Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

octogirl

wow...i just can't keep up, even reading every day. You all are amazing.

Praline, being told I'd need chemo after thinking I would not, was tough. It was the first time I cried during this whole thing..and I also blurted out "I'd rather lose my breast than my hair!" The MO said he hears that surprisingly often....I really felt that way but now that hair is (finally) coming back, I am not at all sure I still feel that way...it is tough, but you will get through it, and they will make sure that your heart, etc., can handle it. But sending hugs. Been there.

My new motto: 'If Peggy says it is ok, it is ok'. I'd probably be a better person if I lived my life by that motto. :-)

Sex? what is that? Just kidding. Sort of. Right now, my breast is so torn up from rads that I don't feel like being touched. But it is healing quickly.

I've been using my iPhone app to measure my steps but am tempted to get a fitbit instead so I can join the group (and also because sometimes I just forget to take iPhone with me...)

Hugs to all!

Octogirl

LovesToFly

octogotl you can set up a Fitbit app, and use it with your step counter in your iPhone instead of the actual fit bit ( when you choose your device, there is an option for it) . That's how I started, you do have to remember to hold her put your fit bit in your pocket as much as possible, but it's a good start.

MLP3

Love your new motto octogirl

mairew

I think our motto would look great on a tshirt or coffee mug.

'If Peggy says it is ok, it is ok'

And now I want a fitbit.

Jclc83

FYI:Histamines are naturally released by the body during the healing process. Histamines cause an itch response which signal nerves in the brain to scratch. Itching = healing

LovesToFly

OK you all have inspired me, maybe I will get a bracelet, I certainly do not want le if I can avoid it. I think I'm gonna look on Etsy and see if I can find some that will match my style. As you guys have noticed I'm pretty picky about style! I wear a bracelet every day that says "live the life you have imagined", I love it! That's the main reason I don't want to get another bracelet, I love the one I have. I wonder if I could get lymphedema risk engraved on the back of the plate?

HappyHammer

LTFly- LOVE the bracelet!

MLP3- if itching is really irritating may want to ask about taking Claritin- it blocks histamines. I took it daily with the chemo and still do it with the Herceptin...why mess up a good thing.

PontiacPeggy

Octogirl Oh my! That's a huge burden! If you mean posting here, fine. But I'm not qualified to tell you what's okay in your life! I've enough trouble coping with my own But I'm very flattered. Let me know what you're referring to so I can add it to my resume!

HUGS!!!

PontiacPeggy

LTF, I love your bracelet, too. But you need to get one that screams MEDICAL INFORMATION. And sadly, yours doesn't. Take a look at MedicAlert.org. They do have some love jewelry. I showed the non-metal ones that I find don't irritate me since that was 1step's problem.

HUGS!

Sloan15

Love the Peggy motto! (Really, though, Peggy, you are our rock!)

PM me or another Fitbitter your email address, and I can add you. Then, you look at my friend group and add Sally, Rona, HappyHammer, Sloan, April, Carol,1step...did I leave anyone out? (You figure out the screen names eventually).

Chisandy - My LE is so much better, I'm not even sure I have it now. I, too, was diagnosed stage 0 and had weird pain (like brusing) on my arm. I'd also get tightness and a "tired arm." I wore the sleeve during radiation and exercise, and I'd elevate my arm at night. I read that it's important to elevate the affected ar the first year. Now, about 2 mo after rads, I haven't worn my sleeve in several days and my arm feels fine. I'm going to wear it when I fly or go to high elevations, but I think my arm was just getting used to a different way for my lymph to flow. (Well, I'm hoping that).

Praline - I know you're worried about chemo, but it's not like it used to be. People used to get so sick from chemo, but they've come such a long way at controlling side effects now. Talk to everyone, get perspective, rhen decide what is best for you.

614 and others re vitamin C- thanks for thoughts. My MO and RO said no antioxidants during chemo and rads, and I just wondered what other MOs were saying AFTER rads.

MLP - Besides green juice, how are you making your diet more alkaline? I'm not sure I could drink spinach in the AM...

