MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

applejax

Hi im a newbie here been reading your thread for a while im curious about the tattoo ill start rads soon will meet with ro this mon why would a person get the tattoo if they can use a sharpie i dont want the tattoo

JeanH

Hey ladies according to my BS the door is open for recon at anytime by law.



I am only beginning this trail but I thought it was nice to know.



Jean

sheila888

brooks...I didn't have any tattoos just markers.

I sent you a Private Message about Posting Limits.

Sheila

jo1955

brooks6331 - Welcome!  Each rad center does the markings differently.  Some with and without tattoos.  They are really small and look like freckles.  Mine are not noticeable and I have to search to find them.  The tattoos do make it easier for the techs to get you lined up everyday.  I had both tattoos and markings.  I was told the techs only needed the tatts but the marks made it even easier.  

You do have the right to refuse the tattoos.  There are several different methods that can be used..  You will need to talk to your RO about this and at least find out where the tattoos would be placed before making a final decision.

If you haven't already, you may want to join the Feb rads thread.  You can get alot of your questions answered there as well as a lot of support. 

annettek

welcome brooks! Hope we can help in any way to make the trail a little easier...

Sandeeonherown

JeanH - thanks for the info on reconstructino at any time...i meet the radiologist in march and plan on asking him...he will likely put me int he surgeons's dept. but I now they will not want to do antyhing unttil the mammogram when they check it all out and ensure there is no lobular breast cancer lurking inthe shadows of my right boob...505 chance lobluar cancer will find in bth boobs...and even thought it was just ;lobular features'...it has me anxiously awaiting june,,,

jo1955

 Time for me to go to bed - Good Night Ladies

 

Sherryc

I had the IMRT machine as well.  My center is only a year old.  The group has several other sites and this was their newest with new machines.  My boob changing for 4 years freeks me out as well.  I am already small than the sister and I checked with my insurance company about reconstruction so I know that it is available to me.  I just finished rads and have an appt set for march15 with the PS.  Just wanted to go ahead and visit with the PS to see what my options will be with a radiated breast.  I know the skin will not stretch as easily so will be interesting to hear what they have to say about how to go about fixing it.  Also my RO will have me back for a 3 month check up and if all is well he will turn me over to my MO so will not have to follow up with him any longer. That will cut my # of Dr's down.

elimar86861

Welcome, brooks6331!   Our thread goes back quite a ways, but see how easy it is to jump right in?   I did want to mention that in the Radiation Forum (find it in pull-down menu at the top) you can also join a thread with other women doing their rads the same month as you are.  Look for "Feb. Rads" or similar.  BTW, I had four marking with green Sharpie.  It stayed on pretty well, but they gave me a marker for touch ups after a shower.  I didn't lose a single marking in 6 1/2 weeks.

JeanH, I cannot read that tiny writing on your avatar with my middle-aged eyes.  What does it say?  I like the flower!

barbe1958

Hang on!!! I still have a picture in my head of Annette speeding by a cop car with her eyes closed! Doesn't anyone else see a problem with that????

Anonymous

Elimar - LOVED your Betty Boop picture...I'm a nut over this gal and would love to know where you can get more pix...thanks, Stephanie

jo1955

barbe - Out of sight, out of mind.

Meece

Welcome, Brooke.  The tatoos help them get the rads to the exact same place each time.  I had six and really only notice two.  Two left when I had recon, which I had started 5 years post rads.  YEs my breast did change over that time.  The first surgery helped point the girls in the right direction, and the second got them similar sized.  I could use another, but I hate surgery, so that is off in the future.

This is going to be tough keeping up on the threads while out of town.  You gals have been busy, busy, busy!

MNLinda

brooks, the radiation can be done without any permanent markings.  The advantage to having tattoos is that if you ever have to come back for radiation treatments again, say for thyroid cancer or something, they can use the tattoos and medical records to find the exact spot where your treatment field ended, and not radiate the same tissue twice.

I have a tattoo on each side, but asked to have only temporary marker for the midline (middle of the chest) because I was worried that if I got the tattoo I would always see it when I wore a camisole or an open-necked shirt.

elimar86861

Aloha Meece!

