MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

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  • macatacmv
    macatacmv Member Posts: 1,386
    edited February 2014

    Here's to Diana!!! Hoping everyone.made it to the ceremony. I was just at a wedding where some of the guests were stuck home because of weather issues. 

    I just had lunch with a woman I met on these threads. What fun. It was like seeing a long lost friend. 

    Now we're on our way to visit with my old bil. We haven't seen him for years. My DS died and he remarried too quickly. Now he is divorced and we can be back in contact. He is going through chemo for bladder cancer. He was such a rock for my sister when she needed one.

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  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited February 2014

    Raising a glass to Diana Rose and her new spouse!  

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  • MimiL55
    MimiL55 Member Posts: 86
    edited February 2014

    Well what I thought would be a routine follow up...things are never that easy. When doing the exam the surgeon found something she didn't like on the good side. So off for a mammo and ultrasound on that one on the 28th. She is almost certain it will be a cyst but doesn't want to take any chances. Wondering now if I should have the girls taken off the first time, but all the docs said it wasn't necessary or a good idea. Doc never noticed any of you but I knew you were there, so that helped a bunch! Will be needing another party on the 28th for sure!

    Hope everyone had a relaxing, fun weekend, back to the grind here  Loopy

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  • MimiL55
    MimiL55 Member Posts: 86
    edited February 2014


    Congrats to DianaRose, may you have many, many years of happiness together!

     

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited February 2014

    One day, getting rid of early-B/C may be just like a day at the spa.  Whoa!  Is elimar dreaming again?  Nope, read and be hopeful...

    Ultrasound 'may end breast cancer surgery'

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited February 2014

    MimiL55, I hope it will be a clear cut case of a simple cyst.  They are very common.  I know it can get very un-fun when the cancer stuff keeps coming at you, but once you get a few clear scans, and time passes, the mental burden of cancer, cancer, cancer 24/7 does eventually lift.  I'm just saying it usually does get better over time.

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  • Tomboy
    Tomboy Member Posts: 3,945
    edited February 2014

    heres hoping its nothing, mimi!

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  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited February 2014

    MimiL55--it never is
    easy, is it?Praying for a B9 finding on
    the 28th.

    Ultrasound may end
    breast cancer surgery?I wonder what the
    currently unknown long term after effects it will turn out to have.

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited February 2014

    NM I agree....long term effects. When I was found to have fibroids, the surgeon suggested he "blast" them off with sound waves. I asked him what happened to all the particles in my system. He didn't have a good answer so I went ahead with a traditional hysterectomy. Glad I did as they were MUCH bigger than he'd thought!!!!! There will always be a side effect...the laws of science demand it; cause and effect. It's just up to us to decide if the side effects are worth it. Hair loss on chemo? Okay, I can handle that. Damage my heart and/or lungs with rads? No thanks!!!!

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited February 2014

    I'm neither for nor against the new US treatment at this point, but it does sound promising, I think.  I do like how they have used it on men already, for prostate; and now want to check the application on women.  One of these days something good has to pass in clinical trials, by laws of statistics, one would think.

    Barbe, I would imagine the cells get reabsorbed, as dead cells would; I don't know that they get blasted "off" anywhere.  I don't think they would do a procedure that just broke up a tumor without killing the cells first.  Then, again, the core needle biopsy seems to disturb and dislodge tumor cells and they push that procedure on everybody these days, don't they?  So you just never know.  But this...

    "Hair loss on chemo? Okay, I can handle that. Damage my heart and/or lungs with rads? No thanks!!!!"

    Yes, but unfortunately hair loss isjust the visible manifestation of damage to cells throughout the entire body.  Many kinds of chemo go after the heart muscle and the organs too.  The hair grows back, but I kind of doubt that the organs ever quite come back to good as new status. But maybe you meant hair loss is the least of the worries.  I have always thought that too (even tho' I never went chemo-bald, so don't know how the morale suffers) yet, strangely, it is the SE that gets a lot of focus from everyone.

