September 2017 Surgery Group

Thank you MFPM for touching base! I've been checking back to see if you have updated, and I'm glad you did....and for sharing your story. We all have a story. We are all part of God's plan. You are now a great advocate for women to speak up for themselves! I have a friend with a palpable "cyst" that has been hanging around for over a month. I don't like her having such and them "just watching". I'm going to share your story with her today!

I looked in the mirror last night and wondered about life. I feel like I am just part of a science experiment sometimes. My brother gifted me a cancer booklet that he found in an antique book store in London that dates back to 1870. My brother inscribed it to me wanting me to enjoy reading how cancer was acknowledged and treated then, and to wonder if in 150 years, people will look at how we are treated for this disease with the same shock and disbelief as I would take from this booklet today about their methods of treatment.

Diseases don't cure overnight, but I wish when mistakes or triumphs are made, they are documented and shared with all in the field to work to advance the cure faster. Like in your case, I hope those docs have gone back and looked at previous films from the first time pointing out Why and How it was NOT a cyst so the mistake is Never made again! I told my husband that when this is all over, I want to pay a radiologist to sit with me and look through my multiple mammograms, MRI and Ultrasounds of my right breast that I have taken over the past 3-5 years and see where my hidden & undetected 6cm mass is. Where is it?? Why could no one see it?? Why was no one able to recognize a growth or a change until I get to Stage IIIC?

Because I am a woman of God, my faith carries me daily-- especially when science fails. I know the docs are "doing all they can with what they know"-- so it is very important that we share our stories with other wome so that they are strong advocates for themselves moving forward. We empower ourselves and others as we growth through this process.

Whew! Time to get off my soap box and bring it back down! Sweating over here! Ha ha! Hang in there MFPM! You (all of us) will achieve great things! One hour, day, week, month, year at a time..... Great Things!

😘❤️🦋

TaRenee - I haven't had cording, but it does sound painful.  I'm glad your pt knows what to do for that.  

My biggest complaint is the "iron bra" feeling.  My seroma finally healed, so I'm not wearing the compression bandage and I notice that iron bra so much more.  When my muscles contract on my chest it feels like skin wants to move the other way.  It's more annoying than painful.   It's gotten almost to the point of a charlie horse a few times.  How long does it take for this to go away?  Tell me it will go away.

GrandmaV ... I hope so! I have been pretty fortunate. My drains were out within a week and the drain sites have mostly healed. The cording affects the left side site so it is still painful. I had immediate reconstruction so I’ve been out of compression since the drains came out. But I do have some really tight chest muscles. I’m ready for that to calm down for sure.

DodgersGirl ... You had surgery 4 days before I did. So I guess we must be on the right track! Im doing exercises at home too. Stretching, no weights. And I have seen improvement. But I am hurting now from all the work the PT did this week. I just keep telling myself, no pain, no gain. But I’m ready to see the gain already!

Interestingly, my PT told me that skinny girls like me tend to have more issues with cording. Great. Just my luck.

Has it really been almost 4 months? Sometimes it seems like time is dragging and this seems like just last week. I still have cording on my left side and have developed a little lymphodema on that side as well. I haven’t built up much strength but I’m not really working toward that at this point. I stay tired and usually am in bed by 8 and asleep by 9 or 10. I do tend to have bouts of insomnia sometimes. And I try to stay up because I feel like I shouldn’t be so tired but the later I stay up the more tired I am the next day. I also started on an anti-depressant this month. Not sure that it is helping but MO said give it 4 to 6 weeks. I’ll keep with it as I’ve only been on it 2 weeks so far.

Hope everyone is moving forward and doing okay

Hello, just checking in. Dodgers girl, glad your cording is reducing. My cording finally went away after four months from surgery. So still have four session of herceptin/perjeta. Can't wait for them to be over so I can get the chemo port out.

TaRanee, I am always really tired too.

I'm glad you all are recovering so well! I know Sara and I are nearing the end of our chemo.... finally... and looking forward to putting that chapter behind us

I worked with a PT from beginning of October through December. She worked miracles on my cording and scar tissue. I still have numbness under my arm and back of upper arm but recently I am noticing some feeling there. This area also swells with the humidity. I'm sure that is not a good sign with regards to lymphadema. I have a sleeve and wear it for workouts but that is it so far.

I am starting to look into Proton Therspy for my rads. Mainly for reasons regarding my previous rads, but trying to avoid lymphadema also a concern. Have you all heard of, investigated or were treated with such?

Best wishes for continued healing