Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!

Peggy, so glad everything went so well and you’ve got your kids with you for the weekend! And Traci. I remember when we lived in Seattle back in the ‘70s, taking the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston en route to the northern Olympic Peninsula or to the Port Townsend ferry to Victoria. Can it have been 40 years ago???

I'm sorry I don't remember who it was, but they wanted to know when to start Tamoxifen or their AI: before, during or after rads. My MO had me start Anastrozole (generic Arimidex) the day after my last radiation treatment. Like others here, it seems easier to pin down SEs if any. I take it in the morning.

HUGS!

Traci-that chilly drippy weather was getting to me, so I flew to CA to my sister's home on the coast (Cayucos) to get a little warmer (or at least drier). Seattle is supposed to warm up mid-week. Sorry your stay was chilly

Sandy & Sue, I am about to die to get out to the Pacific Northwest. My dear sister, my very best friend in the world, lives in Poulsbo. DH & I are sincerely hoping to move out there when i retire in a couple years. We'd like to live out there from about May through September, then come back to Georgia for the fall leaves and holiday season(and the pretty weather.)

Peggy, I have enjoyed reading about the memorial service you had for Chuck. It really sounds lovely and meaningful. I'm so glad your children were able to get there ,albeit later than planned. You really lucked out with your in-laws. My husband's family is Greek and I am Anglo (Welsh-American, 2nd gen.) My SIL accepted me as the sister she never had. My MIL was distant and never really liked me. My FIL was nasty. Both were raging alcoholics and abusive. DH went away to college, first in his whole extended family, just to get away from them all--he even changed his first name the 2nd-3rd day after he moved into the dorm. Both the MIL and FIL are dead now and honestly? I couldn't care less. I never shed a tear for either of them.

Trish, I had the same bruised, raw feeling under both my arms after BMX in Feb. It eventually turned to numbness under both arms and extending down the inside of each upper arm and a little way down my ribcage. I still have a lot of swelling under my arms, so it feels like there's a tennis ball under each arm. Putting on deodorant is interesting--since I can't feel anything there I have to watch in the mirror to make sure I'm putting it on in the right place, LOL. Anyway, at least the bruised, raw feeling has gone away now.

Poodles, I LOVE the mountains! We usually go up to Tennessee, North and South Carolina for vacation almost every year and spend some time with my mom's brother, my grandmother, and aunt. Sadly , we lost 2 out of the three and me and hubby have had to take off so much work for my 2 breast surgeries and upcoming hysterectomy, not to mention paying deductibles, co-pays, meds and such that it isn't an option this year. I will miss the beauty, peacefulness and tranquility! Enjoy what time you have left!

Poodles, I am truly blessed with my relatives. Consider that we've known and been related for 50 years. We are all very different but it works for us. My MIL was a gem. She was so accepting and kind. Her 2nd marriage was very unhappy but brought Chuck his step-brother and step-sister whom we all adore. So it was good in that way. I love my brother and his 3rd wife and all 4 of his kids. My sons are great (well, of course!) and my DILs are wonderful. If I'd put in a request for perfect relatives and in-laws - they all are whom I'd get. I'm sorry that you weren't lucky enough to have good ones. Sounds like you got a great SIL!

Just had a rain storm. Thrill. At least it waited until today and the memorial was dry. Everything this weekend has gone just as I'd hoped. Had the family together again here to celebrate #2 Son's birthday and yacked up a storm. Just so good to be together!

HUGS!

Poodles-looks like NW summer will arrive later this week. Time to start planning your next trip:-) I agree...it's a great place to live

LG, I totally get it. I have used up all my vacation time and sick leave on this darn breast cancer stuff. At this point, the only vacations we're going to get is camping on the weekends or visiting DHs sister in FL (I can use her WiFi to boot up and work.) I hit my insurance max out-of-pocket Feb 5. Not to mention how much expense we had in 2015 ,when all this stuff started. And now we're about to go through it all again with DH. Thankfully, he has Medicare and Cigna, so his will be 100% paid for. Still, there are miscellaneous expenses--parking & meals at the hospital, mainly. I will have to stay with him while he's there. The last time he was hospitalized with pneumonia, I went home for the night because he was stable. OMG, they treated him so badly, it was just a nightmare and he couldn't think clearly enough to CALL ME. Nope, from then on I will plan to stay with him 200% of the time. Not putting up with that chit.

