Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

55 here in mass and feels like spring!

We had incredible thunder and lightening last night with wicked winds. Must have been the tail end of what you ladies got in Michigan.

yay LTF!!!!!

thanks everybody! I've had 3 cups of coffee and a protein smoothie some vegan peanut butter cups and two Tylenol. Feeling good!

Hello Ladies, I haven't been on in a while... not sure where to post... here or in June 2015 surgeries... maybe Ill drop a line in both. Anyway... I am doing ok.  Really upset about everything... May 8 will be 1 year from diagnosis... mammo & ultrasound need done... I'm still really tender in certain spots. Took me forever to find a bra and it still in not comfortable. I am scared. Dr. keeps bugging about genetic testing.... Ive just got a lot on my mind and I find myself in tears more than I want to be. I had a lumpectomy in june 2015, RAD from June to Sept. and started Tamoxifen Oct. 1. I haven't had many of the side effects that were mentioned.....

Hi Molly, haven't been here in a while but I had AC and rads but I also had taxol and herceptin.

Annika

Good Afternoon ladies!

Great news LTF about the scans. Sorry it was such an emotional thing for you. Also sorry that you have to switch to a different type of chemo, especially since you were tolerating them so well. Hugs and prayers to you!

I have a bit of great news myself in that I will NOT need Chemo! Sorry for those of you who had to travel down that road. Hopefully the SE are minimal and tolerable.

Poodles and ChiSandy - unfortunately, I had a mental breakdown in 1994 after returning from Desert Storm. To me going to war is like giving birth; it's hard to describe to others and it's hard to understand unless you have suffered through it. I guess now I can add BC to that. I had spoken with a friend and told her I was depressed and she said, "have you tried talking a walk"????? REALLY. I am glad that you both seem to have dealt with it. ChiSandy, sorry that your dear son is suffering with his own MH issues at such a young age. Hang in there Poodles, even if you have to use both hands!!!

So glad that you all have men folk to take care of the snow blowing and shoveling duties.

PP- glad you have an escape route and that you are able to get out of the house and get a change of scenery.

MLP, HH, Praline, Italychick, Molly, immags, eelek, brithael, queenmomcat - and anyone else I forgot, How are you ladies doing today. Glad you are all feeling well enough to come show your beautiful faces and say hello.

PontiacPeggy, Thank You. I am so glad to hear someone else has tenderness.... sorry, but I have been really worried about it. Dr. did not seem worried but I am. I have the prescription for the diagnostic bilateral mammo, I found out last year the Friday before Mothers Day.. So I am going to wait till after to have mammo done. I got a  Cami but it bothered me as well... its the bottom band under the breast that bothers me the most. I cant put on a underwire it hits me right  in the  underarm incision. I am a B cup and probably a A cup on the  lumpectomy side. I don't have anyone to talk to... and the  nurse that was supposed to be there when I need her, has called me maybe 3 times since I was diagnosed. I am scared, upset all the time.... mad, cry a lot more than I ever have... over the littlest things.

HH - YEP! I truly believe it doesnt matter what we get dealt in life, its how we choose to handle it!

LTF - I buzzed right down, I had small piece on crown shaved, I lost all my hair, bald as anything LOL! Im now sporting a crew cut!!! I have a FULL head of hair YAY!!!! no patches at all and its even HUH??? I am fair, so this has surprised me. My Lashes OMG!!!! have come back even better!!!! I used to be sparse on the bottom lid, they are beautiful and long!! and my upper still growing but are LONG again too!!! There is a God!!! I am in Heaven HAHAHA!!! Honestly!!! If you handled FEC so well, I think you'll find the next one a breeze as its weekly LTF, its lesser dose for a start. My body had such a rough time through the first lot that Taxol was told yeah would be so easy. It wasnt for me, ended up having to give up work completely. But I suffered ZERO neuropathy was just sick all the way. You will Smash it!!!!

