Advice from those who've been there? Many many questions.

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perpetuallycurious
perpetuallycurious Member Posts: 15
edited December 2014 in IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)

Hello,

Could anyone offer advice?  I'm going through this whole process not sure if what's happening is normal.  Every time I think the journey is over, it's not.  I'd appreciate your input and hearing your experience.  Thank you in advance!

My story:

I had a mammo in 2012 that came back abnormal after going to see my doctor for an ancient cyst which had turned visibly blue under the skin. Gratefully the color resolved several weeks later (as overnight as it appeared) so on I went with "normal" short term follow-ups. Fast forward another 2 years to April 2014.  Finally cleared from short term follow ups, told to return in a year. (Woo hoo!)  40 days later at my annual (6/5/14), no palpable lumps save the aforementioned cyst.  

2 weeks later (6/19/14). I hop out of the shower to discover a _new_ blue spot inches from the first and new visible/palpable lump about the size of a marble which wasn't there at bedtime. Call my PCP. "Hey, doc, new lump and it's blue. Can I watch it for 3 months or do I have to come in?"  God bless her, she pulls up my radiology reports and says, "Go ahead and watch it. The radiologist has been following the spot for two years. It's stable. That's what you just got cleared from!"

Oh. Disconcerted sigh. 2 months into the wait, monthly BSE reveals a new lump on the R. I called my PCP who has me come in, confirms both new lumps, the second blue spot and says, "Sometimes cyst look blue under the skin.  Let's US the right only."

Radiologist doesn't like the right US and advises my PCP if I have any other changes that he recommends an immediate biopsy, otherwise I'm back on short term follow up.  After conferring with the radiologist, PCP offers a specialist referral instead of waiting again since we've been doing that now for a couple of years.  While waiting for the specialist, the 2nd blue lump doubled in size (though the colored spot did not enlarge) and numerous other symptoms added to my worry.  Long story longer have me tell it, (sorry, ladies I'm a novelist) I ended up at MD Anderson's undiagnosed breast clinic the first week of October. 

My quest for advice is centered around understanding if the process I'm going through is normal, if the information I'm getting (or gleaning myself) is correct, and normal, standard etc.  I was very confused at my appointment.  The breast "specialist" (a person I thought was there for a second consult) is/was still in school, had not reviewed my radiology nor could she answer questions related to radiology, did not give me a physical exam and advised me "unless my mother, sister or daughter have BC, I have no family history of it or increased risk."  

Here are my questions:

1. Is the in-school specialist correct that no one has a risk for BC unless their mother, sister or daughter has it?

2. I was surprised the specialist didn't ask me about a personal history of cancer, HRT or that she didn't ask any questions about my thyroid.  Do any of you know...are these things relevant when determining one's existing risk factors for BC?  Were any of you asked about these things at your appointments?

3. The specialist asked if I had any odd rashes. I told her yes, I've been having a very odd type of mottled bruising/redness that comes and goes on my breasts and trunk (beginning about 2 weeks after my 2nd blue breast spot appeared). Originally thought to be an allergy to NSAIDs/Tylenol, but now I wonder as it has continued for 3 months after stopping the meds (half life 12 hours). Some days the redness goes (correction, went) from my collar bone to my knees, and some days it's like a big red butterfly on my chest and abs.  Usually its centered just below my breasts though, technically on my trunk.  Cardiothoracic surgeon said he had no idea why it's centered around my incision (he removed the lower 1/3 of my sternum called the xiphoid process 6/24/14) but said there is nothing wrong with the ab tissue that he can see. The breast specialist's answer (from across the room) was that sometimes the body will develop new capillaries in an area of surgery and advised that I should self-refer to my dermatologist for a punch biopsy. *WHAT DID I GO TO A BREAST SPECIALIST FOR if I was only to be referred right back out to radiology and dermatology??! Ok, radiology I get (no one can diagnose by sight) but isn't the specialist supposed to do the punch biopsy?  

Did any of you have your specialist refer you to dermatology for a skin punch biopsy?  Does this sound normal? I'm a bit confused as to why I went to the specialist.

