January Mastectomy

Well, I will say THAT is one problem I don't have, Paula

blessings....robin-no-breast

whoops....we keep trying to edit this so you can see Gina.....but the banner thing keeps covering her up.....we'll try it again....sigh.  sorry..

p.s. sorry the pics are SO big....we kept trying to work with these to get them smaller, but I'm too tired to keep messing with this any more...full day of work tomorrow...need to get rest to keep  up with four classes of 5th graders and two classes of 1st graders, especially since it's the last day before spring break!!  The kids will be wound up for sure!!!

My foob doesn't bother me, but my wig comes off as soon as I get in the car!  I feel like I'm wearing a too tight hat all day and constantly worried that it is askew.  Feeling great though ...

Robin and Gina - nice to see you !   The first Team January meeting  

Gina, glad you were feeling well enough to go out.

Debbie, how is the infection going?

Ronin and Gina...so nice to see you out together  Sounds like it was a  wonderful experience for both of you. Gina I cannot believe your strength and bright smile after just being through such a difficult time....I am sooo impressed with your spirit!

Strong ladies gather here

The weather has turned beautiful in NY.  I want to pick up the rake and start cleaning out the garden beds.  I love gardening and working in the yard until I'm in a dripping sweat.....this year I'm going to have to learn to ask DH for help.  I am trying to practice patience.....I'll stick to the lighter chores

Good day to all...closer to comfort...closer to healing......

Laura 

Good to see you both out, Robin and Gina!  It's nice here in TX today - 70's, and tomorrow night they are promising 30's and possibly snow.  Good ole Texas weather in the spring.  A friend came over and planted my spring garden - now I need to cover the tomatoes and peppers.

I had the good fortune to wrench my back in my sleep yesterday morning, early.  I'm not sure how I did it, just know I woke up yelping.  Back dr putting me on steroids, celebrex, muscle relaxers, hydrocodone.  I'm either floating or in pain.  Whoopee.  I keep telling myself the mantra my therapist gave me - Bless this back, bless this arm, bless the chest (etc) and I love my back, my back loves me, etc.  I do actually relax some when I keep that in mind.  I still managed to work most of the day, but it got tough towards the end.

Debbie - good luck with your travels, and your travails - I hope the antibiotics kick a** and you feel better.

I don't know what it is, but my TE's hurt every morning now!  I've only got 200 cc's in them too.  They're not tight anymore (from the last fill), but the sides of them are killing me.  And my armpits hurt as well.  Sheesh.

Lovely, sunny weather here-enough that I got a sunburn from pulling weeds.  Ooops.  I think I'm more sensitive to the sun from the chemo.

I seriously need something to pick up my spirits!  I'm terribly bored from being home all day with no one to talk to.

Kim and Robin:  I hurt  under my arm too sometimes as well on my surgical side.  I think it is the TE pushing on nerves up there or something.  Since I'm all "filled" now, mine seems to be huge and a rock inside of me.  I had my husband bring me a valium after I did my therapy tonight to see if they will relax some.  I can hope. 

I did have 2 nodes out though too and I have heard that in itself can make you sore too.  When I had my first lumpectomy my upper arm (including the armpit) would get very tight and sore.  I don't know if I was developing a slight case of lymphedema or what it was.  That's all I can think is going on.  If it keeps up too much and bothers you, make sure to ask your doc when you are at your next appointment.  They all seem to know about it even if it isn't their specialty from what I can tell. 

Hope everyone has a great night! 

I am thinking having the nodes out MUST have something to do with the armpit pain....I did ask my BS at my last visit about the little knots I felt under both.  He didn't feel anything abnormal on the side where only one node was taken, but he did feel the knots on the side where four nodes was taken, and he said, "yeah, you can blame me for those", and then said something about healing, and things getting in knots, and I didn't catch it all - I thought my daughter was listening, but she wasn't....sigh.  Normally I'm really good at listening and catching everything, but I must have gone into "fog mode" or something....but I DO know it had something to do with the nodes being taken out.  So, I would think the tenderness/soreness/pain would also have something to do with it.  Guess it's all part of the healing process.  He also mentioned six months for healing, so I guess, if after six months I'm still feeling all this weird stuff, I'll ask him again - or I'll look for the looney bin, because it's all driving me crazy.  (I don't have TE's.....bcincolorada).

