January Mastectomy

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  • burley
    burley Member Posts: 631
    edited June 2010

    My new chemo side effects:  my left eye constantly waters to the point that tears run down my face (not fun while driving); I've broken out in a rash all over my face that looks like bad acne.  AAAAAAAH!  Bald and acne?  Really?  Sheesh.  Makes me want to stay in the house 24/7.

    Other than that, I feel fine.  Pulled an entire front yard full of weeds on Saturday (the temp got down into the 90's), and my legs got a work out.  That's about the extent of my exercise.  I turn 40 in November, and all my surgeries/tattoos should be done by the end of the year-so I've decided next year will be the year I get into great shape!  Better late than never!  I need to put some muscle on.  Right now, I'm just skin and bones with fake boobs-looks weird.

    I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend-take care!

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  • Leah58
    Leah58 Member Posts: 159
    edited June 2010
    Kim, I put artificial tears in my eyes every morning to help my tearing eyes.  It seemed to help.  Chemo made my oily skin feel dry and my eyes felt dry too.  Strange that dry eyes tear so much.  My skin is getting oily again but I still use the "tears" in my eyes at times.  Good luck with everything, I feel your pain.  Cry
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  • pbebow
    pbebow Member Posts: 575
    edited June 2010

    Oh Kim, I am so sorry, I hope that it clears up quickly!  And I hope that you are all finished with all of this BC crap by your 40th b-day!!!!  Celebrate it up good!!!  I keep saying that I am going to get in shape, any day now!  it could happen!

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  • faithandfifty
    faithandfifty Member Posts: 10,007
    edited June 2010

    Tomorrow morning is my "second opinion" new BC surgeon appointment. I am switching horses in the middle of the stream. This is a new hospital system for me, in addition to the doctor being new. All this in an effort to get to the bottom of what on earth is going on with me.

    I suspect that the culprit is LE (Lymphodema) brought on as a result of the infection after my surgery.

    In any case, I am grateful to all prayer support, well wishers, and the general sending encouraging thoughts from our team. I have waited 7 weeks to get onto her roster & pray that her new set of eyes will shed new insight on the ongoing pain. Tomorrow's the day!!!

    Sending prayers out to all of our team (and any who read along) who are experiencing any sort of pain or frustration due to this journey, but especially to those going thru chemo or rads and those with s.e. from medications.

    Blessing across the board.

    xx00xx00xx00xx

    Strength and courage.

    Strength and courage.

    Strength and courage.

    On the 'up' side, I have poured my angst into creative effort and have completed another illustration for my upcoming book. Yesterday my DH took the first 24 pages, cover & end papers off to be scanned, so that we can begin the process of 'building' the book in earnest.

    So that is genuine & real tangible progress. Take that BC. Take that LE.

    I couldn't move at the end of the day, after working nine hours straight to get it all done/organized/ironed/finished, but today it is indeed done & I can move again.

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  • bcincolorado
    bcincolorado Member Posts: 5,758
    edited June 2010

    faithandfifty, I hope your appointment goes well tomorrow.

    I am doing a little better.  No pain meds today but didn't make it through work all day, only until 3.  Slowly getting better.

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  • ReginaR
    ReginaR Member Posts: 287
    edited June 2010

    Hello Jan Gals, Sure Have miss not being able to keep in touch! Crazy busy, back working full time & still Trying  to keep enough energy up.

     Robin & I Walk in our County Floyd,Co Indiana Relay for life this past weekend!( on Robin Birhtday -how Special is that) I tried to get the pictures of Robin & I on here several time, & could only get these small one, But if you click , I think the will enlarge. Robin & I had an very awesome time, was emotional at times, but it was all so beautiful. We had our family with us, Only thing better was to have our Jan Mastectomy  Family with us. Do hope we can all get together soon ( Maybe Indy ).

     I am still dealing with this rt  ugly breast because of the infection & lost reconstructionin march, I am so happy for all that are done with the exchange, way to go !!! maybe one day I'll get there. I waited 2 month to get an appt with a new PS ( My Oncocgist reccomend & She was actuaclly my 1st choice back in jan, but could get in soon enough) the day before my appt last week the office called & said that she was Moving out of the country in Sept & wanted let me know it was fair to me because she wouldn't be able to get all the reconstruction done before she left.In Sept.! .So  now I am Back to the starting gate ugh!

