Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part IV - GAGWTA

[Pea-n-Me]

Yes I do, lmp. Get him a Littman. He does not need a cardiology scope, just a plain Littman. http://www.littmann.com/wps/portal/...cope/stethoscope-catalog/stethoscope-models/#

 

[smiley_face2]

Well today, I asked the tech why the machine did a different sequence on Tuesday. It turns out that, once a week, they take films. That causes the machine to act differently. I felt kind of silly, but at least I know now. 8 sessions down...25 to go!

I remember this now!! I was trying so hard to remember before but couldn't! Don't ever feel silly about questioning things....It is YOUR life!! When I went for my first radiation treatment, I noticed that I was laying completely back on the table, and this was causing my br---st to lay back up and the area the cancer was removed from was sort of submerged.....if you know what I mean? when I went for my initial planning appointment, they had me laying on a big foam triangle so I was up a bit and it was laying down normally. and also for the CT planning scan with the tattoos. I said this to them, and they called in my radiation oncologist, and she adjusted everything to the way it was supposed to be, and after that I was in that position for all my rads. Now if I had not said anything, who knows if they would have figured it out, or if it may have made a difference to my treatment and success? There is no such thing as a silly question, especially when it comes to your life

 

[robinb]

Robin - was it a student, or a resident? They are different, but all are part of a team. Usually when you sign consent forms, a teaching hospital clarifies that students may be part of your "team". It's unclear whether Juan would be expected to obtain permission to "watch" your CT scan. A student might watch, but doubtful a resident would, so it's unclear exactly what is going on. A note about anxiety might just be so that others can take extra care to make you comfortable for the procedure.

He said he was a "student" but the tech said he was graduating soon. Sorry, I have seen a student/resident at almost every appointment I can't keep them all straight! Even if they are part of my "team", I think it would have been polite for them to ask me. I also think I could have said that I didn't want him there. FWIW, I met another student today who will be helping with my radiation treatments. Why couldn't I get sick while school was out of session ?

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Linda - my ds asked if I could ask you this, so hope its ok. He says he has the Littman Classic II SE right now.

He is looking at the Master Cardiology or Cardiology III. He is leaning toward the III because it has a piece for both adults and peds and he is thinking of doing peds.

He thinks if its so expensive he should get it engraved?

Your thoughts? TIA.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

My aunts stage 3 cancer returned in less than 2 years, and she starts chemo again next week. She has two small children under 3 and I want to do something for her. I live on the opposite side of the country so I can't help her with kids or the house. I figured I would send her a care package, but I really don't know what to send. Can anyone give me ideas? Does anyone know of a funny book that doesn't require a lot of attention? What about aromatherapy?

 

[PrincessKsMom]

My aunts stage 3 cancer returned in less than 2 years, and she starts chemo again next week. She has two small children under 3 and I want to do something for her. I live on the opposite side of the country so I can't help her with kids or the house. I figured I would send her a care package, but I really don't know what to send. Can anyone give me ideas? Does anyone know of a funny book that doesn't require a lot of attention? What about aromatherapy?

Will pray for her and your family.

 

[smiley_face2]

My aunts stage 3 cancer returned in less than 2 years, and she starts chemo again next week. She has two small children under 3 and I want to do something for her. I live on the opposite side of the country so I can't help her with kids or the house. I figured I would send her a care package, but I really don't know what to send. Can anyone give me ideas? Does anyone know of a funny book that doesn't require a lot of attention? What about aromatherapy?

