The Hermit Club

grammaB

Jazzy glad you are sleeping well.  Salsa dancing sounds like fun!

Yum, both of those Clooney men are hot!!

furfriend, congrats on finishing chemo!!

meremere, even if no fish the sun was food for your soul.

kathec, good luck with the dr appts.

CCFW

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CCFW

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grammaB

Boy howdy, every hospital/dr has their own plan regarding check ups!!  I saw my bs at week 1, week 2, and week 4 post and then she said she was done. Only saw the RO once pre sx, and no rads so that was it with him.  The MO on the other hand wants to see me every 3 months for 3 years and every 6 months for 2 more years. I'm not taking any hormone therapy.  I age into Medicare in June, will they cover all those visits?  Sheesh, seems excessive to me.

Lily55

kathec good luck this werk.....

Jazzygirl

Hi hermits- had the cleaning people in today to clean my OH SO messy house! It looks a lot better around here, but there is still work to do. 

Also did some checking of BSBC plans to flip to a new plan when mine expires. Found out the HMO plan I was looking at does not include either my primary care doc or MO, so I am looking at another HMO plan through them as well as a PPO plan. I may consider the later as the out of state networks are better and thought about that with respect to any future needs for medical care. I had to go to AZ for part of my bc treatment and won't doubt that could not happen again, should anything return. Things to think about.

My docs like to see me every six months. I know they like to see you more the first few years, and maybe a bit less there after. All the prognoses are based on 5 years, so most everyone gets followed until then. I have heard the reoccurrence rate is highest the first 2 years after, and after that the first 5 years. Although I don't enjoy my visits, I do feel they are an important part of taking care of my health. I hear you though on the out of pocket. I have at least 2 specialist co-pays each time.

Its been a busy day with work, even from home. 

Jazzygirl

So this is what I have been doing wrong!

Teka

Teka

Jazzygirl, I was to tired last night to look up the cookbook and share the following------------

I've a "Historical Cookbook 1798 - 1998" combining local town history & recipes, written by a native lady of the North Country.  I remember thinking, "now that is one way to get local town history read".

I even gave a recipe for the cookbook!

Enjoy your writing ;o)

Spookiesmom

Soooo sorry, Clooney SR is married!

Jazzy love the cartoon have?  What is it about your state that people with ca go to Az for treatment?  A woman I know on another forum, and her DH went to Phoenix for tx. And now you? What gives?

The RO discharged me. BS wants to fu for 5 years. Humana kicked my MO out of their network. Big practice too!  So now I'll be with a new MO, see what he says, how long, etc. 

Jazzygirl

Spookie- I live in a smaller city that does not have all the available cancer treatments. I had my surgery here, went to AZ for specialized radiation treatment, and having the follow ups and the rest done here. I have had several friends who have gone outside of state for cancer treatment to either AZ or TX. Usually it is for more advanced cases or rare types of cancer that require specialized oncology we don't have here. There are Mayo Clinics and Cancer Treatment Centers of America in neighboring states. I went to one of the country's experts on this type of radiation, and glad I did. I won't say going out of state for medical care is easy, but it was the best treatment for me. It never occurred to me I would ever be in a situation where I would have to do that, but now that I have been. It was kinda scary.

But I will tell you what was cool and unexpected about it. I did everything outpatient, and had a friend to come in for the first trip and help me the first few days. The hotel I stayed at was partnered with the medical facility and the folks at that hotel (a Hampton Inn) were SO nice to me. They gave me rides to and from when I needed them (days I had procedures and could not drive) and were always checking in with me to see if I was doing okay. I cannot tell you to this day how grateful I was for all those nice people. It made it a whole lot less scary. I never cease to be amazed by the kindness of strangers.

I really believe in the affordable care act, although it has it's quirks. I know many of the new plans though are changing and restricting their network of doctors, so that was the big thing I wanted to find out today before I choose a new plan. I don't think most people think about this, but as I have purchased plans for myself off and on for years with self employment, I know what questions to ask. 

I am sorry you have to change MOs. I really like mine and would hate to loose him.

Teka- when I lived in CT, I got a book called Connecticut Cooks, and I think it has the same sort of slant. Everything you wanted to know about CT history through cooking! I bet there are some good recipes in that cookbook!

Spookiesmom

I think this woman is in Albuquerque. Is that where the big hot air ballon fest is? She had some kind of breast ca, now mets. Don't know what her DH had, but the bought a condo in Phoenix to stay for tx 

My spine surgeons group does similar hotel arrangement for their PTS.  

Florida cancer Specialists have offices all over Florida, and North Carolina. Apparently Humana thinks they are too expensive and just dropped them. 

I'm all for the ACA.  It's too late for me, on Medicare now. But insurance coverage was why I stayed in a miserable job for 23 years. They were allowed to cherry pick. I wasn't a cherry. AKA healthy. 