     I think of all of you Jan sisters so much,, sorry  I havn't been on much!  Prayers for all that are going thru Treatments & recovering . Love ya & Hugs to all!

     PS If you want to see all of our Relay for life pictures, Please go to my face book page it is  under Gina Kaufman Robinson

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  • CinD
    CinD Member Posts: 163
    edited June 2010

    {{{Debbie}}} Good luck with your appointment tomorrow!  I'm sending those good thoughts and prayers your way. I'm sorry you've been having such a rough time of it, and if it is LE, I hope they can get it under control quickly.

    I hope everyone is doing well and feeling good.  Kim, you are amazing pulling weeds while having chemo! You'll be counting down to your last treatment soon. Yippee!

    Things are going well for me with my last chemo over two months ago. Wow, I can't believe it's been that long!  I'm still waiting for exchange surgery. I'm all pumped up but can't get in to see my plastic surgeon until the first week of July. I want that TE out so badly!  But, the delay is giving my body time to heal from the chemo. It's strange getting back to real life, especially since I'm still waiting for the exchange. Tomorrow a friend and I are off to Downtown Disney for some shopping and lunch, which should be fun but very hot. Time for a little fun!

    I wish you well.

    Cindy

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  • robinlbe
    robinlbe Member Posts: 585
    edited June 2010

    Hi everyone...

    First off, thanks to everyone for the b'day wishes....51 is the new 30, or 35, or whatever, but it doesn't feel *anything* at all like I thought 51 would feel like.  At least NOT when I was a lot younger.  I thought 51 year olds knew what they were doing, and acted old, and all.  Oh well.  Still nursing the sprained ankle from running in the amusement park last week acting like a 15 y.o. old.  Maybe *some* day I'll grow up....

    You gals doing the chemo....WOW!  You have my deepest admiration.  I haven't been out pulling weeds (although I need to!).  My excuse, though, has been the pollens!  I havent' been able to get outdoors in weeks, because all I do is sneeze, cough, blow my nose, and be miserable.  It's gotten better now, but now it's so hot and humid, a person can't breathe for that!  So, I stay inside and be lazy...ha!  Lazy, but keeping busy....but not getting things done, somehow.  How DOES that work?!?!?!

    I'm SO glad Gina got a couple of pictures to post on here...of our local Relay.  It was fun, yet emotional, yet encouraging...just a whole bunch of emotions rolled into one.  She has pics on her facebook, and so do I.  You can find me on Robin Blake Eldridge.  Friend me, too, while you're at it :)

    While Gina and I were at our retreat, there was an LE/PT there speaking.  I talked to her afterward about some of the stuff I was experiencing, and she agreed it was the beginning of LE...I really liked this gal, but my appt. is with another LE/PT.  Can't decide if I should switch or not.  I had to go through quite a bit to get the appt. with the gal mine is with now.   Guess I'll just stay with her, but at least I know my suspicions were right.  It's CRAZY how the side I'm having problems with was my *healthy* side.....and where only ONE node was taken!!!!   Just one.  go figure....sigh.

    Well, I am home alone.....(sounds like a movie!!).....oldest and husband are at work.  The other two are at a string clinic.  I have two more hours :)  but TONS to do...just thought I'd check in with all of you really quickly...it's been awhile....

    thinking of all of you with your chemo, your exchange surgeries, your SE, your appts, and just the general mental/physical healing in general....love and blessings to all...robin

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  • pbebow
    pbebow Member Posts: 575
    edited June 2010

    Gina and Robin, I sent you both a friend request on facebook!  I think that I am using the same picture for my profile on there as on here, so should be easy to recognize me!  I saw the pictures on Gina's but couldn't see anything on Robin's...  Great pictures...  Was your Relay indoors then?  Ours are always outdoors at local Highschool tracks...  Looked like an awesome turnout and lots of purple survivor shirts!!!  Rock on!  You both look beautiful!!!

    Debbie, I hope your appt goes well!!!  Let us know what ya find out!

