Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Molly50

so sorry Poodles. White gloves would look classy!

PontiacPeggy

Molly, I hadn't thought about that but yes, white gloves WOULD look classy at the wedding. Kill 2 birds with one stone??

HUGS!

mustlovepoodles

LOL, I think I'll dispense with the white gloves. It's a beach wedding and I'm wearing a flowy black dress with pink, blue, and green palm fronds on it.

Hey, I forgot to tell y'all that my Knitted Knockers came in. I wrote to them requesting a set about 2 weeks ago and they sent me a pair of pink ones. They are just the right size and soooo soft against my skin, much better than those scratchy bath poofies. I haven't looked this perky since before my first child was born 30 years ago!  I'm definitely taking them to the wedding.

Seriously, though, I am LOVING having boobs again, even if they are knitted baby weight yarn.  I am really surprised that it means so much to me. I thought I was pretty committed to going flat, but I look so much more balanced with the boobettes. DH really likes them, too.  It's starting to make me re-think my initial decision to forgo reconstruction. I'm not going to make any firm decisions on recon until January, anyway, so I can let my chest finish healing. Heck, this might just give me the motivation to lose some weight~!

tbalding

Sandy, praying for clean margins.

Poodles, sorry you're having to deal with shingles.

I had first appt with RO today. My plan is for 21 days of higher dose. I go for molding & markings next week & start rads week of June 13. He said I don't have cording in armpit, just se from surgery. I still have skin tenderness, but getting better. I'm glad to be doing again.

Hugs to all

octogirl

So sorry Poodles about the shingles! Hope the wedding goes ok and it clears up soon!

In your pocket, Sandy.

Octogirl

PontiacPeggy

Poodles, how nice that your knitted boobies are such a morale booster. I wouldn't have thought it either. I think you're wise to wait until January to decide. BTW, you CAN wear white gloves at a beach wedding

Trish, glad you don't have cording. That armpit incision is so damned annoying. I found it quite surprising. You'd think it would be your breast incision since it bounces around. Glad you're all set to start your rads!

Octogirl, thinking of you.

Sandy, what did the doctor diagnose?

HUGS!

ChiSandy

My derm, Dr. Liu, emphasized several times that "it's NOT melanoma." The original size at its greatest width was 4mm, which is just under the 6mm. “uh-oh" size for melanoma; and the absence of any red, black or blue was encouraging (it's tan and golden brown, mottled like a Guernsey cow--or an orange patch tabby like Happy). But the original shave biopsy went 2mm deep, and the dirty margins were along an edge (visible only under a microscope). I asked why, if it's not melanoma, it had to be re-excised, and she replied “Because anything left behind could and probably will become melanoma." She's calling it “pre-melanoma," and that whatever the path report reveals, it's (hopefully was) in situ.

The punch biopsy was full-thickness, clear down to the bottom of the dermis; 2 deep dissolving sutures and 3 removable surface sutures, which will be removed (I hope) in two weeks. Instead of a 1"x3" Band-Aid closing it, I now have a 2" square nonstick pad held in place with paper tape. Meanwhile, I have to keep the site clean and dry for 24 hrs. Tomorrow night I can slap a Tegaderm over it, shower, and then change the dressing....actually, have Bob change it for me (and my housekeeper take over Mon-Fri.--and if there's nobody there, have a friend come over, or (last resort) go around the block to either the CVS Care Clinic or the doc-in-the-box. On the one hand, I might even be able to reach it with a giant (2"x4") Band-Aid.....but until the sutures are removed I am not to reach around my back, reach up or out (there go my anti-cording exercises), bend over except with my knees, or crane my neck. And of course, no resistance or any upper-body exercise. She explained that the back is a difficult place to keep sutures intact, and she wants to make sure that the eventual scar is as minimal as possible.

What is especially maddening is that she thinks it’s entirely possible that because of its position at the end of the angle of the radiation beam, my rads caused it, even though I had no redness or itching on my back. Goodness knows what else (besides the intended destruction of leftover cancer cells) the beam may have caused to mutate. Cancer....no matter how early or mild, still the gift that keeps on giving....

april25

sloan15 -- Your hair looks fantastic!

