Breast surgeon appointment

Star*

call 911........call 911
Marg,

I'm very relieved to hear you are following up and not surprised on bit to hear you are going to concoct your own cream. Just like a scientist! If there is a comfort in any of this I guess it's in knowing that you have doctors that are confidant of what they are doing, and that this has been caught so early. I plucked up the courage to speak with my sister about your situation. She said without looking at your file/X-rays it would be hard to tell but from what I told her that you reported she's also confidant you will come through this without incident. Catching it early is key, and you've done that.

So dear one, keep your chin up. If you need anything we can do from here, let us know. Of course you have our continued prayers.

Hugs, Love, Support bras.....
Star
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
What an optimistic outcome. Like the rest of the family I am relieved that you have access to such a competent team of health providers and a strong support system. I hope you won't be off the internet too much. You are such a valuable contributor. Hugs. DDD
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
I have to chuckle along with-Star and others ... leave it to you to concoct your own cream, and plan out your day so precisely and calmly.
You are amazing.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
I'm actually not concocting my own cream - I prefer to use each ingredient separately, according to what I need. I'll actually cut out the gel from inside the aloe vera leaf and apply it directly. Sometimes I cop it up but you should never have any coloured part of the plant in it, only the clear gel.

With vegetable oil, I will change to different oils depending on what viscosity and penetration I'm after. Usually I'll finish with vegetable oil to help keep any active principle of the previous stuff neatly in place.

I used to make up my own creams though. I used beeswax to thicken an emulsion. Trouble is, it required heating up and I prefer to not heat up ingredients these days, it speeds up the rate of decomposition.

And the BEST toner for sensitive skin is cold fresh strong chamomile tea. Nothing else.

I just had a visit from a good friend (with large mammaries!) who showed me her lumpectomy scar. hers was actually quite complicated because her first surgeon was a total incompetent idiot who really messed her up. It was also over 10 years ago. I have a lot of faith that my surgeon is not going to mess me up - but even if she did, if my scar looks as good as my friend's, especially considering her surgeon was guddling around in there without a clue, then I'm happy with it.

She reminded me though, that I need to call the surgeon's secretary, because I'm concerned that what I was told on Tuesday is not what I was told afterwards. I don't want to get in there next Friday and discover that because stuff wasn't booked, I now have to wait longer.

Time for a phone call.

Marg
 

ThreeShadows

Quid me anxia?
Marguerite, you are our most precious, knowledgeable, and inquisitive friend. I rely on you for complete lucidity. I need that picture of you so I can put it on my altar. I'm not joking, I believe in that stuff.

Much love and respect, always!
 

Marguerite

Active Member
3S, use my avatar if you need to. It's as much me as any other graphic representation. In so many ways, it's the thought that counts.

I finally got onto the surgeon's secretary, she got my file out. They are booking the wire, they will be ringing me early next week with the details. It's the wire and the sentinel node isotope/dye injection that determined the time I have to be in at the hospital. I'm hoping to at least be allowed to have breakfast.

I feel more comfortable about it after seeing my friend's scar today. I didn't realise they would operate in from the side. My friend didn't have node biopsy, though. However, my next door neighbour had the full mastectomy and total node removal, and when I was talking to her yesterday (her son is getting married tomorrow in the garden) she was wearing a sleeveless cotton dress, I couldn't see any scars at all really. Since losing all that weight, my armpits now like like an elephant's groin anyway, so any scars are likely to be hidden by folds.

So now we wait. We know as much as we do now, until the tumour is removed and examined in more detail. Odds are on that it will be hormone-sensitive, which will mean probably tamoxifen or similar for several years. But other than that if the lymph nodes are negative, I'll only need radiation for five weeks.

Roll on next Friday! I've got a few things more to get finished before then, but I'm catching up.

Marg
 

susiestar

Roll With It
You truly are amazing to me. I am sure I would be a mess, as much by my family's reaction as my own worries.

Did you get something in your email?
 

Marguerite

Active Member
Yes, thank you Susie. I did send a reply to it. It was lovely. husband was looking over my shoulder.

