December 26, 2012

Did I mention, I am still tired? I don't know if it is the weather or healing.

December 26, 2012

My skin is healing on my boob. I still have the lymphedema. My feet are off and on with the weird pain, my legs still hurt but the big thing now is the calf pain. I have had it twice, I have to observe it because of the tamoxifen side effects. Otherwise, I am on the mend.

12/11/12

Today I suffer. My last radiation was Wednesday and I had burns then. My burns have spread on my skin, they are open and raw and they hurt. My nipple is peeling, my armpit is swollen and raw. It's bad but it will get better. Using sulfur cream. I go back next week for follow-up and check-up. This condition isn't a surprise, it is a side effect so it was expected. It happened in the last week of radiation. I am glad I don't have to lay on the zap table anymore :-). The team at the hospital gave me a distinguished patient award and hugs all around. They are awesome.

November 26, 2012 Radiation side effects

I have two weeks left for radiation and now my skin is breaking down. Ouch on the boobie. The skin is tearing like my surgical scars did after my reduction surgery. Instead of gell, I have a medicated pad that lasts for seven days and I must remove it three times a day. It has made wearing my bra way more comfortable this morning.But my armpit hurts. The lymphedema irritates me too. Otherwise, life is GREAT. My feet are doing better. I switched from Tylenol to Anacin, way better. I did blood work today, fasting, hope the results are good. My gland keeps swelling up in my right jaw, and I now know what does it - fruit. I love fruit. Swell - no fruit, fruit - swell? I pick SWELL.............. LOL. I am so tired. Going to go eat something and go relax.

November 14, 2012

Went for my twentieth zap today, fourteen to go. That takes me in to December. My hair is growing back. My labs came back clear today for anemia. I am having side effects from the chemo and the Tamoxifen. The Dr. was going to give me pain meds but no thanks, I have to drive myself to and from my appointments and drive my nephew to and from school. Can't be impaired. I will manage with Tylenol. I have to begin B-12 complex. I have to excercise. All I want to do is swim. According to my oncologist I need to walk to work out this leg pain from the Tamoxifen. The foot pain is neuropathy from the chemo, I guess I can walk on my knees? I just have to suffer through it for awhile or get on medication. If I get worse, I have to let the Dr. know. I lost another pound and a half since last weigh in a week ago. I feel good about that. So over all, I am getting better and I don't have any serious side effects involving my organs so I am happy. My boob is brown and dry, it is darkening and swelling from the radiation, the pain is minimal. My skin color is coming back and my head swelling has gone down considerably. I look normal. I looked like a happy face dummy for awhile there with a big yellow, round head. OK, I am sleepy again. Every day, so tired. The vitamin B will help. More later.

Out of sequence - 8/19-23/2012

Having mutiple side effects and can't tell if it is a combination of chemo and PMS or just chemo. My vision is blurry, my tummy is upset, I have frequent trips to the porcelain palace, I am tired, I randomly sweat like a wildabeast escaping a pack of lions - or how I imaging they would if they could. My stomach is bloated, I am having some bleeding but credit that to the Pms, this is unusual for me. This is only day two of week two, I should be on the up swing.

Update

Prior to my diagnosis, I had gone to the Dr. six months prior for a rash on my boob. The Dr. gave me a cream. I think that was an indicator of things to come.

Oh, forgot something - (out of sequence)

My CT scan of my head will be interpreted for me by the ENT Dr. Awaiting a call for an appointment. My ultra sound of my head showed parotid gland swelling but that isn't major. Whatever. My pelvic ultrasound was normal but I still have to see the specialist next week. The Tamoxifin I will be taking may make changes to my uterus, a side effect is blod clotting in the legs and lungs, possible stroke, death, and uterian cancer. But the benefits outweigh the risks.

