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PJ Hamel, Health Guide

4/ 9/09 10:31pm

You've come to the right place. There are lots of women here to connect with. I had a single mastectomy/reconstruction (tram flap), plus chemo and radiation. Being scared is absolutely natural - we've all been there. But gradually, as you slog your way through treatment, the fear starts to moderate, and you get used to this "new" you - a woman with cancer. Anyway, contact me anytime - I'm happy to "chat" here online. Best of luck to you next week- PJH

quilla1953

4/10/09 11:14am

Hi Susie:

Don't know if I can help I am new to this also but I can listen. I had a lumpectomy in January I was frighten also. On April 15th a go for my first chemo treatment and I am scared. I wish you all the luck. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers

PJ Hamel, Health Guide

4/10/09 7:27pm

Quilla, good luck with chemo. It's OK to be scared! Very natural. But you know what? Chemo wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I was born in 1953 - looks like we might have something in common? And of course, growing up we heard that cancer was a death sentence, and chemo was a nightmare. NO LONGER TRUE on either count. The docs and nurses will do everything in their power to make you comfortable - and usually they succeed. So, my thoughts are with you - and you too, Susie - for April 15. Good luck to you both - PJH

quilla1953

4/10/09 9:41pm

Thank you so much. Yes we do have something in common 1953 was a very good year. This site is wonderful. I appreciate all the info it has eased some of my concerns.

imina

4/12/09 1:21am

HELLO, I THOUGHT YOU MAY FIND THIS 24 HOUR CANCER SURVIVOR HOTLINE USEFUL. I FOUND IT WHILE GATHERING INFORMATION FOR MY FRIEND WHO WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER. THE ORG. USE TO BE CALLED Y-ME, IT'S NOW CALLED BREAST CANCER NETWORK OF STRENGTH. IT WAS FEATURED ON THE OPRAH SHOW SOME TIME AGO. HER IS THE NUMBER 1-800-221-2141. ANYONE WHO ANSWERS THE PHONE HAVE SURVIVED BREAST CANCER. 24 HOURS 7 DAY A WEEK SUPPORT. IT'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT TALKING TO SOMEONE IN PERSON. THIS IS GREAT ALONG WITH THIS SITE

Ms Tiffany

4/12/09 9:38pm

As PJ said chemo is very doable hard but doable. Not as bad as you may think. I had a dbl mastectomy April 08 w/delayed rec in Dec 08 lat dorsi flaps/w implants. Scars fade pretty fast healing time not to bad. Use that morphine drip in the hospital ;) Take Care

sue dyer

4/13/09 4:14am

Hi Susie. I sent you a message before Easter regarding corresponding and sharing experiences. Just wanted to check that you got it. This is the wonderful thing about this website and the thing that makes being a member of the sisterhood within the sisterhood bearable - you can find support from all over the world (Melbourne, Australia in this case). Love to hear from you. Sue

Susie Pickthorn

4/13/09 12:28pm

Thanks for your response. I am really starting to get anxious and I only have my husband to talk to. He is very supportive and loving, but he can only take so much. I lie awake at night, just thinking. I imagine that the cancer is all over me on the inside. I lost the hearing in my right ear on Wednesday. Total loss. I have an appt with an ENT tomorrow. I went to the Urgent Care clinic last Friday to see if it was just stopped up with wax, but the doctor said it was clear. I'm imaging that I have brain cancer and it has done some nerve damage in my ear. So I am pretty near going crazy. Is this typical?

sue dyer

4/13/09 6:41pm

Susie, I've just looked up sudden hearing loss and the good news is that it's only very, very rarely caused by a tumour. It can be caused by many things, including chemotherapy drugs. Most of the time they can't find what has caused it. It can be treated if you see a doctor early.

I've sent you another message if you'd like to check your messages. Let's see if we can help you to feel a little better.

Sending you lots of positive thoughts from here in Oz.

Sue

Susie Pickthorn

4/26/09 1:55pm

My hearing started coming back about a week ago. It is now about 75%. Amazing! The ENT that I went to said that he would give me about a 50/50 chance of regaining my hearing and he didn't know what caused it. Told me to get an MRI and see 3 other docs. I just came home and prayed. Please God, no more doctors! I have yet to see an oncologist, but I know I will need one. I'm still waiting for my first appt after surgery with surgeon and plastics. The drain tubes are my only complaint now.

bernadette wolff

4/14/09 8:31pm

Hi Susie:

It looks as though you are having your surgery tomorrow and I wish you the best and will keep you wrapped in prayer. I had bilateral mast w/immediate tissue expanders placed in July of last year and I just recently underwent my 2nd stage reconstruction of silicone implants. If you have any questions, you can feel free to email me personally @ bernadettewolff@aol.com.

I had a rough time with the initial surgery (bleedout) but it is considered very rare. Other than that, I used no pain medication whatsoever, mainly becuse I am allergic to most pain meds but to be honest, it wasn't all that apinful anyway. They cut the nerves and you don't feel too much of anything afterward. It just felt, to me, like a board across my chest with the expanders. Of course, it's all different with tram flaps. I odnt' know which you are anticipating.

