Winter rads 2014-2015

WndrWoman ~ Wow! I thought we have wind. So glad all is well at your home and no one was severely injured. We're you home when all of this was going on? How terrifying that would be!

We lost a big part of an old cottonwood tree at my studio earlier this year, and the rest of the tree will be going soon, I'm sure.

Windwoman, glad you are ok. Did I understand that you were able to cut down on estrogen suppressants due to weight loss? Love, Jean

Thanks wndrwoman for the info. Love, Jean

I have been going to a chiropractor for 3 weeks now trying to get my sciatica under control...went to my oncologist Thursday for 3 month check up...we were talking about my diet (I've managed to lose 10 lbs so far) and exercise...so I told him I was going to a chiropractor to get my back better so I can walk...so he decides to take that opportunity to tell me to be very careful going to a chiropractor since I'm on the Arimidex because it weakens your bones so she could break a bone...I'm like what the heck, shouldn't you have told me that when I started taking the drug 3 months ago. Crazy!!!!!

WheelyGirl. It's great that you have been losing weight. Good going. I don't have any experience with chiropractors. My MO did an initial bone density test and repeats it every two years. I had had one in August of 2013 so that counted as the initial one. I go in a couple of weeks and we will see if 10 months on Anastrozole has an impact. My previous levels were fine. Anyone significantly overweight like myself often has okay numbers in part because of the extra estrogen in those fat cells. But osteoporosis beats cancer in my mind and there are med (also with side effects of course) for the bones. Your MO should have done a bone density test and certainly should have warned you at the start about any risk of breaking bones.

WheelyGirl. I have been wondering how you made out with the chiropractor.

Mqt64 and Quiggy. We are quietly eager for updates. Mqt64 - is it this week that you finally see the special surgeon?

hello Winter Rads friends! Checking in with all of you after a few months break from BreastCancer.org. Today is my Cancerversary, hard to believe that it has been an entire year since I started this journey. I am doing well. I gave up my wig 3 weeks ago, my fingernails are back to normal. My radiated Breast still feels strange, and the color is off, but I've been told that it will take 2 years to get back to normal. I am tolerating the Tamoxifen well. I'm scheduled for a mammogram sometime in September, I'm not overly worried because I have to believe that the chemo got everything.

I think of all of you often, especially Quiggy and mqt64. I hope you are both healing

Hi all. Yes I did go for my consult last week. It was a disappointment to say the least. The fellow/resident that was working with the PS needs to learn how to talk to people. He was full of himself and U of Michigan and was very dismissive of our concerns. He wanted to send me to their breast clinic where they do "miracles". The PS was better but he still wanted to do another debriedment with closure. Duh! I was pretty dumfounded and had a hard time responding. I had myself so psyched up for the other. Given past results, I am leary of doing the same thing and expecting a different result. It seemed like just another postponement. Everything we had done seemed to make no difference to him. He sent me for pictures in case I do need the TRAM and mammograms and an ultrasound. GOOD NEWS! NED! And I didn't have time to worry about the Mamms. So, the long and the short of it is I saw my PS here on Monday. He was rather surprised too. He is going to call the guy at U of Michigan and they will make a plan. If the U of M guy wants another debridement I can do that here. My doc isn't convinced that will work but he will defer to the specialist. If he can convince the specialist, I'll have the mastectomy with the TRAM. It's really not that I want major surgery. I just want to be done. Believe it or not, radiation ended 6 months ago! I will have gone through every holiday of the year since diagnosis.

The last 4 weeks have been trying. My brother was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had surgery and they're hoping that will be all that is needed. His PET scan was clear. Then a week and a half ago I had to put my dog down. He got sick really fast with some form of leukemia/pleural cancer. He lost a lot of weight quickly and was short of breath. He wasn't eating. After 12 1/2 years it was the hardest thing I ever had to do. He was one of the most gentle souls I will ever know. We did that on Monday and went to Ann Arbor on Thursday. I didn't have any emotional reserve.

So, am playing the waiting game until the 14th. Good news is not a lot of pain and no infection. Still striving for courage , grace, and humor.

Hi ladies! Was wondering if anybody had gone for their first "annual" mammogram yet? I'm scheduled on 9/16 and am NOT looking forward to it. After my lumpectomy and radiation, the right side still has a a large, hard lump (MO doesn't seem too worried but did tell me to expect lots of extra views to try and figure out what the new "normal" is), and it's still painful at times. I'm trying not to think about it being squished in the mammo machine--it will not be pleasant (as if it every was). Just curious how everybody else made out the first time.

I had my first mammo in June and it was tender but nothing I couldn't handle...it was worth it to get the all clear NED! My last radiation was April 16 and my breast is still tender and hurts to touch sometimes.

I had my first mammogram at the end of June. They also told me there would be lots of extra views. It hurt a bit, but was nothing compared to what I'd already been through. At the time my breast was still hard and swollen. Apparently the tissue was fibrotic, so I went to a lymphadema specialist for several weeks where she massaged my breast tissue and did some lymphatic massage to drain any extra fluid which helped a great deal. Now that the swelling is down, it appears that my breast implant (from before cancer) may have shifted or has capsular contracture from the rads...sigh...it's always something ain't it??

kpmacmill ~ Yup! One thing after another or the same thing over and over! There is no doubt in my mind that bc changed my life, but... it isn't all negative. I think the mental changed might be an improvement.

My radiated implant area was much firmer for awhile, but it unstiffened and matches the other side now. I hope it works itself out for you too.

Jana

Sept. 21, 2015 Hello to all. Need some input and ideas. In the past I had 2 benign biopsies plus a cyst aspiration on the left. Had a malignant Stage 1 Grade 2 cancer on the right so had the surgery last Sept., rads and am on anastrozole. They are watching a "Birad 3 complicated cyst" on the left. To ease my mind can I request/suggest/demand a biopsy of the cyst? The protocol is 6 month rechecks which will bring me to Feb. Don't know if I can stand the worry and anxiety till then. Research tells me that excess worry makes cortisol which makes inflammation which can cause diseases like cancer. Wouldn't you think that with my past history that a biopsy should be done on the cyst? Maybe it is a Stage 0 now and will be worse in another 6 months? And my breast are also dense which makes mammograms harder to read. Anyone else have this dilemma? Any comments or thoughts are much appreciated.

Thank you all and have a good evening!

I had my first post-treatment mammo today, and I am NED! It was a challenging mammo, my tumor was close to the chest wall near my right armpit, so they wanted to get those areas in. More hard to breathe than painful because they had me getting really close in and almost hugging the machine. I'm so happy to be in the clear.

Sjacobs - Super news. Give a sigh of relieve and relax... live your life in peace and joy. I always smile when someone does "the happy dance". It paints such a great picture. Congrats to you.