I'm really sorry for this, and it is so nice you want to try and help I know when I was going through chemo my skin was so insanely dry, I mean think needing pure oil or grease!! and any kind of smell made me so nauseous ...I have a daughter who is an esthetician and she was able to get me really high quality, hypoallergenic, fragrance free moisturiser which was a God send! I had to track down unscented, not just mildly scented but un scented dish soap, deodorant, shampoo etc. a care kit or even just one of those items would be wonderful. Intolerance to smell varies between people, but is pretty common to some degree or another in chemo patients, one reason the hospitals have signs everywhere declaring a fragrance free zone.
My attention span was that of a gnat....lol. It has taken me about 2 years to get back to reading novels again, so a book of funny short stories would be good. I'm sorry I don't know of anything off hand, but I am sure someone in a book store could help you

 

[luvmarypoppins]

gottalovepluto - so sorry to hear about your aunt. I am sure she is blessed to have such a thoughtful niece as you. Wishing her all the best.

smiley - Happy Thanksgiving. Sorry I read about this from another blog I follow. Didnt realize it was today. Hope you had a nice celebration.

We just finished eating one of those huge chocolate candy apples from the trip. I picked out Minnie. I dont know why we didnt eat it before It just kept sitting on the table. It was still fresh and good for sure. It was great. Still have some chocolate covered pretzels and caramel corn to eat. Ahh, disney snacks are the best! Dh, the 2 ds and I all shared the apple.

Well dh took me for my xrays on sat. The girl had to take 3 chest x rays because she said the first too were too blurry. I was gonna say, no more. If you cant get a good picture, then that is really not my fault. Then I had 2 of my hip and 2 of my knee. She actually heard my knee crack about 8 times. I think it scared her. I asked if she heard it and she said, yes I did! So we will see what the dr. says about all of this.

I am going to call the cardiology dept. tomm. and see what happens.

Dh is going away starting next week again. 2 days in Maryland and then when he comes back the same afternoon he is going to california. I am getting so sick of this. sigh.

GAGWTA. Thinking of you all.

 

[robinb]

Well dh took me for my xrays on sat. The girl had to take 3 chest x rays because she said the first too were too blurry. I was gonna say, no more. If you cant get a good picture, then that is really not my fault. Then I had 2 of my hip and 2 of my knee. She actually heard my knee crack about 8 times. I think it scared her. I asked if she heard it and she said, yes I did! So we will see what the dr. says about all of this.

I admit that I don't have a lot of patience for folks who can't do their jobs. THREE x-rays? That's not you, but her. You can keep still for them. {{hugs}}}

Dh is going away starting next week again. 2 days in Maryland and then when he comes back the same afternoon he is going to california. I am getting so sick of this. sigh.

My DH travels all the time too. He is usually home over the weekend but sometimes it's less than 48 hours. I figure it's just as hard on him as it is on me. Honestly, it's nice to be able to sleep in the whole bed when my hot flashes hit.

GAGWTA. Thinking of you all.

{{Hugs}}

 

[jillyb]

jilly It sounds like you have a central line more so than a port? I remember well being right where you are now. I had to put my dog to sleep just as my hair started coming out. It was such a hard time. What will you be wearing on your head, if anything?

Ugh...that would be a very hard thing to deal with!

Nope...it's definitely a port. It's my second one because the first one got a kink in the catheter that ran between my collarbone and top rib. So I had 2 surgeries a week apart. When the replacement was put in they ran the catheter up my neck. It looks like a garden hose sticking out of my neck! As long as I turned my head to the right they got it to work. My next treatment is on Monday so fingers crossed it works okay as long as I look to the right.

As for the hair, I noticed on day 3 that my hair looked thinner, although there were no bald spots, and it felt thinner. When I got in the shower there was definitely more hair coming out so I went to the Rejuvenation Center at the hospital and got my head shaved. I have some scarves, a hat and a couple of the sleep hats (I think) that I can wear and add a scarf to it. Today I'm letting my bald head shine! LOL Well, I'm not totally bald...there is a bit of fuzz there. I also have a friend that is going to knit a couple of hats for me and a DIS friend who was just there with her DD for a short trip was going to buy a hat or scarf and mail it to me from WDW.

I've made friends on FB with a producer at the local NBC station who has been dealing with BC since the first of the year. She just started radiation and should be finishing up next month. She, too, is sending me a hat and scarf that she used. My Disney TA sent me a black and white Mickey head scarf. It's amazing to me all the support I'm getting.

