Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part IV - GAGWTA

[Sha]

Hi ladies... sorry I have been MIA. The weekend after I returned from seeing R. in November, I started having some pain to my left lower abd. I have a cyst on my ovary but it appears to be without fluid and my bloodwork is normal. My Gyn is going to have a repeat ultrasound in 6 months unless I feel something has changed. R. was concerned a little as he asked about it a few times. He asked what I thought it was, but I didn't share my thoughts. I told him I didn't know but my fear was an etopic pregnancy. Thankful that isn't the case. So, I deal with the extra pain and it should disappear in a couple months. I had the US on the 1st done by my GP and saw my Gyn Thursday.

R's cousin did another blog out yesterday. I am sure some of you can really relate to this one. http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/yoursay/blogs/melanie_oneill/9412717.My_Rollercoaster_of_Emotions/?ref=fbrec

Im keeping this short. Im kind of having a down day today for whatever reason. I will be back though... thinking of you all. GAGWTA

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Sha - sorry you have been going through so much, sending you lots of . I hope your pain subsides. I read Melanies blog. Very touching.

I am sick with a cold as ds2 and ds3 also are. Worse, they have finals this week I think.

Going to wake dh up to work on the washer. I think we are skipping church today.

If the stand does not fit, dh has to go back to the store and buy a new one.

GAGWTA. Hope everyone has a restful day today.

 

[Candy30]

SHA!!!! Good to hear from you. I am sorry you were going through that. I am glad the results look good and it wasn't E-pregnancy. Don't forget we are here for you...etopic pregnancy and all!!! Is everything ok otherwise? How is your Mom doing? Hang in there baby girl!

LMP- I hope you and your DSs are feeling better. What's the 411 on the washer? Did you get through all of your letters and cards.

Snappy- The party was huge. I was given the task of our quadrant. I hate to be disorganized. So we were prepared for serving and clean up. I had designated people to set plates and the rest to carry and we were done in 20 minutes. It was rough but we stayed on top of everything. I love planning the vacations. It's fun to me. I think that the best part is seeing everyone together and laughing and having fun. I enjoy it! We are so dependent on our appliances. It's funny how they are supposed to save us time but it seems like we get less and less time to spend with family.

Lisa- How are you doing? Hope you are feeling well.

Smilie- How was your trip? Did you do a trip report? How did the Grands like it?

Patsmom- Hope you are healing and feeling better.

PNM Cheryl, Merry GAGTWA!

So just as I thought, DS doesn't think he will like the externship here. But he doesn't have a choice. He wants to work with placing the animals after but that is only when the research is done. He took a tour and became doubtful. I guess it is better now than him get into it and be stuck. Now he has to find anohter one.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We re all with various stages of the flu except dh.

ds23 stayed home yest. too.

Did 3 loads of laundry, too sick to do more.

GAGWTA.

 

[snappy]

So sorry your are enduring this, MaryAnn. I will say I read your post in the am, and I had to spend the day with my mom at two different doctors' offices, but while at doctor office number 2, I was inspired to get the flu shot.

Hopefully, no flu for me!

I cannot imagine how your younger sons are able to take their exams.

Sha, hope you are on the mend, so you are 100% before New Year's Eve.

Candy, I need you to whip me into shape for my next party. Gosh I am really disorganized.

This week is exam week for our daughters.

Like Candy, I can't wait to hear about your trip, Smilie.

 

[S. C.]

I don't post here often but I do read here and remember everyone in my prayers!

 

[snappy]

Nice to know you follow us, S.C. Wishing the best for 2012 for you and your family.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

S.C. - thank you for thinking of everyone. Blessings to you for a wonderful 2012 too

Laurie - glad you got the flu shot. We all had one except for ds23. Only dh is still not sick.

PatsMom - thiniking of you and your drs. appt. tomm. Hope it goes as smoothly as possible. Hang i there.

Candy - hope your ds finda a good job fit somewhere else.

I did a dining report. I think I left out a few things. Its hard to remember all of it. I am still congested and weak. Ds23 was so miserable yest. Worse, he has a home game tomm.

Tomm I am supppose to get a bp check. We shall see. I dont feel bad cancelling it last minute and if they give me grief I am going to tell them I already told them I had the flu etc.

Ds20 got a professor to waive his final for a day. He had to wait an hour. Boy sitting with him asked to be waived since he could not study because he was in jail. This was at the comm. college and not the state univ.

Ds20 submitted the state nursing application. Now its just prayer and a miracle of God. I guess over 600 other people are praying too. I assume he will get waitlisted as usual, not an outright rejection, but the waitlist there is useless. Though I did hear 2 people were accepted after the classes started just to fill open spots. He is working on 2 other schools too. One wants a letter from the a and p prof in feb?

No tree up, not really any presents except if you count the 1 gift card for each of the ds. I am feeling so sick. The ds actually have not said anything they want, oh well.

GAGWTA.

 

[hulagirl87]

I found this thread after posting on the coping and compassion thread. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and is having a double mastectomy today.

