Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Jclc83

Sorry. We can just talk about the fluff and not the stuff.

LovesToFly

no it's real. We can talk about anything!!

HappyHammer

JcLc....NO, let's talk about all of it! I couldn't figure out how to put my over 2 cm tumor in the mm section....either way....as far as I can tell from looking at everyone here...it is luck of the draw as to who gets BC- young, old, green, eat and do EVERYTHING, etc, etc. Then, we do everything we are told to do by a whole team of docs and still....recurrence happens to the most perfect of us all....

Molly50

No, Jan. I am glad you posted it. I have not had one doctor consider my lvi into the risk factors. I realize oncotype said no chemo but I think it will always haunt me.

Italychick

I missed the link and can't find it. Although once I put Her2 in, the statistics whir like a slot machine in Vegas, never know what number I will get.

1 cm is 10 mm, so a 2 cm size would be 20 mm.

I agree, we need to post the good and the bad, the venting, the sex stuff, the food, travel, everything that gets us through!

LovesToFly

my baby chick head:

Italychick

lovestofly been there, done that! Eight months out, I have shaggy short normal hair! Can't remember if I posted my pic here, apologies if I am being redundant.

PontiacPeggy

I still won't check out that app. I'm happy with the stats my BS gave me. I also don't do those quizzes that tell you what day you're going to die. But that's me. As long as you take into account that the statistics don't apply to YOU personally, go ahead. Perhaps that can be helpful - so you're more vigilant (although I can't imagine anyone here who isn't) and be more demanding with your docs.

We can certainly discuss the shit as well as the good stuff. Not one of us doesn't worry about a recurrence. And here is the safest place to discuss our fears. This is a very positive, supportive group and forum. I really appreciate that.

I say, "It's okay."

HUGS!

april25

Italychick -- You look great! Strong and beautiful. (My hair is still chia-pet-tastic at this stage. I won't be able to control it until it's much longer and gravity helps out!)

--

I'm not a fan of the aps about percentages... I figure I could get hit by a bus tomorrow and that would throw all those stats right out the window... And with all the crazy drivers in So. CA, it really is a terribly high likelihood to die in a traffic accident. I swear-- Driverless Cars will make things so much better! However many flaws they might have, it won't be as bad as how the average driver is down here!

LovesToFly

italychick you look gorgeous!

Italychick

Aw thanks. Just to show there is hair after chemo!

My real moment of pride was riding 3,000 miles last year on my bike even with surgery and chemo.

Screw cancer I say! And go out and enjoy and live life! I'm in Southern California too, and the drivers are insane.

Molly50

Italychick, you look beautiful. OK, Peggy says talking about bad stuff is okay.

molliefish

italychick you keep riding, Jill yourduck fuzz will grow back. Being a police officer I can tell you that statistically there is a 100% chance we're all going to die someday so I say let's have some fun along the way.

PontiacPeggy

ItalyChick, your hair DOES look great! And CA drivers are a bit insane. Not that we're anything to write home about in Michigan. I think that far too many drivers are far too impatient. Everything we do these days has to be done fast fast fast. Nothing is done leisurely or at least not very often. And, even I find myself impatient on the road at times. I'm extremely impatient with idiots, too. I'm like you, I'm going to live life to the fullest until I can't.

HUGS!

ayr1016

Peggy: I love your positively! This is one of the only places I feel totally normal and comfortable discussing my fears about BC. It is comforting knowing that everyone here "gets it".

Italychick You look great!

MLP: Love the bracelets - My fav is the 1st one.

I must have missed the app everyone is talking about. But, I don't think I want to use it now Tomorrow, I am going for a upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Silly me didn't realize I would be going under general anesthesia for this and I wouldn't be able to drive myself home. Daughter to the rescue to drive me! I am hoping to get some answers on why I have a hard time swallowing and choke on food (even soft stuff).

Molly50

ayr1016, in your pocket tomorrow.

