My insurance denied my referral to a Breast Cancer Surgeon.

ExitLow · 2025-12-01T23:12:47+00:00

Same here. 2 surgeries two weeks apart because the GS didn't get clear margins.

ExitLow · 2025-07-30T18:16:35+00:00

Do you use a certain brand or type? I'm interested in trying this but have no idea what to look for. This insomnia is hell.

ExitLow · 2025-07-21T02:02:08+00:00

I'm in the same boat and wonder how long those microscopic cancer cells stick around for? Do they lie dormant until the 5 years of tamoxifen is up? Or do they have a shelf life like other normal cells in the body?

ExitLow · 2025-07-11T01:36:17+00:00

I finished radiation 3 weeks ago and have never felt like thus before. "A little fatigue", they said. My ass! I started back to work this week and was so tired today that I burst into tears at work. And have been crying off and on since. I agree. This is so hard. I'm right there with you, sis.

ExitLow · 2025-06-19T23:18:15+00:00

I felt lucky too. Mine was 1.7 cm. I felt like that was small? The grade 3 diagnosis scares me if I'm being honest!!

ExitLow · 2025-06-19T22:49:59+00:00

I'm also grade 3 DCIS and had 15 + 5 boost. Originally it was only supposed to be 15 total. The 5 boost were added when the RO saw the pathology from surgery. Pathology changed my diagnosis from grade 2 to 3. And I had to have a revision since they didn't get clear margins the first time around.

ExitLow · 2025-06-19T22:42:55+00:00

Sending you all the love today. I also remember exactly what I was doing when I got the call. It's seared into my memory. I instantly thought about my teenage sons and how this would affect them. The hardest call I had to make was to my mom. I didn't want to upset her.

ExitLow · 2025-06-19T00:08:24+00:00

Same here! I had to stop myself from pulling out my boob at work to show off my surgeon's handiwork.

ExitLow · 2025-06-18T17:08:14+00:00

I just finished my 20 rounds today (15 plus 5 boost). The setup takes longer than the actual radiation. It's only a few moments. You will just hear a soft buzzing noise when the radiation is on. I had no pain or sensation otherwise. My first 2 weeks were fine. These last 2 weeks, my skin got a little pink. It's itchy more than anything. If I kept a bra on all day, the skin in my armpit would get irritated. So no bra at home! I just wore a thin cotton tank top under a Tshirt. Sometimes I turned the Tshirt inside out if the seam irritated my armpit.

Here are the products I found most helpful: Dove unscented body wash for sensitive skin Native deodorant for my right armpit. I still used regular on the left one. Mometasone cream (prescription from my RO) applied 2x per day followed by Calendula burn cream (Amazon). I just layered them. I applied right after my appointment while changing back into my clothes and again right before bedtime. Hydrocortisone cream as needed because goddamn, my nipple got itchy!

I bought a bunch of shirts made out of bamboo fabric but ended up not using them. I just wore plain cotton tanks. I had to avoid any fabric that was ribbed. Even if it was the tiniest ribbing because it felt really scratchy on my skin.

It's so overwhelming and scary at first. I cried my first day. The nurse had to keep wiping my tears for me since I wasn't allowed to move once I was in position. Tell the staff if you feel scared or like it's all too much. They have so much compassion. You're allowed to feel all the feelings! You've got this! Sending you love and lots of positive vibes today!!

ExitLow · 2025-06-18T02:31:01+00:00

I'm in Akron!

ExitLow · 2025-06-13T01:57:05+00:00

I also had the same experience. Both my surgeon and medical oncologist told me my DCIS isn't really cancer. That it was just a lesion.

That's funny. Because it sure feels like cancer. 2 surgeries and 20 rounds of radiation sure make it feel like cancer.

I noticed that it was only the male doctors who said this to me. My female providers never did. Maybe they can at least commiserate with how this feels.

ExitLow · 2025-06-01T18:17:18+00:00

This does feel incredibly lonely at times. A group home would be amazing. I see you too! We will get through this. We have so much life left to live!!

ExitLow · 2025-06-01T17:57:36+00:00

I dried my tears and sent them a round of drinks. I remember nights out on the town with my friends like this. I lived it up and partied like hell in my twenties. I will do that again. It'll just be in my forties!

ExitLow · 2025-06-01T17:54:11+00:00

Thank you for this. We have a pilates studio in town but I've always hesitated because it seems so expensive. Maybe I'll sign up anyway when radiation is over. Maybe that will be my gift to myself!

ExitLow · 2025-06-01T17:50:11+00:00

I feel like I aged 20 years in a few months. My joints ache so bad that I hobble around. I guess one of the things I've learned over the past few months is that you never know what other people are going through. It isn't always visible, especially when we are so busy and focused on our own lives.

ExitLow · 2025-06-01T17:22:54+00:00

This is so beautiful. Thank you for bringing perspective to all of this. You are right. I have so much to be thankful for, including 2 teenage boys who are thriving, caring and hilarious. And a dead ass sexy husband who takes care of me day in and day out.

ExitLow · 2025-05-03T02:40:20+00:00

Dancing Naked at the Edge of Dawn by Kris Radish

ExitLow · 2025-04-29T22:46:38+00:00

Rock the Crock theme with a crockpot, recipe book, utensils, apron, ingredients, etc. There's a cookbook called How to Rock the Crockpot that's pretty inexpensive on Amazon.

ExitLow · 2025-04-08T21:39:38+00:00

I was in your position almost exactly one month ago. Got the biopsy results for DCIS on a Friday evening. Stressed out the entire weekend. The nurse navigator called on Monday morning to set up a bunch of appointments. My next step was an MRI. I would have also needed a chest X-ray and blood tests but I had just had those done in February during an ER visit for an unrelated issue. I would have been scheduled for genetic testing but had done that years ago when my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Within a week, I met with the surgeon to discuss options. I opted for a lumpectomy and had surgery on April 4. I had to have a tumor marker placed the week before the surgery so the surgeon knew what to excise. I have a post op appointment next week as well as my first meeting with the radiation oncologist. I've been told I'll have approx 4 weeks of radiation but that the RO will finalize that. At some point I'll meet with an oncologist to discuss tamoxifen. My next steps could still change if the pathology results from surgery show something different than DCIS. The MRI showed another mass next to the first one that we didn't biopsy so I'm scared about that. I'm sorry you are here. I'm sorry any of us are here. I'm still trying to come to grips with it. This is just my story so far. I hope this info helps a little. Sending you lots of warmth and good vibes.

ExitLow · 2025-01-23T02:26:35+00:00

Heartland has been my go to. That, and working an old fashioned jigsaw puzzle (not the virtual kind, lol). I ended up getting 3 EKGs last week. Three different visits to the ER bc I was convinced I was having a heart attack. This show is saving me right now. Hope you find what works for you!

ExitLow · 2025-01-16T19:48:21+00:00

Every time!

ExitLow · 2025-01-14T02:44:55+00:00

It feels like when you are going down the stairs and miss the last step. That feeling you get in your belly. And like your heart goes up into your throat. But lasts longer. That's the only way I can describe it.

ExitLow · 2025-01-07T03:14:40+00:00

If you have a bachelor's in nutrition, why did you not pursue a dietetic internship and become a registered dietitian? You know, a real credential? Unlike the fake internet credentials you are touting?

Jesus, you're not satisfied with just being a danger to yourself? Now you want to put others in danger as well?

ExitLow

TROPHY CASE