19 August 2016
I haven't had much to write about this cancer journey lately - how refreshing is that!!
I saw my oncologist yesterday. We discussed my reaction to zoladex and the hives 24 hours later and possibly linked to peanuts. Yep and the reaction from her was predictable 'I've never heard of that before'.....as usual. The worst part of that statement is that you feel like a freak! Or they think you are making it up and it's not true! She suggested I see an oncology gyno to sort out the menopause rubbish. So I've booked in the week we get back from the U.S.
My physio is still a regular appointment but at least fortnightly instead of weekly. I seem to bring a new shoulder/arm problem to her each time resulting in new exercises added to my routine. She gave me my lovely arm sleeve and hand sleeve for the flights. I also have to be careful with scrapes or sores on that arm so have been monitoring it regularly for cuts etc. I'm even supposed to not let the manicurist cut my finger nail cuticles in case it causes lymphedema. I just have to tell Andres to stop pumping my arm whenever he comes in for a cuddle. :)
The sweetness of our once cancelled holiday excitement is starting to kick in. I have started getting clothes out and suitcases. All of our last minute planning will happen over the next few weeks.
23 August 2016
06 August 2016
More surgery
It's been a busy couple of weeks, with travel plans, big changes at work, an emotional roller coaster and medical appointments. 1 minute I'm terrified it's gone to my bladder, the next I'm relieved and think I can live normally again without fear, then the menopause symptoms come and differentiating them from normal side effects - aaarrrggh. At least my GP is my 1 constant, but sometimes you feel like you have too many specialists all with disparate interests - like you aren't a whole but broken into different parts. There are some attempts to bring it all together - perhaps the Olivia Newton John cancer centre achieves it best, but I only had radiotherapy there. Maybe it would be different if I had all my treatment there.
If my plastic surgeon had his way, I would now be recovering from surgery with a drain or two hanging out of my hip. After visiting my plastic surgeon, he took one look at my seroma and suggested we start again with it. It seems to be beyond the extracting of fluid so he wants to go back in there, excise the scar which has hardened, clean it all out and put a drain back in there. Overnight surgery and a few weeks recovery. But we have now 5 weeks until we take off for Las Vegas and given that we had to keep draining the seroma every week up until 4 weeks ago, I'm not willing to take the risk.
My GP agrees with me - better the devil that you knoW she said. So I'll be packing my seroma with me to the USA, hoping it doesn't get infected and I don't need a visit to a doctor over there with no travel insurance for my pre-existing conditions of breast cancer. I have since been to a Boob Club meeting, a group of young women recovering from breast cancer. Not to be confused with book club, which alternates every other week of the month. Kids get confused about where I am going but have a giggle when it's boob club time. Anyway they gave me some insurance companies that do insure for breast cancer. I can just imagine the cost but may be worth doing.
As close as our trip away is coming, so is my surgery for the other side in October. My plastic surgeon is also talking about nipple reconstruction - I'm not sure I want another surgery, but given that I'll probably need one with this seroma now, maybe I'll consider it. I'm excited to even myself out - I'm a whole cup size different at least but at the same time sad to lose any feeling there and the loss of the mammaries (memories) of feeding my babies - you got to laugh.
On the upside, when I showed my plastic surgeon the seroma he asked to see his handiwork, the reconstructed breast, cos it always makes him happy! Ha, ha. It was an opportunity for me to ask him about the grainy/lumpy feeling in it anyway. He says it will soften and that it is as a result of the radiation. he did say that there is no corrections to do on it which is not common (I think he is just trying to make me feel better). But he was setting my expectation that he may not be able to replicate it. I still don't have normal movement of my shoulder yet and still have the lovely cord pulling tight under there and it feels like I have a handbag under my arm and it's all baggy. But still seeing a physio and a clinical Pilates instructor to help with that.
I've been playing around with 3d nipple tattoos - temporary ones, like the kids temporary tattoos. I have been hiding them - can you imagine if they get hold of them - they'd have them on their forehead or somewhere totally inappropriate.... Trying to work out if I'll be happy with just a picture of one. It's pretty realistic - I think I could live with it.
