December 2011 Surgeries - want to wait together?

Big hugs to you, Kam...

Arimidex made water taste like medal! Guess I can toss my metal water bottle sniff sniff.

Moonflwer...who is "they" in your post?  TCH - is that Taxane of some sort/ Cytoxin / Herceptin?? Which one is affecting your taste?  I can't tell, do you do chemo every 2 or 3 weeks??

I would like to report that my taste came 50% or more back today!!! I can't tell you how frustrating that was (or maybe I did). I think I actually had lost it the whole previous week, but since I"m such a lousy cook, I couldnt even tell until I went out to my favorite restaurants.  So far, Taxol is agreeing with me, but expect to be up the next few nights on the steroids....maybe the worst is over!!

Bogie - oh shoot on the water/metal thing. Really? Water is my mainstay (as we get spring water right to our taps where I live).  Everytime?

Had a great day with my gf in chemo-town.  Found these sun hats that were marked down from 35 to !2 dollars and I feel like a scored.  Wigs just don't work when one is sweating.

Wishing all the best to my December sisters! 

Hi ladies!  DH surprised me with a trip for the weekend.  Going to Chicago  and taking the overnight train back home (I think this is more for him as he is a fan of trains).  Hoipe everyone else has a nice weekend!  Calling the PS today to get appointment for revision.

Just returned and still jet lagged from a trip to England (11 days including 8 in London). Walked probably a marathon's worth in the days I was in London. Over 35km in what I was able to count. I did have swelling from the flight in both directions, primarily in the DIEP flap on just one side (great! crooked again!) My mail was on hold while I was away, and the first delivery included an appointment for the hospital LE clinic, which I had missed as the time was six hours before I received the paper. Grrr. Other than the swelling, it was fantastic to be away and off the email except for brief intervals of free wifi. But all good things must end and it's back to exams and marking.

Fitz go to the Gold Coast area Division and Rush, then walk around Navy Pier, shop at water tower and enjoy our fun city in Chicago!!!

My understanding is that plane trips and swelling go together like mustard and hot dogs, presumably because of the pressurization. The LE therapist said many people use sleeves for arm LE when they fly and if I used a compression vest, it would deter the lymph fluid from pooling. I would wear it for running as well as running makes the swelling happen too. However I am still waiting to get assessed for LE vest so I don't have a real compression vest, and the spanx camisole did not work. (Well, it was slimming, and comfortable, but not anti-swelling.) I am so clueless about the manual lymph drainage. I try to pay attention, but I cannot make it go on my own.

It was absolutely wonderful to be there though. It was like travel back in time pre-BC and if it wasn't for the swelling, I am sure I would not have thought about BC at all the entire time. 

I don't know if it is LE or not. The one LE therapist said it was, and also said I had it on my arms and legs (?!) What bothers me is on the flap, not the arms. I had a bilateral DIEP but it is only on the delayed side where the two nodes were previously taken in the mx. He (the mx surgeon) really did a number on it, and I had massive numbness all around the back and under the arm, and I think I may have had some swelling around the back before but while it was pre-DIEP, I noticed the numbness not the swelling. The previous mx scar was painfully tight as well. Now that it has the DIEP flaps installed, the tightness of the mx is relieved and it all looks great. But with exertion, and apparently with flying, one flap puffs up like a balloon, to the extent that the incision scar ends up being a groove. It is creepy. What I want is for someone to confirm whether it is LE and tell me what to do to knock it back and ward it off because I don't want to stop flying, running, etc.

Goldlining - find a good LE specialist. I went to a local PT for my cording and she apparently didn't know what to do.  After 3 visits...no improvement. At the teaching hospital I went to for surgery, they sent me to PT who is an LE Specialist.  She got rid of my cords in one visit! (Cords are not LE, but ca be a precursor.)  I think there are very few PTs who have this qualification.

I went to a RMT with LE certification who works with a PT with LE certification, but it was not a convenient location. No sooner did I wake up the next day but it was back again. I know the goal is to learn to do it yourself but I couldn't remember how.

I have a referral to the big cancer hospital survivor clinic that is 5 minutes walk from my office that allegedly has lots of LE expertise. Counting down the days...

Aw, that sucks Bogie.

Chicago was wonderful!  back home in time for follow up meeting with Onc tomorrow.  Been on tamox for six weeks now with no major SEs.  My only real issue is that I have that horrible 'iron bra' feeling from the recon.  Perhaps I need to add more stretching?

Cookie - my letter was from Kaiser (or a company contracted by Kaiser) and when I called them, the conversation went like this:

Chirpy Clerk: "Good morning! And whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" Check your records, Dummy, I keyed in my medical  ID number when your robot requested it.

Me: (I give them my name.)

Clerk: Well, hello, Mrs. X. We show that on 12.5.11 you had a procedure that involved your back, and we need to make sure that this was not due to an injury or an accident, and that there was no third-party liabilty.

Me: Well, let me see.....on 12.5.11 I was having a double mastectomy due to invasive breast cancer. Yes, my back was involved because that is generally what you lay on when they remove your breasts.

Clerk: (looooong pause) "Oh........Well.......I certainly didn't mean to upset you, Mrs.X."

Me: "Honey, the time for 'upset' is long gone."

Clerk: "Well, sometimes we don't get the correct information."

Me: "Obviously. But in the meantime, if you do find a third party liable for my condition, could you please let me know? It sure would feel good to sue someone for this."

Clerk: (Speaking very quickly now)........"Uh, again, I didn't mean to upset you, Mrs. X. Have a nice day!" CLICK.

Argggggghhhh......