Breast cancer

W2R said:
I'll be seeing my surgeon for a follow-up visit on December 2nd, and I'm hoping she will decide to remove the drains at that time. Feeling pretty good right now. :biggrin: I still need to build my energy back up but that will happen. I'm surprised that I don't feel worse than I do, considering all that has happened.
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I hear that ice cream is good for building up energy.

Give Dr. Ko'olau's prescription to Frank and ask him to buy the "brand name" and not to settle for the generic. :cool:
 
Eat some for me! I can’t tolerate ice cream, but I love it and miss it!
 
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Well, not much news lately. I see my oncological surgeon on Dec 2nd. and I am hoping that she will decide to remove the drains (from where she did the surgery to remove the tumor). They aren't terrible but they are annoying and have to be emptied twice a day, and records kept.

Also, it hasn't been long enough to get any pathology information helping us to know if the cancer is mostly gone or not. So, we are back in "waiting mode" until at least the 2nd of December or probably later. She'll probably let me know what treatments, if any, come next when I see her. Radiation maybe? It's a mystery to me at this point.

On the bright side, I am not feeling any worse than I did before the mastectomy. So far this has been a lot better outcome than I ever dared expect.

Just keeping y'all updated! You're my dear friends, after all. :) :biggrin: 💚
 
Thank you for the update. I rarely post, but do feel connected to this group. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers!
 
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Koolau said:
Thanks for the update, W2R. So glad that things are going well. I understand that the waiting is always the hardest part.

Do keep us posted. We are in this with you! Blessings and aloha.
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Exactly my thoughts!! I wish You the best.
 
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Hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving tomorrow! We plan to eat here at my house, just take-out for the two of us (we had invitations but I'm still sleeping a lot and not quite up to that.) I called him just now to warn him that take-out may be hard to find, but he's way ahead of me on that and has located several fine options for us. :biggrin:
 
W2R, as I sit by the fire pit at our beach house waiting for our sons to arrive, I think of you and the others on this site and think of how we are a giant family. No matter what our politics, no matter what our individual financial situation is, we're all pulling for each other (and right now YOU!). I am so thankful for all of my "family", without whom I am not sure if I would have been able to pull the plug and move to the next stage in life.

I am not a Dr, I don't have any special incite into health care, but I do have a love of family and friends and that love is extended to you.
 
Frank called to tell me about an accident he just saw only a block from our houses. We have huge drainage canals alongside our major streets, and somehow an SUV went way down into one. Frank said the fire department pulled the driver out somehow and he appeared to still be alive (barely) as they got him in the ambulance. Be careful driving, everyone! It's dangerous out there.
 
Have a great Thanksgiving W2R and Frank :dance:
 
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Tomorrow afternoon is my appointment to see the surgeon! We are confident/hoping that she will permanently remove the Jackson-Pratt drains (that are there to prevent fluid build up in the surgical area where my breast was removed a few weeks ago). Also I am hoping that she will permanently remove my chest binder, a tight elastic garment which is supposed to do about the same thing.

Tonight we had permission to take the binder off briefly, so for the first time I got a look at the surgery site. I was expecting to look like Godzilla but it's not bad...OK, Venus de Milo I am not, but it's not awful looking. Good! I can live with this.

Then I took a more thorough sponge bath in preparation for tomorrow's dr appt.

Meanwhile nothing much has been going on related to my cancer and mastectomy. I'll let you know what's going on, as things develop! Thank you for being there and for all your support along the way! :biggrin: 💚 :) You all mean the world to me. 💗
 
Thanks for the great update. I hope the drains come out and binder will be removed soon. It's good to hear you are satisfied with your results so far. May the good news keep coming. Aloha
 
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Ahhhhhhhh....isn't it heavenly getting that binder off, even if only for a moment? And to get a more thorough "sponge bath"?

I recall my "garbage bag shower". We cut a hole in a big garbage bag, put it over my head, sealed off the neck hole with a towel somehow, and I had a modified garbage bag shower using the hand held piece (this was before the drains and binder were removed). Good lord, heavenly! :D

Cannot wait for you to get everything removed and be able to take a REAL full shower! YIppee! Coming very soon your way!

Best wishes for your appointment today. Another huge step forward! :flowers:

P.S. Every time I looked in the mirror for a while, it was an adjustment. Eventually, though, I started the mantra "You are a survivor!". That you are. 💪
 
I wish You a good Dr. appointment today.
 
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Continued healing wishes sent your way!
 
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Well, my surgeon said I am doing great but then only removed ONE of the two drains, and also said I had to keep wearing the binder during the daytime. I was a bit miffed as you might imagine. :rant:Grrrr.... She's going to see me again on Friday and maybe take out the other drain. Funny how such minor issues can be so annoying. :rant:

Edit: Also she said she took out 19 lymph nodes but didn't have enough skin to cover any more being taken out. She doesn't even know if they have cancer in them yet. So she wants me to see the oncologist and a plastic surgeon about that. Not cheery.
 
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