2012 sisters

I grew up in the '60's.... Everyone smoked cigarettes. Everyone drank. Most of us smoked pot. We had sex without condoms. Times have sure changed. I understand the cigarette thing. I understand the condom thing. We have found true health issues. I am all for legalization of pot, especially for medicinal reasons. Who knows how many SE's could be lessoned after a few puffs of medicinal weed. I am DEFINITELY for having a few drinks if if that's what makes you happy. (I don't really like alcohol so it's a non issue). In the last 50 years they have tried to take away every pleaurable thing and sometimes they are wrong. I live in NYC where the mayor is trying to do away with supersized drinks. Now, I agree no one probably needs a soda that size but Mayor Bloomberg, get out of our lives. We created a whole bunch of anorexics because we're afraid to eat anything with a bit of fat. I mean, be reasonable but you gotta enjoy life too. What's the point otherwise? I've read a ton of "research" about various things that proves untrue. Everything within reason.

So I got the results for my hormone receptors today, its ER+,PR+ and HER2+. Triple positive. I was not expecting that. I don;t know what I was expecting! So now I'm not sure if it was a less or more aggressive cancer. I'm going to do some research on it now. Please share your thoughts and my doctor said that I'll benefit from taking Tamoxifen for 5 years and Herceptin for 1 year. Anyone out there started this?

Soya, from what I understand triple positive make it easier to direct chemo at your cancer. It will respnd better to certain drugs. like tamoxifen and herceptin. Her2+ cancers tend to be more aggressive in general but respond really well to herceptin and because herceptin is directed very specifically to that receptor it has a lot less side effects. It's good news and I am glad you have a game plan!

Thanks! That makes me happy to hear that! It's growing, slowly but growing. It feels like my kids hair when they were about 6 months old. I like to pet it. Pet pet pet.



I hope everyone is recovering frm their last chemo and surgeries.



At work now, I only slept about three hours total for some reason. I can't blame the steroids any more. Just couldn't make my brain turn off. I should have taken some ambien but I didn't think of it until too late. I didn't want be doped up driving to work.



10 days to surgery day... Lots of love to all!

I have a word document open and read the posts, over to the word doc and type my replies

So today is a happy day for me... I am about to leave to go get blood work done and have my clinical trial drug administered.... and then get to leave instead of walking over the hallway to the chemo rooms... I am so happy.   For the past 5 months or so I do not know what that has felt like, or the fact that this 3rd Friday I wont feel crap this weekend or next week. 

Hope everyone is managing a good happy day and you are able to keep your eyes open jpmom.  Take care all xxxx

Good morning everyone

SoyaandPepper - I'm glad to hear you have your hormone receptors results and can start to plan now



jpmomof3 - hope today's shift will go quickly and that you have a better sleep this evening, I'm sure that the pending surgery is somewhat responsible for your lack of sleep. I like your hair also, like your comparison to a six month old's



mcook301 - thanks for the chemo advice, I also am looking towards finding out my hormone receptor status and getting things in place to begin the chemo part



Still waiting to hear re: pathology/scans/hormone receptors - probably next week. Doing well since drain removal. Getting away for the weekend with my husband, looking forward to this.

Take care, everyone!

Hey 2 FriedEggs-Miss U lots!!!!!! 

lisa2012-Sorry about your wig, hope the second one comes out better!

Tazzy, very happy for you too. You have a quite a path and how great that at least this part is DONE and your results look good!! I sure appreciate your positive comments and support, you are awesome.

Diana, you are amazing- 3 days after surgery and back to work?  take it easy, dont stress yourself and absolutely get someone else to do the lifting!  I am impressed you are getting back to work so soon though!  Hope you can get some sleep.  I know the waiting is the hardest part.  Hoping for good results!

Good evening ladies. Too much to keep up with since I've been recuperating. Thanks all for the well wishes. Feeling stronger all the time. Diana - did your post say surgery on Tuesday and back to work tonight. Good grief. Take it easy and make everyone else do the hard strenuous work! I can't imagine doing any physical labor right now! Anyway, I hope you are all feeling well and managing any waits for results or side effects. Big and gentle hugs to all.

My MO supervises the hormone theraphy, while the RO did the radiation.  Did you do an oncutype Dx test?  That test is frequently used to indicate the need for chemo.  Keep asking questions till everything make sense.

Oh my gosh-am I behind here or what. We have had out of town company staying with us (Try hiding that you have had bc, a dmx and are in the middle of getting fills, etc), another illness in the family, and you name it- so it has been so tough to get on and follow all that has been going on. Heck 4 am is just as good a time to get caught up though as any right? Can't sleep so might as well. Anyway  welcome to any new comers-we don't like why we're here but the company is great; best group of ladies ever!

Soya I missed you too and I see you got your results. How are you feeling about them? Did you get a new MO? I was hoping the results would help make it easier for you to make a decision but like everything else bc related you end up in research mode looking for info to help you make a decision you can be somewhat at peace with. This bc stinks. I'm post-meno now so I have been taking the arimedex rather than the tamoxifen. I was so worried about it after all I had read on the boards, but so far so good. I hope you will be the same with the tamoxifen.

