Mel

Hi Mel. Been thinking about you girl. How are you doing? Hoping all is well and that you enjoyed the holiday season. Sending well wishes and hugs your way. Say "Hi" to Chase for me.

Give your sis some love from all of us WhatNexters since this is her last day of chemo. Woo!! Seriously awesome!

I must say I love your photo counterpart!!!
Thanks for the practical advice..It gives me something to focus on and maybe keep me a little more grounded today! Good ideas about the wet wipes- that's great.
Hard for me to not know how things will go, how long I will be off work, etc. I'm a planner and this has definitely changed all of that! I know everyone is different, but it sure helps to have an idea of what other people have gone through and what helps!

Hi Mel :-) Not pleased to meet under these circumstances but admire such an amazing group of people. And you said it right, no one in the outside world understands how we feel. Wishing you healing and much happiness.

Greatly enjoying the book, too. Haven't juiced yet , but do use coconut water and frozen fresh fruit in daily slush. Planning to start the smoothies this week. I am introducing my husband to the veg dishes, but he is also meat/ pot. He tasted the chocolate black bean brownies, but prefers his ice cream. So I eat a warm delicious brownie and he has his ice cream. Works for us and helps get my chocolate fix. Grocery shopping is very different now. What fun it is though to discover new recipes and how empowering it is to feel that I am fighting the c in one more way.

I'm new @ this and just recently had a mastectomy(3-20-2013). I'd like to know from you.....how did you feel about yourself after surgery? I'm having a lot of different emotions and I hurt emotionally.

Love the picture girl! You look great and so does doggie. What's his/her name?

Hey, Mel, Good luck with the transfer/exchange! I'll be praying it is uneventful! Please keep me posted!

Hi Mel,

Glad to hear that you are healing good. I noticed that you mentioned nipple reconstruction and I wanted to recommend to you 3D Nipple Tattoo. Check out Vinnie Myers. It is all that he does. I decided that I did not want to have anything poking out and I liked being smooth. I decided to go see Vinnie in Maryland. He is incredible. I love my tattoos. They look awesome. All my docs are impressed. Just wanted to mention this option for you. Good luck to you. Holly

HI, you said you had TE. I find them very uncomfortable. Did you?

I'm a firm believer that that is why God made alcohol!

I had oophorectomy/ hysterectomy before the mastectomy. I was sure I was done having children already, so for me it was an easier decision than electing to have mastectomy before a cancer diagnosis was. The sudden menopause was not so fun, but I suppose one goes through it one way or another anyway. I had a hormone patch for the first four months so I could heal before having to deal with hot flashes keeping me up at night. Seven years later I still get the occasional hot flash, but much less severe. The bonus is no more periods! I was afraid there would be negative side effects in the bedroom, but that has not been a problem, thankfully.

Hi Mel, please feel free to ask any questions you may have. I have not had cancer, but I have the BRCA1 mutation, so I chose to have risk-reducing surgery. I had my mastectomy and reconstruction in 2007.

Hi Mel, hang in there girl. I know this all sux. I know it's hard to think of "better days" when what we are going through and feeling inside is crap. But please don't stop hoping and believing that there will be better days.

I understand the boyfriend situation too. I was pushing the man that loves me away. I went through a period of time when I truly did think it would be better if we split up. I felt he deserved better than me and to not have to deal with all this cancer crap. The one thing that helped was to talk to him. I poured my heart out to him about how I was feeling and he made it clear that he is in it for the long haul no matter what and that he loves me. I finally accepted that I deserve to be with someone who loves me, cancer or not, and so do you. If these men have chosen to love us the way we are, we need to take that as a blessing.

On days when you feel so-so try to do things that make you happy. Sometimes the saying "mind over matter" does really work. Then there are days that you just need to let your body rest and there will be tear shedding emotional rollercoaster rides, and that's ok. Just don't forget to live. Just know you are not alone. I'm here if you want to talk, chat, email. Sending hugs your way.

Hi Mel, Welcome. I also feel like sitting around and crying, doesn't seem to be anything else to do. All alone, feeling lonely and totally alone.

Thanks for sharing your experience with chemo. I'll be doing a really short cut just before chemo begins...I am a bit bummed becasue I have finally gotten my hair to a length and color that I love. But my 18 year old son said it best..."Mom, it's hair, it grows back. Wear a cool hat!"

Hi Mel - just wanted to say welcome to the forum and sorry you're having to go through this. You are so young - I was in my late 40's when I got my diagnosis 8 years ago. I write a blog to help others through this journey, in fact I have a couple articles about triple negative BC: http://marnieclark.com/category/triple-negative-breast-cancer/ I hope that I can help you, even if only in a small way. Sending hugs from Denver.

Hi Mel, I know it's a long haul. I used to count them down, seems like it made the time go quicker.

I'm impressed that you are able to run that much, I could barely get around, slow, but I did.

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Hope your well.

Greg P
3X Survivor
Team WhatNext

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