November 9, 2012, Side Effects

I was reading posts from fellow cancer patients and Tamoxifen users. I found that the current issues I am having are Tamoxifen related. I have identified that my fellow survivors have similar issues and mine include multiple side effects. I have dry skin, dehydration, serious bone pain, dizziness, and constant headaches (I thought they were sinus or lack of coffee)I also have occasional female regions pain and it makes me walk funny. My additional issues include the bottoms of my feet hurting, especially the heels. I am wheezing more frequently. I notice that I get really hot in certain places too which is weird and may be from the radiation. My right hand gets hot, I thought I was having a fever or something and kept touching my head and neck and it felt really hot. Finally, my nephew checked and he said my hand was hot, not my head and neck. Weird. I have begun to wear a pad again, for safety reasons. The Tamoxifen creates some heat and moisture and it feels like I will have a period but nothing has come down. A side effect I haven't had is I haven't had weight gain, I changed my eating habits. I increased the protein, fiber and veggies intake. Oh and PIE intake. YAY! My cousin has been making me greens lately, which I LOVE, they are keeping me regular I am sure. My diet includes rib eye's, eggs, fruit, greens, oatmeal, yogurt, pie, ice cream, milk duds, apples galore, banana bread, and smoothies. I have reduced my macaroni and cheese intake dramatically. Don't want to get blocked, that is some painful stuff. No thank you. I so want to go swimming........... I can't till radiation is over, it will wash off the marks and tape on my back. I can't even wash the area in the shower. Anyway, I am chubby and flabby from lack of exercise and am really dreaming about getting in shape. HAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I will get there eventually. :-). Gotta go, got radiation later. Bye.

Tamoxifen Waddle 10.25.2012

I began radiation last week Friday. The week prior, I was going through the mapping. The week before that, I started the Tamoxifen, I think it was the 12th of October.... I noticed last week that I was having difficulty walking, thigh pain and the bottom of my feet hurt in the evenings. Weird stuff. My cousin pointed out the symptoms may be residual effects of the chemotherapy. I observed myself for the next few days and noticed the leg pains were HORRIBLE, and felt like the third week of chemo - the white cell count thing. I reasoned that there may be layered effects going on here. The chemo residual effects are a reality that my cousin pointed out and I realized the pain began with the Tamoxifen. I can feel the medication working on my ovaries and my boobs go haywire occasionally. Weird feelings or itching in the boobs, PMS in the ovaries. I haven't had a period since August. YAY! I say all that to say, I noticed there are a few women at the hospital that walk like I have been walking. I figured they must also be on Tamoxifen. We walk like we rode a horse too far, sat too long and have to convince our hips to move by swinging our legs forward. It is weird but when you see it, you know what it is. The Tamoxifen waddle. I felt better today in the leg department because I think if I were to have a period, it would have come today, the PMS period is almost over. Except my boobs are still swollen. The right one is normally swollen from the lymphedema but they are PMS swollen today. Radiation is going fine. Any problems are my fault. I accept that. :-)

Mapping for Radiation

I was scheduled for x-rays last week to get a map for the radiation application to my right breast. Apparently, even after breast reduction/reconstruction, my breasts are too large, so I must lay face down on the exam table and my breast hangs down through a break in the table. Too large? Whatever. Anyway, the first day, everything was good and I went home. I went back three more times because the first application was not sufficient and the next two were not. Yesterday, I went for a fourth mapping session. I thought it was the radiation visit. I fell asleep in the machine. I was awakened an hour later and told that we could not continue, we were almost there but there was a back up of patients awaiting radiology. I was just having more x-rays. I go back Thursday to do more mapping. I haven't been radiated yet and that seems to be fine with me. It is hard work to lay on a table for an hour and not move a muscle. Falling asleep was a good idea I thought, but apparently your body settles............ Huh? Settling means moving. You cannot move. I was just trying to be helpful. One radiologist technician pointed out to me that the issues were not mine but their machines. He made me feel better. In a previous meeting with my Dr., I told him I would gladly take a sedative if that would help me be still. The Dr. said NO! The issue is that the necessary angle to radiate the spot is difficult to reach without causing lung tissue damage. My thinking is that I am not using these things (boobs) for anything but to hold on my bra, they could take them off if that would help? My lymphedema hurts, maybe the swelling is in the way? No clue. I will keep you posted. I wanted to drill down to the specifics of the cotton mouthed, arrogant, alcoholic tech but I won't. I still have to get mapped and radiated by the team. After it is done, I might rant about it. More as it happens.

