5/4 ~ Loose Lips

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Sienne and Gabby (GA)

Sienne and Gabby (GA)

Member Since 2009
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I wasn't sure where to post an update but this seems like the place to do it!

First, thank you all for the snowflakes and vines.

My DS's surgery went well, or at least as well as one can hope for when dealing with mastectomies. The surgeon indicated there were no surprises. In some ways, I think surgeons are like the vets who don't have a good concept of what's necessary for pain management. Her doc told her that many/most women will only need Tylenol for pain management by 48 hours post-op. When my sister woke up in recovery, they asked if she was in pain and she said yes, the drugs have kept coming. I suspect she will need narcotics for several more days. Beyond the immediate issues, the wait now is for the pathology report. She's anticipating a lot more treatment so please keep those good thoughts coming.
 
Re: Loose Lips

Good thoughts, snowflakes and healing vines on their way. Thanks for the update. Please know you and your DS are in our thoughts and prayers.
 
Re: Loose Lips

Sienne,
I am glad to hear that the surgery went well or as well as can be expected under the circumstances.
Sending positive thoughts for a good pathology report.

I hope you are doing well also.
 
Re: Loose Lips

Sienne, thanks for the update on your DS. I'm glad the surgery went well and I will pray for good results from pathology. And make sure she continues with the pain medicine even if she doesn't think the pain is that bad. They work so much better if you take them before the pain starts. Healing is hard when there is bad pain. Hugs!
 
((((((Sienne)))))))) Thinking good thoughts for a quick recovery for your sister. It must be so hard for her. I hope she has a support group of some kind so she isn't doing this all alone. Drawing from others experiences and advice. How old is your sister? My doctor won't do a mammogram for me (even though I have painful cysts). She says I'm too young and I'm 36.

Sorry I was awol yesterday. My fatigue has come back full force. I've needed to nap almost every day this week and yesterday was a blah blah day. I've also had normal headaches (not migraine) every day this week. Not sure why. I rarely ever get non migraine headaches. So I haven't been going to the gym either. Slap me.
 
Thanks for the update, Sienne. Continued prayers for your DS - I hope her recovery is quick. Postive thoughts for a good pathology report.
 
Thanks for the update .. I will be keeping you all in our thoughts and prayers still .. hoping the pain is not to intense for your DS and that the reports come back clear ..

Karrie, make sure you are taking care of yourself too!
 
((((Sienne and dear sister)))))
I am very glad that the surgery went well. The surgery was the beginning and now the recovery begins. I hope your DS will regain her strength and the pain will ease up. I wonder if doctors say stuff like that about pain management to keep the patient from worrying in advance of surgery... or are they really that clueless sometimes? Too many times I believe it is the latter reason.

I hope the doctors are compassionate enough to allow her to receive the proper amount of pain meds. Staying ahead of the pain will aid in the recovery and usually the patient will need less pain medication in the long run.

It is so great that you are there for her. I am sending you both hugs. ((((comfort and love))))
 
Hi Sienne, it must be a big relief that the the surgery is over, but now the wait for the pathology report. Sending positive thoughts and vines and snowflakes for a good outcome and treatment program. It was so nice you could be there for her, and I'm sure it meant a lot to her.
 
Sorry I was awol yesterday. My fatigue has come back full force. I've needed to nap almost every day this week and yesterday was a blah blah day. I've also had normal headaches (not migraine) every day this week. Not sure why. I rarely ever get non migraine headaches. So I haven't been going to the gym either. Slap me.
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Hi Karrie, I'm sorry to hear the awful fatigue has come back full force. You were doing well for a while. I hope you soon feel better and see a doctor if it continues. I know it's hard to exercise when you feel that bad. Feel better soon.

As far as a doctor not giving you a mammogram because he feels you're too young, keep pressing him/her for a screening as you're entitled, especially if you have symptoms of painful cysts! There are places where you can get free screenings, but I'm not certain of your area.
 
(((((((Sienne))))))) ((((((Sister of Sienne))))))

I'm glad you are w/her Sienne. Sounds like she needs a good advocate. She is very fortunate to have such a wonderful sister. Make sure you are taking care of yourself as well.

