BC Husbands and Boyfriends Hangout

mags

Hi Alex, good to see you here. I was thinking about posting myself just to keep the thread going.



Hugs to all
Mags

csp

Mags ! Alex Hi it is so nice to see you both here!!

wanted to add my best to you both , I miss you Mags !!
How is Joanna Alex ? Mags how are you doing ?

Denise has a surgery date for the 12th of December they found 2 brain anuerysms on her pet . She going to the Cleveland Clinic to be treated . We will be glad to be past this !

I'm so happy to hear from you both !!

mags

Hi Carrie, I miss you too. Hope everything goes well for Denise. I know there are lots of ladies praying for her and I know you'll keep us all updated.
I miss Cowgirl too and her goats. I saw a photo of a goat in another thread the other day and I thought of her.
Here's a photo of the cathedral near where I'm from in England.



Hugs and kisses
Mags

newvickie

Hi guys...I confess...I peeked in and was lurking here...just wanted to reaffirm that there really ARE supportive men out there.
Thanks...you're doing a great job.

mags

Hi Vickie, I was a lurker too until one of the guys invited me in. Nice to see you here. Unfortunately most of us have moved on now and don't spend much time in here. Shame on us lol ! Obviously it's a good thing as it means our lives are getting back to the new normal.
Hugs
Mags

csp

Mags I am going to copy your picture of the Cathedral and post it in the evening prayer tonight so more can see I always enjoy your pictures . Hi Vickie sweets! Vickie what is in your avitar ? It looks like a child?

hugs ,
Carrie

joannar

Mags, Carrie, good to hear back from you guys. Vickie, you are more than welcome to post here.
Carrie, good luck to Denise in her upcoming surgery. Do the Drs know what caused this?
I also wanted to let you know that I have seen the evening prayer and find it to be very peaceful. Great job!

Mags your pictures are fantastic as always.

Joanna, thank goodness is doing well, other than the usual paranoia of what she feels in her breasts, although she had a double mastectomy.
Anyway, she recently finished her last part of reconstruction back on October 1st and let me tell you they are looking GOOD!
She also got her results from her genetic counseling and she has the BRCA1 gene. Not the news that we wanted to hear! It at least explains why she got this at such early age. She will have to have her ovaries monitored every 6 months and they recomend that she gets her ovaries removed by the time she is 40. Despite of it all, it is not such bad news as at least we know why it happened and we can do things to reduce any further risks.

Anyway, where is Greg and Cowgirl? we want them back on the board! We have all moved on but we can still say hi once in a while!
If I don't speak to you all, have a nice and peaceful Thanksgiving day!

Alex

newvickie

Hi Carrie.
My avitar is a little girl with a butterfly...it's called "butterfly kisses"...I just loved the pictures...it's the little girl inside me waiting to heal. Silly maybe but the picture is how I feel inside if that makes any sense.
Hugs all
Vickie

csp

{{Vickie}} it makes perfect sense !!!

hugs,
Carrie

tycosales

Hello All, I'm Martin in Arkansas. I'm a newbie here, here's my related story. I'm 51, my wife is 48 and this past summer she was diagnosed with BC for the 3rd time. The first time we were in our late 30's, with kids at home. She had a lumpectomy on one side, lymphglands removed on the same side, chemo, radiation, pills afterwards. She was still cancer free 5 years after the first diagnosis so we figured that was it. Then mid March 2004 after a trip to Disney World over New Year day, she discovered a small lump on the lumpectomy scar. Turned out to be BC again. This time we went the double mascetomy route with reconstruction, then chemo again (different drugs), and to our surprise her oncologist suggested we see the radiation Dr again. The have some new machines with very precise aiming. So she went through radiation again. Bad part, due to future concerns of her skin healing abilities, it was recomended that her implants be removed. All of this was very difficult for her (all the surgery and tubes). And she went through chemical menapause too, lost most of her sex drive ( plus tires easily, uncomfortable, sometimes painful) During all of this second occurance, she somewhat pushed me away, withdrew into herself, pretty much ignored me saying she was going to put all her energy to staying alive. What was I to do, so I decided to get myself healthy, I did the South Beach Diet, dropped 80 lbs, I started a simple exercise program, and I got in better physical shape then I was at 35. I also took on most of the laundry, cooking, yard work, house maintenance, and other regular chores in addition to my regular sales position. This past summer she has found and had removed 3 small skin lumps containing BC cells, and she is currently on Ziloda. She still looks like a mid 30 yr old woman, very attractive, slender/petite, and I tell her. We got her some prostetic devices so in her clothes she feels complete. She is an active walker, gone back to work full time at the preschool at our church, the kids are both in college, I'm still at my weight loss goal from 2 years ago, just about everything is normal and better than before... but the missing sex. We have gone to a counselor on and off, separately and together, we talk about sex, we've talked about separating, we touch and hold and kiss. It can all work out, you just have to really work at it. We're still trying. And so are the medical researchers. I'm glad I stumbled across this forum. I was begining to wonder if anybody really cared about the significant other.