Sally, I'm guessing I should have only another week to wait for the genetic testing results.  I ran into the genetic counselor at the event Gina and I went to Thursday night, and she remembered me, and she said probably another week or so....and YES, we are going away for spring break!!  Leaving tomorrow...I SHOULD be packing right now!  ha....Going to Gatlinburg, Tennessee (Smokey Mountains)....my parents bought a timeshare down there - although daddy now gets to see the mountains all the time from heaven, mom still has the timeshare, so we're going down there together.  I am SO ready for this break and get away.  If I stayed at home, I would think about all the things I should and could be doing (and not want to do)....and feel guilty for not doing them.....sigh.

In case I don't have internet access next week (kind of hoping I don't, so I'm not tempted to spend time on the computer!!), everyone have a great week....you're always in my thoughts and prayers...love to you ALL!!!!!

blessings...robin

I don't have TE's either, and I have a lot of armpit (axiallary, they call it) pain.  Some is cording - there's a tendon that runs through that area that gets irritated, I guess and it will feel like a rope that goes from down near the ribs up through the armpit.  Slow stretching will help that.  Some is the incision and node removal, and yes, it can take 6 months or more for it to go away (or so I'm told).  I'm VERY tired of it.  If you notice swelling that seems excessive but is not accompanied by redness or fever, it could be lymphedema - find out about manual lymph drainage.

And my spring break was this week, but since I only teach one class a week, it wasn't a huge break.  My regular work does continue to be great about me leaving for appointments or coming in late or leaving early if I need to.  I think they are so relieved to have me back that they're willing to put up with it for awhile.  I just hope that lasts as long as I need it to last - but I can always start using vacation time.  I never get to use all of it anyway.  I am hoping to get to Maine this summer for a nice art residency.

Hope everyone has a great start to spring!  We may have snow here in Texas.  Wild.

Elaine

Hi Kim and all, I think my TE's are also causing some armpit pain.  I have one TE that seems to be further into the armpit than the other and that side gets much more tender...especially by the end of the day as I get tired. I feel like it's poking me right by the scar where my lymph node was removed.  I'm hoping when the TE's are finally gone this will all feel a whole lot better.

For general pain and tightness in the armpit I put Arnica Cream in the area and it seemed to help. I put it on two or three times a day during the first weeks after surgery (careful not to get in near any incisions). Now I use it occasionally, when areas feel tender and poked by the TE's. I still depend on Tylenol and Advil to get through the day and to sleep at night. 

We are having lovely weather here in NY on the first day of Spring  

Healing and comfort to all,

Laura 

Hello January Sisters,

Haven't posted in a while.  Last fill with the PS went well.  50cc in each breast.  He will do 50cc each in 3 weeks and 50cc again 2 weeks after that, so I will be done in 5 weeks.  I am used to the TE's now. 

I also responded to a request for breast cancer patients (who could give up one appt per week for 9 weeks).  It has to do with Breast Cancer and Depression -- now I think that's a no-brainer...they kind of go together like peanut butter and jelly!  I met with a screener for 2 and a half hours.  It actually was a pretty good interview and there were lots of questionnaires to complete, too.  There is no medication involved; it will all be behavior modification, and I must admit, my behavior probably could use a little "modification".  Well, they called today and said I passed the test----I guess that means I'm depressed enough for their criteria, so my first appointment will be Wednesday morning.  I signed up for the clinical study, not because I thought my roller coaster of depression needed to be treated (actually I think I have some pretty good mechanisms to deal with those weepy times), but I felt the more people diagnosed with this disease that enter clinical trials the easier the road may be for those that follow.

