December 2011 Surgeries - want to wait together?

VShowe, I had a double mastectomy on 12/20 and haven't had any stomache problems other than bloated. Try drinking more water and walking along with maybe a mild stool softener, could that be the issue? Are you getting your fruits and verges in there.



How was chemo? That will be my next stop I think.

Blessings, I dont think they need as big an opening to replace the implants, so maybe you should go to work on them.  Ask!  LOL

Bogie, I had the same thing!  Picked up DCIS in the rt breast, but not the invasive 1.6 cm in my left.  So I am getting chemo I start on the 26th, getting my port on the 24th.  I went back to work this week and will work next week, then I am off.  My onco dx was canceled when the tissue showed HR2/neu, which my Onc said trumped any other score. 

 Kara, everyone must make their own decision, but one thing you might consider is that they have done a lot of research on bc.  my mom had a bmx with no nodal involvement and they declared here free and clear, and she still passed away from mets 7 years later.  That was 18 years ago.  They have learned so much, I am doing chemo even without nodal involvement, because it works for me.I am hoping it gives me the edge and I make it longer that 7 years!  Whatever you decide, I wish you the best.  

Moon, I'm confused that your oncologist cancelled the Oncotype test after your HER2 test came out negative?



I'm still learning so bare with me. My BS called me with a negative result on HER2 test. He then said he will now order the oncotype test to determine if I will have chemo.

MomoftwoinME- I have heard of people having discomfort with TE's at all different points in the process. Sometimes when it shifts a little you may get pain where you did not have it before. I needed to take pain meds and muscle relaxers throughout the process. I do think you should check in with your doctor to let them know about the pain but don't feel like it is not ok to take something for the pain.

Well, apparently, I have no immune system.

I got so sick before my second postoned surgery, I stayed home for over a month. I wore a surgical mask to all my doctors appts. When I came home from my BMX/TEs, we told family and friends I was in quarantine. (We seem to have a particular group of people that think nothing of going everywhere when they're sick and spewing germs.)

I kept my surgical mask on whenever I went out in public.....church, quilt class, bible study, grocery store.

So now, almost six weeks later, I decided I had to start going places without my mask to build up my immune system. So I left my mask off, and just depended on hand sanitizer a few times.

What do I get? Some horrid stomach flu....no vomiting, but relentless nausea, diarrhea, no appetite. Thank goodness for the anti-nausea meds they sent home with me. Fever was 102 yesterday, but that didn't last long. Nothing looks odd on my body...no redness, no probs with incisions healing....just.....YUCK!!!!

Missed my FIL's 90th birthday party today. Just stayed home and slept.

I'm sure this, too, shall pass.....but in the meantime, GRRRRRRR!!!!

p.s. Sure took my mind off my TEs. 

Blessings:  Have you had your vitamin D levels checked?  That is the first line of defense in building up your immune system.  It needs to be somewhere between 50-70 and more towards the 70 range to fight bc.  If you are not already doing it, start supplementing with 5,000 IU's daily.  That is what I had to do to get my levels from 27 to 54.  I was having the same problems before...one illness after another, now I haven't been sick in over a year, even with the stress of surgery.  This is why I was so disappointed when my RO told me I couldn't take antioxidants during rads.

I hope you feel better soon...not fun to be sick!

Kam170:  I went to cancermath and plugged in my numbers and I did come up with a very different set of statistics.  It says I have only a 2% chance of dying of cancer over the next 15 years.  It has programs that you can run with or without chemo and hormone treatment, but I didn't see on for without radiation, so it must assume you are getting radiation. 

Yes, please add Me to the official list, thanks.

Kaara- needless to say, I don't like your MO's numbers....so do you think he was talking about without radiation? Or perhaps a different statistic?

Kaara - that still seems "worse" than cancermath.net with a Grade 1.  At OHSU, they have this intrabeam radiation, where they plant a seed at the tumor site.  I didn't listen too hard since I didn't qualify...protocol only allows it to be done on those 60 years and older.  Sounded like a good way to avoid the skin issues.  My friend was also telling me about something else a friend of her's did at their Eugene,OR campus, with a balloon.  May have been the same thing as this woman was 60 years old.  Both were internal, though.  Good luck!

Quick question ladies -



For those of you with December surgeries that included TE's. How big a deal was your first fill? Would go to the reconstrction community site, but I like this group.



Shall I take a pain pill pre fill? post? Wait and see? I also still have cording in my left arm.



Thanks! Planning my week.

Can someone please help me to understand? I just don't understand the differences in treatments? Kaara, your mo told you your chance of recurrence was 30% with no further treatment? My dx was very similar to yours and besides the bmx no further treatment has been suggested. My mo said my chance of recurrence was very small. This is driving me crazy. At times I'm confident in my and her decision and then I wonder if I need to be doing something. I'm gonna go nuts.

CarolAnn - I was filled to 180 ccs in the OR, then had my first fills two weeks ago - 100 ccs.

Didn't feel a thing on the left side, felt a tiny sting of the needle briefly on the right.

Afterwards, the TEs actually felt BETTER!!!

I was the one who laid in bed and cried for two weeks after I got home from the BMX because the TEs made me feel like my chest was on fire from the inside out.

Now I think that once my body has gotten used to having foreign objects inside it, the fills are going to be o.k.

However - keep in mind that I am NOT a slender person...I have lots of loose skin, and very lax pec muscles. My PS says that may be a huge plus for me right now.