4. Did anyone else seem to bruise excessively POST biopsy? Did the pain (actual pain, not tenderness) last more than a week? I read that the degree of bruising post biopsy can be an indication of how healthy the tissue is underneath. Do any of you know if this is true? (Beesie, Kicks, with all your wonderful research, have you found this?) Anyone else get bruised way more than where you were touched?

5. Could anyone who has had rashes that were diagnosed as related to their BC tell me if they ever came and went? How about a 'rash' that came and went in one day, every day? I'm not sure if I should make an appointment with a dermatologist because the mottled redness comes and goes. Where would they punch? My PCP has already referred me out for more specialized knowledge on these subjects, so I'm not sure she can do anything but send me over to dermatology too.

6. Ultimately, MD Anderson did 1 FNA, tried a 2nd then opted to remove that mass via CNB due to its small size.  Only the CNB samples were sent sent to the lab.  The result was benign, but I'm not released from short term follow up.  Normal?

If there is anyone out there gracious enough to sit through this mess and answer a few questions, I'd really appreciate hearing what you went through.  I have so many questions and I feel like a pin ball.  I'm not sure who is supposed to do what and if getting bounced around between departments and doctors is pretty normal when finding out what's going on inside.  Thank you in advance, and sorry the story and questions are so long and many. 

(Edited for length.  Not sure how successful I was.  Sorry...)

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited October 2014

    1.  Wrong!  Some types of BC can be genetic - (family related) BUT not all are.   There is testing that can rule in or out the posssibility of it being genetic if there is a strong family history.   More research is being done to find more.  According to my Drs 5 yrs ago,  IBC is not related to family history anyway.  So I did not have the testing done as there is no family history of any type of cancer on either side of my family for at least 4 generations.  IBC often does not show on mammos as it does not present as a lump but as 'nests' or 'bands'. Enlarged lymph nodes may present early (mine) which can feel like a 'lump' but not the same.

    2.  Many of us had/have no history of previous cancer when DXd with BCs - me included.  HRT - I only did it for about 2 months and quit.  I went through a relatively early natural menopause and have a 'big' family history of osteoporosis so my PA wanted me on it to hopefully prevent it.  I had had a very easy journey to menopause with never having any of the 'nasty' experiences that many do -  never any hot flashes or anything else.  I didn't like the way I felt on HRT so couldn't see any reason to to take it - if osteoporosis decided to come on (which it did years later) then would treat it then.  I never had any thyroid issues prior to DX.  When I was about 18 months old my tonsils were removed and radiation was done to my throat area supposedly to keep them from growing back (they grew back anyway and I still have the 2nd set).  (This was relatively common practice in the 1940's into the 1960's).  Because of the radiation to the area, I have been checked throughout my adult life just to be on the 'safer side'.  I was not asked about HRT or other 'things' directly - but was asked what I thought might be important/related so I brought up no family history, short HRT, rads for tonsils and a couple of other 'stuff' related to invironments I have lived/worked in.

    3.   You went to see a Breast Specialist as they are educated in breast issues - benign as well as malignant.  If you had a possible issue with your heart - you see a cardio specialist to determine what is going on(if anything).  I saw my PA at 11 that Thurs, she had me at the Radiology Clinic at 1 for a new mammo with an US and biopsies immediately.  Had the path report the next morning (Fri) at 8 -as expected IBC.  Mon saw Surgeon, Rads Dr on Wed, Chemo Dr on Thurs, lots of scans/tests, port implant and started neoadjuvant A/C 17 days after DX.  There are so MANY possibilities for rashes/discoloration on breast which the VAST majority have nothing to do with any BC.  By the same token, not all IBC presents with redness/discoloration first, if ever.  I never had any redness/discoloration though peau d'orange did develope.  Basically, skin issues with IBC do not 'come and go'.  It is aggressive and progresses rapidly once it presents.

    4.  I had no bruising/pain from my biopsies.  Mine were FNB.  For the feeling of fluid - call your Dr.  There are several possibilities but only your Dr can tell you.

    5.  IBC does often present with a 'rash' but not all do.  There are MANY possibilities for 'rashes'.  IBC is aggressive and rapid - it doesn't 'come and go' or wait long periods of time.  Be glad that your PCP is being honest with you.  No one person can know everything about everything - that's why there are Specialists.