    Paula

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  • faithandfifty
    faithandfifty Member Posts: 10,007
    edited June 2010

    My 8:30 appointment had a requirement for us to be there at 8:00 this morning, which meant we left home at 7:15. Thru a variety of snaffus around my previous charts arriving to the right office etc., I finally met my new doctor at 10:30. I LOVE her.

    The first & foremost issue for today was to deal with this "knot" of an egg sized protrusion that's along my scar line. My regular PCP described it as 'hard as a brick' when she saw it in April. It has been the source of MUCH of my pain.

    Long story short.......... Dr. Yee did a complete physical exam of the scar line and felt immediately that it was still fluid based. She got out an ENORMOUS syringe and drained off nearly 60 ccs of fluid that was laced with what she described as 'old blood, tho not blood clots."

    They will send that off for review, but she has no reason to be concerned about it. Within 30 seconds I could breathe again. I do mean "literally" breathe again. The knot was so painful that I could just barely take little shallow breaths previously. I'm breathing while I am typing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Oh happy day!!!!!! The pain along that side of my body dissolved instantly.

    They have asked us to wait in town for 24 hours to see if it stays deflated -- that there's every reason to suspect that fluid will return...... and that this may require a series of visits to resolve completely, draining every couple of weeks to stay on top of it, perhaps. 

    SHE LISTENED TO ME!!!!!!!

    So that huge concern is now under her watchful eye. I want to type this whole message before I sit here and have a good cry.

    Now her thoughts on LE.

    You'll be thrilled to know that OSU takes complete arm measurements prior to every surgery. There is a complete LE facility attatched to her office. She feels that I'm something of an odd duck. (Not what she said exactly but what she meant.)

    She feels that a dx of LE for me is off in the future, if at all, but that we will be watching fastidiously as time unfolds.. She felt that between the frozen shoulder, the cellulitus making a mess of things and this crazy seroma/hemotoma (not certain which this knot/egg thing will ultimately be classified as) that all of that combined into lymph going awry.

    She thinks there is reason for hope that due to catching it sooooo early (thanks to you swell BCO angels) and all the early intervention of PT/kinesio taping/LE exercises/MLD that I may truly be a transient case. That I may be able to get things resolved now that I can actually breathe deeply again. That the lymph may return to more near normal pathways.

    She thinks that time will tell in the long run. She wants me to continue with self-monitoring, wearing the sleeve/gauntlet when doing just about anything, hydrating, MLD -- in essence, all that I have been doing.

    We discussed the fact that theortically we would long be gone for the entire summer to northern WI -- away from heat & humidity by now and that my PT visits have been used for the calendar year. She was comfortable with waiting till we return in Sept to see my over-all status & then appeal to my insurance if it proved necessary.

    So I think technically I still have not been diagnosed with LE. (Craziness: if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck yada yada.) 

    In any case it wasn't that she was the least bit dismissive of LE, or that I had to talk her into it. She laughed and said that LE therapists certainly were capable of making the actual dx.

    I think she honestly believes that mine is going to be very minor/minimal even were it to be finally classified as such, but that she honestly believes that I still have genuine healing that has to unfold from all of this other nonsense & complications, before the definitive answer is given. 

    The fact that she performed a proceedure that allowed me to breathe deeply for the first time in 3 months, probably clouded my judgement in dogging her down to the ground on LE. I literally did hug her.

    I have peeked at my scar line about half a dozen times in the last hour, thinking it/fluid may all be back in there, but it appears to be remaining a very flat tire in appearance.

    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH Hallelujah!

    I wanna go jumping from the roof top, but that's probably not in order, so I will just sit at the keyboard and smile from ear-to-ear.

    Thank you dear Team January, for keeping me company thru this whole sordid tale.

    xx00xx00xx00xx00xx

    Strength and courage.

    Strength and courage.

    Strength and courage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • pbebow
    pbebow Member Posts: 575
    edited June 2010

    That is awesome news Debbie!  What a wonderful day for you!!!  Breath breath breath!!!!

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  • binga
    binga Member Posts: 140
    edited June 2010

    Great news Debbie!  So happy you were able to get some immediate relief from some of your pain.  Anytime that happens it is so awesome.

    Good to hear from you Robin.  Hope you will soon find some resolution with some of your problems also.