Mine is still too short in top/front t make decent bangs... the hair in back is longer, so instead of "bozo" style, it's "mullet" style! UGH... But at least it's hair! I can actually go around with no wig and hat/scarf, if needed--tho' I still put the wig on since it's thicker, longer and with no greys--so better than my real hair, but still a bit less comfortable. I don't know how the women who wear wigs all the time do it!

Molly50 -- Glad you have your surgery scheduled.

They swore getting a blood draw would never hit a nerve--but I've had tons of blood-draws and only ONCE did one give me an immediate shooting pain that ran down my arm! I'm sure it at least got NEAR enough a nerve to irritate it, despite their denials. My arm was sore in that non-muscle-ache way for a while, but it did gradually go away on its own! But it worried me for a while.

ChiSandy -- I've been on tours where people were just dying to run off and eat at US chains that we passed by! It's pretty sad, but I guess if that's what they want to eat, it's up to them! I've eaten at a McDonald's once or twice when abroad. Once was in Istanbul because they sold some special kind of burger that you could only get there. Another was ages ago when the first McDonald's opened in Britain in the late '70s/early '80s... I think before that it was only Wimpy's for burgers and those were terrible! Otherwise, I'm totally into the local specialties or house specialties, and anything I can't get anywhere else!

I'm glad you talk about LE, since none of my doctors or nurses ever mention it! I mean, NEVER! They haven't talked about symptoms I should watch for or what to do if I get any, or anything! So far I've been using both arms the same--picking up heavy stuff, etc. I haven't flown anywhere yet, but it rather worries me!

Heathet -- Geesh! There are enough scary things about chemo without talking about pneumonia and death! I had chemo and was staying in a house with a school-age kid and parents--and all were sick a LOT, but I never caught a cold during chemo! They should be giving you something like Neulasta shots so your white blood counts don't drop and so you won't have a compromised immunity. And the second you have a slight fever, you are advised to head to the ER, just in case! I think if you tend to have respiratory problems or weakened lungs, etc., then you should be watched carefully for any signs... but seriously, I do not know anyone who died from pneumonia during chemo NOWADAYS. They have the Neulasta and other things, and your docs can suspend chemo if you get that sick. They really do not want the treatment (chemo) to kill you!

Now, I did have side-effects that landed me in the ER and hospital several times, but it was dehydration, which is a thing that can happen. You just have to watch for it. But I'd just get an IV put in (unfortunately for weeks on end!), but it wasn't going to kill me unless I didn't pay attention and didn't get treated. And it wasn't painful or anything. Just kind of uncomfortable (luckily, could get the IV in my port, so I wasn't going around with stuff sticking in my arms all the time). But I think I was a rather extreme dehydration case...

There are people who work through their chemo--or work and maybe take days off now and then because most people get fatigued a bit. Some breeze through, others have more issues... but your MO will keep an eye on you, and they tell you what to watch for... and the doses are not as nasty as they used to be in the old days... Don't worry about it until you try and and see how it goes. There are a bunch of us who have had chemo (everyone talking about our hair!). Definitely don't be worried and scared. You could be one of those who have no problems at all.

PontiacPeggy

Sandy, good news that the spot wasn't melanoma. I'm kind of surprised that your doc thinks your rads caused the spot. Seems awfully quick for it to develop - granted I don't KNOW anything. Just glad you've gotten it taken care of.

April, I think family & I ate at a Wimpy's in London in the early 70s and it was awful. Kids were little and wanted American food for a change. I'm not very adventuresome when it comes to food but I generally eat local or whatever my host serves. Going to McDonald's in Paris or Istanbul or wherever, does not guarantee an American experience since it seems the food is adapted to local tastes. So those tourists flocking to them may be getting a local experience to their surprise.

HUGS!

HappyHammer

Sandy- please wear something with big pockets- lots of us with you today! Hoping the next few days are busy enough to keep the dark thoughts at bay. Hugs!

