Diep 2012

Glad to have made it through the last year. Somewhat........sane. mostly not.

I have been kind of moody this week and a little old ptsd related to some of the struggles I experienced.

On the bright side. I had my first mammo without incident and my recon is completed. I gained weight with the onset of a moderate depression/fatigue etc induced by Tamoxifen. Doing marginally better. Exercising and began running. I ran my first 5k and am looking at a 15k for Nov. I have never run in my life. I wish all of the 2012 gals all of the best. I know some have really struggled this year. Big hugs to everyone for the support through those early days and months. Wishing everyone continued health and ease of treatments and procedures for those who continue on that path as well.

Xocoxo

piper

I hope you made it to the gym Fran. I believe I saw you on the running thread. So pop back on over there

The group has been ever so helpful in my journey from avid walker to jogging/running. I have been inspired as well by some coworkers in varying stages of beginner to master runner. My neighbor joined me today in running. I was intimidated to run with her, but here I in turn kept her going. My feet used to hurt ALOT when I was on Tamoxifen. I did go to a running shop and got fit for quality running shoes. I have bunions, so still can have some soreness, but a better fitting, stability running shoe has helped immensely. It has taken me a very long time to get to where I am now. I doubted I would ever run a 5K let alone a minute. Believe it or not, I have occasions where I still struggle with fatigue. Listen to your body, push when you can and check out the links the peeps on the running thread posted for you! .....

LOL Tammy. What I was implying was that just a few short months ago, I couldn't even tolerate running for a whole minute......let alone contemplate a 5K. Yes, I ran the Oakmont 5K. My very first. (38 minutes-I am slow). I am doing the St. Barnabas 5K (in Gibsonia)-good cause and I hear their post-run activities are worth going (music, food, drink etc). There is also a 10miler in Nov that will wind through and around downtown and it's surrounding neighborhoods.

I am quite the novice, but enjoying the challenge and seeing where I can take my new found activity.

http://www.stbarnabashealthsystem.com/stbarnabas5k/

AUG 3. Link above. :0

YEAH for stage 2! I will let you know what runs I do in the future. If I plan on doing something I will post on the running thread as a member puts all of our runs up in the main message. I am looking at the Regent Square 'Run around the square' or the 'Glow Run' in OH. And Chik-Fill-A is having a run downtown end of Aug. As for distance the Pittsburgh 10 miler is Nov 3. I am going to use some of the 5Ks for training and to have a little fun.

Wishing you a smooth stage 2.....

xoxoxoxoxo

piper

Lilac. congrats on your stage 2b.  Sounds like he did a lot, but it sounds like you are very pleased already, and when you are healed you will be thrilled with you results. I am still waiting for stage 1

Thank you Goldie and a gentle suggestion, watch out for a dip in feeling fed up towards the end of stage 1.  I fell into that and by writing about it here on the forums, other women responded that it's normal roller coastering and then of course as I got closer to the first stage 2 op, I started to get more expectional than I should.  My diep breast was much bigger than my normie right so I had to wear a insert prosthesis to balance the look under clothing and my clothes never fit properly. 

Beckers, exercise is one the best things that I have done for myself, to help bring about the best results.  Hands down, the daily exercise forum has kept me on track and inspired.  I'm a gym rat, so I was working out before BC but nowhere near as much as I do now.  The pilates has made an enormous difference in tone, muscle definition and flattening, coupled with dieting and in April I added at least 3 days a week of running, that made a huge difference.  I finally got a little more straigher up and down - narrower sporty look that I was after and learned I enjoy running plus having a sport I can do anytime - not connected to the gym class schedule. 

An added note. I went back to the gym last August after the 1st. big diep op.  We had a substitute pilates teacher for 8 weeks.  Before the first class I let her know what I had been through and she was so into helping me and intrigued to see how I progressed.  Before her teaching assignment was completed, I thanked her for her interest in helping me and understanding what I can and can't do and her helping me to try more on a consistent basis (that is key).  I also said, it would be nice to have a class for woman like myself and she agreed. 

We were able to get a room once a week for free to use and last February created a FREE every Thursday morning Pink Ribbon Pilates workout.  The Rotary and Soroptimists have given us £ seed money that we have put towards a website and printed three color flyers to distribute to hospital cancer/breast/chemo wards, Dr. offices and notice boards at all supermarkets in the area, FB page and twitter announcements and interviewed on local radio.  We are up to 10 women,  I handle the banking side, my now good friend does the instructing (voluntarily) and we both give talks together to community groups, brainstorm on the look (purple is our main color over pink) of our message, focused on our mission - we are determined to get more women like you and me in or out of treatment - active and helping to get them back on track physically.