TMarina

brooks6331--Welcome!  Like others have said, the tattoos are just tiny little dots, they are really hard to notice.  I have one in the center that might show if I wore something really low cut, but unless I have recon that's not possible anyway!  And even then it's so tiny that I don't think anyone would notice.  And they do fade a little with time.  I have 3 on my backside also from colon cancer rads, and my hubby and I can't find them at all anymore!  If you go with the sharpies, they sometimes cover them with clear little stickers to help them last longer.  You can shower and everything like usual, they just replace and remark as needed.

barbe--I was thinking the same thing!  Be careful out there Annette! 

TMarina

MNLinda--Hello MN sister!  I live in the north metro--Circle Pines.  I go to Regions--just curious where you go?  I love it at Regions Cancer Center.

walker2222

Been off the board this weekend and missed a lot, trying to catch up.

They had to do two scans on me for tattos, the first one was Dec 8 after my recon surgery in Nov.  The next one at the end of Dec when my recon went south again and had to take TE out again.  They did not have to re-tatto me thank goodness.  There is one tech that uses a sharpie but the rest do not, I do no have the same tech everytime but there are three techs and I know them all well now (too well??).  My friend who finish rads in Dec before I started saw our RO in Jan. and he said she was doing great and did not have to see her again.

It is amaizing what you have to do on your own to get answers.   It is not like once you find out you have BC that all the answers are available right.  I have recomended to other women whom I have come accross to access these discussion boards, you all are a great support.

Eph3_12

Total about face for focus (sorry, I posted this on another thread where Italy was being discussed & thought I'd give ya'll  equal opportunity!)

My DD leaves for Alba Italy (it's Medford's sister city) on March 12. she & 28 other High School students from various Medford High Schools were chosen by application & interview to go. We have been in the throes of fundraising! There will be an auction/dinner on Feb 27 & there is a raffle in progress to win an iPad! Tickets are $1-if any of you want to try your luck, pm me & I'll send you my address to send $$ & I'll send you tickets. Drawing will be the night of the 27th.
Bottom line-I'm so jealous of her I could spit. Italy is where I've ALWAYS wanted to go!

jo1955

I called the rad center this morning and had to talk to that b#$ch of a nurse.  Told her what happened and as expected all she could say was "Do you want to come in and talk to the doctor?"  That is her standard answer to everything.  I said no - what are you going to do for me now?  That and I am way too angry.  She asked if she could get a copy of the scan results to show the doctor, not just tell him about it - I said fine with me.  Also let her know I still have the cough I developed after rads that could not be caused by going through treatments - Right!

Interesting to see what happens from here.  Will let everyone know. 

TMarina

Eph3_12 (just highlighted that verse in my Bible btw! Thank you!)--What a wonderful opportunity for your daughter!

Jo--glad you made that phone call!  You might want to follow up with a letter detailing all your complaints and send it to the RO and also a copy to whomever is in charge of him (hospital maybe?)

Sherryc

Ok I live in a really small rural area of Texas and I work in the County Extension Office which deals with Agriculture and we oversee the 4-H program.  This morning I had a 4-H mom come in and after a while of talking to her I realized that she had some chewing tabacoo in her lip. ughhhhhhhhhh   THAT IS JUST PLAN GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even like it when men do it much less women.

elimar86861

Sherryc, that woman with a nasty jowl full of "chew" is on the front lines of feminism.  She's come a long way, baby!

Remember when men first got their own "kleenex?"  It's how many years later and we still don't have OUR own for our own big sneezes?  When will the product oppresssion end?

                    

I like how they are ALMOST HUGE!  Ha-ha-ha!!!   Just going off, 'cause I'm not feeling very cancer-y today.  Maybe I can troll around Photobucket for pictures of unicorns or something.   That's just the kind of day it is.

Sherryc

Love the man size Kleenex.  I think my dad could have used these.

jo1955

Sherry - That is so gross. What was she thinking?  

Don't remember the Kleenex but still where are ours?

phew

elimarvery pretty picture up there today!

jo1955

phew - Where have you been?  I have missed you.  (((HUGS))) my friend

barbe1958

The men get the big Kleenex, but we get pads....with wings! Be careful what you wish for....

barbe1958

Just saw the picture at the top! It doesn't usually show up at work. That's the kind of stuff I do!!!!

elimar86861

The picture today looks like a quilt, but it is, in fact, a machine stitched post card.  Barbe, you need to display your fabric art to us.  Me likey!