January 2013 surgery

Tami, I think we should all throw you a virtual party for getting your final drain out. Your story about the farting boob cracked me up and yes one of the things that I love the most about God is His sense of humor.

Erdwoman, Maybe I am missing something here but why would they want to do an ALND after you finish chemo? If there was something there before it is quite likely that it will be gone by then. In fact one of the problems with neoadjuvant therapy is that when you finally do the surgery you will never know if the staging is accurate because all imaging is imprecise especially where lymph nodes are concerned and you don't know if the negative nodes at surgery were always negative or if the chemo or hormone therapy just cleaned them up. You might want to check the stats of incidence of lymphedema with ALND vs with radiation.

Emily, sorry that the chemo is a bitch but glad that you have a trip to look forward to. That always makes a big difference in my attitude if I have something to look forward to. I got a sleeve too before I left home because I have to fly back in order to start my radiation on time. Incidentally while the Floridians are complaining about the cold I am thinking what great walking weather.

I put my husband on a flight from Miami to Lima, Peru for a 2 1/2 week to SA with his former college roomate a trip both I and the other man's wife are ever so glad that we are not taking. I wish them well but I am also very grateful for a time of peace and quiet to do just what I want to just when I want to or to do nothing at all and not feel guilty about it. I am an only child and we tend to need a certain amount of alone time in order to thrive. This is especially true when you are healing.

Ladies~  I am up for the virtual party!  I had such a nice day yesterday meeting up with my HS girlfriends...even enjoyed a bloody mary and a glass of wine!  I was still feeling good afterward, so I stopped by my son's house and ended up watching a movie and having chocolate fondue.  So all and all, I was out of the house for 8.5 hours and still felt great!  I feel like a whole new woman!  I even had jeans on for the first time since surgery...I had to wear sweats or warm-ups out before because of the drain!  The jeans were a little tight, so I started a diet today and am going to the gym to lightly hit the treadmill.  I have 30 lbs. to lose, but even 5 will help before I go back to work next Tuesday!

Today is also the day that I start LE PT, and I have a PS appt. hoping to be able to discuss exactly which permanent implants she is planning to use, and maybe get the exchange scheduled for April/May.  I went onto the Reconstruction topic and "met" whippwtmom in the "breast implant sizing 101" thread, and the thread itself is a wealth of knowledge.  Whippetmom is the icing on the cake...she has been so helpful to me in figuring out what type and size of implant best suits my body!  I'm hoping to be able to bring this information to the PS without stepping on her toes.  I'm thinking about just asking what she plans to use, and praying that it is the same thing that Whippetmom recommends.  But if not, I am armed with complete understanding of what I need and why I need it!  I really recommend checking out that thread!

Tami

Hope~  At the top of the thread she tells what she needs.  I think it is height, weight, and rib cage measurement right under your tissue expanders. 

I went to the gym and walked 2 miles...took 40 minutes...so not too fast.  Then I rean home and showered quickly for my LE PT evaluation.  Well, she thinks I have truncal and arm LE on the left side and recommends seeing her for 3 weeks and wrapping the arm from fingers to arm pit, and adding compression to the side of my breast.  BUT, she didn't like the look of my right breast.  Between 9am and 11am it had turned bright red, hard, and hot.  She is concerned about it being cellulitis.  She sent me right to the PS office.  She is concerned too, and took a fluid sample from the breast...that she said looks cloudy...and is sending it out for a culture.  That could take 10 days, in the meantime she started me on Bactrim and wants me to rest all week.  No excercise, no PT, just short of bed rest!  She will see me again on Friday, but wants a daily email about how I'm feeling and if it gets any worse to come right in.  I just called because now I am achy and have a low fever, she said to take Tylenol for the fever and call back if it goes over 101.  So much for that corner I turned. 

Someone was asking for info on cording: http://stepup-speakout.org/Cording_and_Axillary_Web_Syndrome.htm 

If you have signs of cording, your BS or PS should be able to give you a scrip for a lymphedema therapist.

Peggy - swelling after exercise is absolutely something that could indicate LE.  Please be careful, and learn about LE:  http://stepup-speakout.org/  Tell your surgeon what happened when you tried some light exercise, and try to get a scrip for an evaluation by a certified lymphedeam therapist. 

Tami - so sorry about the possible LE, but it sounds like your LE therapist plans on doing CDT - Complete Decongestive Therapy.  The idea is to treat early stage LE aggressively to keep it from getting worse - and yes that means being wrapped 24/7 for a few weeks.  But that's exactly the right treatment.  That will probably be on hold until they determine whether the red area is infection or not - if it is they'll want to get that under control before starting CDT.  More info on CDT:  http://stepup-speakout.org/treatments_for_lymphedema.htm  Your LET should get you fitted with compression garments, and should also teach you MLD - manual lymph drainage you can do yourself.  Also, ask your LET about the Lebed exercises - they are a series of slow, almost tai chi like exercises designed to move lymphatic fluid.  The opening sequence takes about 15 minutes and should be done daily.  Many of us on the LE section here on BCO have found that the Lebeds are even more effective than MLD. 

