STEAM ROOM FOR ANGER

If you have a local news channel that advocates for consumers- you can try to call them if you want a bulldog. That is- if you don't mind sharing your story. You have a loaded hand- cancer, in treatment for cancer, insurance gone wrong and a state office. No one likes to look like the bad guy especially to cancer patients on the news. The one problem might be HIPPA. Just a thought.

Best wishes to you.

Frustration. Waiting on echo results, dr office won't call me back, try to get medical records and they closed 20 minutes before I got there... Being put off by another dr office for a consult that won't happen for 3 months... Putting off re-reconstruction surgery to work with other people's schedules- and realizing one just doesn't seem to appreciate it...

I need a vacation. A good one too!

Amen Sas...me too!

That cold induced headache for the first 5 - 10 minutes almost....ALMOST ...was unbearable but I got through it. Gets easier. My husband was the best coach and dogged me to change those things every 20 - 30 minutes. He'd measure the temp and if they weren't as cold as he liked he switched to 20. Bastard. lol

Someone donated elastagel hand mits and feet covers or I was going to do the frozen veggies... I put them on just before treatment! This was my first cold cap 50 minutes prior to the taxotere start. I have heard great things about the mits and feet covers - so glad someone donated them because I was tapped out. Taking very good care of them so they go right back to the cancer center social worker and can go on to the next person. Thank you for the encouragement and pointing out to everyone!

Ok, glad I can rant here. (No need to reply, I'll work this *%#+ out soon. Just angry at the moment.) Dear Doctors, Oncologists & Surgeons, While I deeply appreciate your work to remove the cancers, & attempt to rebuild what was removed, I'd appreciate you a lot more if you would promptly address my post surgical pains, Lymphedema & infection pains. I don't want to keep hearing that I shouldn't be in pain when....clearly...I am (or I wouldn't be calling you for assistance w/it & keeping a pain diary + doing my exercises to alleviate the situation.) You shredded my body only a few weeks ago & you need to step up & accept responsibility to help it HEAL, too. I'm no sissy & not a whiner. Just need some extra assistance w/healing from the pain of it all. Do your job properly w/patients who have a lower pain tolerance. (It's genetic, if you'd bother to look at my chromosomes & genomes.) Sincerely, The Patient Who Trusted YOU

7of9, that's a great pic!!! Hope it helps.

Jumpship - if you work in Ohio that is technically illegal. 6 hours must have minimum 15 - 30 min break. Not sure if you have an HR contact you can trust?

Artista, that reminds me of the dumbass woman who was all "solicitous" (don't get me wrong here, I know the woman is nothing but a backstabbing biotch) and hugged me and told me she could understand perfectly what I was going through as she had gone through that years and years prior, and I'll feel fine in no time. When I asked what type and grade and what treatments she went through she said "oh I don't remember, it was just a lumpectomy and that was it and it was 20 years ago". Couldn't stop myself at that point and snarled at her "you had just a lumpectomy with no treatment? and that was it but you understand perfectly what I'm going through when I had BMX, the muscles from my back were torn and put on my chest, I went through chemo and AI treatment and you KNOW I'll be fine in no time?"

It's up to you, either scratch that and don't pay any attention to it, or just be snarky and in their face. There is no other option to make you be less stressed.

^^ Oh man that pisses me off. A good friend of mine tries to trump my woes by not really listening and talking about how his back hurts. It's like a contest at times. He wants to know how I'm feeling but yet I usually hear some woe he has either trying to console me in some weird manly way or one up me.

Let me start by saying: &%$#* @%$! *&%^

My whole &*^% life now is grieving the loss of my 21 year old son and then dealing with this %^%$ cancer that took over 10 months later. Lost my son, my breasts, my lymph nodes, my job, my identity, my self-esteem and most of my social network.....

Thank you for this thread.

Tosca, if ANYONE deserved to bitch about something, it is YOU my dear. Tell your Mom I said to mind her own business. Grieving is individual and there is no right or wrong way to do it. You have the right to be pissed off to the max. Your losses are profound and huge and if I were you, I would see someone professionally so you can dump some of this hurt and anger off so it does not eat you alive. You have every right to be feeling all of the feelings you are feeling and it must be very difficult for you right now. Also, a doctor can give you meds to help you through the very worst days. Hugs and know that we are here to listen anytime you need to vent or bitch. ((((Tosca))))

Edited to add that tell your Mom it takes YEARS for most BC to grow so your "grieving incorrectly" has NOTHING to do with your BC! NADA, ZILCH, NOTHING! She needs to learn more about this disease before saying anything like that.

There are folks who are dealing with permanent SEs years out. You can't put a time frame on any one of us. If they haven't had cancer before, they don't know what it is/could be like even years out. That's one reason I didn't tell my fam except my bro who isn't like this. I was hospitalized for a breakdown for a week a few years ago and once released, I was to be all better now. Uh. no. I'm better, but not all better. I resent them for not bothering to educate themselves about mental illness. I brought home info so people can learn and they didn't read it and threw it away. So that's when I was done with telling them about any issues with me. My anxiety and depression got me locked up. Hearing how you just need to think positive and I had it to and am fine now about sent me back to the hospital!

So I don't have patience for this crap after that experience. I don't even see them anymore because of them watching Dr Phil and Dr Oz and becoming my providers. And even if any of them had what I had, we are all different. That's the biggest pisser offer for me, act like you know how it is/should be and judge me on it even if you've been through it!

For my mental health, I slowly started showing up less to fam functions until I quit. Extended fam lives 30 min from me and we aren't that terribly close. Mom is in Seattle and Dad is in Irvine. Bro is in Los Angeles. I didn't cut mom and dad out. It's email only now because my excuse since I got bc has been I'm having major anxiety probs again. So that keeps them away as they don't want me to be in the hospital again. The fam across the Bay, nothing except FB happy birthday, new year and such. Mentally, I have never felt better! You have to do what makes you feel best even if it costs some fam/friendships. Cut the negative out and everything seems easier to manage.