Headed to work out. Will check in on you friends later.  Have a great day!

614

Dear Sandy: Good luck today. HUGS and prayers for benign and clean margins. That is amazing that your doctor thinks that your radiation caused the dysplastic nevi. (Hopefully, NOT melanoma.) That is terrifying. Do you know whether all dysplastic nevi's eventually become melanoma if the margin is not reached at the time that the mole is biopsied? Your statement concerns me because I have been diagnosed with 3 dysplastic nevi's. I wish you the best.

Dear Created: I got a prescription from my MO for a lymphedema sleeve but my insurance company did not cover the sleeve. Good luck.

Dear Balding: Good luck with rads. I had the same protocol that you will be having.

Dear Molly: I am so sorry about the pain in your arm from the blood draw. That is terrible. I hope that the pain subsides quickly.

Dear Poodles: I am sorry that you have shingles and that you must attend the wedding with the rash. I worked in an alternative high school in NY many years ago. One of my high school students had a pimple on her nose. She did not want anyone to see the pimple. She was very artistic. She made an elaborate hat with a net that covered her face. No one saw the pimple due to the "bee keeper" netting. It was memorable! LOL (I am trying to make you laugh. I am sorry that you have to have shingles at all, especially when you have to go to a wedding.) I am sure that you will look beautiful.

Dear Peggy: Good luck with your move and the new chapter in your life. I hope that you cat will be ok and that you survive the ordeal with your kitty.

Dear April: Yay for hair!

Dear FighterGirl and Molly: I guess that I did not explain my insurance issue well. I thank you for your support though. I did not have prophylactic mx. I had a breast reduction and a breast lift. The surgery was medically necessary because my surgeon said that if I did not have the reduction/lift that my breasts would be radically different sizes and that my nipples would not be even. My BS removed approximately 12cm of tissue because I had a double lx and one tumor was 4cm. The tumors were not near each other (11:00 and 2:00). My insurance company paid for the bc breast. The insurance company said that the right breast was cosmetic surgery because it was a breast reduction and breast lift. However, the law states that all bc surgery must be covered so that a person will not be traumatized by the surgery. That is why reconstruction can take place and be covered even many years later. Eventually, my insurance company paid for the surgery. It was a fight and the fight was not pleasant. I was fighting bc and my insurance company at the same time. Luckily, the bill was eventually paid but I still owe a lot of money in medical expenses/bills. It will take me time to pay everything off.

Hello everyone else. Happy Friday.

LovesToFly

Sloan! Welcome back. Sorry I haven't been around in a while, between radiation and work, I'm so busy. Of course there's also all the end of school craziness for my kids!

Hair looks great. I can't wait to have more hair myself. It certainly growing, but it is very sparse and you can see my scalp through it, which I hate. I honestly liked bald more!

Going for my ninth radiation today. So far my skin seems to be holding up OK, I use lotion three times a day like clockwork, my right boob is so soft it's like a baby's butt!

LovesToFly

Ugh sandy. What a pain but I'm glad it's not melanoma!

DisneyGirl16

Been offline for a while and am trying to catch up. This board moves fast. Lol.

Heathet and Sloan, love the short hair!

Poodles, sorry to hear about the shingles. I'm sure you'll still look beautiful for the wedding.

Sandy, hoping your doctor is right. NOT melanoma. Who needs that on top of breast cancer?

Peggy, so glad the memorial went well. Best of luck with the appraisal and the move.

And to everyone else I missed - hope you are doing well and hang in there!

Heathet

April - thank you for the words of encouragement and support. It's helping to tone down my fears. I'm so glad to have the support of everyone here!

Sloan15

April - "... looks like a mullet." Hahaha! Well, you could try to be a retro trend setter! I'm just glad our hair is finally growing back!

