MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

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  • annettek
    annettek Member Posts: 1,640
    edited March 2011

    hi all...thank you so much for the loving support...means the world...I am supposed to be sleeping but vicodin has me zooming a bit until it settles in...

    The expanders were a b*tch at times, hard as rock, painful off and on, but really, considering the purpose in light of all the pain others have to sometimes go through in order to friggin just survive, a very small price for me to pay.

    Here is a brief (for me) synposis for Elimar and others curious...(different for everyone of us)

    I was filled at various intervals dating back to four weeks after my BMX- doc waited until all incisions were completely healed. Hidden port for the fills with saline. He would use like a studfinder to find them each time and put anywhere from 30CC to 90CC (highest I ever had at one time and then only once). Odd pinchy feeling more than any real pain from injecting saline. More pain/discomfort from weight and pressure of tissue expanders (TEs).

    Went to surgical center this morning with TEs filled to 450. PS took 500, 550 and 600 cc implants in OR and said he would see what my body told him was the best fit. I liked that attitude through this whole process. Landed up with 550s when I woke up. Which was rather quickly and with no drains (YEAH!!!!) Sent me home on massive antibiotics and vicodin= to return to his office tomorrow. Wrpped tight in an ace bandage - so i can't see anything except some massive sumpin sumpin sqaushed in there:)

    Very mixed emotions this morning as I kept mind tripping back to BMX and the reality was just so different. The nursing staff was incredible as was the doc. Very positive and encouraging about how this was all a good thing. The husband, well, he was just magnificent with his crazy wife. Laughed at me last night at 2am when I decided I needed to dye my hair since it was graying out like a skunk and I knew I would not be able to move my arms so much next couple of days....I will try to go sleep now if I can tamper down nervous energy-need for rest emphasized by doc and nurses...

    If revisions are needed will be made when nipples are created in 3-4 weeks. PS reminded me not to get freaked out in the next couple of weeks from extra skin at incisions since that is what we have been *growing* to use for my nipple reconstruction...he does not like to use another *donor* site from the body if he can avoid it....how cool is that?!

    it is so amazing how a person can grow boobs with the tissue expanders, etc, so to speak. I am thinking of making a tshirt saying

    No, they are not fake, I grew them myself.

    thank you kind friends...I hope all are healthy and happy today

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  • annettek
    annettek Member Posts: 1,640
    edited March 2011

    WOW guys, just checked work email and look what those beautifully brilliant (and I mean this sincerely) researchers at DARPA are working on

    http://pubs.acs.org/cen/government/89/8911gov2.html

    Biosensors to cue something wrong...they are calling it a check engine light for the body! I am meeting with the Darpa group in DC this summer at BIO conference..they always have the coolest things to show off and picking their brains is awesome...in my opinion they have the best and brightest of all of the government's acronym agencies....

    ok...back to trying to rest but thought we could all use some cool news for once:)

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  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 5,938
    edited March 2011

    annette sounds like you are doing good and everyting went wel but get your rest.

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  • lynniea
    lynniea Member Posts: 611
    edited March 2011

    Yea God is so awesome he saw me through my first Chemo.  They were having trouble getting a blood pressure on me had to use manual cuff.  My sential biopsy came out negative.  I got a bad headache from IV nausea med they say only 10% of people get it.  I am one of them.  I came home and took a nap.  I thank you all for helping me through this.  This site is very helpful and glad I found it.  I have to get a shot tomorrow. I is the one that helps with the bone marrow.

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited March 2011
    Annette!!! You done good girlfriend!!! And Lynniea, you did too!! Laughing
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  • JeanneR
    JeanneR Member Posts: 128
    edited March 2011

    Annette - I am so glad that you are OK, and now have the "new real" ones!!! 

    Lynniea  - Good Courage girl. You did it.

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited March 2011

    lynniea, that's great that your nodes were clear! 

    annettek, sounds like you are working with a reasonable PS, and so far so good.  Happy Healing to ya!   Thanks for writing a synopsis of your experience here.  We have a real smorgasboard of experiences on this thread for sure.  It's for my convenience really, since I am a bit lazy to get over to the many reconstruction and T/E threads. Appreciate your sharing..

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited March 2011
    Welcome chelemybelle and JeanneR to our little thread.  You may have B/C, but youe don't have to have B/C ALONE.  Plenty of Sisters here for you.
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  • heartnsoul76
    heartnsoul76 Member Posts: 1,648
    edited March 2011

    annette - hope you are sleeping now! Sounds like you are doing great - good to hear. Thanks for explaining the procedure - is this called a DIEP? There are so many options for reconstruction I just lose track of which is which.

    lynniea - you did it! I hope you are sleeping now, too!

    Good job, ladies! Onward and upward we go! 

