November 2014 Surgery Sisters

Jovigal, CONGRATULATIONS! Glad you are doing well. Port placement is a breeze. Biggest issue for me was I'm slender so it freaked me out a lot.

One thing I would like to impress on anyone stressing about going to have surgery. I know some of you won't know your full dx until surgery is done, which is an additional stressor to the situation. BUT, these journeys are a series of phases. Surgery is one phase and one phase soon to be behind you and off to the next phase and cure or as in my case, a chronic condition to manage, but most importantly a step toward life and a life that we can control, instead of right now, our lives are controlled by the cancer and all these phases. So POWER ON GIRLS!

Give it hell, AlexaP!  I still have 2.5 weeks to go and I want to throw up all the time. I wish I could just get it over with too!

Thanks sisters... Edukes I've been trying to keep busy and totally know what you mean. Yesterday was really rough for me. Today was better. Tomorrow who knows. Jovigal I'll be thinking of you on Thursday too as you start chemo. We all must kicka$$!!!

Hello ladies...I had my bmx with te's august 20th of this year. I slept in a recliner for 3 weeks...then the couch. For some reason I couldn't sleep in bed, it was to painful. I had 4 drains, 2 came out after a week and the other 2 came out the following week. The drains for me were the most painful. When I would wash up in the shower I had to sit on the side of the tub. I would get a scarf and put it around my neck and safety pin the drains to it..that was very helpful because it kept them out of the way and the didnt fall. The te's are painful for me also. But, the more fills I got the less painful they were..but that's not to say I don't have pain from them still..mostly on my sternum and my ribs. It was about 3 or 4 days after the drains came out that I could sleep on my side again (yahoo !!) ..sleeping on my back sucks ! Tons of pillows definetly help too, especially while you have the drains in, put them under your arms. My stats are in my signature...I had ILC. The 3 weeks waiting to have surgery were THE worst !! All I did was cry. Then, the waiting after surgery for the final path to come back was also tough.

I am 3 months out from the bmx..it does get easier ladies ! I get the same comments as some of you mentioned about the "atleast you don't need chemo, your going to have kick ass boobs when its all over blah blah blah" People who havent gone thru this will never understand. YES I am extremely grateful that I dont have to have chemo...but losing my breasts, like someone above said, IS NO WALK IN THE PARK physically nor emotionally !! I still cant look at my chest in the mirror and the boyfriend still hasn't seen my chest either. Nothing looks right anymore...none of my shirts fit properly and I cant where a bra...it makes me feel like something is squeezing my ribs to death. Funny thing is..before surg I was so excited to never where a bra again. I hate it !! I feel naked without one lol.

Im brca negative but had an oophorectomy yesterday.  I am very sore today but nothing I cant handle..NOTHING like the bmx. To many family members have had breast cancer. One was simultaneously diagnosed with breast AND ovarian and she was also brca negative. Another family member also simultaneously diagnosed with breast and thyroid, also brca negative. Both family members were diagnosed with 2 PRIMARY tumours so it didn't spread from the bc. I honestly dont think brca has a ton of weight in bc..I think there has to be another bc gene that they just haven't discovered yet.

My gyn onc surgeon who did my ooph yesterday said that my ovaries were stuck to my pelvic floor and that one of them looks suspicious. So, now the wait begins AGAIN for those path results in about a week. It seems never ending !

This site has been such a life saver for me. The ladies here are so supportive and definetly understand because they are going thru it too. This can definetly consume you, it did me and sometimes still does. Everyday I worry about it coming back or finding out that it spread somewhere else, although my nodes were negative.

I try to stay as positive as I can...it is getting easier as more time passes. I guess its just one of those things that you just have to learn to live with and try to do your best to be positive

Ganzgirl2010 wow you've been through the wringer! I'm so sorry that you are having to wait for pathology again!!! No one truly understands how dreadful that is unless they are going through it too. I remember the feeling of the TE all too well. I am totally dreading that part, like having a hard plastic square shoved into your ribs. Blech. Gonna power right on through that so I can get to my exchange surgery ASAP. I know how difficult it is to lose your breasts, please be gentle with yourself - let yourself heal emotionally as well as physically. There is life on the other side of this all... Different, yes, but precious life with all it has to bring! I'm an 18 year survivor and I plan on being around for a lot longer. Cancer can kiss my butt! (PLEASE Remind me that I said that in about a week when I'm waiting for my pathology.). Healing & gentle hugs to you. Thanks for taking time to reach out while you're going through so much! Keep us posted!

