2013 Survivors!!!

Aruba - darling picture!

Juneau - moving is a great time to get rid of stuff! We've stayed in our home over 25 years - have way too much stuff!

Good Morning ladies. Another beautiful day in the desert for me. Loving retirement after working since I was 16. I recommend it highly. Anyone heading off to work - your time will come. Something to plan for and look forward to. My favorite benefit of being older :-)

Make it a great day. Although I have no skills for this, I'm spending the day with friends making flower arrangements.

Hugs to all!

Thanks to all of you!

My BS called this afternoon. Lymph nodes were clean! No Cancer!

Thanks you all so much for the pocket party this weekend! I'm blessed to have many great friends, but they just don't get it the way y'all do!

Yay Kslansky!  Awesome news to start your week.

That is an excellent Christmas present for you Chrisrenee, so happy for you. I know what it can be like to work with psycho bitches.  And your new improved gals are just the icing on the cake. Great time for celebration. Enjoy it all.

Hi all - Glad to read so much good news. Headed tomorrow for first mammo since dx. Amazed at how emotional this is getting for me. On one hand I can't wait to get it over with. On the other hand I feel like I'm walking into the path of an oncoming train. I think I must be slightly crazy to have this cause such extremes. Hoping for the best. Best wishes to all of you as you head into the season of Thankfulness - have likely had my most thankful year ever - amazing how the worst thing you imagined can make you thankful for the best possible outcomes. What a crazy year.

Glad to hear everyone is doing well. So happy for you Juneau, the new house is going to be awesome, yeah moving sucks but it's all worth it in the end.

Has anyone heard from Stride lately? She is in my thoughts & prayers often.

Question for those who are ahead of me on this journey. How long did you have followups with your RO? I have an appt with mine this week, I'm just not sure why he wants to keep seeing me. I'm 6 mo out from end of rads, recovered completely, if he wants to make another appt I'm going to ask, why?

Jennie, everyone is different ... I haven't seen my RO since my treatment because my MO is following me.

I wrote a private message to Stride last week and haven't heard from her. Keeping her in my thoughts.

Kyslansky .. Great news

Juneau you will be settled faster then you think. Everyone should have to move every 10 years .. It helps with the purging.

Websister, I am off to Calgary tomorrow until Sunday. Am packing some snowshoes. It is -2C here today but I hear it a lot colder there!

Hello ladies - anyone else dealing with post-cancer life low-grade anxiety issues? Mine come and go but starting to get frustrated when they crop up. They seemingly have nothing to do with cancer, but rather just with life in general. But I didn't have this pre-cancer. Just curious... In pockets where needed. Hugs

Ramols, I agree with Joanne53, I too like being alone more, I'm more mellow, maybe being 52 brings that on...Maybe a bit sad, but I go to work everyday and always hope for tomorrow.

liefie,...have a safe trip and Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year.

kslansky, I hope you are as happy as I was with the clean nodes. My cancer surg and my plastic surg came to my hospital room grinning from ear to ear after my surg to tell me the news but it didn't really take for awhile. I was heavily sedated because I got hysterical before and after the bmx. I cried the whole day after I awoke from surgery. The student nurse couldn't talk me down and one of my friends came by to pray with me. However, I could not be soothed. I felt like a stereo I had so many wires and tubes connected to me. However, when I realized I would not need chemo or rads I was so happy and felt guilty when I got depressed. Anyone else in the clear nodes club?

ramols, I am anxious now too. It has improved. Looking forward to nip surgery, I am finally able to sleep after 2 yrs on sleeping pills. I guess I just need to look normal to myself in the mirror. Sometimes a small cup of wine or warm milk these days.

Tazzy, I use Badshah Kamal Tea Masala (product of India but does have instructions in Arabic and English) and turmeric. I have not had a cold or flu (knock on wood) since the BMX. Has anyone tried this spicy tea? Is this Ayurvedic medicine?

Chrisrenee, Go Cowboys! Go Longhorns! I went to Univ of TX when the Ramones were trying to break into grunge music. Anyways...I am getting nip surg on Dec 11th. What can I expect? What special bra?

Layla- it really depends on what way you do nips. You have two options 1) using the Cooke cylinder, which is a dissolvable device that goes under the skin to form the nipple. 2) by using the mastectomy line and making the nipple from that. My PS does not like the Cooke cylinder, said that it makes a bigger nipple than likes and I was adamant about a small nipple. The swelling in my nips have gone down so much that I can see the difference in how they look.

My special bra is to help with pushing down the midline cleavage because after implant placement last December I ended up with a uniboob. So my PS did a ton of lipo to have the midline lay flat. The name of the bra is called the thong bra (seriously) google it and you will see what it looks like. I had no pain in my nips unless my daughter put her head on my chest to hug me. I have to keep my nips hydrated so I have to keep Vaseline on them plus I wear foam around them 24/7 until hopefully Friday when I go back to see him. Hope this helps.

Ramols I am so there with you! I too prefer just to be by myself and enjoy the solitude. Before this dreaded thing people thought I was on drugs because I was always so happy. I'm still happy and feel positive about getting past this but it's not the same. I just want to stay home and be. I do go to the gym (not as often as I should but enough), out with friends. I get dressed everyday (even with makeup!) but it's not the same. It's like you described it - a low grade anxiety. Now a year after surgery and finishing rads I think I have another seroma.  I've been having sharp twinging pains and it feels swollen. I know I will have nerve pains for a while during healing but I don't want another seroma. I hate having it drained. I want my energy back. I hate being tired all the time. I used to be up at the crack of dawn and out of bed now I force myself. I would rather nap and lay around all day. I thought about asking for happy pills (took them after my dad died) but then I feel like...I don't know. I know all is well but I can't wrap my head around it yet. I hate this.  Ok enough rant. Thank you.

karen

Thanks for the well wishes everyone.

Have a great trip to SA Liefie. Loved that place. Visited many moons ago, but would go back for sure.

Not tried that tea layla. I stick with Manuka honey and fresh squeezed lemon. Stayed at home today. Just having a day of not thinking and looking after me.

Ramols.... like the others have said I agree. I like my own company a lot more, look forward to leaving work and getting home - its our security I guess.

Love and hugs to you all xxxx

Happy Friday,

My daughter comes home for a week visit today! What fun to just be with her and just be! I hope you all find your happy and find a way to have a good belly laugh!