Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part IV - GAGWTA

[Feralpeg]

Sending about the hair loss. It is tough........

I just want to mention a couple of things that I wish people had told me.

The skin on my head REALLY hurt as my hair was falling out and for a few weeks after it had all fallen out. My head was so sore and tender, but it did get better!

About the wig. I had to go back two times to get it fitted better. It was frusterating, but I was glad I stuck with it, because in the end my wigs were the perfect fit and made my life much easier.

When you are using the oven, stand back when you first open the door. I got to close a couple of times and extrmeme heat and wigs DO NOT mix!! I went back to the wig store and they actually fixed the bangs for me with something that looked like a curling iron.

My insurance covered two wigs. I got two identicle wigs. I wanted two, so when I washed one, I still had the other. Plus. I wore mine for nine months, and I wanted an extra in case something happened to one of them.

Best of luck to you.......its no fun.....but its not for forever!

Thank you so much for telling me this. I could just see me sticking my head in the oven and melting my wig!

My wig is comfortable except right above my ears. Maybe, I just have large ears!

My scalp is a bit tender. Although she shaved it, I still have a lot of little tiny hairs that act like little receptors to anything they touch. I never realized how prickly hair could be when rubbed the wrong way.

Disneydazed90, Hang in there! Thinking and praying for you!

 

[snappy]

Good info being supplied above regarding wigs, insurance coverage and safety too. This is such a wonderful thread.

Hope you get accustomed to the wig soon, Peg.

Disneydazed, it sounds like you have a good rapport with the breast specialist. I hope the MRI is more definitive, although it seems like a biopsy will be the next step as that is the definitive test.

I assume you are still in the hospital? I saw from the other thread that your mom is there now. I know that is making a difference for you.

Good luck with the MRI, and thanks ever so much for posting throughout this ordeal. I wish I had more advice, but suffice it to say i have plenty of prayers coming your way.

LMP, i hope you can nail down your dates so you can make meal plans. May should not be too bad, but June will be busier.

GAGWTA everyone and thanks for this thread.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good afternoon sistas

Peg - hope your chemo was tolerable. Thinking of you sista

Diana - hope your dd is doing well post surgery and not in too much pain and heals quickly

I am fighting some cold like thing. At least I am not coughing as that would be horrid with the neck dissection. Its more like yellow crud and some nose congestion. I have to breathe through my mouth and at night that dries it out so I wake up from that etc. I am not sick enough to go to the dr. I have been popping too many robitussin cough drops I think. I did have a sore throat and didnt go to my meeting tues. I felt crappy and I think I did have a fever the night before,

Well ds3 went into the or. He told me he got to see a hip replacement, knee replacement, shoulder surgery and chest reduction. Didnt see all from start to finish. Of course he is not allowed to tell me stuff. I already guessed who the one surgeon was. It was one we took ds1 to once and we all couldnt stand him. But ds3 said he loved being in the operating room.

Well dh,ds2 and ds3 are having fun in Seattle. I am enjoying the quiet. I can really love this empty nest feeling. Cant get too used to it though, it will be over late sunday with the 2ds coming back.

Poor ds3 summer nursing plan stuff is not working out. He wanted to do an internship and none of the hosp. are doing it. I told him maybe he could try to be a home aide and just pick some cases close to home as gas is so expensive here etc. That way he could still lifeguard because he said he doesnt want to do nursing stuff all summer etc.

GAGWTA. Blessings to you all always.

 

[Feralpeg]

luvmarypoppins, Hope you feel better soon. I hate head colds!

Second chemo went pretty well. I'm still feeling a bit off today. For some reason, my back is really bothering me today. Could be just the way I slept. If things follow the same pattern as last time, I should start feeling much better tomorrow.

Our house guest is very nice, but it has put a strain on things for me. I'm not that comfortable laying around with me shaved head in front of others, yet. I guess I'll get there.

We got the results back on Kendall's tests. No definitive diagnosis of lupus, but the doctor wants to continue to follow her and repeat the tests. He said that something is definitely developing, but not strong enough results to say what. While I'm glad the tests didn't show she has a full blown case of lupus, we are still up in the air. Nothing is ever easy!

