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My Healthcare Team Here is a chance to honor your healthcare professionals. Please list any or all members and also if you would recommend them to others.

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Old 10-18-2011, 08:17 PM   #1
patz64
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: New jersey
Posts: 24
South Texas

For reconstructive surgery I used Dr. Chrysopoulo of PRMA of Southern Texas, in San Antonio. He was the nicest doctor, and his nurse and his staff were excellent. He was the fourth plastic surgeon I met with, and as soon as he was finished talking to me and examining me, i knew I had finally found a doctor I trusted for this surgery.
__________________
6/2007-stereotactic biopsy: stage 0 carcinoma L breast
6/2007-partial mastectomy, L breast: stage 1 invasive carcinoma, estrogen +
7/2007- Removed sentinal lymph nodes....all negative. 33 radiation treatments, followed by tamoxifen
5/2011-stereotactic biopsy: stage 0 carcinoma L. breast again, estrogen/progesterone negative. Nobody used the words Her2+ yet.
8/18/2011-travelled to Texas (I live in NJ) for bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction with DIEP flap. 3 days later, left breast turned blue...had emergency surgery to unclog vessel and try to save the flap. 24 hours after that, had another emergency surgery... took a vein from my left arm and re-routed it to the breast. Saved the breast flap but went into congestive heart failure because of all the IV fluids. Spent 10 days in ICU...8 days on a ventilator. Traumatic experience!!! Then was told it was actually Stage 2, Her2+, and I would need chemo.
Now back in NJ.
10/11/11-port was placed
chemo starting in about 2 weeks
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Old 10-25-2011, 04:19 AM   #2
chekmark
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Location: Doylestown, ohio
Posts: 334
Re: South Texas

Wow what a story. Hope you are doing better now that you are back in your home town. What a shame to have traveled so far and to not have a good experience. Hopefully you will sail thru chemo with no set backs at all. It was unfortunate that reconstruction did not go as well as expected but try not to let it get to you. Not all experiences will be that bad. Hang in there and stay strong. We are all here for you. God bless.
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DX Sept 30 2010 at the age of 49. Oh crap! 1.5 cm idc, stage 1 grade 3 er/pr+, her2+ no lymph nodes, mastectomy Oct/10. Started 6 rounds of TCH Dec/10 and will continue herceptin until Nov /11 and just started femara.
Stray kitten found my lump while I was playing with it. It is now my pet and my dog is not real happy about that.
Mammo good
last herceptin 11/21/11 YAY
reconstruction 12/09/11
Chapter closed 12/10/11, hopefully, fingers crossed
Bone scan, chest xray, clear
04/27/12 Expander removed, implant put in, ahh sigh of relief, much more comfortable
Sept 30, 2014, 4 years NED
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Old 10-26-2011, 07:40 PM   #3
patz64
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Location: New jersey
Posts: 24
Re: South Texas

Hi Chekmark,
Yes, I went through quite an ordeal, but i'm so glad I was at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. I have been to many of my local hospitals, and never had the same caring that they showed me at methodist. Unfortunately, I had Acute respiratory distress Syndrome, which can be brought on by things like blood transfusions. And all my complications (low blood pressure, small vessels, damage from radiation) made the "perfect storm" for my surgery! But i really believe that with any other doctor I would have lost the left breast. There is a 99% success rate with this procedure, which means that it doesn't work for 1 out of 100 women...that would have been me, but my doctor was able to think outside the box, and use a vessel from my arm to save the breast. I will suspend my final judgement of how I like the breasts until after the second stage surgery when they will try to make the left one bigger, and rebuild the nipples. I am still glad I went with this procedure because I really didn't want a tram flap, and I didn't want implants...and I did want some kind of reconstruction. And since I had to deal with such complications, i am so glad I was in such a good hospital. I even told my Mom that at times I felt like I was on a retreat, rather than in a hospital. It was a very faith-based hospital, which really helped me. All the nurses were great, and so was my plastic surgeon, regular surgeon, pulmonologist, and internist.
It is nice to be back home. I had my first chemo session yesterday, and so far so good....just a little tired and some mild stomach cramping. Tomorrow i go back for a neulasta injection. Monday i went to a local Breast Cancer Resource Center and got a free wig, hat, and sleep cap, so I am prepared!!!! I am attending a weekly yoga class for people with limited mobility. I am trying to stay upbeat, and positive, and as active as possible, while resting when I feel like I need to.
My experience in ICU on a ventilator was the scariest of my life, but I believe it happened for a reason. I already was close to God, but feel even closer now, and just feel like everything is a little different now...I appreciate things even more than I already did.
Thanks for writing, and I will keep you posted on how my chemo journey goes. I am getting cytoxan, taxotere, and herceptin every 3 weeks for 4 sessions, and then herceptin every 3 weeks for a full year. (Not crazy about all the meds we have to take with the chemo...decadron, zantac, colace, neulasta, anti-nausea meds, etc.!!!!!)
Take care,
Pat
__________________
6/2007-stereotactic biopsy: stage 0 carcinoma L breast
6/2007-partial mastectomy, L breast: stage 1 invasive carcinoma, estrogen +
7/2007- Removed sentinal lymph nodes....all negative. 33 radiation treatments, followed by tamoxifen
5/2011-stereotactic biopsy: stage 0 carcinoma L. breast again, estrogen/progesterone negative. Nobody used the words Her2+ yet.
8/18/2011-travelled to Texas (I live in NJ) for bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction with DIEP flap. 3 days later, left breast turned blue...had emergency surgery to unclog vessel and try to save the flap. 24 hours after that, had another emergency surgery... took a vein from my left arm and re-routed it to the breast. Saved the breast flap but went into congestive heart failure because of all the IV fluids. Spent 10 days in ICU...8 days on a ventilator. Traumatic experience!!! Then was told it was actually Stage 2, Her2+, and I would need chemo.
Now back in NJ.
10/11/11-port was placed
chemo starting in about 2 weeks
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Old 10-28-2011, 04:08 PM   #4
chekmark
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Location: Doylestown, ohio
Posts: 334
Re: South Texas

