SEPTEMBER 2009 RADS

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  • AmyIsStrong
    AmyIsStrong Member Posts: 1,755
    edited January 2010

    My schedule (after herceptin is over) is first every 3 mo - alternating between breast surgeon and onc. then every six mo. So I will see the breast surgeon and the onc each once/year. That seems far off to me though, so I haven't thought about it yet. they didn't say how many mamms or ultrasounds, but I was figuring they would be annual. I don't know.

    I will say this - when I saw the BS a few weeks ago (for 6 mo check up) she did a VERY THOROUGH breast exam, MUCH moreso than the usual good old days when the OB/GYN just patted you down a little. It is DIFFERENT being a BC patient than part of the gen'l population.  She felt a little bump she didn't like and I was rushed immediately to Mamm and U/S.  I was REALLY NERVOUS but it happened so quickly and they read it right away and it was all 'normal radiological changes to the breast' so I didn't have much time to stew on it.

    It is good to be closely monitored, even though it might provide some nail biting moments. I would much rather KNOW than possibly have something happening inside me and have no clue about it.

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited January 2010

    Betsy...I will have a mammogram on my healthy breast only on Feb 1, a year after my last one and diagnosis. Then I have an appointment on Feb 11 with the radiologist for 4 month follow-up and on Feb 24 with my BS for 1 year follow up. I need to get another Pet-scan soon because I haven't had one since chemo started last March. I had a CT-scan right before my surgery last month, but it only did part of my body. I did have a nodule show up on my lung, which I will need to do another scan in 3-4 months to monitor it.

    Girls....today is my birthday and I get to pull my drain from my surgery! I can't wait to be rid of it. My dh is going to do it after he gets off of work tonight. Then we are going out for dinner. I hope I don't 'leak' out all over the place! That wouldn't be a good birthday present!!

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited January 2010

    Happy Birthday ccbaby!   Oooh, the "gift" of drain removal, that's cool...taking another step away from the cancer will feel great. 

    Funny you should mention follow-up today.   I just went for my first 6 mo. mammo this morning.  ALL CLEAR, but I'll always take the news with a grain of salt from now on since I had B/C that was good at hiding in dense tissue on two previous digital mammos.  I do want to say that it was more painless than some mammos I've had in the past before all the gnarly scar tissue was in there, so that was a nice surprise.

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2010

    CC, happy birthday, have a great day....is your DH a dr.   why is he taking it out...It creeps me out when my DH give me my neupogen shots...I don't think I have the guts to have him remove a drain...

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited January 2010

    Christy..Happy Birthday....what a present..to have your dh take out your drain!  It's almost kinky...but I won't go there.

    We are getting snow in Ohio!  I have had about enough.

    Oh..since everyone is giving their appts....I see the chemo onc on Feb 23, have a mammo in early May...plus an appt with the BS.......remember I already had a mammo in early Nov. plus saw the rad onc and the chemo onc and the BS in November! 

     Betsy..how are you feeling girl?  Going to watch the National Championship game tonight?  I think I will..until I fall asleep!

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited January 2010

    Michele...thanks and no, he isn't a doctor.. the hospital where I had my surgery was in New Orleans and 12 hours away and they told me how to do it and he should be able to do it just fine. It is a drain coming from my hip from a flap surgery and they said the cord inside isn't as long as it was with the one I had for my mastectomy last year.  I could have had my PS surgeon here do it, but why pay him a co-pay of $30 when we can do it ourselves.

    LOL Titan, you are too funny! Thanks!

    Elimar..great news!

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2010

    CC, I am still creeped out, but I am sure it will be easy...luck to you

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited January 2010

    LOL, I am sure that I will be creeped out too when he does it!

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited January 2010
    Post the pics on facebook HEE HEE! Laughing
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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited January 2010

    Yikes, then I would freak everyone out and they wouldn't want to be my friend anymore!! LOL!!!!

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  • kawee
    kawee Member Posts: 324
    edited January 2010
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTY!!!!!!!!!
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  • BetsyBuzz
    BetsyBuzz Member Posts: 592
    edited January 2010

    Happy Birthday Christy...hope your honey does a good job with the drain. It doesn't sound fun. I'm glad you are feeling good enough to go out for dinner, that sounds very positive.

