October 2014 Surgery Sisters

Sandra, FINALLY! I hope this is good news and it all settles down into a lovely bosom buddy for you. It could be a wonderful Christmas gift, although it sounds as if you want to be quiet this week and allow your body to heal. It sounds as if it was a complicated surgery with a number of moving parts (or cuts).

Sorry about your husband's problems. Life does not stop around us, I have discovered, too. Good health is elusive for many others.

Glad you have those recliners. It is a good visual image. I hope your care taking daughter finds compliant patients and doesn't have to bark too many orders. Let that kitty play you some nice music and take care of yourselves. T. rex arms, remember?

You know way too much about breast cancer, it's treatment, and the variations and divergences which that treatment can take. You have been a generous donor to this site, with lots of gifts to your October Surgery Sisters. Thank you, from this one who has benefited.

I wish you healing, joy and serenity now and into the new year! I hope dance and free movement return to your world very soon, and that your husband finds answers and care to his continuing mysteries.

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

Sharpei

Sandra,

Wow! What a time you've had! So sorry you are having to go through all of this! Hopefully this is the toughest post surgery day and tomorrow and each day will be better and better. And then your husband's troubles on top of everything else! My thoughts and prayers will be with your family for some good news on the horizon. At least he was treated in the same hospital-very convenient. Despite all- listen to what you've told all of us and try and relax and not move too much so you heal well! We're here to listen!

Oh my goodness, ladies! I was popping in to complain about my left chest/foob hurting, but after reading Sandra, horsemom and others...no complaining here. :-)

Wow - Sandra, that is so very scary and to be honest, I have never seen a brown recluse bite cause so much hemolysis. I do remember years ago, having a patient who kept having to have the back of her leg cleaned out, leaving a huge gaping wound that ultimately needed PS work.... those critters are nasty for sure.

At any rate, I am praying for clear answers quickly. Waiting is the worst and I pray for both of you to just receive ultra-fast healing and major blessings this week for Christmas!

Funny story of the day: I was sitting at my computer, supposed to be working, but instead, checking my United airline miles this past week. I realized that I only needed 11,000 miles to keep my 1K status for next year. Hmmm..... one week left in 2014. How about a quick trip to London, the day after chemo! So, with the promise of taking my 14 year old with me (using miles for her ticket), my husband gave me the green light and we are headed off to London on Saturday. Yes, the day after chemo. This also means that I will not be taking my Neulasta shot this round (darn! :-) . Morgan, my daughter, is super excited and we will just stay for 2 days and get back on the 30th. I figure it will help me not to sit around, feeling sorry for myself after another round of chemo, and it also allows me to keep my status and have some fun mom/daughter time while I am on vacation. Win, win!

I hope everyone is doing well.

All my best,

Akitagirl

Hello lovely ladies! 

I am sorry I've been missing in action.  I will be honest and say that I SO badly needed a break from breast cancer and medical terminology and treatment options and waiting and worrying and everything that had been consuming my thoughts and my life.  Once I knew what my path was and I went back to work, I just had to distance myself for a while and get my mind in the right place.  I wanted to pop back today and check in on all of you and tell you that you're all still in my thoughts and prayers, every day!  I can't read all of the posts I've missed, but it looks like (finally) many of us have clear (or as clear as they can be) paths of treatment and considering we started this crappy journey many months ago, that's awesome!  I am 5 weeks into Tamoxifen and seriously, haven't felt a thing.  Hot flashes?  Yes, but I was having them before so who cares?!  I went in on Friday to be fitted for prosthetic foobs and I almost felt "normal" when I got dressed this morning with my cute little bra and squishy (they feel real) foobs.   I have an my consultation with the PS for February 2 and I'll start to figure out what reconstruction is going to look like.  I'm not looking forward to it and the thought of at least 2 more surgeries makes me want to vomit but I am looking forward to having boobs again.  I've struggled with pain from scar tissue but it seems to be getting better.  I still look at myself in the mirror some days and say "what just happened?!" 

I'm still so grateful for the support I found here.  I am grateful for cancer research and advancements in testing and medications and hopefully those in the future will just be able to get their yearly breast cancer vaccine.  I will forget some ladies but:

Akita, you are an angel and God has a special plan for your life.  Enjoy your vacation with your daughter.