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  • lynniea
    lynniea Member Posts: 611
    edited March 2011

    I am up but slept for 3 hours when got home.  Doing pretty well still have a little headache going to take some more Motrin.  We are soldiers of the army of the Lord.  Would I be without him.  Thanks for the prayers and thoughts  (((((((((((((((((LADIES))))))))))))))))

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  • heartnsoul76
    heartnsoul76 Member Posts: 1,648
    edited March 2011

    Where would we be without Him is right! I hope your headache goes away - be sure to drink plenty of water. And let your family wait on you - that can be hard to do sometimes, but you need it and deserve it!

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  • jo1955
    jo1955 Member Posts: 8,543
    edited March 2011

    Annette & Lynn - You two did it.  Great news.

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  • Paula66
    Paula66 Member Posts: 1,728
    edited March 2011

    Congrats Annette.  Take care in the next few days.  I cant wait for m time.

    Congrats Lynniea. God is good!  Take care and let everyone wait on you.  Just sit back and take it easy.   Drink lots of water.

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  • lynniea
    lynniea Member Posts: 611
    edited March 2011

    Yes I did not so bad there are a lot of great people there.  My shot tomorrow.  Going to rest now. Good night and God Bless.

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  • lynniea
    lynniea Member Posts: 611
    edited March 2011
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  • JeanH
    JeanH Member Posts: 281
    edited March 2011

    Hi Middies,

    I have lots of catching up to do but will do over the weekend.

    annett and Lynnia glad to hear you are both ddoing well.

    Round 3  of Ec did hit harder than the first 2. ONC warned me an he was right.  Much more tired and Lynnia I also get headaches from the antinauseas, have to take a tylenol as soon as infusion is over. the headaches and naps after wok kept me off the boards most of the past 2 weeks.  When recovered we lost power so no internet and the figure I needed to use my "good days" to do tax prep, don't I know how to have fun!  I did manage to get a girl friend birthday dinner in Monday, they scheduled around my chemo so it was fun to actually go and eat out. 

    Today was crazy at work, trying to get everything done before Chemo break and the e-mail system went down.....and now I cannot connect to work e-mail at all...I think God is hitting me on the head right now and telling me to slow down!  Last EC is tomorrow!  The 4 Taxol - no antinausea med for most people - so headaches go, I know we trade for other SE but we take it as it comes.

    Good night all.

    Jean

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  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 6,503
    edited March 2011

    Barbe1958.......nope...William Shatner went to high school on Montreal!!!  Both my parents were born and raised in Montreal....I came early and surprised them when they were on a visit in Peterborough, ON.....still have lots of extended family in Montreal and some in ON......We moved to the states in 1967.....My DD and SIL live in Toronto....SIL's family are long time Torontonian's....I have dual citizenship as do my children.....

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited March 2011

    Annette and Lynn.....Yay!!!!  congrats girls on passing GO!  You did it, and you did it well.  Now you both need to rest and heal.  Welcome to  the newbies!!!...

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  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 5,938
    edited March 2011

    Lynniea one down, check. Sorry for the headache but glad your first one is over. God will carry u through.

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  • lynniea
    lynniea Member Posts: 611
    edited March 2011

    Thanks ladies I know God will carry me through.  Shot today  than church tonight YEA.  A little nausea this morning but headache a little better.  Thanks for the prayers.

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  • Meece
    Meece Member Posts: 19,483
    edited March 2011
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  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 407
    edited March 2011

    Annette and Lynn:  Rest, and take it easy.  When I had my exchange surgery - I felt much better than my bilateral with TE. 

    Lots of pillows ..

    Cups, plates and saucers on the counter, don't want to reach up, and pull a stitch

    Milk, water and other daily used heavy containers on middle fridge shelf

    I did not -  have drains after my exchange, so I did not have to worry about those annoying drains - milking them, flushing the tubes, measuring the discharge .. etc

    Please don't get discouraged when the bandages come off.. as I felt like my new ta-ta's looked smaller than I expected.  We get used to those darn football shaped tissue expanders that move around.  Somehow my right expander -- ended up under my arm -- uneven and lopsided!  Glad those days are behind me, now.

    Rest, Relax and Enjoy your new 'girls'.

    Vicki Sam 

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  • annettek
    annettek Member Posts: 1,640
    edited March 2011