Radiation

Today is the last day of week three after chemo. I had my last injection. Week three is when the platelettes are depleted. Germs and all that become an issue. I am in the clear now. My bones hurt but labs in November should show normal counts. I gained weight, three pounds since last weeks visit. It has to be the heat, not the fact that I had ice cream for dinner or spaghetti at 1 a.m. noooooo. Heat swelling no doubt. It was 102 in the car at 12:30. Anyway, went to Radiologist today. Go back tomorrow for cat scan of right boob for radiation mapping. Go back Monday for x-ray of ct scan results area to plan zap location for radiation. Start six and a half weeks of radiation, every day for half an hour. Not on weekends. I am sleepy just thinking about it all. Life is good. Can't wait to be done with all this and get back to work. My hair looks like a birds nest fell on my head. Feathery gray, blond and brown. Bald but have these sprigs of hair sticking up in different colors. Last night it fell out again. Weird.

Lymphedema Therapy and future issues

Well, well,well............ my fat isn't fat, it is swelling from lymphedema. Kidding. I suffer from both. Apparently, the lymphedema will get worse before it gets better. My neck is swelling and sometimes my face swells. I had a cat scan on Tuesday. I will later. So my compression bra came, I had a second therapy session and I wear my compression sleeve. I am compressed. The Dr. gave me a compression thing to put in my compression bra. When I take all this stuff off, the boob looks like a waffle. I asked Dorsey to help me with the massage techniques and after about 45 seconds, he figured out a back-scratcher would be better than his hands. So I use it now myself. Since I have to massage myself, the back scratcher is pretty handy. I had my last visit with my surgery Dr. on Wednesday until June 2013, at which time I get a mammogram. I don't know who is supposed to translate the findings of my MRI and Cat Scan. I am not worried, COH will figure it out and get back to me. I see the radiologist in three weeks for radiation. I have to get my tamoxiphen rx next week. I forgot to pick it up the three days I was at COH this week. Oh, I have to exercise my arm to help reduce the lymph stuff. That's cool. I am so tired. It has to be from the Chemo cause I am not on any meds. More as it happens.

Last Chemo and more news

Well, had the last round today. AMEN. Had labs first at 9:40 and then an hour and fifty minutes later, I had a visit with the Dr.s PA. The Dr. is in Spain on vacation. According to the PA, my ultra sound indicated I need a cat scan for hardening of my lymphnodes in my neck but the ultra sound did not include my thyroid area. So now I have to get a cat scan. And because of my cancer and the irregular bleeding I had from the last round of chemo, I need to get an ultra sound on my ovaries to rule out endometrial and ovarian cancer. Delightful. I also start the five year estrogen blocking hormone next month. So I may not have a menses for five whole years. YAY! But the lymphedema is causing a lot of swelling in my head, neck, boob and arm. My sinus is swollen on the left and there are polyps (had that before) and my gum has an indicator of infection. This is left over from some oral surgery I had. So it appears there is a slight sinus infection but I was not admitted because my white cell counts are normal, as are my liver and kidney functions. So I am good otherwise. With the five year therapy, I may get a monthly shot of something to make my ovaries do something, I forget, too much info. If the shot isn't an option, I can have the ovaries removed. So the ultra sound will determine that. It's all good. I didn't ask for more steroids LOL. I was up all night with the doses yesterday and I will be up all night tonight and tomorrow. There is a three day cycle. I mentioned that before. I was reading the side effects of the hormone blocker therapy - it says weight loss is a side effect. Imagine. The swelling gone, smaller boobs and weight loss? I asked why they didn't just start me out on the blockers, weight loss is a side effect? HELLO! It is so friggin hot. Does not work with hot flashes. Updates as they happen. Bye.

