DIEP 2013

goldie4040

Faith, 

PS: Yes, I wish we were closer to each other.  Shopping and wine are my two favorite things to do!!!!!

kuka21174923

Happy birthday liefie!!! So many birthdays this month!!

I just got a phone call from my ps asking me if I wanted to move my stage 2 up. They just got an opening on August 6th. Holy crap!! That's less than 2 weeks away! I told them yes. So ready to put all of this behind me;)

Gini23

Yeah Kuka! Have you lost all the weight you'd hoped to?



Goldie - my DH held in the tears for a very long time. When I got "the call" that my biopsy was positive and started to break down, he stood next to me and gave me a pep talk worthy of a SuperBowl halftime. (Are you going to let this get you down? You need to put up a fight!) All through chemo and many trips up to Boston for surgeries and appointments, he was by my side. Mostly 100% supportive and wonderful and upbeat... He would let me curl into him at night and cry - my rock.



The day we went for post-op appt with the BS, doc said "You are cancer free, go and live a long and happy life!"... As soon as BS left the room, DH lost it big time and held on to me tight sobbing. I teased him later that he only cried now cuz I was going to make it after all (haha - a little dark humor there...)

Tracy516

Thank you ladies! I'm in south Jersey so I hope I my surgeon is good;) I find out!

Dyvgrl

Hi ladies. Turns out BC/BS does not cover a naturopath so I had to cancel. Met with my onc and discussed SE's. we've decided to skip the Zofran and slow my drip of Cytoxan to ward off the headaches. Was doing well until last night when the bone pain came crushing down on me. I had stopped taking Claritin thinking it either wasn't working or didn't need it. Boy was I wrong!! Spent all night pacing and adjusting to get comfortable as my pelvis just hurt so bad. Doped up on Ibuprofen and my Claritin hoping to get back where I was. I had worked out in rehab yesterday so that may have contributed or not. Just know Claritin 24 DOES work! I will continue taking it through chemo so I don't get behind again. Next treatment is the 1st so hopefully we have a plan to smooth things out now. 15 more treatments....

Gini23

Dyvgrl: Look up Glutamine - my NP is associated with my primary (an integrative health center) so BC/BS did cover visits minus co-pay. I'm not home but will try to find my info on how much. I want to say 1 tsp mixed in a cup of water (it's a tasteless powder - bought at natural food store.)

Gini23

Oh love my smartphone! Was able to open my chemo treatment plan from naturopath...





1. AC:

​Melatonin: start with 10 mg an hour before bed. If no dream changes occur, increase to max of 20 mg a night.



​CoQ10: 100 mg a day.



​Green tea: drink up to six cups a day (a “cup” is 6 ounces of tea



2. Taxol”

​Glutamine: buy powder (any brand is ok, make sure nothing is added, just plain powder. Take a teaspoon dissolved in water three times a day to prevent and minimize nerve pain and mouth sores. You can also do a swish and swallow with the glutamine for the AC.



Probably should show this to MO - mine was concerned about doing anything she did not have data on. NP said I should listen to MO but he felt certain it was ok. So guess what? I did it anyway....! And my chemo still dissolved my tumor to practically nothing before my BMX, with manageable side effects.

ssla01

Happy birthday to you Liefie! Enjoy Vancouver.



Sbe, sounds like a perfect meal to fall off the wagon.



Welcome Tracey. The women on this board are a wealth of support and information.



Kuka, Aug. 6! Wowzers! I'm ready to be done too.

goldie4040

Tracy, research you doc.  Even if you have to travel a bit, it's better than getting a bad doc.  There is a Dr Levine in NYC.  I forget his first name right now, but he world known for being awesome.

goldie4040

Gini, sounds like a bunch of us have some great guys.  I have to ask, why the trips to Boston?  There are a couple of great docs in Greenwich, and NYC. 

MartyJ

Kuka - we are gonna share a nap!  My Stage 3 (or 2b) is on August 6th.  Not sure of her exact plan, but I am so looking forward to the day.

faith729

Happy birthday liefie !



Welcome Tracey !

FireDragonll

I'm BRCA negative. Have appointment with a different hospial Tues.

sweetpickle

Im curious how far out people needed pain meds. Im seven weeks post diep now and find that by five or six pm Im hurting pretty bad. Is that normal? How long does it last? I only have nine pain pills left and Im making them stretch as long as I can because PS will not refill. What do I do then? I hate taking any meds but if I dont Im in tears.

kad22

Leftie- happy birthday-enjoy your day!



Tracey- welcome you have found a great group of ladies to help you through this journey. Not only write down questions but try to bring someone with to listen to answers it is all overwhelming so that will help.



Goldie- big hugs (((()))) going out to you.



Went to work today just to get some work done before new school yr and it kicked my butt! Sleep all afternoon!



Hugs to everyone that needs one.

mammalou

Kad.... Are you a teacher? I am and I've been doing some working days at school. I go back in 2 1/2 weeks and I'm a little worried. I know im going to be very tired after spending all day with 32 6th graders when it still hurts to walk and i have open wounds. oh boy! It may be a looooong school year.

