Calling all TNs

Moderators

Hearty congrats on your new job, Heather!

Paintingmywaythru, sometimes taking a break is just what's needed, and you can count on this wonderful community to be here for you when you're ready to return.

Your Mods

kellycbk

Hey everyone- so many wonderful things you all are doing today.

I LOVED the flower - am going to look more into that!!! My husband will roll his eyes when I tell him I want to check it out!! We already expanded my flower garden by installing a small pond--- anyone else have one? I could sure use some help getting my plants started!

My CT and MRI all came back as normal- will be rechecked in 6  months - my OC tells me my brain may not be working as well as it use to because of menopause(HYS last summer)  No kidding!!!! I guess my lungs have scar tissue but will continue to monitor.

For today I continue in the survivor mode and my family went mini golfing to celebrate my good news.

Congrats on the job,and sorry for the cellulitus(my dad had that fight for almost 3 months-good luck)

Thanks for making me feel welcome!! Take care!!

lisadi1963

I love reading all about your days everyone. I especially love reading the jokes!

I'm scheduled to have my lumpectomy on June 5. I have a question about radiation. Has anyone not had to do radiation after their lumpectomy? My ONC said the only thing he can feel now is where the biopsy was done. I see my surgeon on Thursday for pre-op. I will ask her this same question, but wanted to see if anyone else had experienced this.



Thanks,

Lisa

lisadi1963

I love reading all about your days everyone. I especially love reading the jokes!
I am scheduled to have my lumpectomy on June 5. I have a question about radiation. Has anyone not had to do radiation after their lumpectomy? My ONC said the only thing he can feel now is where the biopsy was done. I see my surgeon on Thursday for pre-op. I will ask her this same question, but wanted to see if anyone else had experienced this.



Thanks,

Lisa

MonikaV

Hi Girls,

    I haven't really taken the time to post or read anything lately. So I was off today and decided to catch up on this thread. I am heartbroken....... I can't believe all these beautiful women are gone . So deeply sad. Can't stop crying... Specially for MBJ - whom I had the pleasure of meeting in person. We had a great afternoon together. Sorry i know I am 2 months behind ...but I needed to express my feelings. Thaks for understanding. 

riley702

Kelly, I want a water lily tub on my patio and am currently investigating my options. When we visited France, we stayed with family we'd never met before , Mom's father's cousin and his wife, Robert & Pauline, who were both 92, and also at the homes of their 2 grown children, Guy and Françoise. Françoise has waterlilies. They're the hardy kind that hibernate in winter and it doesn't matter if the tub freezes. No aerator, either. I'll post a pic of her lilies. She lives a little north of Paris, so it's not hot like in the south of France. The weather is pretty similar to the Midwest, but without the tornadoes.

Cocker_Spaniel

Gooday Ladies

Yay 4th one down only 8 to go with no problems today.  The Onco Nurse did say that he wasn't going to tell me but if I did have another reaction the second time around it would have been far worse.  Somebody was looking after me then, must have been you gals.  So thank you for that.

Dulcie - welcome to the thread.  You will be in safe hands here with these wise and wonderful ladies on here.  I am metaplastic (not that I know what that means, am too scared to find out) but Triple Neg Spindell Cell, never heard of that either.  Where do your family live in New Zealand, I am in Taupo.      

OMG - three overdoses of laxatives. As my dad used to say when one of us had a dose of the runs, I bet you s... through the eye of a needle.   He was English as well.

Tazzy - my taste is up the wall too. Some things are ok but others yuk.  Though I must say on cutting down on salt its not too bad.  Gotta be good for me right? along with decaffinated coffee, now that really is the pits.   

5° degree below here and perishing cold at 6.30 this morning so I envy your summer.  Do you get a cold winter.  The mountains here look stunning though with the lake blue and sparkling.    

Minxie - So sorry you can't go in the pool but they did say to me no swimming whilst on rads or any hot pool soaking, which is what we do a lot here. I have to wait four weeks after Taxol before I can get the rads so I am going to look on it as a holiday and enjoy.  Hope you recover quickly and well.

Mags20487 - Bummer about the cellulitis. Yes instincts are good, just like a mum with a new baby. Do you know if it will clear up completely.  Hope it does.

Mccrimmon - yay way to go girl. Excellent news. And the job you wanted. You go and get those posh corporate clothes now and look the part. What job are you doing?  Just wonderful.

mmizerak - Welcome to your future home.  Nothing but heaps of help and love for you on here.

