Hey there Georgia Girls

badmamajama

Just wondering how many Georgia girls are here. Seems like every where I go, I meet someone else with BC. I'm 44 yrs.old. Live in Alpharetta. Dx in Feb 09.-- Chemo March - July 09.-- Bilat. Sept 09.-- Exchange Feb10. Herceptin until Oct 10.

Would love to hear from ya'll

mom3band1g

I am a little further up north...Cumming, GA.  I just turned 40 (39 at diagnosis).  Dx Jan '10, lumpectomy 2-10, bi-lat mast with TE (that I HATE) 3-10, just finished rads last week!  I am looking to do my exchange this November.  I hate my recon so far.  Had to look for a bathing suit today.....depressing and frustrating.

Susie123

Hi Ladies,

I'm even further north, next to the NC line in the mountains. I'm 49, diagnosed 3 days before Christmas. BMX in Jan with TE. Exchange and nips in April. Scheduled for tattoos in Oct. My BS and PS are in the Atlanta area. No rads or chemo, just Arimidex. IDC. I work with the public and also see lots of BC ladies. It's kinda sad. I don't know if there's always been that many and I just didn't notice before, or if alot more women are getting BC now.

Susie

Laura64

I live in Johns Creek.  Diagnosed at age 44 last October with Triple Negative BC.  Chemo and bilat mastectomies and TE.  Just had my exchange surgery a month ago.  Trying to adjust to my new body!  Haven't shopped for the bathing suit yet, but my old ones definitely do not fit.  Life will never be the same, will it?

Laura

Susie123

Nope, it won't! The foobs are definitely different. Life though is worse some ways, but better other ways. I don't sweat the small stuff anymore. It's helped me put what is truly important into perspective. I have a little piece of jewelry that says live, love, laugh. Cornball I know, but I'm living by that more these days.

Lovegolf

Hi

I am south and on the coast...Savannah.  Lumpectomy 4/17/09 Bilat Mx with no reconstrucion 5/1/09....Nope I will never be the same.  I think most of it is a good way.  I learned I can go into my office later and leave earlier.  Oh yes no sweating the small stuff and so many things now equal small stuff.  There is a razor shape clarity that you have after all this. 

CrunchyPoodleMama

I'm in metro Atlanta (Dallas, near Marietta)... I'm 39 and was diagnosed last fall with DCIS. I've had a lumpectomy + re-excision (finally with clear margins), but yesterday's mammo showed a few scattered micro-calcifications... here we go again!

Lovegolf

Crunchy

So sorry to hear about the mammo results.  You will find a way to fight this again....

Sams_MominAtlanta

Emory / Druid Hills area.  Would love to meet others at Winship, DeKalb Medical or Northside.  Beginning either last component of chemo (haven't decided yet) or Radiation soon.  Where was your favorite spot for rads?

Hugs,

Sheila

badmamajama

Sams_ Mom

I didn't have radiation so no help there sorry.

Laura64--Life is never the same but it is true that it gets easier to deal with over time. I still think about my journey with BC but not every minute of every day like I used to.

 Crunchy--Hope you are doing okay.

jc3win

I am in Jefferson GA. I am going to Emory/Crawford Long on Thursday for my Phase 1 free Tram with Dr. Erica Anderson. I am a little nervous but mostly excited to get this recon started and get rid of the damn prosthetic!

mom3band1g

sams_Mom - I had radiation off exit 10 (up 400).  Dr Mark McCord was my radiation oncologist and I was very pleased.  The whole staff was wonderful.  They made a difficult thing a lot easier to deal with.  I even had to bring all 4 of my kids a few times and the staff was wonderful.  My appt almost always ran on time and my SE's were minimal.  Good luck!

Roberta2

I am in cumming, ga as well. 

 Diagnosed in 2003, stage 0 dcis no chemo/rads double mastectomy...diagnosed in 2010 stage 1 same breast currently doing chemo, will do rads, and tamoxfin.

mom3band1g

We should plan a get-together!  

Roberta2 - where in Cumming are you?

badmamajama

mom3,

I would also would like to meet up with the Georgia girls. I am in Alpharetta. I saw where you had rads of exit 10. My cancer center is there. Are you done with treatment? I have 3 more Herceptin treatments and I am done.

mom3band1g

I am done!  I finished the beg of July.  I was probably across the hall from you.  Mark Mccord was my rad onc and his office was across from a med onc. 

Maybe we should plan a coffee meeting with anyone interested? 

Anyone going to Turning Point for PT?  I just went for the first time this week and it was really nice to be there.  Amazing place. 

kaydub

Hi ladies, I live in Suwanee and it would be fun to have a get together. 

Sams_Mom, I had my surgery and chemo at Winship on Clifton St.  Will be starting my radiation txs in Gwinnett on Monday.

My prayers are going out to you girls.

Karen

badmamajama

Hey Ladies,

Been very busy few weeks--got my daughter off to college. A week later my brother in law of 22 years had a massive heart attack and passed away. My sister is now a 46 year old widow with 3 children. So sad.

  I could use some me time. I would love to get together soon with the Georgia girls--any ideas ?

MEG54

Hi, Ladies:

I live in Sharpsburg...