News and Last round of Chemo

I have lymphedema (fluid). I have fluid in my right boob, arm and hand. I have a compression garment for my right arm and a compression glove for my right hand. It looks like the sleeve and glove a person with burns would wear. I had to buy a compression bra, I ordered it today finally. Anyway, I remember being told after my surgery to get jogging bra's to support my boobs to keep them secure and tight to my body, I don't remember specifically being instructed to get the compression bra, but I may have missed that. I did get the sports bras but I guess they were too big or lose and didn't support they way they should. I went and got smaller ones recently and they seem to help. I am supposed to wear the garments all day and night but not for sleep, and get a massage of the areas to direct the fluid to the lymphatic system in my body for drainage. I still need the massage portion of the occupational therapy to get the fluid from my boob moved over to my lymphatic system but as it turns out, I don't know any boob rubber's to help me. So I took the advice of my therapist and bought a compression bra - they are $120 at wearease.com without a discount for being a COH patient. I found one on Amazon for $104 and used my birthday Amazon Kindle Card :-) (Thank you my Angel, you know who you are), and I got the garment for $79 bucks and free shipping. I should be mushed soon. Tomorrow is my last round of chemo. YAY. Of course, I am on the steroid therapy for three days, today, tomorrow and the next day. I will be wide awake for hours, little sleep for three days and then the fourth and fifth I am useless. I think I will ask my Dr. for a few extra days of the ROIDS to use as needed when I just can't get up. When this is done, WWF or cage fighting may be in my future. Kidding. One last weird thing. I kept having these three sites of irritation along my surgical scars, one on the left and two on the right side. The right ones were near my back and the left side was under my left boob. I kept examining the areas and finally about six weeks ago, the Dr. found and pulled out a stitch on my right side. Three weeks ago, Dorsey pulled one out on the right side further back. I kept gelling my surgical area to keep the area soft until I could see my Plastic's Dr. I had to reschedule a few appointments. I have one scheduled for the 26th. Well, the left side kept bugging me so I went for it. I scraped and pulled at the area thinking there was a stitch inside and I had to get it out. It wasn't a stitch. I pulled the skin off the area and scraped with my nails until I pulled out this white piece of plastic. It is small, the size of a stitch but like three wide. I think the gel I was using kinda got clogged in the hole there and got hard. I saved it in a zip-loc to take to the Dr. I will let you know how weird he thinks I am. :-)

Cystic

I went to the Dr. last week to find out that I have lymphedema and must wear compression wraps on my right hand and arm. I must also massage my right breast and arm in the direction of my lymphatic map to dissipate the swelling/fluid. Pain in the ass. I went for my thyroid ultrasound for my face. The lump that comes and goes on my right jaw is "cystic" according to the technician that conducted the ultrasound. So I have to wait until next week to get it interpreted by my Dr. I hope they remove whatever it is, it hurts. I rescheduled my plastics visit and I so wish I had not. I ripped my incision open again trying to get a stitch out myself. It is irritating and painful. Now I wait until the 26th for a visit. My face is swollen, my eyes are puffy, my vision is bad, and my gums are weird. I have horrendous abdominal air pockets that fire at will. I try not to be too far from home. My dogs are making me sick, it is hard to breath in this house. The puppy barked at Dorsey, scared the crap out of him. She is a 2-year-old Pit Bull. So, other than being swollen, puffy, irritated, gassy, wheezy and painful, I am really good. I feel good about being alive and well besides this crap. :-) I am sure I forgot something. More later. Happy Friday.

Still sick. Nauseous, frequent visits to the spa, swelling, sore throat and fatigue. I called the triage nurse a few days ago about my random bleeding. The place was so noisy with the employees talking that the guy on the phone with me had to keep asking me to repeat myself. After I spelled my name a few times, provided my records number and explanined over and over what ailed me, he informed me he would contact my dr. B.S. The last time I called triage and was told my dr. would be contacted, the nurse contacted the dr. on the research study team and not my dr. I never heard back. So this time, the nurse said he would call me right back and he did. He contacted the dr. on call and explained my issues. My issues were to report any bleeding, swelling, soreness, infections or frequent trips to the spa. All he got was bleeding I guess, cause his response was for me to call a gynocologist, this was after he conferred with the dr. on duty. I was told by my chemo dr. to call triage for any of these reasons. Had I known they wouldn't do anything, I wouldn't have wasted their time. I am obviously cranky. I feel like shit. OK, enough rant.

