2012 sisters

Chrisrenee7.....if you mean me .....I'm not having surgery....had a lumpectomy, rads and now on Letrozolemfor 5 years....cheers

Aruba, congrats on finishing 31 rads - that's a milestone! Thanks too for the baby story. Those poor parents must be so worried, and it gives us some perspective. We have love, support and resources like Karen said, and so many are worse off - so many blessings to count.

Chrisrenee, only a few weeks to go till December - yay! Genuinely glad for you! I also have a bowling ball on my chest which will be there till May next year. At the moment I am seriously considering to also have the other breast removed at that time, and have a DIEP flap on both. Don't feel like I want to deal with those mammograms every time. It is so hard to decide, because it is a long (9 hours) surgery, there will be at least four drains hanging from me afterwards, and it's tummy surgery too - some days I think I must just have the TE removed, have no recon done, and just be done with it. That will be the easiest. 

Karen, your lost purse story is inspiring. There is a lot of good people in the world - bless that old guy!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Hope that all that were in the path of the storm are ok. I have been without internet for over a month so I haven't been able to check in with everyone.

Will try to catch up soon.

DigitalCowgirl:  Thanks for your kind words.  I am happy that The Boob was able to keep you company!!  "My best friend is a boob."

MrsCich: You've proven my favorite adage: If you can't duck it, fuck it!  Now cleaning a bald head can be added to the list! 

Sandy is past the city and I count myself very fortunate to be living in the powered half of the city.  That was an experience.  My mother moved to Pennsylvania after Katrina (she lived in Gulfport, MS) and the irony is not lost on her that this massive storm hit her.  She's considering a lunar relocation.

Hope everyone is well and hanging tough. 
Scorchy

Seriously, Tazzy--I think these storms follow my mom.  At least she is convinced!

I have no Internet either. I'm on my phone which I'm charging in my car. Gas is no readily available either and when a station with power and has opens the lines are crazy and the gas goes quickly. Total chaos. Anyway, I filled up on Sunday and I have over a half a tank still.



I made it to see my MO today. (They had power but no Internet!). My numbers look great. I start tamoxifen and hope for limited hot flashes. I see her again in December after my exchange surgery. After that every three months for two years and then every six. They will do bloodwork that will identify a certain enzyme or something like that, if any cancer has returned. I am praying I am in the 90% without recurrence. I didn't do so well in the 1 in 8 lottery so here's hoping!



I'm going to catch up later. Need to save my battery for now. Hope everyone is doing on with minimal discomfort.



Hugs...

juneaubugg, good news on the BC front but smiles for your anniversary "party." Ours was the day of my first chemo but we don't care- next year we will really celebrate  I am thinking.

Karen thanks for the great wallet story!

liefie, I think a little about surgery but I guess I know it is a ways off since probably rads first after chemo and that is even months off, but I hope there is another great group (or maybe this one still?) when it is time to consider the options.

scorchy is your mom thinking of another move?

And Tazzy any snow up your way? Crazy rains tonight but it calmed a bit for trick or treaters and we had lots of kids!

Our daughter moved back to her place tonight after dinner and the kids at the door (she had been subletting while she travelled) and I miss her already though I know she will come home once a week or so. She came to meet the MO after bloodwork on Monday and is coming to LGFB with me tomorrow.

Marian

So glad to hear from you Ramols....and that you are safe.  Mother Nature has surely wrecked Havoc again....I am truly starting to think it is the new norm with all these hurricanes, droughts etc.  Hang in there sisters of the coast...we are thinking of you!

Ramols glad you are safe. We are pooling resources with neighbors too. It's like a big pot luck supper everyday. We have a fireplace they have a working stove so we eat there and they warm up here! Be safe and everyone say prayers for soon to be restored power!💡

Yay, Ramols! So glad you're safe! Two years ago had the same experience when a big tree fell on our garage, and another one on the truck during a storm. Insurance fortunately paid for everything. It was a mess, but gradually we returned to normalcy. Being without power is no fun, and I hope with the others that it will be working again soon for all of you out there. In the meantime, enjoy the camping!

Ramois, good to hear from you!

Websister, so far no big D this cycle but MOm said not to wait this time to take Imodium if it starts. Not my fave as it lurches me the other way with just one! I felt really bad last night with Ativan and decided to take he one drug I had not taken as it is prn but I took a Stemetil and slept 7 hours in a row!

So glad everyone has checked in and that you safely weathered the storm. Dang though, like Juneau said the timing is just horrible-BC treatment plus storm cleanup . So sorry you guys have to go through all that.