She's scared, I'm scared, I think everyone in the family is scared. My sister is taking my mom to the hospital and saying with her during the surgery and recovery. Her surgery is at noon and they said that it would take 4 hours and then she would be in recovery for several hours. She doesn't want anyone to come up to the hospital today because she will be out of it but I know that my sister will call me with updates.

Part of what is scary about all this is not knowing how the healing process is going to go. I know that my mom is going to need a lot of help and my sister and I are going to be there for her. I know that my mom will have a hard time lifting her arms, right? If anyone has any advice or suggestions on how I will be able to help her after she gets home or anything that she might need or want that I can get for her. I would do anything for her and I can't believe that this is happening. Kind of feels like an out of body experience and I can't believe that today is here.

Thanks for listening

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm sure the post mastectomy gals will be along soon. Hope the day and the weeks ahead go well for your Mom, Hulagirl.

lmp, feel better.

GAGWTA

 

[MerryPoppins]

Still having trouble posting. Hula, I had a mastectomy 10 years ago. I lived in a recliner for a while after I got home. Sleeping in bed hurt & getting up was bad. I kept a lazy susan on the table by my chair with everything I needed.

 

[MerryPoppins]

An insulated mug of cold water, remote, little notebook to list gifts that arrived & keep track of meds, a timer, hand lotion, cell & cordless, tissues, magazines, etc.

 

[Candy30]

SC Thanks for checking up on us!
LMP I am sorry you are so sick. I hope you and your DS feel better.
Hula-We always made sure everythng was close to My Mom. She had pain with swelling and lifting over her head. It has been a while since her surgery. I know there will be lots of good suggestions for you here. Hang in there sweety.

Just checking in. Everyone have a good weekend and GAGWTA!

 

[wdw4us2]

Greetings to everyone! Sorry I have been MIA for a while, but it's been a crazy two weeks.

The highlight was DD Meg and I doing the Holiday D-Lights tour on Tuesday night. Although I thought it was a bit hurried at times, it was very enjoyable and informative. I had worries that I wouldn't be able to handle it, but there were enough opportunities to rest at different times during the tour. If you interested in how they do the MK castle lights, the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights or the CP, this is the tour for you. It also includes dinner at Whispering Canyon. I did some shopping yesterday at Cast Connection and Downtown Disney. I am now completely exhausted, but it was worth it.

I hope everyone's holiday preparations are going well. I have to run - time to start working on the Christmas cards!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good afternoon sistas

hulagirl - glad you got over here. I would add a button down pj top and regular tops too that button down in front. Although I had a different kind of cancer between the drains and not being able to use my L arm they helped alot at the beginning. Warm fuzzy blanket. Wishing your mom all the best.

Merry - glad to see you posting. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season

PatsMom - hoping your visit goes well today and that you get good news.

Lisa - so glad that you enjoyed the tour. Sounds very interesting. Does finding out the "techinical" stuff take away any of the "magic"? Glad you got lots of retail therapy. Do you get good discounts at the cast connection?

Can your dd confirm this for me? After the MK parade taping on Sat. 12/3, dh and I stayed there and got back to the Beach Club well after midnight. We were in the lobby and it was quiet, just a few "young" people. One boy wearing a black leather jacket and another girl with dark heair etc. Well I quietyly joked to dh as we were heading to the elevator that he looked like Justin Bieber. I then found out that Justin B . was taping the parade. Just wondring if that was really him and I had a brush with celeb, lol.

Well i wasted so much time n the phone today making appts, cancelling appts, being on hold for over 19 minutes etc. So in the end, my bp check was cancelled today. I told them I still had the flu and no transportation. I had to schedule the neck sonogram and then had to verify back with the endo and I was on hold for 19 minutes when someone answered they said rheumatology, I said no I wanted endocrinology, . Its 3 shared offices rheumatology, cardiology and rheumatology. Wish they had seperate phone lines. A hassle.

Dh has found out what the toilet problem is, oh great. He needs to fix it before he leaves for China. Its complicated. Involving taking the whole toilet off and sodering the wax ring etc. Glad he used to help his uncle out in the plumbing business in high school.

Next week I have the specialist appt. I dont know what she will do, not looking forward to it. This is for other issues I am having. I will mention the pelvic pain to her too etc. Dont know what testing she has in mind. I dont know what would be a better test, CT or ultrasound which I am having in Jan. Wish it was sooner with this pain. Also I dont know how the mesh I already have in there will show up etc. Its another medical marvel they will have to deal with

Everyone is still so congested and 2 ds are suffering from final stress (your dds probably too Laurie)

GAGWTA.

 

[MerryPoppins]

I had trouble stripping my drains and bathing. Going to the bathroom - challenging. Meals were helpful. Front hooking sports bras are a huge help too.

 

[wdw4us2]

MaryAnn - Yes, Justin Bieber was there. Meg had a close encounter with him while she was at work. Said he was nicer than she expected him to be. She heard that he was staying in the Presidential Suite in the Yacht Club, so you may have seen him!