Anyone with any questions or concerns about LE - if you have any concern, please follow up.  Don't let your surgeon or other doctors minimize your concerns.  After all, if it really is LE, you're the one who is going to have to live with it, not them - do what you can to get a referral to a certified lymphedema therapist.  Head over to the LE section here on BCO and to Step Up Speak Out to learn more.  Knowledge is power. 

Thanks NatsFan~  It was just the initial evaluation so she didn't get into everything, but I will be sure to ask about the Ledbeds!  I have used the http://stepup-speakout.org/ website to research, and was even able to determine that my LET is certified.  It made me really comfortable that my PS did everything the right way according to the site too.  She did say that the infection needs to be taken care of before anything else!

My daughter is an RN in Missouri...I'm in Michigan...so when I talked to her last night she told me to use permanent marker to outline the entire red area to be able to tell if it gets any worse.  I did that last night, and this morning the redness is more pink and has not moved past the marker line.  It's still hot and shiney though.  I do have an itchy raised rash on my chest now that goes right to the border of the marker line.  Waiting to talk to my daughter about that when she gets off work.  I'm not achey anymore, but still nauscious.  I think it's better than yesterday.

Tami

Thank you Susan~  I'm just laying low this week and hoping for good news tomorrow at the PS appointment.  The rash and the nauscia are side effects from the high dose Bactrim...not allergic reactions, but side effects that should get better with use.  I have to be on it for 14 days, so I certainly hope that's true!  Still have my finger's x'd that I can go back to work part time next week, and begin the LE PT. 

NatsFan~  I'm looking for your advice about something.  If I do the wrapping for my LE then I won't be able to work for another 3 weeks...I'm a hairstylist.  Since my LE is primarily in the breast, my PS reccommended trying a sleeve (gauntlet during my off hours) and then the foam inserts for the breast for 3 weeks, and then reassessing.  If that didn't work, then I could take 3 weeks off and try the wrapping.  It sounds logical and like a great compromise...do you see anything wrong with this approach?

Tami

NatsFan~  Thank you so much for all your advise!  You are very knowledgeble as well!  It pays to ask advice from several people about a subject that they are very familiar with. 

Tami

Hope~  Happy anniversary!  Here's hoping the red boob is not an infection, but if it is you will be fine...you have caught it early!  I only felt crappy the first day/night, and then the Bactrim kicked in.  Please let me know how it went today!

Tami 

Hope~  Just try to enjoy the weekend and clear your head of all the negative junk...I know that's easier said than done, but I really hope you can! 

I did hear about the Kinseo tape, but I'm not sure where...may have been the LE PT.  I will know more if I get the ok to start therapy.  I see PS today for a follow up on the infection.

Oh Laurie, I wondered where you were, and how you were doing. I am so sorry to hear your Dx has changed and that you have to go through more surgery and treatments. ((((((hugs)))))

You've had a tough time lady! Two weeks in Hospital, an infection, that must have been hard.

Pleased to hear you are home now and healing. You'll feel better when you get rid of the other two drains.

I am sure there will be someone along who can help out with info about the Herceptin treatment. Wish I could help.

Take care Laurie, I'll  be thinking of you!

Laurie~  Wow!  What an ordeal!  Glad to hear you're home and on your way to health!  I don't know anything about herceptin treatments, but I'm sure if you search on the site there will be plenty of info!  Is .5cm considered a microinvasion?  I'm hoping it is!  Best wishes for the node dissection, is that coming up soon, or are they waiting for mor of the infection to heal?  One last question, was your staph infection cellulitis?

Hi Cherish~  Welcome to the January ladies!  I think most of your questions will get answers faster in the IDC forum or the Chemo forum.  There are quite a few ladies here having or had chemo treatments as well, but it all fairly new to most of us too.  Please continue to post here, but also try those other forums.  Good luck!

Tami

Susan

Thank you so much for the info. I will have to wait until this iinfection clear s but my onocologist wants to srart in a few weeks....will keep in touch with you if you dont mind!

Laurie

Thx bunch for the advices! For sure I will keep post n love to read all of the posts!

I believe that we all can do it n fight on!!! ~~~~</p>

Laurie,

I go for my second Herceptin infusion next Friday and I'll let you know how that goes. I'm also now on Anastozole for 5 years...so far I have only noticed more difficulty in sleeping through the night. PM me with any questions!

Susan