MartyJ

Sweetpickle - although we each heal differently, perhaps your body is telling you to take things a bit easier during the day.  There is a lot of healing going on inside that we arent' even aware of while it is happening.  Have you tried to switch to acetiminiphin?  

mammalou

Sweetpickle...I agree that maybe you should slow down a little. I hurt most now in the area under my breasts. Anyone else hurt there?



I would also like to know how long the pain from this surgery lasts.

kad22

Sweetpickle - I'm 5 wks out I get really sore and pain in tne evening also been trying advil during day and saving and strecthing my oxy for night. Not sure if ps will refill either andam getting nervous, what to do?!



Mammalou- yes teacher but I dont go back until end of August. OMG I am feeling for you. 32 6th graders - holy cow! That is a huge class! You may have to use some days and take it easy at first especially with that open wound! I just was there from 9 til 1 and was soooo tired. Did we have surgery at the same time? Do you still take stronger pain meds or need them? Hope you have some help setting up your classroom. Will be thinking of you!

mammalou

I am 4 wks post op. I stopped meds at approx 12 days out. I still do have pain and take over the counter meds occasionally. I read that stopping inflammation slows healing, so now I'm trying not to take anything because my wound has opened. I still hurt though. The worst pain is on my abdomen between my breasts and my belly button. Anyone else hurt there? I definitely hurt more at night so I just walk real slow and hunched.



I'm still sleeping pretty much sleeping in a sitting position with my legs elevated on pillows.



Does walking contribute to the abdominal wound opening?

goldie4040

mammalou, did you have much belly for them to work with?  did they have to pull you really tight to close you up?  i have notice that bigger girls that have more to give don't seem to have as much problem standing up as the thinner gals. 

Liefie, hope you are having a great bday.

mammalou

Apparently I wasn't as fat as I thought I was. They told me right out of surgery that I had an extremely tight closing and had to keep my body bent so I didn't pull on stomach. PS told me at post op that they used everything I had to make my one size B breast. I am actually shocked as I could lose 15 lbs and still not be at my young person weight.



I'm sure that's why my stomach opened up too. I was doing fine until they pulled the drains. I wasn't draining much but could feel the fluid within days. Then, I burst a hole.😥

relocatedtarheel

Liefie...what a great post!

relocatedtarheel

Liefie...what a great a great post!



Tracy516...hey! I'm pretty new myself but feel like finding this board 2 weeks ago was my light in the darkness.

nihahi

Absolutely bag tired tonight, but wanted to check-in and say hang in there to all. For ladies like faith and goldie, hope you get the "bumps" in the road sorted out soon. 

Liefie....have a great birthday tomorrow.

Cherrie....enjoy that vaca!

sbe...seriously....where is that baby????

jeannie...any Wilbur updates???

kuka....great news on the earlier stage 2 date.

thinking of everyone....can't mention all.   ((((((((X)))))))))

goldie4040

Mammalou,

I am sorry. I know it just makes the whole experience worse, but you will get through it. Even 6th grader's can be nice, and behave themselves if you tell them you had abdominal surgery and you have to sit down most of the time.  They might surprise you.

sbelizabeth

No baby yet.  Today's her due date, so she's not officially late until midnight.  Her doctor told her if she wasn't baby-less by next Tuesday, they'd induce.  

This is just crazy.  It feels like my old flight nurse shifts.  I got to sleep with my phone by my ear, just waiting for a "launch" call.  I'll show up at the hospital wearing a nightgown and my old helmet, I'm sure of it.

Physical therapy on the bum shoulder this morning.  Ow.  Who would have thought that a spot of breast cancer the size of a tic-tac would wreak havoc on 1/4 of my body the way it has?  Let's invent a mammogram that not only detects the damn stuff, it sucks it out too. "Good news, ma'am, the cancer cells we found in your breast were instantly vacuumed out through your nipple. Have a nice life, see you next year."

goldie4040

My DIL went two weeks past due date.  Hold on.

I love the image you painted of the healing mammogram.  Wouldn't that be nice. I hope to see it in our life time.  Maybe our daughters, granddaugters will benefit from some sci-fi way to destroy cancer.

Anonymous

Good evening flappers! Ok actually, good night lol.



Welcome Tracy! Not happy you are here....but so happy you found us!!! Throw your questions out there...will do our best!



I am exhausted today. Been a long week. Lots going on after work each day, too. Ready for the weekend!



I had therapy today, too, Sbel. Wow. We have a lot of work to do. But it's great to get started! Love my OT!

sweetpickle

Sbe- LOL, make it so please.



Mamalou- So sorry you opened up, I have about a one inch spot that is partially scabbed over and is about 1/8 inch deep. Half that scab came off so now I am back to silverdene and covering it until it heals.



My worse pain is in my rib directly under my right breast. Sometimes its a dull ache that just stinks and I take ibruprophan to knock the edge off. The acetaminiphen does nada for the pain, the vicodin dulls it pretty well for a couple of hours but thats it. Im never really out of pain unless im sleeping.



I guess I do need to scale myself back, I didnt thnk I was doing to much. Just running to the grocery store and cooking. Have run up to Target and stuff and that walking wipes me out. Guess Ill put that stuff off for a while longer. Thanks for listening.