March 2014 Surgery

vintage I have my path report. My MO has been great. I know that some women don't want details. My gf who is an 8 year survivor was like that. She doesn't know what kind of bc she had or the details. My MO will tell me and my DH whatever we want to know but will not volunteer details unless you tell him that you want them. I had no problem getting my pathology report and learned a lot from rewarding it. Funny. I self diagnosed myself in January after feeling the lump under my arm and my only error was that I determined that I was a stage 3b rather than the 2 b that I am. I was bang on with everything else. Lol. Good guessing!!

As for mammos:  the mammo did not detect the lump in my breaat even when I could feel it. The mammo did not detect the changes in my lump even when I could feel the changes!  Personally I don't buy into the yearly mammo. The ultrasound actually confirmed the mass and size although the radiologist insisted that it was a fibroadenoma. Not. Lol!!  

Based on my personal experience I am of the opinion that a breast ultrasound captures more than a mammo. I've had them to detect possible leaks in my right implant as well

Having said that self examination is key. If I didn't so this I might still be walking around while the cancer spread through my body

As for cancer research and raising funds - my opinion is that awareness is good research saves lives. If we reflect on the past 20 years there have been many advances. There have been more advances on breast cancer than ovarian for example or so it seems. It also seems that stage 4 bc is determined to be" the end" and that glowing growth is the only option. This has to change

Again - in my opinion - why does Dunne get cancer?  Why do some heroin addicts live full lives?  Why so some have no lung issues despite smoking every day?

Some of what is creating health issues is in my view fairly apparent. Crap in the air , the food, etc etc etc. Johnson's baby powder was pulled off shelves in India because it contained cancer causing chemicals. 

These days it's all about saving $ which in itself is sickening

As for fundraising - I am thinking about participating I a breast cancer walk in sept. All $ go to princess Margaret hospital in toronto and cancer research. PMH as it's known is a world leader in cancer research as is credit valley hospital in mississauga which is "my" hospital

All reasons why I want to increase my participation to raise awareness and share my story. Women and men should not be ignorant if their health risks or ignore their bodies. Push for second opinions if you feel it is needed and go all you can to maintain ur health to give urself a fighting chance

That's it for me

Lol

Special K - that is good to know regarding football.  Regarding self-exam versus mammogram.  I have had mammograms yearly due to my Mother having BC. My cancer would have never been found, due to the the size, density and location of my cancer without it.  Self-exam would not have found this until much later.

I do want to note that over the last 10 years or so, I have had "call-backs" on my mammograms about 3 times.  The same breast, the same location.  I discussed this with my MO and he said that the cancer has probably been there for 2 - 17 years!  It was a very slow grower.  That cancer is sneaky. 

I am another one that has dense breast tissue.  I found my lump, my mammogram was clear, but ultrasound 30 minutes later showed the mass.

That said, I do not feel that mammograms are not useful.  My boss, her sister and a gal in our office all had DCIS which was found via mammogram. They were lucky that it had been found, all had lumpectomies, 2 of the 3 had radiation.  

According to the two radiologists in our Women's Diagnostic Center (it is part of my hospital and I have my mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, wire localization and seroma aspiration there), mammograms are a good tool for something like 70% of women.  Also, since February, the mammogram reports that women should be getting after their mammograms is supposed to disclose breast density.  If medium to high density, it will then say to discuss this with your doctor to decide on different testing.  

I have told some people, my family of course.  Haven't put it up on FB due to some other reasons right now... But might when I get my timeline for chemo/radiation straightened out if only to spread the word on getting exams and doing self exams. I have an event in mid October and am not sure if radiation will finish in time... The people involved with the event don't know and I don't want them to know yet.  However, I don't want to become defined by breast cancer ...I get tired of talking about it, or reading about it sometimes.  I take a break from this board for that reason sometimes.  :-)

However, for those that I have told, I stress getting yearly exams and doing self exams on a regular basis!  One of my friends is now doing her self exams regularly (obsessively at first LOL) and two others have made their long over due doctor appointments.  

so I took off the tape which was covering my port after insertion last Tuesday and feel something. Upon further examination - lol - it seems that it's thread from the stitch. Really?????  Now what?  I doubt it will dissolve so I guess I'll call my nurse

:-(

Anyone else had this?

Throughout the many surgeries I have had I have often had the end of a dissolvable stitch stick out.  Eventually they dissolve on their own, but your surgeon, or MO, can snip off the end if you are bothered by it. 

I got my first fill yesterday. I had thought that I was filled with 100cc in surgery, but my PS said it was 300. So now am at a total of 400 and will do one more fill and will call it good. Thank goodness I asked for more pain pills. These TE's  are no fun!!  