Hang in there my friends! Thinking of you all!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Peg - how are you feeling? I understand about the house guest. I am sure you are making the best of it. Sorry no def. diagnosis for Kendall. I am sure it is frustrating to the both of you beyond belief, but at least they seem to be headed in the proper direction of things to look at/for. Wishing you both all the best.

Linda - cute blanket. I dont have a crafty bone in my body. That is why at vacation bible school I always sign up to teach a class because I dot want to get stuck helping with crafts.

Smiley - thought of you because dh and the 2 ds were checking out the ferry schedule to Victoria, but then they saw they could hardly spend any time there so they didnt go.

Laurie - thought of you because ds2 went and bought the fish tank. I dont know where it is or where he hid it because I told him I dont want to see it in this house etc.

Well things will get back to normal and no quiet here. Dh told me he made it to San Francisco but his luggage went to Las Vegas. I hope he got it because he needed it today for a meeting today.

Tomm. ds starts his mental health rotation at the state hosp.That should be fun. I know he will like it since he was a psych minor too,

My cold is much better, still dealing with the mucus issues. yuck.

Pats Mom is on my mind.

GAGWTA. Blessings to you all always.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Hi ladies. Hoping you can provide me with some information, if you have it. Went for my mammo a few weeks ago. Had a callback. Went today for additional images. After those images they wanted a sonogram. Radiologist came in to talk to me. They are seeing some asymmetry of the left breast for which he wants me to come back in 6 months. They did find, behind my nipple, a complex cyst which he said he wanted to aspirate. I think he said 4-5 cm. During the follow up session with the nurse she said biopsy. I guess I was naive enough to believe aspiration was different than biospy. Anyway, he didn't seem overly concerned, rather just wanted to be thorough.

Follow up nurse went through everything with me. Said my OB-GYN would have to write the prescription for the biopsy for would recommend a see a breast doctor.

So since my OB-GYN is in the same building I went to his office. He's not in that office today but I spoke with the office nurse who is an angel and who I've spoken with many times. She said he would definitely refer me to a breast doctor. She said she would sent him a message. She asked for the list of doctor's the Breast Center had recommended and checked off 3 that she new he frequently recommends. 1 was not a participant in my insurance. 1 was and was in the same building and the 3rd was in another town I wasn't familiar with.

I confirmed with my insurance company that he is a participant and that I don't need any precertification or preauthorization. And then I went to his office. He's in on Mondays and is on vacation next week but his office was able to book an appointment for April 1.

So that's where I am at the moment. Trying not to read more into it than I should. The radiologist said there was nothing "terrible", just something they needed to get more information on. Of course when I searched the internet (yes I know -- NEVER search the internet) it made it seem like these complex cysts have an 80% change of being "something", which is the exact opposite of what the nurse at the breast center said.

So give it to me straight -- the good, the bad and the ugly. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thank you and blessing and healing prayers for everyone who is dealing with cancer.

ETA: just looked at the paper from the hospital and it says "ultrasound-guided biopsy for a mass", NOT the other option of "ultrasound-guided cyst aspiration for a cyst (which is what the said).

 

[Feralpeg]

PrincessKsMom, Try to stay positive. Over the years, I had six different biopsies that turned out to be nothing. Thinking of you!

LuvMaryPoppins, Glad to hear you're feeling a little better!

I'm feeling pretty good, but I've had an odd thing happen a few days after both chemo infusions. I have these attacks that almost feel like a heart attack. I have a stabbing pain in my back and pressure around my chest. No nausea. No other pain. If I get up and walk around, the pain lessens. I start chugging antacid and it eventually goes away.

Now, I don't think it really has anything to do with my heart. I just had an echo-cardiogram and an EKG that were fine. In truth, I think it is gas! lol! I've never been diagnosed with one, but hiatal hernias run in my family. Unfortunately, gas after recent chest surgery is rather unpleasant. I have had this happen in the past on rare occasions, but this is the first time I've had it multiple times over a couple of days. This happened the first time and again this time. I'm thinking it may be the result of the drugs (chemo, shots or anti-nausea meds).