Hopeful, I'm so happy to hear how things are going for you. I hope the Femara contines to kick cancer's butt and hopefully your treatment plan will be much easier than it would/could have been.

Rev, my heart goes out to you, stay strong!  Best thoughts for your surgery in January.

Fourminor, did I read correctly no chemo for you?  That's wonderful news!!!

Trails, that's SO awesome that you're making baby plans.  I don't know how old you are but I was a late bloomer too.  My one and only child, a son was born when I was 39 and is the light of my life.  He's 9.  I hope the Doctor's can help you figure out a plan that you are comfortable with.

Sandra, are you done?  Was this your last surgery?  The spider story scared the crap out of me - what a nightmare!  You are a rock star and an inspiration!

Slavich, hope you are well.

Sharpei, your posts are still so calming to me!

I know I missed mentioning some ladies, I'm sorry!  I just wanted to say hello and tell you what brave and amazing women you all are and to let you know I'm still thinking about all of you!  I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and here's to a better 2015!!!

 

Hi Ladies! Just thought I would pop in as well. I just woke up with my period--who knows, maybe my last one?--so follow up pelvic ultrasound which i had planned for today may be postponed until after Christmas. I'm getting nervous that treatment has not started yet, but these things seem to be out of my hands.

Lots of news from you all. Akita, I'm so jealous! Hubs and I have been dreaming of how we can take a vacation again. What we want is a warm beach. I called to schedule my exchange surgery and have a tentative date of first week of Feb; maybe I can put on a bathing suit again by April? Never been to London, I am a Francophile with at least 14 trips to Paris under my belt. One of my dearest friends lives there and I miss him terribly. When I am having bad anxious thoughts I try to remember being on the back of his scooter zipping through Paris traffic, one of the best moments of my life. I'm sure London will look beautiful for Christmas and I hope you and your daughter have a great time. I am in awe of your positivity!

Sandra, so glad to hear that you have been through your last surgical hurdle. I have read from others that the fat donor site is VERY PAINFUL after grafting, such that some women have questioned whether they should have bothered. I may do it also as the skin above my breast is thin. PS said we should wait until after the exchange has settled in to make that call. But I won't be deterred by a short term pain if it will make me feel better about myself in the long run. I sure hope that your transplants take and when you have healed up you feel good about it too and one thing I know I don't want to hear is that you have to ever have another surgery again for this, you have more than paid your dues! Good that you have your daughter to help you. I hope your husband's mystery is solved and solvable as well. Time for some easy passage for you two.

Hummingbird--agreed. I went back work the second week of November and though the first week was a little hard, after that life just started to feel normal again which means normal problems. I must admit this year I am terribly behind in Christmas planning but hubs had picked up almost all of it for me. All we really want for Christmas is our health--he quit smoking last week.

Revup--The thing you said that rang the most true for me was that the second time through is no easier. Even though we all know we can never be truly out of the woods, for me as time passed I felt that I had done my breast cancer dues for this lifetime and each year as I got clear mammograms I put any anxiety about it further and further from my mind until it was almost like a bad dream. The fact that i only had lumpectomy and RT felt like I had escaped with the least possible price. Hearing the mammographer telling me, "I"m sorry to tell you that the biopsy was positive, you have another breast cancer," was indescribable. Back at the bottom of the mountain and no choice but to climb it, even though now you have some idea of how crappy that climb is going to be--its definitely no better and possibly worse. I am hoping that two times through is enough for me but as we all know, this disease sucks for a lot of reasons. Lets hope its done sucking for us both.

Horsemom--i'm leaning away from everyone with a URI right now. Just can't deal with the flu. I got a shot for work and my son got the intranasal one but this year the virus has mutated so the shots might not be that helpful, which blows. I hope your daughter heals and no one catches it!

