Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

614

Dear ChiSandy:  I don't blame you for being mad. 

Just for "Kicks and Giggles", I must add that I told my boyfriend that I agreed to take the job as Guidance Director for next year.  My DBF used to be an English teacher at my school.  That is how we met.  His initial response to me was, "You are an insane person!"  He knows the politics at my school and what I will have to deal with next year.  However, he agreed that my decision to take the Guidance Director job is a good one for all of the reasons that I mentioned above, and that I absolutely had to make that choice.  However, since he is a proper, wonderful BF, he also said that he believes that I would not have been the Guidance Counselor chosen to be let go if a position were to be eliminated next year. 

PontiacPeggy

ChiSandy, that's crap. You got f*'d over by everyone. You must not have put on your "little ole woman" look for the UPS POS. And that sucks that the installer didn't take all that stuff with him. I might consider a call to Best Buy Geek Squad tomorrow and raise holy hell. They certainly didn't perform as you thought they would. I've never had them install a tv but they were excellent for my last 2 laptops.

I haven't looked out recently to see how the weather is. At 5 I got a text that someone wanted to look at the house at 6. At least I hadn't started dinner. I tore around and picked up all the bits and pieces of my life and the pets' lives, turned on all the lights, got the "nice" towels and duvet out and on in the master bedroom. Then I tried to figure out where I was going to go. My BFF called and said she'd pick me up and I could go to her house (up in the next block). That was wonderful. I didn't have to de-ice my car. I crated the pets. And off I went. The prospective buyer seemed to like the house according to my realtor. I will have more notice next time he said.

614 what a challenging time you had with your job. Looks like you're making the best of a challenging situation.

HUGS!

HappyHammer

LTF- as a retired elem school counselor- I really do believe it is a "calling"....and am glad you are taking on the job you are as you seem "called" to do it....people are counting on it- and on you.....huge responsibility. Goodness....HUGE! Thank you.

HappyHammer

Sooooo...am getting ready to take 1/2 of an Ativan for no real reason....Am "worked up" , worrying about the SE's of Arimidex- damn joint pain and waking in the night and not being able to go to sleep, hot flashes, etc.....dammit- I DID this when I had to have ovaries out in '13 due to constant issues with cysts.....wish I could make my mind just be quiet- have a hitch here....pain- is it a recurrence??? Goodness....want my mind and body to work together but the damn mind games.....breathing, stretching...talking with DH.....some nights it works but, nope....not tonight. Again....dammit!

Reader425

HH a big hug to you! Some days really are better than others.

PontiacPeggy

Reader, so true. And sometimes the brain doesn't shut off for reasons other than BC.

HUGS!

MLP3

HH- that's horrible about your finger! I am such a big gardener!!! I didn't even think of it with chemo. Ugh. I can't even go plant shopping? My favorite and most relaxing thing is to go and pick out plants. What if I wear a mask... And thick leather mitts that hawk trainers use to guard against their talons. Lol!! And take a deep breath, breathe and tomorrow is a new day;

Chisandy- what a day with two inconsiderate people. Customer service really sucks these days.

Peggy- definitely need more notice. There's nothing more stressful that selling a house. Never mind a showing with last minute notice. Kinda insensitive of the realtor if you ask me.

614- too funny about the woman wheeling her head around! Congrats on your new position!

Molly50

614, it sounds like you are the best person for the job. Congratulations. Peggy, it's great someone is interested in your house already. Sandy, sorry about your experience with Geek Squad. HH, sounds like you need to curl up with a soft blanket and a good book along with your Ativan to get your mind off the dark place. I'm a bit down. DS is not doing great and he just finished another round of antibiotics today. My job is suddenly getting set to be really busy so I need to figure out when to schedule my reconstruction surgery. I was planning on Fall but now I need to probably schedule it for July.

octogirl

Molly, sending hope that DS is better soon and that you find a good time for the surgery. Hugs!

