Too early for April 2012 mastectomy?

Hi, girls. Goingmtomsee my kids for the first time tonight. DH is bringing them to city and all will sleep over. So excited to se them, but also a bit nervous w how they will react. Trying to relax now for a bit somthatninwillnhave more " mommy" energy for them. My 10 year old daughter texted me a picture of her wearing my pajamas last night. Feeling pretty good today. Just still so tired. Too many visitors, I think!,

Surgery , dbl mastectomy, went well. Very discouraged to find 8/10 nodes positive. And i'm not pleased with how my breasts look. I am hopeful that the permanent implants will be better. I have numbness down the back of my arm and armpit, too.

Gabsbaba...your attitude is such a great inspiration. I know you'll do great! Xxooo

Lisamarie68 ~ SO happy that the surgery is behind you now and hope that you continue to heal quickly.  My surgery is on aug14 so I have a long wait ahead of me   Just a question. You mentioned something about "no chemo" so far in one of your posts.

 Just wondering why and how chemo would factor into a LCIS mastectomy.  My fear is that they find some occult cancer in there but from what I understood, if that is the case, it would be an early cancer like DCIS and the mastectomy would take care of it.  Still trying to learn all I can about what's down the road for me.  

Best of luck in your recovery.....

Hi ladies

Each one of you have been an inspiration for me and gave so much courage, strength and hope.

I don't post to much because it is hard for me to write in english but I read each post my husband thinks that ikm addicted to this forum.

Tomorrow it will be my surgery I need to be there at 5:30 and my surgery will be from7:30-2:30 I'm having a B

Bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. I just said goodbye to my two girls they were so brave I cried and they didn't they were trying to be strong for mama.

I have stomachache, nausea and I can't stop crying. Today this became real and I am really scare.

Dianarose~ It is just a timing thing.  I need my husband with me for the week after surgery and that is the only vacation time he has.  I know it is a long time to wait. Trying to put it on the back burner for now.  

Best of wishes to all... 

Lisamarie." sweetly I know how your feeling..

Because I been there with the pain, showers helped me deal with the pain, I still have a hard time sleeping, because I still have a lot of pressure pain in my breast,

Your have the implants , I suppose the pain is the same ,



It will get better Lisa, cos I came back from the land of pain, I called it my healing pain, and yes it's pain from hell, it will get better Lisa!!



Gentle warm hugs to you sweety... As you heal

Hi girls.  I am lucky - the pain is not so bad. I think my re-excision was worse. I had a UMX with no reconstruction, because the docs want me to heal and get my butt into chemo asap.  I only had a half day to prepare, so I went to the hospital completely unprepared.  My girlfriend brought me her MX cami with pockets - I was glad to have it, but would have survived without. I only have one drain and they pinned it to the bandage.  My aunt is a nurse and she was pleasantly surprised at my minimal bandaging.

I have lots of itching and scratchy feelings.  Zings and pulls and tightness.  I am on oxycodone - tried Tylenol but that didn't help. I can feel when my four hours are nearly up. I am only take half the dose and that seems to work fine.

My family is fabulous - hubby is quite the caretaker and I am having meals delivered three days a week.  My youngest has been teary, but I am hoping I can reel her in and settle her down this week.  She is such a doll.  My older daughter calls herself my positivity coach.  She sends me inspirational messages throughout the day to keep me perky.

 Hugs to all!

Muchos besos to you columbiana. Sending you prayers for a speedy recovery.



Rtnyc!!m yea!!! Welcome back! Wishing the rest of you peaceful sleep and healing. Xxoo

Just dropping in to see how everyone is doing and to send love to Columbiana for the next stop on her journey. I myself am doing very well. In fact, I seem to be surprising the hell outta my family.  The best thing was for me to come home as soon as I was able. Today I even did a little shopping with a friend. It was such a beautiful day in NYC, I just had to get out.  Of course, I'm not exercising like I was before the surgery so it was good to be able to just stroll at the shopping center and in my neighborhood. I feel very fortunate to feel as good as I do and am trying to not overdo it!  

There was quite some time between my diagnosis and the MX. In fact, I was scheduled for March 5th, but my gut told me to pull the plug on that, get a second opinion etc.  I really do believe that decision was the first of many good decisions -- for me.  It gave me time to get my better condition for treatment ,physically, emotionally and spiritually. For example, I lost 30 lbs, mostly by radically changing my diet. And that' s just one thing I did in the 3 months between diagnosis and surgery. I truly believe that all these things together enabled me to get the best outcome possible and contribute to my recovery fairly quickly and with minimal discomfort. And mind you, there was a point when I was getting anxious about too much time passing between diganosis and surgery! 

The worst thing is the constipation and even that is not as bad as it could be. I just don't like the mere idea of not having a daily movement because I had been eating cleanly for so long lol!  They gave me a stool softener, but I stay away from it because I HAVE to take antibiotics (cephalexin) 4x per day.

For pain I was prescribed roxicet. The most I can take is 1-2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours, but so far I haven't taken more than 3 pills in a 24-hour period.  No matter how I'm feeling, I take one before i go to bed because to ensure I sleep through the night. Rest is important!  After sleeping pretty much in one position (although now I can spend some of the night on my right side thanks to my strategic pillow placement including one of those "bed chairs"), getting up can be a little hairy. I find it's the morning when the incision and nipple may hurt most so I'll get up really sloooowly and take a tablet ASAP. But for the most part, I feel like I movement helps - using my arm as normally as possible, not sitting/lying in one position too long, and supporting my side with pillows when I do, especially my arm. 

Everyone's journey is different, and one thing that works my nerves about your average cancer memoir is that too many have this judgmental undercurrent toward women who might make different decisions. It's wonderful to share information and aim to inspire other women with your own journey, and you do that by sharing what works for you as well as why you think it worked yet respect that for some reason or other, it may not be right for everyone. When I read these accounts, some make it seem like anyone woman who does something different than the author did be it more or less agressive, conventional, alternative, complementary, secular or spiritual etc. is somehow doing something wrong, it irks me.  Women are judged enough in our society without having people - including other BC survivors - give us the side-eye when we reveal our treatment decisions. If we can live with the decisions we've made regardless of their outcomes, that's all that really matters. 

I see the PS tomorrow and am anticipating that he'll remove the drain (I only have one, and it's already under 12 ml.)   The next week I see the BS as well as the oconologist so, yes, I'll be joining some of you in Chemoland for 4 rounds of Taxol and some other thing I can't spell lol!  

OK, I'm being summoned by the relatives, but xoxoxo to everyone! 

Thank you vballmom, longislandmom, floridamomandwife for your words and prayers.

Feeling a little bit more relax.

Colombiana Thinking of you and praying for quick and easy recovery

Yay longislandmom!! Such a relief, I'm sure.

I've been in and out of this group - I had a UMX in Dec. and then follow up surgery in April. I've been reading and following though and I wish all of you the best. You are some strong ladies and together you'll get through everything!

Awesome news, LongIslandMom.  I wish you much happiness and good health.

congrats Long Ilsand mom .. did anyone shave under there arms yet? I am wondering when we can do that . I am in so much pain and its so unmanangable I am taking 2 percocet every 3 hours and I just realized id been taking 16 in 24 hrs .. OMG . I am scared to death the limit is 6 daily. i see PS tomorrow to get drains out . Right draining at 20 and left at 10 ..i feeel like something is constatntly sitting on my chest so uncomfortable . and numb and swollen .. wierd . I hate it .. I seem to be having the worse time here .....Hope everyone is doing well lots of hugs and loce to u all