April - How are you feeling today? I saw you talked all the way through the removal process and had a good laugh! Do you feel foggy at all the next day?

Peggy - Did your tests go okay? We woman jyst have such different symptoms for heart problems than men. We are less likely to have chest pain, but we need to watch out for back pain and arm pain, nausea, shortness of breath and tiredness. Those sound like a day after working in the yard! So, we just have to look out for each other becaue we dismiss the symptoms. I'm glad you recognised them and went to your doc!

PontiacPeggy

Sloan, thank you. I just want to make this crappy journey we don't want, as good as possible. Or at least, less bad. I do tend to wear rose-colored glasses. I don't do FitBit but I'm sure you'll get a lot of takers. With all my heavy lifting I seem to be doing fine. No shortness of breath that is excessive for the amount of exertion. Friday is when I get my results.

HUGS!

ChiSandy

I am so angry I could scream!!!! Two months after I ordered it from CanadaDrugs.com, my Novartis UK Femara finally arrived (it was sent from London to Winnipeg to Chicago), I finally got it today. I looked at the expiry date.....November 2014!!!!!!!!! Now, it may be safe, but I’m afraid it may not be as effective as it should be. I spent nearly six Benjamins on a 90-day supply (granted, that’s 1/4 of what I’d have paid here in the US from a standalone pharmacy). Of course, I have utterly no recourse, since it’s technically illegal to import prescription meds into the US even WITH a valid prescription (I knew that was a risk I was taking, but I had thought that the risk might have been non-delivery or counterfeiting). I will e-mail CanadaDrugs, as well as message my MO. (Bob is going to try to corral the Novartis rep and see if she can bring samples, or at least ask her about how long after expiry the stuff will work).

Fortunately, my pharmacy has my generic letrozole refill ready for pickup (will swing by tomorrow en route to my LE therapy session). But I may have learned a VERY expensive lesson. If you are considering purchasing meds online from a Canadian pharmacy--rather than going across the border, seeing a doctor to reissue your scrip, and then walking into a brick-and-mortar pharmacy--proceed with caution!

Jill, I second Peggy’s advice about the bracelet. Unless yours has a prominent cadeuceus symbol or the words “Medical Alert” on the front of it, nurses and EMTs aren’t even going to think to look to see if there’s anything engraved on the back. Maybe you can order one with a dual lobster-claw clasp bracelet and swap it out for the default plate on the bracelet you posted (easy to open jump rings and then close them once the swap is complete). But my LE doc says that even MedicAlert bracelets may not draw some EMTs' or hospital personnel’s attention to LE hazards--they’re trained to look for pink. (I should have ordered mine with a pink, rather than red, emblem for that reason--may yet order another).

MLP3

Oh Chisandy... That's such a bummer!!!

Sloane- I try to add greens to everything. I'll add fresh spinach and kale to soups, serve veggie chili on a bed of spinach, add extra kale to salads... The green juice is really refreshing in the am and you can add more lemon or Apple to help get used to it. For bottled green juices, I like Suja. It's cold pressed, organic and come in many different green options.

The itching has stopped today... I really think I was up and about too much yesterday. But thank you for the anti-histamine suggestions! Totally didn't think that route

ChiSandy

False alarm. I re-checked the side of the box. The UK’s date-stamping system is different from in the US. Here, the last date stamped on the box is the expiry date. But the box bears the pre-printed header “ED/Lot No./MFD.” So May 2014 is the date the Femara was manufactured; the actual expiry date is April 2019. Still going to hold it in reserve and keep taking the Roxane letrozole--$17 a month, few side effects other than those expected of the active ingredients (night sweats, slight joint stiffness, slowed metabolism).

queenmomcat

ChiSandy: phew! (kinda wondering about a business that wanted to stay in business doing something so obviously not on as selling expired drugs. Sure as bleep wouldn't be getting much repeat business if they're selling drugs over a year out of date.)

