappy]

Good evening ladies. I pop in every once in a while on here but not often. this Thanksgiving will hit my 6 year cancer free aniversary. When in treatment I did a mastecomy. I finally went to a plastic surgeon last week and have decided to do the DIEP for reconstruction (I am going to do a mastectomy on my other breast at the same time). Does anyone here have experience with DIEP?

Glad you dropped in. TJ'smom.

No plastics doing DIEP here so I went with free tram flap. DIEP is the cadillac. I know there used to be ladies who went the DIEP route on facingourrisk.org. I was on the discussion board a lot on that site when I was trying to decide whether to do my reconstruction.

Are you having a double DIEP, then? Is the mastectomy on the other breast prophalactic? A number of the ladies on facingourrisk were having prophalactic surgery due to carrying the BRAC 1 or 2 gene.

It is a big surgery. You know the drill on the mastectomy already since you are a veteran. The stomach surgery is pretty drastic for any flap surgery. At least with the DIEP your abdominal muscles remain intact, which is a very good thing. Have you seen post surgery pictures, etc? You will need a lot of TLC for at least a week.

Feel free to ask away. I don't think anyone has posted here and said they had the DIEP. I am sure it is becoming more common.

I would have chosen DIEP as well if there had been a surgeon here doing it. However, I was so pleased with my surgeon, his bedside manner and how he helped me get through the whole experience, not to mention my mom too, last year, I would not have wanted someone different to do it I think.

Are you on the surgical schedule yet?

 

[TJ's Mom]

Are you having a double DIEP, then? Is the mastectomy on the other breast prophalactic? A number of the ladies on facingourrisk were having prophalactic surgery due to carrying the BRAC 1 or 2 gene.


Are you on the surgical schedule yet?

Yes; double DIEP with prophalactic. I am negative for the BRAC genes but was only 32 when diagnosed. My breast is very lumpy and I have had to had a biopsy (negative) on it before, so I figured might as well do it too.

I am looking at Dec. for the surgery. Waiting for the plastic surgeon to set the date with the reg. surgeon who will do the mastectomy. It will be 4 weeks off work so I figured Christmas time will keep me from taking too many vacation days since I teach.

 

[CherylDan]

Long lost sista just popping in to say hi! I've missed a lot on this thread, but hopefully I'll get all caught up soon. In the meantime, I hope everybody is doing well, and thoughts and good wishes to all in treatment.

GAGWTA!!!!

 

[snappy]

Hey Cheryl, how is life treating you?

TJ's mom, since you are a few months before sugery, you should visit facingourrisk.org.

I think you minght find some kindred spirits.

After a month with the free tram flap I was volunteering at school some. I wasn't working because I did not go back to work untl about 15 months post surgery because I had "retired" in 1998.

I understand the value of avoiding future biopsies on the as yet unaffected breast. It is good that you were negative for the BRAC genes. However, from my research, that does not rule out everything, as you obviously already know.

Gosh, 32 is awfully young to be dealing with this.

The good thing is I am betting the surgeons doing DIEPS have many more of these procedures under their belt.

Are you having to travel to find your surgeon? Has he done a lot of them?

On that site, there were a number of ladies who traveled from the eastern seaboard states all the way to New Orleans to use two docs that have been doing those for many years. One of those docs even used to post on a thread on that discussion board. One of the docs is Dr. Sullivan, one is Dr. Delacroix, I think.

They operate together and have their own dedicated hospital, or did back in 2005-2006 when I was on that website alot.

Only drawback, they were not in network for me, also New Orleans is 90 minutes from me, and there are many post-op visits.

I would think your results will be fantastic, by having them at the same time I would think you will have a very symetric result.

I do think you will need someone with you 24/7 for at least 7 days. I was 53 when I had my flap done, you are a lot younger and might bounce back faster but the thing is you need someone to help you get out of bed and into the shower for at least a week.

Again, the DIEP is different but since you are having a double I would make sure you have someone with you for that first week. You will not be driving either.

My drains were pulled after a week so that was good. As soon as you are off pain meds, you should be able to drive. I took myself off the meds after 4 days as they put my intestines into snooze mode. Tylenol was my friend around the clock for awhile.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Good evening ladies. I pop in every once in a while on here but not often. this Thanksgiving will hit my 6 year cancer free aniversary. When in treatment I did a mastecomy. I finally went to a plastic surgeon last week and have decided to do the DIEP for reconstruction (I am going to do a mastectomy on my other breast at the same time). Does anyone here have experience with DIEP?

TJ's Mom - no advice, just hello.

Hey Cheryl!