Melclarity

HH - Oh My Gosh!!! that's shocking!!!! Maybe its just that your immune system was down?? so susceptible to alot of things?? Im really surprised and by MLP too...really odd...I did gardening through Chemo found it therapeutic, but definitely didnt have any problems at all. I must admit I've never heard of that.

Awwww I do envy anyone who had an OK time through Chemo...towards the end I looked like I never wanted to, and that was the "Cancer Patient" I was gray, black eyes and bald. Was a very difficult time and thing to see. Im so very glad that most people come through it quite unscathed. Am happy to report I look nothing like that nearly 11 weeks PFC YAY!!

Melclarity

This is me with my Youngest baby...he's 16 LOL...this is the better side of Chemo, my birthday 3 weeks ago..and my daughter 18. Candles they found funny haha, supposed to be 48. This is what got me through Chemo...

Melclarity

PontiacPeggy

Molly, I'm so sorry about DS. Hoping that the antibiotics finally kick in. That's so difficult. Wish I could help. I know you didn't want to have your reconstruction before fall. Tough when work dictates that schedule.

MelClarity, You ARE looking good. Your DS and DD are so cute! Lucky you. I know they helped you slog through everything. You sure don't look like a "cancer patient" now! Awesome. BTW, way back in the 70s the daughter of my next door neighbor (in her 20s) had breast cancer and they would not let her garden at all. I don't know what treatments she had and sadly she did not make it.

I'm so glad I don't have to dig myself out of the 6-7" of snow plus ice - I pay (and quite happily) someone to do that for me! I feel sorry for my little dog who has to go out in it to do her business.

HUGS!

HappyHammer

Molly- hope your son is better soon. Hard to watch them feel bad and meds not work.

Mel- you look gorgeous! And, your children are precious.

MLP- had to lol at your protective gear ideas for plant shopping. I must say, it was shocking how bad the finger got so qickly! Just glad it wasn't worse but I do try to warn folks about it as I just had no idea that could happen!

Kaneli

RE: Contura,

I just scheduled my lumpectomy for March 22, and assuming all is good there, I will be starting the Contura 5 day 2x per day APBI that following Monday. I would welcome any feedback on how it all went for you. Questions to ask the RO during my consultation, things to do to prepare, like type of bra, etc.

Thank you!

Melclarity

Oh Peggy thats awful!!!...horrible.! It really is the strangest thing, I recall even sitting having an infusion in Oncology a few times, topic was gardening as many liked to do it. Nobody was aware of any dangers, and definitely no medical staff. Really has surprised me.

That was crap notice!! Glad they liked your home..you really are on the move now, youve achieved so much in such a little time. Feels like you are really ready to embrace your next chapter.

mustlovepoodles

Trip to the PS today was fruitful. The wound on the right is healing well. The wound on the left, however, is problematic. She had to debride it again and found a large seroma in there. She was able to evacuate that, but she is considering putting a drain in it on Friday. Foo!

On the plus side, I have a gift card to Outback Steakhouse. Dinner and a movie should fix things up.

Molly50

Mel, your children are beautiful and so are *YOU*! Poodles, dinner and a movie sound like a cure for the "not healing fast enough" blues. Sorry for the bad news. Kaneli, I am sorry but I am not familiar with that treatment. Have you considered starting a new thread to see if you can find someone who is?

Melclarity

Mustlovepoodles - whats a seroma?? is that swelling? like of fluids? so they had to drain it? open it? Ive heard the term a few times on the thread, just wondering why it happens??

Molly50

A seroma is fluid that fills in the empty cavity. I had two very large seromas after my lx and alnd. Usually the body will absorb the fluid. Sometimes it can become infected or harden, which I think happened to some degree to ChiSandy. She had two seromas.

Melclarity

Thanks Molly, did you have a drain put in after surgery? and a stay in hospital? we arent sent home until drains are out, lx I had a few days in, once drain was out went home with no problems.