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited February 2014

    Eli, being bald did not impair my morale. If anything it was an amusing distraction.

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  • Eph3_12
    Eph3_12 Member Posts: 4,781
    edited February 2014

    I liked my baldness so much I've continued to keep my hair super short, for the most part.  Every now & then I get a hair to grow it out some, but I get too frustrated too fast with the "fixing" to keep at it.

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited February 2014

    e, you are right as usual!! I picked the "least" invasive side effect to describe the analogy. I didn't do either chemo or rads and my cardiologist bowed his head in appreciation!! Made his job a bit easier with just a pacemaker for me and not a heart transplant or something!!

    The surgeon could NOT confirm that the dead cells got reabsorbed. In fact, he said I could get adhesions of them to other organs!! Doesn't every one ask these kinds of questions???? My DH had a tumour on the outside of his kidney that they blasted off. When it's on the outside, it's 80% chance it's cancer. They don't even bother to biopsy it, they just annihilate it with sound waves like they do to kidney stones. His growth was a LOT smaller than my huge fibroids! I'd have a LOT of "space junk" floating around to cause me problems down the road.

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  • marlegal
    marlegal Member Posts: 2,264
    edited February 2014

    I hated my baldness. I was not a pretty bald woman! When I lost the brows and eyelashes, I hated looking in the mirror because I looked sickly. I felt pretty good, so it really brought me down to look so bad! I could rationalize doing chemo by convincing myself that my body and organs were strong and would fight unnecessary evil and come through fine, while any lingering malignant mf'ers would die for sure. Wow...where did that come from?

    Mimi, I'm in for the pocket party, just remind me as it gets closer, ok?

    Going for dexa tomorrow. Hope it's as positive as my previous ones. The one test/scan that is fast and easy!

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  • megomendy
    megomendy Member Posts: 141
    edited February 2014

    Just started browsing this site a few weeks ago and stumbled on this group tonight. Boy, you all seem like really fun ladies! I'm definitely marking this as a favorite topic! BTW does breast cancer come up here or just parties. lol

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  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited February 2014

    Barbe--there always
    will be side effects, I just get irritated when a new treatment is first
    introduced, it's always touted as the perfect treatment with no down side.I just wish that fact would be acknowledged
    up front is all.So my first thought
    whenever something new is reported is "what are the side effects?
    "

    Megomendy--yes, bc
    comes up occasionally!

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited February 2014

    Mego, welcome!

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited February 2014

    megomendy,  welcome!  Tell us more about your B/C...I am not understanding all your Dx info.  How many surgeries have you had?  Did you have to get re-excision for a poor margin, or was one a DCIS surgery and the next for the IDC?  Why the wait before starting the radiation?  Also, what are those two pink ribbon cakes I see in your avatar?  Yummy!

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  • megomendy
    megomendy Member Posts: 141
    edited February 2014

    I had a lumpectomy for DCIS last year in march. Had the 5 day accelerated radiation and thought I got off so easy! Barely even thought about having had breast cancer since I had the "easy one". 

    Then I found a lump (same breast) right before Thanksgiving and it was IDC. I just had another lumpectomy. Now I will be having chemo starting 3/7 and whole breast radiation. I didnt really have much of a delay for radiation the first time. 

    When I was diagnosed the first time, my coworkers made me those cakes before my surgery. Yummy! This time around, my sisters (I have 5!) are taking turns sending me a surprise box every week with goodies. I got the first one this week: pink coffee mug, socks, undies, chapstick,jelly beans, etc. My husband laughs that this BC is a good racket for me. So many people are so helpful. It really makes you feel loved! 