I also joined a health club today and will meet with a personal trainer on Monday.  I spoke to her at great length today and she is excited to work with someone in my situation.  The PS gave his blessing.  I have had no range-of-motion issues at all.  The only time I ever experienced ROM problems were after the axillary node dissection, but my PS encouraged (insisted on) stretching exercises the day after surgery -- and I think that really helped.  That took about a month to get through, but I have had no problems since the mastectomy.

I also took advantage of the sunshine and warm weather and actually played 9 holes on Friday afternoon.  It was really awkward at first.  I was always pretty small chested so I had to learn to swing around these filled TE's.  First couple of holes the club felt like a foreign object in my hand and I had no timing, but pleased to say figured it out, got it back, and birdied (had a 4) on the last (par 5) hole! 

I also have done a lot of reading on nutrition and natural aromatase inhibitors, so I have greatly decreased the amount of sugar in my diet, am doing all whole-grains, also greatly reduced anything white (bread, potatoes, white sugar, white rice, etc.), eating lots of organic fruits and vegetables.

If I've been blessed with early stage breast cancer that was caught early and been given a second chance, I am going to physically do everything I can to treat this body well.  I am also going to celebrate life and do and enjoy!!  If recurrence happens, it happens....I am not going to waste any previous time worrying about it. 

There are a lot of stresses (and losses) coming up in my life right now and I'm going to do everything in my power to keep the ship on course.  Husband is leaving Friday for new job in NY.  He'll be living with his son and daughter-in-law and 2 granddaughters.  I'll remain here to finish 9 weeks of the clinical trial (5 of those weeks also for fills).  Then, hopefully, I will be able to go to NY and join him.  We will patiently wait for the house to sell and I will either be in Tennessee or return to Tennessee for the exchange surgery.

I used to think (before breast cancer) that I had control, or that I could control things in my life.  If I didn't learn anything else, I have learned that I never had control, and never will.  So when it sells, it sells.  Again, I am grateful for family that has provided a place for us to stay in the meantime.  I will miss my darling husband and the separation won't be fun, but I will stay busy and look forward to us being together again.

As I have seen from the posts, we all have something to deal with on this journey.  My prayers will always be with all of my sisters to find good health and peace and comfort along your jorney.

Marianne

Sally - I, too, loved the video......it gave me new "food for thought" about my scars    

Debbie - be safe on your drive home tonight...so GLAD you had a good day

Marianne - glad you got to golf today and got used to the newer, bigger YOU   I loved how you have expressed yourself and your feelings and what you have learned in your journey thus far.

I know we have all grown so much in this short time, although in some ways, it has seemed like forever.  But when I think it has only been a little over four months since my diagnosis, I am amazed.  SO much has happened since then, so many new people in my life, so much knowledge I've gained, so much, so many changes....in such a short time....

You know, for awhile, I couldn't stand the color pink and what I thought it represented.  I hated to hear the words breast cancer.  My kids couldn't stand it when a BC commercial came on TV.  But after Thursday night's BC event that Gina and I went to, it actually made me feel PROUD to be a BC survivor.  Today, I actually got to go shopping BY MYSELF (yahoo!!!!)....I wore a fairly fitted lower scooped long sleeved t-shirt with a fairly fitted light weight jacket - all flat, and I didn't care who I saw or who saw me.  I AM A SURVIVOR!!!!  I AM A CONQUEROR!!!  And if someone has a problem with my flat chest, then that is exactly what it is  - THEIR problem       I figure I'm tall and thin enough that it's not terribly obvious anyway, so I'm just not going to worry about it - at least not yet anyway.  Guess I'll eventually get around to getting my prosthetics, but I'm in no hurry....

OK, got that off my chest (literally!)....heading out in the morning....and wouldn't you know it?? My family and I have stayed well and healthy (no colds, no flu, no viruses) this whole entire school year - until this weekend!!!  pooh........and it's spring break.  Go figure.  My 17 y.o. daughter has a bad cold and I'm fighting one, too......bah!  sore throat, stuffy nose, argh....

take care everyone....love you all.....will be thinking of each one of you...in new jobs, in chemo treatments, in behavioral visits, in jobs, in PT, in fills, in rest, and in constant healing...

blessings..robin