GuyGirl - Beautiful song Wings Beneath My Wings. Great choice. Hope you have as many anniversaries as well.  

Riley702 - I don't like fruit cake but my old fellar does.  The rest of my family don't like it either.  Your recipe does sound lovely though. I make one especially for him at Christmas and he eats it all by himself over a couple of months. So when its his birthday he gets another all to himself.   When I make cakes for the brides though I keep my fingers crossed that they want a fruit cake cause its so much easier to decorate and if they pick chocolate and its summer and hot I have 40 heart attacks that it will melt on the way to the venue.   

Tifj - I didn't know you could get cellulitis in your port.  What happened?  My Onco Nurse does put a phial of Heparin in once chemo finished to try and avoid a blood clot.

Painting - Just gonna miss you girl and your lovely paintings  but hope you come back soon.

Karen - I too will pass on the fruit cake but I do like the sound of yours.  You will have us all drooling again soon.  When I make a chocolate cake I put chocolate port in it and it give it a beautiful moist chocolatty flavour. 

When I got my first blood work done it was by someone called dracula. Christ did she hurt and she dug it in four times, so I told her I wasn't coming back to her again.  She couldn't understand why. Bitch!! Hope yours goes ok for you and you don't have to wait too long for results.  Do you have a wheat bag where you live. You can put it in the microwave for a minute or two then put it on your arm and its brings the veins up a bit more, enough for them to get blood from.  

The best time for me to eat icecream is the winter.  I hate it when it melts and runs down your hands and arms and the serviette they give you doesn't cover possible. But the Sundae sounds yummy.  What wonderful son's you have.  Is the big romance still still on?

Titan - well, what can I say.  This is totally not on,  you being too hot to exercise.  Pretty poor excuse that.  Do you know you will never win that race if you don't get your arse into gear.  Here I am slogging it out and with a blister I might add and you are sitting fanning yourself.  So Rattle your Dags (This is what a NZ Farmer will say to his sheep when he wants them to rattle their balls and start running lol) So if we want someone to hurry up we say this.  So get out on that track and do your stuff.  I expect better from you.

Well ladies, once again its a book!  Tomorrow I go to see the Genetics Service and I am getting a little perturbed about it.  I really don't want to make the decision for more surgery but I have a feeling I might.  My youngest girl is coming with me and the old fellar as it concerns her too. So keep your fingers crossed for me and my beloved girl.   Tonight I have thrush ugh, top and bottom.  I can fix the top the bottom is harder,  so uncomfortable. Just thought I would share my nether regions with you. 

I hope the Dexa doesn't keep me up again tonight otherwise I will be typing in the early hours of the morning.

Keep well, keep happy and keep side effect free. Hugs to you all. Annie

             

mags20487

Cocker---you are one funny gal...love the way you express yourself in your posts.  thanks for the humor.  Sorry that your are uncomfortable right now.  And as you know us by now--no region of the body is off limits here as this stuff effects our entire bodies in some way!

Woke this morining and my arm looks so much better...The redness has turned a lighter shade although the pain is still there.  Glad the meds seem to be working.  Going to be wearing gloves from now on at work especially to try to avoid this in the future.  Doc gave me a script for percocet but not taking any pain meds as they just make me was too loopy to function. 

Watching my gorgeous nephew today before summer care starts next week at school.  Love that boy he is so awesome and makes me happy.  He will just have to tag along for my MO appt this morning.

Have a great day ladies and welcome to all the newbies.  You will love it here!  Ask anything and you will get answers.

Maggie

Luah

Just passing by quickly to say: 

Mccrimmon: Congrats on the new job. Now you will really feel settled in.  

Monika: Nice to see you back again. I'm sorry you weren't greeted by better news. We all miss MBJ, Suze and LJ - such spirited ladies who helped many, many posters here.  

Kelly: Welcome.

Lisa: I have never heard of a lumpectomy without rads, but someone may be along to correct me. There has been a ton of evidence over the past 20 years that rads greatly improves outcomes following Lx. I think most breast surgeons with patients who cannot do rads (because of other serious medical conditions) would recommend Mx.  

Tazzy

Good morning Sunshine's,

Annie... hope the treatment continues to treat you OK.   Our winters get pretty chilly, average out to about -10 or -15 which compared to other Canadian cities working East is nothing - they laugh at us.  But the summers are wonderful...and I love the fact we get 4 seasons.

And as for decaf coffee.... Bit like non-alcoholic beer ?!

