Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

bluedog

QMC, and then "furious" is the dermatitis stage after "annoyed"?

I keep my mental irritated, annoyed, furious trajectory on the inside, alas. Have to be a flipping Good Girl for some reason. Grrrr.

bluedog

outrunning, I'll PM you re local doc issues

queenmomcat

Bluedog: yep, and after that comes "My RO got mildly concerned."

Horsegirl

key-plez: your sign rocks!

ATTITUDE - be it positive, peaceful, sassy, or strong - is everything Extra doses of hugs today for anyone who's struggling in that department today. Together we can lift up

mustlovepoodles

Outrunning, I totally get your feelings about work. I have been barely working (from home) since my first lumpectomy on 8/20. I really thought that I would have surgery, take 3 days off and be back in the saddle. Fortunately, my BS intervened and suggested that perhaps taking a full week off might be better. Glad she spoke up, because I needed every second of that full week to recover. Then we found out that I needed re-excision, followed by another full week of recovery. And then we found that I had a major breast infection, then a drain placed, more recovery, blahblahblah...So, in the last 4 weeks I've probably only worked 28 hours.

I'm going to give it a try tomorrow. I feel like my head has cleared finally, now that the infection is under control. It's pretty amazing how infection can affect your thinking. But now that i'm feeling better, I need to plow back into my work.

bluedog

QMC, hahahahahahahahahahah!

PontiacPeggy

Poodles, aside from money, work is vastly over-rated

HUGS!

KittyL

Keys-Plez, LOVE that sticker! Wish we had "like" buttons here! Where did you get that?

keepwalking Will be thinking of you tomorrow. The circus reference is great!

I still haven't checked the local Kmart for bras; remembered last night that I tried a Genie bra (I think) years ago, over the head w/removable pads, squashed & wouldn't stay in place. Haven't paid bills monthly bills yet, supposed to have weekly call w/hubby- mixed feelings, need to tell him surgery date but don't want him romping here to help (running interference btw him & rest of world not my idea of good recovery room experience). He'll arrive 10/3 which will give me a week of quiet. Getting groceries in line. Younger cousin is a public health RN downstate & when told, she immediately said wants to be with me as far into the surgery as they'll let her & be my advocate. Holy cow!

I've decided it should be called "BC brain" instead of "chemo brain", started to make trip to pick up Rx that I already picked up 4 hrs earlier. An older woman friend gave me the bestest gift ever--- a kitty cat (of course) loaded post-it note holder, which I put next to coffee pot. The RH cupboard door is for stuff I need to do every day, the LH is for today. Nice because each note can hold 1 task, keeps things achievable. So wigged out I'm not eating or sleeping right, so "scheduling" meals and naps this pre-surgery week. Trying to Stop researching, making myself crazy. Trying to remember a great AA adage- If you try to live with one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow, you'll (pee) all over today. Doing visualization meditation, just slow gentle breath in thru nose and out thru mouth while relaxed on the bed, and let the mind float off to your favorite place in the world; it's starting to work, not so wigged out today. And I will get on the bills in the a.m. And right now, I hate pink and that's okay, this too shall pass.

Lisaj514

Perfectly said and so true! Just look at this lounge to see this truth! It's amazing.

PontiacPeggy

KittyL, a group of us BCO gals are getting together Saturday at Sand Hill Crane Vineyards in Jackson on Saturday at 11:30AM. We do lunch, wine sampling and plenty of talking! You're more than welcome to join us. In fact anyone from anywhere who is in the area is welcome. PM me if you want more information. This will be our 4th get together and loads of fun. Also nice to put faces with the people we've come to know so well.

You're supposed to step into the Genie bras. Pads stay in place now. If you're curvy you may get squished from them. Much better than sports bras for me, anyway.

HUGS!

