Starting Chemo February 2013

Well girls when to the Dr for my first follow up visit after the new implants and it didnt go well. He took one look at them and said we will have to do them over. Just what I wanted ANOTHER surgery!! I am SO UPSET! He said he cant do anything until after radiation at this point. I asked why? He said because he is sure the radiation Dr is going to want to get moving with that part of the treatment and he would need to wait 2 more weeks for healing then 4 wks after that to start radiation. Now he says give him a call in Oct. OMG. Nothing I seem to go through is easy! SO BUMMED!!!!!!!!!!

oh Tangles I feel sorry for you... I know it wasn't what you wanted to hear..why does he want to do them over?

Hi lw,



I had my 6 month mammo a couple of weeks ago....... It was the same day as my third heart test (because of the herciptin)



I didn't think I was scared..... They took three angles but on the second one something around my lympnode scar got pinched and I yelped.....which scared the nurse into accidentally tightening the machine......Ouch.... That made me start to try to pull back..... Even more ouches



After that I waited about 15minutes for what I thought would be the nurse confirming that the shots were good...... Instead the dr came out and told me everything was GREAT... I had no idea they would read the results right then so I was in shock... The poor dr had to repeat things to me multiple times and then I even made him show me the images (like I would know what I was seeing)..... Then I got in my car and lost it....crying like a baby.... So much for me not being worried..

jayjayc- thank goodness the results were GREAT! That is what we all want to hear

Nice, jayjayc!

Tangles, best wishes to you as you deal with this set-back. Take good care of your skin during rads. My MO told me to wait at least 3 months after finishing rads to start any kind of reconstruction. Not what you want to hear, but her opinion is if you do it too soon and the skin breaks down further, there is not much can be done then. But as we all know, every doctor seems to have a different opinion about all of this. Just try to enjoy the rest of your summer. I haven't had any energy loss from rads so hopefully you continue to feel better too.

McKatherine once you get those darn drains out you will feel much better!!!

Like the new picture, Melody46.

LW - good for you painting your living room.. not sure I'd tackle that but I will say lately I feel my energy has returned - my strenght is coming back - I can walk without being short of breath - its wonderful!

Well, I'm having a PET scan tomorrow to make sure the sarcoma hasn't spread anywhere (usually goes to the lungs).  No reason to think it has, just checking since it was hanging out undetected during my chemo for the IDC.  May not be able to tell anything from the PET scan since I just had double mastectomy & TE's put in for reconsctruction.  I'm probably going to light up like a Christmas tree but the doctor thinks it's worth doing.  I'm also in the process of scheduling an appointment at MD Anderson in Houston.  They have a Breast Center and a Sarcoma Center.  I need to know if there is more I can do than just Radiation and then sit around hoping it doesn't come back which seems to be the standard of treatment for a breast sarcoma.  Anyway, thanks for the positive thoughts and prayers.  It's good to see that just about everyone is done with chemo and is beginning to feel better, myself included although I do seriously hate these tissue expanders.

heidi - hoping you'll get some good news with the PET scan.. and also hope the center in Hoston is a big help to you.. let us know..

Prayers for tomorrow Heidi!

Quick question for my sisters who already went through reconstruction:

How long did you keep putting neosporin / pads on your incisions, and did you do anything to the lines (Vit E, bio oil, etc?) or did your PS say not to worry about the scar tissue since they'll use the same one for the exchange, right?



Also - how did you give yourself "support" without making your ribs sore from the TEs? My sports bras are leaving my ribs pretty sore by night time - but the surgical bras are way too big when all that dressing is gone . . . and a regular bra just seems silly right now.

caitlin61 - I seem to have dry skin or something on my scalp too.. I just this week started putting moisturizer on it.. don't know if its from the wig or scarf or what..

McKatherine I did not wear a sports bra or any bra at all. I had my exchange 2 weeks ago and still am not wearing a bra. I might wear a light tank if I have a white top or thin top but I dont see the point of wearing a bra. I could not have gotten a bra over my TE. The TE were the WORST. I had them for 6 months. I HATED them. I dont LOVE my new implants at all but I may just live with them as I just dont want another surgery. I guess I will just think about it for a few more weeks. I would just DIE if I had another surgery and ended up with infection or problems just because I wasnt happy with how the first set turned out.

Heidi I am praying for you!!!!

I am JEALOUS of anyone who has ANY hair. I seriously look in the mirror every morning and NOTHING! 7 weeks PFC and not a stubble or shadow of hair. Whats up with that? My eyes have stopped watering and my energy is about 75% back but my feet hurt so bad I can hardly walk around the grocery store. I guess I didnt realize it as I wasnt really walking too much with so little energy. Still cant lift my arm all the way up since the lymph node surgery. Really want to get back to work but with the feet hurting so bad and arm not being able to lift I still sit home. 7 months of sitting home is getting old:-(

Well, the PET scan turned out good today!  YAY!!!  So I am cancer free from both cancers!  Double YAY!  Hopefully it will stay that way.  (Thank you God!)  Thanks for the prayers and positive thoughts.  They are very much appreciated.  Waiting on MD Anderson to get back to me about when my appointment will be.  I have an appointment here tomorrow with the radiation guy.  Gonna have that ready to roll for after MD Anderson tells me what to do and if I can do it here.

That's great news Heidi! Hope the appt with MD Anderson goes well.