December 2011 Surgeries - want to wait together?

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  • CookieMonster
    CookieMonster Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2012

    Spunky, hope they got it, whatever "it" is. Undecided Hope you're now resting comfortably.

    My stage II went fine, or so the PS said. For the DIEP in December, the abs hurt more than the foob, for this one (he did a foob reduction and a bit of lipo on the side near the foob and revised the ab scar) the boos seems to be hurting more than the ab. I think the local pain meds are starting to wear off in the ab area and it's getting just a little achey. 

    I did have a leakage problem this time though. In recovery I noticed some blood beneath the foob so we wiped it up and the nurse put some gauze on, I put my shirt on (decided to forgo the bra - luckily) and they got me headed out. When we got down to the entrance my shirt felt damp and when I looked it had gotten blood on it, so we had to go all the way back upstairs and get it taken care of. The nurse paged the PS and he told her that it was fine and not unusual - wish he would have told the nurses! But once we put another piece of gauze on, it settled down and I'm fine now. I did have to wear a hospital gown home, as I didn't think that showing up to pick DS up from his playdate today in a bloody shirt would be a good idea. HA!

    Bogie - I hope you're resting MORE comfortably than I am, and I'm pretty comfortable!

    Now onward we go - oh, it just dawned on me that I might have to sleep on my back tonight - YUCK!

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  • Bogie
    Bogie Member Posts: 286
    edited April 2012

    Sprunky- a nodule? You had a BMX I don't get it. A nodule is a soft mass usually benign, I have one on my thyroid. Glad they biopsies, keep us posted.



    Cookie - how did surgery go? Mine was fine, familiar old wound feeling from my BMX re stitched in the same place, but doing ok thanks to pain meds. No drain this time thank God!!



    Blessings- Glad I'm not cracking up with this upper abdomen post surgical bloat...dang nothing fit right. Think I better slow down on the fruits that is when it actually got worse. I also heard 6 months to a year.



    Hugs to my Dec Sistas!!!

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  • CookieMonster
    CookieMonster Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2012

    Bogie - Yay for no drain! Me neither, but that was expected - the leakage was not. Heh. Rest up! No pain meds in me now (except for leftovers from surgery). My summary is right above your last post, we must have crossed in the writing.

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  • Moonflwr912
    Moonflwr912 Member Posts: 6,856
    edited April 2012

    Glad to hear all the surgeries went well, Bogie, glad they are biopsing the thing. To all, much love.

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited April 2012

    Glad you all got through surgery and are feeling ok.

    Cookie-hope you can get a comfy sleeping position!

    Spunky-glad "it" is out and being tested!

    I had a lot of swelling when I was still in the recliner and my PT told me I had to get into bed. She said that position can cause swelling in the abdomen. Hope it goes down soon!

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  • spunkyboobster
    spunkyboobster Member Posts: 738
    edited April 2012

    Day off for me! Smile

    Have a great day everyone! 

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  • fitzdc
    fitzdc Member Posts: 1,467
    edited April 2012

    Hope all the surgery ladies are doing well.

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  • CookieMonster
    CookieMonster Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2012

    I'm doing about as well as expected. A bit sore today, but no pain meds yet, so that's a good sign. I hope that Bogie and Spunky are feeling good too.

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited April 2012

    Gentle hugs for spunkyboobster, Bogie, and CookieMonster!!!

    Hope you have a relaxing weekend!!!!

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  • QuinnCat
    QuinnCat Member Posts: 3,456
    edited April 2012

    Seems like we have a core group of December women looking after each other.  I hope another day has found you all more comfortable than the day before! 

    Cookie - hope you don't have to sleep on your back for too long. It's the pits, I agree!

    Spunky - not sure what the protuding object is?  That's just about what my friend was told about the thing growing in her masectomy scar.  Atleast it wasn't cancer and that's what she cared about most.  Hope they figure it out.

    Bogie - great - no drains! I swear, I had zero suffering from my BMX incisions...can't say that for the SNB or the internal stiching...drains were a drag though.