Goldie, I'm pleased you are inspired and gently making a suggestion to start somewhere, such as short, light distances, perhaps walking, swimming or cycling. Consistency builds, and I was amazed at how far one can come in a relatively short period of time.

If you stumble upon my earlier - first postings in a few other diep threads, you will read a scared, frustrated, negative woman coming to grips with her 'cobbled breast' as I called it.  Lying in bed for three weeks - tyring to take good care and slowly coming back from being flattened by a truck sent me through the eye of the needle in a different yet similar way the diagnosis did. I wanted before diagnosis to up my fitness and more determined to do so after surgery.  There is also so little available for bc women where I live, 65 miles out of London (not that far from white cliffs of Dover) in the Kent countryside.  I was motivated to try to offer something, more than nothing and you are right Goldie, paying it forward.

I also live in a country where the majority of woman are not physically active nor prone to be within a healthy BMI.  The weather here is awful for 9 months of the year, so one does need to join a gym to stay fit year round.  I post on the equivalent of the UK site to bc.com as well and there is very little discussion of keeping or getting active after treatment and I can't remember reading a thread dedicated anyone posting of stayng active through treatment.  Every now and then, an athletic woman will post, such as training for a half marathon and is now up to 11 miles, striving for her 18 before the race.  The respones are stop, you are doing too much, blah, blah, take it easy and I can't do that.  I simply post a link to the running thread here at bc.org where knowledgeble experience will be offered quickly so that the half marathon goal becomes obtainable.  I've lived abroad for 18 years, the first 9 in Paris and now in the country of my English husband. I stick out in many ways, yet I yam who I yam and I am enough.  A year of therapy since diagnosis has helped too.

Yup, I agree with you Goldie and in the UK, I'd say the majority of women who have had breast cancer are not very willing to make lifestyle changes - diet and exercise that may significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.  All but three bc women in the pink ribbon pilates class are 4 years or more out from surgery/active treatment and overweight by at least 20 lbs or more. 

Jenlee, I had a mammo on my right normie on one year anny of diagnosis and my leftie diep had no photos.  No problems found and will have another mammo in February. 

This is going to be another area where MDs seem to differ. My PS said a mammo wouldn't hurt the
reconstructed breast, but it was not necessary to have one done on that side. In his words...."some people see 'breast tissue' and assume that side needs done. I had no problem when going for my annual mammo-BTW-my mammo of the unaffected side was a diagnostic and BS said this would be protocol for my future mammos......My BS reiterated that a mammo of the recon side was unnecessary, and suggested at some point an MRI might be obtained, but nothing was mentioned at the year follow up. My BS and MO do manual exams of the breast tissue.

I had no desire to continue f/u with an MO as I am not in active treatment, but may go once more so I can get the skinny on where she lands with surveillance. I would like to defer back to my regular docs after this first year. My recurance rate as per most stuies were given at 1-2% and my risk for a new primary/contralateral is at 13-14%-pretty much near what the average women is. 

Anywho-those were the recs given by my docs. I will have to ask my MO her take on a future MRI. My insurance is changing at the beginning of the new year in terms of increased copays, premiums etc. I need everything settled by years end. It's gonna be hell.

xoxoxoxo

piper

Fred, I was told no more mammo after diep. Manual exams, and or MRI every couple of years.

Been away from the boards for a bit, but this is a great question! I just had my 1 yr follow-up, and my surgical onc just said manual breast exams. I wonder if that's because I had dcis or if he'd say the same for invasive disease? I wouldn't want to do mammo either...maybe MRI shows the chest wall better? If I had a local recurrence, I was told it would show up on the chest wall. Would agree with Fran about the fact that the rest is just fat. Between the numbness and how thick the fat is in places, I have a hard time feeling much with self exams though.



Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the last of summer! I've been feeling more like myself and pt is helping a lot with ab strength. You all are inspiring me to get back to running! With a baby and then bc, it's been a few years, but I'm looking forward to it.

"eternal area" haha ... Darn auto correct!!! I meant "sternum". (I forgot about the eternal area. LOL!)

I got my tats today with Vinnie. Omg it really pulls them together. They look like real boobs now!

He said he doesnt see too many with football scar like me. For life of me I dont know why my initial sx Dr Diesa & Morrow at Sloan gave me a football scar. When i had my initial unilateral mast back in 2011 I woke up with football scar with me TE. So I have lollipop on left.

He recommended everyday massage with cocoabutter for year to make scars fade. I have been doing some but def not five min day.

Cant wait to show my hubby