April 2015 Chemo Crew... Starting in April? Please join us!

ERNurse - congrats on your new job! So exciting! I am an ICU nurse, planning on returning to it but not till June or so (doctor's orders). I think flight nurses are the best...they have to be smart and think on their feet. I am not sure I could do it! Best of luck...not just in your new job but also health wise. 😀👍

Andrea

ERNurse, congratulations!

ERnurse, congrats! My husband is part of a shorthaul helicopter rescue crew. Blessings to you in your new job and be safe!

Lynne, those haircuts are seeeeeexxxxxxy! Love the red one!

Kick its ass, girlfriend!

Has a pretty different meaning for me than the manufacturer intended.

And what do you want?

Littleblue, best of luck to you in your boob journey. I hope you find an excellent plastic surgeon who listens to you and explains the options in detail.

With me there was never an option. I want breasts. They were always my best feature, if I do so myself. And my hair, which will grow back...unfortunately boobs don't do that. The way I see it, cancer took a lot from me - part of my colon, my appendix, my breasts, my uterus, my ovaries...not to mention the hair thing. Then there's the sense of security about my health - I had always been healthy and this was a real shock. I think we all have a degree of PTSD. And it robbed me of the job I love - temporarily, but if I could I would sue cancer for compensatory damages. Can you tell I'm angry?

Anyhow, onto a happier topic. I saw my family doctor today and I have to say, I absolutely love her. She gives me whatever I want. She did a physical exam and found that my right axillary area is larger than the left so she is sending me for a chest wall and axilla ultrasound. And I complained of pain I am having in my left thumb - the joint where it joins the hand is very sore, especially in the morning. I think it may be some arthritis but she's going to x-ray it just to be sure. And she's sending me for bloodwork - my oncologist just kind of left me high and dry although he did tell me to follow up with my GP so I guess he expected her to set up the bloodwork. I'm to have it every three months for two years. She also gave me a prescription for compression sleeve and glove for my left arm - I am to be fitted on Wednesday.

Sometimes I think I am a bit of a hypochondriac, but I think I have earned the right to be after three cancers. She doesn't seem to mind though.

Have a great week everyone!

Andrea

Andrea - I have the same joint pain in both thumbs and it is starting to radiate up my wrist. I have a referral to a rheumatologist next month, but my MO things it is lingering side effect from chemo or Zoladex. We had the same chemo so maybe that's it. Frustrating!

Little Blue - if you can fly to San Francisco, Dr. Karen Horton is the best and is amazingly caring! Www.drkarenhorton.co

Love the shirt, Ksusan!! SMIRK! I would wear that, give it as a gift. Inspiring ...that whole marathon thing

Littleblue - argh....There are a range of breast experiences, so research well. PS with low infection rates is good. Mine was at a university hosp and was very talented. I do like my foobs. They are fine and the nipples are always hard. So I guess I am constantly turned on...have to watch the shirts and bras.

congrats ER Nurse

Sorry to keep you waiting. I was unfortunately distracted with some tense news concerning my Aunt. She was diagnosed with lung cancer just over 3 years ago. She survived the whole cancer journey and was declared NED. Well...she fell for no apparent reason over the weekend. After being taken from her local community hospital to a larger University hospital, she was diagnosed with brain mets. She has 3 lesions. She is in surgery right now getting the smaller and easier two tumors removed. When they see how strong she makes it through this smaller surgery, they will come up with the next part of the plan to deal with #3. I am heart broken for her to have to jump back into the deep end of cancer. It SUCKS! I thought of her often during my treatment and almost felt some measure of comfort that I was traveling a path that she had already 'trail blazed'. It just makes me sick to think of mets and recurrence.

I had my appointment with my pcp yesterday. It made me feel both good and hostile that she wasn't as concerned with my 'lump' as I am. "What do you mean it's only 1-2mm?" My original tumor had to start somewhere didn't it? It didn't just appear as a 10mm lump one day. Apparently I am the one wearing the pants in our relationship, however, because she agreed that she would gladly give me my referral to get the U/S if it would put my mind at ease. From the pelvic U/S, my lady parts were all pronounced to be in good health, albeit...it actually says on the report that they are remarkably small - which means??? PCP says it's probably due to my struggling hormones. Anybody else a little unnerved that we have to live with all kinds of things being normal because it's "PROBABLY" due to our cancer treatment? Since her next idea to handle the pelvic floor pain is to give it some time, I believe the next item on my list is to find a good gynecologist who has experience with patients who have gone through treatment. Maybe I'll ask her about my remarkably small lady parts. ;-) Bloodwork was all good, including the R/A factors and auto-immune sedimentation rate. The joint pain could still be osteoarthritis. Oh for joy...at the age of 41. Since I am going to be back at the imaging center to for the u/s, she went ahead and wrote an order for a hand and a wrist x-ray to look for physical signs.

LITTLEBLUE. Sorry to shout, but didn't want it to get lost in the rest of the msg. My advice about surgeons is to find someone with a ton of confidence no matter what direction you choose to go. I read a lot about women wanting one thing, but getting talked into something else by a surgeon who is more confident with a different procedure. Change the surgeon if that is the case, not the operation. You should be the one who gets what you want! Not your DH, not the surgeon. YOU! Check out the different reconstruction sites here on BCO. Keep a notebook for pros, cons, questions. If it comes down to traveling for reconstruction, don't let that concern you too much. I worried about the travel too much. In the end, it was the easiest part. Also, you'll read a ton of negative stuff about recuperation time after DIEP. That stuff nearly scared me away from what I really wanted. It turns out that the stronger and fitter you are going into surgery (any kind) the easier your recuperation will be. So, just because it's really hard for many people, doesn't mean it will be so hard for you.

Dizz, I'm so sorry!

Dizz sorry you are going through so much. I hope the US is soon?

Littleblue take your time, research and weigh all the options. Read as much as you can on this site. And definitely see more than one reconstructive Dr so you can decide. And if not comfortable keep looking. The important thing is that YOU get what you want.

So yesterday had my MAMM and got the all clear nothing of concern. Whew relief! Waiting the half hour for the radiologist to read the test was mentally exhausting. Had to remind myself not to do the what ifs and just breathe. Now onto my other goals.....

It's gonna' be a good year for us, chemosabes!

Renee, glad you got the all clear. Whoohoooo!!!

Dizz, thinking of you girl. Hang in there!

Ksusan, I think I'm going to spend at least a year researching all my options before I make a decision lol. At diagnosis, I found out I had cancer on a Friday and boobs off next Monday, so no time to think. If there is a good option available. That works with my work schedule and life style, and a surgeon I like, then I may consider it. My husband and I had a talk last night about why he is such a dipweasle- seems like a lot is guilt for abandoning me during treatment. And he doesn't feel sexy. Um....I'm the one that looks the world in the eye and spits, remember? Whatever. Upshot is- operation NOOBS is his baby to research and I.element and take ownership. This should be interesting. Because I could go either way. The only thing about not having breasts that bugs me is sexually....and that's not that important. Otherwise, flat is fine. But maybe having noobs would help everyone who helped heal me move on? In which case, to see my parents less scared- I'd do it in a heart beat. We shall see.