    Doing my 4th chemo (and last of AC) next week Wednesday. Then on to Taxol for the following 8 weeks.  Time passes so slow on chemo because ya just want it done and finished.   When I'm done with Taxol, they're going to put me on Carboplatin for 6 weeks.  Atleast that was the plan based on my MO in University Teaching Hospital - Place #1, who supposedly had agreement with my MO in Place #2, closer to home (preserving anonymity). I'm sensing a conflict, but haven't seen my MO for 4 weeks now, so this is based only the PA's response when I ask about the Carboplatin.  Another member here wanted Carboplatin for her BRCA cancer and MDAnderson refused, so I'm preparing for a possible contraversey.  There are no official protocols for platinum therapy for BRCA cancer, but lots of anectdotal evidence that it reacts really well to Platinum therapies.  The only thing I"m worried about is "resistence to" after awhile. While I have a lot of Biology courses under my belt, I have no ability to plow through the medical literature involving DNA, RNA stuff. It is mind boggling.  I want the "best" to tell me the "best" and get rid of this damn aggressive cancer the first time round.

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited April 2012

    Kam- nice to hear from you. How are you doing with your chemo?

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  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited April 2012

    Cookie, I can't believe you had a breast reduction and went home! Granted it was 35 years ago, and I had both, but I stayed 3 nights in the hospital and went home in layers of parrafin gauze and flannel wrapper. I guess nowadays it's just a big lumpectomy, and I went home after that. But still, the ming boggles. I am glad it seems to have worked out, oozing notwithstanding.

    Glad everyone's having a smooth time. 

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  • CookieMonster
    CookieMonster Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2012

    Yeah, I'm feeling sore tonight. No pain meds still, but hurting a bit. Saw the MO today, she removed the gauze and said everything looked great. My appt. with her was scheduled before the surgery got scheduled, but she and I didn't see a need to change it.

    I'm second guessing myself a bit tonight as the foob was pretty perfectly shaped just bigger than I wanted and right now it's not. PS called this evening to check on me and told me that things would even out, but I'm still feeling a bit down about it all. I'm sure it'll be fine in the long run, just having a tough evening, I guess.

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited April 2012

    Ohhhh CookieMonster...you were one of the wise women here who told me to have patience when I needed it the most.

    So please be good to your wonderful (still healing) self, and HAVE PATIENCE, SISTER!!!

    xoxoxoxo

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  • CookieMonster
    CookieMonster Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2012
    Thanks Blessings2011 - I'll try.
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  • QuinnCat
    QuinnCat Member Posts: 3,456
    edited April 2012

    Cookie - the whole question of boob size...what to do...will I regret...I'm feeling your second guessing (in anticipation of my own). I'm 2/3 rds the way to just learning to trust my PS in these matters, after all, she is the expert. I think Blessing gives great advice and time does change things, especially just after surgery!



    Ginger- thank you for asking. Chemo is not fun at its lowest moments, but as they say "doable.". I think the worst part of my whole experience with BC will be worrying about recurrence with my high oncotype score and grade...after that, just worrying about future cancers with brca2. I'm a worrier by nature. I'll admit it right here, I have Grade Envy!

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited April 2012
    Kam170  - big  hugs to you as you go thru chemo!!!!
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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited April 2012

    Kam- I hear you! I am trying to put BRCA out of my mind. My new motto is " I am not going to worry about it till I have something I know I need to worry about". Life is just too short to give my energy to that!

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  • QuinnCat
    QuinnCat Member Posts: 3,456
    edited April 2012

    Ginger - good motto. I do think once chemo is over I'm going to attend a BC support group. Without an immediate family, I have far too much time on my hands thinking about this stuff...I'd rather, believe me, think about other things.  Hopefully, once treatments, whether chemo, or reconstruction, are over, one isn't reminded of BC everyday...atleast I have one aunt that survived BC to live to 80 (she died of bladder cancer - not even listed as one of the risks, huh?).  Only 2 of 11 in my generation have had BC and no other cancers (and I'm the youngest, in my late 50's, so go figure), so maybe I can choose to believe we have a very weak version of BRCA (I can rationalize anything lol).  My gf always says I should be thankful to my father for giving me a very stalwart version of the gene that does all of the work (most of the time)!

    Thanks Blessings - seriously, it isn't that bad, chemo. It is what it is. Mostly, it just becomes something that pre-occupies one's time that you'd like to get over with! 

    Hope all are healing well from their recent surgeries. xxox 

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  • CookieMonster
    CookieMonster Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2012

    I was definitely in a funk the past two days. Woke up this morning feeling much better. Still not thrilled but better. Some friends brought over dinner last night and we chatted, ate, played a game, it was probably just what I needed. I also was able to sleep on my side part of the night - that also proabably helped. Hopefully things will improve from here. I'm trying to stay up, but in some ways I feel like I've finally hit the wall. I was diagnosed in early August and have trooped through 5 surgeries now, I'd like to put this all behind me, but I'm not done yet, still more surgeries to come. Sheesh. OK, sorry to dump on you guys, but I know you've got my back and appreciate it! Most people really don't understand. They say that I look great or that they would have done what I did in my place, but they haven't been through it and don't really fully understand it. It's a lot and I've taken it all so far pretty well, I think. But it's just finally gotten to me, I think. Thanks for being here and for reading/understanding.