Finally on a completely non breast cancer related topic--I have been a resident of New York City since I moved here for medical school in 1989 and have seen the city grow and change through the AIDS epidemic and the Guliani administration's big time clean up of crime, the Crown Heights riots, I was here on 9/11, working at Bellevue, and remember the day after when none of us could speak at all, save for the smallest amount of words possible, I moved to Brooklyn ten years ago, an early wave of gentrification, when the neighborhoods still had their flavors before mom and pop shops were closed out by corporate rents, and two years ago I had to move further out because I was priced out of my neighborhood. I truly don't think I could live anywhere else. But I am just sick at heart at those two cops getting assassinated here in Brooklyn on Sunday. Race is a powder keg and the 24/7 airhead media and today's social media world is a double edged sword and I don't think things here in New York are going to get better before they get worse. Having been in the ER at least twice when cops were shot I knew that when DiBlasio walked in he was going to get those cops turning their backs. Things are ugly here. If there's anything I want for Christmas, besides my own health its for everyone to do some soul searching and stop screaming and try to listen to each other. BOTH sides. And i hope that it will not take more tragedy for that to happen.

Happy Holidays everyone.

4

Hi, All!

Even though I haven't checked in for nearly a month (!!!), I've been thinking about you. Just wanted to pop in and wish everyone the best for a peaceful Christmas and a much healthier new year. Thank you all for being here and continuing to show up for each other.

Lilith08

Just a quick note to send Christmas (and all other holiday) wishes to each of you. Whatever your stage of healing, I hope the dark clouds of cancer (and other health issues, too) stay well to the west for your holidays and that we can all get some respite from it. Here's to joy and to hope and to each other.

Revelle, I have to second Sandra's sentiment: "Rev, well that sucks. You WILL have a happy ending or else we're all coming to your city and beating some people in the head. You can't jerk around one or OUR kind." I hope your biopsy site isn't too sore, but I bet it is. I'm sending good energy and prayers especially for you.

Blessed Christmas.

Some days are like this.

Revelle,

I agree. This board has been a lifeline at times. Instead of feeling anxious about things that were coming or sensations and emotions I was having, here it has all been "normal" with lots of company along the journey saying its OK to be sleepless, confused, scared, angry....it will pass, you will be OK because I went through it too and I am still a positive hopeful alive woman. Meant as much as any other aspect of care.

Blessings to all,

4

Hi All,

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and are all looking forward to a new year that brings much more positive experiences as we all wind up this rollercoaster ride and settle into our new bodies. I have been enjoying having all four of my children home (plus a new wife). We had some good times together and pulled out some childhood videos that everyone enjoyed.They begin leaving tomorrow. I'll enjoy a night of knowing they are safe under my roof tonight.

Akita-I love your spirit! Hope the days in London are 'good' chemo days!

Rev-we are here for you- I can't believe how great it was to have everyone on this board there through preparing for and recovering from surgery. You are talking to people who know somewhat what you are going through. I recently got angry at a sis-in-law (who's a dr) that hasn't even sent a card or a care during all of this and told me she knows what I'm going through with radiation b/c she has had to go to P.T. for some sore shoulder muscles 3 days a week. I quietly said "no-you have no idea what I'm going through".

Laura-that's pretty good r.o.m. for a starting point. Unfortunately, I haven't looked at the exercises she gave me-but I have been easing into yoga stretches everyday-the radiation really tightens things back up.

Sandra-no keeping you down! I do love your "fine" post. That is so true! I think we all have some emotional private times-so on edge at times-but keep the brave face for everyone else.

Four-I agree! It is really a shame where things have gone with all of this.

Hummingbird- I agree about the break. I have been trying to get through each day without discussing or explaining the cancer situation. It has been more difficult because I have enough hair now that I dyed my 1/2" of hair and shed the wig. Everyone loved my wig-it looked better than my natural hair and no-one could believe it was a wig. I debuted the new look at school(I'm a special ed. dept. chair) the week before vacation. I had a great conversation with a young man with Down's syndrome. He said he liked my 'real' hair better-love the honesty-but he was talking about the wig. He said I should look like the picture on my ID card. I told him it would get there-I may need to bring in the wig to show him. The intensive needs students make my day-whenever I'm blue-I go visit their learning center.

Hopeful and Lilith-nice to hear from you-glad things are going well and some normalacy is returned.