    I haven't been on much. Getting back to a regular work week and some normalcy.  Ever since the nipple surgery I feel like I have taken a step back.  I CANNOT find a comfortable bra and it is driving me crazy!  After a few hours at work I am in the bathroom taking off whatever bra I have on and going braless for the remainder of the workday.  And even then I am still in misery with pain under both breasts, both armpits and numbness and tingling too.  It has been pretty rough because I thought the exchange surgery was going to be the beginning of the end of all the pain and uncomfortableness but no.   Anybody else still uncomfortable after the completion of all the surgeries?  I have read about post mastectomy pain syndrome and really don't like what I am reading.  I just want to be past this and on with my life.

    Oh well thanks for listening Jan friends.  Hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

    Becky 

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  • burley
    burley Member Posts: 631
    edited June 2010

    Great news Debbie!  So glad you were able to get immediate relief.  I bet that felt fantastic.

    Sorry to hear about your issues, Binga.  I hope your pain clears up soon.  I know you're probably more than ready to not be uncomfortable.  I know I will feel the same way when I finally get these TE's out.

    Had some weird muscle pains the other night when I was wearing an actual bra instead of my usual sports bra.  I'll have to pay attention if it happens again next time I wear one.  I really like the one bra I got.  I'm kinda putting off further bra shopping until after I get the exchange.  Since I hardly go anywhere, one bra should suffice for now (I hope!)

    Still feeling good, thank God.  I hope my next 2 treatments are the same way.

    Have a good evening, everyone!

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  • bookart
    bookart Member Posts: 564
    edited June 2010

    Great news, Debbie!  I'm so glad to hear that you've gotten relief.  I'm also jealous of the fact that you got art done.  I have gotten the 4th part of a 5-part scupture done and one drawing in the past 5 months.  Pretty depressing.  I have a end-of-July deadline for another piece, so maybe I can get some work done. 

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  • frosty1
    frosty1 Member Posts: 420
    edited June 2010

    Debbie -- hugs and hoping you remain flat as a tire!

    Robin - so good to hear from you.  Your pictures are great!

    Becky - sorry to hear about your pain.  It just doesn't seem fair, does it?  We go through all this crap and then the stuff to make us feel good takes us down a notch.  I kind of feel that way with the drugs they give you to help with the chemo side effects.  Each "helpful" drug has their own set of side effects.  Oh well.  5 more days and I'm off those!

    I had my final full infusion today.  Tomorrow I start on the biphosphonate study.  2 large pills first thing in the morning, don't eat and remain upright for 30 minutes.  That will be fun while trying to navigate the nausea I feel in the mornings the first several days.  I start Herceptin infusions July 7 and will also start Tamoxifen.  I'll need a very large pill caddy.  Geez.

    Feeling good as the steroids are doing their magic.  Come Saturday night I"ll be feeling the effects.  Glad to be through that part of this journey.

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  • robinlbe
    robinlbe Member Posts: 585
    edited June 2010

    Frosty, you are a trooper...you go girl!  I am so proud of you.  I do not think I could be doing all you have done and are doing.  You are simply amazing.

    Ah, Becky....I figured, as you did, when you got to the exchange part, that everything would be "peaches and cream"....I'm so sorry it's not, and it's so miserable.  Just not fair.  Argh. 

    Debbie...yippee for getting fluid drained off!  60cc is a LOT!  I had that much taken off on one of my sides, and I KNOW how much that is.  WOW.  I, too, am having the seratoma issues, but don't see my surgeon until July - although the follow-up onc wanted me to see him earlier.  But like you, it's a combo LE/seratoma issue.....sometimes it looks as if my sides are growing boobs!!!

    Paula....thanks for friending me.  I probably have my settings TOO private.  Sorry about that....but once we're friends (and we ARE now, because I confirmed it), you can see everything.  I've gotten a little squeamish with FB lately, so I hiked up my privacy settings a bit.

    Kim, I will say that by being flat I don't mind missing bras...ha!  I do have to wear them sometimes with my forms, if an outfit needs some "filling out".....I have my silicone ones, but I also bought some microbeaded ones.  They are lighter weight, and much cheaper.  Insurance only helps to cover one pair every other year, so it helped with the silicone pair, since they were $300 EACH.  The microbeaded ones were just $40 each.  The microbeaded ones can be stuffed into a cami I got at Target that actually has pockets.....so I can eliminate *one* layer. 