Wishing your sister a speedy recovery.

And sending calming vines to Gabby and Gizmo.
 
glad she came through the surgery fine - yes on those meds. sometimes you have to insist! docs give me demerol for pain because i'm allergic to codeine and they are always paranoid about me being addicted to it, so they'll only dole out a few at a time. so i have to keep asking.

karrie, I'm not aware there is any connection between cysts and cancer, but if you are worried I'm sure you could find some doc to order a mammogram for you. do you have chronic fatigue or something? that sucks - i hope you're feeling perkier as the day goes on.

it's a stunningly beautiful day here today! the cats are uber-feisty - you know how they get sometimes. ears laid back, pounce position, just cruising for some action!
 
Hi Sienne, We are relieved that your sister's surgery went well and send all best wishes for her speedy recovery and a good pathology report. I'm sorry that she is in pain and hope that it will subside soon. Please tell her that all your FDMB friends are sending healing vines and snowflakes and white light because those things really work. Oh, and some positive thoughts and prayers are heading her way, too.
I hope that today will be a good day for her as she starts her recovery. It is very good that you could be there with her.

Ella & Rusty
 
Karrie, Jullie is right. I'm also pretty sure there is no connection between breast cysts and cancer. I have had cystic breasts since my late 20s. Even now, almost 20 years after menopause, I still have them! My doctors (breast specialists) over the years have all told me that the only concern is that it is more difficult--but not impossible--to detect a lump when the breast tissue is so dense. The cysts themselves are harmless. They have also told me that painful cysts are just that: painful cysts. The pain is not an issue and does not indicate cancer.
My advice would be to get a baseline mammogram. It is a good thing to have.
Hope your headaches and fatigue subside soon.

Hang in there,
Ella
 
((((((((((Sienne & DS))))))))))) lots of vines and white light for a speedy recovery. I'm glad you are there with her.
 
Sienne,
I am sending along more snowflakes and healing vines for your sister. I hope she has a speedy recovery. Many years ago, my mother had a mastectomy done, and they discharged her the same day! I couldn't believe it.

Miss Emily update:

I have not been around too much, because I have been caring for Emily, in between going to work, and still not feeling very well myself. We upgraded her steroid from Prednisolone to the much stronger injected Dexasone, at a pretty high dose. I freaked out last weekend when she gained a pound overnight and was breathing rapidly. My vet had me discontinue her sub Q fluids and monitor her weight and breathing. Her weight and respiration did stabilize. I resumed fluids yesterday, at a low volume of 50 ml every other day. She will go to Dex every other day tomorrow. She took 6 days of Cerenia, which is a lot, so she gets a break from that for a couple of days. She takes Bupe and Famotidine. I will try to get her to take another Mirtazapine today. Oral meds are iffy in the extreme with her. It was also on a Mirtz day that her resp went up, so I will keep a close eye. Her appetite is a tiny bit better. She will take one or two tablespoons of watered down food every few hours or so. Her demeanour is good - she comes out from under the bed for snuggles and grooming. I am a bit encouraged by her slow progress, but still very worried about her. If it is IBD, the steroid may be able to knock it back. If it is lymphoma, I am not sure. Please add Emily to your vine list. Teddy is over his recent CP flare, and is helping out with Emily as much as he can.

Karrie, I checked the Ontario Breast Screening program website, and you are too young to qualify for that. I am surprised, though, that your doctor won't send you for a mammogram if you have pain. Have you had one before? I would ask again. Make a PITA of yourself until she gives in. I had a baseline at age 40, and have annual mammograms now past age 50, but I have a strong family history of BC.

My thoughts are with Roni and Copper today.
 
I think I've just gotten nervous with so many people around me talking about cancer. I lost my dad to cancer two years ago. And I guess maybe I wish my doctor would look into it. Maybe an ultrasound or drain them. So many people seem to be survivors or fighting it. So I guess its on my mind a bit more than it should be. ohmygod_smile

No chronic fatigue - I don't have pain. I am tired all the time - but things were improving the month before Maverick passed. I had gone weeks without mid day nap. I attributed it to the vitamin B supplements I added. I've replaced coffee with green tea and cut out caffeinated diet pepsi. Maybe I'll add back in lots of caffeine and see if it helps.

