Barbara,

Why are you getting your ovaries out?  Are you ok? 

Hello Ladies!

Sorry for not posting in such a long time.  Had last chemo on Feb. 11th.  Sure glad that it is over with!  Last week was filled with tests  and doctor's appointments - MRI and PetScan.

Tomorrow (Monday) is surgery.  Right mastectomy and once they get pathology report it will be determined if I need radiation.  Holly - thanks for your words of encouragement.  I am naturally nervous but anxious to get it over with.  I am just so thankful to have the support of all of you wonderful ladies.

If radiation is not required plastic surgeon will put in tissue expander 7 to 10 days later.

Had a wonderful lunch with my husband and two of my friends that I have not seen in about 20 years.  They live in Wisconsin and now spend winters in Florida.  My husband has never met them.  We went to Tarpon Springs and had a wonderful time.

Love you all,

Barb T  

Barbara - Thank you, It is reassuring to know that others experienced similar symptoms (not that I am glad we have them, but it is good to know that you are not alone). My onc. never talked about removing my ovaries even though we share similar diagnosis (I had no lymph node involvement, though).  I was diagnosed a few weeks before my 40th birthday.  Humm, just courious.

BarbT - Good luck tomorrow and I will be praying for you and your surgeons. For me, the surgery went well and I was fortunate that I was able to have a private room for the night and got really great care from the nurses.  It seems like they were there every hour asking how I was doing and making sure that I wasn't in pain.  I will be praying for good final pathology.  Have you spoken with your radiation onc. re: rads.?  Do they think you will need to do radiation?  Sorry for the questions; I chose not to have reconstruction, but my plastic surgeon was going to put in TE during the same time as my mastectomy.  Just curious how doctors in different areas operate.

Anyone had an OB/GYN follow-up after chemo?  I am wondering b/c I was going to make an appointment with my regular OB/GYN and someone suggested I needed to see an onc. OG/GYN???   Anyone told the same? 

Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement and concern, it really helps. You gals are the greatest.  I took a long nap this morning/afternoon and feeling better.  Not ready to kill my husband; he took it literally when my surgeon said I could resume normal activities a week after my surgery!

Have a great week.

Hello my lovely ladies I have been so busy getting back to work and then catching up at home on weekends that I have not had much time to post. But still thinking of you all esp those on radiation. Hope it goes well.

Holly the scourer pad rubbing sensation as well as electric shocks are probably result of damaged nerves re-charging themselves. I had both these sensations and it was very painful. However the good news is that it does get better - a few weeks after the worst it all started to fade away and now I barely feel anything due to mastectomy (other than lymphedema of course!!)

Glad you are in care of a pt who can give you treatment and advice about managing this stuff and the axillary cording too. It is best to get right on top of all that before it takes over. My swelling has stabilised and I am just wearing the compression sleeve and glove which, while a nuisance at times, is nowhere near as constrictive, obvious and HOT as the awful bandages. Awful they may have been but they do work! So now we are in the second stage of treatment - still daily lymphatic massage, plus 24/7 sleeve wearing. I am hoping my reconstructive surgery at end of this month does not flare the swelling back up all over again! Fingers crossed.

Also I have been taking tamoxifen for 2 months or so now with no se'sother than hot flushes /sweats. So I hope your experience of this one is also good.

My hair is now a definite soft all over fuzz. No curls yet! But hey, it is hair! In another couple of weeks I am hoping to be able to go bare headed. We'll see how much more it has grown by then.

Take care everyone and love to all.

Neece

Yay...Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am negative for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anita

Hello SOSisters... feels like Monday in a new job and not quite sure how it is all going to work!  Had radiation today, nothing to it.  Only 25 more to go!

Neece - go glad to hear all is going well for you.  How are you enjoying your new job?

Anita - so glad to hear your wonderful news.  I can't imagine how relieved you must be!  A great reason for a celebration.

Everyone take care.  Hope all is well!

Thoughts and prayers are with you!

Jane

China - I was tested early in this process.  I have two teenage daughters and was more concerned about them.   I realize that their risk has increased because of my diagnosis, but if I had been positive brca - I would have wanted them tested too...If I thought that I was predisposed to breast cancer, I would have done a prophylactic mastectomy with recon.  Seems much better than cancer treatment:)  - And you're right, the ovarian ca is scary - usually no symptoms until it's too late:(

I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and ovarian cancer and they each are primary sites:( 

DiDi - Good thought on the insurance thing and the gene testing.   It is so appalling that insurance companies can reject you for coverage for just about anything.   Makes one wonder what the point of all the development in gene testing is if it only lands you without insurance coverage when you most need it!