    Yeah to all of us! For our various points of recovery. I slept well last night considering, actually about 6 solid hours which is pretty good. Pain on chest-dead center but that is where I believe most work was done adjusting this time around...wee the doc at 1 today and I will take a peek!. I did actually peek a little from the top obviously but am too scared I will somehow dislodge something so I will wait til 1. I am trying to get my mind set that no matter what "they" look like, it is where I am now. I don't miss my natural breasts in the regard of being somehow less...all things considered, I would rather be back at the place I was last summer when I decided breast augmentation was not something I would do..that my 36 "longs" (I stole that line from another thread:) would just have to do with the aid of some cool pushup bras. I had my mind completely made up as it was something I was toying with since hitting fifty and gravity. But I decided nada....then enters life with a BC smackdown. So, it became easy to say, fill 'em up-what the hell...I am alive and at this instant in time-happy and hopeful. That is what I think we could all benefit from....savoring the moments. I read a great book, Search for Serenity, many years ago and it has come back to me thorugh this whole BC journey. To paraphrase...That we treat great joy and great terror for the two imposters that they are...neither lasts forever and will pass as surely as we are convinced they will remain. Two islands we swim back and forth between. And that we must be cautious in believing or embracing too strongly either one. For the fear of losing the great happiness will offset it's immediate benefit and result in our not truly enjoying it and then on the other hand the fear of being mired in terror extends that horror long after we have sailed back out. The goal being somewhere in the middle floating along with a balance and savoring the ride as much as we possibly can. Yep we will bump into terror and glory islands, but our ships will sail again. So, what that leaves me with is that I am to draw in the good to fill my sails. We so often miss the good moments. I am guilty of that with my personal self. Long before BC. How everything will be ok or somehow better when *this* or *that* happens. That if only I had this or that, or how it is good but could somehow be better. I am slowly starting to realize that how could I know happiness if I don't allow it when it is from something that may be very brief but real? Off to float....

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  • annettek
    annettek Member Posts: 1,640
    edited March 2011

    HeartnSoul- no, mine was tissue expanders (TEs) followed by fills and then a swap of the tissue expanders with implants. They call it immediate reconstruction although it is a months, sometimes year or more long process. The immediate part is putting in the tissue expanders following the mastectomy.

    As for the flap surgeries that is way over my head of knowledge, i think they all entail utilizing skin and tissue from other parts of your body.Some of the pics I have seen have given the women excellent results. For myself, I was not a candidate but I doubt I would have chosen it as I am ok with the surgeries in the same area (my chest) but would not want to start involving other parts of my body. Neither is right or wrong, personal choice and what your body dictates as well.

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited March 2011

    annetek, thanks for giving us the perspective of that book.  One of those simple concepts that makes sense but hard to put into practice consistantly, however, we can TRY.  Happy sailing!

    I was also reflecting on JeanH's comment "no time to have fun."  Well, I felt that way too.  I know we have heard from a few Superwomen that did not have to alter their lives very much during treatment (and that's perfectly cool,) but many of us got pretty wiped out from surgery, chemo and/or rads.  During that time, however, it is *very* important to try and have whatever fun you can muster.  You just CANNOT let it be all treatment, chores and resting. You won't even feel alive. 

    I didn't have that much energy, but I could start this thread, make new friends, and write about my Cheetos addiction.  (By the way, I have rehabbed a little and have taken to snacking on Cheetos Puffed Corn--the methadone of Cheetos.)   Have I thanked you all lately for being my fun and diversion?

    So ladies in active treatment, I encourage you to think about those less taxing (why did I pick this word during tax time?) things that make you feel good and happy and DO THEM.  Keeping your spirits up during this time is a neccessity.

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited March 2011

    Oh yeah...

                     St Pat's Pictures, Images and Photos

                                                                                                           Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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  • OG56
    OG56 Member Posts: 897
    edited March 2011

    So, speaking of sailing between those islands of joy and fear, my biopsy came back B9 with ALH and more LCIS. Since in spite of the Arimidex I have very busy breasts I must once again ponder the DIEP :)  Thanks for all the well wishes, you all have been holding my hand for quite some time now and I really appreciate it.

    I wish I could sleep like my grandson is in that picture, I hate not having the luxury of sleeping well anymore unless drug induced LOL

    Annette and Lynnia, congratulations on moving ahead in your treatments. 

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited March 2011
    OG56, happy for your B9 results, but it does put you in a gray area.  Are the docs steering you one way or another?   In any event, it does give you time to become thoroughly informed on all your options.  I'm also wondering if your body is making full use of that Arimidex?  There is the utilization test for Tamox., but I don't know if there is a comparable one for Arimidex.  Maybe another AI would be more effective?
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  • walker2222
    walker2222 Member Posts: 558
    edited March 2011

    Stayed home from work today had a major migraine. Stayed in bed with closed curtains most of the day. Had my followup with RO yesterday don't have to go no more, bad grammar I know.



    Annette/Lynniea sounds like you both are doing good today. I pray that your recovery and the rest of chemo go well too.

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  • marlegal
    marlegal Member Posts: 2,264
    edited March 2011

    I confess that I haven't been here for 6 pages!!!  You kids have been busy little bees this week :)  Not even going to pretend that I'll get around to back-reading, that never seems to work, so if I missed any major announcements, please PM me, okay?  I'll just add to what Eli and others said above - try to find something during treatment to take you away for just a little while.  I'll never forget the gorgeous fall day my daughter came over and asked if we could go for a walk.  It was the "off" week of chemo so I was feeling as good as I'd feel and we walked all around the neighborhood just talking.  It was one of my favorite days :)  Eli, I didn't realize that's when you started this thread - kudos on that hon.

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