I will have updates on Henry and Victoria later also. I'm glad I waited until now - last week I had a bit of an issue with Henry ;-)
 
Karrie and Maverick said:
My doctor won't do a mammogram for me (even though I have painful cysts). She says I'm too young and I'm 36.
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I got my first mammogram at 35. If you have cyst you need to get one done and have Vitamin D levels checked too.

It is NEVER too young to have cancer. What a stupid thing to say.

I have a friend that had cancer for the first time at 30 and a double masectomy at 35.
 
Sienne, best wishes and healing vines to your DS, and prayer for a favorable pathology report. Waiting is the worst. It's so good that you can be there for her.

Karrie, sorry you're under the weather. It sucks to not feel good. Get better! And, I'm looking forward to reports on Henry and Victoria!

Linda, I'm so glad to hear that Teddie is over the p'titis flare! Tessie Lou also appears to be over hers, and what a difference it has made in her! It sounds like you have your hands full taking care of sweet Miss Emily. My best healing vines go out to her today.
 
Sienne - I wish your sister well, and speedy recovery. She will be in my thoughts.

Karrie - I hope you are feeling better.

Linda - I am elated that Teddi is feeling better. And I send positive thoughts and as many vines as I can find for Miss Emliy. be better little one.

I am sorry this is so brief, alot more I'd love to say, but with my caring for my DGS, there just isn't much time.

Take care everyone!
 
Quick post from TBP: Sienne, so happy to see your post and know your sister is successfully on the other side of surgery. Sending positive thoughts for the next hurdles, including pathology.

Happy Wednesday, everyone - back for more loose lips later. :-D
 
Sienne: we are keeping you and your sister in our prayers and sending many snowflakes and healing vines for her. I have had a few friends who have had mastectomies and I have been utterly amazed at how quickly they have physically recovered from the surgery. I will pray and hope this for your sister, too. She is so lucky to have you with her....it's so important that someone have an advocate when they are in the hospital.

Karrie: I echo everyone else's thoughts. I believe you, like me, do not have children and that puts you in a higher risk category...this is not to scare you but is a reason for your doctor to give you a baseline mammogram at 35. I also have very cystic breasts and my doctors over the years have been very cautious; not because the cysts can become malignant but because the dense tissue makes it difficult to see what they need to see so I frequently have ultrasounds too. If the cysts are causing you pain, here is an awesome product I have used and use occasionally because even after menopause, I still sometimes have pain from the cysts:
Life-Flo ProgestaCare
 
Thanks so much Marjorie!!! I will look into this. I had tried cutting out caffeine for six whole months a couple years back but it didn't help at all. Tried a number of other things also. I haven't tried evening primrose though that is on my list. I'll be getting my hands on that product and pushing her to do a baseline mammogram.

I'm trying to get Henry on video so I can post an updated video today but he is not cooperating. I can post a pic of him under the bed though if he continues to hide ;)
 
Linda, It is a good sign that Miss Emily is feeling a little better. I hope she continues to improve. You certainly do know how to administer these medicines and I admire you for that (being a medical idiot myself!) Good to hear that Ted is all over his flare. Russ says that he'll see him at Kushi's party later.

A note on our cellar: it has become a freezing cold swimming pool!! (everyone on our block has water in their cellars) We had 2 inches of rain yesterday and it has been raining all day today (but not as heavily). Our village's major bridge is in danger, not only because of the heavy rain combined with the ice melt, but because last night the Dept. of Environmental Conservation had to release some water from one of the locks upriver. I feel like I'm in limbo because there is so much to do but at the same time nothing to do. :lol: Ella

p.s. to Karrie: I cut out coffee for 8 months once, too. This abstinence did absolutely nothing for the cysts. I missed it so much and it was heaven drinking real coffee again!!
 