Shemp

Sorry, I don't check in quite as often, as life has returned to normal for the most-part. Yea!

csp

I just wanted to let you all know ,I heard from cowgirl
today and she is doing good! Her arm she said is getting
better and she has been so busy with cows goats and Kids
(the human kind) They are breeding goats now and as she said "more goats make me more happy!" If any of you want to email her she said I could give you her addy just pm me.

hugs,
Carrie

Shemp glad you both are getting back to the new normal !!

mags

Hi people, just wanted to say Happy Holidays.



Wishing good health for us all in the New Year.

Hugs
Mags

Ballooncrew

Hi Everyone,

Happy Holidays!!

This is my first post in this thread and I have only one other post so I'm pretty new

I would like to make the recommendation that we call this thread 'Significant Others Hangout'. I don't fit into the boyfriend or husband category and like other people, I am looking for support to help the woman I love.

My partner had a mastectomy on November 8th for IDC (1.2cm ER/PR+, node-, HER2neg) and starting in the new year (Jan 3) we start the chemo journey ... pretty scary stuff, I think the unknown right now is the worst.

Are there any other SO's (significant other's) whose partner is starting chemo in Jan?

I wish you all the best for the holiday season.

Sue

csp

Hi Sue ,
Welcome, and so sorry you have to be here! I just wanted to let you know that there is a forum incase you have not
found it yet, Lesbians with breast cancer You can post any place you want to though !! You can start a thread so that more will see it too. Sorry I just saw this and wanted to Welcome you . I am sorry that you and your SO are going through this ,My sister finished Chemo last November. If you have any questions, ask away the people here are a wealth of information and very supportive !
Also there is a board here called going through Chemotherapy you might try there too for info ,I read the threads just ahead of my sister to help me ,help her.And you are right about the unknown,once She gets that first treatment you both will feel better and like you are actively fighting the beast !

hugs Sue to you and your SO

Carrie

csp

MAGS !
I just saw this ! Happy Holidays to you too sweetie
I hope it was the best ever!!!



Hugs,
Carrie

cowgirl

Friends! I have missed you! I have mentally signed in each day I am gone!

My life is busy, we moved mom from Assisted Living to a nursing home for a while. She is finally in my same town, so the drive time is better. She is okay, depressed but okay.

So on to news about my real life kids, I am still homeschooling S. He is in 4th grade, and there is a lot of work to do in 4th(don't ask him he will start complaining again!) TD is in dual credit classes, doing Ag Mechanics Competitions and has started athletics again. This year he will be on Varsity Tennis. Very Proud! W is doing well, had a great year in Football. He is a Agriculture Star now, his Ag teacher is very attached to him. She is the Thyroid C survivor but has developed C on the kidney. Pray for her please, W is taking it hard.

I am working part time, which right now is more like full time. I am looking for replacements but have not found anyone to do my job yet. I am hoping to get some people on my jobs, so I can rest more. Right now I am merchandising for four towns, and it is getting too much for me.

Now to my favorite subject: Goats! We have three yes three pregnant mamas. One is due this month, she is very big. Faith is a good mom. Jillian is due next month, then Krissy is due. We have two other females not pregnant one is Shania, she is really a sweet goat. Then we have a full blood called Teeny Tiny, because she is teeny and tiny. W has become a goat breeder at age 12. Our plan is for him to produce goats for the kids to show at the county shows. So far so good. The snag is the we will have some for the local show but none are bred for the county show. So we have to find a buck, or buy semen and an AI kit. W wanted an AI kit for Christmas, yes he did!

So I have caught you up, every time I didn't sign on I felt guilty for feeling so good and being busy. I still love and miss yall! Hopefully if I can cut down my work load I can pop on here and now.

I have taken pix with my cell phone but I will try to remember my camera this time. I am unable to put cell phone pix on my computer.

I will see if I can find out the news about Carrie! Somewhere!

Love you guys!!!!!

cowgirl

We have two new editions to our goat herd!!

I am sharing them here first~!!

Here is the first goat


And the second goat



And mama Faith is doing great too



They were born last night, they have the cutest cry in the world! We love them already!

mags

Hi Cowgirl, it's so good to see you here and even better to hear that you are feeling good and full of busy. I'm on holiday at the moment and have started a diet and excercise programme - gentle excercise lol.
I went out walking yesterday and here's a photo of the local church for you and Carrie. Take care and check in more often.


Hugs
Mags

cowgirl

oooo so pretty Mags! I love the trail to it, reminds me a small country church.

csp

HI guys !!
Goats and beautiful pictures of Greece !! I'm a happy camper!! Thanks guys I needed that ! I have days when I am so worried about Denise I wish I had our thread again . But things move on don't they? and that is good . I miss you both and keep you in my prayers and thoughts .I wonder how the guys and their wives are doing too, but no word is a good thing I think it means moving foward.