I agree with Peggy...we are all different, eat, live and just do different things that we feel are the best for us, not just through BC but for a healthy lifestyle. I will say though...I eat well, exercise...but I DO NOT believe that if I eat a certain thing or steer away from a certain thing it has any impact at all. I dont think its anything about it. I dont believe diet brings on BC at all. Just find your niche and what makes you happy, if you want a wine, have it, chocolate have it. Its about moderation.

What I will say is BC brings every woman to a halt in their lives, and it actually gives us all a chance to honor who we are, not just as a Mother, a Wife, Sister, friend...but WHO we are...and its that internal journey and self nurturing I believe gives us a piece of ourselves back after being everything for everyone else. This is something I have never done...BC has taught me I can still be a wonderful Mum, but I have to Honor me first and its the simple things.

Hats off to you who have suffered or suffering from depression...its a beast!!! My daughter 17 at the time late 2015 was diagnosed with Depression and in 2016 going into her final year of High School HUGE YEAR!!! It took so much care and a great Psychologist and never giving up, I got her through the final year...SHE DID IT!! she ended up medicated by March which helped immensely. I unfortunately had recurrence in late June 2015, so whilst getting her through I had 4.5 months of Chemo. We both got through it, she passed and she said "thank you Mum, for not letting me give up, now I know I can do anything' Was a damn hard year, being a single parent. She's doing amazing now! and me too. If I taught her anything, it was resilience inspite of anything and never give up. I didnt care how well she did, the point was she learnt she could do it, she found her resilience, strength and courage.

Blamoms - Coloxyl Drops worked the absolute best for me....better than metamucil or anything else.

Eeliek: we (BCO participants) will be here for you (really!) but another thought that a local support group might help? The living breathing person right there in front of you might be a comfort.

LOL, I agree with the put ME first. I have put everyone first for so many years.!  My house is a mess, my job is a mess, lol !  I realized one thing immediately I don't need or want all this junk in my home... I want my Family & Friends around me. I don't know why or when it all happened but I noticed things I never noticed before. I have been decluttering our home, and I think a lot of the emotions I am feeling is really connected to that as well...I never noticed the stuff until I was diagnosed. I don't have much help, Hubby and sons work or go to school, so I am on my own with the decluttering. Days like today when I am off work, frustrated and have time to "think" are my bad days.! I am worried about the upcoming tests... and Dr. wanting genetic testing. I just don't think I want that right now. Seems everywhere I go, every channel on the radio or tv has something to do with BC or C. I don't want to think about it. I have to make the appts. gyno, mammo, and I need to call finiancial aid. I just hate dealing with it all. I also have a ton of bills to call about still....  I asked about support groups but there are none on my side of town and I just cant go clear across town to them... Ill call the C society and see if they still have a buddy program. I am off to make dinner... Thank You all so much for answering my questions and just  being "there"

Melclarity - I'm sorry for your loss. Although it was sad, it also sounds therapeutic. It seems as though in some way, your grieving gave your daughter permission to grieve as well. It's good you were able to share in that moment and be there for one another. Your toast and popping the bubbly brought a smile to my face. That's good for your daughter to see that can feel your feelings of grief, and move on. You don't have to let them swallow you up and drown in them for the rest of your life. Good lessons you are teaching her. Glad to hear you doing things for yourself. You deserve it!!!

LTF and Queen Sharon, I'm doing the happy dance for your good news! I guess once we get on the BC rollercoaster of emotions, we never really get off, although the hills might become more gentle.

Welcome, EEllek! I hope you will hang out with us often

Peggy, braless is not an option for me. Even though I've become very slim everywhere else, the girls never shrank much. I'm still a D or DD. I've heard so much caution about no skin to skin contact during rads that I am trying to wear a bra that provides both support and separation. Most sports bras just smush 'em together. And I do have the tattoos, but I guess this place likes lines AND tattoos! Hey, whatever works. Only 27 more times to do it!