Jane - Welcome back!   I hope you had a good trip.   Also welcome back to rad-land.  Ha!

Neece - Great news on the hair front!   Mine is really thick, about 1/2" to 3/4" long and very very very curly.  At this short stage the curls are totally unworkable...my hair is going every which way.  If you saw my curls,  you might consider yourself lucky that yours is coming in straight.

6 rads down, 22 to go.  Piece a cake so far.  I tried Emu Oil over the weekend I think it reduced the pinkness.   Anybody else using this?

Patty

Good Afternoon Everyone

Trying to keep up with the posts but life is getting in  the way. Got back from Maryland on Sunday was there for a long weekend for my daughters cheerleading competition. It was a great weekend and they were national champs for there division. I was tested for BRCA because of my age 44. My insurance would pay for it if I was diagnosis before 45. (lucky me). I tested negative. I went for blood work today for my surgery on the 18th. I am finally have the TE put back in after I had to have it removed due to infection. I was hoping that all my surgeries would be behind me by now but somethings we have no control over. I saw my regular OB/GYN a month ago and he did a vaginal ultrasound becuase of the tamoxifen. I trust him so I will stay with him.

Glad to hear everyone is doing well and moving on with life.

THINK POSITIVE

Catherine

Hello SOSisters...rainy dreary day in NC. Snow predicted for tonight.  More snow than we have had in years! Rad txt went fine - 9 down, too many more to go.

DiDi - sorry to hear about your friend.  Know you will be strong for her while she is dealing with everything that will come her way with that diagnosis!

Patty - yes I'm back in rad land.  Got a rx for cream today, will let you know what it is after I get it filled.  Can't read the writing (imagine!).  My hair is coming in thick, longer in some spots than others.  It was all white, now I have splotches of color (grey?).  I am so ready to lose my wig!

Kim - so good to hear from you.  I can so relate to chemo brain at work.  I am usually so organized, multi-tasking used to be so easy.  Now I find myself second guessing and I have to write absolutely everything down.  I am the "go to" person and I want to tell everyone to "go away!".

Catherine - isn't it great that life is getting back to normal?  Know you will be glad to get your surgery over with on the 18th.  We all seem to be getting closer to the end!  I may be the last one, I have to do Herceptin every 3 weeks until September.

Barb0323 - I'm so glad your surgery went well!  How are the eyes doing?  Still watering?  You take it easy and keep us posted.

To everyone else - hope you are having a great day.  Take care.

Thoughts & prayers are with you!

Jane

BarbT- Glad to hear surgery went well and you are feeling good.

THINK POSITIVE

Catherine

Hello ladies-

Saw my onc Monday and got my Tamoxofin prescript, but he said not to start it for 2 weeks-okay by me! He wants me to have a mammo of my breast that had the cancer before I see him for a follow up June 1st. So I scheduled that for May 28th-I figured there is no rush and frankly I want a break from going to the hospital or doctors, I have been doing this for a year March 19th, time for a rest-I have earned it. So I will be deported Monday and 10:30-wo hoo!! can't wait.

Patty- Glad the rads are going well. I haven't heard of that cream, my doc loved the Eucerin. Let us know how it goes. Oh and My doc also love Vitamin E oil for scars, and I have put it on every night and they really are less, takes time though. I am super jealous of your hair. I have a baby fine amount all over mix of grey/dark Brown/white-lovely. But It is enough to keep me warm when I sleep!

Chemo brain- I can't spell anything! I work in the English department of a college too. I have also lost my copy card multiple times, and I was always the on top of everything person too. I have just come to the conclusion that scrap paper notes and spell check are my friends!

Kim- I know what you mean about chemo brain! Hope you feel more energetic soon!

Anita- Congrats on the negative score-big hugs!!

DiDi- I am so sorry for your friend, I will keep her in my thoughts and prayer. I think that insurance may be why they don't always recommend the test and may have been why they didn't recommend it for me, it is sad but probably closer to the truth than anyone will admit. Hope you are feeling well.

Neece- So glad the massage and bandage are helping-what a blessing- I hope it never come back, keep on improving. Don't worry the curls will probably show up eventually, at least that is what I hear.