Jazzygirl

Spookie- I live in ABQ, and yes, it is where the hot air balloon festival is. I had a friend who went to the AZ Cancer Center for treatment of advanced bc. and have known some who have gone there for other rarer types of cancer. I hope she is doing okay now?

Spookiesmom

She is, I think. She's not been posting much on that other forum, doesn't say much about her ca anyway. She was thinking about getting a 4th dog, so may be busy with that.  My 2 can make me nuts! Can't imagine 4!

Tomboy

......spookiesmom. to my mind, you will ALWAYS be a cheri! and i would find you sweet. where are all the rest of you, must be out having fun, like Fur! well. went to the gyno, and i didnt make him get any closer than he wanted to, but i did want to clobber him when he slipped a digit, sorry, tmi, into the other place with out warning me. But. everyone there was so nice and solicitous to me today. and they did take lots of extra pictures. on original lumpy boob. like, ALOT. 6,8? after i told them what i had been feeling, and where. and the mean breast surgeon was not mean at all, to make a long story short, we agreed to start over, and stay calm adults. so that feels better. they once again were amazed that i could feel something so small. but guess what, 3 areas of something  hypoechoic on ultrasound. and then they want to do some biopsies, next week. and the cleaning lady! told me i should come back in a half hour. and told me she was the cleaning lady. once again, i think they were quaking in their boots out of sight. WTF is up with that. surgeon, whom i saw last, told me it could be an enlarged lymph node. or fat necrosis. or cancer. well, i trust my light fingers, bad dreams, and sense of deja-voodoo. just sayin. but, i am oh so glad i have anti- anxiety pills. and a sweet man, and good friends, and am glad i have been cleaning my house, and getting everything in order. just in case.

CCFW

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CCFW

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Tomboy

i didnt get it, either. she looked like anyone else, when she walked into the room, when i was waiting after the mammogram, but before the ultrasound. and said, can you come back in 1/2 an hour, and they will be ready to do the ultrasound. and i am the cleaning lady, my name is alessandra. and i said, "you are the cleaning lady????' and she said yes, i am alessandra, the cleaning lady. i think they must have all jumped into a conference room, but wanted somebody to send me off to lunch, or whatever, and enlisted her. i dont think she quite could believe they sent her either, and that is why she made sure i knew she was the cleaning lady. and a very fine job she does, too, but! i don't think she liked being a minion, and that is why she told me. i dont get it either. but i am still hoping whatever they find is nothing, but still preparing myself mentally as well as i can.

Jazzygirl

Kathyec- we know our bodies  better than any of those doctors do. We live in them, feel their aches and pains, things that don't feel right. Your doctors are trying to let you know it could be many things. I have had things found in the past (and even more recently) that include calcifications, cysts, fibroadenomas, and fat necrosis. The biopsy will give you information and we will be in your pocket as you go through this. Thinking of you this morning.

CC- you should ask your MO how often they want to see you during the five years. I don't think it is necessarily that you are on meds, but the 5 years after any diagnosis and treatment. Because the stats says this is when it is more like to come back if it is going to. 

Here is something from wedmd, I think is very good reference around follow ups and some things to consider:

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/follow-up-checklist

The question might be frequency vs. duration? 

My sister goes a lot more often than I do, because she had a more aggressive type of cancer. They see her every 3 months. They like to see me every six months. It really does depend on your stage, grade, node involvement, etc. Your doctors know your risk and create the follow up plan based on that. 

I encourage you to keep up with the follow ups. They are not fun, but an important part of your medical care.

Jazzygirl

Thought for the day

Lily55

Forgiving yourself not easy, I am always hard on myself, cross i not walking dogs every day but I feel tired, back at work this week only part time but.....

SallyS70

Jazzy, thanks for the reminder that forgiving ourselves is important.  I find it easy to forgive others but difficult to forgive myself.

kathec ... you are in my thoughts ... hope the docs and techs are kind and thorough ... and bring good news

Teka

Thank You, but I'm going to finish out the week just being a little bit kinder to me.

camillegal

Teka I agree, but if u are really kind to u'rself it's goes with being kind to others, it's so much easier, because u have that balance of good feelings. That's why forgiving u'rself is so important--Not forgiving u'rself leads to guilt and u gals know what I say--guilt sucks u dry and what a wasted amount of energy, what's done is done if u can make it better u do so, if not apologize and if that's not the answer forget it. I know that must sound cold, but I don't mean it like that, I just mean it is just a wasted emotion, put u'r emotions to good use not hurtful to u'rself.

Teka

OK, one with the fart owl.

dutchiris

I'm sick and I feel lousy.

MereMere

what's wrong dutch?  

CCFW

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dutchiris

I think I have a bad cold.  I'm congested and achy like I should have a fever but I don't according to the thermometer.  It's snowing  and windy here.  I had plans but think I'll cancel most of them.  I really don't want to cancel on dinner with my daughter  I'll medicate and nap then see how I feel.

Teka

Hope not the flu.