    The forms are hot, especially when there is a layer of fabric against my skin, then there's the form, and another layer of fabric on top of that.  I've just kept my eyes open for some "flat" shirts...shirts that hide the fact (or at least don't point out the fact) that I am boobless.

    Oh, it was funny.....at the breast cancer retreat Gina and I went to, we all had to introduce ourselves and give a little of our story, tell about our families, etc.  Well, I've gotten to the point of sometimes calling myself "Robin-no-breast" on here....everyone is familiar with Robin-Red-Breast, but not so much the no-breast version.  anyway, I used that version to introduce myself that night.  The next day, one of the ladies saw me and asked, "how was it you introduced yourself last night?  I was trying to remember......was it 'titless robin'????"

    nope....(well, technically, I guess I am, but that is NOT how I introduced myself...)

    Blessings to all...and to all a good night.

    robin-no-breast  Wink

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  • Lynbob
    Lynbob Member Posts: 140
    edited June 2010

    Debbie I am so thrilled you have relief! I was reading and breathing with you! ahaha.

     Since I am back to work full time my online time has diminished but I always look forward to coming here and catching up with all my January girlies <3  I have the next two days off with are jam packed with doctors appointments. I see my regular doctor for a check of my blood work for diabetes and other issues. Hoping that is good. Then I have an appointment with my plastic surgeon. My right implant is not doing well. It is large, swollen and hard as a rock. It has been misery for two months now. It hurts to lean forward, roll over when I sleep, hug my kids or look at my scars. I am ready to cut it off and call it a loss, lol. My doctor was hoping it was just not as far along as the left one. Which by the way is settling nicely. Soft and jiggly. Yippee Squishy.

    My LE in my right arm has been under control. Reading Debbie's relief I am wondering if the swelling on my implant may be part of that. Hopefully will have a better idea tomorrow. Friday I am having another transvaginal ultrasound to see if my one remaining, enlarged ovary has been behaving itself for the last three months. After that I see the surgeon to hear my options. I will let you know how that goes.

    Ok Mornin' Glories, please remember I am thinking about and praying for each of you. Team January Rocks!

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  • faithandfifty
    faithandfifty Member Posts: 10,007
    edited June 2010

    Golly, gee whillakers...... we have to be the toughest group-of-gals to be assembled anywhere. It is truly amazing to hear the stories behind the stories. Somewhat heart-breaking to know what all it is that we must endure as we move forward. Yet it's so heart-warming to feel that there is a group of supporters cheering, waving flags, hugging, offering a listening ear and a shoulder to cry upon within the walls-of-Team-January's clubhouse.

    Hugs all around. Hugs especially to those still in active treatment or experiencing pain.

    I'll tell you, from my platform this morning, of relative pain-free-ness.......... I have a deep respect and admiration for those here among us that have chronic pain. The emotional debilitation alone.

    Just wanted to pop in quick and reply to LynGlory that you may very well have LE of the breast. I am just beginning to get the beginning grasp of what on earth LE is and does and how it presents itself. I have been reading those threads avidly. Just yesterday I read a whole post regarding LE and the breast. Kira & Binney over there are truly experts and could shed light on your story perhaps. Start a thread or send them a PM with your questions. They, with some other BCO LE gals have started an entire website devote to ALLLLLL things LE.

    So much for popping in quick.

    To each and every Team member, January or BC-at-large, may you find joy this day and may that joy transform your attitude and give you hope.

    xx00xx00xx00xx

    Strength and courage.

    Strength and courage.

    Strength and courage.

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  • faithandfifty
    faithandfifty Member Posts: 10,007
    edited June 2010

    Where'd everybody go???

    We just stopped thru my new surgeon's office on our way outta town. They wanted to double check me from the other day, before allowing me to leave the metro-area. LOL.

    She aspirated yet more fluid this a.m. Apparently this will be an ongoing theme for a while.

    We have the car all packed, looking a bit like the Clampet Hillbillies heading to greener pastures. So now it's west, west, west, a hard right and then north, north, north, north and a whole lot more north after that. We will stop just before falling into the great lakes.