We saw it just as we were going out, I think it arrived Sunday as we were heading out to church, and then my brother rang.

I'm less of a mess as days go by. husband & difficult child 3 are settling down a bit too. difficult child 3 has been working a bit better again. At some level I know I'm still agitated - because of my long-term neurological problems, I have to take frequent rest breaks and need to guard against getting too physically tired. I'm finding I'm getting tired too quickly and also I've been losing weight fairly quickly in the last few days. I've not changed how much I eat so I put both down to an increase in activity. There's no way it's the cancer. The weight loss is too sudden, I was struggling to not gain weight until a week ago.

That in itself is good news - after all this is over, I have to work harder at doing more physically, if I want to keep working on my weight.

I'm a pragmatic person. I think if I were younger and still at the back of my mind aware that I could have more kids, I wouldn't be coping so well. I've also lived with disability for 25 years plus before that I had serious problems with a deformed kidney. Having surgery for that when I was 20, greatly changed my life.

One pivotal moment - the hospital I was in was marvellous, they really looked after the patients. But I was a young girl, unmarried, conservative, modest. Very sensitive about my body. But I was very weak and groggy after the surgery for about the first week, I needed to be washed by the nurses. I got a more thorough wash than I'd ever given myself! And I was so sedated, I didn't care... afterwards, feeling clean and realising there was no need to feel embarrassed, I stopped feeling so self-conscious about naked bits of my body in a medical setting.
The second week I was on the phone to husband (fiance at the time) from the hospital room when a very attractive male nurse came in to do my back rub (bedsore preventive). I just stayed talking on the phone, until the bit where the nurse put alcohol on my back and fanned it - it was cold!

Having babies finished the last vestiges of self-consciousness.

I've had scars on my body since I was 18 and had my appendix out. The kidney scar at 20 was extensive. I used to tell people that my kidney scar was a shark bite.

I think that is making it a bit easier for me.

I'm absolutely blown away by all the support and warm wishes - I'm not used to it. I've had to soldier on alone for so long now, I'm used to being fairly self-sufficient. husband is a marvel always, of course, but outside the family I've learned that chronic illness (anything open-ended and long-term) is too much for people to take on board and support you with. It's a lot easier to provide support when it's finite. I'm accepting of this, it's simply human nature. We all have limited resources, and people who are chronically needy can sometimes be too much of a drain. Even if the need is genuine - people are limited in how much they can help. If the needy person is not "pulling their weight" they will be 'dropped' even sooner.

I've worked hard for years to not ever be seen as needy. If someone asks, "How are you?" I say, "fine." If I'm really not well I will answer in two words, always truthfully. But never more than two words. Usually the worst I'll say is, "Not good," and nothing more. If someone really wants to know, they will ask and then maybe I'll expand.

I'll ask for help if I need it, but usually I will organise it as professional help. Like my cleaner - it's a government agency providing home help for people with long-term health problems. It is subsidised but I pay a fee. I've also been working alongside the person. That is going to have to stop, because I'm recognising I need to rest a lot more.

So in some way - I also would have thought I'd be a mess if I were told I had breast cancer, let alone invasive cancer. And yet - I'm not. I'm OK. But I'm aware that somewhere in there, I'm stressed. That's probably good, because adrenaline gives you a survival edge.

Marg
 

nvts

Active Member
Hi Honey! Haven't had a chance to check in on you - I love reading your posts because (actually it's rather selfish to say this) I gain so much strength. You just have such a matter-of-fact way of looking at things that it helps keep my own garbage in its proper perspective!

Gotta go - this is Friday of a week off from school and it's been cantankerous at best - I just wanted you to know that I've constantly got you in mind and in my prayers!

Beth

PS: Hi! To Marg's Man!
 

SRL

Active Member
Marg, I've been thinking of you as well. I'm glad to hear the prognosis is good and that you're comfortable with your surgeon because that is so very important.

My thoughts and prayers will be with you.

SRL
 

Steely

Active Member
I just wanted to send you many hugs, much strength, and all of my love. You are an inspiration to so many.....you are in my thoughts and prayers.
 
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