PontiacPeggy

Kaneli, Welcome! We're glad you're here but sorry you need to be. I'm not familiar with the type of treatment you mentioned either. While waiting for someone to chime in who is familiar with it, would you please update your profile and put your diagnosis, surgery schedule and other treatments you are planned to have and make them public? That helps immensely. Also we love knowing where our BCO sisters and brothers are located. There may be someone near you!

HUGS!

Molly50

Mel, I did have one drain but I think my BS pulled it too soon. My drain after my mx stayed in longer because my PS is very conservative.

Moondust

Poodles, I agree -- foo on the new drain idea. Just when you were done with them. I have a question for you - what was your PR% on your pathology report? Mine is 40%+ on pathology but classified negative by Oncotype report. I haven't been able to get a good explanation for the difference. I'm glad you got a new MO.

I have been gardening (with gloves). No one told me not to, just to take precautions to avoid infections. HH, your story will help me be extra careful!

I've been trying to get all the Bermuda grass out of the small plot where I am planting my greens. DH was in charge of it last year, and his idea of gardening does not include pulling weeds, so the Bermuda grass really invaded. As I was sifting through the soil trying to get the buried sprigs and roots of Bermuda grass out, it came to me that this was a lot like cancer surgery. I had to get every last living piece out, because if i didn't get "clean margins" in my garden, the Bermuda would quickly come back and take over. Only a cancer patient would think of this, and I wanted to share here because you all would not think I was crazy. (Well, most of you, anyway).

Radiation is going fine thus far. The only change I see is in the area where my lump was removed, the skin is wrinkling up and looking like orange peel.

I am drawing great courage from those of you who have gone through or are going through chemo. Thank you so much for sharing your victories and problems. As you each progress and make it through, I think to myself that I'll be able to do it. I'll get through and be hiking in the mountains again soon.

ChiSandy

Neither of my seromas got infected. The one at my SNB site burst due to the weight of my breast pulling the incision (glued & steri-stripped, not sutured) open. Surgeon expressed about another 100ml. beyond what had already soaked my clothes before suturing it. The sutures held, and the seroma is gone.

The tumor cavity seroma began enlarging after the second of 16 radiation treatments. By the end of treatment, the tissue over it had begun to harden. (The fluid itself doesn’t). Using a Swell Spot, massage and steroid ointment to soften the fibrosis and speed resorption of the fluid. I was warned that draining it could lead to infection and possibly truncal lymphedema, and that it would likely refill. Better to wait a year.

Kaneli

Hi Pontiac Peggy!

I thought I added my profile info, but I must not have clicked a "submit" button! I will try again....Thanks!

PontiacPeggy

Kaneli, the problem usually is we don't make the information PUBLIC. It's a rather peculiar process. You can put treatments that your doctors say you are going to have to - like rads, tamoxifen or arimidex. There's plenty of flexibility. Your Dx shows up! Again, Welcome!

HUGS!

Melclarity

Oh makes sense Molly! and Chisandy, sounds really awful, sorry you went through that. Guess was wondering how your Seromas developed, I hadnt heard of that happening before, made sense what you said.

mustlovepoodles

Moondust, my original status via biopsy was ER+PR+ according to the hospital lab, however after the lumpectomy that changed to ER+PR-, according to the Oncotype. My PR turned out to be 1%, which is considered negative by the Oncotype people. It made my cancer luminal B, a bit more aggressive than the garden variety early BC.

ayr1016

I called about my oncotype DX score yesterday and my oncologist's office told me it was still pending. It has been about 3.5-4 weeks She said she could not tell why it was still pending (she was looking at the lab info online with the laboratory). I have an appointment with my oncologist tomorrow for my 2nd Lupron injection and was suppose to go over the results (Oncotype). I'm so bummed. Did it take more than 4 weeks to get your results? I feel like I'm on pins and needles at this point. I just want to know.