Sue, I've been to Blowing Rock many years ago. I love the NC mountains. I'd move up there in a heartbeat. My father's family is all from the OBX. My brother still lives there in Kill Devil Hill. I don't get to see him often--it's a long drive from Atlanta. But I do love the Atlantic ocean. Maybe we'll have to plan a getaway to Hatteras, if I can ever catch a break from surgery.

Speaking of which...I am having so much pain in my left knee. It's the one that needs a total knee replacement, has needed it for about 2 years now. I'm just keeping it propped up with NSAIDS and cortisone injections every 6-8 weeks. I was really kind of hoping that I could get the TKR sometime this fall, when I get more sick leave and vacation time. But I also need a total hyst due to two gene mutations. I told my MO that I can only have one more surgery this year and could it please be the TKR, because I am pretty miserable with it. Nope, she wants all the female bits out ASAP. At the moment, they are not diseased, so it can wait a few months, at least until DH is done recovering from his prostatectomy in July.

As Roseanne Rosannadanna said, "It's always sumthin'."

Poodles-when we lived in NJ we bought a condo in North Myrtle Beach. Owned it for 19 years. Never rented it out.Loved it so much, but we sold it about 10 months before I retired (didn't know I was retiring then). Sure wish I had it now...would have been the perfect meeting place!!

Hi there. I'm back from vacation, and it was GREAT!! I hardly thought about cancer at all. Most of you are sleeping as I post this on California time, but when you wake up, let me know if there's anything with regards to the group that i need to know ASAP. Everyone doing okay? I'll read the back pages eventually.

I had no SE for 5 1/2 weeks, and then I had cording the day I got back. Sheesh! If anyone gets that pain in the inner arm, start stretching immediately!

I picked 3 cool pictures to share: a huge chateau outside Paris, me standing in the invisible room hanging over the Alps (yikes!), and the last pic is my husband with the Roman toilets (apparently a pretty social place during it's time!)

Peggy - Are you in your new home?

Moondust - You okay? Did you get another opinion on chemo? What did you decide? I'll text you tomorrow.

I'll see the rest of you in the morning. No, afternon. I'm coloring my hair tomorrow for the first time in a year!! Goodbye grey!

Sloan, welcome back! So glad your trip was FANTASTIC! Loved the photos. You're quite welcome to stand over "nothing" - not me! I haven't moved yet. Just finished up with the memorial for DH over the weekend. One son and DIL left yesterday, the other set today. I have the FHA appraisal this morning - keep all fingers and toes crossed that it goes without a hitch and the sale can progress. Now to pack what I can and leave the rest for the movers. And see my PCP, MO, pick up my imaging records, get tranquilizers for the cat and test them to make sure they work, etc etc etc!!

Do pay attention to that cording! Stretching is the best thing. I don't know that I get cording but I can tell when I haven't stretched my arm regularly enough - it gets a bit tender. Stretching does the trick for me.

BTW, your DH is very handsome!

HUGS!

Sloan - Love the pic of Chenonceau château. I took a group of high school students to France and England back in the 90's, and we visited there as well as Chambord. In fact I used to have a water color print of Chenonceau, and now I'm wondering, what happened to that? Glad you forgot about cancer!

I've been on anastrozole for three days - no SE's noted yet - hopefully that remains true.

Still waiting for my hair to get at least Judi Dench length. I wear a hat out, but too hot for wigs!

Sloan, what gorgeous pics! So glad to hear you had a good time.

While we're on the topic of cording- I knew my cord wasn't 'gone' yet, but I was having a hard time getting it to stretch. Some days, I could have a way to feel the stretch, but most days I couldn't. Then a couple weeks ago, I ended up with a couple insect bites on my hand, and the LE flared; now suddenly the cording is back to being visible in the armpit, and I can feel it down to my elbow. Has anyone heard about LE making cording worse?

I've been working hard the past month or so to try to ge therapy that can be covered by my insurance, but it's been a real battle, and still no luck. I see my BS tomorrow morning, and hopefully that will work. Apparently, a specialist needs to prescribe it.

My pre-LE cording was not visible (I am not slim), but once LE kicked in, it’s visible in my armpit. I lie on my non-LE side and slowly make a full arc--front to back--with my LE arm and hold the stretch for 5 seconds. I do 10 reps. Sometimes if you stretch the breast (they gave me a rubber pad) away from the armpit, it intensifies the arm stretch.

At the spa where I stayed in San Antonio, I bought an all-natural insect repellent that uses citronella and patchouli as well as certain herbal oils. Worked so far. (I keep Off! with picaridin--not DEET--around too).