    I'm feeling pretty good. I think I've got the upper hand on the breast infection. Today was the first day I noticed my color is getting more normal. Also, the swelling has gone down a bit. Both breasts are about even, which tells me there is still swelling, as post surgery my bc breast was about a cup smaller.

    My question to those of you just coming to your next mammograms, how soon do they recommend a followup mammogram? Is it every six months or annually? For me it was six months and I thought my onc said a year. It was the radiologist that told me six month. Just curious what your experience is?

    Titan we are watching the game tonight too. I heard from several people that I work with that the Buckeye fans were great. I figured as much since they are a little nutty!

    Michele - how are you doing? Are you still doing chemo?

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  • kawee
    kawee Member Posts: 324
    edited January 2010

    Betsy - One year.  Mine's scheduled in April.

    My husband would faint if he had to take a drain out.

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited January 2010

    Thanks everyone for the BD wishes! My husband and I both took the drain out. We were both nervous about it...but it was actually no big deal at all!! Since it was coming from my hip, it was a different kind of drain than I had when I had my mastectomy last year. So, it pulled out with no problems!!

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  • MTG
    MTG Member Posts: 646
    edited January 2010

    CCBaby - Happy Birthday. Sorry, I'm a little late to the party. I hope you have an outstanding time out tonight.

    Betsy - So glad to hear that the infection is finally under control.

    I'm seeing my radonc tomorrow for my follow up. Not certain what she plans after that but, as much as I like her, I'll be saying my final goodbyes. Between seeing my BS and my medonc, I've got enough coverage. My BS wanted to break up the tests so a Sono in Feb then I'm on a 3 month cycle (my family's insistance just to be safe; my prior breast doctor thought my BC was simply a cyst and so if I had waited another 6 months I would have had real problems ) I also have an MRI in the mix - supposed to be able to find problems that the sono and mamo miss. ANyone else doing MRIs ?

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2010

    Betsy, yes I am still doing chemo..I have one left.  I had an appointment on Wed to see radonc, but he had to cancel because of some emergency. I hope to see him soon...I would like to start soon, but at the same time a little break would be nice...he did say at our last appointment that he would give me a month break after chemo to heal..I dread the daily drive to rads..it is not far from home, but the weather can some times be nasty..

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  • BetsyBuzz
    BetsyBuzz Member Posts: 592
    edited January 2010

    Michele - you need the break...your body needs time to heal. My onc gave me a month also, it must be standard protocol. Good luck with your last tx. We will be doing a happy dance for you when you finish. Keep us posted.

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited January 2010

    Betsy...of course we Buckeyes are nice!  What else is there???  I know the Ducks are nice people...well..you are the only one I know but that is enough for me.

    Michele...yay for your last chemo...so glad to hear you are almost done...rads are better..so much better..maybe different issues  but doesn't take as long and you don't feel so freaking weird from having them...it's a little scary at first..with the machines and the green lights ..but you won't feel a thing...just use your cream....it's sooo nice to just run in there., be zapped and be on your way..has your hair started coming back yet?  If not..it will very soon..and that is so exciting too! 
    Right now..with my hair...it's not even like a cancer patient "do" anymore...it is my new hair and everyone raves about it...I'm actually thinking about getting it trimmed up a bit...funny stuff...!

    I go to the chemo onc every 3 months for 2 years...bs every 6 months..have a mammo scheduled for May..I assuming I will have one every 6 months for 5 years....that is the standard of care the Cleveland Clinic has and I'm ok with that.  I think I would be a little nervous about once per year...I would just be freaking that something would be growing..but that is just me...my insurance company has been totally awesome so I don't think they will complain about the mammos...if they do I will just pay for them myself

    Cristy...I won't have any mri unless the mammo is suspicious..so hopefully I won't have an MRI.


    Did I tell you that my last mammo said my breasts were unremarkable?  well...here is to ALL OF OUR BREASTS BEING UNREMARKABLE..... that is the best word I have ever heard!

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited January 2010

    A lot of us on here have been on the Tamox. now for a few months.  Has anyone else been feeling more emotional on it?  I know Titan posted about her family making her very upset.  I have been feeling a little more tearful, but noticed that little things are making me feel angry too.  (It took me a while to notice, since I have rebellious teens so I'm battling it out regardless.)  I'm starting to think that if this side effect does not diminish on it's own, I'd better sign up for an anger management program.  Does anyone else notice the same thing happening?