KittyL

Hey you guys, just checked Amazon on a whim, and I "found" my bra I think. Snap front, simple. no seams no lace but a soft looking edge to not irritate or pinch, cotton & it doesn't look like dog meat or "old lady". (Dream Products, Inc. brand) Says it fits A-DD so should handle any bandages; M=34-36. (Maybe not enough for heavy-busted gals, but perfect for my "mature" droopy B cup.) And was $9.99. Yes! Ordered! Will let you know how it fits. ...and another post-it note bites the dust... giggling

PontiacPeggy

LisaJ, you are so right! This group IS awesome. Support, comfort, help and laughs when you need them. I'm very thankful I found BCO. It's been a lifesaver.

HUGS!

pennsygal

Kitty - that cupboard system is genius! It's exactly what I need right now - thank you!!

octogirl

Peggy, you are so right about work being overrated!!!

Hugs!

Octogirl

KittyL

sloan15 Just want you to know I'm *still* laughing about your Madonna "bra over the tee-shirt" thing. Was looking around church this morning thinking how that could be a real test of community.... Bwahahahahaha..... As long as we can laugh at the awfullest stuff, we're doing okay!! I was tweezing in the mirror the other morning & thought, Well, if I have to have chemo, I won't have to pluck my chin or shave my pits and legs for a couple months. I cracked up, and realized that i AM going to be okay if I can still find the bit of humor (even gallows humor). Two things I try to find in every experience: the silver lining (the lesson & blessing) and the joke fodder.

When we were at the surgery consult, I had to pee. So, the seat was up and I decided to core strength by squatting, like I sometimes do. So I'm squatting and peeing and absent-mindedly reading the notice on the pocket door, which said, "Please remember to unlock both doors." Both doors???? Huh? I locked one. Quite the motivator to pee fast..... Was a moment when I really needed the giggle, too.

PontiacPeggy

Kitty, I cracked up over the BOTH doors. Definitely a sign you need to be fast! Gallows humor works just fine. Always try to see the humor or positivity in any situation. Sometimes it is hard. My DIL when she started chemo for colon cancer, had a party to shave her head with her nieces and nephews. They loved doing it and it turned something very negative into a good experience. She always was upbeat and each chemo session she told those drugs to KILL CANCER. And they did! (My mother would tell aspirin where it should go and do its work, too).

HUGS!

keepwalking

"The best laid plans...." The pre-op was going pretty well today until about 5 hours into it when I needed the mammogram with the better equipment at the hospital. They took several views, then consulted the doctor and got 2 more. Then told me to wait for an ultrasound.

Bottom line - they found another small lump in the same breast, near the primary one. May be nothing but needed to be biopsied. By this time it was about 3 pm and I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, had slept poorly overnight (nerves?), and was not at all prepared mentally. I could tell that the numbing was not as good as on the first time, and with the first core, which really hurt, I almost passed out laying there on the table. Thankfully they numbed it a little more and the second core was better.

Anyway, I am again waiting for biopsy results, don't have a surgery date, and am laying here nursing my poor abused breast.

Thank you, Peggy, for reminding me to see the positive in any situation. Coming from you, with all that you are shouldering, means a lot. Even if I can't see it right now, I trust that it is there. Thanks for letting me whine a little to people who I know understand.

HUGS, Rina

6doggies

Rina, I am so sorry that you are having such a rough time, I was cringing when I was reading your post, I'm sending you a gentle hug and I hope that the second spot is nothing. Hopefully you were able to get something to eat and try to rest, easier said than done, I know!

octogirl

Rina, I am also sorry to read your post: we go through so much getting mentally ready, it must have been hard to still be waiting, as waiting is the WORST!!! and to wait while you are also hurting, well, it just plain sucks!

I am also sending gentle hugs across the miles to you! Good luck with the results, and please keep us posted. Gentle (((((hugs))))

Octogirl

Midgiemoon

Hi everyone,

I haven't been here for a while, but I am 4 months post op and have finished my radiation. I have a question for you all. I am not feeling my nerves reconnect after the surgery, and now my underarm is hurting again around the SNB site. I see my oncologist in a few days for my radiation follow up. Just wondering if the regenerating nerves are what's bothering me? I guess I got used to my under arm being numb...