Melclarity

Sorry Everyone! Can't keep up with the thread by the time I get home and look after my kids. My first day with students, was in so much pain could hardly walk by lunch time, my whole body is struggling. I came home went to bed at 5pm completely exhausted and defeated reminded of how Chemo really has depleted me..6 months of my life I lost and Ive been eager to get it all back. Going back to work is a huge step and to feel like I don't know if Im going to manage it has left me very emotional tonight. I guess like everyone somedays are harder than others, managing a job and being a single parent on top of BC and recovery now is proving very difficult. So I will rest when i can get to bed in a few hours and pray that I improve...I know if I had a hubby to share the load it would be a huge difference, a fairygodmother, a sister or a Mum to show up and just know how to help...so tonight I am humble, will be grateful for what I do have..

ChiSandy

Sigh. The Mediven Harmony glove and matching sleeve (for which I was professionally measured and fitted) came today. Though the glove fits, the fabric is thick and quite stiff compared to the LympheDivas version--no way can I have the flexibility I need to play guitar with it on. (Tonight at my gig, I did just fine with the Juzo sleeve & gauntlet--no finger swelling, and the fabric didn’t touch the strings). So I think I will save it for exercise and flight. But the bad news is the Mediven sleeve is too long (almost as long as the LympheDivas L)--and extremely tight at the top--it lacks a silicone band and rolls down, cutting off my circulation. Before I return it (and give the fitter a piece of my mind), I will bring it to my therapy session and see if the LE therapist can figure out what I’m doing wrong---or if it indeed is a poor fit for me. I will call LympheDivas in the morning and tell them that rather than refund my money for the too-long-fingered glove, to send me a gauntlet in the same size to match the Music City sleeve and refund only the difference. (I wonder why every company charges more for the glove than they do for the sleeve? I can understand why the glove is costlier than the gauntlet, but why more so than for the sleeve? Is the cutting & sewing that much more labor-intensive than for a sleeve)?

Gig in Madison went well tonight--had expected, since it was a writers’ round, to do three, maybe four songs max. Got to do seven, and they were very well received (not much of an audience, though).

Going to try to find that Health app on my iPhone (certainly is nowhere on my iPad Mini). When I tried to search in the App Store for the Nottingham Prognostic Index Calculator, that exact name came up in the Suggested list--but when I clicked on it, I kept getting only a Nottingham Travel & Tourism guide app. So went to its website--and there were only three fields for me to enter: size in mm, lymph node stage (A, B. C) and histological grade (I, II or III). No fields for LVI (I had none), nor hormone-and-HER 2-receptor status. Typed in 13 mm, stage A and grade II---it gave me a composite score of 3.3, which translated to “Good,” or an 88% 5-yr survival rate. Except the “Good” range was 3.1-3.3; and 3.4 would have put me into “Fair,” or 69%. Way too close for comfort. Think I’ll stick with OncotypeDX and Adjuvant Online, thank you very much.

PontiacPeggy

Ayr, in your pocket. How awful to not be able to swallow and very scary.

MelClarity, damn! I'm so sorry you were in pain. I can't imagine how you are coping with it all. Your kids must angels! I hope that today is much better for you. I'm in your pocket, too!

ChiSandy, how maddening about your LE sleeve and glove. How can they measure you and come out with something that doesn't fit worth a damn. I would think by now you know how to put on the sleeve. Glad you have a set that you can wear. Nice that your Madison gig went so well!

HUGS!

LovesToFly

I'm sorry you had such a hard day melclarity. (((Hugs)))

Chi what a pain with the sleeves and gloves. Gladthe gig went well!

LovesToFly

i'm feeling weepy and depressed this morning, not sure why side effects aren't that bad. Maybe it's being bald that's upsetting me.

I started looking at other boards here, and get up on the tamoxifen board, everybody was complaining about their sex drive, weight gain, etc., it was so depressing because I know that I will need that. I'm 42, maintaining my weight and my sex life are very important to me.

Molly50

Mel, I am sorry you are hurting. Hopefully every day will find you improving. ChiSandy, sorry about all the hassles with your sleeves and gloves. Wouldn't it be fun for all of us see you perform? Jill, sorry you are feeling down.

brithael

I think I'll stay away from the app. Too much generalization, not enough personalization. Not everything can be reduced to an algorithm.

Lovestofly- your hair looks like mine, except every shower takes more and more of mine. What i can't figure is why I haven't lost the hair on my arms. I've always had more hairy arms than I wanted, so now would be a good time for them to straighten up and fall out - the hairs, not the arms.