I think a coffee meeting sounds great.  I am often in Atlanta and Decatur, so could come to you all who are further north...

meg

badmamajama

Is anyone doing the Making Strides walk in Atlanta on Oct 23rd? I have a team Alison's Army if you want to join me. If you are walking aready--what team? We will be in green shirts

mom3band1g

I am having a hard time adjusting to life without real boobs.  Anyone else have a mast?  I would love to meet someone IRL who is going through (or has come out on the other side) recovery after a mast for coffee.  I find myself avoiding my friends....I just feel a bit sad these days.  I live in N Ga. but can meet anywhere!

CHRISTY2

Columbus Ga here. Been crazy around here having PET scan Nov.1st can't hardly wait.

spitnspunk

Hi Ga Ladies, is everyone enjoying our Blizzard/ State of Emergency today? I'm NorthWest of Atlanta, right by the West Cobb County/ East Paulding County line and the roads were pretty much impassible out this way since yesterday evening, looks like into tomorrow too. I'm missing my chemo treatment tomorrow because of it, but there's always another day. Hope everyone is doing well.

spitnspunk

WOW, is there REALLY no one on this board from Georgia today?

mom3band1g

HI!  I'm up in N Ga (cumming) and we are snowed in but good!  Been out sledding with the kids.  We have off from school again today.

LRM216

Hi, I'm Linda, live in Marietta, GA.  Work for a large law firm in downtown Atlanta, and of course, with all the snow and now all the ice, no work yesterday, or today.  Raise my 15 yr. old grand-daughter who has been out of school yesterday and today and is beginning to drive me crazy from being house-bound!

My stats are listed below, had my yearly mammos at Northside for ages,and never even had a callback.  No cancer whatsoever on either side of my family, but yearly mammo in Feb. 2009 - showed it.  Used Breast Care Specialists across the street from Northside for my lumpectomy and loved them.  Go back every 6 months for mammos and US.  Did my chemo and rads closer to home at North Georgia Oncology behind Kennestone Hospital, since it would all be the same no matter where I went, chose closer to home for a little less stress with the lovely Atlanta traffic!

Glad to find other GA gals.  Want to wish you all the very best and may our futures be healty ones!

Linda

mom3band1g

Linda - I used BCS too and I love them!  Dr Amerson was my surgeon and she is so amazing.  I see her every 6 m too but no mammos for me!  I have only ever  had 1 in my life!

motherofpatient

My daughter, age 43, lives in Woodstock. Anyone used NW GA Ocology? We have been waiting since a CT on Thurs to hear if it has spread. Seems it can be read online but still no report. Doc said she knew how anxious we were for the results - so where's the phone call?

LRM216

Mom3 -

I love Dr. Amerson - she is wonderful.  Her dad was one of the most highly esteemed surgeons here in Atlanta, as well.  Unfortunately, she had a 7 week wait and they did not suggest I wait that long, so I used Dr. Rivers, who was very good also, but has since left the practice (she was their most recently added surgeon, was there 2 yrs. I think and is now up in Alpharetta), but I did not leave them and switched over to Dr. Steinhaus, who is equally as great as the rest of them and one of the original gals.  They all worked for a great breast surgeon here in Marietta up until about 9 yrs. ago, when they decided to open their own place.  They are all excellent and I love that they are all females, wonderful credentials and reputations, even the radiologists, and that you get your results right away.  Wouldn't think of going anywhere else!  We were in great hands!

LRM216

Motherofpatient:  I was reading one of your posts asking about taxotere and potential permanent hair loss.  There is a thread on this forum about just that, but please know, that yes, some gals did not get their hair back, but it is only a small percentage.  For awhile there, I didn't think mine was growing back as quickly as it should, but it did all come in exactly as it was prior to the chemo (I had 1 taxol and 3 taxoteres).  I don't mean to diminish at all what the gals that never got their hair back are going through and any percentage, no matter how small, should not ever happen.  It is true that most oncs (including my own) don't mention it to you, as most aren't even aware of it.  I never read that thread or was aware of the possibility, allbeit small, that this could even happen.  Being triple negative, the taxanes are a necessity for us gals, so even if I did know about this, I would have had no choice but to do it and hope I wasn't in that small percentage.

I wish you and your daughter nothing but the best and an easy journey.  How very fortunate she is to have you as her mom.  I know only too well how you are suffering through this, as my youngest daughter (39) has a host of very serious medical problems (in fact, just got out of Emory after being in there for 6 solid months).  It is heartbreaking and I will do everything within my power to keep her alive.  She does not have cancer, but that's just about the only thing that hasn't befallen her so far.  I pray - a lot.

Hugs,

Linda 

motherofpatient

The doctor called my daughter after Dd called "hotline": doc left a message but didn't mention the test results, the reason DD called the doc. After a second call to the "hotliine" doc called to say cancer had not spread to lungs. So glad for that. DD is stage 11a, two different tumors, one ER+PR+HER2 + and one ER+PR+ but HER 2 neg. also DCIS and micros all over.

Please someone, tell us - should we find another doc? Chemo hasn't started but we have lost confidence in this practice. The chemo ed nurse keep talking about the wrong doc then gave wrong info on herceptin admin - DD wondered if nurse had the right file. Another time DD called to be seen for cellulitis but the msg never got to the doc. Then we discussed (I record all meetings) a CT scan to rule out lungs because of a shadow on the x-ray and to include sinuses but when we arrived for the CT the orders for the sinus weren't sent.

Had a wonderful surgeon, Dr William Barber, a great lymphodema therapist, and loved everyone at Piedmont, but wanted to do chemo closer to home. Now it seems like a big mistake.