Bernadette

Susie Pickthorn

4/17/09 11:21am

Dear Bernadette,

Thanks for your email. I am at home now. Just spent one night in hospital. Not too much pain. Had a relatively good night in my own bed last night. Kind of hard getting in and out of bed for now. They only had to take the sentinel node and a couple others, so I feel very lucky. The surgeon says that they got all of the cancer. I haven't been to an oncologist yet. Just waiting for instructions. Going in in two weeks for follow up with surgeon.

MsMary

4/19/09 1:02am

Susie

I have been reading your post and you have been in my prayers. Your news sounds great. I am 40 and will be undergoing surgery on 27th april for a complete mastomecy on my right breast and I am very worried and scared. This site is great. The women here post great information and it is very comforting. God bless you and your husband as you go through this and I hope that we can keep in touch with each other for strength. God bless and continue to be strong. My personal email address is msmary729@hotmail.com. Please let me know how all is going with you and what I should expect.

Mary

Susie Pickthorn

4/19/09 10:47am

Hi Mary,

I am recovering nicely. Today I am going to take bandages off and shower. They said I could do it yesterday, but I chickened out. I had a little leakage from my drain tube and decided to wait. My pain is almost nil, but I still take a pain pill occasionally so it does not get bad. I am starting to itch around the incisions, so it must be healing and that is good.

I love this site for us to use for support in our trying times. I will keep posting as time goes by.

Susie

marjorie short

5/ 7/09 5:27pm

Hi, My name is Marjorie Short, I live in southwest Virginia. I go back to my oncologist tomorrow to decide what to do about my lobular car. cancer. As of right now I plan to have both breasts removed. I don't want to have to worry about the other one later on. I too, am scared, but I know that God is with me all the way. My husband isn't the best to lean on, so I'm glad I to hear from you. I guess your surgery is over now and I would love to know how you are doing. We also (Or I do) love to Rv. We have a travel trailer. Please email me at jeshort35@jetbroadband.com. I am writing this from work, but our email here will change in about two weeks. Please remember me in prayer if your know the power of prayer. Love to hear from you.

Marjorie Short

Ms M

5/22/09 8:05am

Hi Marjorie,

Hope your surgery went well. I have to tell you I read all of the ladies stories and thank God every day for my good fortune. I had lumpectomy March 30 and am in my 3rd week of radiation. No chemo or hormone therapy planned as it was caught in very early stages and the docs think the chance of recurrence is minimal. My family and I keep marvelling at how relatively easy I have had it, our theory is - If you had to have breast cancer this is the BC to have.

My goal going forward is to beat the mammo drum whereever I go...it never ceases to amaze me how many women don't go for mmamography, how foolish! My tumor was so small it was undetectable by hand, even had an exam by my ob/gyn only 2 weeks before it was found on a routine screening.

Please join me in butting into people's business for their own good!

My very best wishes oto you and all the other girls for a speedy recovery, I hope everyone who has to get BC gets it like I did.

Susie Pickthorn

5/22/09 1:32pm

Just to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, I wanted to let everyone know that I am doing well with my recovery. I went to an oncologist after surgery and he told me that he wanted to give me 4 treatments of chemo to increase my chances of total recovery by only 4%. My surgeon talked me into getting a second opinion and new doctor said that I probably had a 3% chance of chemo either killing me or giving me leukemia or something else equally debilitating. So I opted out of chemo and am feeling fine with the decision and everything else. The new doc also said that I only needed a checkup every 6 months and after 2 years only once a year. So I feel very fortunate to have a second opinion. I would probably be having doubts about the decision to go without chemo if I had NOT gone to the second oncologist.

Good luck to all.

Marcia

6/26/09 12:31pm

Hi Susie

I would love to visit with you personally about your experience .... would you email me at marcia@christfocus.com? Thank you!

I just now got an email and clicked on this blog....6-26-09

Peglove

9/13/09 4:54am

How are you now? I see this post is from April, and I am hoping for the best for you and hoping you came out the other end of the free way tunnel alright. By the way, i love that you RV with your Hubby. I hope to do the same one day, you live a dream of mine. I hope you are well enought to travel to California. I live in LA, but don;t hold it against me.. I am an Angelino through and through. Please post again to let us all know how you are doing. You know, one some of the best camping is in Big Sur, CA. If you haven't been, it shouldn't be missed.... Peggie.

Susie Pickthorn

9/14/09 11:24am

We love California! Since my plastic surgeon and my oncologist are there, we have been there a lot. I am doing great! I didn't have to have chemo or radiation and now have reconstructed breasts. I am due for nipples in November, so I am somewhat incomplete as of now. But at least, I have something to hold my blouse up.

We are in Oklahoma right now visiting relatives, but will be out of here before cold weather starts. We love our lifestyle and hope that someday you will have your dream. It has been ours for 20 years. Just because we hit a rock in the road (breast cancer) it didn't slow us down too much. Thanks for your comments. It's always nice to hear from a friend.

jag

9/17/09 7:18pm

dear one i had a double mastectomy with expanders put in last november, i wore bright red lipstick to my surgery. when you wake up they give you pain meds and you are pretty sleepy for a day or two, i think i came home on 3rd day. you are all wrapped up with bandages and elastic bandages and that actully feels ok at home you sleep on your back and someone has to help you get out of bed

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