Bad news. Been exhausted all day, dizzy and bloated. Noticed I am bleeding. Going. To call triage tomorrow. I need sleep.

I had round three of chemo yesterday and am heading back today for my white blood cell shot. Ouch. Anyway, I am doing much better. My blood work was all normal so I don't have to be on a low bacteria diet and I don't have to be a house prisoner. I am going to take it slow though. I am exhausted from lack of sleep because of the steroids and the nerves I get before the dose. The steroids keep me up and going and don't include much sleep. It is always like this for the three days surrounding the chemo. Tristyn starts school tomorrow, Bryann begins PCC next week from home in Pomona with her dad and Danielle is awaiting surgery for her cysts........... Will post more later about that. They all need a vacation from me so the timing of all this is good :-). My hair is still a fuzz of brown and gray with yellow highlights. Funny as heck. Um, one more dose on the 12th, then on to Radiation every day for six straight weeks. After that, five years of hormone block therapy. I should enjoy a deep voice, hopefully not a full mustache. Dorsey has been quite helpful and supportive so he is making life a lot easier through this transition. My friends and family have all been extremely awesome too. I am amazed because I never relied on their support really. I think through this, I either learned how selfish I truly was or how in my eyes, how self-sufficient I thought I was....... This is the best time of my life. Thank you family and friends, all my love. Later.

Three weeks has flown by........... Chemo on Monday. The first week after chemo, I had bone pain but mostly low back pain from a lack of movement in my digestive tract. Drank half a bottle of prune juice and within two days, I was visiting the throne quite a bit a few times a day. That was the worst of it. The bone pain I can manage. The second week, I began to feel better and had energy. Week three, I swelled up today on my left side. Odd. It went down. My throat isn't swollen either, which is good. It has been so freakishly hot, I pretty much stayed under the fan in my bed for the first week and a half. I ventured out a few times after 4:30 to go to the market and run errands. So, since this was week three and I had the all clear to do lunch with the girls, no one remembered I guess. No lunch dates for me this week. Now I have to wait another three weeks. I have this strange hair growth on my head. After my head went bald, I have this peach fuzz, sparsely placed hair on my head, looks funny. Dorsey calls me baldy. Oh, a filling fell out, can't go to the dentist till this is all over. Annoying. My second Kindle Fire broke. Two since Christmas. I am waiting for number 3 to be delivered. We got a refurbished desk top too, so I will be able to blog properly. YAY! Good night.

Feeling better today but I look yellow. My hair is growing in.It is a peach fuzz. The horror.is that it is straight and it is Blonde. I have wavy brown hair.

August 1, 2012

Major pain today after my white cell injection on Tuesday. I get a white cell shot twenty four hours after chemo

My hair is falling out. I gave myself another injection today, two left. I took a nausea pill today. My white count was 1, then up to 3 by the time I left the hospital. I should be over 5. I 'll know after labs next week.

Home from the hospital. Had two rounds of antibiotics for an unknown infection in my middle finger. Had three doses of white blood cell medication. Then I had pain medication for an intense bone pain. I am also constipated. I now have ten days of antibiotics and five more doses of white cell injections to do at home. I have an RX for pain meds too.

I am being readmitted. An infection is occurring in my middle finger and my platelettes are lower than they should be this soon after chemo. I am so tired. Cant wait for a nap. I don't really rest at home.

Off to the Dr. Still bleeding. Called the triage nurse this a.m. Going to get some lab work most likely. My Dr. visit today is for an ENT for my salivary gland issue. Wish me luck!

My skin is burning in pinpoint places and my scalp is feeling weird. The scalp thing was supposed to take three weeks.