    6.  It's not unusual at all for follow up appts even after a benign DX.

    Hmm - just had a thought on what you posted and the questions/way they were asked.  You stated you are a 'novelist';  could this be a way to get around getting personal information to be used?

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  • perpetuallycurious
    perpetuallycurious Member Posts: 15
    edited October 2014

    Hi, Kicks,

    Thanks so much for the reply!  I didn't understand the last line, sorry.  Wow!  What a whirlwind from DX thru treatment.  You ladies are my heroines.  (Most days I'm challenged to get the lunch dishes done. haha)

    1.  Ah-ha!  (It didn't occur to me family history might only be relevant for certain types of BC.)

    2.  Thanks!  (ps: you are the only other person I've ever encountered whose tonsils also grew back post surgery! I was 3.  No rads; it was the 70's.  'Rad' didn't come back around until the 80's.  jk)

    3.  Ok, I think I understand a little more.  Skin "changes" (at least those specifically associated with IBC) are really more of a skin 'met' if you will, and not a proper 'rash' at all?  Therefore, as cancer now involving the skin, redness/p'eau d'orange shouldn't come and go on its own as cancer does not 'come and go' on it's own.  (Well, it doesn't 'go' on it's own anyway. :P)  Does this sound right?  

    3a: ...so while they can't always see IBC on a mammo, they can see p'eau d'orange/thickening on US/Mammo?  IF that's true, that's very reassuring.

    3b: I might still be a little confused about the skin changes associated with IBC and lymph node involvement.  I was thinking the redness and warmth was like a type of skin flushing that stemmed from a degree of lymph node malfunctioning.  Kind of like how swollen fingers/feet can be an indication of the lymph system not running at complete capacity, I wondered/got confused that the redness (that some symptom lists say comes and goes with IBC) and the warmth were indicative of the near-by lymph nodes fighting malignant cells.  That's not quite right, is it?  The lymph changes associated with IBC are also a type of mets?

    5.  Knowing that IBC is so aggressive and that so few have studied it in earnest is partly why I've been concerned about being on short term follow-ups for so long, especially since it's always for a different reason.  Also because my symptoms are worse, relax minutely, then worsen again.  It makes me feel so much better to know this aggressive type doesn't just randomly get lazy, then aggressive, then lazy again.

    6.  Sweet!  You're the best.

    Thanks so much for all your help! 

    T

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited October 2014

    Remember - no 2 of us have exactly the same presentation or reactions to what is going on individually.  What I have experienced is what I did - others have differences in their experiences.

    1.  While a family history does possibly pre-dispose some one, it is not required for developement.  Many have no family history - me included.

    2.  I had a friend as a kid who just happened to be born the same day I was at the same place about an hour after I was and our Moms were in the same room after.  Her tonsils were taken out at about 4 and had radiation also - hers grew back too.  (Rads remained for many things after the '60's - just not used as sort of SOP after tonsilectomy as the potential for future problems made it inappropriate.)

    3.  Peau d'orange is caused by blockage of lymphatic system.  It does not 'come and go'.  Redness and peau d'orange are not the same though redness may also be present. Peau d'orange does not automatically equate to cancer IN the skin.  In my case, I never developed any redness/discoloration but did develope peau d'orange.  The first 'sign' of something 'wrong' was a node that enlarged from 'not,there/felt' to the size of an almond literally overnight.   Positive nodes do not equate to mets automatically.  If the pos. nodes are in the breast area (axillary or similar areas) is not considered 'mets'.

    3a.  I don't know.  Have never seen anything about peau d'orange showing on mammo or US.  I didn't have any skin issues when DXd.  Only an enlarged node known.  IBC seldom shows on mammos but might on an US.  It forms as a 'nest' or in 'bands' as opposed to as a 'lump'.  From what I was told - an US will show suspicious IBC areas better than a mammo.  

    3b.  I have never seen any reputable research that says that 'redness' 'comes and goes' with IBC.   Some of us never experience any 'redness'.  It is possible that other issues are also going on at the same time though that may 'come and go'.  It is possible, though excedeing rare, to have IBC and another type of BC at the same time (2 different other types of BC at the same time also).

