Calling all TNs

Hi bak94,

I've been having extreme tightness across my scar since rads, painful enough to take a pain pill every morning, so that I can get my day going. I hate taking that damn pill...'cause then I have to take a stool softener... 

I had 3 mos of PT after surgery (UMX), and had great arm ROM. In fact, my surgeon released me after 10 weeks because I had healed beautifully and my ROM was so good. Then came rads...

 My RO said that because I had healed quickly, scar adhesions were forming quicker than usual. It is a normal process - the body is trying to stabilize the different layers of tissue. Unfortunately, I don't have all the usual layers, and the skin incision is adhering to the chest wall. It keeps getting tighter and tighter, and now it is messing with my ROM. Ouch!!! And there's that maddening internal itch! Seems that rads causes the underlying tissue to scar in a lace-like pattern, which causes a tightening, shrinking. I also have a prominent mammary ridge - that firm fat pad that supports the breast from below. Mine has reduced some, but it does cause my incision to "crease", also.

My MO referred me to PT again, for deep tissue manipulation - basically deep massage - to break up the adhesions. I had my first session last Fri, and I could already feel a difference. Of course, it tends to tighten up again, but I keep stretching and massaging, until my next appointment. I can't believe I'm being punished for healing so fast! And I live in fear of absentmindedly massaging my chest in public, since I constantly do it at home! Oops!!!

Anyway, if you feel like your scar is "stuck" and won't move when you massage it, have your doc check it out, and refer you to PT. Insurance usually frowns on "massage", so have a PT do  "deep tissue manipulation for scar adhesion". We're always jumping through hoops, aren't we??? 

Hope this helps ~ Shar 

P.S. Jumping through hoops and into the circle with you all. Don't mess with us, FC... We're friends, sisters, warriors...

Oh Inmate - I can imagine how annoying that rash is. Damn FC...

Your photos are so good - they are helping us all. Thank you!

Well, I am certainly not as photogenic as you, but I do have one photo...

First, let me say that my surgeon did a very nice incision, which is meant to avoid a dog ear at the center, since I was packing 42Ds and had a lot of extra skin left. The incision is shaped ---< to give that smoothness. I do have an underarm dog ear, my "side boob", just in case I changed my mind and decided on reconstruction (I haven't). When I finally get this scar "unstuck" (scar adhesion to chest wall), he will do another > to take it down and smooth me out. The little bugger keeps popping out of my bra band! And those 2 holes - from my drains. I kept those suckers for 6 weeks! Surgeon said I'm just too "juicy"!!!

This photo is on day 26 of rads - my first boost. I did really well, until this 6th week, when I started to turn red. They had made a template to put in the machine, so that only the scar is irradiated at this point- the boost. Yeah, that is the shape of my template! And no, I couldn't have it as a souvenir - it has lead in it - Darn!

I accused my rad techs of being graffiti artists...and of having too much fun at their job! And yes, we giggled all week long!!!

Who needs butterflies ~ Shar

  

 

 

Spica.....OMG that is the best, or should I say "raddest" outline I have seen.  Laughing, a very nice way to wake up on a Tuesday morning. You look like you are doing great with radiation.  I only got really red towards the end with no blistering.  I also had rads before my mx as I was able to do a lumpectomy when first diagnosed so I think that helped me a lot.  What a beautiful job on your incision.  I had little Bs so my spared skin just looked a bit baggy.  Oh those wonderful drains.  Couldn't wait to get them out! 

Too bad you couldn't have the template, but get that picture framed.  That is a keeper!  Maybe Christmas cards?  Do people send out cards for cancer month?  I think this one just speaks volumes on how people really think about cancer.  It really can SUCK IT!  Oh boy, I could just go on and on and I haven't even had my coffee yet.

Thanks for sharing your picture.  You seem photogenic, but I can't see your smiling face so I will have to say that your parts are very cheeky, indeed......hehehehehe

The best thing that will happen today:

My sister and BIL (the saucy ones in the previous picture) are taking little Baker to his very first country fair.  That was always my favorite thing to do in the summer.  Corn Dogs, rides, lots of animals, all the funky looking chickens and the beautiful horses.  The Clydesdales are my all time favorite.  They make the ground shake when they go by on the track.  Yeehaw!  Oh and the obligatory new gold fish you won every year but seemed to perish before school even started.  Since we grew up in farm country there was a cow from time to time named after my sister.  She was pretty popular in school.  I can just smell the fair now.....

Have a wonderful day Ladies.......

Love to you all! 

looking forward to the sonic blast tomorrow..yell it out gal!!!!

Inmate, I will be listening for you from Houston. I have been out of touch while here for rads or I would have posted sooner.