GAGWTA

 

[CherylDan]

How's everyone doing today?

Life's been treating me very well lately! Been really busy with our remodeling project of our bathroom, which has taken forever but is just about all done now.

My new bichon puppy is already 7 mos. old, my how time does fly! He's doing great, and we are seriously considering getting him a friend next Spring. I can't believe how much Charlie has changed my outlook on life.....up until deciding to get him, I just could not plan for anything beyond the three month "reprive" I would get inbetween doctor visits. Now I'm feeling completely different, no longer afraid to make long term plans.....it's a wonderful feeling! (As a side note to that, I'm still completely furious about that "puppy scratching daughter's face" thread - Linda knows the one! Grrrrrrrr. )

GAGWTA!!!!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good afternoon ladies

TJ's mom - welcome, heres a and praying your surgery would go well. I have a diifferent cancer so no advice, just good thoughts.

Cheryl - so nice to see you again!!

Laurie - your wisdom amazes me

Candy - Hope you are having a great trip and I guess I am not in your suitcase

Laura - so how was the Night of Joy?? Hope you are healing too.

Well yest. I went to our church picnic. It was a nice day but long since it was right after church. The guy who always encourages me is sick and I am so worried for him. He looks terrible and they are questioning stuff already about his liver and kidney. I dont know if they have looked at his pancreas yet. But lets just say what the wife told me does not sound too good. I hope he gets a diagnosis soon and not one with the c word in it. Also here is a question. The one mom who I saw in the hosp. the lst time after I found out how bad the cancer was etc. and we hugged and cried, just had a lumpectomy and now I see she is having radiation versus chemo. What would that mean ? I dont want to call her house as she is most likely overwhelmed. I think I will just send her a card. I want to make a meal, but I know it sounds weird I will probably just send her some money. Not to be thoughtless but her one dd is an a wheelchair, she is my ds21 age and I think they have her on a diet now etc. and her dh is a diabetic so I wouldnt know what to cook etc. I know they have alot of financial problems so I am sure she would appreciate it. I think the worst gift I got when I was post surgery was a plant from dh office, just something else to worry about etc. My stomach hurts as usual. I was at the post office walking in the parking lot and ouch!! Tomm. is the big day, so say a prayer, surgery or no surgery etc. Tomm. dh is going for a check up, He already has a heart issue we need to look at and he promised me once I was feeling better he would go etc. So we will see what happens. Its ds dr. I took him to from the univ,.hosp. not my stupid gp etc Yest. would have been my dads b day. Sigh, sigh.

GTAGWTA, thinking of you all.

 

[snappy]

Laurie - your wisdom amazes me

I bet my typing doesn't. I reread my earlier post and I was mortified at the number of typos.

Must be the keyboard

 

[jennydick]

Hi....I am waiting for your post. Your first two parts are good. It would be very good, If you post additional information about the cancer. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[snappy]

How's everyone doing today?

Life's been treating me very well lately! Been really busy with our remodeling project of our bathroom, which has taken forever but is just about all done now.

My new bichon puppy is already 7 mos. old, my how time does fly! He's doing great, and we are seriously considering getting him a friend next Spring. I can't believe how much Charlie has changed my outlook on life.....up until deciding to get him, I just could not plan for anything beyond the three month "reprive" I would get inbetween doctor visits. Now I'm feeling completely different, no longer afraid to make long term plans.....it's a wonderful feeling! (As a side note to that, I'm still completely furious about that "puppy scratching daughter's face" thread - Linda knows the one! Grrrrrrrr. )

GAGWTA!!!!

Now I gotta go find that puppy scratching thread. Is it on the CB?

How 'bout pictures of the puppy. I remember how cute he is from earlier ones you posted.

 

[snappy]

Hi....I am waiting for your post. Your first two parts are good. It would be very good, If you post additional information about the cancer. Thanks for sharing with us.

Hey, not sure what you are referring to. Come back and explain. Are you a new poster?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I can't believe how much Charlie has changed my outlook on life.....up until deciding to get him, I just could not plan for anything beyond the three month "reprive" I would get inbetween doctor visits. Now I'm feeling completely different, no longer afraid to make long term plans.....it's a wonderful feeling!

That is so great, Cheryl. It is amazing how much joy a pet can bring into our lives. I cannot imagine not having a dog. My dogs have always been a huge part of who I am. It's funny, I'm not a tattoo person and have never wanted one, ever, but I told my DH last week I decided that if I ever got one, it would be of a German Shepherd, and I would probably put it over my heart. I've had six of them and I still miss the five who are gone. My current girl is by my side every second that I am home, unless she's out with DH or the kids. My little buddy.