Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

thanks ladies!

Thx 1step! DH didn't buzz me!! I love him, but he's not coming near this head with a power tool

MLP - You are beautiful!!!! you have such an incredible honesty and vulnerability in your new shaved look. Just beautiful.

MLP3, the wig looks great on you. I agree that the lowlights will make the overall color more natural and that it could be a tad shorter. But with the buzz cut (and the remaining hair isn't very visible in that car lighting), what jumps out immediately are cheekbones to kill for and huge gorgeous eyes!

My buddy just called to tell me her surgery has been postponed because she developed a case of bronchitis so nasty that they couldn't do even the simulation for her MRI-guided biopsy for the second mass--in the prone position, she couldn't breathe. She also let slip that her surgeon wants to biopsy at least the first 5 nodes, because the DCIS is Grade 3--but that nobody told her squat about lymphedema! She goes to a gym, and is more obese than I am, plus she does fly fairly often. So I told her to demand to be measured and given an Rx for a sleeve & gauntlet (though since she's already on Medicare she can't be reimbursed). She has also decided to opt for a bmx, since she's 70, flat-chested anyway and has no interest in dating. In her words, she wants it out yesterday--and take out whatever they need.

Heading out right now to treat myself to a regular Pandora bracelet. Decided I want to keep the Medic-Alert one separate so that I don't get divots on my wrist, since I must wear it pretty much all waking hours. Last night was a lymphedema presentation at Kellogg Cancer Ctr. given by my therapist--and I wanted to set a good example (and she did cite me as someone doing everything right--except of course BMI, which she was too tactful to mention except in general). So I wore just the MedicAlert bracelet. Took every shred of willpower I could muster not to go through the Popeyes drive-thru en route home--instead, I picked up a roast chicken and veggies at Whole Foods.

Sloan, no moving. I really can't even pack anything else. I need the house to look spacious and having stacks of boxes everywhere doesn't quite help that. Tomorrow I have a cleaning crew coming and getting the house spic n span. I'm not a great housekeeper so definitely need the help. Then pictures Monday and listing live on Tuesday. At least that's MY plan. We'll see what my realtor has in mind. Thank you so much for asking. I live in a rather depressed area and housing prices haven't bounced back to anywhere near pre-crash levels. But the neighborhood is lovely and the neighbors great. So those are pluses.

HUGS!

Woohoo, Peggy! Packing is so tough, it's good to have accomplished a lot of it, and now you can take a bit of a break. Praying the right deal comes your way soon

1step - Good job on the water. My doc asked if chemo disturbed my sleep. No, but urinating during the night did! I joked that if I didn't know any better, I'd have to ask for a prostate check. He didn't even laugh. I hope the rest of the week is equally uneventful for you.

Peggy - Yay for a cleaning crew! I'm all for that! Making a bag of microwave popcorn right before people come over would be good, too. The smell would say HOME! Haha!

Dear 1Step:  I'm glad that one chemo session is done.  Feel well.

Dear ChiSandy:  Good luck to your friend.

Dear MLP:  You look great with and w/o the wig.

Dear QueenSharon:  You are so nice.  Thanks.

Dear Peggy:  Good luck selling the house.

Dear Ayr:  I agree.  I am trying to exercise more too.  I don't have a fitbit but I am using my phone as a pedometer.  I am trying to walk 1 hour per day. 

Dear Molly:  Thanks for the article.

Dear PiNKiDC:  I have felt that itch, that cannot be scratched, in a numb area.  It is such a weird feeling.  Parts of my breast and under my arm (from the SLNB) are still numb.  Good luck feeling better and with your tx.

Mel- thank you!

Chisandy- great job on choosing wfs instead of Popeyes! I'm sure you feel better because of it too! And it's funny that everyone is mentioning my cheekbones because I never knew I had them! Only took BC to bring them out;)

1step- I have vertigo too and I think it was part of the equation with feeling lousy after my first treatment.