    Meg

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  • MimiL55
    MimiL55 Member Posts: 86
    edited February 2014


    Mego-welcome, but it sucks that you need to join us

    Marlegal-good luck with your scan, like you said one test that is easy for us. I hear you about the bald thing. I went ahead and buzzed when my hair really started to come out in clumps and man it took a while to get used to how it looked...but as for getting ready in the morning, piece of cake Nerdy. I have started to grow back, very short yet and very gray but oh well....kind of looks like highlights ha ha! At this point glad to have something no matter what color.

    Have a great day ladies!

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited February 2014

    meg, Silly me, I read the date wrong and thought you had the rads coming up later this year, like a couple mos. after the surgery.  My bad.  So, did mammo find your DCIS?  Did you have an MRI before the first surgery?  Bad luck that the second tumor was never spotted.  Sounds like you felt the second lump yourself.  Was the IDC near to the DCIS site or totally different quadrant of the breast?  So sorry you have to deal with back-to-back breast cancers.  Who needs an encore...sheesh! The 5 sisters bearing gifts sounds like a sweet deal tho'.  Besides here (where we have just about all the different Dx types,) have you seen the thread for Triple Negs. yet?

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  • macatacmv
    macatacmv Member Posts: 1,386
    edited February 2014

    Hi all, welcome meg!

    I am back home after being stuck off island for one extra night. Had a great time, I can't believe how good I feel lately. I am doing my inhaler religiously again, but I think we have finally gotten the med combo right. I had energy to have a good time while I was on vacay. No more napping every day. I managed to eat every day while in FL and not gain an ounce. Now I just have to get back on the losing track. I am seeing my MO tomorrow. Just a check up. I have lots of questions, but mainly can't wait to tell her I am finally feeling like myself.

    we had a rousing conversation about AIs vs tamoxifen last night at my BC support group. But we ended up laughing so hard. I am so glad I have that bunch and this bunch!

    how about this bunch?

    image

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  • megomendy
    megomendy Member Posts: 141
    edited February 2014

    Yes, my routine mammo found the DCIS. Looking back, I wish I had an MRI after that but it just isnt warranted for DCIS. I did find the second lump myself in Nov. and had just had a 6 mos mammo in Sept. The two cancers are in the same quadrant. I had the accelerated 5 day rads after the DCIS. I do wonder if I had had the "plain old" 6  wk radiation, if maybe the second lump would have been blasted away? Oh, well, just Monday morning quarterbacking. 

    Yes, I'm on the triple neg forum.

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  • Eph3_12
    Eph3_12 Member Posts: 4,781
    edited February 2014

    What an agile, amazing bunch. Thanks mac!

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited February 2014

    Mac, you are silly! One of the trainers in my gym was doing yoga the other day, and it was quite amazing to watch. He had clothes on though.

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited February 2014

    mac, I loved reading your post and think it is wonderful that you are finally feeling like yourself again.  It doesn't happen overnight, that's for sure.  I think you need to put those roses in some water before they wilt.

    meg, Yeah, too bad we don't get any do-overs along with the gift of hindsight.  You were so right to get right back to the doc tho' once you found the lump.  I found my own lump about 4-5 weeks after a clear mammo and lolled around with a false sense of security for some months before taking action.  Fortunately, my B/C was not too aggressive and I don't think I came to any extra harm.  But, if I could do that over, I would.

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  • macatacmv
    macatacmv Member Posts: 1,386
    edited February 2014

    My MO couldn't fly in today because of the fog. So we've rescheduled for next week. She has so many patients here, she comes to us, instead of all of us driving to Boston. I better write all my questions down. I'll never remember them that long.

    Oh the things I would do over if I could!! But I try to just have faith that I'm being taken care of. My life has been a winding road, but I am grateful for where I am now.

    Barsco, how ya doing? Lol autocorrect tried to make your name Barack.

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  • macatacmv
    macatacmv Member Posts: 1,386
    edited February 2014

    image

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited February 2014

    LOVE it mac!!!!!

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  • Furfriend2
    Furfriend2 Member Posts: 299
    edited February 2014

    Oh I do love the bunch, lolLoopy

    Fur

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