Week one after chemo therapy did not go as expected. It went better as far as energy levels but I did get side effects. After reading thee information provided by the hospital and having that same information reiterated by the Dr. and the P.A. 's, I thought my ass would just fall out of my body. The chemo process affects all your organs. The information provided addresses each system, for example: The GI tract may or may not swell, get a fungal infection, become constipated or the opposite and may bleed. The skin for example: your nails could blacken and loosen, you could bleed. Your reproductive organs may stop working, menopause could occur and you could bleed. Drink lots of fluids so your liver and kidneys don't back up and cause other problems, or bleed. On top of the chemo, the antibiotics I was given may also cause thrush, throat swelling, hives and other allergic reactions. Discontinue and consult Dr. So on day one, on one hour of sleep, I felt great. I ate and loaded up on anti -nausea medication as instructed. Turns out Aunt Flo who has been off schedule for six month 's, showed up on time. July 10 I am a stuck pig. Is it chemo or period? Do I wait a week or panick? I took the antibiotics and my throat swelling and hives or thrush may be an allergic reaction. I don't know why I am only sleeping three solid hours a night, or why it is broken up but maybe it's the heat? It has been so hot and humid this week. I say all that to say this - I do not have the expected fatigue, or constipation, or diarrhea, but I do have thrush, bleeding, throat swelling and a rash on my boobs. Today should be the end of my period, after this, bleeding would be unusual. So, the alkaline water, brushing with baking soda, aloe vera juice, juices, water, coffee and eating conservatively, coupled with great hygiene and mask wearing, seem to help with my energy levels, hydration and overall feeling ok. I am avoiding group germs and pacing myself with house work. My family and friends are amazing.I am fortunate. More later.

I had the chemo today. My blood work was fine and my scars looked good but the doc gave me antibiotcs for the same infection. I had two types of chemo, a flush and an anti nausea drip all in two and a half hours. I had lunch while on the chemo and I still feel fine. I was so hyper about it that I slept for about an hour last night and as tired as I am, I cannot relax. I am not going to mop or make dinner or reline the kitchen trash can. Not gonna do anything once the turkey wings are roasted. Guess I was irritable.

I had no idea I am supposed to update daily. I definitely have to get my desktop fixed. Typing on this thing is s l o w. I start chemist tomorrow. I started a three day steroids dose today. I was told by a nine year cancer survivor to take the following herds:((spelling phonetically) foe tea, calcariafion, aloe vera juice, alkaline water, Japanese. red pine needle, optimal oil something, fulvic minerals, eslac rearward a Linda Page book and whatever other things I find. I will stink. Lol. So, tomorrow, my cousin is bringing the water and aloe juice. I'm going to make a soup and chx.broth for back up.. Until tomorrow.

I get chemotherapy. Three hours, two kinds of chemo, a total of four doses. I go once every three weeks.

I still have my big wound where I ripped open my surgical cut under my left breasted. No infection, just leaking intersticial (sic) fluid. My entire right arm hurts to touch and I don't yet have full range of motion. My right salivary gland keep swelling up which is weird and I woke up on four occassions with burning at the junction of my right thigh and underwear line. I woke up screaming in pain that I was on fire. It hasn't happened in over a week. Weird. Also, my right boob swells at my armpit but the surgical area for the lumpectomy is still numb. I have a series of pictures of the healing process. I have to get my competed fixed so I can add them. Mmy cousins and friends have been great with helping me. My immediate family can't really adjust to me being in need of anything. I am up to old habits but house keeping obviously impedes my healing process. More later.

I have been unable to post recently. I figured it out on the Kindle. I had surgery on May 21. Segmentectomy and lympnode removals plus reconstruction of both breast. I lost eleven pounds the day of surgery. I went in Monday and was released Tuesday. I was re-admitted Tuesday because of a surgical site infection. I had a p I c c or pick-line inserted in my left arm that dumps into my heart. This is an iv and med line in my arm. I was on iv antibiotics for sixteen days. Two days at the hospital and fourteen at home. Today I went for my radiation consult but I have to go for a chemo consult. I may get chemo first. I'll know in a month or less. My boobs went from H to C and shrinkage is expected. The pain is lingering and I am exhausted. I opened up the surgical cut under my left breast and now I have wound care.