Here I am right after getting my head shaved:

 

[Dancind]

Jill, your look is very stylish! Ha, think of all the young girls shaving half their heads. What a great attitude you have.

GottaluvPluto, maybe some audio books to put on an iPod? Or itunes gift card for music etc. The moisturizer idea is a good one.

Our CA trip was really nice. Southern CA is so different from the rest, MUCH more crowded. Getting anywhere is a real challenge, but the Coaster is nice! It's a commuter train that runs from Oceanside to San Diego, we did that one day. Did pretty well until about a week in, and hit a wall for a couple of days. Time to go back to the Rheumy and work on the autoimmune issues again now that the BC stuff is done.

DL is enough different from WDW that it was fun, and the Haunted Mansion at Halloween is so different and so fun. Worth the trip! Did not enjoy the Halloween party very much, very very crowded. Seems like DL does not have a slow season any more, much like WDW.

As soon as we got back, had a house guest and family wedding. Can finally get caught up and back to normal!

 

[smiley_face2]

Looking good JillyB!!
Heres me with my bald head! then with my wig....my grand daughter got her hair cut like mine then when it grew out a few months after I was done, only took about 4 months to get to a nice chic length! lol... now it's nearly as long as in my signature pic again

 

[jillyb]

Lookin' good Janet!

 

[Feralpeg]

Jill and Janet, You both look great! I have to tell you a little hair story. My hair is coming back in. It is about a fourth of an inch long all over my head. I notice people looking at me in public, but most don't say anything. The other day, I went to Wendy's for lunch. The little girl behind the counter told me she loved my hair and wanted to know who did it for me. I told her his name was Chemo. She just looked bewildered. lol!

I went to Epcot last night with Kendall and her boyfriend. It was packed. We ended up only eating at one booth. We walked around and enjoyed the atmosphere for awhile, then got dinner at Longhorn. lol!

I heard something today that was very upsetting. I have a very good friend who has systemic Lupus. She takes 13 prescription drugs per day. She went to Walgreens to refill her prescriptions and they told her she had no insurance. She's had Cigna for many years. It is through her husband's company. The premiums are deducted directly from his check.

The person at Walgreens looked it up and told my friend that her insurance had expired. She left Walgreens without her prescriptions, went home and called Cigna. They decided that insuring my friend was too expensive. The last day they could dump her before the new laws went into effect was the end of September. So, she is no longer insured. They didn't even notify her. Now, she will be signing up for Obamacare, but that will not go into effect until January 1. She will be without insurance until then. So sad that the insurance companies can do something like this. It kind of scares me. I've racked up some pretty large bills this year. Hope I don't walk into bad news next time the doctor's office makes a claim!

Twelve radiation treatments down. Only 21 left!

 

[kofslinky]

Feralpig- very sorry to hear about your friend's insurance. I've been so lucky with my insurance; I just can't imagine having to deal with that right now!

Smiley_face2 & jillyb- LOOKIN' GOOD!

Here's my update:

It's been a week of doctors appointments. I first met with my oncologist on Monday. Because of the wound vac, we knew we couldn't do chemo before next Wednesday, so that's the end of my time on the clinical trial I've been on for three years. It's weird, but I'm okay with it.

I met with the surgeon yesterday, and he's very happy with the progress the wound vac has made. He keep encouraging me to tough out the pain as much as possible and keep the vac so I can heal faster. I agree with him, but I'm really tired of not wanting to move because it hurts. Here's hoping I magically heal before Thanksgiving and can give up this vac soon.

My oncologist is going to do a CAT scan after the wound heals and we'll decide what to do about chemo at that point. I've had clean scans for over a year now, so we may just sit back and see what happens for a while. That will be weird, but a very nice change!

Here's hoping everyone is doing well! GAGWTA!