    5.  IBC is aggressive and progresses rapidly - some types of BC can be around for years undetected.  In my case, I had my annual mammo in June and it was the same as had been for years.  Early Aug, I found the enlarged node, a week later I had the DX and 17 days later started neoadjuvant A/C.

    I belive in research - research - question - question.  Be careful of what you find on 'Quack Dr Google'. There is great info to find there but there is also a lot of 'crap'. Ask individuals for their experiences but no 2 will ever have had the same exactly.

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  • perpetuallycurious
    perpetuallycurious Member Posts: 15
    edited October 2014

    Hi, Kicks (and anyone else reading):

    Sorry for the delay.  I needed to refocus a bit, get back to living.  And if I'm honest, bury my head in the sand about new symptoms. Took the bull's horns back today, so here I am.  

    I wanted to thank you again so much for the reply!  Looks like I don't understand so well about skin changes.  lol  Research, research, question, question.

    Funny thing about our talk of redness coming and going, I was racking my brains trying to remember where I read the "comes and goes" part.  Turns out...it was on this website!  LOL  http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/types/inflam...

    I haven't read very many women's experiences though that indicate their IBC presented with redness either so thank you for that reminder.  :0) 

    Btw, I never felt any liquid but I was concerned by the Smurf blue skin having expanded after being lanced.  (Yes, I know this was irrational as cancer cannot be spread by aspiration but hey, that's the mind for ya!)  The 2nd nurse (10 days post biopsy) told me to wait at least 14 days before worrying my Africa shaped blue skin was anything other than a bruise.  Since my research indicated that heat can help the body reabsorb blood (if in fact this was a bruise) that's just what I did.  Applied heat every night and waited. It's been 17 days now since they biopsied and while the blue is mostly gone, my left breast looks nothing like its former self, or its partner anymore.  :0(  

    A stone hard linear lump-between (and below) my incision and sample site-showed up at 14 days.  If I palpate it now (at 17 days), it pulls on the surrounding skin creating a horizontal divot which 3 days ago at presentation was a dimple.  I am praying this change is a late forming fat necrosis or scar tissue though I'm not sure I should have scar tissue develop after a FNA and CNB. 

    I'm also very concerned that about half my left breast (basically the area they sampled) looks like its been sheared off and the leftover skin turned to cellulite.  To boot, when I raise my left arm now there is a golf ball size wide and 2.5 inch long vertical "dimple" that seems to be somehow connected to my nipple.  I say that because half the areola gets pulled in with the depression when I raise that arm.  

    Breast specialist will be back in town Monday morning (10/27/14).  Her scheduler booked me for the first am appointment. 

    Needless to say, meanwhile I'm scared...

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  • bride
    bride Member Posts: 382
    edited October 2014

    I was DXed with IBC with no family history of BC. I did have a soft palpable mass which could only be felt because it was covered by a thin scar. No peau d'orange but I did have and inverted nipple. 

    My radiologist did my needle biopsies. (Yes, the same doc who did the mammo and the US.) I was pretty sore from the biopsies but was told that probably was because I have dense breat tissue and bruise easily anyway. 

    I did HRT for 3 weeks -- it just didn't seem to make much difference.

    Your rash doesn't quite fit with IBC; rashes running down to your knees suggests many other problems besides IBC. 

    I also don't see anything odd in your docs wanting to watch you closely. That speaks to me of caution and "best practices."

    As a retired academic, I'm curious as to what books you've written -- I'm always interested in finding something new to read.

    bride

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  • perpetuallycurious
    perpetuallycurious Member Posts: 15
    edited October 2014

    Hi, Bride:

    Thanks for your response and for sharing your experience.  I appreciate it!  I felt more like I was falling through the cracks than being followed closely so it's helpful to have an outsider's perspective.  I also appreciate the input about HRT.  From reading a few accounts on here I realize now how different doctors are in their approaches to breast issues.  Some seem to biopsy at the drop of a hat and others are more conservative.  While I'm sure that statement in itself is an oversimplification, its hard not to freak out about one's own conflicting radiology.  :P

    The 'rash' I describe did go from my collar bone to my knees at its worse (red/mottled bruising, vesicles, and hives), but mostly it's an odd redness on my trunk (just below/between my breasts) that changes pattern every day leaving new broken capillaries in its wake.  Some days it covers a good portion of my boobs (then goes away) but mostly sticks to just below them.  While I'm still utterly confounded, I am very happy for it to be anything other than IBC!