Super Tazzy So nice you enjoyed your camping trip-sounds fun.Hope your hubby survived the nights out there in the tent with you.But the best news is that the tumor shrunk-how wonderful is that! Glad your enjoying your BGC free days but that the days you spent in there did the job. Don't be anxious about your drains; they weren't that bad and can provide a different type of "together"time with the dh.My dh would help me empty them and track what was coming out of them. I would strip the hoses first and if he ask where I was I would yell to him that I was stripping. (Not exactly what he was picturing but given the timing it was probably a great relief that that's the kind of stripping I was doing! lol) As far as a cami I had one from tlc but it only held 2 drains and I had 4 to start. I ended up just using and old tube top or cutting a tight but stretchy tanktop off and tossing the arm part and putting the tube part around my waist, laying the drains on it then folding it up. the tightness of the material held the drains in place plus kept the plastic off my skin which I was sensitive to. Not the most attractive but covered up by a big shirt it was definitely the most comfortable. When I got down to 2 drains I would wear my cami to the drs (plus it had a spot for stuffing which camoflaged my fried eggs) After the drains though and pre fills I got those genie bras and took out the little plastic forms they give you, and stuffed the pouches with batting. Worked great for fake foobs until my eggs grew.

Juneaubugg nice to see you back on,recovering and finding some relief with your mind altering drugs!If you just take enough of them you can convince yourself that the house is in great shape for your MIL.lol No like everyone said, don't worry about the house etc, etc!!! After going through all this bc stuff, we find that the things that we worried about before really weren't worth it. Are you still sporting your drains? I swear the more I whined about the drains the more output I had. lol One of mine was in between 3 and 4 weeks. They were just such a pia because I was trying to camoflauge my condition and their bulk around my waist made me look like I had grown a beer belly overnight.

Websister How frustrating! If only all the dang doctors would realize that waiting on the tests and pathology results is the most stressful part. Glad you got the drains out but sorry you had to arrange it yourself. Just because the girl in the office said that about the results though don't read too much into it-probably just more like only the surgeon can give them to you which by the sounds of his office help is a good thing. But what a frustrating post surgical experience for you. I too liked MaddyMacs slurpee idea.
   
Ramols great about the nanny and glad your surgery went well and that your cancer is OUT of THERE!

jaz glad you are recovering as well and got a drain out! Crazy what a difference getting one stinky drain out can make though isn't it!

jpmomof3 You never fail to amaze me with your exercise, schedule, kids etc! Anyway your surgery count down begins, huh? It will be here and over before you know it.

DianaPrince What a deal huh? I had the  2lumpectomies then 2 mx but being my lumps were in different breasts my insurance charged me 2 separate deductibles for surgury the same day same time. I always seem to miss out on those 2 for one deals.lol  Good luck though with your nodes, margins and  pathology.

DianaNM that was a weak rant-come on let it out lol No that node surgery sucks and hurts bigtime. Add infection and antibiotics that makes it way worse.Down that bottle of wine-you deserve it. (love the visual DianaPrince gave you)

Well now that I have caught up to everything down to the alcohol and pot posts,I think I will go to dreamland and catch up on those posts later. They look interesting.

Sorry to take up a page with my post but it's been a while, I'm trying not to miss anyone, (if I did I apologize) and I've missed you all.

Hello all,

Trying to get caught up with everyone. But I'm not sure that is possible. It's been busy here trying to prepare for Thursday.

Thinking of everyone! 

Great to hear from you 2fried!

 Mcook, i am the same way.  I was so thrilled to be done with chemo and am starting to feel lmore normal but the looming surgery and rads is keeping me up (along with chemopause hotflashes dammit)  The thought of rads is actually bothering me more than surgery. 

 In prep for surgery i got some post op bras from a company called Amoena.  My mom knows a saleswoman who comped me but they work through cancer centers to supply these things to us breast cancer ladies.  They are comfortable front opening seamless things with velcro strips and pockets for drains and such.  I havent look to see if they have a website to sell direct to consumers but they may.

9 days and counting to surgery for me.  I slept better last night just from the exhaustion of not sleeping the night before.  My sleep issues will likely get worse as the surgery gets closer.  Hello ambien!

Annde.  welcome to the group.  Sorry you have to be here.  This stuff is all very confusing, especially at first.  ask away and rant away we are here for you.  The MO is someone to coordinate all aspects of BC for you.  you wont necessarily need chemo, hope you dont anyway, but they will follow you through hormone treatment and for follow up mammos/scans etc to make sure there are no recurrences.  The RO will tell you whether they recommend rads or not.  you will get a lot of information and they will give you time (they should anyway) to decide on treatments.  They will go over how much each treatment helps decreas recurrence rates and increase survivor rates.  It is very normal to see both.  Good luck with all of that!

Ramols, glad you are recovering so well! 

I am at work again.  I slept well last night and am looking forward to our family barbecue and movie night with my DH and kiddos.

Best wishes to all!