Kelly... great news on clear scans.  What a relief eh?

Lisa.... Good luck today seeing your surgeon.

Good luck at the genetics testing as well Annie... .and your daughter.

Start taking my Dexa's tomorrow.... So for me yep...normally wide awake around 3am.

I have pretty good veins...but on occasion where they do not want to show themselves, the lab actually has one of those wheat bags which they heat up and put on my arm.

Well ladies I am off for my pre-treatment check in today with the trial drug nurse and my onc before treatment # 7 on Friday.

I wish for you a wonderful and better ailment free day than yesterday.

Oh! and although I didn't know the ladies you are talking about who succumbed to this bloody bc I am sorry for your loss - thoughts are with you.

OBXK

Kelly - Great news! Enjoy it.

Lisa - I had rads after lumpectomy the first go round, I also had chemo. When you go for your setup, wear warm socks and pants. It's cold in the rad room. Don't allow them to put you in an uncomforable position, you will have to hold it for a long time. I didn't, and it tore a muscle in my neck. Make sure you keep well lubed - I used Aquapor.

Monika - (((Hugs)))

Annie - That cake sounds great! I don't know what a wheat bag is - but I'm all for plumping veins. The boy is still in love and had a grand time, on his trip to LA.

~~~

Went to PCP - I'm just fat and gassy! 

Fighter_34

OBXK- you're describing me. So no need to make a Dr. appt. LOL

Heather-Congrats on your new job.

LuvRving-I know you are enjoying Paris, but you forgot to ask me to sneak into your luggage.

This thread is moving right along. Forgive me if I forgot to mention anyone.

Hi Newbies it does get easier and more managable as time goes on.  

minxie

Welcome to the newbies, you'll find a great source of support here!

Kathyrnn, I asked the rad onc's nurse about swimming during rads and she said it was OK! Hmm, going to have to ask the doctor himself now...

Lisa - I had no rads with 1st tumor (long story) and now have a local recurrence. I wish I'd done the rads back then. Throw everything you've got at it NOW is my personal opinion.

Breast surgeon called with path report yesterday -  1 cm, clean margins - and no positive nodes this time. All better than my last time. It's funny, though, I'm not happy or excited to hear this. I'm not anything. They could have told me I had 10 positive nodes and I'd be the same - just emotionless. Having godawful nightmares constantly though.  Time to call the therapist methinks...

kathyrnn

Dang this board moves fast!



Mags- sorry about the cellulitis, but I'm glad you went so quickly for treatment.



McCrimmon - congrats on the job. You and Painting must be VIP'S, you merited a note from the Moderators. Don't think I've ever seen one of those before.



Thank you for the laugh Tazzy, you made me realize I'm turning into Maxine's evil twin. I wish you had a chance to meet the sisters we lost recently, they were such strong, joyful women.



Guy girl - sing your little heart out in joy and celebration!



Riley -OMG! Someone else who likes fruitcake! To h*ll with the orange juice though, we soak ours in rum. Loved that bugspray on the flagpole analogy.



OBXK - don't be starting that drooling chocolate cake craving back on here!!! I just got over the last one, hehehe



Titan, love your hubby's droll sense of humor.



Kelly - congrats on the good test results.



Lisa - I think rads after lumpectomy are the standard of care for treatment.



Monika - I had been off the board a couple of months when our trio of sisters passed, and I remember how dismayed I was to see the news. Like a punch in the gut.



Cocker - "Bless me Father for I have sinned". I knew about the second time reaction being worse, but I didn't want to add anymore to your anxiety about the treatment. Now you understand why I was being such a nudge about you needing to bring someone who could watch you closely, and wouldn't be afraid to drag a nurse in by whatever method needed!

Still LMAO at your note to Titan, our resident Wonderwoman. I have a suggestion for you, stick the ice cream on your nether regions. It won't cure anything, but it will feel ohhhh so good!



Minxie - they told me, no swimming, tub baths

or hot tubs during rads. You've been through so much, I can understand that numb feeling, but a wee dose of the therapist may be a good idea.



Well ladies, my roommate moved in last night, and got everything cleared to make space for him. (small house, WAY to much sh*t!). Am I awful for hoping he stays broken up with his girlfriend long enough that I can get full use

of his man brawn, heheheheh. At least there is someone in the house now, so I can stop worrying about being a robbery magnet. Today I have to head over and try to repair the lawn tractor that I tried to kill apparently. Dam thing is a temperamental bast*ard, must be a male tractor.



Anyone I forgot to mention, blame it on my chemo brain! Have a lovely day ladies!







Painting - we'll be here when you need. Be well.

BernieEllen

Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.

One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea. As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a cut-glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom! When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat. The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better him and He could no longer resist. "Miss Beatrice", he said, "I wonder if you would tell me about this?" pointing to the bowl.
"Oh, yes," she replied, "Isn't it wonderful? I was walking through the park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven't had the flu all winter?"

Victoria3N

Well, I'm shaking in my boots. Lots of testing this month. Tuesday the 5th I get my port implanted the 1st round of chemo starts the following day.

OBXK

Minxie - I know this sounds foolish, but I often wish they would tell me, yes it has spread, so I can stop waiting and worrying. And this is even worse - I'm self pay, they didn't find anything on my $3000 bone scan and I felt jipped this thing will make you crazy!



Kathy - I hope your new roommate works out well. Have you put a to do list, on the fridge?



Bernie - thanks for the chuckle!



---

I ordered some frozen croissants from France - kids home early for tropical storm, so were enjoying them!

Luah

Bernie: too funny.

((((Minxie)))) 

Victoria3N

Hi Fighter,



I'm hooked om words with friends too. Invite me to a game if you like. Victoriaxxxx



Take care



Victoria

StayShiny

Victoria, you will get through chemo. In addition to the support here, you may want to find a chemo thread for your timeline. I think there is a May/June group. That way you have a group that is all going throught it together. What are you getting besides Taxatore?



Minxie, hugs to you for going through this again. Your comment on rads made me pause for a minute. I have had BMX with lat flap surgery too. RO consulted with BS + pathologist and deemed rads were not necessary. I was actually glad because I didn't want to deal with recon complications from rads. Curious how you came to the no rads decision last time. PM me if prefer.



Well, I am having my last tx today. I will wait to celebrate until all the SEs have passed. Will have baseline tumor markers, vit D levels and CT/bone scans done next. None of those have been done yet. Then it seems like I will be done until my 3 mo follow up assuming nothing shows up.



For all you that have more post tx time under your belt, does this sound like a standard post tx plan? Feels like I am missing something but maybe I just have to get used to that feeling.

Lovelyface

Ladies - so many wonderful posts to read, so much to catch up with.  I have a question for you all today - Did any one of you have an ongoing tummy ache during Rads or a little after Rads finished?  I remember I finished Rads in March,2011 and had the tummy pain until July.  That's when I had a colonoscopy done and everything turned out to be normal.  From time to time even now, I get that same tummy ache. I am wondering if I had any damage to my colon from the Rads.  I googled and did find that yes, Rads can cause damage to some people's colons, however, the symptoms would be rectal bleeding, diarrhoea, etc.  I don't have those symptoms.  I just have pain all over, and believe me you, the pain does not go away, no matter if you put a heating pad on your tummy all night, take anti-gas, or anti-acid, nothing helps.  For the last few days I have been having pain and I think it came from eating flax seeds and cottage cheese (budwig diet).  That same pain has returned.

For those of you who are trying the budwig diet, do you have tummy pain or any stomach issues?  Wrenwood, are you still doing the budwig diet?  Any issues?

Lovelyface

Painting - how about you, are you still doing the budwig diet?  How long is one supposed to do this, forever or for a period of time only?  I cut down the flax oil and the flax seeds to 1 tsp, the cottage cheese to just 1 tblsp. , even with this I have pain all day in my tummy.  I just don't want to stop this, as it makes me feel so good.  I think it brought up my estrogen levels which is exactly what I needed.  I am so scared to eat this again, as I have been suffering from this tummy ache for the last 2 days. Once it starts, there is no end to the gassy pain.  And I don't think it is gas, but something else. Painting, Wreenwood - do you guys have any suggestions?  Do you eat on an empty stomach?

OBXK

Victoria - not knowing what to expect from chemo is scary. For me, the side effects didn't kick in, until days 2 or 3. I remember waking up after the first treatment

thinking, "I've had worse hangovers than this" . Just stay hydrated, take your meds on time and buy some stool softeners - be gentle to your tummy and don't eat high fiber things for a few days after treatment. You can do this!



Stayshiny - you do feel rather cut loose, once you've finished treatment. It will pass. Looking forward to hearing about your wonderful post chemo scans and markers. If the fear sneaks up on you, we're here to hold your hand.