    I hope that everyone is enjoying a lovely Easter with family and/or friends. We're going to a friend's house in a little while for his totally secular Easter party (with enough chocolate to "choke a horse") and then out to dinner with my in-laws. And then back to work from Spring Break tomorrow.

    -Judy

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  • CookieMonster
    CookieMonster Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2012

    Went out for Chinese for dinner tonight with the in-laws. My fortune seemed to totally fit what I'm feeling and what's going on right now - just thought I'd share, "You may lose the small ones but win the big ones."

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  • Moonflwr912
    Moonflwr912 Member Posts: 6,856
    edited April 2012

    @cookie, LOL

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  • fitzdc
    fitzdc Member Posts: 1,467
    edited April 2012

    Saturday mail brought notice of time for my 6 month mammo.  Geesh, has it already been six months?  Nervous about what will be found. 

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  • QuinnCat
    QuinnCat Member Posts: 3,456
    edited April 2012

    Cookie-ok, there are so many ways that fortune could be interpreted when you are talking about BC and breasts...perfect in so many ways.



    Spent Easter completing my 9th 366 mile trip, one way, to see my BS and PS. Hopefully the last one until July or August for exchange and ooph!! It's an all day affair today, including breakfast out then taking the tram (for the first time) that connects my doctor offices with the hospitals on the top of hill.



    The hospital at the top, where I had the BMX, is named after a man who is well into his 80's. About 20 years ago I sat with his son in a statistics course in grad school. Somehow his son got the idea I liked the medical disciplines ( I was on sabbatical from my current job) so he had his father call me and his father asked me to apply for medical school, the one he was in charge of! I'll never forget that...well, I eventually did end up at his school, and at the bldg named after him, but not in the capacity either might of thought of then.





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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited April 2012

    Cookie- Love the fortune. I know that funk well! I think our bodies have been through so much and now we are really feeling the cumulative effect. Right as everyone around us sees us as done. It is exhausting and this is the right place to come for support.



    Kam- funny story.



    Teresa- good luck with your mammo. Of course it is hard not to worry. Sending positive thoughts your way.

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  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited April 2012

    Cookie What an ironic fortune (but you're lucky you got a fortune. Most of them I open lately are descriptions, or philosophical statements). 

    Kam - poignant to be sure! 

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  • Bogie
    Bogie Member Posts: 286
    edited April 2012

    Cookie, one more surgery down for us! Now just take a break from thinking worrying.



    I developed another god dang allergic reaction, probably from adhesive surgical tape again. I feel like there are a zillion little red ants inside me, it itches sooooobad. I'll take pain over itch any day.



    Starting Aromasin, stopped the Arimidex. I feel so awesome off the Arimidex, but time to start a new one and bite the bullet.



    My new motto is Hang on! !!! Just hold on and get your sleep!









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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited April 2012

    Bogie- I like your motto! Hoping your itchies go away soon...

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  • CookieMonster
    CookieMonster Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2012

    Oh Bogie!!  Don't say those nasty words. I dread the appearance of the allergic reaction. I've had a reaction 3 of the 4 previous surgeries. It was miserable. Mine, which we think were to Chloraprep (1st 2 surgeries) then Betadine (4th surgery) didn't show up for 1-2 weeks after surgery. So I just have to wait and hope. OY!

    I'm glad to have this one behind me but am now discovering new difficulties. Revised ab scar with steristrips and my work clothes are not a good combo, they hit at just the wrong spot and are pulling the steristrips off. Might have to find some different clothes to wear for the rest of the week, we'll see what I can find in my closet. The pickings are slim because I don't have much that fits right now. I may end up in sweats - not ideal, but just might be the best solution and work will live.

    Hey Spunky - any news on the nodule yet? Keeping my fingers crossed for you! Hoping it's just nothing.

    Have a lovely evening everyone.

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  • spunkyboobster
    spunkyboobster Member Posts: 738
    edited April 2012

    Lots of news today-BS called and the so-called nodule was nothing, also had follow up with gynie-onc and bladder, uterus and ovaries were all clean. Now if the Arimidex doesn't get funky on me things will be looking good (for a little while, at least).

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