Catherine- Congrats to your daughter. that is wonderful. I am sure you will feel happy to get all the surgeries behind you, it will come soon, we will all be done and just posting about life, won't that be fun?

BarbT- So glad it all went well. Yes pain killers are  a blessing. Will keep you, your path report, in my thoughts and prayers too.

Jane- Welcome back, again, hope the job is settling in for you. I am curious what your prescript is too. hmmm they are all different aren't they. Sorry about the weather, but it must be going to warm up there soon, we are expecting 40's this weekend and our warm air always comes from the south, so I would think/hope. I really liked the people in my rads time too. I had a couple of guys having rads for prostate, and every time there was a new guy they would make jokes if the new guy had pants on or not-got to find humor in it some how!

Take care ladies,

Love and hugs

Barbara

Hi, everyone.  I hope your week is going well.

Neece - Thanks for the encouraging words.  My nurse navigator told me the other day that I should not compare day to day but week to week.  When I stepped back and looked at it that way, it does seem a little better this week than last so I am going to focus on the good things.  It seems everyone is getting hair, which is good.  I can't wait until I have enough hair to go without hat/wig.  Glad to hear that your massage and bandage is helping your arm.  Praying that you will continue to see improvement.  Are you enjoying your new job?

Anita - WONDERFUL news!!  I am sure it is a great relief to know that you are negative. 

DiDiT - Sorry to hear about your friend, she will be in my prayers.

BarbT - Great to hear that your surgery went well and you're feeling good. Do you have a drain?  Glad you have a home health care nurse to come to your home today to check over everything. Praying for a speedy recovery for you.

Kim - Glad to hear from you. I can totally relate to the chemo brain thing.  When does it end? I am working on a big financial reports at work and I am looking at these spreadsheets and thinking where did I get these numbers from.  Thank goodness I took good notes and inserted comments everywhere, otherwise I would be in deep trouble.

Catherine - Sounds like an exhausting weekend; congrats to your daughter for being national champs.  I will be seeing my OB/GYN next week to discuss me being on Tamoxifen and I am going to insist on the ultrasound.

Barbara - Congrats on being deported on Monday.  It looks like we will be starting Tamoxifen together.  I mailed my prescription in so I can get 3-month supply. 

Jane - Hope your job will be less stressful really soon; I think that adds to our feeling of tiredness.

If I missed anyone, sorry, I will catch you next time.  All the ladies doing radiation, praying that you are doing well and side effects are minimal.  Take good care of yourselves.

Have a great evening everyone; I am going to go have some Girl Scouts cookies!

Holly

Hi girls - I'm skimming posts, not very good at keeping up - actually with anything right now - rad trip is 4 to 5 hours of non productive time daily!  I'm staying in St. Louis tonight - plan to stay 2 nights a week beginning next week - will only be driving both ways one day a week then:)

Surely at this pace, 5 weeks will fly?

My rad onc did recommend something for skin - in his words "it's a little hoaky, but...

he recommends starting sometime the first week (yesterday for me) corn starch 3 times a day and a lotion that he gave me called vanicream over night (has no dyes, lanolin, fragrance, parabens, or formaldehyde) FORMALDEHYDE? that's reassuring - perhaps I should start reading ingredients for all of my toiletries...   also is ok with deodorant -says use as usual. 

Aquaphor - he uses for more serious reactions - said he doubted that I would even need   In that case I hope I don't need it!  I'll just keep using that huge tub that I prematurely purchased for my lips - works great!!

Thank you all for sharing - this site continues to be my anchor...even though I  don't have as much time to peruse...

Also, fyi, saw physical therapist for lymphadema prevention - amazing results after one session with her - improved range of motion on side with lymph nodes removed - I didn't realize the difference between the fascia (connective tissue) and nerve involvement - I was just stretching which does help with releasing the connective tissue - but she explained that the nerves are also affected by 'immobility' and require specific repetetive movement, rather than stretching. 

Oh, the learning continues...

Good to hear everyone doing well and 'moving on'

Love to you all!!

Di Di

DiDi - You are a trooper doing all that driving!   I'm will never complain again about the "hassle" of my 20 minute trip to radiation.   The nerve thing (needing repetitive motion) sounds interesting.   I haven't had any swelling but I sometimes have pretty extreme numbness under my arm.   Seems to have gotten worse since starting radiation.  Maybe due to having the arms raised and immobile for 10-minutes every day?

Barb - Drains are a drag.   Glad yours won't be in too long!

Patty