Thank you all!! I think you all must have helped, as I was up and walking just hours after my operation. They had to do it all laproscopically, so my belly is quite sore right now! Nothing else was...
Hey, Count me in! I could use some fun and I've been practicing my Scrabble skills.... /community/emoticons/tongue.gif Erin...
Ellen, So, I am a bit slow to post....what were the results...of everything, that is. And no, you are not a bad person for not sharing the whole truth. Sometimes husbands need to be "motivated' to...
Hey, Candy and Debbie! Just wanted to tell you both that Greg and I often think about you and hope you are doing great. (Greg is still crazy about trains....he now wants to put a very large model...
Karen, I, too had a lat flap (back in 2004). I am very happy with the results. I do have some strength loss but that is only due to my not using that arm as much as the other. I developed lymphedema...
Grams, Believe me, you are not alone (the board gets kind of slow around holidays as most women are off and about visiting, but you can expect more replies later in the week). I am both esto/prog...
Hi, Karen, I didn't have any of the ones you listed but instead had a Lat Dorsi reconstruction, where they moved a chunk of my back (right below my shoulder blade) to the chest. I also had an implant...
Yeah, it's a bad idea to try bandaging on your own as it can make things much worse.....try keeping your affected arm elevated to help the drainage. Also, I find that cold water helps to keep the...
Wahoo, Kathy!!!! Hope you did something fun to celebrate! Hugs, Erin...
Stardust, You are certainly not alone in Ohio. For whatever reasons, the Buckeye State has a large share of board members. In fact, if you are near the Cincinnati, Cleveland or Columbus area you will...
Ellen! I can't believe you are planning for Thanksgiving already...I can barely think about next week ;-) Naw, I think it's OK to plan ahead and I'll keep my fingers crossed about the house. Anything...
Hi, Pam! I don't post as often as I should, but I, too am HER2 +3. And I had lymph nodes involved and I was 34 when I was DXed in 2003, so I thought at the time, "hoo boy, that's it for me" (actually...
Ellen, I just logged on for the first time in a few so I totally missed the bus (the PCE bus that is). Sorry about that! Ah, homebuying/looking....yeah, not so fun for the whole marriage thing. It's...
Ellen, I'm sending good thoughts your way! Ugh, barium, huh? I'm sure it was deee-licious. Hope your DH cools off and you have a good girl night out! Love, Erin...
I found that I could lessen the length of hot flashes by running very cold water over my wrists (I do this when I am at work) or a cold pack on the back of the neck. I have also heard of a special...
One of my co-workers was a rad tech for a few years and according to her, they do usually know if it is something obvious. She also said they were taught to "look neutral' and to not reveal anything...
Melissa, I am so glad your doctor is taking this seriously but I sure hope it is NOT serious! I had doctors give me the brush off until one finally thought to do a mammogram, since I was only 34. I...
OK, I am sharing this because I had NO idea what cellulitis was until last Friday. Now, after being in the hospital for a few days, I want to pass this along in case anyone else hasn't heard of it...
You ladies crack me up! You know the phrase for those bands who only had one hit on the radio....well, my DH now calls me the "One Tit Wonder." And now, with my impending total hyster, I, too am...
Linda, Welcome to the site! But I sure wish you didn't have to be here...no one wants to join this sorority, membership is just thrust upon you. You are going to get a boatload of welcomes and they...
Miss you, Ellen! Good luck to you on Monday (DH says, when in doubt the answer is always "Freud" or "your mother" /community/emoticons/tongue.gif Ha! Good thing he's not in the business, huh). I'm...
Thanks for your responses. And it is great to talk to you all again! DH got a big sign for Christmas that says, "Still Plays with Trains" which he hung on the outside of the garage. (I did, however,...
Laure The doc was probably talking about microcalcifications, which are common and are sometimes the precursor to cancer. The operative word being SOMETIMES. And, alas, a mammogram can't tell you...
Ok I have been MIA for a while. A long while! I am about halfway through what I like to call "chemo-light"....it's just like chemo but without the annoying side effects...my Herceptin treatments. The...
I didn't know there was a test (FSH). Not that I have to take it....I went into "temporary" menopause after the chemo and exactly 2 days after my doc said, "Well, it looks like you are in menopause...
