March 2014 Surgery

Linda, I love you and will do anything for you except become a Lightening fan!  Having said that my Rangers did get  Marty St. Louis who played really well for us last night.  You have made me smile and laugh for the first time today and I look forward to getting together and yakking sports.  I keep reminding myself that the chemo will be over just in time for football season when you will all see WHY I AM truly a FOOTBALL NUT!!!!!  

I promise to keep the faith!!!

for you footballnut - this is how I roll at games

GO RANGERS 

GO PENGUINS

GO FOOTBALLNUT 

thank you sailon!

Crap!!  I'm crying again but they are tears if happiness!!!!!

Linda, I love your reply to Footballnut AND your pictures!  Except ........ I'm a Dolphins fan.  Not really a hockey fan being a native Floridian and we had no teams here when I was growing up.  I don't mind watching, I just don't have a team.

Footballnut, Linda is spot on with the info about why it's GOOD to be ER/PR/Her2+.  I don't know if I'm triple negative or not because I wasn't tested for Her2 since I "only" have DCIS, but I am negative in the other two.  At first I thought it was a good thing I was negative!  No one wants to be positive when we're taking about cancer, right?  But my breast surgeon said no, this is one time you want to be positive.  I didn't get it and had a hard time wrapping my head around it, but my oncologist explained it when I first met with her.  There are no drugs I could take that would help since the hormone receptors are negative in my case, which is only one of many reasons I opted for BMX instead of trying to go the lumpectomy/ radiation route.  I like your attitude that your chemo will be done in time for football season!!  That's one of the first things my DH said to me when I was diagnosed.  He said the timing is great, you'll be doing just fine by football season.  lol  I hope you have a great week away!

Lynnlyre, welcome to our group!  I joined this discussion late too, after my surgery, and feel very comfortable here. I hope you will too!  I am very lucky that I do have an excellent support system at home, but they don't know exactly what I'm feeling or going through though, and that's why I've become so dependent on this site.  My DH loves that I have this resource and he's constantly asking me what everyone on here says about this or that.  I think it helps him as much as it helps me to know that these aches, pains, zings, shocks, etc. are "normal" - our new normal anyway.  Kazzy is right too, a week makes a lot of difference for us!  I just got my last drain out yesterday, three weeks and one day after surgery and feel so much better than I did a week ago.  

sandra - same here - more pains in the last couple of days - I  think it is a sign of healing within - that the nerves are waking up - but I was complaining about it to DH yesterday.  I get weird tingly things that feel like my nips used to feel like when they were cold  - only I don't have nips and I am not cold lol - but I get those sensations in my foobs and I love that cartoon!!   Thanks for posting the exercise link again!

Sailon...Wow! You look great! 

Great pics Linda505 and what great words and support for Footballnut.

Yesterday I was all happy and on a rambling/purge. Did my walk with my friends and damn near did the whole 3 miles. So great to see everyone and they were all surprised to see me. Anyhow, today I am exhausted!!! 

Exhausted or not. I love coming here. I didnt think I would. I'm more of an introvert and don't like to have to rely on people. Finding this site has really been a Godsend for me. This group of women are some of the most kind, loving and supportive people I never imagined I would come upon. A place were, just like our lovely Linda said, we can cry, vent, ramble, rejoice, support. Thank you ladies for being here for all those emotions that come out. I know I can vent here so my family doesn't think I've gone off the deep end. I hope I can be as much support for you ladies as you are to me.  

Wow Linda, 

I have never seen any itemized hospital bills. No clue....I don't think I want to know LOL 

I did see one cost for one chemo infusion, $7,600. And I had 16 infusions. I always wondered what the Neulasta shot cost & heard that was high. And the Herceptin infusion.

It is crazy - now they will not get that amount of money from the insurance company - I don't know yet what they will pay - but it is crazy to think that $130k makes any kind of sense.  Vintage - I looked up the Herceptin on my ins co site and if I was getting it from a pharmacy it says that the pharmacy would bill about 9000 - crazy stuff

Hi girls.  I had bilateral mastectomy with tissue expanders on March 25th.  I've been feeling pretty good.  Decided to try doing dishes tonight and boy was that a mistake... I'm now sitting on the couch and I'm so sore.  I took a pain pill but it's not helping a whole lot... I think I'm going to just stay on the couch the rest of the night and NOT do anything else.

Sandra...the hospital where I had my surgery doesn't stock it due to cost, but allows the PS to bring it with him.  I had to pay $300 to MD before 1st sx on March 4th. They used it again in my surgery March 21 when I got a "power wash" , new TE and drain.  I haven't gotten the bill for that one yet!!!  However, I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!  Since I don't get narcotics, I think it gets me over the edge so Toradol, Valium and Motrin are effective. 

I haven't seen my hospital bill...should be interesting!!!!

football - the triple positive thread is full of ladies with your same pathology - myself included - we are all doing fine, so try not to stress. 

kazzy - if you do have some PT try to find a lymphedema certified physical therapist - you don't want someone dealing with cording that is not up to date on how to minimize lymphedema risk.

franny - there are lots of people on hormonal therapy with no, or minimal, side effects.  They are probably not posting on this forum, but out enjoying life.  Try the medication, it is the only way that you will know how it will affect you.  Keep in mind that side effects vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so if one bothers you try using a different one.  I take aromatase inhibitors since I am postmenopausal, but I started on one manufacturer of Femara, after six monthsdeveloped some minor issues with my thumb, switched to Arimidex for a year, then developed some issues with my ankle and some fingers and toes, and then switched back to a different manufacturer of Femara, and have been fine so far.