Titan

I'm ticked..I just posted all this stuff then the dh called me and I lost it all..dang! here I go again

Minxie...dang I know what you are feeling...its good that you had good news but dang that you have to go through this crap again

Dang I'm ticked off I lost all this stuff..guess I will go rattle my dags...or someones...lol..or wtf

I have never heard of anyone NOT having rads with a lumpectomy..;just saying...you can refuse them...but I would be dang sure there is a reason to refuse them...jmho

Titan

and I know what a wheat bag is..maybe...I have this thing that you can put in your microwave and warm it up and then put it under dishes that you want to keep hot...is that what you are talking about Cocker?

Wonderwoman...you guys kill me...seriously.....

Good Luck Victoria with your port and the first chemo...will be thinking about you...let us know how it goes.

OBX..loved the hangover anology...the only thing is..you have FUN before the hangover...

Oh Monika...I'm sorry about you having to find out the hard way about our 3 ladies...Mary, Suze and Laura....we loved them and they loved and supported us all so well....we miss them so much...

Cancer sucks

minxie

Stayshiny - I originally had a lumpectomy, axillary node dissection, and then 5 months of chemo for TN IDC in early 09. When I went for a 6 month mammo after original diagnosis, they found DCIS in my bad breast, right after finishing chemo, right when I was starting rads.

I had done a total of 5 days of rads when me, my med and rad onc decided the best way to proceed with the new DCIS diagnosis was a BMX. We stopped rads and took off both breasts and did reconstruction. Often when people have MX they don't do rads since it's assumed most of the breast tissue is removed... but they always remind you they can never get it all. And in my case, even after lumopectomy and MX enough was left behind to form a new IDC TN tumor in the exact same spot on the breast! Which is why I wish I'd gone through with rads first and then done the BMX. But at that point I was soooo sick of it all and wanted the nightmare over ASAP - unfortunatley it still hasn't ended.

StayShiny

Thanks for sharing Minxie. There just isn't a crystal ball for this stuff. Wish there was. Hope this round blasts those baddies right out!



Titan, I lost a post yesterday too. Same thing, left it for a while. When I came back, typed more and poof...nothing but a blank page. Couldn't get it back. Very frustrating!



I never thought of chemo as a hangover...maybe because there was no fun before. Keeps reminding me of a bad bout of the flu with a new twist each time.



Thanks for all the humor. I find I am needing lots of it lately. Been watching funnier shows. Can't take much else.

Titan

Stayshiny....it's good to laugh..and I'm glad you still can....reading Cocker's post just make me laugh out loud....she and Inmate and OBX and Bernie have me laughing my rear off alot...I'm thinking of calling my dh..the old fellar and old sod but I haven't worked up to it yet...he will be in shock...

wow..the old stomach distress..I either had constipation or diarrhea...nothing in between...nasty crap (pun intended)...but...your stomach issues will get back to somewhat normal...it doesn't take long..I don't remember too many issues with taxol..mostly with the Ac...still can't tolerate any fried foods at all..

kellycbk

Cannot thank you all for the laughs!!  I am a most serious person and it takes a lot to make me smile, but this has been a great evening of reading!!!

hey riley thanks for the pict. of the waterlilies. am going to look into the ones I can leave year round as well!

StayShiny - i also was timid about celbrating the ending of the tx. for me -my ONC didn't feel it necessary to do anytype of post testing which made me very paranoid!!! now just blood work for me every 4-6months and and occassional chest x-ray. hang in there!

For those of you up all night I do feel for you - I couldn't sleep for almost 36 hours after each of my tx. At least I wasn't sick all the time like with the Ad/cytoxin. Amazing how each of us react differently and make it through!

Thinking of all you wonderful ladies out there tonight.

Wrenwood47

Lovely Face...I am still on the Budwig Diet because, like you, it makes me feel good. Gives me lots of energy for most of the day. I have it every OTHER  morning (on an empty stomach). I use 1 cup of organic cottage cheese and 1 tablespoon of flax oil. After blending with a stick type immersion blender, I add Manuka Honey, Brazil nuts and fruit (blueberries and strawberries). I remember you saying you were using a regular blender.....it is important to use an immersion blender. It may be that the flax oil is not getting infused into the cottage cheese and that is what is causing the stomach issues. If you think the Budwig protocol is the cause you should discontinue it. Maybe try just once a week and see what happens. I am not sure if Painting is still checking this thread...maybe you could PM her. Hope you are feeling better....stomach issues not fun.