You are amazing to have gone thru so much and to still feel so passioniate about the care you received. That passion will get you thru anything. Stay strong. God Bless. Darlene
__________________
DX Sept 30 2010 at the age of 49. Oh crap! 1.5 cm idc, stage 1 grade 3 er/pr+, her2+ no lymph nodes, mastectomy Oct/10. Started 6 rounds of TCH Dec/10 and will continue herceptin until Nov /11 and just started femara.
Stray kitten found my lump while I was playing with it. It is now my pet and my dog is not real happy about that.
Mammo good
last herceptin 11/21/11 YAY
reconstruction 12/09/11
Chapter closed 12/10/11, hopefully, fingers crossed
Bone scan, chest xray, clear
04/27/12 Expander removed, implant put in, ahh sigh of relief, much more comfortable
Sept 30, 2014, 4 years NED
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Old 10-30-2011, 03:41 AM   #5
Jackie07
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: "Love never fails."
Posts: 5,808
Re: South Texas

Hi Pat,

Indeed a traumatic experience!

I'm glad you shared with us your ICU experience. You see, I stayed in ICU for 10 days also (21 years ago). But I couldn't remember much - only fragmented 'glimpses' in the forms of 'dreams' (nightmares

Three years later, I went to a counselor and was introduced to the term 'trauma patient' (I'd had brain surgery). By that time I was already pretty much back to 'normal' physically. And mentally I no longer had the 'weird' feeling that somehow I wasn't part of the 'reality', that I was an observor looking from outside...

The travelling must have tired you out. Be sure to contact your local breast cancer support group (such as American Cancer Society) and search for all the available local resources. With the complication you've had from the surgery, you might qualify for home health care services. Be sure to check with your hospital social worker...

Sending you good vibes.
__________________
Jackie07
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/06/doctors-letter-patient-newly-diagnosed-cancer.html
http://www.asco.org/ASCOv2/MultiMedi...=114&trackID=2

NICU 4.4 LB
Erythema Nodosum 85
Life-long Central Neurocytoma 4x5x6.5 cm 23 hrs 62090 semi-coma 10 d PT OT ST 30 d
3 Infertility tmts 99 > 3 u. fibroids > Pills
CN 3 GKRS 52301
IDC 1.2 cm Her2 +++ ER 5% R. Lmptmy SLNB+1 71703 6 FEC 33 R Tamoxifen
Recc IIB 2.5 cm Bi-L Mast 61407 2/9 nds PET
6 TCH Cellulitis - Lymphedema - compression sleeve & glove
H w x 4 MUGA 51 D, J 49 M
Diastasis recti
Tamoxifen B. scan
Irrtbl bowel 1'09
Colonoscopy 313
BRCA1 V1247I
hptc hemangioma
Vertigo
GI - > yogurt
hysterectomy/oophorectomy 011410
Exemestane 25 mg tab 102912 ~ 101016 stopped due to r. hip/l.thigh pain after long walk
DEXA 1/13
1-2016 lesions in liver largest 9mm & 1.3 cm onco. says not cancer.
3-11 Appendectomy - visually O.K., a lot of puss. Final path result - not cancer.
Start Vitamin D3 and Calcium supplement (600mg x2)
10-10 Stopped Exemestane due to r. hip/l.thigh pain OKed by Onco 11-08-2016
7-23-2018 9 mm groundglass nodule within the right lower lobe with indolent behavior. Due to possible adenocarcinoma, Recommend annual surveilence.
7-10-2019 CT to check lung nodule.
1-10-2020 8mm stable nodule on R Lung, two 6mm new ones on L Lung, a possible lymph node involvement in inter fissule.
"I WANT TO BE AN OUTRAGEOUS OLD WOMAN WHO NEVER GETS CALLED AN OLD LADY. I WANT TO GET SHARP EDGED & EARTH COLORED, TILL I FADE AWAY FROM PURE JOY." Irene from Tampa

Advocacy is a passion .. not a pastime - Joe

Last edited by Jackie07; 12-01-2011 at 01:16 PM..
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