November 2009-Starting Chemo

Linda, good to hear all went well for you...I know what you mean by no sleeping at the hosp.  I could complain for an hour about that....but I must go to work....WHAAAA, why can't I win the lotto.

Ok, for those who had a BMX...how long until the poo fairy came to pay his visit?  I'm doing Miralax and Colase, but I have dynamite just in case. I do NOT want to go down that road again...

Linda ~ I need the pain meds ~ took the stool softener, then had to resort to Milk of Magnesia and Miralax.  I was like 7 days ~ it was not fun !!!

Hope you are feeling ok.

Alicia

Mickey:  I had a right uni. You will need to pack slip on pants and button up shirt. I had two drains and they had belt loops. I wore a belt around my waist with the drains on (don't put the belt through your pants, you will only make that mistake once). You will want a pillow in the car and maybe a small pillow to cushion between the right uni and the passenger seat belt.

Do they have to remove or mess with your lymph nodes on that side? If so, reaching up will be a problem for awhile.

For home, might I suggest moist toilet wipes. Being right handed, wiping was a little tricky at first and the moist wipes made me feel cleaner.

I figured I would need laxatives for pain meds - maybe not?  I will have the sentinal node checked at time of surgery and if it is positive then they will remove the nodes around it.

Coffee is my fave too!  I'm 2nd case in the morning so it won't be too bad - did you bring special clothes?  I have a drain holder made by one of our lovely ladies - sorry I can't remember your name but it will be put in use next week. 

Mickey: I only spent one night in the hospital, so I am sure I was over packed. But earplugs sound like a great idea. And maybe your favorite toothpaste, I remember wanting to brush my teeth several times to get rid of the cotton mouth.

Pain meds do make me constipated, so having something at home to counter act that is a good idea. If I recall though, I had more trouble with chemo constipation than I did with surgery constipation.

I met with a plastic surgeon, yesterday. It wasn't very optimistic sounding. I will see him again six months after I finish rads to have a better idea of what my options will be.

Linda: I have sent you poo fairy sprinkles, hope that they have worked! I laughed about "leaking on your robe". Cancer isn't for the faint of heart is it?

Hope everyone is doing well!

Oh, I did see a plastic surgeon. He said come back six months after I finish rads. He didn't sound optimistic about my options, bummer.

Alicia: I had a right uni, but am completely open to taking lefty off at some point. He said my best bet is the Lat Flap and I really hate the thought of using perfectly good muscle just to make a boob. But, how radiation affects me will be a big issue. Apparently, my pec muscle was too involved in the mastectomy to get a good implant under there.

So, I am just not going to worry about it, now. I have 8-9 months before anyone would touch me anyway. I am thinking I could go ahead and get the good one taken off and just have all sizes of different foobs to wear with all different clothes. Can you imagine being an A cup in a tank top, but being a D cup in a va-va-vavoom shirt. I could really mess with people's heads.

I like Michele LIKE your thinking Melinda ~ 

Wouldn't that be nice if our boobs did grow back...bless her soul.  I am going to see my grandmother next month.  I am not sure she knows about my cancer.  She has Alzheimer's, so if she did I am sure she has forgotten...I don'twant to scare her, yet I don't want to wear my wig...

Linda, I am sorry the poo fairy took so long to get there, but glad that all is well, now. I wonder why the PS is suggesting two different types of recon for you. I am worried about having a Lat Flap just on one side, doesn't it make sense that you would get real crooked after a few years?

Electrical tingles are hard to get used to, but it is your nerves regrowing, so that is good.

Linda: That is interesting what your PS said. But please clarify, you said DIEP and Lat but you wrote both on your right side (that would be a whole lotta booby!). So which is your cancery side and which operation are they suggesting for that side.

I wondered about the goal weight also. Like you, I have time to get it together. But what if we get to goal weight and don't have the fat to spare? (A girl can dream, right?). I also wondered if we could use this time to increase our pecs and lats, so there is more muscle to spare?

I already have an abdominal hernia left over from having kids, so I doubt I would be a candidate for the Tram Flappy thing, but I would like to have that hernia tucked back in while I am under.

But I do have saddlebags to spare, they probably won't go anywhere, ever. They could slice each of those babies off and make at least a Bcup on each side.

Too bad we can't "bank" our fat like you bank your blood. Take all this extra now, let me get back into shape and then thaw out that fat and slap it back on. (good thing I am not a doctor, I would be a mad scientist).

check the other discussions about Lat flaps and DIEPs and TRAMS - they all take muscle just not the fat.  heck if they would take just the fat, I'd be in 7th heaven but my doc said if I had the surgery in May, I wouldn't be able to travel or work until October - that's a heck of a recovery time so I said no thank you.  They probably look more realistic, but my hubby and I are just happy to have the cancer gone - Bertha (my sick boob) is going to be remade into Bertie with an implant and Betty (my good boob) will get a "touch up" - my boobs don't usually lose too much weight when I lose - I've gained about 15 pounds on chemo and I'm only 5'1.5" (notice the 1.5, not 1 )so it really shows in my tummy, thighs and bootie.

Melinda - why are you doing RADS with a mastectomy?  I thought that was usually done with lumpectomies

Linda - celebrating the Poo Fairy's arrival !

Everyone take care and I'll keep you posted.

Linda, have you ruled out the idea of expanders and inplants?  i think that is the route I will take...but not for a while...at least 6 months away...

Suepen: I won't be surprised if it is 1 1/2 hours, I think she was just going by the bag I get now, which is weekly. She did have to double check about the pre-meds and said she doesn't do anyone that is H only, so she could very well be mistaken.

I am just glad to know that I will be able to drive myself. Although my Mom admitted that she will miss me when chemo is over. We have spent a lot of time together in that room. Mom even crocheted a baby blanket for one of the pregnant chemo nurses during my infusion. Maybe it is not me she will miss, she has bonded with the nurses and the patients we see.

I did get very teary during yesterdays chemo. There was an elderly man that I saw during his first infusion last month. He walked in last month, in good spirits, his son's were with him, we shared my Mom's birthday cupcakes with them. Yesterday, he was bald and frail and in a wheelchair. It really shook me up. I am crying now just thinking about it, this shit sucks!