 

[snappy]

Just wait until I tell DD16 about the Justin Bieber siting.

Hulagirl, like Merry, I am also a member of the Mastectomy club. I only had one side removed though, having a double is more surgery, certainly.

My chest wound was not painful as the nerves are cut when the breast is removed. It is a large wound though that takes a while to heal, ad as Merry said, the drains have to be stripped several times a day and the amount of fluid recorded. I was not allowed to shower until the last tube was pulled which was a long time to wait.

I think I went to see the doctor weekly for the first month or so.

I did suffer from pain under the armpit where the lymph nodes were removed. Is your mom having node removal? It is critical that you do certain exercises after node removal. The exercises aren't bad, you start slowly, and re restricted from lifting the arm too high initially.

A PT visited me in the hospital and instructed me on the exercises. These are for mobility and as time passes and you heal some, the exercises ramp up.

I was also given instructions on massaging along the scar line before healing and the scar itself after healing. It all took a lot of time.

Is your mom having reconstruction done too at this point? Mine was delayed and that surgery and recovery was actually much more challenging.

For the mastectomy I was told to rely on Tylenol for pain, they brought out the big gun pain med for the reconstruction I had two years later.

Because the exercising, sits baths, and scar massage takes up so much time, anything you can do for your mom in the way of meals, laundry cleaning, etc. would be ideal.

LMP is right, button down the front clothes is required for this. Also, until the drains are pulled, you have to have a place on your clothing to pin the drains. Old men's shirts with pockets worked best for me as they were loose, buttoned down the front and I liked pinning the drains to the pockets. Also I did not have to worry if fluid got on the shirts, they were disposed of later.

I did a lot of reading when recovering, and watched a lot of old movies. I mostly wanted to eat salads and drink herb tea. My mom fixed a lot of chicken salad for me.

I was actually surprised that the mastectomy wasn't more difficult physically. It is mostly the psychological part that takes some getting used to. I was very self-conscious about my DH seeing my chest. In the hospital the doctor removed the bandage when I was not really prepared when my DH was standing there. I was a little traumatized, but looking back, it had to be faced and the surgeon forced the issue.

Waiting for the path results afterwards is also tough. The more you can distract her those first days, the better.

Somehow the unknown is toughest, when you know what you are facing it is easier, I think.

Her chest will be too sensitive for a while to where a heavy breast form if she is not doing reconstruction. I did not even have a soft one for a while but I used cotton shoulder pads from the 80's, stuck in a stretchy bra that fastened in the front. You are not allowed to wear underwire bras for a while, but it feels good to have some filling in whatever bra you can tolerate.

Please ask more, and i will answer if I can.

I hope she did well in surgery and is resting.

Keep us in mind and post how she does.

 

[snappy]

Mary Ann, sorry you all are still sick. Hopefully everyone will bounce back before Christmas.

DD16 has her last two exams tomorrow. So far all A's. DD21 is done with finals, A's too but I have a funny story about one of her grades I need to share after I rest some. Long days at work, but I am off tomorrow. I wish there was not a mountain of laundry and a lot of doggie fur everywhere for me to clean.

Merry, good to see you post in, terrible that you are still having posting problems. I go in spurts posting. My mom is still having pain issues that required a lot of time this week. She is becoming more dependent on me. It is lucky she lives so close, and that my job and DD16's school are all so geographically close to her house and ours. I am very fortunate in many ways.

Loved hearing about the tour, Lisa. I would love to do that one. I am glad you indulged, and envy you your time with Meg. She is an adorable girl.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

PatsMom - how did it go yest?

Candy - did your ds find another place to do his internship?

smilie - cant wait to hear about the trip

Laurie - I am sure you feel stretched between work, your family and your mom.

Linda - how is your ds asthma? The weather here has been mild so that helps but the germs everyone has does not help.

Lisa - OMG. I knew it was Justin Bieber. I joked to dh about it. Gosh he was so tiny in person than I imagined, but I gotta say his leather jacket looked really expensive! I think it was Selena with him too. She looked tiny and cute. I think he heard me, um complaining to dh about how cancer cranky and tired I was, gosh it was like 12:30 am etc.

Well ds20 got called for Grand Jury Duty. He is suppose to start Jan. 4th and they said its 4 weeks minimum. (Bad as classes resume before the 4 weeks are up)I told him to immediately send his student id. That way he can get out for up to 6 months, but then they have him. It stinks as that is when he lifeguards and makes the most money he uses for gas and insurance, so it looks like we will have to be helping him out financially if they get him on a case. There goes his summer. They have picked on all our 3 ds this year. gosh. Cant they find some other people?? The other 2 just had the regular jury, this is worse, I dont know if he delays it if it will still be the grand jury?

Now they wanted ds20 to also learn a solo by Sat. to sing. He said, no , he is too stressed with finals etc. I heard and like the song though, Josephs lullaby by Mercy Me. I told him I would help him etc.

Hopefully some shopping this week end and the tree will get up sometime.

GAGWTA. Have a great week end everyone.