Calling all Stage II Sisters!!!

My whole port area was red, warm and painful, and i went to my internist who is also a pulmonologist and he was worried about a bloodclot, so got me an ultrasound... I did not have any other usual clot symptons, but as a lung specialist he sees a lot of clots gone bad... Also it is not uncommon apparently to develop a clot with a port... Anytime a foreign body is in your body it is a risk...

dixiebell - some of the people in my chemo group reported nausea and flashes from their ER suppressor but that if you hang in for a week or so, the nausea dissipates.  Your MO may be able to give you some anti-nausea meds in the short term.  Many say the flashes and body aches drop off after a few months as your body regulates to the med, hopefully this happens for you.

Hey there Sanbar, thanks for posting this for "us" Stage II sisters:)  Have you gained any weight with the tamoxifen?  I can relate to the bitchy thing-or should I say my husband would be able to relate with your husband:)  Hope all is going well with you

I have been lucky that I have not noticed much in the way of SE from Femara, but I had a TAH/BSO 10 years ago.  I serously doubt I have much estrogen to suppress.  This may also mean that I have been bitchy for 10 years!!!  Poor DH!

cp418 sorry about you day that is so frustrating. Seems like they could have had dr office fax it over. No one makes this easy!!!!

cp418 - I did that before BC!  My bags are in the garage, or in the trunk of the car while I am in the store! Yesterday I had to go for Herceptin and instead of grabbing the plastic wrap to cover the Emla cream on my port I brought the aluminum foil!  WTH?

etherize - welcome to stage II, sorry you find yourself here.  Sorry about the chemo - anticipation makes it seem worse, but the truth is that you can do it!  Not fun, but you can do it.  And the short answer to your last question - yes.

SpecialK - Too funny about the aluminum foil!

etherize - Yes, very sorry you had to join us but you are welcome all the same.  I was dx in 2006 and in this short time there have been many treatment changes. Your SNB sounds better removing fewer nodes than when I had 18 removed with 1 positive sentinode for 1/18 nodes. I'm not good with needles either having poor veins for venipuncture but I really appreciated getting my port. Think of it as only a temporary tool for getting the job done and then it is removed. It certainly made administering my chemos far easier than if I had to get an IV setup each time.  We are here for you.

Feeling crazy here too. Caught in the never never land between cancer patient and "normal person". Hard to find my way. But... I'm happy to be here trying to figure it all out. How to return to the world of "normalcy"...whatever that is!

Thanks for the welcome, everybody.

For me, being here is just a bit more dire.  I'm already living with HIV/AIDS; my life expectancy before bc was much shorter (by at least 10 years) than those who are HIV-negative.  

So getting cancer wasn't the huge shock for me that it is for many others.  I already went through PTSD with one diagnosis, and knew my risk of getting many cancers was 3-4 times greater than healthy people.  Hearing the bc diagnosis just felt like the other shoe dropped.

But now with bc, my time is even more limited.  The chemo is going to destroy what little immune sytem I've managed to build up with the HIV drugs.  

I've been living with the knowledge of my mortality at the top of my mind for the past 16 years.  The end is just that much closer now.

haven't posted in my other sister thread so here i am again.  had port placed on thursday...really sore.  worse then the bmx was...weird.  Went out for a pizza with DH and DD without any fakies in and feel like everyone stares at me..Ah the poor woman with cancer.  All in my head I am sure.  Waiting for my stupid insurance to ok the Neulasta shot so I can get going on the chemo and be done already.  The anticipation is killing me.  My Mo will not start the Taxol til the Neulasta is oked.  wish I was made of money so that i could just do it and pay for it myself.  Anyway enough whining.  I had my hair cut short so that I could get used to having little hair before the no hair stage comes.  I am excited for a clean pet scan--the first--and did a dance in the office when I read the report!.  

Maggie

dixiebell...had my first chemo of taxol on Wed.  Insurance finally decided to "approve" Neulasta I had to pay an $860 copay.  Once I meet my $2500 out of pocket (done) I will owe nothing else for this year so now I am set.  The insurance will only pay for chemo at hospital or outpatient center not at Onc's office--she has a comfortable room there for it.  I will just do what they say..it was not as bad as I thought and I had my own room and my daughter got to stay with me for it.  Ended up with some red tape hold ups but the infusion was a non event which I am grateful for.  Maybe the next one will go smoother and I will not be stuck at the hospital for an overnighter.  At least I do not have to pay for anything else.  Recon with probably be on next year's deductible--blah..but at least for that I will have my new beautiful boobies!!

Maggie

Hi all:

Had my final recon surgery on 11/11/11. They exchanged my implants with smaller ones and then did fat injections over them. They feel real and soft! I am so happy with the outcome. Although now I have 2 scars on 1 side that make an x.  Oh well who cares. Hope everyone is doing well!!!

Hi, Just joined a few days ago and wanted to say hello.

Maria