Breast Cancer Info Sharing

Jane Reinheimer

[Yaelle]

Glad the surgery is behind you. Wishing you a healthy recovery. Hoping you won’t need chemo.

[Yaelle]

Glad the surgery is behind you. Wishing you a healthy recovery. Hoping you won’t need chemo.

[bunches]

Wonderful news! I am so glad your surgery is behind you and congratulations on the good news about no lymph node involvement. That is great news.

I haven’t been on this site for a while because I have been suffering from lymphedema. It consists of swelling in my left arm due to the fact that the surgeon had to remove some of my lymph nodes during my mastectomy surgery. My left arm, wrist and hand swelled up over a period of weeks. Evidentally the process of having the tissue expander installed in December and the injections of saline into the expander aggravated the surrounding area(s) and I got lymphedema. I asked my oncologist what to do and they prescribed physical therapy.

I started p.t. about 3 weeks ago and I do specific exercises for the condition. I am also wearing a “lymphatic sleeve and glove” which are “compression garments” to try to bring down the swelling and promote proper drainage of the lymphatic fluid.

I had a lot of pain during the injection phase of reconstruction due to this swelling so the p.t. and wearing the sleeve and glove have helped a great deal.

I am only scheduled to get two more injections into the tissue expander, then two months of rest. After that the plastic surgeon will do the implant surgery on the left side and reduction surgery on the right breast.

When that is done, I don’t want any more surgery! I have quite a collection of those little blue socks they give you in the hospital with the rubber grids on the bottom in my sock drawer!

Keep your spirits up and once again so happy about your good news.

Bunches

[MarineMomJ]

Thank you for your good wishes. It’s going to be a slow road, but I’m prepared for it.

Sorry to hear about your lymphadema. I hope you get some relief soon. But at least you’re getting reconstructive surgery, which is a plus! :)

Right now, I have a small infection in the area where the underarm meets the chest. The doctor prescribed antibiotics and I’ll see him Monday. Otherwise, everything is going well.

I’m still not sold on chemotherapy though. I’ve been starting to experiment with alternative treatments. It’s not time to visit the oncologist yet, so I can still buy some time before a decision has to be made.

I hope you continue to get well, Bunches. We’re all in this together!

MMJ

[ozark hilljilly]

WOOHOO, y’all!
My LAST CHEMO was yesterday!!!!!!!!!
In 2 weeks I’ll do my bone scan n CT, then get with the surgeon (again) and by early May have me surgery to be rid of this ‘thing’.

But until then, one week of bedridden mindnumbing foot, joint and bone pain, living on vicodin, then a week of alternating between milk of magnesia and anti-diaretics(sp), then finally drifting day by day back to some form of “normalcy” albeit somewhat weakened and fatigued.
BUT overall, I must say it wasn’t near as bad as I expected!! Quite do-able.
In the movies you always see the chemo patients bald, bedriddened, soft spokened, big dark circles under their eyes, completely helpless, weak, thin as a supermodel...dying. Maybe that is the case still in some situations but not mine and certainly not with any other breast cancer gal I encountered at the cancer center.

If it wasn’t for my constant wearing of berets and knit caps I don’t think any one in public would have suspected.

Anyway, I’m totally excited for now (maybe that’s just the dexamethasone talking, LOL) IT’S OVER!!!!! (sorta.)

Please someone ping me with their news, too!