In the meantime, I've been cleared of bladder conditions so it comes down to dealing with the menopause symptoms. Whenever I heard women talking about side effects of menopause, I probably wasn't very sympathetic wondering why some hot flushes would be a problem. But that is only one side effect. The stopping of estrogen impacts your whole body, your skin and your womanly parts where even going to the toilet can be painful - who knew? And why wasn't I told by the oncologists? It becomes a whole lifestyle impact - but I'm alive right! I need to do a perspective check regularly. While I am taking an estrogen blocker for 10 years to stop the estrogen eating sucker, I've been given estrogen cream, which is topical to help with the side effects!!!! Apparently it's such a small amount that it won't continue to feed it, but enough to elevate the symptoms??? I am wary so using it sparingly.
33 days to go - yay..
If my plastic surgeon had his way, I would now be recovering from surgery with a drain or two hanging out of my hip. After visiting my plastic surgeon, he took one look at my seroma and suggested we start again with it. It seems to be beyond the extracting of fluid so he wants to go back in there, excise the scar which has hardened, clean it all out and put a drain back in there. Overnight surgery and a few weeks recovery. But we have now 5 weeks until we take off for Las Vegas and given that we had to keep draining the seroma every week up until 4 weeks ago, I'm not willing to take the risk.
My GP agrees with me - better the devil that you knoW she said. So I'll be packing my seroma with me to the USA, hoping it doesn't get infected and I don't need a visit to a doctor over there with no travel insurance for my pre-existing conditions of breast cancer. I have since been to a Boob Club meeting, a group of young women recovering from breast cancer. Not to be confused with book club, which alternates every other week of the month. Kids get confused about where I am going but have a giggle when it's boob club time. Anyway they gave me some insurance companies that do insure for breast cancer. I can just imagine the cost but may be worth doing.
As close as our trip away is coming, so is my surgery for the other side in October. My plastic surgeon is also talking about nipple reconstruction - I'm not sure I want another surgery, but given that I'll probably need one with this seroma now, maybe I'll consider it. I'm excited to even myself out - I'm a whole cup size different at least but at the same time sad to lose any feeling there and the loss of the mammaries (memories) of feeding my babies - you got to laugh.
On the upside, when I showed my plastic surgeon the seroma he asked to see his handiwork, the reconstructed breast, cos it always makes him happy! Ha, ha. It was an opportunity for me to ask him about the grainy/lumpy feeling in it anyway. He says it will soften and that it is as a result of the radiation. he did say that there is no corrections to do on it which is not common (I think he is just trying to make me feel better). But he was setting my expectation that he may not be able to replicate it. I still don't have normal movement of my shoulder yet and still have the lovely cord pulling tight under there and it feels like I have a handbag under my arm and it's all baggy. But still seeing a physio and a clinical Pilates instructor to help with that.
I've been playing around with 3d nipple tattoos - temporary ones, like the kids temporary tattoos. I have been hiding them - can you imagine if they get hold of them - they'd have them on their forehead or somewhere totally inappropriate.... Trying to work out if I'll be happy with just a picture of one. It's pretty realistic - I think I could live with it.
In the meantime, I've been cleared of bladder conditions so it comes down to dealing with the menopause symptoms. Whenever I heard women talking about side effects of menopause, I probably wasn't very sympathetic wondering why some hot flushes would be a problem. But that is only one side effect. The stopping of estrogen impacts your whole body, your skin and your womanly parts where even going to the toilet can be painful - who knew? And why wasn't I told by the oncologists? It becomes a whole lifestyle impact - but I'm alive right! I need to do a perspective check regularly. While I am taking an estrogen blocker for 10 years to stop the estrogen eating sucker, I've been given estrogen cream, which is topical to help with the side effects!!!! Apparently it's such a small amount that it won't continue to feed it, but enough to elevate the symptoms??? I am wary so using it sparingly.
33 days to go - yay..
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