I will mention it to my oncologist at my next appointment, although I feel a bit silly complaining about having gas! lol! I guess, if a gas attack is the worst I have to complain about, I'm pretty lucky!!!

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Thanks Peg!

Any chance it's a panic attack? And I would definitely mention it to your oncologist.

 

[Dancind]

PKsmom - if you get a choice, go for the aspiration. It sounds like the radiologist was not terribly worried. Punch biopsy is most unpleasant, don't think I will ever have another one. Maybe it was the doctor who did it.

Peg, I have gotten terrible pains in the past from an overload of chemicals in my body. I would say you definitely have a lot of chemicals. But yes, had my DH call the ambulance one night because the pain was so horrible I couldn't move. My heart was fine but could have sworn it was an attack.

 

[Feralpeg]

Peg, I have gotten terrible pains in the past from an overload of chemicals in my body. I would say you definitely have a lot of chemicals. But yes, had my DH call the ambulance one night because the pain was so horrible I couldn't move. My heart was fine but could have sworn it was an attack.

I spoke to the nurse at the cancer center today about this. She said it is fairly common...especially for those who already have experience with acid reflux. She said that the injections I've been receiving to increase my red blood count cause pressure to build in my chest from my sternum and spine. That combined with any type of gas or reflux makes for an uncomfortable situation. She told me to eat light and to avoid anything spicy. I feel better knowing that it is a normal, although not pleasant, reaction. I can deal!

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Thanks DancinD.

Peg, glad you were able to get an answer and were put at ease.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

PrincessKsmom - wishing you all the best with the upcoming tests. Glad your dad is home from the hosp. too. I am sure that is so much less stress for you and your family.

Peg - hope your symptoms have subsided or are at least bearable.

Linda and fortwildernesishome - gasp! Ds1 says he is not gong to play in the baseball league. He said he is going to do snme new basketball league instead. I dont think its because he does not love baseball, its some "politics" going on within one of the teams I think Sadly that team which ds is not on has players from our church and they have not included ds or asked him to try out and picked someone else who really wouldnt be an asset to the team probably as much as ds would. Also I think the team he was on with his friend, I think his friend probably is not going to be playing so I really dont know how many players he knows on that team etc.

Well yest it was snowing here and today its sunny and the birds are singing and now Mon. its suppose to snow again

Also just got a nice discount code from southwest, looked at the flights, hmm, if dh is unavailable maybe I will just go with ds3 in May or early June since you have to use it by June 8th.

My R hip/leg is really bothering me. Oh well, another day and another dr.

Hope everyone is doing well. Have a great week end everyone.

GAGWTA. Thinking of you all.

 

[CherylDan]

Greetings from beautiful southern California! We've been here at DL for a few days now, it's sooooo nice! The weather is beyond perfect, and even though it is Spring break, it's really not too bad crowd wise. I love it here!

We will be here two more days and then head down to SanDiego. it sure is going to be hard to go back to the cold and snow at home......I keep telling DH that I'm just gonna stay here.

Can't respond to everyone right now, but I hope everyone is doing well. GAGWTA!

 

[PatsMom]

Greetings ladies! I know I have been MIA - between cancer appointments, trying to work, and the family seems like my life is on hold. I barely get through the day sometimes. I think the job is going to go soon. Probably another month and I will go out on disability. I hate to do it but I need the energy for other things - like fighting the cancer. I figure I will wait until my scans are done and see if the cancer is improving. If so, we'll contine with the Cis/Gemzar and I don't think I can keep working through much more of this. The week with both chemicals just wipes me out for days.

Going on my bucket list trip to China this week. So looking forward to it. Hoping that I can get enough protein into me to keep fluids in my cells and blood vessels where it belongs and drop the swelling in the legs and feet. Right now it is pretty painful to walk. I am bringing a cane with me to help me with getting up and down. But no thoughts of cancelling the trip! I always think of LMP's husband's trips to China and how they aggravate her! It is a long way to go and he does it fairly often. I will let you all know how my trip of a lifetime goes.

