Starting Chemo March 2015

BBwithBC45

Carrie, I'm sorry you are in such pain and discomfort. My TE was bothering me too for a long time. I never had bad pain, just almost constant discomfort which I think was largely caused by the TE expanding towards my chin instead into the pocket. Once I was done with chemo I was able to have a revision surgery and things got better. I still had some discomfort, but to a lesser degree and with time I got used to it. I had an exchange last week and today I found out that I am more swollen than I should be by now and that I may have developed a hematoma. I'm back to some discomfort and will find out on Monday if we will wait and see if my body absorbs the hematoma, or if I will have to have another surgery.

Lee, awesome news for your Dad!

ksusan

That's great news, Lee! We were so grateful when my father received a liver.

Carrie37

Lee, that is awesome news!!! Healing thoughts and prayers with your dad and family right now.

BB, I hope you don't need another surgery! Positive thoughts your way too.

I seriously can't believe how uncomfortable these things are. And I get to go back to work full time on Tuesday. Yippie!! Not.

eheinrich

Lee - wow!

TEs - ugh. I am getting expanded slowly - 25ml per week. It's so uncomfy...also though I look so deformed. can pop a bra on it to even up, the cleavage is so off kilter.... I feel like all off my clothes look wrong...

Trvler

Lee: That's wonderful!

I am sorry to those of you having so much pain from your TE's. I hope you can get some relief. How long is that process?

Meme117

So happy for you Lee and your dad and family, what great news!

Sorry so many are having pain, hugs to each of you.

Laying here with cooling towel on my boob watching magic mike 2, not a very good movie but a few nice scenes😉

Did anyone else see the article about the police dept who is using pink handcuffs for breast cancer awareness? So totally ridiculous.

neverthought

Not a happy but an inspiring video from Breast Cancer Action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnS4vEFfekY

Understanding more and more why I decided not to get reconstruction, all the troubles many are having... I would be awful to live with if I had to go through that. Hoping to start PT soon to build up my upper body strength so I can shovel snow this winter.

Still questioning why I got cancer when so many I know have many more risky behaviors. I even had a chlorine filter on my shower head and probably haven't worn makeup more than 10 times in my whole life. My friends say I was the last person they would ever think would get cancer. Just bought a new car with hope I'll live long enough to pay it off. That new car smell - all I can think of is carcinogens!

Hope everyone finds some happiness and rest this weekend.

SueH58

Hi guys. Well, I just saw my RO yesterday, but today have itchy bumps on my breast from radiation. Anyone have this problem, and is it OK to use any other ointment as a remedy????

Jackbirdie

Neverthought- I know exactly. I most certainly took on board many more risk factors than you. It makes no sense and is very unfair. Thanks for the link. Powerful stuff. It does make me even madder when I see people, perhaps without intention, obliquely blame the patient's lifestyle on their dx. And since nobody knows what caused it, how can we take control and avoid a recurrence? Ahhhh. That ubiquitous and self-serving word "control". I can only control my outlook. Or more accurately, I find it very difficult to control my outlook. But I try. And my heart aches also for all of those still experiencing so much pain.

Sue- hey stranger! I've been thinking about you. I'm sure others will chime in with more experienced recommendations, but I have heard calendula cream? I think you can get it at Whole Foods. How much longer do you have to go in rads? Are you about halfway? Sending a hug. I know it sucks

DavisD

Sue-I had bumps, burning and blistering and used several products alternately. The best was and still is, Silver Sulfadiazine Cream 50GM but you need a rx for that. I also had a rx hydrocortisone cream which did help the itching, maybe you could try an OTC strength? I've also used the eczema formula of gold balm lotion. I hate to say it but for the most part it will just take time to get better. I know that's not much comfort. I'm about 2.5 weeks out and have healed pretty well. Having some scratchy nerve pain still but it comes and goes. Hope you get better over the weekend. Seems like every day I was away from that place, I felt a little better

Went to a BC Survivors Retreat today. Got some good freebies and met some nice people. Disappointed the massage therapist didn't show and I was the first person on the sign up sheet..

Jackbirdie

Diane- glad you got to the retreat. Sounds great, except the no show.

Sending a virtual massage your way.

DavisD

Lee, I just ran through the thread and found the one with the news about your dad.That's fantastic, I'm so happy for you and your family!

slothabouttown

Me too Lee! All the good liver karma came your way! Organ donation is an amazing and beautiful thing.

Sue, the couple of times I had raised bumps during rads turned out to be a reaction to a cream. The calendula caused a slight reaction and a second time I had tried a shea butter ointment that a friend had made which resulted in a rash. I don't know if that could be what you're seeing? I remember reading that a fair number of people have a slight reaction to the calendula. I kept using it all through rads because the reaction was so mild and i preferred the natural stuff to the aquaphor.

SueH58

Thanks, Diane and Sloth. I found this good thread as well for anyone else experiencing the itching.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70/topic/732371?page=1#idx_26

Italychick

What, nobody mentioned coconut oil?

slothabouttown

Theresa, I'm still using coconut oil every day on my scars, and I had some on my toast this morning. It continues to be at the top of the list!

Italychick

found out today insurance company raised our company's rates because they had a cancer claim. Doesn't that make me feel good (not)! I actually felt sick to my stomach

Jackbirdie

T- I imagined you saying that while doing your "Sicilian pose".... Haha. "What!"

Jackbirdie

T- I thought that was illegal! The whole idea of insurance is a risk pool. You are not the pool. You are one molecule in the pool!