TJG2 I'm not sure if I do have cancer again... I had a routine mammogram which showed a suspicious area which led to a breast MRI with a BIRADS of 3 so normally they would just wait and watch. But at the same time, I had the breast cancer gene test done which came back positive... So surgeon and I decided to just do the mastectomy and a sentinel node biopsy rather than waste time with a biopsy since I'm doing the mastectomy anyway... So long story short, they are pretty sure it's benign, but won't know for sure until pathology comes back after surgery...

Other than that, as far as I know I'm 18 years cancer free and planning on getting the procedures done to make sure I stay that way! I know I need to start taking better care of myself, this sure has been a wake up call not to take things for granted. Everyone told me once I hit the 10 year mark that I was back to general population risk... Not so sure that's true, I think we always need to stay on top of things. But no matter what, I'm gonna deal with things as they come and give it my all. Too much to look forward to! Gotta lose some weight, cut out red meat, really eat organic, actually do yoga EVERY day... All the small things that add up to a total healthier me (I hope). And enjoy things as much as possible and maybe, just maybe go waterskiing again in a year or two. I did it a few years ago! I had my cancer at age 31 and went snow skiing for the first time on my 40th birthday so hey there's always a new adventure out there. Next cruise I'm DEFINITELY going on that zipline!!! ))

I hear ya! We have a Viper tube that you sit upright in. They come in single seaters or in our case 3 since we always have a boatload of kids. Look into them, they are a lot of fun and since you're sitting up your boobs and port won't get banged up and the safety jacket will keep your boobs from jumping up and down when you cross a wake! Woohoo! It only flipped once when the kids arranged wrong and put a lightweight on the outside wing lol. Realistically that's all I will be able to do this summer too but it's fun! I would love to go back to Aruba this May but with my huge medical deductible not so sure that's gonna happen I'll "never" give up on a glass of wine every now and again. Never say never right?!

Hospital just called to pre-register. 💩 just got real! Gah!!!

I would move to Aruba if I could. I've been to a lot of islands but that place stole my heart. Sitting on the beach under a palapa with a tall rum and coke... I could eat pb&j every day if that meant I could stay there longer. We went there for our anniversary last year. This year I'll be getting fills at the PS. C'est la vie

Alexa.I love the (poop) just got real comment..I almost spit my coffee out lol ! Well ladies unfortunately Ive never left the east coast so I cant join in on the Aruba stories but someday I will get there. Good luck with your surg today  you will get a benign path report !!

TJ...what is Herceptin and perjeta ? I think Herceptin is for her positive ca's ?? Why are you on them for the rest of your life ? That's no fun

I had my double mastectomy on the 11th. I was in quite a lot of pain the first week am that is improving but I still need the Percocet. I stayed two nights in the hospital. I am so glad I had someone stay with me, the best advice I can give is to have someone stay over with you.

I still have the 3 drains which should come out in a few days.

Pathology received yesterday: stage 3, grade 8, 3/18 nodes positive.

I don't know what else to say right now. Hope you all are doing well.

Nursie, just don't rush. Once the drains are out you will feel so much better!

My surgery went well. Lots of pressure and soreness. Super sleepy.

Hi there, i got diagnosed on the 7/11 and am having unilateral mastectomy on Tuesday 25/11. I went for my 40 mammogram with a feelingt hey would find something. I am trying to walk this journey with no fear...i am grateful i dont need chemo as it is not in the nodes, caught early amd am trying to get people to check and go and fins it early. My problem is that i am bein positive and everyone around me is making a huge deal about it which is messing with my head. I am walking around with a drain still from the sentinel node biopsy which means i will probably have drains for weeks ahead. have my sons birthday party today, my duaghters play three days post op and have work deadlines that only i can do. In my journey i feel like i am in a fast flowin river in a steong currentin an apple barrell with no oar. I was moving towars a fork in the river. On one side were the rapids of chemo and radiation, on the other was the calmer waters of the hormonal repression therapy...i am grateful that i am on this calmer fork. I am surrounded by God and know that God is in control...so for me in my journey i see it as just my journey...the fear might come later...then i will need your support. Xxx

Great news Awest, get lots of rest.

Tigger - Stay positive and keep moving. Great news on the fork you are taking. Other people are just scared, let them take care of you and then they can be positive too. At some point you may have a down moment, but all the positivity will help get over the down moments faster, because positive is your norm!

That was hard for me too. We did most everything just the two of us, but let family help some with food and errands.