Positive Girls Club

Matthew.  He took two years of university and then left.  He plans to go back next year.  I think this time off will be good for him.  He had originally wanted to teach history but is now looking for a career in political science.

Hey Ladies! It's Friday, so I thought I would post my positive for the week. This may not be a big deal to most, but my husband got a pressure washer (for his birthday) and I was able to pressure wash my porches, driveway and sidewalk. It took hours to do, but while I was doing it, I felt so thankful to have the strength!! Just a few months ago during chemo, I didn't think I would ever be able to do anything like that again! I guess you could call me a true redneck now, but I'm a THANKFUL redneck Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

any more positives this week from the PGC girls or was it just a bad week?

Sheila that is a great picture of you and your mom. Is she a Survivor, too? I'm sorry to hear of the 2 Calendar girls that didn't make it through the fight. One of the girls in my Chemo thread was doing poorly in the hospital about 2 weeks ago, and she wrote the saddest post that I've read in a long time. By the middle of last week she was home with her Hubby and pets eating ice cream and trying to gain strength to do more Chemo. We are all hopeful for her.

PIP. lol about all the pink decorations. I think I've worn pink every day this month, so far. Pink has always been one of my favorite colors, and now I have even more things, I can wear different things and not repeat clothes too often. I think I started a day early since my appointment at the Cancer Center was on Sept 30. I had to get out my extra Breast Cancer Awareness Month wrist band and find my favorite pink ribbon pin. I finally remembered what I had worn the pin with, and it was still on the garment.

I read through your posts and was writing a reply this afternoon when I noticed it was time for me to leave for my appointment with my surgeon. It was sort of a one-stop appointment where we discussed a hard knot of tissue on my lumpectomy incision scar, some tenderness where my port used to be, and that it was time for me to have another colonoscopy. He wanted to byopsy the lump so he'll remove it before he does the colonoscopy all at the same day surgery. He wanted a mammogram done before the byopsy so my month just got filled up with appointments. I'll keep you posted when I get any results worth mentioning.

Take care.

Hi Ladies,

I don't have much of a positive for this week, but at least it's something. 

When I saw the surgeon on Monday, he thought that he should remove the lump that's on my incision scar for a biopsy. He wanted me to have my Mammogram before he does the biopsy so it was moved from Dec 8 to Oct 8. I think this was the longest I've ever been in the Women's Imaging Center. They did the Digital Mammo with extra views because my incision tends to pucker and wrinkle plus an Ultra sound of the lump we knew about already and another spot on the outside edge that turned up on the mammo. I heard the Radiologist say "cyst" and "benign" so hopefully it won't be anything to worry about.

I'm scheduled for the day surgery on Oct 21, and the surgeon will be getting a number of things done while he has me there. First is the lump he wants to biopsy, then a shot to ease the pain and inflammation where the port used to be, and finally he'll do the colonoscopy that's due. He's fairly thorough so he'll probably do something about this other spot, too. One of my friends was teasing me saying will he black the tires and vacuum out the boot, too?

My positive is that my husband offered to drive me to the mammogram on Wed.  I was getting more and more nervous about it, and as I was getting up to leave, he asked if I wanted him to go with me. It was a big load off my mind that I didn't have to deal with the traffic and driving the 10-12 miles up the in town expressway and back.

I'm so glad that I have him. He drove me to almost all my treatment appointments in 2007, too.

Take care all of you. Until next time.

I thought I'd check in on Thursday this week. The surgeon removed both the lumps in my left breast for biopsy on Tuesday AM and he did my colonoscopy at the same time. My hubby drove me in to the hospital and was right there when I woke up in the post op.

I pretty much napped through the rest of Tuesday and most of Wednesday. That Hydrocodone doesn't allow for much else. Today I took just acetaminophen, and I'm doing very well with hardly any pain from the surgery. Since the doctor hadn't called me I called his office about 3 PM. Both lumps were benign and I had no polyps on the colonoscopy. So it's good news all around.

Looking forward to the rest of you checking in. I hope you've had a good week.

Good news Debbie.  I had a lump removed from my mast incision in May so I know the relief that you don't have face a recurrance.  I am due for a colonoscopy but I am so tired from anesthetic over the last several months I am waiting until the spring.  I have had 4 major surgeries lasting 2-4 hours each and 1 minor surgery (the lumpectomy in May).  Not to mention the chemo!  

Our family lives on an apple orchard near Toronto and we just finished our season.  Although the crop was bad, due to hail and May frost, we did okay.  The weather was very cooperative and the school tour bookings were up from last year.  This weekend is our staff party and we always enjoy that.  We have a great bunch of people helping us out every fall.  How can I not be positive about that!

Oh yeah, it snowed here the other day and we still have some on the ground.  Not too happy about that!! 

Thank you for creating this place whoever did. I feel so good reading your posts. You give me hope that one of these days my life will get back to "normal" as crazy as that is.

gmakidd

gmakidd, welcome to the pgc. your life will get back to a 'new normal' as you go on. I am 18 months out from dx and tried to maintain a positive outlook during my surgeries. Because my bc was stage 0 and I opted for bilat mast, I did not require any additional treatments.