    Our little slice of heaven awaits us a mere 12 hours or so at a northern artist colony peninsula called Door County, WI. Our little spot is in a village, seriously called, get a load of this: "Sister Bay". We are a block from sunsets over the bay of  Green Bay and a six mile bike ride across the penninsula to sunrise over Lake MI. In our village the nightly excitement is the gathering of everyone at the marina to watch the sun go down. So it's back to all of those nightly sundown pictures with gorgous sailboats interrupting the nightly color explosion for me.

    Declared one of the top ten family vacation destinations in the country. Over the last decade we have been carving out larger & larger chunks of time there. Our goal is to see the fall colors for the first time this year. I fly in & out of either Green Bay or Milwaukee for my professional invites.

    Anyhow, the penninsula is rife with all things art: studios, galleries, orchestras, jazz, theatre in the park, sculptors, Shakespere, weavers, dinner theatre, fireworks, musicals, gardens galore, quiche, boutiques, photographers, antiques, quilt shops, percussion camp...... I could go on and on. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to be there annually. My husband golfs about  four or five days a week. Last summer I rode 827 miles on my bike.

    There are more restaurants than you can imagine. Wineries. Family-sing-alongs. Festivals. State park splendor. There's not one stoplight along the fifty five miles of coastline. Well, I guess technically there's about 110 miles of coastline, cuz you can go up one side and down the other. LOL. It's a whole different pace for us. It's so very restorative. It's so wholesome and creative.

    Anyone wanna come up for a visit??

    xx00xx00xx00xx

    Hugs all up and down the team.

    The weekend is at hand AND I can breathe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    And we're headed to another summer in paradise.

    All is well with the world.

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  • pbebow
    pbebow Member Posts: 575
    edited June 2010

    Sign me up Debbie!  Sounds wonderful, heaven on earth!!  You are so very lucky to have a wonderful place like that to go and "breath".  Will you have to go back to your doctor for regular aspirations or will someone near you do it.  Or here's an idea, you can invite your doctor up for the weekend every so often and she can do her little thing and then enjoy the rest of the weekend!  haha!  Talk about a house call!  Do you guys boat at all or just enjoy watching others?  It really does sound wonderful!  Have a safe trip! Cool

    Paula

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  • faithandfifty
    faithandfifty Member Posts: 10,007
    edited June 2010

    Paula. She does indeed want me to somehow come back to their office for regular care over the weeks ahead. I haven't let my brain go there yet. I have several flights already booked for here & there, so I guess one option is to reroute them thru OH???

    We sold our boat at the end of the season last year, in an effort to 'down-size' just a bit. We've cultivated lots of friendships where there's a boat involved. LOL. My DH takes several charter fishing trips for fresh salmon that he vaccuum seals to last the year ahead. We figure this year we will just ocassionally treat ourselves to a day of boat rental.

    But if you/Team January come up, we'll get a boat for the duration. I promise. Pack your sunscreen!! LOL.

    Our other treat is that hubby's motorcycle is stashed up there. That is our seriously fun times enjoyment of the pictoresque scenery. Don't get me started, again.

    We're making progress.

    Just an hour to Chicago.

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  • pbebow
    pbebow Member Posts: 575
    edited June 2010
    Wow!!!  I just looked up your little slice of heaven!  All I can say is Wow!!!!  Amazing!!!  I mapquested it, and if I were to drive from my little slice of farm country, it is either 8 hours and 27 minutes if I took the fairy or 10 hours if I took the bridge and came around (and I do not like the bridge!!!).  that would be quite a trip, but so worth it!  You are so very lucky to have such a place to escape to!  Again, WOW!!!!Surprised
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  • faithandfifty
    faithandfifty Member Posts: 10,007
    edited June 2010

    Oh PAULA!!! Seriously come around the bridge and then across the UP. We've gone that way a couple of times -- when we have started from my working somewhere in Gaylord. That drive along the UP is restorative in itself.

    It's a bit pricey to come across the lake, we've never gone that route, but your kiddos would probably enjoy that adventure.

    We are currently going Chicago going approx  7.3 miles per hour.

    Ya just gotta love Chicago.

    Is there another major city with as much continual road construction????

    I swear they get a segment finished and tear up the next. Honest.