    I'm a romance novelist.  I write sweet romance and romantic suspense, mostly small town stuff.  In my books the community always rallies around the hero/heroine and I am reminded again and again that love really does conquer all.  Or at least it does in my novels! :0)  What kind of reading do you enjoy?

    I see in your DX signature that you had a Mx (R) recently.  How is your recovery coming?  Are you healing well?

    T

    Off to the specialist in 6 hours.  Praying for good news... 

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  • perpetuallycurious
    perpetuallycurious Member Posts: 15
    edited October 2014

    Well, phooey.  Specialist says she doesn't ever see women post-biopsy and doesn't know if my changes were to be expected.

    Scheduler called 2 days later and had the radiologist call me back.  Changes not expected, but hopefully not malignant and simply coincidental.  Back to scheduling for additional images.  

    How do you guys do this and keep your sanity?  Sigh

    ps: sorry if I put this post in the wrong section.  

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited October 2014

    A 'breast specialist' that "doesn't EVER see women post biopsy"?  That's scary and someone I would run from.  Must not see a lot of BC women.  It is not unusual to have biopsies done by the Radiologist at the time when Mammo/US done are done (though not always) and then are sent to a Breast Specialist.

    Nothing you have written about your ever changing large skin issues (or,time line) sound like IBC but anything is possible so definately needs to be checked out.  I certainly am not an expert, except in knowing what I have lived through and no one else has had the exact experiences - nor , have I had theirs.  A Dermatology appt would probably be in order - they are the Specialists for skin issues.  If everyone who decides they are IBC because of a 'rash' were - it would not be only between 1% - 5% of all DXd BC but b would be the most common.

    I never said I was 'sane' 😏.  To me, my Faith/Beliefs sustain me through much.  To me, 'life' is but a journey down our individual pathways.  There are areas of darkness and of sunshine; areas of bumps and smooth patches;  areas of hard climbs and easier descents.  The harder times make us stronger, while the easier times allow us to renew, to enjoy, to prepare.  Both can be present at the same time also.  

    I, too, read a lot on a multitude of topics - but I do not waste time reading fiction.  If nothing else, you have gotten a wealth of information/research for your next romance novel.

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  • bride
    bride Member Posts: 382
    edited November 2014

    T,

    Keep fighting for answers. You might want to see a MO - they see patients before and after any number of things. :) Thanks for asking about my mx. After 6 months of chemo, then surgery, and now 2 days away from finishing my rads, I can honestly say that each step was easier than the one before. Admittedly, I'm not enthralled with the pain that comes from my PT though I do like feeling more in control of my body. Finally.

    Kicks,

    You don't read fiction? But you're missing some great books -- anything by Thomas Hardy, Elizabeth Gaskell, Harper Lee, Joseph Conrad, among many others can take you on a journey to an essential truth. I've never read a romance novel so I can't assess their value, but the people I mentioned were brilliant. With tongue firmly in cheek, bride 

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited November 2014

    bride - Thanks for pointing out that I did misspeak a bit.  I have read (and do read) some fiction but not modern 'romance novels' pumped out by the 1,000's.  I did recently start rereading Gen. Lew Wallace's 'Ben Hur'.  Of course, there are also Dumas, Dickens among so many others.  The closest I've gotten to reading 'romance novels' (years ago) were Inglis Fletcher's Carolina series and John Jakes' 'The Kent Family Chronicles' and 'North and South'.

    (My favorite poets are Rudyard Kipling and Robert Service.)

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  • perpetuallycurious
    perpetuallycurious Member Posts: 15
    edited November 2014

    Good morning, Ladies:

    Thank you for your replies.  I am very upset this morning after my appointment yesterday.  Thank God, they didn't find anything nefarious under the skin.  Troubling thing is they didn't find anything at all so I have no explanation as to why my boob went from looking like a boob before biopsy (3 weeks ago) to looking like a potato.  I went from one cellulite looking dimple on the side 2 weeks ago to what now looks like a 4" long sickle scar that starts on the outside and circles around to the middle.  (Like I was sliced with a sickle) The radiologist (MD Anderson) has never seen my visual changes. "After a lumpectomy, maybe, but it's not expected after a fine needle aspiration."  After ultrasound I asked if he saw any reason whatsoever for the skin to be pulling in like it is and he said no. I asked what he would do if it were his body.  He said as a doctor he would recommend waiting 6 months.  

