April will be my turn, can we share hugs?

Annie, I am thinking so much about you during your rads.  I am sitting right next to you and wiping away your tears.  Take deep breaths -- you are extremely brave and strong.  We are all right there with you!  xxx Bobogirl

You ladies are so awesome....thank you all for all your kind words. You are all going through so much too! I had treatment today and it didn't hurt quite as bad as yesterday.  Tomorrow will only be 10 to 15 minutes and from now on it will only be that as well.  I am going to see a PT to help with the tightness in my left arm....my RO wil get me set up.  I had her look at the right armpit swelling. I also have an enlarged lymph node in that swelling. She wasn't to concerned about the node and the swelling since there was no cancer in my right breast. She mentioned a seroma. Do any of you know much about a seroma? I did have alot of bruising and alot of drainage in my JP's on the right side also after surgery. I am keeping an eye on it and will have my MO look at it soon if it doesn't get better.  Hope you are all having a good evening and trying to put all this out of your mind as much as you can.  My daughter told me, distractions, distractions, distractions! I think she is right! May God be with you all every step of the way!

I'm so happy to hear that Annie and Keepswimming, also happy to hear you are doing  better as well!

Keep swimming,



Can't believe you can write such a positive post when you almost lost your house,have vertigo with a difficult treatment, etc. Your DH sounds wonderful and you are Wonderwoman!



Peggy

Keepswimming, I'm sorry to hear about your problems and I hope that this is just a small bump in the road for you.  I am glad to hear that your house is safe and that you seem to have a wonderful hubby   Big hugs to you and I hope today was a better day.

Hi my April sisters......my 4/18 BMX with reconstruction went well, long, but well...a bit of trouble coming out of anesthesia. ? Took over 3 hours...guess I didn't want to "deal" yet.. lol. I was in and out in 23 hours.....Rough 2 weeks with getting pain meds under control...apparently I am allergic to most all of them.....so I have morphine at home now...ugh...and mostly diarrhea every day. Ugh. My stage went down to 1, but my grade went up to 3. Just saw all my doctors this week and due to increased aggressiveness they are doing more pathology tests to get the right combo of chemo organized for me...I go back on May 15 to hear my suggested treatment plan.



Glad to see most of you are coping well♥

Robin,



So glad the surgery went well, especially with a more complicated recon like the Tram flap. That's fantastic! And the OT seems like it is going to really help your arm. I had Sentinel lymph nodes out pre chemo and that area was very painful for quite awhile. And, like others on these forums you dodged a bullet by opting for the bilateral. Good for you!



You said you're still going to have chemo and rads and I have had bilateral mast with immed recon too (but implants) and chemo and now they are talking about rads. Since this wasn't in my original treatment plan, I freaked out, thinking that the rads would ruin the recon, which one month out the left breast isn't looking so pretty anyway.



You sound very okay with having the Tram flap before rads. How were you reassured that the recon could come before the rads and the recon would be protected. It sure would help my anxiety to know. The tumor board is meeting in a week or so to either recommend rads or not because my post surgical path report left me in a kind of gray area where it could go either way.



Eager to hear what your MO has to say on Monday. They are supposed to have the broadest knowledge base about BC, correct? I have found it very confusing to have four docs at various times in my treatment with differing opinions at times or with not communicating with each other much at all.



Hugs,

Peggy

Hello ladies,

I'm finally getting back to the board after a few weeks. From what I have read on this thread, the April surgeries, while speckled with a few issues here and there, have been successful and the strength of the ladies here is so inspiring and uplifting. My surgery was april 11 and I have been doing very well medically. However, I got hit with an emotional right hook at 1 a.m. Friday, April 19th. I lost my mom. It was sudden and thank God peaceful for her, but I am crushed. My parents have been pilars of strength for me thoughout this journey. Taking me to and from every appointment and literally helping to keep my heart from breaking and my life from shattering into a thousand pieces. They completely understood the demands of my DH's job and stepped in anywhere and everywhere necessary so that I could get the proper care. I can still hear my mom telling me with tears streaming down her face while we sat in the lobby of Geisinger Hospital in Danville...."I'm not going to let anything happen to you, your're my little girl."  And my mom had health issues of her own, diabetes, chronic Leukemia and heart disease, but they seemed to be all "in check." 

I received my final pathology report on Wed April 17 at 1 p.m and the results were miraculous. Every prayer had been answered and I believe my mom finally found some peace and was able to rest. And she did, just 36 hours later. As  I write this, I find myself thinking...."this can not be true....its just the worst dream I've ever had, beyond being diagnosed with BC."  But it's no dream. She is my angel now, and my dad's, my husbands, my niece, whom she adored (her only grandchild). How I wish I could each out and hold her hand, hug her, put my head on her shoulder. My Dad and I do that often. It is comforting to both of us. I will be returning to Danville tmrw for my one month plastics follow up. It will be our first visit back. I know my mom will still be there holding my hand and helping me through with all the love she can send from Heaven. 

Wasn't sure If I could find the strength to write this post, but I realized that I could not ask for a better support system than this forum. So thank you my sisters for listening and helping me through. I will continue to keep everyone posted on my progress and offer whatever I can to anyone here who is in need.

Hugs,

Kimberly

Kimberly - sending hugs and love your way.  Your mom is definitely watching over you, and you have TONS of sisters on here to walk with you as well.

Thank you for sharing your heart with us. The load shared is easier to bear, - at least I have found it to be so.

Kimberly,

I am so sad to hear that you are going through this.  Your mom sounds like she was a wonderful woman.  I am so sorry for your loss.  I am happy she was able to be there with you before your surgery & was able to hear the pathology report after your surgery.  I am sure this most have given her some peace, as you said.  

I'm glad your pathology was clear, but still so sad about your loss.  Thinking of you and your family. Try to take care of yourself....

Poor Kimberly!  Such a beautiful post.  You love your mom so much.  She sounds like she was a wonderful mama to you.  You two are so lucky to have one another.  Note I do not put this in the past tense

Sending you hugs.  {{{Kimberly}}}

Thank you! Thank you! I'm so lucky to have so much love and support from all of you. I feel very blessed. And I believe my mom is watching over all of us. 

Strength and Hugs to all

Kimberly

Hi Keepswimming,

That's great news on your pathology... way to go!  I have a great relationship with my MOs, so personally, I would consult with them and perhaps the BS and then just to be on the safe side... a second RO opinion.  I think before you make a final decision, to consult with another medical professional on some level, if only for absolute peace of mind.

Here's why I say it.. and it has no bearing on your situation, but sometimes an additional set of ears/eyes can be beneficial.  As I was finishing chemo, I consulted with the BS and she was 100% behind a lumpectomy.. no question at all.. I had done great, the test showed things had progressed as they thought.. etc etc.  A few days later, met with one of my MO's and she flipped a noodle! She was 100% against the diagnosis.  She started an email campaign and I was flabergasted.  An email war broke out.. the MO & RO vs. the BS.  BS eventually modifies her diagnosis and now I am having a mastectomy.  Long story short.... my MO was correct.. when I got the pathology, there was microscopic areas beyond the tumor bed, including the nipple, that nobody knew about. My BS (not the original, I went for a 2nd opin and stayed with her) was shocked by that.  Had I gone the path originally laid out, I undoubtedly would have had recurrence from that nipple site at least.

What I'm saying is, get the opinion of other medical professionals and if they all agree, then that's fantastic!

Leave no stone unturned