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  • pbebow
    pbebow Member Posts: 575
    edited June 2010

    Yep, gotta love the big cities!!!  But Chicago is cool, to visit!  I'm a small town girl myself, but I do love to visit the bigness!  I'll have to keep that trip in mind... we'll see how the summer plays out.  I'll bet the drive is beautiful!  Just getting away would be awesome!  Gotta go and let the kiddo's swim now and work on my tan, and yes getting ready to apply the sunscreen right now!

    Have a good evening!  Wher IS everyone else?  They must be having fun without us Debbie!

    Paula

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  • KatRNagain92
    KatRNagain92 Member Posts: 522
    edited June 2010

    Hi Girly Girls.

    Debbie...Door County is the best!  That's not too far from me...about 3 or 4 hours.  Great shopping!  Enjoy!
    I'm also so relieved you have your issues diagnosed and resolved!  We most certainly do take being pain free for granted.  I try and stay in a contstant state of gratitude for when things are going well! 

    Hey Paula...hows the wedding plans going?  You must be getting so excited!  Tomorrow is our black tie affair so I'm getting everything ready for that.  It's in Chicago but should be an awesome experience.  I'll take pictures! 

    I saw the PS today and I've got my nipple appointment on July the 12th!  Acck!  Going to do some fat grafting too for my upper pole divots and rippling (or should I say ruffles) of my implants.  My PS was just at a conference yesterday in Europe (so glad he made it back for my appt!) And they were hoping that the anatomical gummies were going to be FDA approved here in the USA but they haven't.  I guess they have found too many cases of lymphoma in Italy with them so they won't approve them here....I was just looking at him thinking, I have no intention of changing my implants....I guess maybe when these wear out in 10 years I can look at other options but I don't think the textured gummies would have been one of them!

    Oh, and I've purchased a bra!  Acck!  And, I look so big busted in it!  lol  I like my support Spanx camis better.  My bra is a Spanx and it's a 36C and fits like a dream.  My foobs are stinging a bit since they're 'pushed up' but I do like the ripple free pushed up look better...just not the ginormous size.  It's such a wierd thing to go from a 'minimized look' to va va voom!  It reminds me that when I got the wretched disease my plan was to go 2 cups smaller...but I didn't.  Only 1 and they're still too big.  I'll stick with my cami's (after the nipple ordeal) and be happy with that. 

    Hope everyone is enjoying calm skies with no humidity!  That is my wish for Team January :)   have a great weekend! 
    Kat

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  • robinlbe
    robinlbe Member Posts: 585
    edited June 2010

    Hey Paula and Debbie....are you all talking the "bridge" being THE Mackinac Bridge, connecting the mainland Michigan to the UP Michigan????  That bridge seriously freaks me out, but as long as we drive on the solid lane (and not the gridded lane), it's not as bad.  But the UP is just the best.  We have vacationed up there many times (in Grand Marais)....this year, we're heading to Mackinac Island.  But instead of the day trips that we've done in the past (we've been with the kids two times, I think), we're actually going to stay ON the island. We got a great deal and couldn't pass it up.  Of course, we're so cheap, frugal, tight, and poor, we're taking our own food AND a cooler so we don't have to eat at the restaurants.  We're also taking our bikes across on the ferry with us :) 

    Hope all will find peace, relaxation, rest, strength, courage, fulfillment, encouragement, and wonderful blessings this weekend......robin

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2010

    Hi everyone

    Debbie I am so happy that you are able to finally get some answers and that you seem to like this new doctor so much. It sounds like you place is fabulous.

    Robin Oh my goodnes!  You actually travel to Grand Marais?  That is only about 1 1/2 hours from where I live.  It is such a beautiful spot.  You will have to let me know the next time you head up that way, and maybe I could try to meet up with you or if you wanted to travel a little farther north and into Canada, and come up to Thunder Bay.  It is also very beautiful here, especially in the summer. 

    It is so nice to see this group continues to stay in touch and trying to move on to some normalcy. It looks like for me, that is still somewhere in the future, argh!!!!  I am still having to contend with this nasty abdominal incision that is giving me so much grief.  Too gross to get into!  But I am told I am looking forward to at least another 4 weeks. yuck!  I was so looking forward to trying to enjoy this summer and to make plans and enjoy my kids.  This has been going on for way too long and I am sick of it. I even saw my local surgeon the other day about my incision and he said he talks about my journey to many of his collegues, because it has been such a bizzare one. 