ChiSandy

To clarify, my derm said the rads beam "could theoretically" have caused skin cells in its path to have mutated--and because my back was against the table, there was nowhere further for the beam to travel. She also said that had the path report said "mildly" or even "moderately" atypical or dysplastic, there would have been no need to do anything further, beyond periodic rechecks with a macro-lens. But the pathologist termed it "highly atypical," and "highly atypical" or "severely dysplastic" nevi excised w/o clean margins have a much higher chance of the re-excision pathology reclassifying them as melanomas in situ (1-4%, as opposed to tenths of a percent for less serious nevi). That's why she wants to make sure all its "roots & shoots" are out. Meanwhile, even though the tiny face bump turned out to be a benign oil-gland hyperplasia, I am now freaking out about every little zit or clogged pore, so I am cleaning twice a day and sunscreening (SPF 45-50) any time I go out before 4 or 5 pm.

As to LE sleeves, had I known that Second Act didn't take United Healthcare, I'd have driven up to Schwartz' (going out of business, for you north suburban Chicago ladies, so heads-up because when they run out of stuff, it's gone) or dropped off my Rx at Luna (which doesn't keep garments in stock, just fits and sells them and has the mfr. ship them). They are expensive, but here's a tip--get on the e-mail lists for LympheDivas.com, LymphedemaProducts.com and CompressionSale.com--they run sales all the time and a sleeve that could cost you $80 at a brick-and-mortar store can sometimes be had for $50 or so. Just make sure of what sizes by different mfrs. work for you:e.g., in Juzo I am a Size II Regular, Wide band; in Mediven, Medium Regular, Wide Top; in LympheDivas, M Short. And for all gloves & gauntlets, I'm S--but LympheDivas' gauntlets go further up my fingers (causing less finger swelling)--even though their gloves' fingers are too long--than do Juzo's; and Juzo's and Jobst's gloves are half-fingered while Mediven's Harmony model reaches to the "moons" of my fingernails. (I hate gloves, because except for LympheDivas, they're all so thick and relatively stiff and have side seams...but I wear them for int'l flights, long sessions of repetitive slicing, and heavy resistance exercise and under surgical gloves for light gardening. (For picking berries, I put 2 layers of surgical gloves over them to avoid the thorns).

Poodles, may your shingles clear up quickly. Glad you can still take Valtrex. You'll look fine for the wedding....more and more people our age are showing up "shingled" these days.

I got tired of waiting for my care team (except my MO--she's prompt) not returning my patient-portal messages and my inability to get online appts. less than 3 months out, so I simply picked up the phone today and called. I have my LE followup on Monday, and my BS' NP followup on 6/21. (My BS is booked up till November--word travels fast, I guess). Distressingly, I just found out why no mammo had been recommended till August--the anniversary date of my last screening mammo: Medicare covers only one per year, bc patient or not! (Had I been asked back in Oct. if I minded going out of pocket and then slugging it out with my BCBS supplement for reimbursement, I could have had my followup mammo back in March, which is the 6-mo. interval that they use for non-Medicare insured and self-pay patients)!!!!! I know doctors have our financial as well as physical health at heart, but it's frustrating when they don't even tell us there are alternatives to the Medicare default and give us the option to pay in full or part. My MO scheduled me for Zometa when I really want Prolia--but my Part D supplement won't cover Prolia because of its cost, and Part B won't because it's a shot rather than an in-facility IV infusion. The doctor who ran last night's survivorship conference at the Cancer Wellness Center (and is an OB-GYN who is a cancer researcher, mom of a childhood cancer survivor, and the head of the "Living in the Future" system-wide survivorship program) said if I could afford the $10-15K and my PCP is concerned about reports of horizontal femur fractures on Zometa/Reclast, to ask for Prolia. Bob says my health is more important than our bank account.

PontiacPeggy

Sandy, just glad your derm is on top of things. I think that the once per year mammo depends on how it is coded. I forget which way it works but one way is "diagnostic" and the other is routine or something. 10-15k for the Prolia is outrageous. I'm glad you are able to afford it. Rx insurance is such a racket. We get shafted every which way.

HUGS!

Moondust

Sandy, I'm in your pocket for "NOT melanoma" and something easily dealt with! I'm a habitual sunblock user too, but sure wish I had started 40 years ago!