Thank you all for being my sounding board! I knew you would all understand this situation better than anyone else. I will let you know what happens on Monday. Most everyone at home has said to let it...
Candy, Thank God it was a PCB! I am soooooo glad! I know you will appreciate this story: I am heading off to do the Casting for Recovery/breast cancer retreat in southern Ohio and Greg says to me:...
OK, Ladies, I need your opinion here.... First off, I have not been posting in a long time (I'm hanging my head in shame) due to job stress, relationship stress and money stress. But, this is...
Ellen, Sorry to hear you still have pain/tenderness! I hope that with time it will go away. I guess that's one advantage of having the whole thing removed, as I am totally numb all around there so I...
Ellen, I don't know why (perhaps too much caffeine??) but your post title reminded me of those ads that used to be on TV for car races....you know, "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...wheels, wheels,...
Ellen, I can sympathize with your back to work blues. Maybe it will be better than you think and everyone will be welcoming you back.....yeah and donkeys will fly out of my butt, ....but it COULD be...
Ellen, Sounds like you are recovering well! Can you swim or do you have to sit and watch? The neighbors 2 houses down have a backyard pool and it seems to be the place to be. Greg and I , however,...
Jo-Ann, I'm hoping to squeeze in on the PCE and wish you well, too! I was thinking about you the other day as I have my "Outstanding Mammogram" Award on my wall. You always know how to cheer all of...
Teresa, I hope you have a great trip, as it sounds like fun! It's been about a year from my reconstruction and I still haven't set a date for the nipple skin graft (my ps says he just "won't do"...
I'm at work so I have to make this quick before the boss lady comes in.... They just told us that our hospital system is going to be encouraging patients to use a service called Caring Bridge. It is...
Anyplace in Ohio works for me! Or Indiana, for that matter. Actually, Chicago would be a blast but it's sooo expensive! Lots of good places in Columbus, and you can even visit the building shaped...
Ok, it's the last post, I promise! I signed up for Casting for Recovery's free trip in Ohio, but don't know if I'll get picked. There's a lot of us here in Ohio, so I hope all you gals sign up, too....
I was wondering if you had the nipple put on yet? I still have not scheduled this, being the big chicken that I am. I am hoping you will tell me it was a piece of cake..... Love, Erin...
OK, a strange request from someone who so frequently visits the board these days....but I seem to remember we were going to try a meeting in Cleveland and it was postponed. I was wondering if anyone...
This must be a common problem, as Greg's computer has also crashed from Norton's 2005. There was much cursing and re-booting but i think he's got it fixed now. He was going to call the Norton's help...
Ellen!!! Way to go, wahoo!! That's a lot of blood, sweat and tears. And it's done! I sincerely hope you rewarded yourself. And maybe give yourself another award for not drop kicking 'ole Charlie...
Isn't it amazing what people see in their food? You would think the Virgin Mary would have better places to show up than in Velveeta...... It reminds me of this story that my friends and I cut out...
I was just sitting in bed reading when there was a loud knocking at my front door....it was the board police with a summons!! Well, I did have to bribe them (it seems that chocolate is their...
I've been off the board for quite a while, again. (And I'm mildly distressed to discover a new emoticon has been added that is a skull and cross bones...what's up with that?!) So, here's the thing: I...
Stephanie, Don't give up the fight with the insurance company yet.....push them on giving you the hyster paid, too. If your company is anything like mine, they are rat bast@#$ # to deal with but keep...
Lori, Wahoo! Five years!!! It always gives me hope when I hear these milestones. I hope you celebrated appropriately with lots of chocolate and good food! So happy for you! Love, Erin ps: they...
Shelley, Yeah, you should most certainly tell your nurse. After all, you don't want to develop an infection from an open cut down/inside there. Also, I sincerely hope it is not anal fistulas. I got a...
Ellen, I'm still looking into all of this myself. Here's some info I found on the web that might be of use: [3]Leisha A. Emens and Nancy E. Davidson [b][3]2 [3]The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer...
Shelley, Will be thinking of you tomorrow and sending prayers your way! Love, Erin...
I'll try to call her Wed evening...hope she remembers me from Louisville! Please let her know we are all crowding in her room in spirit and hope that she gets better soon. I hope they let her get...