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

Little blue, each PS should have a good insurance person who can give you an out pocket estimate. Don't drive yourself crazy trying to figure out the exact cost because you'll never get a straight answer. You can ask for the billing codes for the procedure and then check with the hospital billing department. Two words of advice, always ask for a discount from the PS (mine just gave my $500 off on a non-insured portion of my surgery that I added on), ask for a payment plan and if it is an option for you, ask for a discount if you pay within the first 30 days of billing. My son had surgery on 12/28 and when the hospital billing called I asked about a payment plan and said yes, but then without me asking offered a 25% discount on the $1500 due if I paid right there on the phone by credit card. There are lots of options they don't tell you about until you start digging around!!

Good luck! When you are ready I'd be happy to share what I've learned on reconstruction options for myself and from my friends (far too many) who have been down this road.

Dizz - is it just me or do you feel like you may be actually putting this all behind you after having surgery last week? I have been feeling so optimistic and really thinking about the future in ways I have not allowed myself to do so far. It's probably the pain meds!

Portugal! I'm envious!

Things will be okay. This is transient. Distract yourself. My wife and I re-watched Hairspray last night. It required only a little thought and was a good re-set for her crummy mood.

Positive- you are indeed loved here. It's a great mystery why these moods descend upon us. But you aren't alone, and it can't last. When all else fails, just hang on and try to believe that.

Happy year! We're still here.

Lynn, sorry for your social network's news, and glad you can at least have a getaway.

Everybody: Knowing what you know now, what would you tell yourself a year ago? What would you do differently?

Susan, what good questions. I'd have to give it some thought. I think its very personal because the one thing that comes to mind about what I would tell myself is to sit down with DH and have a face to face talk before starting treatment and outline exactly what you expect. The only thing is, that you don't know what to expect exactly, but knowing what I know now, I would say "it doesn't matter - even if you sail through this with no SE, you are going to be happier if you get some additional support from DH and the kids" I tried to be so accommodating and not disrupt the status quo. I expected that DH would step up when needed and be more sensitive, but that didn't happen.

As far as "what would I do differently", it dovetails with the answer to the other question. Everything with my treatment, work/leave, etc., I wouldn't change anything materially. I wish I had exercised more regularly, but I'm not sure what to say about that in regards to doing something differently. Maybe sign up with a trainer or coach? I think about my port and how effective it was (had problems with 5 out of 8 infusions) - it's hard to say whether I would have had other problems with IV infusion if I hadn't had a port.

Lynne

I'm gald you're feeling better.

Scarlett, I'll be updating my list for my MO within the week, so I will post it (though probably not today).

Positive, I am glad you are feeling better. Your body has been through a lot....it is still undergoing its renovation. The return of you cycles is bound to throw it for a loop. I hope they get easier as time goes on. As a side question....how's life without hot flashes? I can't remember?

Andrea, so happy to hear you've felt your energy return. Your recc center sounds awesome. Have a wonderful trip to Portugal.

Lynne, so sorry about your co-worker and bf. I pray for their health and comfort.

Scarlett, actually I kinda feel the opposite. I was feeling 12 feet tall in November after first diep surgery. This time, I feel a bit more depressed / regressed back to where I was last summer. I am glad though that you are feeling better. I am sure I will get there. Until then, onwards...

What would I tell myself one year ago? I would tell myself that the letter from the radiologist about redoing my mammogram isn't just an annoying formality. I would tell myself to speak up and demand that they get me back in sooner and refuse to wait over 2 weeks for my biopsy. I would tell myself that, although it's a truly terrifying experience, I am strong enough to get through the gauntlet. Yes, the idea was unimaginable, but unimaginable things happen everyday. Lastly, I would get bone xrays and bone density scans done before treatment so I could have a clearer idea about how much chemo changed me physically. Oh...one more. I would tell myslef to enjoy the heck out of food before chemo took it all away!!!

Evaluating scholarship applications with Pandora's Basement Bhangra channel on Sonos and 40# of cats to keep me company. No water, though--the plumber has it shut off while he plumbs. Where has he gone in his little truck? I do not know.

Hi all -

Happy anniversary to the group! I think actually I joined in April - my first chemo was April 30 - so I haven't known you all quite a year. But what a year it has been.

Scarlett, the only supplements I take daily are Vitamin D (we don't get enough sunlight here in the wintertime, plus it is good for cardiac health and is supposed to prevent cancers); and Omega-3, which was recommended for me by my optometrist to prevent watery eyes and it works! I don't eat enough fish too...so will continue with it.

Lynne, so sorry to hear about your friends who are having health issues.

What would I do differently, knowing what I know now...? I would allow myself to rest more. I have a bad habit of not wanting people to worry about me, so I pretend things are okay when they're really not. I did not nap enough during chemo/radiation. I only asked for help a few times, to drive me to appointments when I was in a chemo fog...but other than that I managed by myself during the week when my hubby was at work. I did not want to bother people - which I know is silly, people want to help. Even though I knew that, I didn't let myself be helped very much.

As for my treatment, I would have questioned things more. For starters, my initial mammogram was scheduled for September of 2014...the mammography dept. of the hospital phoned me that day to say they had to cancel me because the ONE mammography tech was sick! I was dumbfounded. Not only that, but I would have to call the screening mammography program to reschedule. The next available appointment was in three months. So I didn't have it till early December, then a followup one and ultrasound a week later and my biopsy Dec. 31. My family doctor was quite dismayed that I had to wait so long for the biopsy. I was dismayed that cancer was not caught three months earlier, as it should have been.

I am too quiet, I really should make more noise about things...but I don't want to be bitchy either.

Oh...one thing happened today that really bugs me. I was in the change room at our pool and a little girl (aged 4-5) pointed at me and said "She looks funny". I don't know if it was because of my lack of boobs (I had my shirt on by this time) or the fact that my wet hair was sticking up. Her babysitter reprimanded her and she started to cry, and I reassured her that it was okay, my grandson thinks the same thing. But it still stung. Kids say things that adults have the social filter to keep quiet. *sigh*

On the up side, it's a beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest! Spring is here...

Andrea

My only advice is that you do recon only if you want to.

Don't let a P.S. talk you into surgery he likes to do if it's not what you want. I've read of lots of women who have to get further surgery because they were pressured into a different surgery initially.