I finished my 4weeks of rads yesterday (clinical trial). Everything looks good. However I may keep up the mantra I used during chemo and rads treatnents of "kill the little f*ck**s!" I figure it can't hurt and it might help.



Phyllis

No ear plugs here... .wanna hear that scream Inmate.

spica.... that picture made me spit my tea out all over my computer screen.  Priceless.

I hope all you ladies are managing to have days filled with love and laughter xxx

I agree with Inmate.. 24? Is it a good thing??

One of our TN gals that does not come here very often, is heading to her oncologist (3 hrs away) tomorrow. Seems she has developed a fist size ball on her back. Please add her to your prayer list. Her screen name is leannaclem. She is stage 4, but was given the title of "in remission" a while ago.

Well Inmate, you did say "Go Big or stay home"!!!

I would definitely prefer butterflies. I had to keep that 'dude' for the whole week. My Mom was THAT Mother who always told us to " wear nice clean undies, just in case you have to go to the hospital" While driving home from rads, the thought of me having an accident with this gem...well, you know.

Oh my, I hope I didn't burn out any computers with assorted tea, coffee, or cola sprays. I had the same reaction when I saw it in the mirror that day!!! 

 I'm Done - that's why I can joke around and laugh. In fact, my 1 year Dx Cancerversary is Aug 22. Almost a year! I can't believe it has whizzed (pun alert!) by so fast. BC is so all-consuming... I think that is how time is so easily distorted during all this BC crap. And I can't wait for the time when "BC" means British Columbia, again. Eh, Tazzy?!!!

Sending out good wishes for no bad SEs, eased fears, and for that endless 'wait' time to speed up.

And for those wanting a unique tattoo, let me know and I'll hook you up with my favorite "Rad" artist!!!

~Shar 

By the way, would you Gals in the western parts of the West, please send moisture and nice breezes to those of us in the eastern parts of the West? Smoke, dust and unrelenting high temps are making life miserable, here. Hubby and I drove up a few thousand feet to watch the Perseid meteor shower on Sat night. Overhead was a great view, but there was a thick layer of dirty, smokey air hugging the horizon in every direction. It's rain dance time!

How are you doing with this bad air, Lory? Stay inside and Think Rain!!! 

  

Spica- That picture is priceless!!!!

A man met a beautiful lady and he decided he wanted to marry her right away.
She protested, "But we don't know anything about each other."
He replied, "That's all right; we'll learn about each other as we go along."
So she consented, and they were married and went on a honeymoon to a very nice resort.
One morning, they were lying by the pool when he got up off his towel, climbed up to the 10 meter board and did a two and a half tuck gainer, entering the water perfectly, almost without a ripple. This was followed by a three rotations in jackknife position before he again straightened out and cut the water like a knife. After a few more demonstrations, he came back and lay down on his towel.
She said, "That was incredible!"
He said, "I used to be an Olympic diving champion. You see, I told you we'd learn more about ourselves as we went along."
So she got up, jumped in the pool and started doing laps. She was moving so fast that the froth from her pushing off at one end of the pool would hardly be gone before she was already touching the other end of the pool!
She did laps in freestyle, breast stroke, even butterfly! After about thirty laps, completed in mere minutes, she climbed back out and lay down on her towel, barely breathing hard.
He said, "That was incredible! Were you an Olympic endurance swimmer?"
"No," she said, "I was a hooker and I worked both sides of the Tennessee River."

Just had to put this on. Isn't this baby just bloody gorgeous. I would love to cuddle him.

Whoa!  That's one big puppy dog!!!

Yesterday I saw my MO for a check up and had a clean bill of health.  Today I had my first reiki appointment, my new nephew was discharged from the hospital after a bit of a rough start and I booked an appointment for my first tattoo.  Riding the rollar coaster high today

Born - happy, happy!  Glad to hear the new nephew can go home, that's always good news!

I have been busy this afternoon and evening doing research on clinical trials and/or traditional chemo.  I have an appointment with my MO tomorrow and I suspect we'll narrow it down to a couple of choices.  This is complicated stuff, and there's lots of it.  You can read my blog to see just how complicated...  My DH and DD are going with me.  Right now I'm leaning towards the trial involving MK-2206 because of the additional genetic testing that will be done.  It's also an oral chemo and won't require a port.  Eventually, I'll need one.  But we are going to Hawaii in October, come hell or high water.  So being on IV-chemo would be rather inconvenient, to say the least.

I will be listening here in FL for the sound waves INMATE.

So frustrated...I really hate LE.  my "good" arm has had severe cording now for a few weeks and today it looks as though it is starting to swell...going to the therapist on thursday and hoping that I will not be told that I now have le bilaterally.  I could just cry about it...sounds petty compared to what some of you fine ladies endure but I really hate LE soooo much.  i cannot do any of the things I used to enjoy...wa wa wa...end of tantrum

Maggie