New here

November 1, 2006

OK, now I want to go scold that nurse... what on earth? It feels to me like

sometimes these folks just don't LISTEN. If you can feel it in your hand and

not taste it, that should tell her something. I'd be reporting her to the

patient advocate at your hospital - sooner rather than later.

When I was fresh from surgery and in pain, I asked the nurse for some pain meds

- she asked me to wait as it was only 45 mins until my next scheduled med. I

said OK (what else was I going to say? I was in some kind of twilight state

anyway). By the time she got the pain meds to me it was too late, and the pain

had taken over. They had to give me some special booster thing to help me get

back on top of the pain. That's the trick, to always stay a little ahead of the

pain level so you don't develop an exaggerated response (or so I'm told). The

point of this is that when the patient advocate came to see how I was doing, I

told her what happened. She was all over it like white on rice. Very apologetic

and clear that the nurse would be doing some additional education on how to

treat patients in pain.

Sending another hug.... Thank heaven your doc understood what might have

happened. Are you on Coumadin or Warfarin?

Maya

---- Cath wrote:

> Maya,

>

> My problems all started after surgery. The day after surgery, a nurse was

messing around with my IV. When she gave me my meds I told her that it was

burning in my hand bad. She told me that I should taste it and I told her I

could not taste it but I could feel it in my hand.

> When I was released and the next day my hand was swollen up to my elbow.

That was very scary. My Surgeon said the nurse must have pulled my IV out of my

vein and shot the meds into my hand resulting in to a blood clot.

> I was put on a blood thinner which is why I bleed in my right breast. I'm

trying to stay positive and trust God that I will one day have beautiful girls

sitting on my chest again.

> My last chemo will be Dec. 5 and then radiation. I don't know how many

treatments my Dr. will tell me I need. I probably will not have recon. surgery

until the new year. Thanks for the hugs and hugs back to you. Have a great day

and God bless you and everybody, Cat

> mbrand@... wrote:

> Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 2:01:48 -0400

>

> To: breastcancer2

> Subject: Re: New here

> CC: Cath

>

> Hi Cat,

>

> Big Hug coming your way. I too had the expanders and suffered some discomfort,

but nothing like what you describe. I can say that I'm about 6 months out from

my recon and love my girls. They look great and day by day I feel increasing

better. I wish the same for you.

>

> Maya

>

> ---- Cath wrote:

> > Hi , my name is Cat,

> >

> > I found out I had Breast Cancer June 28. I had surgery on Aug. 1, I had

Radical mastectomy on both breast. My cancer was in the left breast, which was

Invasive ductal carcinoma, grade III, and focal high-grade ductal carcinoma in

situ. I .had 8 lymph nodes which turned out to be negative, thank God.

> > Had chest expanders the day of my surgery. Started 16 weeks of chemo Aug.

30. Turned 48 on Sept 3. The first 4 rounds of chemo I was so sick after each

treatment.

> > After my second chemo on my free week I went in to have my expanders filled

and I had complications that night. My right breast swelled up in to my arm pit

and neck and the pain had me in tears.

> > My plastic Surgeon said he must had hit a blood vessel which caused the

bleeding. He took out 100cc out and put pressure on it to drain it so now my

left breast has 450Cs, right breast has 350cc so I'm lopsided and there's still

pain there.

> > Then in the middle of my chemo my dog Phantom got very sick, Oct 18 we had

to put him to sleep. We were with him when we had to do it, I was depressed so

much.

> > My husband picked Phantom's ashes up today Oct. 25. I still find my self

crying but I know he's not in any pain and he's not suffering anymore. But I

still miss him here with me.

> > I started my second round of chemo Oct. 24. I'm felling good today not sick

like I was on the first round. Three more to go, my last one will be Dec. 5.

Then I'll meet the Doctor who will decide how much radiation treatments that I

will need.

> > I don't know when I will get breast implants. The worst part of chest

expanders is that, the chest muscles that lay flat on your rib cage are pulled

up on top of the chest expanders and are stretched which is painful.

> > I know some day when I get my implants and all well and this will be behind

me. I miss working, sleeping in my bed, sleeping on my side or just being able

to go places, out to eat, I miss all that.

> > I have my family with me but don't get to see our girls too much. My Mom has

been here with us helping out since the beginning. We all plan on walking in the

Breast Cancer walks next year. Thanks for being here for me and all the others

who need someone to e-mail. Have a great day and God Bless you, Cat

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> > All-new Yahoo! Mail - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done

faster.

> >

November 1, 2006