Sienne, sending big hugs to your DS for a quick recovery.
I hope that the pathology report goes well. So glad she has you by her side through all of this. :smile:
 
i'm leaving friday morning for my brother's on the east coast (niece graduating from college) and am in the midst of trying to sort out what of our parents' stuff to take him. i already shipped a crate of stuff including the library table made my our grandfather, but there's a lot of little stuff - dad's childhood toys and memorabilia, great grandparents stuff . . . when my brother was here last august we were going to go through and divvy up stuff but we bogged down. i've now been stirring around my parents' stuff for nearly 5 years.

reminding myself to strip down my house so my kids don't have to do it. it's mostly fallen on me because i stayed close to home. my mom was not quite a hoarder, but some leanings that way, and they lived in the house i grew up in when she passed away. at one point she said "sorry" to me, and i knew it was because i was going to have to clear out that house.

i took the full mini-van on 11 trips to St Vincent de Paul's and donated stuff. took another load to their church women's sale - 16 boxes just of books went there, and i kept 3 bookcases full of books. I still needed a moving van to move furniture and misc here that my kids have taken to start their first places. With my dad being gone now too (dad lived with us for 3 years after my mom died) i'm trying to get the ancestor memorabilia divided up too. i get started on it and it's overwhelming, so i leave it. but now i'm going to see him and going to take things to him.

there's my family saga for the day! :lol: :lol: it's enough to make you want to clean out your house!

Linda, you are a great mom to ms Emily! i hope she improves with all of your TLC!
 
Julie, Been there, done that, thought we'd learned a lesson and tried without success to winnow down our own things!! It's hopeless. We "downsized," turned out to be an "over-downsize", and now we are inevitably on the way back up, hopefully not to "supersize".

Good luck, and have a good trip.

Ella
 
Sienne, wonderful report on your sister. I hope her recovery continues smoothly and any required continued treatment is as minimal as possible. I have been keeping you guys in my thoughts and prayers.

I'm actually a Komen Community Health Advocate here in Kansas City and I am tickled pink (no awful pun intended!) to see the discussion about breast health!!! I had a weird spot last year that was most likely just fluid, but noticeable enough to warrant an ultrasound. I went ahead and did my baseline mammogram as well and I'm only 36. The types of breast cancer affecting women in their 30s can often be the most aggressive, so if you have any risk factorsor you notice any abnormalities, your doctor should go ahead and authorize one. From what I've heard, health insurance companies will almost always go ahead and pay for the screening at the normal amount even if you're getting one "early." Your breasts can also go through a lot of changes in your late 30s, and if you're someone who is prone to harmless fibroids, having an early map of those tissues can help your doctor later as those changes occur.

I'm really hopeful that I can be almost down with house hunting this weekend. I'll take as much time as is needed, but I can definitely say I'll be happy to be done! Thankfully, a friendly ex is a mortgage broker (who frankly, owes me dearly!) so that has made things much easier. With this weekend being Mother's Day and with Memorial Day in a few weeks, it really does knock out potential open house opportunities. Barring any unexpected surprises, the house I've got my eye on is small, but is the perfect size for me right now, and has a screened sun porch and an unfinished basement that hold the potential to really expand the living space and resale potential of the property. Plus, it was a well-maintained rental, so if I were to relocate, get married, etc., and the timing wasn't right to sell, it will be easy to rent it out and break even. The house is at the low-end of my price range and has a brand new kitchen (including all brand new, never used appliances), roof, windows, gutters, and a 4 year old HVAC. Plus gorgeous hardwoods and a fireplace with built-in bookcases.... can you tell I'm falling in love???? Don't want to jinx it, but will post the link to the real estate site once I'm committed. :)

FYI... for anyone looking to rent or buy, trulia.com rocks. Especially their android app, which has made househunting an absolute breeze.

Okay, Willie is literally tugging at my hand saying no more computer time for me!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Sienne

We are sending positive vibes and prayers for a good result and a quick and full recovery for your DS!

Make sure she doesn't start doing too much after the pain meds kick in, if they work well sometimes people think they are a lot "better" than they actually are and can cause some damage to themselves that they aren't feeling. Your DS couldn't have a better person by her side!

Lots of hugs!
 
Thanks to you all for the thoughts and prayers. There's more aggressive treatment to follow in the coming weeks so please keep sending those snowflakes and vines.
 
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