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited January 2010

    Congrats Titan on being unremarkable!!

    Unremarkable....I remember my onc telling me that when I had my head MRI last February...At the time I didn't know exactly what he meant...I thought he was saying that I had an exceptionally brilliant brain!! lol

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  • kawee
    kawee Member Posts: 324
    edited January 2010

    Hi, everyone!!  I haven't had any pain at my scar site for a couple of months and considered it healed.  Now, all of a sudden, it is really sore.  Any ideas?

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited January 2010

    I'm beginning to wonder if the onc's don't tell us everything....here we all were...just a month or so ago and everyone is doing fine..then all of a sudden we are starting to get infections, and aches and pains...and just things going on...My lymph node incision stung a little on Sunday...I'm thinking..what the heck...put some cream on it and it went away....still have a pain in my side..on occasion..just comes and goes...I just don't know what else it would be except muscular....I don't have any symptoms of anything else.

    Weird..I just want to go back to how good I felt just a couple of weeks ago....maybe all the drugs are wearing off and we have been feeling this stuff all along and didn't know..who can say? 

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited January 2010

    The midle of my chest is STILL burnt. I think when we get burnt very badly, it burns from the inside back out and takes a very long time to heal and it can affect other things too.

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  • dsgirl
    dsgirl Member Posts: 276
    edited January 2010

    Hi KAWEE and Sept. Rad ladies, I started rads in late sept. but did not finish until Nov, I had surgery end of July and the incision sure has closed up nicely and looks healed, but I still have pain at the surgery site, not all the time but several days a week,  assumed it was from radiation not the surgery, on and off I also develop fluid "pockets" above and below the scar, and on and off I have swelling of the whole radiated breast, also sometimes tingle in hand/and or fingers, I understood my Onc. to say it would be a year or more before everything would settle down, and maybe I would always experience some tenderness there. I was told to call for appt. if swelling and soreness spots felt feverish as it could be an infection. I do see the onc. every 3 month or sooner if needed.

    Good luck to you and hope the soreness goes away soon.

    dsgirl

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited January 2010

    I too have noticed some tingling/numbess in my right hand..I'm thinking..what the heck...and the pain in my side..well a couple of Aleve's and it is gone...but then I feel weird from the Aleve...I have never been good with OTC drugs.....too wired or something....it is like I'm high  (but I wouldn't know anything about that!)

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  • AmyIsStrong
    AmyIsStrong Member Posts: 1,755
    edited January 2010

    I finished rads in early Oct and all was well. But lately (last week or two) I have noticed the whole breast is tender. Don't know if it is the nerves regenerating as has been mentioned before, or what exactly. I am trying not to worry and will ask about it at my next onc appt (early Feb). All the stuff that has been done to us has lingering effects, I guess. We want to forget about it and put it behind us as soon as possible, but sometimes our bodies don't cooperate.

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited January 2010

    I DON'T WANT TO WAIT A YEAR!

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  • echosalvaje
    echosalvaje Member Posts: 191
    edited January 2010

    I'm with you Titan....I hate this waiting to be back to some sort of normal. Every time I mention some malady to my ONC he says that they don't consider anything a permanent condition from chemo until a year has passed. So what, are we just supposed to hang around waiting or be proactive about trying to see that it doesn't BECOME permanent!

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  • dsgirl
    dsgirl Member Posts: 276
    edited January 2010

    TITAN- LOL, I hear you, I don't want to wait a year either, so what can we do  ??????

    It's pretty darn hard not to notice these little signals or signs our bodies are sending out, but I do know one thing, I really don't want to see a medical office or lab for a very long time if at all possible. Every day I feel better overall, and yet every day there is something to remind me of the bc. treatment. Staying busy helps, but it also wears me out by the afternoon at times. Luckily I am retired from work outside the home and only hubby and home suffers when I have one of those tired of keeping busy moments.

    Here's to feeling great as of today.

    dsgirl

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited January 2010

    I'm tired of being tired....I am tired of being busy all the time..pushing myself..but if I sit down I get bored...I'm tired of getting bored sitting down...I'm tired of freaking out about every little freaking pain....I just want...I don't know...I just want...

    Oh..wtf..I love you guys.....

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