Pisses me off. I got a letter this week from my ins too. About 20% premium increase but the real slam was out of pocket, in network, for 2016, goes from $3400 to $6700 WTF?

I called them. They claimed it was not personal and many counties in Oregon had drastic increases. Partly, she said the oop went up to avoid premiums from being evenhigher. This is another way to shift risk to the sick people.

I guess Sloth and KSusan and I drained the pool! Sux.

Italychick

our human resources person said it has happened to them twice before when they had other cancer claims. So I guess it isn't illegal. They didn't say it was me, but my office knew because they knew I had chemo. Human resources did say another insurance, Cigna, came in lower, so we are switching to them from blue cross.

Still, made me feel icky. Maybe I shouldn't have outed myself at work. But our hr person said our executives were pissed off at the insurance company, said that kind of risk is built in, so screw them, we will go with another provider.

But still....

Jackbirdie

Not your fault. It just sucks though.

so-she-did

Hmm, our insurance is also going up this coming year by 5% and we lose our choice of hospitals. I don't know yet if it will affect the out of pocket maximum or anything else yet, since I haven't had my turn to sit down with the representative to re-up for 2016. With a 5% increase, it sure the hell better not.

My brain isn't working today (which I know now is Saturday after posting my Sunday Selfie on FB - lol!) so I can't remember all of the details of the 10 pages I just read of posts but want to say that I have been thinking of you all even when I am not keeping up on the boards. I wish I could provide specifics but it seems that my memory has taken a walk again.

ksusan

DavisD

I have 2 TBSP coconut oil on multi grain toast every day to hopefully prevent dementia and thousand other things, ha!

Theresa-That really sucks..our insurance has gone up every year for the past five. I can't blame myself since my diagnosis was in 2011 and 2015. I know of a few people in the hundreds of County employees w/cancer diagnosis over the past few years so I can't believe it's all me! I'm sure in a small company it would feel more personal. Our healthcare costs are out of control to begin with. If mine comes back, I'm thinking I might go to Cancer Centers of America in Philadelphia. Talked to a family who went for their 23 yo son with poor prognosis here, after Cancer Center he is cancer free and they were treated so well...that makes a ton of difference to me.

Not sleeping well again and woke up freezing last night. Got down in the 30's and we didn't have the heat on...brr

Have a wonderful Sunday all!

DavisD

Anyone hear from Sharon lately? I'm a little worried..

slothabouttown

I was thinking about Sharon too. Hoping she's just busy with back to work stuff.

I've been wondering how my year of cancer will play out in my organization's insurance plan. We only have 140 employees and I hate the thought of the director having to renegotiate our benefits because of me.

IndyGal35

My doc had be buy the Triple B cream from Bass Farms, and I've used it 3-4 times a day. Radiation has a tendency to dry out your skin, so (from what I understand) moisturizing helps to keep your skin more supple. I have burns and a crack in the skin under my armpit, but the cream definitely makes it easier to move.

Dad's doing great, and thank you to everyone that has kept him in your thoughts. He was in a chair and eating ice yesterday, but the chair really made him hurt more. I was finally able to get ahold of my little brother's barracks in Guam so he could talk to my dad for a few minutes. It was an awesome moment.

As far as insurance goes, I'm scared to open our packet. I know they're out to make money, but stating a rate increase due to a cancer claim seems like a HIPPA violation. Physicians and insurance companies aren't allowed to give out any information that could be used to identify a patient. While they didn't give your name or social, they certainly gave identifying information considering that you are the only cancer patient in your company. That's a serious HIPPA law violation in my opinion!

avmom

Hi, all.

I've been continuing to lurk here, while I try to get a grip on my mental state. I did have my first counselling session on Monday, and while I am hopeful that my counsellor will be of some help, I'm not sure that we are a perfect fit. Maybe I expect too much of the process. In the meantime, my brain fog continues.

Indy, your dad's progress sounds great.

This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. We are having a family get together at my Mom's this afternoon. My sister and brother will be there, as well as my sister's son, his wife, and their awesome little son, from their home about two hours away. Our son isn't working today, so he will likely be able to come, as well. That grandbaby is so cute - a total ginger doll. I'm roasting the turkey, and making pumpkin pies. My sister is making the veg, and is we will bring the feast to Mom's house. My mom has very severe osteoporosis, and has become very frail, so we don't want her doing anything except enjoying a visit. I have a baking experiment in the oven - gluten free pumpkin pie. My sister's daughter in law has celiac disease, and she suffers mightily if she is even inadvertently exposed to gluten. So far, so good, although the pie did rise a bit too much, and overflowed the pan a bit. Here's hoping that the turkey (which goes into the oven next) won't be saturated with the smell of burnt pumpkin pie! I'll have too do some cleanup in between.

Gentle hugs to all. I understand that tomorrow is Columbus Day in the states, so best wishes for that.

BBwithBC45

There are 20 employees in the US branch of my company. I don't even want to think about our rates when it comes to our health insurance renewal. Will I be the most resented person in the office?

eheinrich

I've been extremely fortunate with our HMO. Out of pocket expenses are capped at $1500, but with all the cancer crap I didn't even hit that. However with next year being the divorce year I'll have to get diff coverage. Hopefully I'll have a job & such, but if not I'll have to hit the Obamacare market. I imagine that will be a whole different story. If it wasn't for that I'd/we'd all be completely uninsurable.