 

[smiley_face2]

Hi ladies, off the oncologist on Tuesday for a 6 month check up, had my chest xray and blood work done yesterday, saw the family doctor today for hubby actually, and she said my bloodwork was back and my CA 15-3 was up again. In the year from march 2012 to April 2013 it had gone up from 21 to 23 and now in 6 months up to 25. Combined with them seeing some calcification on my last mammo, and some pain I have been having in my leg, I am freaking out a bit. I am still waiting to hear about my MRI appt. she suggested maybe another bone scan was in order, it's been 2 years since my last one. does anyone remember what sorts of numbers they were getting if they were getting them in the past or present? all I know is that 25 is the cut off of normal and into high.
Kofslinky really glad things are improving for you!!

 

[gottaluvPluto]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and prayers. I am going to send her a blanket that says "you have been hugged" and a card. I figure I will send an inspirational card of some sort every week.

Saying prayers for everyone!

 

[Feralpeg]

kofslinky, so glad to hear things are improving for you!

smiley_face2, I have no info on numbers, but I'll say an extra prayer for you tonight that the numbers improve.

Had to make an emergency trip to the eye doctor today. Last night, I started seeing a flashing light in my left eye. It wasn't the type of light I've seen when I've had a migraine. It was a quick flash every time I moved my eye a certain direction. No headache. No pain. Just the light.

Then, this morning I noticed a lot of floaters in that eye. The doctor dilated my eyes. He said that the gelatinous stuff at the back of my eye was pulling loose. This is normal and happens as we age. It is what we see as floaters. Unfortunately, it was having a hard time pulling loose and was tugging on my retina. The good news is that it appears to have come loose and I am no longer seeing the flashes. He did say that if the flashes should start again to call immediately as it could be a sign of retina detachment.

I'd really hate to go a month without some type of crisis. lol!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

 

[jillyb]

Jill and Janet, You both look great! I have to tell you a little hair story. My hair is coming back in. It is about a fourth of an inch long all over my head. I notice people looking at me in public, but most don't say anything. The other day, I went to Wendy's for lunch. The little girl behind the counter told me she loved my hair and wanted to know who did it for me. I told her his name was Chemo. She just looked bewildered. lol!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

I went to Epcot last night with Kendall and her boyfriend. It was packed. We ended up only eating at one booth. We walked around and enjoyed the atmosphere for awhile, then got dinner at Longhorn. lol!

Longhorn is good!!

I heard something today that was very upsetting. I have a very good friend who has systemic Lupus. She takes 13 prescription drugs per day. She went to Walgreens to refill her prescriptions and they told her she had no insurance. She's had Cigna for many years. It is through her husband's company. The premiums are deducted directly from his check.

The person at Walgreens looked it up and told my friend that her insurance had expired. She left Walgreens without her prescriptions, went home and called Cigna. They decided that insuring my friend was too expensive. The last day they could dump her before the new laws went into effect was the end of September. So, she is no longer insured. They didn't even notify her. Now, she will be signing up for Obamacare, but that will not go into effect until January 1. She will be without insurance until then. So sad that the insurance companies can do something like this. It kind of scares me. I've racked up some pretty large bills this year. Hope I don't walk into bad news next time the doctor's office makes a claim!

How awful for your friend! And how completely rotten of the insurance company. This, too, is one of my worries. I have coverage through my employer. My boss is the one in charge of the health insurance and he told me right before my diagnosis that our current coverage is going up by 20% so I know he's been shopping for new insurance when it comes up for renewal at the first of the year. I'm terrified that whoever we go with will not insure me. I REALLY don't want to be forced to go with Obamacare.

Twelve radiation treatments down. Only 21 left!

Yay!!!! You're almost there!!

 

[jillyb]

Ugh....started a low grade fever on Thursday and had a headache that felt like my head was going to explode. My nose started running on Tuesday and I had lots of sinus pressure. On top of that I felt like I was getting a UTI. Had an appointment with my oncologist yesterday and, sure enough, I have my very first UTI. Taking antihistamine for the sinus stuff and have a strong antibiotic for the UTI. Good news is none of this delays my treatment so I'm still on for Monday.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! GAGWTA!!