Peggy- so happy you're giving yourself some relief with the cleaning crew. You deserve it!

Pink- I think that the itchy and numbness is just nerves being reactive to the lx. Neither Tylenol or hard meds will help much. But I think that once you can wean yourself off of the hard stuff, you'll start to feel better.

Thanks all of you for your support.

Pink- I definitely had numbness. Not much itching until the numbness started to clear. Did you have all of your nodes removed? I wonder if the bruising is from needing to really work at those nodes- no experience with it, just a thought. My protocol is dose dense AC, meaning every 2 weeks instead of 3, but I would think if you have heart issues you would be more likely every 3 weeks if they continue with AC. After that, I'll do 12 weeks of weekly Taxol. After will be rads (7 weeks worth according to my BS). After all of that is done they'll start the tamoxifen. Hope this help save, and I hope that I can continue to help you, as these ladies have all helped me.

MLP- yes, I think the vertigo makes it worse, and never fun to deal with.

1step, congratulations on getting through your first infusion. Pinki, I didn't get the crawly feeling until I had my umx and TE surgery. I did have numbness under the arm. I had alnd so that may make a difference. Done with jury duty!!!

Pink, I am also having numbness under my arms. I'm sure it's because the nerves were damaged by surgery. The one on the is the worst, but it's fresh. The one of the right was the site of the original lumpectomy and re-excision back in Aug 2015, so maybe it's had enough time to regenerate those nerves. I just had BMX Feb 4, 2016, so now I'm numb under both arms. AND I have a large area of numbness on top of my thigh--that's actually the one that drives me crazy. It itches. Although it is numb to touch, there is a deep soreness there, like someone hit me with a baseball bat. From time to time there are zingers, sometimes real pain. Usually it's just a brief second, but it has been 20-30 sec. That may not sound like much, but trust me, when it feels like someone touched a cigarette to your leg you'll think that's a long time.

1step - Yes, that every 2 weeks and then 12 weeks of Taxol is exactly what my MO indicated her plan for me would be (well, prior to my echo). I haven't seen her since then. My follow-up appointment with her is on the 16th so she can see how I'm healing and I guess go over any potential changes based on the echo. There were going to be two other tests she was going to order too, but she ordered the echo before my surgery, so I wouldn't have to go through that test with a sore chest. I'm not sure about the rads program yet, though know I will have them because I had positive nodes on the left. As for how many nodes taken - I'm not sure yet, waiting on my pathology report. However, I did have Axillary Reverse Mapping (ARM) in order to same arm nodes (vs. breast nodes), so all my arm nodes should be intact and I should've only lost the breast nodes. Guess I'll know more when I get to see the pathology report.

Mustlovepoodles - In your thigh? Have you gotten lymphedema in the thigh? I believe you that the itch pain sucks after my own experience tonight in my arm, but just wondering why your thigh is having issues? Lymphedema was a BIG concern of mine, so that's why I opted for ARM procedure. I wanted to try to increase chances of getting rid of involved nodes while still trying to decrease chances of getting lymphedema. No idea if I'll be successful in that endeavor, but it was the driving force for my decision. Anyway, here's hoping you don't experience that terrible thigh itch often.

Questions - What is a tx? (As in -Good luck feeling better and with your tx.) -- Maybe it was just a type, but just not a term I've heard so that I'd ask.

Btw - our Hoot owls are telling me it's late and time for bed! Chat more later ladies.

1step glad you got your first infusion out of the way, I hope it goes OK and don't be afraid to take any medicine you need any side effects!

I have a long event, I am copying and pasting it from an email I sent somebody:

I am so annoyed!

Firstly, I did not get the supervisor position I applied for. I guess I expected that because I know most people have to apply a few times before they get a supervisor position, but it still a bit of a letdown. On the bright side there are some positions I know are coming up in the next few months that are very interesting to me, so there are some opportunities.

