Has anyone started a Dec 2011 group?

Sunrise - I had my bmx in late October, so it will be just over 7 months. Wow! It's going to be over soon!

Exchange surgery went well, but I spiked a fever last night of 102.  Freaked me out.  Tylenol brought it down.  The dr. seems to think it was just a fluke thing.  Here is one thing that I didn't like about being sent straight home after surgery...I was in no way shape or form to understand post op instructions.  My hubby never told me to be breathing in deep and trying to cough all that gunk out.  The PS told me today that if your lung collapses even just a little bit, it will spike a fever.  I WASN'T doing the breathing exercises, so, I hope that is not what happened.  All is better today.  ZERO pain!!!

Here are a few funnies from recovery....I do not do well coming out of anesthesia...

1....They gave me ginger ale.  I haven't had soda/pop in 3 months or so.  I kept telling them.."this doesn't count, this doesn't count!!"

2....The guy in the next "room" over was being given the drug that "killed" Michael Jackson.  I apparently informed everyone there of that fact.  I'm sure they were happy to get rid of me, LOL!!!!

For everyone waiting for the exchange (RACHEL) it really, truly is the easiest part of all we have been through.  The drains aren't pleasant, but, they are super small compared to the BMX. 

Lori - Sorry to hear about your fever, but I'm glad to hear it sounds like it's resolved. I think I have some leftover ginger ale in the fridge at work; didn't need it like I expected during chemo.

Sounds like you amused the staff while you were there!  

You guys are making me jealous with your exchange surgeries. I am in Florida on vacation and am watching for all the long hair and boobies on the beach with envy.

But the weather is awesome and I am hanging with just a hat. How great that is to ditch the rat/wig.



In Canada they dont team up their surgeries, it is a two step process. As I had rads I guess I can do the te or the other option I guess is to take fat from another part of my body to make a boob form. To be honest I didn't think I would want to head into reconstruction but am thinking I will to improve my personal body image. It is scary though to think about going under the knife again as Rachel had mentioned.



Good news is that my eye hair is coming back!!!!! Yeah!!!!!

Lori congrats on your surgery and rachel good luck on yours I will be thinking of you. I have my 6 month check with radiaologist and 1 month check up with oncologist on Wednesday, hoping to be able to schedule port removal then. Waiting to start the dreaded 5 year pill I don't know how long they wait after chemo to start the pill. I asked my amazing husband if he will still love me if I have some of the SE for 5 more years and he just laughed and said we've done it this long whats a few more years. I punched him(or tried to) in the arm and he just kept on laughing. I also think I had hat hair yesterday! We went to a graduation party and when we got home and I took of my hat the fuzz was all messed up! No eyebrows and only 3-5 eyelashes though. I've been washing the fuzz with baby shampoo and I even went and got a baby hairbrush it works better on the fuzz. Can't wait to graduate to a real hairbrush again! 

Whatashocker - I don't remember what I said, but whatever discomfort the surgery brings, it's not as much of a drag as the chemo SEs, and if your body image is important, go for it. I'm just not looking forward to the 'inconvenience' of being out of commission for another week or so. But I'll be glad to get my permanent implants. Part of me does wish I did the DIEP... the thought of having to monitor implants and probably have them replace every 10+ years just in case is a bit of a drag. But I took the shorter recovery/less risk surgery upfront in exchange for long-term maintenance. I totally understand people-watching now - every once in a while a woman 'bounces' by and I can't help but think that I'm never going bounce like that again. In fact, on the treadmill I've noticed that every flabby body part I have (including my butt!!) is bouncing, except for the part that should. Sort of sad....

Teresa - Thanks, and best of luck with your follow-ups. I hope you have only minimal (but hopefully no) SEs going forward. Sounds like DH is good support - when you can laugh at these things, it means a lot.

Mardi - You'll get there. My PT actually had me go topless the other day during therapy (only a few other patients there), and I started to feel okay about it. I figure I probably look like I would have had I gone to Annapolis like I had wanted to years ago...  

I've been wearing a cap the past few days - tried on hats at Target, but one thing I learned is that my head is SOOOOO tiny. So no luck in adding to the sparse collection I have (at least for summer). As for significant other humor, there was an article in the paper's travel section the other day about the Amazon, and it included a photo of a monkey with a whitish face surrounded by very short brown fur, including a prominent widow's peak. My BF saw it (he adores animals to begin with), and jokingly cooed, patted the picture, and then patted my fuzz. Yeah, I guess that about describes it. I couldn't find a picture to link - the paper says it's a spider monkey, but all the photos I found were nothing like it. Maybe it's a baby.... And speaking of babies, my 1-year-old nephew got his first hair cut the other day. I'm thinking I'll go with him for his second - that should be enough time!

Have a great Sunday everyone. I'm heading to the gym (late) and then playing a concert this afternoon. 