May 16 and May 21 preop and surgery

April 17, 2012 Dr. Visit

I had the MRI and then I missed my Dr. Appt. I went but after two hours and sitting there with Danielle and Bryann, I got frustrated and angry and had to go to pick up Tristyn. When I got to the car, the alternator was dead. Had to get towed home, call Dorsey and he picked up Tristyn from school. Crappy day.
Anyway, I did get to see the reconstructive Dr. Dr. Tam.
According to the Dr., the next time I see him will be pre-op. I am going to have a generous lumpectomy of my right breast, with an anchor cut reconstruction of both breasts so they match but the right will be 10% larger because the radiation will shrink it 10%. Six weeks of radiation is the quote so far.
I actually think something has moved into my neck lymph nodes. After the MRI, I have had nothinging but pain and swelling in my jaw/salivary gland/ear canal region. I went to the dentist, no infections, no nothing wrong with my teeth. Took five days of amoxicillin and still nothing has helped. I go see another Dr. on Monday to see what to do about this new development.
Constant radiating pain for a month. I am on Tramadol for pain but that makes me sleepy so I take an ibuprofen or aspirin or tylenol. Not too many of one, I mix it up.
I had to quit smoking to make my healing process better. I am working on it in a big way.
I am exhausted though. So tired everyday. I am exercising and taking vitamins but still need a nap.
Since I quit smoking for the most part, everything is tasting weird. Sweet.
Sorry I haven't updated regularly but my computer is down. Had to finally fix the laptop up with the WIFI to blog.
So far it looks like I have to keep my hair. SAD FACE. LOL. I have a mustache, whiskers, gray hair, pubes, and bushy eyebrows that don't really have a shape. I was hoping some of this process would make that all fall out forever. I will take what I can get and keep making my investment in Nair products. :-). 

March 20, 2012 my consult update

I was unable to post on consult day, system issues. After my consult, I learned I will have a lumpectomy, reconstruction of both breasts with my own tissue so they will be the same size and shape, then radiation. I don't know yet how long the radiation will last. My plastic surgery consult is April 25 and my next Dr. visit is April 10.

March 27, 2012 MRI Day

Just had MRI at COH in Duarte. 45 minutes of lying still, face down with my boobs through holes in the MRI table. I fell asleep after the first twenty minutes. I haven't slept on my stomach in years lol, my boobs are too big.

Pathology results March 13, 2012

I have invasive ductal carcinoma in my right breast. This is a common form of the cancer per the Internet.
On Thursday the 15th, I got coverage through a government program BBCCP and today 3/16/2012, I did the new patient intake at the treatment center in Duarte. I go on Tuesday for a consultation with the surgeons.

Dx: Invasive ductal carcinoma March 13, 2012

Today is March 12, 2012. I have yet to get the results of my biopsy from the sixth of March. I have an appointment tomorrow with the Dr. I didn't have any biopsy pain until the following day after my shower. My boob hurt for two days. Now my arm hurts and my jaw hurts. All on the right side. I hope this process speeds up so I can get it over with.

I am unable to view the DVD with the mammogram pictures. I wanted to add them here. I will figure it out and try again.

Just took two Tylenol, hopefully my shoulder and jaw will stop hurting.

The biopsy March 6, 2012

I am new at blogging. A great friend of mine suggested I blog my journey with breast cancer.
On January 26, 2012, I had a mammogram after finding a lump. The radiologist said I had cancer.
Since I am uninsured and unemployed, I called the most famous and local treatment center. They referred me to a program - through the state of California. Through this service, I received a biopsy on March 6, 2012, at the treatment center. I don't know if I can put the actual names of places and services.

The biopsy to my surprise and great relief, did not hurt. I worked myself up to a dental appointment frenzy and it was more like getting a haircut. The people in the treatment center walked me through the procedure. I had taken the time to look it up and review video's for the procedure before hand. I felt prepared and it wasn't a bad experience. I even got to see the biopsied chunks of my tumor. Looked like little rectangle chunks of Udon but short and skinny, there was a little white at one side and brown for the rest.

Now I wait 72-hours to get the pathology report from my Dr. My Dr. is really a good person. I was very happy to meet him and impressed by his great brain and forthright manner. He actually calls me at home to advise me. Anyway, I await the pathology results prior to treatment.  More blog later.