Mel - I applaud you for going back to teaching during all this. I'm a retired teacher, and knowing just how much it takes out of you, I cannot begin to imagine doing it while dealing with BC

Sandy - What's the deal? They measured you. Why do they keep screwing it up? And those sleeves are not cheap and not covered by insurance. Glad your gig worked even with all the sleeve mess.

So far, so good on the temperature. I did go up last night, had the dreaded "flu like symptoms," but it never reached the magic 100.4, just 99.8. Went to bed early, woke up about 1 a.m.. damp from sweating, but normal temp this a.m. If I can just get through the next couple of days, I'll feel like I've passed through "the valley of the shadow" and can concentrate on building up for the next infusion.

Signed up for the Look Good, Feel Better seminar on Monday - hope it is as good as some of you have had.

octogirl

Jill, being bald made me weepy for a long time....exercise helps! You will get through this. I am going to look up that app.

Mel, I hope you hurt less this morning. (or maybe morning is long gone there). Wish we could be there and be your fairy godmother.

I agree that Sandy should do a personal concert for us all.

Octogirl

Peachy2

brit, good to see you back! I never really lost all the hair on my arms. I'm now 12 weeks pfc, and though the hair on my legs, toes, and elsewhere is growing in like grass seed in June, my arms are still sparse. I have also always had more hair on my arms than I'd like, so maybe this will be the sliver lining of my cancer cloud?

LTF, sending you hugs. Some days really test your good nature, and having it be freaking cold out and dark 14 hours of the 24 doesn't help.

LovesToFly

thanks guys! The weather is not helping! It's not that cold out, but it's damp and windy, not good walking weather. Maybe I will go for my walk later, I just turned on some music and danced for about 15 minutes, that helped a little.

mairew

lost my post Arrgh.

Mel and LTF hugs to both of you.

Ayr in your pocket for tomorrow hope scope goes well.

LTF you look gorgeous with no hair! Italychick, you look fab with your new lush thick shiny hair. Gorgeous women!

We should all meet up in MLPs kitchen to drink red wine while ChiSandy plays guitar for us. That would be fun.

Off to the dentist.... I am pretty sure I have cavities.

PontiacPeggy

LTF, sorry you're feeling so blue. The weather isn't helping either nor is the hair situation (or lack of it). One thing to keep in mind on the Tamoxifen board (and Arimidex and related boards) is that usually the people who have no issues with the drug don't post very often. The people posting do have SEs, sometimes awful ones, and they are looking for help. So it's not a balanced board; nothing wrong with that but you can get the wrong impression. Many people have no SEs or few or manageable ones with any of the anti-hormonal drugs. Don't anticipate that you'll have problems. You don't do that with most of the other drugs you take (chemo aside). Keep thinking positive if you can. Do something fun just for you. Hugs to you, I think you need them.

HUGS!

LovesToFly

thanks everybody! I'm going to go for a walk in the mall, and then meet my mom for lunch, hopefully it will cheer me up or I will fake it before I make it because I totally do not want to start crying with my mother!

HappyHammer

Ayr- Glad your daughter can drive you! In your pocket.

LTFly- you look great even buzzed- but, hey- being teary is ok just not fun. I did find that just letting myself cry sometimes instead of trying to hold it in actually made me feel better sooner. Takes to much energy to hold it in. And, Peggy is right (as usual) try not to look at the threads for treatment to come. Most of those folks are having trouble and are looking for help. AND- you really have done so well- don't expect SE's and if you have any- you will deal!

Italy- you look GREAT!

Brit- so glad you are hanging in- and, that you don't want your arms to fall out lol! HUGS!

Sandy- glad gig went so well- HATE all the troubles with the gloves and sleeves- hoping LE therapist can help?

LOVE the idea of Sandy doing a concert and all of us getting together. My precious sister, Meg, has a wonderful restaurant- award winning- top 30 restaurants in Southern Living and other honors- Highland Avenue in Hickory, NC. ALso has an events venue- The Crossing- and runs the front of house for American Honor Alehouse and Brewery all in an old hosiery mill that she and some other investors renovated. Look them up-on the web or FB. Anyway- an hour away from Charlotte, NC and a little over an hour from Blowing Rock, NC- gorgeous mountains. Maybe we could all get together?