From Alvadeer Update: another spot of bother!
They closed the original thread, so AC must have thought this was all over.Ha ha, so did I! But no. Updating (unfortunately) with "It's baaacccckkkk" and the appropriate scream. The Alien has left seedpods and they are marched all along the bottom of my breast in a perfect circle of pearls. The worst KIND of pearls. Picture me dressed as Ripley to fight back.
So, it is back through it now with Ma Kaiser on the phone as though she's my daughter. This nurse and that nurse and the other.SO far the plan is (and it could change dependent on tomorrow's PET SCAN:1. PET Scan tomorrow 1 p.m. 2. Meeting with the whole tumor board, surgery and oncology team on next Tuesday. 3. Surgery on the 21st for mastectomy.
The PET, if it lights up like a Christmas tree (one without presents), may change plans; not sure. And closure may be a problem for this with questionable skin involvement; I could luck out with a surgeon (I love mine) and a plastic surgeon both toiling over this old rag of a body.
It's a day at a time. Y'all were so very kind in the past, but there's no need to love bomb me. Just give me a thought. And know that I will be DEAD FOR 6 MONTHS before I stop writing on AC. You were afraid of that, weren't you?
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If you can get MooGoo where you live, I'd suggest their MSM or double cream moisuriser too.
Sometimes there are special people on Earth who are incredible in so many ways...and you are one of them. Your wisdom and honesty helps so many others.
I want to be like you when I grow up!
Just read your update. Well done! Hope all will be well!
You are such amazing person and good example for all of us how to face adversity and your sense of humour is unparalleled!
Thanks for the update.
Wishing you complete recovery from the radiation with no residual discomfort that Frieda and N can’t make all better. 🎈
Your candidness and openness about what you've been through has been inspiring to us on this forum and I wish you only God's best going forward.
I'm so glad is over, for you and it wasn't too awful bad.
Thank You from the bottom of my heart, for all you did for me!! 💗 🥲
Jeans cream looks like a great product. I love vit e and aloe vera, I just have to be careful with whole leaf, if they don't drain the natural latex, I get eczema from it, grrr.
I totally agree, live the best life you can everyday because none of us are promised tomorrow. I am happy that you are doing so well.
Tomorrow is my 16th and last radiation treatment. As St Lawrence said when they burned him on the rack: "Turn me over; I'm done on this side".
Other than my usual whacky anxiety, this truly has gone so easily. Every day I would be up, enjoy the garden, shower, brief nap with Frieda and then off we would all go to Oyster Point and Kaiser's state of the art radiation facilities. EVERYONE there treats you as though you are their favorite family member dropping in for a visit. The place has plants everywhere, and baskets of knitted caps and beanies that the Knitting Club (open to staff and families and patients and families and former patients) free for the taking. I chose two! We KNOW how greedy I am.
You are talked through everything, and honestly it just goes one-two-three once you know the drill and they know you.
While I had treatment Neil drove the 1/4 mile down to the Marina and Ferries where he and Frieda enjoyed the waterfront, geese and goslings. Then they were back to collect me in about one half hour from letting me off. Frieda came to love the routine of all this. She is so OCD and loves routine; I never know which of us is the more dingy and in need of a support animal! So we support one another.
This old white-woman skin has held up well, and I think it is more RealyReal's suggestion of emu oil and a cream called Jean's Cream that a woman receiving radiation created herself. Both expensive, and both worth bathing in with their good effects. I slathered them all over my face as well as my chest and fancy I look 15 years younger.
Apparently one keeps cooking for a while so Ivcan expect a bit more toasty skin, perhaps a peel and a bit of tiredness for a few weeks. I will stack up the library books.
As you all know, this is a triple negative breast cancer; stats aren't good on them at all, and this one was sending satellites (as they so charmingly call them) to the skin like a Cali wild fire. I didn't have them take nodes with mastectomy as I intended no chemo but Doc snagged one and it is micro positive (as opposed to MACRO positive). Can expect this to spread and if some other old age thing doesn't get me first, this may catch me when it decides to.
The radiation was to prevent, if I can, any open sores to the breast. I have received a few private notes that lets me know more than a few of you are aware of how odious those can be.
Other than ALL of the diagnosis/prognosis/ realities, etc. I do remain (despite Kaiser being on my tail about it all the time) opposed to chemo. What time I have left, while I am active, happy and feeling well, I would like to spend being active, happy and feeling well. So we will play all this as it lies. For today I am, as one flattie on my favorite FB breast cancer site says, "ON THIS SIDE OF THE GRASS".
If the Alien rears her ugly head I will let you all know. Meanwhile, I thank you for your heartfelt support here. Getting up to AC and my coffee all carmel color from the cream remains a high point in my days. I am just now past the 5 year anniversary of my brother's death, and it was his diagnosis of Lewy's that brought me wailing for help to this site. I am very thankful for it. And for all of you!
DrivingDaisy's recent run-through with getting hubby into care and treated shows us all the uncertainty of our lives day to day. So I can only say, live each and every one of your days with as much joy as you can pull kicking and screaming from it.
You're strong as nails and will kick cancer's a$$. The media back in the day used to call Margaret Thatcher the 'Iron Lady'. It's you. I'm sending you healing vibes and praying for you (for what it's worth) every day.
Posted 1 minute ago
Alva having trouble getting in. Has somekind page but can't do anything. Anyone else having problems?
Despite knowing we SHOULD, we cannot. So our support system, the Rescue itself, our kids, will have to pick up some slack for us if ever needed; Rescue isn't a problem as they would accept her back into the fold if we crump on her.
Guess Frieda is now a "Foster failure" in that her fosters have failed to be able to give her up. I have long known N. didn't want to. Last night he only said something gently about "This is too hard". But reading Chris and all she wrote, the truth is that we ARE older, and Frieda is at the side or one or the other of us ALL THE TIME, always waggy and sweet and happy and gentle and a comfort. Always enthusiastic about ANYTHING whether it's gardening, walk, dog park or anything other.
Funny that we always thought we COULD do this until it came to looking at what we thought the perfect home, and the reality of it right in our faces. We never kept a Foster for more than a year. It's just too long. You can tell yourself it isn't "family" all you want. But it is.
Don't y'all feel guilty. I think (I THINK) this would have happened even without your input.
So we all here are going to try to illuminati, your darker days by sending you much love 💖💞💓