I'm counting down 20 more days of radiation- so far so good. I get emotional hearing someone else ring the bell three times that they have finished their treatment! Let's hope the snow and ice stay away-it's a 30 mile drive to Boston everyday. Then 3 mos before exchange surgery!the finish line is in sight!

Has anyone heard of "chemo cough"? I had a cough from post nasal drip for a month-think it was mostly due to new blood pressure med-I've been off the med for a week and see a great improvement, but the radiologist said a cough can also be from the effects of taxol/chemo. I gues radiation can cause a cough down the road, so she wants to be sure of the cause.

Laurie2025 - You were the one who started this thread then quietly sat back an watched all the rest of us help each other muddle through. I hope you're doing well and have gotten back into the rhythm of your own life. Thank you for being our founding spirit!

Happy New Year!

For those just starting chemo-I have 2 wigs-2 very different styles that I did not use if you would like them-they are yours. One is short dark straight (curls at bottom) brown w/bangs and the other is shoulder length- long with curls. I can send pics if you are interested.

I went crazy with the loss of hair and bought several wigs, but everyone loved the lighter hair I bought- so I got another of the same color and had fun with it. Now everyone is dissapointed I'm not wearing the wigs anymore and said I really need to try to reproduce the color/style-as a compliment that I looked so good. No-one could believe they were wigs-they were realistic with the fine mesh-made it look like hair was growing from my scalp.

They are all the Raquel Welch brand and were as comfortable as a wig could be. They have memory something-I could literally turn my head upside down and shake it without it falling off. I would part with the blondish one too-but I did wear it for a couple of months-the first one was getting a little 'ratty' on the back neck edges-but it could be trimmed shorter.

If you are interested or know of someone who could use them-just let me know and I will send pics. I would like to see them used rather than sitting around. I have the original boxes for most.-also wig stands and hair care products-shampoo and conditioner.

Sue

The worst part of chemo was losing my eyebrows and eyelashes-but that was only with the taxol for the last 8 weeks. People were always commenting that I looked tired- but I was less tired than the A/C chemo. I think it was the lack of eyebrows and eyelashes. Fortunately, they grew back very quickly. My hair is about 3/4" long and is thankfully coming in thick and normal-so far not curly like some.

Susan, I'm glad your hair is growing back in its normal state and that your brows and lashes have returned as well. I'm sure it does make a difference to look in the mirror and see yourself. I hope you're feeling good, getting your energy back to par and heading into the year with enthusiasm.

Sharpei, glad to hear that everything's going so well for you, and not just physically. It sounds as though you are coming to terms with a series of tough situations. Having Christmas and the new condo to look forward to surely must have helped. Enjoy the warmth and sunshine and let it seep into your soul as well. Best for 2015.

Are either of you doing AIs or tamox.? If so, I hope that works out well for you. Let us know how you get on.

Hey everyone! Happy New Year (belated)!

Morgan and I had a little hiccup on our last leg of the trip and got home on the 31st! Whew! It was amazing that none of the really terrible SEs of chemo started until I got home. Then...the next three days were absolutely the worst. I certainly paid for my little excursion, but at least I am feeling better and today am able to get some work done.

We had a fun time in London - rode the Big Bus all around the city, went into the National Gallery of Art, perused through Herrod's and many other stores (Morgan LOVES to shop), and ate lots of fish and chips! I must say, England's "chips" (our french fries) far surpass anything I have tasted here in the States. I am not a huge french fry fan, but these were really tasty! Crisp on the outside, perfectly seasoned and nice and hot! The flight home was LONG, and I was very thankful I had gone ahead and paid to upgrade my daughter (as was she!). Although we got stuck in Houston on the 30th, it was probably for the better, as neither one of us felt like getting on another plane. All in all, under the circumstances, we had a nice time and we definitely want to get back to London soon. However, we will definitely wait until I feel better, and until the weather is warmer! There is something about 50 degrees with the humidity that just gets through to my bones. I never felt warm during the entire trip!

I am so happy to hear that everyone is continuing to heal from surgery and moving forward with life. I pray that 2015 brings joy to all and that we will look back in 2016 to say that 2015 was a successful battle won!

All my best,

Akitagirl