Hope you all are doing well!

~Midgie

octogirl

Hi again MidgieMoon...while I have not yet had radiation, so don't know if that makes a difference, I am finding the SNB site has been hurting a fair amount the last week or so also. Aleve seems to help.

Hugs, Octogirl

notdoneliving

Horsegirl, thanks for agreeing on the scars! Right there with ya. Trying to figure out how this will change me.

notdoneliving

gypsyjo, thanks for the invitation to the mutinous forum. I didn't know about it. I'll be there!

Sloan15

kitty - One of these days just go for it (bra over tshirt) when you go to church and then blame it on chemo brain. You'll certainly find out who is non judgemental at church! Haha. LOVE the "both doors" story! Yeah, we have to maintain a place for humor in our lives.

Octogirl and midgiemoon - I'm getting that arm thing, too! It's been 2 months since my Lx. My surgeon just shrugs and the lymphedema friends says it's that. I have no difference in the size between my arms, though. I'm not sure what to think.

Outrunning

Gotta take this all with humor. Being miserable helps no one especially ourselves.

Rina-sorry for more waiting. I ended up having 6 small tumors but that didn't really change the treatment course. So I hope however it turns out it doesn't escalate things for you.

I keep having my pinky and ring finger fall asleep if I'm sleeping on my back. Normal? I'm figuring it has to do with the nerves that were cut.

Also, my under arm hurts in the area about where it hits my SNLB incision. I can't decide if it is irritated from rubbing, which realistically it doesn't really much. Or if it is sore because of neighboring lymph nodes being removed.

Big fight about stupid child rearing stuff with DH last night. Grouchy because life's too short for that s(!*
On the one hand I've been kinda shielding him from the BC stuff because his Mom died of breast cancer 1 1/2 years ago. On the other hand I'm not feeling very supported. Only time he's come with me was for the two things he had to drive home from. On the other hand, I'm kinda fine with that because I don't think he'd be much of a comfort anyway.

PontiacPeggy

Rina, you sure as hell are entitled to whine, rant, cry and yell abuse at the world. That's rough. You can look for the positive somewhere down the road. It could turn out to be nothing. But at least if it is something, they can do it in one surgery rather than 2 - and that has to be better, doesn't it? I'm sure your poor girl is feeling awful. Take care and nurse it. Very gentle HUGS!!!

PontiacPeggy

Midgie, absolutely normal from what I've experienced. That damned site is most annoying. Mine didn't really hurt-hurt like enough to take a Tylenol but, geez, it would bitch and complain and still does. My BS said it can take up to a year for the nerves to regenerate IF they are going to. I think mine are still working on it after 14 months. Do mention it to your onc but I think it is likely nothing to worry about. Just complain with me. I find that some tops that do fit are now irritating to that site and sometimes my bras and sometimes just...who knows?

HUGS!!!

PontiacPeggy

Outrunning, know what you mean. My DH had a hard time too coping with my diagnosis. He just didn't know how to be supportive and he was scared to death that he'd lose me. That could be your hubby's problem. Not all hubby's are able to be warm and fuzzy when we need it but are there other times for us. But I really think it is that they are so scared.

BTW, my SNB site stings when I sweat (which I rarely do). Isn't that dumb? I do have feeling now, mostly. So why would it bitch about that? Go figure!

HUGS!

PontiacPeggy

Dearest Friends, DH ended his life's journey this afternoon. He had fought so hard for so many years and his body just wore out. I am thankful I was able to be with him when he passed. My biggest worry is that he would pass during the night, alone, and I didn't want that. His passing was peaceful.

I can't thank all of you enough for your kind words of support the past 3 weeks. They've meant so much to me.

HUGS!!

octogirl

Peggy, I am so sorry to read those words, even though we all knew they were coming. Crying for you, but glad you were able to be there and that it was peaceful.

You are in our hearts today. We love you!!!

HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Octogirl