 Juneau I can't believe you are in the middle of your "prep" too! So your power outage, phone charging and prep are real bummers. Not to mention you will probably end up with chaffed buns. Your anniversary sounded like a fun time and one you'll never forget. I know I won't forget mine this year- had my mastectomy,reconstruction and oophrectomy all that day and was too nauseated from the pain meds to celebrate that night. Oh well it reminded me of how lucky I was to have my DH sitting there thru such a traumatic event.  But you're right about the complaining after all we've been through with this bc crap, last years complaints are nothing now.When is your exchange-I'm going to exchange my lemons for more like melons at the end of the month.  Lol.

Scorchy please make sure your mom stays up there and away from FLorida. We had all 3 hurricanes hit us the summer of 2004 and I am just getting over the trauma. Bless her heart, I don't want anymore storms following her especially down this way. We were lucky during Sandy, we just got some winds and debris in the yard.

Thinking of all those in treatments. Pray side effects are few.

2Fried: you are replacing your implants? My exchange is on November 29th. Finally the last procedure.

Hello all... I saw this thread and wanted to share as well. I went to see my gynecologist because of breast pain and I was having a nasty discharge and he sent me for my first mammogram. I am 38 and have no bc in my family but he suggested I have mammogram anyway. So I go and have 3 images on my right breast and 3 on my left and then sent to a room to wait for dr. Tech came back and said dr wanted more images on my left. Hmmm so I go, then back to room and wait then tech comes in and dr wants couple more images and an ultrasound. Ummm ok? Finally when she comes in to do the ultrasound she tells me that it looks like cancer and if it is that we caught it early. Ummm WHat?? I was there for about 3 hours which was supposed to be a 20 min appointment. So before I leave I schedule my biopsy. So the dr who does the biopsy shows me on the images the "tumor" and says there is another spot that looks abnormal but thinks its a cyst. So I go see a BS, who suggests a lumpectomy and radiation. He is very adamant about a lumpectomy and do BRCA testing. So I have MRI scheduled and at the same time supposed to have the BRCA blood drawn. When I go for MRI noone knows about the BRCA so I call the BS and his assistant tells me that there was some misunderstanding and wants to me to go have lunch and come back in hour and half to get blood drawn???? I told her I don't live around here, that is inconvenient for me and to forget about it, as my blood pressure is rising. She tells me she will tell the dr I said to forget about it as if I was going to get in trouble. Then I am so mad I start crying uncontrollably. Well I meet with another nurse navigator who was really caring and took my blood for the test. BS suggested I meet with radiation dr and PS to get info for my decision. I had a fiasco with radiation office and loved the PS so that helped me decide the BMX as best option for me. I had to chase down my BS to get my BRCA results which were negative. When I tell the BS assistant I want the BMX I think it hurt his ego because I only spoke to him once more after that which is when he came and asked me in my words what I was having done. He called my husband with my pathology results (which he didn't even go over all of it). I called his office for a copy of results and found out after reading it that the "cyst" was DCIS. So I had two types of BC. My nurse navigator at this point is MIA. I had to do my own looking for a MO, which she went over my path results line by line. I was supposed to find out today my oncotype results but the results werent finalized and now I have to wait til next thurs Nov 8..... I still everyday wonder what and how I got two different types of BC. I just still cant understand it. My MO thinks I will only have to do tamoxifen for 5 years and kinda shook off the DCIS. But since both are gone she said I am 'cancer free".... Am I? I have no breasts, my hormones were positive so is it possible they are feeding on other cells in my body and will cause them to mutate? I am always thinking of new questions? Isnt there a test that they can do to rule out any other places in my body? What triggered my cells to mutate into two different types of BC? I know, nobody knows but I just keep thinking this. Ugh!!! And then I am reading the se of tamoxifen, and there is the risk of endometrial cancer? I hate this, I hate this, I hate this. I feel like my life is been put on hold... thanks for listening ladies! Hugs to you all!!XOXOXOXO

Robin

Thank you Christy!! I had my TE's put in at time of BMX and so far I have 300cc's in them. I had a surgery a week after my BMX because one of my drains got snagged on bathroom door knob and I got fluid and infection so got all cleaned out and had drains for a month. Ugh....These TE's are very uncomfortable. I havent had any of those tests done. I will ask my MO about having them, thanks for the info. I am so glad your friend was able to be your advocate. I am sure that helps alot!

 Yeah I thought it weird to say I was 'cancer free'. So I havent said that. It just seems weird to me to say that and I am still dealing with so much. Why cant they take the cancer and all the bad that goes with it all at once!! just saying..lol.....sucks that we still have to deal with it for another 5 years! oh well....

I really appreciate your words and hope the best for you as well!! 

XOXOXO