May 2013 surgeries

GoWith-Thats the truth! So when did you squirt him?  Its great he has sense of humor!  He might would have pulled them out sllooowwwwlllyyyyy....owww! hurts thinking about that!

So I promised my brother (14 yoa..yes 34 year difference)((my dad and his family are "theater people"))...I'd come to his concert tonight..hes in band place christian rock music..If I hadnt promised months ago..and this is big thing for him would be laying in.  I'm tired today..and honestly..takes me forever to get these breast to match. Big shirt.

I hope your breasts match perfectly tonight ckmoss!  A friend is supposed to come by, but haven't heard from her yet today.  After we eat (sausages with peppers and onions on rolls and corn on the cob), I'll call her and tell her I'm coming over to visit her dogs.  

MY answers to some of your questions (and one of my own)

1) The Oncotype dx test tells your doctor how much chemo is likely to change your long-term prognosis. A low number is GOOD. It means that your results from chemo AND hormone therapy are not much different (1-2%) than hormone therapy alone. A high number is also good, in a way, because it means that chemo will likely make a big difference for you. Nobody really wants a big number, cause nobody wants chemo, but it better than a mid-range number. When you have a mid-range number the docs don't always know what to do with you. Personally, I'd take the chemo with a mid-range number to be on the safe side.

2) Many of you have expressed concern about radiation. Of course, everyone is different, but I can tell you that when I had radiation last year after my lumpectomy, I really didn't have much in the way of troublesome SEs. Yes, I got a burn: similar to a bad sunburn, and moisturizer really helped alot. I also got tired, but that wasn't too bad either. Of course, I took some time off work, and that probably helped alot, but it really wasn't bad. For the first week and a half, I worked full time (minus the 1-1/2 hours to drive to my appt, get my treatment, and drive back to work.) I had my appointments at 2:30, and after the first week and a half, I didn't go back to work afterwards. Just went home and took it easy. After I finished my treatments, I continued working 1/2 days for about another week. That being said, note that I also have a desk job, so I wasn't doing anything strenuous.

Hope this helps!

Because I have cancer AGAIN, I'm kind of expecting that I may have to have chemo this time (dodged that bullet last time - my oncotype was low - but sometimes wonder if it might have killed this new cancer that was probably there last time, but too small to see.) So, I pay close attention when anyone comments on chemo. So, MY question is the neuropathy. What are we talking about?

Ckmoss- hope you enjoy yoir night out. I chuckle at the vision of wrangling breasts into a bra.



Steph- What Gowiththeflow said. Mine wasnt too bad and has deminshed substantially the further out I get from chemo.



Good news ladies, dh is home for the weekend and Im so relieved. He is a trained paramedic and I wanted him to check my incision to make sure all is still well. Acording to him it is. Off to eat grilled burgers with the family.

Just got home was really good. Thanks for wishes on sym breast..your prayers went unanswered..never got quite right..hid somewhat with big shirt..but get to the point with it,,,whatever..if you are staring that hard at my breast, then...course this was whole gym full of teens..doubt they were paying much attention to me. lol..

Sweetpickle-You are way past 48 hours,...so go forth enjoy your man!...actually..drains..well that might take some thinking into. lol

Steph-As I just learned...frozen peas for fingers and toes.

Good Morning Ladies, being discharged today as soon as my husband gets here, going to miss the morphine LOL but norcos will due.

Feeling quite swollen above chest but nurse said 48 hrs is about the peak time for swelling after BMX.

Hoping the sun will be shinning so I can sit outside on the patio for awhile

Oh and good news 0/2 sentinel nodes positive for cancer

I showered today.  Hadn't showered since Wednesday because when I showered that day, I realized blood seeped on my camisole where the incision wasn't completely covered.  Then they took the drains out friday and I was told no shower until this morning.  It was nice to put my camisole on and not have two huge drains sticking out of my sides.  

i did notice a strange feeling when the water hit my chest.  I avoided that while the bandages were still on, but wanted to rinse myself today well.  

For those who had a double mastectomy, how big are your incisions?  I had thought I'd have like 6 inch incisions on each side, but I'm almost armpit to armpit, with a 1.5 to 2 inch gap in the middle.

Good Morning everyone,



I hope you all had a restful night.



I noticed this morning that there were a couple of red spots on my incisions and it feels very warm. Is this normal or do you think it may be getting infection?



I have an appt with the PS tomorrow. You think it is safe to wait til then? It isn't painful or anything.

I"m near charlottesville.  It's a little cooler right now than it has been.  Opened my windows in the sunroom and put the ceiling fan on.  

As for the sex question- I had chemo every three weeks and felt like myself, sex drive included- about a week and a half after each cycle.



So I have had about one and a half "good" weeks out of three since last November. And sadly my period did not stop from the chemo, as they said it might, so that cut into the fun time each month as well!



I got the chemo on wednesday afternoon and would take the following Thursday and Friday off, to mostly sleep and watch TV. It was a "chemocation" and something to actually look forward to, since I have always been a workaholic.



It was a weird period of my life while on chemo but I cant say an entirely bad one. During that time and after my two surgeries in March and May I have had more home time with my husband, dogs and friends (no kids) and it has been more relaxing. I guess there was finally a reason to spend some time chilling out.

sweetpickle, you will be in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow that all goes well.  

Sciencegal= what brought up sex/chemo subj.I had read in book that you should have hubby wear condom 48 hours after chemo..I couldn't understand who would want sex within 48 hours of chemo..lol..

Sweetpickle-I so have fingers crossed for you!  Oh!!! You were talking in prev post about staples at your drain site!!! You had me all worried..I thought maybe there was staples at your MX site!!  My surgeon was ripping the tape that held gauze over where drains went in and honestly from all that to the snipping..couldn't distin between that pain and the next...however,,what I did feel..was when he pulled drains out..they must have been in me a good inch or so...could feel them the whole way....owww...So I told him, I took pain pill before I came, like ya'll said I should..but didn't help..He said that was for afterwards..and he was right..because I had taken percocet..wasn;t sore that day..was very sore the next..just when I walked mainly..

I had ok day..my husband took me to see Ironman 3...was sooo good! and took my mind off all this for a bit!  This kinda was major..we've been married 14 years this coming Sat and have only been to the movies 5 times.  We don't have a lot of patience to sit down in them so we have to wait until something comes out that you need big screen to enjoy graphics.

Where might Ann be today?  

No, I didn't look but seems like that was about what I felt..however, he pulled them out really really fast..like his arm was whipping..Did it hurt you?...and you know what??  At least that is the one thing that we have done that hurts like hell that has a good ending to it.  Everything else with pain..biopsy..MX...lump...seems to me going through pain..well yeah getting rid of cancer..but so many steps..but that one..5 seconds of hell and NO MORE DRAINS

Ckmoss- Yes, I have staples and glue in my MSX site. Thats what Im worried about painwise. DH showed me how far in my drains are which is under where my breast used to be to aout three to four inches below where they exit mybody. Super creepy I must say. If I do have surgery Friday I will end up with four drains due to the DIEP procedure. Hoping that they will be able to come out while still in hospital. So sick of these things and I cant imagine having four of them!

Sweetpickle-they stitched or stapled (?) me on the inside then did the glue..he said what he sewed would dissolve. Is this not what you have?  Hopefully so.  I am very very glad I didn't know that it was in that far.  I know I could feel coming out..but that freaks me out now hearing it.  I'm having the DIEP but after chemo because of work.  I run out of FLMA soon and will get back more time on July 12th. (husbands spinal surgery last year)...anyway, I seriously hate I have to wait..but do believe break from drains will be nice.