leepenn

did you have a double mastectomy and why and how soon after were you able to be athletic again? I am a very active person at 50 and I still run (as fast as a herd of turtles speeding through peanut butter) and I want to get back in the groove as fast as I can thanks kind of read your reply on another gal that I'm following

Thanks leepen. It's not bad right now. Just kind of disbelief. My life is proceeding normally. Occasionally, I stop and wonder what's going change. I guess today I will start getting that answer as it is my first visit to the oncologist at about 3 p.m.

Hi Lee, have you rode in any races lately? Hope you're continuing to do well!

I went to breastcancer.org per your suggestion, and found a lot of information about Lymphedema that I never knew before!!! Thank you so much for helping me and others! God Bless. Joanie

leepenn - I love you and I love your blog! I love how much you give to this community. Thank you. Sincerely, Yvette

leepenn, could I please get the name of the person in Minneapolis that you have referenced for nipple tattoos? thanks!

Hi I saw info from you on another post asking about 3D tattoos for areola/nipple tattooing. You had said there was a woman artist in the Minneapolis (?) area that did a lot of work for women?? Tatus by Kore? Do you know the name of the artist? Have you had a 3D tattoo from them??? Looking for recommendations for a 3D tattoo artist with experience with these types of tattoos. Thank you!

Hi Lee,

Nice to see you continuing to help others. You know you were one of our first few members and now we are coming up on 25,000 WhatNexters.

Thank you for doing all that you do and I hope you are doing well and still riding strong despite the weather.

David

ok, I stand corrected. I thought only geeks and nerds/or me, knew who he is/was.....

just to make sure, we are talking Dr. Who, not Dr Hoo from Hooville? LOL!

Thanks!! just wanted to tell you no I have not gotten my cycle back yet and in Aug. going to a new gyno. my oncologist recommends and wants me to talk about having ovaries removed for precaution reasons since Triple Negative..

thank you so much for your reply.So what exactly have you been doing?

Thanks for writing leepenn. Sounds like had a long rough battle. My oncotype Is 21 and there was nothing showing in lymph nodes. My stage was 2 but grade 3 which is not good. 4 rounds should help recurrence be 2 % . They are not sure how much extra 2 rounds will help. Goog luck to you, HUGS,

Thanks leepenn. I have talked with ALL my docs, expressed my feelings , disappointments and desires and they all say the same thing. It isn't medically necessary so it would be considered elective. I can't go to a different facility because of insurance. I wish I was back in MN where I was for 15 years. I'm in Marshfield WI with almost 500 docs and less than 20,000 people. The medical facilities are the main employer in town. My outcome makes me sick.

Thanks so much for answering my question. That was really what I was looking for. Yes I am still working and I plan to continue. I own a small company with 8 employees and it is my busy season. I work in the plant, not the office, so I am lifting, walking and physically working ALL of the time. When I had my lumpectomy and axillary node dissection I cut back on the physical labor and found that I did not begin to really heal until I started using my muscles again. I walk too so I'm moderately active and comparatively muscular for 55. I had been checking into supplements and appreciate that advice as well. I have only met with my medical oncologist once so I probably got the chemo details wrong. I know he said flourouracil-5 because I asked why not carboplatin since my tumor stained 85% positive for P53. He also said adriamycin and cytoxin but he would hate to see me suffer the side effects of doxorubicin. Bottom line is 6 cycles, 3 weeks apart and the radiation. My tumor was large and aggressive so I have been tested to death in the last 2 weeks to make sure (fingers crossed) that it has not gone past my lymph nodes. I see the doctor Thursday for the results right before my first chemo treatment. As far as my hair, I am shaving my head on Wednesday and sending it to Washington state to a wigmaker. I am having more trouble with that than anything else. All of the physical stuff is doable for me because I know God will see me through. I am a hard worker with a happy 34 year marriage, a large and overwhelming extended family and a wonderful support system. Psychologically the hair is the part of me that is too hard to give up. It is my signature and too much a part of who I am. That is why I decided not to try cold caps. They are successful to varying degrees and I was afraid chunks of it would still fall out. This way I am in control and cancer is not taking that from me. I will have a custom wig with all of my own hair and I will still look like me. I don't want people to look at me and see only my diagnosis. So, thanks for your support and for listening. You help me to believe that I can hold on to what's normal and get through this.

Thank You....

Your answer to my question cracked me up! Thank you! I'm exhausted from hearing about him!!

HI THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE . I HAD 25 LYMPHNODES REMOVED. NO LYMPHEDEMA, BUT I DO HAVE SCARE TISSUE WITH INFLAMMATION THAT GETS TENDER AND IS STILL PAINFUL DAILY

thanks for your response , it helps me try to decide what to do

Hi leepen,

I'm a producer and am currently doing a segment on mastectomy tattoos. Any information or insight that you could give about the process would be so unbelievably helpful as I know it's a difficult decision to make and a somewhat different process than the average tattoo.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Best,
Quinn

THANK YOU !!!!! I have been dreading this.The fear for me is so overwhelming that I've almost passed out in CVS. This is such good news I can't stand it !!! THANK YOU AGAIN !!! Zoe

Thanks so much for your answer and good information. I am doing one side only with no reconstruction. Was open to considering both sides but surgeon said not medically necessary. Will have sentinel node biopsy and if needed, full axillary node dissection. No results yet on hormone testing. Trying to stay positive...10 days to surgery.

Hi leepenn,,,your like my spouse he rides here and there with a team for fun! I have a nice mtn bike specialized myself,, your probably on the strava circuit too! lol I'm looking into weights til I try a race someday, hammer!!!

thanks for your advice! Jesus loves us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks and yes I am taking carbo/taxol but I havent had any neuropathy.

Hey leepenn! I am glad to get your response. I will certainly inquire on those options.

Two questions; Is that you on the bike?; Are you riding an organized ride like TRAM or RAGBRI?

I have ridden both and many more. Solo self supported is what I most enjoy.
Any organized cancer rides?

Good to meet you.

I saw your post about glutamine for neuropathy. You mentioned mouth sores - were they caused by your chemo? What kind of chemo were you on? I currently take Doxil and mouth sores are one side effect. I don't have any sores yet but will try the glutamine for the neuropathy. ArleneB

Hey - did you wear a wig or scarves or rock the bald look when you were in tx?

Leepenn I find myself drawn to respond to your post abut stupid people asking "what did you do to get cancer?" My hub & I volunteer as Mentors at an after-school program for at-risk teenagers at a local church although I am an Atheist & my hubby a doubting Thomas. There is a new mentor there who is a complete idiot about his interpretation of the Bible. He doesn't think anyone is "good enough"--except maybe himself, since he relates EVERYTHING he does, sees, hears, etc. to the Bible==AND TELLS YOU--whether you want to hear from him or not. What a NUT! He didn't have the nerve to ask me, but he asked my hub what I did to get cancer! My hub didn't tell me this until later, otherwise I would have chewed that guy out one side to the other and spit him out on the sidewalk! THE NERVE! What a hypocrite! I will have to corner him the next time we go and set him straight! GRRRRRRRR!

Thank you for reading my blog and for the positive feedback. I started writing it as therapy for me, but apparently others have been helped by it as well. Or at least laughed at some of my misfortune. I worte an entry a couple day ago that I am not sure you saw, but I thnk you may like...
www.breastcancerbattlescars.net/2013/04/dear-old-ass-nancy-beth.html
And I would love for you to guest blog about being flat and fabulous if you would like to.

I really enjoyed reading your blog, thank you for sharing the link and your encouragement.