We are so looking forward to the thyroid thing being behind us ! She get the results on the 30th and goes back to Cleveland next Wed. SO as long as she is healing well she can close that chapter Thank God .

Hugs you guys ~
Carrie

mags

HI Carrie ,I was out walking today taking photos and when I took these I thought of you. One is my house with the little church behind it and the other is the Korinth canal.





Hope everything is ok with you and Denise,
Hugs
Mags

beth1225

I asked my wife if I should get my own name to sign on with byut she gave me hers touse since she knows I am not computer smart. Can't type either somties.

Well, she is goingto the oncologist tomorrow and we are going togeher. she is very anxious about what they tell her about taking Tamoxifan. is that spellled rihgt? she does not have cancer yet but is very high riask and hadd her ovaries out already . we are in this together and i know she is nervous abotu getting the mastectomy too. but i want her to do all she can to stay here with me as long as possible. i have had my share of physical problems in the last 6 years plus that we know and love each other.

please help me to find the owrds to tell her it will be okay.

thank you so much,
Larry

sjoc

Hi Larry - sometimes you can't really say anything that will make your wife feel better. The fear is so overwhelming at times, most of the time actually. What helps is that she knows that you are in this together and that you are willing to listen. Having someone close to you, someone who is willing to help and show genuine concern is what helps. Having to go through this alone is terrifying. I've been reading some of your wife's posts - she sounds like she has a great sense of humor. She also sounds scared - entirely normal. She will get through this, as we all do. I do believe though that we are different people because of this. Our thoughts and dreams are affected. Physically, we are way different, it takes a lot of adjustment to get used to the "new me". I think we all wish we could go back to the way we were before, but that's not happening. Our priorities change. Everyone deals with it in their own unique way. It is also be a very difficult time for you also. Spend time together and try to have some fun. Take care of each othere. Good luck to you both. - Sandy

vmd

Thank you for this thread. My ex-wife was recently diagnosed with advanced BC. The news is not very good and with an 11 year-old daughter, it's even more daunting. Ideally, I would like to meet with other caregivers face to face, but this may not be possible where I live (small town, North Idaho).

mags

Hi vmd, welcome and sorry that you had to join us here. I am actually a bc survivor but was invited to join in the chat here by one of the guys.
Welcome to you too Larry and sjoc. Hope everything is going well for you.
Carrie I was out walking again and this one is for you.



It's cool cos every time I take these photos I think of you and Denise.
Hugs
Mags

vmd

mags:

Thank you and any advice you can throw in my direction would be greatly appreciated.

csp

Mags,
I took your picture and posted in prayers under Fighter Lu's thread a Catholic prayer hope you don't mind
I love to see pictures of your beautiful Greece.

vmd,
Welcome and sorry you are here. ask away and if we don't know the answer we sure will send you in the direction to get some answers. I also was invited to this thread a long time ago I first came to BCO when my sister and very best friend was dx'd with IDC 3.7 cm vascular invasion.
At first it is all so overwhelming and daunting to say the least for both our loved one and family .So post away and if one of the guys haven't come by I will check in on you too.

Hugs to you and your wife ~

Carrie

mags

Hi Carrie, good to see you here and such good news about Denise. Another pretty picture for you.



Hugs
Mags

semorgan

Hi, My fiancée went into Charing Cross Hospital on Friday (23 Feb 07) for a Mastectomy, a day earlier in ICU due to diabetes. She had her right breast removed with a skin transplant from her ‘tummy’ for reconstruction. This was all completed and I’m now visiting on a daily basis

As an ‘IT Contractor‘ I was awarded a 3 month contract which was due to start today (Monday 26 Feb 07) but for obvious reasons I have had to cancel over the w/e as I don’t know what to expect, or what is expected of me with regard to cancer support and home assistance, or how long it all takes

When I visited yesterday (Sunday) frankly she was very emotional and obviously down and tired, when I departed from the hospital I wanted to keep turning around and going back, naturally I’m not sleeping to well at night, even the cats wondering why things have changed (Well I guess pizza’s, curry’s and doner kebabs are not to his liking)

I just have a couple of questions with regard to after-care as she will be leaving the Hospital on Sunday 4 March

With this operation and transplant, will she be able to walk around the house, bath/shower, dress, go out etc?

Any particular foods, drinks, medication she should take?

Chemotherapy, when does it start?, will she need a wig?, if she does lose her hair, is it best to shave the hair off immediately on start of the treatment?

Is there anything that I can do to our home ready for her on Sunday?

How long could we expect for her to be away from her job as a secretary?

I wish anyone out there with the same circumstances the very best

Steve
Surbiton, Surrey, United Kingdom