    I was not reassured, nor comfortable waiting 6 months so he said I have 3 options: 

    1.  gather my films and go to some place like Mayo for a "second opinion."

    2.  go see a, wait for it...BREAST SPECIALIST!  or  Breast surgeon to ask if she's ever seen the changes.

    3.  see a dermatologist

    I could just cry.  Oh wait, I am.  This sucks!  My dermatologist quit a month and a half ago and I can't get in as a new patient with anyone else in her clinic for 3 weeks.  No cancellation list. I am so afraid of what I'm going to look like in another 3 weeks.

    Should I call back to MD Anderson and ask for an appointment with the Brest surgeon I was originally SUPPOSED to see?

    Meanwhile, back at the farm:

    Bride, I am so happy your recovery is progressing!  Congratulations on finishing radiation!  How great to hear it.  PT: yep, they make it hurt then send you home. lol  Little victories are strangely worthwhile.  At least to me.  I had the bottom 1/3 of my sternum removed (xiphoid process) about 4 months ago so I can sympathize with what you said about control of your body being nice again, though it may not be the same.  I was so thrilled the other day by being able to put away 5  plates at one time, I did a dance right there in my kitchen.  Which is fine, but how do you explain the dance in front of the butcher counter because it's cold and you just realized you could cross your arms over your chest without crying for the first time in years?  So I cried, in happiness.

    Thank you also for telling me to keep fighting for answers.  It's so disconcerting to watch these changes without understanding.

    Kicks: Not sure what you like to read (non-fiction wise). I tend to stick to medical journals and case studies for my non-fiction but if you like history, I recommend Philippa Gregory.  Her characters are historical figures (like England's kings of the 14400-1500s)  but she has an amazing ability to bring them to life.  There's even a little romance thrown in for those vary of romantic novels in quotes.  :P  Thank you for telling me it's your faith that gets you through.  Thank God for Jesus.  Otherwise, I'd be toast.  No pun intended.

    Speaking of non-fiction reading, I found statistically based answers to a lot of what I was asking (family history, HRT) in this link to the American Cancer Society's Facts and Figures from 2013-2014.  I'll share in case anyone would like to read it: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@researc...

    The journey continues...

    T

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited November 2014

    I do like history but my 'tastes' go more to American history.  I do a bit of reading French history though also. ( I lived in France from when I was 6 - 9 as Daddy was stationed there. )   Most of the books I'm reading now (have to read) deal with Lakota/northern plains Nations.  I have a new book on Red Cloud that I just recently started.  I have 2 new books about Wounded Knee that I picked up the last time I was at Crazy Horse Memorial.

    I saw a book on Pine Beetles but was in a hurry and didn't get it at the time.  (We have HUGE problems in the Hills with pine beetles killing Ponderorsa pines.).  Some beavers have moved into a park near home taking down trees so when I can get to town, I'll be looking for a book on beavers.  I also find Geology fascinating.  So many different 'things'.

    Yes I can (and do) look on line but I like having a book in my hands.

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  • bride
    bride Member Posts: 382
    edited November 2014


    Kicks,

    Before I became a Victorian historian, I had a fling with the Tudors, and before that I had great dreams of being an archaeologist. I've got some old (out-of-date) classics on the Plains Indians. Want them? It may take me a bit to dig them out -- granddaughter number 2 arrived three weeks early -- two days after I finally got home from radiation. But I'm drowning in books and would love to send any to good homes.

    Thank god you don't read bodice-rippers. And thanks for mentioning Dumas, I've been rereading The Man in the Iron Mask. Maybe we need a topic on books? It would be either quite good or quite silly. Hmm, I think I'm in dire need of sleep, babies, books, and infusions have worn me out. LOL

    bride

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited November 2014

    I never 'dreamed of' being an archeologist but I did a couple of summers on digs in Puget Sound thru 'UDub' (U of WA) and Skagit Valley College on Whidbey Island.  It's been a few years since I did any digs here in SD.  The one I found the most exciting was a fetal calf in a buffalo cow.  