    Hope everyone enjoys the weekend.

    Take Care

    Cathy 

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  • pbebow
    pbebow Member Posts: 575
    edited June 2010

    Hey Kat,  wedding plans are slow...  DIL to be kind of does everything in slow motion!  Drives me a little crazy, but I try to just stay calm and let her do her thing...  Every time I think, "Okay, she's on it, she's going to get it done" then she stops and then I get to the point where I'm going to jump in and take over and just get it done, then she starts back up again...  I just can't wait until it's over!  It'll be fun when it finally gets here but a lot of stress.  So, you are scheduled for nipples and fat grafting!  How exciting!  I have to say that I'm a little jealous of the fat grafting, I have been waiting for insurance approval for my fat grafting since my last appt in May and still haven't heard anything.  I have another appt with my PS July 5th, so I'll ask then what they think the hold up is, but at this point I'll have to wait until after summer.  I won't be able to get it done in enough time before the wedding to be healed up...  But I really want fat grafting for my step off and ruffles...  Oh well, guess I'll just wait and see what happens at my next appt.  I'm very proud of you for buying a bra...   it's funny, I feel like in your pics that you are much bigger (in the boob area not elsewhere) then I am, but I have 34D's and a 34DD and 36D that all fit me good and I don't feel all boob, I feel like they're bigger then before but not huge... but it is hard to find my size in anything cute (mainly because I'm not supposed to wear underwire).  The last 2 (34DD and 36D) are Victoria Secrets, must be they run a little smaller.    Anyway, I had my DH take more pics, just haven't had time to post them yet, I'll try to get on that later.

    Robin, yep, the Mighty Mac, that's the one I'm talking about... I hate crossing that bridge!  But I'll be honest with you, I hate crossing all bridges!  I have a slight phobia...  when I was younger (before kids and the seat belt laws) I would sit on the floor whenever we crossed a bridge but now with the kids there I have to pretend that I'm not scared out of my wits and just pretend to be looking at the map or something.  Everyone gets a big kick out of making fun of me... I don't think that I could actually drive it, I would be paralized!  Once I get across I'm fine and love the UP, but we don't get up there much.  Hope you have a great time on the island, when are you going?

    Well, better get moving, lots to do today!  Shopping, planting, swimming...

    Have a great day ladies!

    Paula

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  • Lynbob
    Lynbob Member Posts: 140
    edited June 2010

    Mornin' glories :D  I am also glad we are still keeping in touch {{hugs}}  Brenda, I am so sorry this is dragging on for you. This feels like a lost summer to me too. I have no time off now to do anything with my kids (like a vacation)  and still have some healing issues before I could go swimming. Hang in there girlie. I anticipate a better summer next year for all of  us.

    I am begining to be very pleased with the size of my left implant. At first I thought it was too small but as time passes it has dropped and looks perfect. Size wise perfect, I will still need further surgery to tidy up some scar tissue. Plus the ps is still wanting to give the right one 3-4 more months to settle in before that surgery.

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  • robinlbe
    robinlbe Member Posts: 585
    edited June 2010

    Paula, you and my youngest son would get along fabously!  He hates bridges, too!  We have to cross the bridge ALL the time since we live on the Indiana/Kentucky border (Ohio River).....he finally decided to put life jackets in our van :)

    I used to (when the kids were little) go through my mind what I would do if something should suddenly happen and we'd find ourselves in the river....but I doubt we'd survive the impact anyway.

    Cathy...I can't believe you're *that* close to Grand Marais, Michigan....WOW!!  My husband got me hooked on that sleepy little village when we first got married 27 years ago.  He and his buddies used to go up there.  We love it there, and usually rent out a little house, take bikes, etc. We'll definitely hook up next time we're up there.

    We'll be on Mackinac tomorrow....but the weather isn't supposed to be cooperative :(    But maybe it will get better.  At least it will be 20 degrees cooler up there than it is here!

    And we are going computerLESS!   so you all take care of yourselves....heal, heal, heal  in every way....blessings and love...robin

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