Markat,  I am getting herceptin and have not noticed any extra fatigue

Haven't been on for a while, have a funny story to share. Had my lumpectomy on 6/8, Fri, after which the nurse once I woke up encouraged me to go use the bathroom. To my amazement the hospital installed blue toilet water, I was like wow hospitals use that blue stuff too, still kind of out of it, I got discharged and went home. Once I got home I was once again amazed that our toilets too had the blue water, I told my husband all excited, I think my mom found some of those toilet cleaning blue stuff for the water, and he too was excited that anyone other than himself had cleaned the toilet for once. Then I used another bathroom that evening, which confirmed that my mom had cleaned both bathrooms. Then the next morning to my disappointment the toilet water had gone back to normal and only turned blue after I used it. I told my husband who finally told me what the nurse had warned him the first time I went pee, to not get shocked if I pee blue, it was from the dye they injected during surgery. I guess my hubby better clean the toilets after all and we really need to buy some of that blue stuff!

I have been following along with my email notifications....glad to hear everyone is doing well.  

Naan...SUPER funny story!!!!  Definitely one for the books!!!!

Rachel...I think I have the opposite problem....I'm not quite as big as I was expecting, however, it's more of the shape I think vs. size.  That and the location of them, LOL....I'm not used to looking like I am 20 again!!!  OH...and I have a super small head, too.  I find that I can wear ball hats from the women's dept or kids!!  Glad to see you are rockin the hat!!!!  The only time I wear my wig is to church on Sundays...even when I go for choir practice or VBS (this week) I have been wearing my hat.    

So.....it appears that I now have a latex/adhesive allergy.  NICE!!!  Everywhere there was tape for my IV or where she used the rubber tourniquet is blistered.  Thought it could have been shingles or something, but, no other symptoms.  I know...in the big scheme of things...not a super big deal...as long as it doesn't get any worse.  Took 2 benadryl tonight to try and control the itching and hopefully to get it to start healing or something.  It's pretty nasty looking!!!

Hope everyone is feeling great and getting back to another new normal and enjoying the summer!!!!!  

Rachel & Lori - so great to hear you are both doing well after surgery.  Even though you both went through so much to get them, I must admit I wish I had new perky ones too.  I still have the same old boobs only one has a large dent in it now and is burnt from radiation!  Enjoy your new 20 yr old look...you both deserve it!

Naan - funny story, sounds like something that would happen to me.  Oh wait, that's impossible because I am the only one who EVER cleans the bathroom! LOL

Julie,  I guess we should be grateful for our droopy, lopsided, burnt grandma boobies....as long as they stay healthy and quit trying to kill us!

I feel the same way Whata....no supermodel but it really bothers me.  My head is covered and it's thick, but not very long.  I need it to be a little longer before I go commando in public.  My nails survived with no changes, thank God!  The eyebrows thinned and became very light.  They were thin before chemo so they probably will not recover.  I'm OK with that, I can draw them in pretty well at this point and no one can really tell.  The eyelashes threw me for a loop!  I woke up one day and I had like 2 little spiders on each eye and that was it!  They are growing back at a pretty good pace right now so I am looking forward to the day when I can put mascara on them without it all melting off to the skin under my eyes!

On the hair note...coming in nicely.  (although I have nothing to compare it to)  Leg hair is growing like a weed!!!  I could shave just about every day, I think!!!  Never lost my eyebrows, but they did thin and get lighter.  Eyelashes are funny....all but one on each side fell out.  They are growing back and are long enough for mascara.  I think it's funny because the 2 that held on are right in the middle of each eye and I laugh everyday when I see it...it looks like they are flipping the other ones off and laughing at them...."haha...I didn't fall out!!".  

Blistering is actually getting worse...it must be the tape....I am getting blisters on my chin and eyelid (from the breathing tube and where they tape your eyelids down, I guess).  One blister on my arm is starting to get blood in it.  uugghh....and they hurt/burn.  I wish it was the scrub before, but since she only used alcohol on my IV, I know it's not that.

On the exchange note....I think they are growing on me (no pun intended).  I think they are starting the drop and fluff process.  I actually felt them jiggle a bit while walking!!!!  I think what is so hard to take it is that they are much more round than out...and they don't sag.  I realize the whole not sagging is going to be a good thing, but right now, it's just a little weird...and the whole no nipple thing.  The whole wearing a bra thing is weird, too.  I think I finally found one my old ones that is an underwire that is not too tight and the underwire is wide enough to go around the whole implant.  That is making a big difference, too.   

Head hair coming in steadily, but still have a receding hair line and empty patches here and there, so wearing hats. Brows and lashes yet to come in, but do see some lashes starting to bud. Arms and legs have white hair only growing out so not shaving yet.

Rachel...PS wants me in an underwire for another week, I think, and then I can switch.  I think it had something to do with making sure the pockets stayed intact or something like that...not sure...but he wanted "pressure" up under there, LOL!!!  Are you on FB??  I definitely would love to meet up!!!!!

Today, me and my little guy went on a little road trip to Gettysburg.  One of the tour buses stopped, the door opened, and the driver yelled out to me...."another sister in the hood...good luck to you!"....I had to hold back tears!!  I'm not sure why I get so emotional, but I do.