ChiSandy

Just to make certain, I e-mailed Novartis UK and attached scans of the labels on the box, to make sure this shipment is legit. Back in 2012, East River Supplies, Ltd. (the shipper in London that supplies CanadaDrugs) was an unwitting link in the supply chain for a shipment of counterfeit Avastin traced back to and made in India. I very carefully researched and found nothing on the internet about counterfeit Femara or allegations of East River's involvement in any other counterfeiting scheme. I want to be absolutely sure before I break the shrink wrap and take one single pill.

zinny

On the medic alert topic - Everyone with an iPhone, you should know about the "health" info. On your lock screen, there is a tab for emergency, hit it and the next screen says medical ID, where all of your relevant stuff can be. To enter your info, go to the health icon - white square, dark pink heart:)

Sorry, not sure about the non-phone products...

Molly50

Oh my goodness, Octogirl I love the Peggy slogan! So much going on so I don't have much time and it took forever to catch up reading! If any of you join us on Fitbit my BFF at work is Lisa on my list. She has accepted some friend requests from here. She's a wonderful friend and is the reason I got a Fitbit!

HappyHammer

Sandy- so glad it was just a misread label and NOT wasted time and money!! And, sorry your LE is giving you such trouble. Healing mercies being sent your way!

Zinny- thanks for the info about how to put the smartphone to good use.

If you see a news report about a crazy woman throwing her laptop out the window, onto the driveway, and then her running over it back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, screaming obscenities at whomever and whatever gets in her way...welp, that will be ME. OMGOODNESS! why does technology have to be so damn difficult sometimes?????????? Ok, taking a breath. End of rant.

(If there is a photo with the news story- notice the little bit of a Mohawk I currently am sporting- not really on purpose- the top hairs are growing faster than the rest of them. Well, of COURSE they are!)

PontiacPeggy

ChiSandy, good luck. Hope that your investment is worthwhile. Fingers crossed.

HUGS!

MJS1266

Lovestofly,  Love the bracelet and the sentiment.  I'm studying jewelry design and it is on trend to wear more than one bracelet, so go for it.  You could also wear a necklace and get a chain long enough that you don't see the medallion, and yes it is in style to wear more than one necklace and to mix metals.  I haven't gotten one yet but intend to trying to decide bracelet or necklace.  Best, MJ

LovesToFly

thanks for the suggestion MJ, I'll look. Did add and lymphedema risk to the health information on my iPhone, so hopefully that will help too.

I can't believe I had chemo yesterday, I feel great today. I already had all my steps and run 1 million errands. I keep waiting for something to kick in. Day 2 wasn't too bad last cycle either, but it was worse than this. I have to inject myself with Neulasta soon, wish me luck!

I wore my new wig to the mall today, and got many compliments on my haircut! I'm not a very private person so it was hard for me to not tell everybody that it's awake! I dropped by my hairdresser and she had some free time, so she shaved my head as close as she could without hurting my scalp.

MLP3

Phewf Sandy!

Peggy for President! Your campaign will run with your new slogan "If Peggy says it's ok, then it's ok".

PontiacPeggy

MLP3, OMG! I don't have time to run for President! Too busy trying to move I'm still trying to figure out what the slogan means

HUGS!

MLP3

Peggy- you responded to a comment the other daythat it's ok if we talk about things like sex and intimacy. So I just spit out that slogan😉

Torigirl started this thread in Feb of 2013 and at the bottom she states that "there is no limit to what we can talk about".

I like torigirl.

octogirl

Peggy, it just means we love you! :-)

MLP3

Can you tell I'm too bored to even nap today?? Ok LTF... I think I found something for you... And I was totally kidding about a Tiffanys med bracelet, but look what I found...😝

PontiacPeggy

MLP3, that's what I thought but I wanted to make sure I wasn't giving you license to marry 6 men at the same time! Thanks!

HUGS!

MLP3

lol Peggy... As much as I love my patriots... My DH is the only one for me. Or the only one that can handle me

HappyHammer

Yep, Peggy, if you are going to start marrying someone to 6 at a time then, you are moving to the wrong state...possibly need another country.