Am a bit bumpy and one is higher than the other now, but at least it's only temporary.

You look great Kitty!  Looks like you have healed well.  Going for my 2nd fill tomorrow.  I too received 300cc at surgery, one 100cc fill, will get another 100cc tomorrow.  I'm going to see how that looks the rn thought maybe around 600cc for me but I do not want to be large at all, but I am on the taller side at 5'7".

Am I the only one who's scar looks like a sideways "S"?  Everyone else's seems like a straight line.  I also have a big flappy area under my armpit.  I know my BS had to go back and take more tissue during surgery as the margin was close, could that be why?  I'm going to ask my PS tomorrow for sure.

Thanks Frostcat and SpecialK. I hope next year when I come back and reread and see my pics I will be able to smile and give out a big old "WHEW...glad thats  over".  I thought I would be journaling , but I find I'd rather write my progress here. I have learned so much from my "sisters" here. I went for my dental cleaning today and told them that I had learned I may need an antibiotic. They had me call my PS and he said he wanted me to start taking them right after my cleaning. They said I'm not high risk and it's better to be on the safe side. Funny thing is my dentist is related to my PS (PS is married to his cousin...small world!) anyway, thank you ladies for the heads up on that one as I would have never even thought about the bacteria from my mouth getting into my blood system.

Frostcat, you and I are so similar! I'm only 5'4 so I think I'm only filling to 500...we shall see when we get there. I also have that ugly flappy looking thing under the armpit too. PS said he would fix it. I'm just glad my camisoles cover them. 

Thinking about starting back to work next week. Another good suggestion was to not start back on Monday so I will ask to come back half days Thurs and Friday and see how it goes.  My feeling in my chest is bugging the crap out of me. Do we just get used to it? Not sure if I need Advil, 1/2 a pain pill or just toughen up? So needless to say I'm a bit uneasy about getting back to the grind. 8 more years until retirement...but who's counting. Haha!

Planting flowers today...Life is good!

Julie, thank goodness it gets better. I guess that's mostly what I feel. I've read other ladies complaining about this part, but you really can't imagine what it feels like until you're wearing these darn things on your chest.lol  I'm sure once we get our exchanges done we will all look just as good if not better than Barbie

Oh Frostecat - my incisions are not pretty either - and I have weird areas of skin and stuff happening.  I had healing issues so doc had to cut and restitch on lefty which looks really odd - i may post my frankestein pic later.  My PS said - don't worry about these things right now - he says he will clean everything up when he puts in the permanents 

silly question gals,  at the end of next month, i will be getting the right one rebult and the left one reduced.  i only want to be about a B cup when it's finished.  How many cc's would that require, just as an estimate?  thanks.

Linda - Vintage.   Yeah, my PS told me don't worry about it either, this surgery was to get rid of the cancer, we will work on the cosmetic side of things when we do the permanent implants.   However, I did also have to sign a release that stated if I needed further "corrective surgery" after this, it would be at my own cost.  Is this common? I'm sorry but I don't have the means to pay for cosmetic procedures, only insurance.  If that was the case, I would choose to look and have the body like Joanna Krupa!

Hi Everyone -- My TE's are finally starting to feel ok -- normal -- kind of.  I am 2 1/2 weeks from my last fill.  I am at 500ccs.  And the last fill was absolutely excruciating.  But I can truly say I am actually ok -- nearly feeling good this week.  I did theraputic yoga today and reached new levels -- of motion.  I am hearten by the progress -- and I have been lax on the walks and cross trainer in last week as work schedule has kicked back in -- and there is much less energy to go around.  I am in recliner asleep the minute I walk in the door -- sometimes sleep right through dinner.

I tried to load a picture but no luck -- I found some silicone nipples for myself -- for the summer. They are great and look pretty dang authentic -- if I do say so myself.  If I can get the dang pic on here I will. It feels nice to be a little normal looking -- with the nipples and a nice little BC friendly bra with lace that cover the mounds.  Got them in a few colors from the bra, nipple, wig gal in Marin, California - that has the cottage industry for all the BC sisters in Marin -- we lead the country in per capita occurrences and no one knows definitively why yet.  

Scary -- Special K -- gave you the right info -- on sizing -- it is determine by a combination of things -- some of which you cannot control -- but a good PS will guide you well. Keep reading and asking questions and discussing with your PS. 

Getting ready to head out for my fill.  Last time, they told me to take all the pain meds that I could, probably because I was still in a lot of pain.  Do you, or do you recommend taking anything before the fills?  I wasn't planning on it this time.  Am I making a mistake?

Thanks Love.  I was planning on going there and straight home.  Told my DH he didn't have to be with me this time, he's missed enough work due to me.  If need be, I still have pain meds I can take after I get home.