Blamoms, maybe try working more food-based fiber into your daily diet. Not only oatmeal but avocados, flaxseed, beans, lentils, raspberries, artichokes, peas and broccoli are all high in fiber. And surprisingly, cocoa powder is very high in fiber too! We are supposed to get 25 grams of fiber a day minimum but you might shoot for over 40. All that fiber needs water to go with it, so keep drinking fluid. I sometimes take FiberCon, which helps your gut pull extra water into the stool. Sometimes it seems no matter how much I drink, none of the water goes there! I can pee 10 or more times a day and still have hard stools. Hope that's not TMI.

Last night I was thinking that BC has given me an entirely new outlook on life. I'm grateful for that. I am now very keenly focused on my own mortality, which is a reality for everyone, but most don't ever think about it. The keen focus keeps me motivated to do things that I love to do and things that matter, instead of spending time watching TV or other pointless activities. It seems easier to be nice to everyone, too. I don't have time to waste on silly conflicts.

A person stays away from this page for a few days and it blows up by 10 whole pages. I nearing tiredness on catching up with new on FB, other forums I belong to and all, so for today I'm not going back to read, but would like to post. First, I'd like to thanks the ladies that answered some of my questions when I first joined this group. I don't remember specific names, but I do know I received some helpful responses.

Anyway, today I'd like to report that I took a plunge and I am now one day post-op of my initially surgery. Soooo, first step of getting rid of the cancer taken!! Since the one spot on the left did come back benign, after much discussion with the BS and PS, I did opt to start off with lumpectomies (really trying to avoid expanders if I can) on my way to DIEP (after other treatments/recovery). According to the PS, the BS did take a lot away from my left breast (suggestive that I may really want to continue with DIEP down the road). Really now just praying the BS took enough to get clear margins or I will be back in surgery in 2-3 weeks to have the mastectomy with expanders.

With regards to my surgery it started late - 1000ish and I was back into recovery around 1630 (4:30). So, not an overly long time for tumor removal, ARM procedure on nodes, insertion of mediport, and oncoplastic surgery. I woke with a pain level of 5-6. After some additional meds I was down to about a 3-4. The first walk to the restroom was really woozy (I have to hand it to them that they didn't try to make me use a bedpan - must have been a note in my chart from the previous SLN Biospsy procedure that I don't like bedpans). Pee'd blue from the blue dye used to perform my Axillary Reverse Mapping procedure - which was a success so . . . .Axilla arm lymph nodes left . . . Axilla breast lymph nodes removed. So, hopefully most nodes most likely involved (breast lymph nodes) removed and those less likely (arm lymph nodes) left. Radiaition to take care of rest and HOPEFULLY no lymphedema (or if I do get it a mild case).

After the restroom trip they put me in a chair, with ginger ale and applesauce on the tray. Then my hubby and kids came in. We had a nice visit while I ate and drank, but the anesthesia did cause me to drift off for about 20 minutes. Anyway, long and short of it - docs came by reported successes, asked some questions, and to let us know that they'd be releasing me that night. So, terrible tornado watch storm and all, I was back in my home by 1900 (7PM). After getting settled in the recliner I tried to write a couple responses left by folks on FB, but quickly gave that up and fell asleep until 0200 in the morning, when I was in much need of meds. Took those, did the drains, and was then wide awake until I took Ativan at 0545. Once that kicked in slept til 0900.

Pain today - Mostly sore when I try to get up (can't image what that's going to be like the cut across the abdomen DIEP folks have). As they only messed with the positive nodes in my left arm, right arm is doing much better - though still limited range for now because of drains. Other than that just a little itching and tenderness where they placed my mediport.

Next step learning about chemo. While I had mediport placed - I'm really not sure I've bought into Chemo for someone with my markers? Any thoughts you guys have? My ki-67 is really low (5%) and while I've not done a lot of reading yet, what I have read is that chemo is not as effective on these slow dividing cancers. MO wants to put me on AC-T. I read a post where a triple negative cancer patient was taking that. That's an aggressive cancer. I get that for that type of cancer, just wondering why I'd be recommended for the same treatment?