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  • bride
    bride Member Posts: 382
    edited November 2014

    Kicks,

    A fetal calf in a buffalo cow is a way cool find! And NW archaeology is amazing, I find the idea of the potlatch very intriguing. And their burial customs, astronomy, etc are fascinating.

    I was on a couple of digs at different Cahokian sites in the midwest and then spent some time hanging out at the American School in Athens, Greece -- no fieldwork there, just classifying amphoras.

    The book hunt is under way. :)

    bride

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  • perpetuallycurious
    perpetuallycurious Member Posts: 15
    edited December 2014

    Hello, all:

    So the dermatology appointment came and went and of course, the rash didn't present at the appointment. Armed with photos, I presented the info to the doc. Although I should have stopped reacting 2-3 months max post-surgery from the medicine, I guess it took about 4 for me. Thanks for listening while I waited it out.

    As for the disproportional scarring post fine needle aspiration, while it wasn't expected by either radiologist or the breast specialist, according to the dermatologist it is normal for me. I was born with a connective tissue disorder that affects only the rib cage area of the body causing an overgrowth of the connective tissue in that area. According to the doctor, some of the connective tissue running through my breast was 'disrupted' with the needles (both fine and core). While the first radiologist said scar tissue doesn't normally form that soon (10-14 days post biopsy), what I see _is_ the result of my particular body's scarring process in that area. Also according to the derm, this may happen to other women, but the reason mine can be seen so obviously is because I have almost no body fat in my breasts to cover it up. Mystery solved.

    As for a book thread, I think it's a wonderful idea! While you two ladies may not appreciate the bodice ripper in all its lace and glory (:p) the reason they are "pumped out by the 1000's" is because voracious readers out there demand them. In 2013 alone, sales of romance novels were $1.08 Billion (http://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=580). Personally, I enjoy hearing the story of how two people met, fell in love and overcame life's circumstances to be together. And when I see those ridiculous book covers, I know I'm in for a contented sigh and an emotionally satisfying ending. Or at least I should be! :0)

    Bride: You went to the American School in Athens, Greece for archaeology? My heroine... How's the new grand-baby? Is she getting strong? How's the recovery from rads? I hope you're well.

    Kicks: fetal calf in a buffalo cow? That is really cool! (I did dream of being an archaeologist. I even once dreamed of going to Greece to study.) My monastery is in SD. Have you ever heard of the Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton?

    Best wishes in health,

    T



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  • bride
    bride Member Posts: 382
    edited December 2014

    T,

    No, I didn't go to the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, I, until my retirement, was a member of the school. I did occasionally lecture to the students there however -- mostly on how to read material culture, in my case, amphorae.

    The new granddaughter is thriving, she's grown 2 inches and is up from 5.6 lbs at birth to over 8 lbs. thanks for asking.

    I can't say I find much value in romance novels though I know they sell like pancakes. Please start a book thread, I fear I'm too out of touch with what's current to do so.

    I'm sorry that you have a connective tissue disorder, it sounds painful.

    Hope you're feeling better,

    bride

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited December 2014

    I am not familiar with the Yankton area - we're in western SD on the prairie just ENE of the Black Hills. St Martin's Monastery is near Rapid City. If I remember correctly it is Benedictine.

    Yes, fetal calf (as in unborn calf) in situ in the buffalo cow. This site had been where many buffs had died rapidly up in a 'curve' along what had been an ancient water flow. The last I heard was that apparently they had been caught in a flash flood and were drowned. No indications on the remains that it had been a buffalo jump as there were no signs of them being utilized by man or man having camped in the area.

    Of course, the 'almighty dollar' is at the reason of why " bodice rippers" are "pumped out by the 1,000s". Unfortunately, in today's world there are so many who do not really have a 'life' of their own that they live and make the most,of no matter what it is. - so living vicariously through written words that have no basis in reality is easier than actually fighting to live their own life to the utmost. Those sort of books have nothing to do with reality - they are just 'dreamed up' fantasy. (Just my thoughts - everyone is different. I know that many feel differently than I do and I can respect your right to feel that way though I can not understand it. Please respect my right to feel as I do.)

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