Peg, glad you got settled into a wig. My hair has thinned considerably but I am still just wearing a short do and it looks OK. I am trying to avoid the wig because of the itching and heat. I have it ready to go if needed but am hoping that I will either keep what I have for hair or just go natural and bald.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

PatsMom, enjoy your trip and I hope you are able to get enough nurishment and strength to see everything you'd like to see.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Cheryl - have a wonderful time in sunny Ca. I cant wait to here all about your trip!

Pats Mom - so gad to hear from you. Sorry the chemo is exhausting you and dealing with the side effects. Its so wonderful that you are going on your trip this week. Please be prepared. Can your dr. give you some antibiotics to take with you as a precaution. The health care there is spotty etc. You have to ask to go to a good hospital if need be. Also I would def. take some protein foods that you like, protein bars, peanut butter, nuts etc. Whatever you can tolerate. Unless you want some yummy bugs on a stick. Are you going with a tour group or by yourselves? I know the ds had a tour guide but were not with a group. You just book them for the day etc. I hope you have a wonderful time and enjoy every minute of it. Cant wait to hear all about it when you get back sista.

Peg - heard about the terrible weather yest. Were you affected? Heard Disney is also at a level 3 in MK before. Crowded

GAGWTA. Thinking of you all

 

[Feralpeg]

Cheryl, So glad you're having a good time in California!

PatsMom, Have an amazing time!

LuvMaryPoppins, The weather here yesterday was crazy! There was a lot of damage in Windermere. Many trees are down. It was pretty scary. My poor dog was totally freaked out. The weather service is trying to decide if it was a tornado or straight line winds. Either way, it was extreme.

I heard Magic Kingdom was packed today. What a difference a week makes. Some friends were here last week and said the wait times were nothing.

Thinking of you all!

 

[fortwildernessishome]

marypoppins-sorry about your son giving up baseball.....hopefully he has lots of fun playing basketball! I think the older they get, the harder it can be to be a part of a team.

Patsmom- I hope you have a WONDERFUL trip to China!!!! I have a cousin that lives in Beijing.....its an amazing country!

Peg-hope your treatment is going well and that your wig fits good/is comfortable. Like I wrote before, I had to go back to the wig shop a few times to get the fit just right, but once I did, I could almost forget I was wearing a wig.

 

[smiley_face2]

Hi there ladies!
Cheryl only been home a month but I am jealous!! lol... went to the garden center and they had giant redwoods for sale! I had no idea they would grow here, but apparently there are lot's in the Vancouver area that are getting pretty big now, so I had to get one! I pity the people who have this place after us in 30 or however many years we make it!! I am pretty sure it would cover our whole lot eventually!
Patsmom, I hope your trip goes smoothly and you have a wonderful time!
LMP, I sure hope your hubby and son had decent weather when they were here! March can be such a horrible month, but the last week or bit more has been glorious! lot's of sun and temperatures was up to 60 here today, lot's of flowers blooming. That ferry to the Island is a long one, we have not been there in years because it is also very expensive! We have another ferry from Vancouver over here to where we are, so for a return trip over to Vancouver Island for us is over $200. We can drive nearly to Disneyland and back for that!!
Peg my stomach issues were really a problem for me with my chemo. I have another illness to begin with, and have had multiple surgeries for it. They had me on intravenous meds for my acid reflux, one pill they ended up giving me was something they had to get special athority from the medical people to use because it is so expensive. sadly it didn't really help, but I made it through and you will too.
Disneydazed, I will keep you in my prayers, I really hope you get an answer and some relief soon!
It's funny how you forget things...I had forgotten all about how my scalp hurt when my hair came out! but yes it did. And Princessksmom, I hope you get good news and soon!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

smiley - that redwood tree sounds awesome

Laurie - I thought of you because my ds is bound and determined to have that fish tank. I told him to please stop buying supplies and study. Ds3 is in on this too so it does not help.

Pats mom - hope you have a wonderful trip. Cant wait to hear about it

Cheryl - hope your trip is going well. I saw some pictures of the crowds in Disneyland and it looked pretty crowded.

Well I am thinking of May 23-30 for Disney or somewhere around that time, maybe sooner. Dh has so much traveling to do. Now he is not going to China but Russia, Cali etc. I think he could use a vacation,even though he doesnt enjoy Disney all that much.

GAGWTA