Poodles, I offer my sincerest sympathy for the shingles. Hopefully some anti-viral meds will kick it quick.

Sherri, I'll be thinking of you often as I deal with my latest insurance fiasco because my gyn's office forgot to request authorization for my biopsy back in December.

Jill, glad to hear the rads are going well so far.

Sloan and I had coffee yesterday. I can't believe how wonderful it is to have a friend close by who understands exactly what I'm going through. Thanks, Sloan! You are terrific!

After the fancy hair salon cancelled on me for the second time yesterday, I went to Super Cuts and got my new short locks, which I love!! On to chemo education Monday, then first infusion sometime next week.

Meanwhile, DH got a stomach bug and threw up all night. Not what I need! But I will just keep thinking that all will be well by chemo time.

Hi to everyone I didn't mention by name. I think of all of you! Have a good weekend.

PontiacPeggy

Moondust, you are so right that there's nothing better than a friend who knows exactly what you're going through! I'm glad you and Sloan are able to get together. Poor DH. And poor you. Glad you like your new haircut! Do you have a wig? Are you going to wear scarves or hats or go commando? Or don't you know yet? Hope DH feels better and you have a nice weekend.

HUGS!

Sloan15

Moondust - You might even keep short hair after chemo! It looks terrific!

Molly50

moondust, so glad you met Sloan for coffee! She's terrific. I hope you stay well and not getting the bug.

Katzpjays

Alice - So glad you enjoyed support-LIVE from Sloan. Thinking of you often and in your pocket as you go to your meeting on Monday. You have everyone cheering you on! Sloan - meant to tell you your hair is so adorable

614

Dear Moondust: I am so sorry that your gynecologist forgot to request authorization.  However, after a fight, your insurance company will definitely pay for the procedure.  Sorry that you have all of the stress though.  I wish your DH well and good luck to you with chemo.  I am so glad that you and Sloan can get together.  That is wonderful.

Good luck Sandy.

Hi to everyone else.

Molly50

Got my authorization for my prophy mx yesterday and my pre op appointment at the hospital. I guess this is really happening!

614

Dear Disney: Welcome back

Dear LTF: You are either almost 1/3 or 1/2 way done with rads, depending on which rads protocol that you are having. I assume that you are having the Canadian protocol which means that you only have 2 weeks and 1 day left. Woohoo!!! "You got this!!!" Feel well and keep swimming if you can.

Dear Katz: good luck with your rads.

Dear Molly: You have such a positive attitude. Good luck with the MX. I am so glad that you have your authorization. (For myself and Moondust: Live and learn)

614

I am taking my kids, my mom, and my bf out to lunch today.  My daughter is leaving for her internship in NY at Bellevue Hospital tomorrow and my son just finished his junior year of school.  I planned to take everyone out to dinner.  (Dinner is more fun then lunch.)  However, there is a scholarship function for students at my high school tonight.  (2 students are winning this particular scholarship.)  I had to change my plans so that I could go to the scholarship event.  Unfortunately, this change of plans was a problem for my mom who had to cancel her previously scheduled plans to go out to dinner with us.  This was completely my fault since I arranged the dinner. I feel really bad that my mom canceled her plans from 2 months ago for no reason, since we are now going to lunch.  However, my student (#1 in the senior class) told me that she has no one who can pay the $50.00 to go with her to the event and she must bring someone or she will not get the scholarship.  (She has really been through "the wringer" in life and she has no family in the US.  She has basically raised herself.) She asked me if I could be her "plus one" and if I could take her.  How could I say no???  She is a wonderful person.  I do feel like a terrible mom though because I will not be with my family tonight.

mustlovepoodles

Molly, I'm glad you got everything set for your BMX. I hope it goes off withour a hitch. Have you got a date yet?

Molly50

Poodles, my surgery date is 7/22. Just a few weeks away.

Sloan15

Molly - Glad you got your appt for july. It's approved, scheduled, in the time-frame that works for you, etc., so we'll all try to stay positive with you so you don't have that freakout "oh, no, surgery!" moment. You got this.