PIP, the weather here is gorgeous today too. this morning it was about 32 but this afternoon it is close to 70, bright sun and a slight breeze. The snow that the mtns (30 minutes away) got earlier this week has melted and tomorrow is supposed to be even prettier. My mom also lost her curls when her hair was growing back after chemo.

Today I dressed up as 'Britany Spears' with the blonde wig, jaunty hat and dark glasses. Everyone at the office got a kick out of my imitation of her.

Everyone have a Positive Halloween weekend.

Sheila

Where is everyone? I'm doing OK, just keeping on, keeping on.

Now that I made it through my biopsy and colonoscopy in Oct, I'm in a place where I can be of support to a friend who found out 2 weeks ago that she has breast cancer. She and the rest of our small group of "book" friends were so helpful to me when I was first diagnosed that I had to do what I could to support her. She told me and one other person right away and finally she told the rest of the group this past weekend. Of course they are pouring out the love and support to her like they did for me nearly 2 years ago.

I plan to cook dinner on Thanksgiving for the hubby and me, but since our families are far away we'll probably just call them. At Christmas we'll be visiting my family in California.

Take care all of you.

Hi everyone,

My dh and I just returned from a trip to your beautiful country.  Started in Erie, Pa where we met up with dh's cousins to watch their son play hockey at Mercyhurst College.  Then on the Boston where my sister, her 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren live.  Finally, up to Freeport, Maine to check out the LLBean flagship store.  We had a great trip and selflessly spent tons of money to help out your economy!  Oh yeah, I stocked up on my Dunkin Donuts coffee.  But here is my 'real' positive for the week.  The Canadian customs agent just smiled at us and sent us on our way.  We probably saved about $200 in duty and taxes.

On our way home we passed through Conway, NH and decided that we would like to spend some time there on our next trip.  Is anyone familiar with this town? 

I love this site! Thank you for sharing your positives!  Before cancer, my coworkers used to comment that I'd been sprinkled in pixie dust because I was always so cheerful. During the treatment, they all said that I was so "brave and strong" for simply doing what I've always done -- smiling.

I will admit that now that I've finally made it to the end of treatment, I sometimes have to forced the smiles. Life has changed so much. I'm almost scared to jump out and be a part of it again.

But then a friend pointed out this site. And I'm smiling right now. Thank you!

Hello, survivin, and welcome to our thread. I heard that "brave and strong" thing so much over the past 2 years. I really didn't think I was that brave or strong, but I said "thanks" anyway. I was just being myself and getting through it all. I didn't do it alone, though, I had lots of friends sending me cards and gifts or just being there when I needed to chat about things.

I hope everyone in the US had a good Thanksgiving. Ours was quiet until the afternoon when I noticed that one of my incisions from the Oct 21 biopsy was leaking a bit. When I dabbed it it popped like a balloon, and the puss spurted out for a minute or two then opened up about an inch. I called the surgeon's after hours number, and went in to the doctor the next day. The surgeon taped me up with Steri-Strips and said to keep the incision clean, dry, and taped shut. He said if he stitched it up that it might get infected. I bought a supply of strips at Walgreens so I can apply new ones everyday. The hardest part is keeping it dry as it still on the weepy side. A friend on my Chemo Thread recommended Dial Foaming soap to keep it clean, and so far it seems to be doing OK. Still no redness or heat.

I guess that's my positive for this week. My incision opened up, but it isn't infected.

I'm looking forward to Christmas this year because we're going out to Califonia to see my family. I hope all of you are having a good holiday season.

Take care.

Debbie, sorry to hear about the popped incision but the open wound will keep draining and possibly preventing infection. Hopefully it won't be weepy long.

PIP, I think I was the same way after my 2nd biopsy in 2006 that was B9, my doctor told me to think about bilat preventative mast because it wasn't a matter of if I developed BC but when with my strong family history of ovarian/breast cancer and my multiple biopsies for ADH (pre-cancer). I was almost relieved with my third biopsy in 2007 when it came back DCIS, my decision was made.

Sheila

Hello, Ladies,

I'm new here and glad to find this positive thread. The worst part of this ordeal for me so far has been the month of waiting between dx and surgery. I got through the surgery (lumpectomy and SNB) much more easily than I expected. I then had a second surgery to insert a Mammosite, and I'll be starting radiation on Jan 5. The Mammosite doesn't hurt except for a little bit of tenderness where the catheters are hanging out. For some reason, though, I feel a little bit depressed about it -- surgery happens for all kinds of illnesses but radiation is only for cancer -- and the catheters are a constant reminder of that. But, I'm extremely grateful that I am able to have the Mammosite radiation, which only lasts 5 days.

The holidays have been difficult for arranging appointments, so I haven't seen my oncologist post surgery yet. I don't know whether I'm going to need chemo -- of course I'm praying not. I've been trying to live my life normally but reasonably since my diagnosis by doing the things I would have done pre-cancer. I'm hoping to start a new job on Feb 2.

Tricia