I have been working two out of every three weeks, I take off my chemo weeks and then work two weeks. I have had no accommodations because I'm currently doing a contract position providing technical support, so it is mostly a 9-to-5 desk job that is fine for me to handle when I can work. It has gone very well and I'm thrilled with my decision to keep working

Right from the start, my union representative has not been supportive of me working. She has said multiple times she thinks I should take the time off and take care of myself. I have told her many times that that is between me and my oncologist, and it is. I would hate to not be able to work, even on the few days I stay home to recover from chemo, when I'm not feeling well, I am lonely and depressed and cannot wait to get back to work. My contact ends on March 31.

Last week I was at head office so I spoke to my HR rep, I told her that when I go back to my branch in April I am hoping to get accommodation so that I do not need to carry a caseload, that they can come up with a proposal for me that will keep me in the office 9 to 5 and make it OK for to take off the time I need for treatment and recovery. She did not think that would be a problem and gave me a package to take to my doctor. Yesterday I spoke to my branch manager when she told me about the supervisor position we had the same conversation and she also was very reassuring that they would find something for me to do if I cannot carry a caseload, and that we we probably meet sometime in March to figure out an accommodation plan. My branch manager already talked about things I could do that would keep me at the office; they are going to need my technical help because we have a government case review in June and my current contract team is pulling out, so they are going to lose all their support with the computer system and they're not ready. We are also losing one case aide so I could take on a lot of her duties, and there is some research if she would like done that I could help with. I am absolutely sure that I would be kept busy and useful. I left my meeting with her feeling really positive and happy about going back to my regular position, which is obviously a scary thing because my contract position has worked so well with my medical condition.

I text messaged my union rep and updated her that I would be meeting with my doctor in providing the package, and that I'm meeting to determine accommodations would be coming up soon just to give her a heads up. She texted me back and said I was doing this too early, which is ridiculous because I'm going back in a month and it takes some time for the doctor to fill out the package and then the agency determine accommodations. Obviously things can change in a month, but if they do they do I still do not think it is too early to start this process. I Have been told if accommodations are not in place before I return, I could potentially be forced to take sick leave until they are, obviously I want to avoid that. Also I am off a lot in March 2 weeks for chemo in one week for March break, so there's not really a lot of time to work around.

Then she started encouraging me to take time off, I told her again that I don't want to unless I medically need to.

Then she asked what kind of accommodations I want, so I told her that I wanted regular work hours, minimal travel, and the time off I needed for treatment and recovery including a few hours a day for a month so that I can do radiation. I told her I was hoping to avoid having a caseload because a caseload is so stressful and not predictable. She wrote me back and said that was unreasonable, that's not working, those aren't accommodations and that that wouldn't even be considered working at my agency and I can't ask for that. I know that she's wrong, if that was the case then my branch manager and the HR lady would not have both been so reassuring because in my conversations with both of them it was very clear that that's what I was looking for. My HR rep I even talked about the consequences of me having a caseload for the kids on my caseload, how they have all gone through grief and loss and trauma and it would be hard for them to see their work are going through treatment and hard for me to hide it from them.

I'm not exactly worried about how this is going to play out, I trust that if HR and my branch manager both feel that I am asking for reasonable accommodations they can be, and it will happen. But still it's very upsetting to feel like my union rep is not supporting me, is saying that this cannot happen, and is trying to push me to stay home. She supposed to support me isn't she? She's going to call me tomorrow to prepare me for my meeting with my doctor, I'm already dreading it. I usually really like her and find her very supportive, I guess she just got it in her head for whatever reason that it will be better for me to not be working, but frankly that's not her business. Maybe it's because the union has worked so hard to get us a lot of sick time, and I could literally still take off 4 months at 100% pay. But the reality is I'm still using a lot of the time, it's just more broken up, and I'm still very appreciative of the union and the benefits I've gotten from them. If not for that at this point I would probably already be on short-term disability and making 66% of my income