Harley - NO FAT?????   WOW  I probably had enough extra fat for boobs at 8 yrs old. (sounds funny but no joke).

Jackie - Yep sounds like typical Taxol side effects to me. Im going to say his again be sure your bowels keep going!! 

Wish I had some helpful info on tram flaps. Ive been looking into reconstruction to. And Im disappointed in the pics Im seeing online. Most natural looking seem to be implants, but because of rads I dont think I can have them. Maybe we can help each other out researching? 

Im counting down the days to double mastectomy. 11/28.  Have to go thursday for preop testing YEA more poking and sticking. Not looking forward to it.   As a matter of fact can I vent for a minute here?

Im tired of being poked!!!!! And I know Im no where close to being done. I have bad veins and from Wednesday to Friday last week had 7 IVs started. Plus I only have one arm they can use so you can imagine what it looks like. 

OK  OK  had chemo #6 Taxol Friday Im tired and maybe feeling sorry for myself.

Thanks for listening.

Hugs

Kim 

Thanks Allot Jackie - Good luck with tomorrows app.

Kim 

Hi Everybody,

Ah, yes. Taxol and fatigue. They do seem to go together.  I just get randomly tired out of nowhere sometimes.  I learned this week just how hard the Taxol is on my WBC counts. I've been getting the Nuepogen shots two times a week, and then my chemo every Friday. Last Friday my WBC before chemo was sky-high at 19.2, and my neutrophils were 16.2. Both numbers were twice as high as the high-end of normal, so I was a little concerned that maybe I shouldn't get the Neupogen shots this week with my numbers so high.  Well, just to be sure, we did my blood counts on Monday, and just three days after my Taxol tx, my counts had dropped all the way down to 5 for WBC and 3.2 for neutrophils. Even though those numbers are still in the normal range, it illustrates just how harsh the Taxol is on the old blood counts! Heck, if it can make your counts drop by 75% in just three days, it's no wonder it makes us feel tired! 

Just thought I'd weigh in with what my PS told me about the implant question. He said that putting in implants after radiation has more complications. I currently have an expander, and he wants to do the implant exchange before I have rads. He said that the studies are now showing a better outcome if the implants are in place before rads are done. There is greater risk of infections and healing problems if done after rads.  

Now, that is not to say it can't be done. I work with a woman who had a lumpectomy and radiation about three years ago. Then she had a recurrence last year so had the mastectomy and expander, then implant. She experienced a lot more pain because of the radiated tissue, but she's been pleased with the final results and hasn't had any other complications.

I trust my PS a lot, I heal pretty quickly, and I'm eager to get this mini basketball out of my chest, so I'm going to do the exchange before rads. But, I guess we all just have to do what we feel comfortable with.

Kimmie, I'm so very tired of being poked too. I just had that same thought today as I got my 2nd Neupogen shot of the week (good gravy those are stinging little buggers!), and I started counting up how many times I get poked in an average week. Too many was the answer!  I'm putting your surgery date on my calendar so I can remember to send lots of warm, healing vibes your way that day.

Hugs all around.

DeAnn  

Hi all,

Sounds like allot of good things happening. Kato WOW it seems so lond ago I cared about my looks either!! Im finished chemo but still neck deep in cancer land. I know there is a light but Im not close enough to see it at the end of the tunnel yet.

DeAnn   thanks for the healing vibes. Im SOOOOOOOO confused about the reconstruction. I still have plenty of time to figure it out but I think focusing on it gives me a constructive diversion. My Taxol from Friday is taking its toll and boy am worn down.

Hey yall ocycodone makes me itch, have you had anything else for bone pain that works?

Kim 

Hi Girls,

Just thought I would weigh in on the implant issue.  I went to my ps today for a final boost on my skin expanders.  He does not want to go with a regular implant on my right breast (cancerous) because I will be getting radiation.  He says the radiation effects your skin on the inside and the implant gets very hard.  He refuses to even consider putting an implant in before radiation.  Halfway through my rads I have to go there to see how the radiation is effecting my skin(burns?).  Then we will discuss a dorsi flap or tram flap on the right side and regular implant on left. I hope I'm explaining this right.

Anyway, he seems to be against the nice, easy implant at all on my right side.  I'm a little confused, but I really feel comfortable with him and his staff.  I do trust him.  But I just don't want another surgery.  They gave me info. to read so I will check it out. 

If any of you had the implants before rads or right after can you let us know how it worked out.  Thank you.

Lots of hugs, Jackie

Nash - Kato couldnt have put it better (she has such a way with words) so Ill just say DiDDo about the ignorant mom.

When you ladies that are considering reconstruction went to the PCs office did the PC have good pics to show you?  Most all the pics I see are just not appealing. Its upsetting to me. It would really make this easier if I felt like in the end Ill be able to have some cosmetically appealing boobs. Yea Yea I no all the logics, AND YES YES YES LIVING is Far more important. But I would like to have boobs like most other women. Is that Really so much to ask?

I read some sites for reconstruction and some say things like "It is our goal to make the reconstruction cosmetically appealing while clothed" 

Im like WHAT???  Thats your goal??? What about when shes all alone or when shes being intimate with her spouse? Isnt she entitled to be appealing then as well?  

I feel like they are saying its OK to be left mutilated as long as the general public cant see it. 

Ok I know Im ranting again. Feeling the pressure these days. To many unknowns to much bad.

Once again Just to make me feel better

                I WANT MY OLD LIFE BACK!!!!!!!!

I m stopping now ,  Thanks a mil for putting up with me.

Hugs in Va

Kim 

Kim--I PM's you some reconstruction picture info from youngsurvival.org. Some of those women have gotten very good results with their surgeries.

Kaye--I think being a light bulb for Christmas will be very festive!

And thank you, girls, for validating my irritation with the idiot parking lot mom. The sad part is her behavior in front of her kid. What's also sad is that people like this bring out the worst in me--it took a lot of self control not to leap out of my car and strangle her. I keep telling myself I must not inflict cancer frustration on the general public, however rude they may be.

DeAnn--I PM'd you about the photos.

Definitely fascinating!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hair , right now its a four letter word

Yes, I was thinking about June this morning, too. Hope you're feeling better, June!

I had tx #5 last Thursday. Sure do feel the cumulative effects. Dang.

Kim, I think Kaye's suggestion of free options for therapy first is a good idea. 

Hi, June--I'm glad you're on the upswing. You've had more than your fair share of chemo angst, and I'm glad it's over for you. The onc wouldn't have pulled you off of the stuff if it wasn't for good reason.

RE: lumpectomy. Mine was easy. It was done as day surgery. I just had a SNB, so no drains.  It was actually a quadrectomy, as the tumor was fairly large, and the surgeon had to take out pectoralis muscle b/c of the tumor location, but the pain was very manageable. I only took Tylenol for about a day. I was driving after five days.

My DH is cooking for Thanksgiving--I am just responsible for pie. And that's only b/c I'm insisting on baking, as I really love to. We have my BIL coming over, and that's it. I, too, hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.