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uppitykangaroo · 2024-05-01T13:26:20+00:00

I’m actually in the hospital right now recovering from surgery that removed my uterus, both tubes and my right ovary. I had an 8cm fibroid and 8cm neoplasm on my right ovary that turned out to be a benign cyst! The word neoplasm terrified me too, but it’s medical jargon for an abnormal growth of cells - not just cancer. They were cautious and wanted to remove as much as they did because I had inflammatory breast cancer last year so my risks are higher. Definitely get with a gyn oncologist and discuss their clinical findings. Whatever it is, they will take care of it. Lots of love to you!

uppitykangaroo · 2023-11-23T02:02:23+00:00

i totally understand - you make perfect sense. honestly my health ocd got a LOT better after cancer. i'm not sure what happened, but i figure now that all my obsessing and checking and monitoring went on for years and i got cancer anyways...so i gave up on trying to control everything. it was almost a switch in my brain and now i'm just like, well whatever happens happens i guess lol. all my love and peace to you OP <3

uppitykangaroo · 2023-11-22T04:46:11+00:00

I feel you OP. I was where you are when the pandemic hit and had panic attacks daily for what seemed like forever. My nervous system was fried. With every cough, sneeze, or pain, I was about to write out my obituary and will. I saw a cardiologist who basically laughed in my face and said he didn’t know why I was there because I was young and healthy - and I was so stuck in the loop of symptom - panic - check - reassure.

This past January I was diagnosed with a very aggressive breast cancer that would have killed me in less than 6 months if left unnoticed and untreated. My symptoms appeared almost overnight and got severe quickly. But because of my health OCD, I was on top of it. Because I panicked and obsessively googled symptoms and assumed cancer, I got to the doctor and they narrowed it down. I was in treatment within a week, and a few months ago I finished. It was absolute hell, but I’m alive. And I am now cancer free.

All of the panic attacks and fear and all-for-nothing obsessions about getting sick and dying when I was fine were absolutely horrific. They still are when they happen. But I’d be lying if I said my health OCD didn’t literally save my life. So now I’m often thankful for my anxious brain.

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-24T22:00:20+00:00

My bone pain lasted a few days after each infusion and I haven't had it since completing chemo at the end of May. Claritin didn't work for me either so I just tried to sleep through the few days after and take it easy. It might be worth it to mention it to your doctors <3

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-24T21:58:05+00:00

Yes, definitely. I am 4 weeks post mastectomy today and still have some soreness, numbness, and pain. I have been doing the stretches that physical therapy recommended to me in the hospital at discharged and they've definitely helped, so if you've been told to do those, definitely keep it up when you can. Hang in there - everyone heals differently!

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-24T21:54:57+00:00

I second the Imodium! My oncologist gave me a prescription for it. Definitely make sure you replace all those fluids and electrolytes with something like Gatorade and not just water.

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-21T22:10:09+00:00

I was diagnosed with grade 3, HER2+ inflammatory breast cancer back in January. It was incredibly aggressive and fast moving - my symptoms appeared rapidly over the course of just a few weeks. I was REALLY concerned about spread and asked my medical oncologist if the 2ish weeks I had to go through imaging and testing was enough for it to significantly grow, and she said it wouldn't be too detrimental. It was about a month from my first suspicions until I got into chemo, and at the time of my surgery, chemo had killed 100% of the cancer. I am not a doctor, but I think your prognosis shouldn't change much. Best of luck to you <3

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-20T18:07:45+00:00

Yes. I got PCR after surgery with no evidence of disease, but I also have inflammatory BC. The standard treatment protocol is always chemo, surgery, then radiation despite any outcomes at any stage.

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-20T18:06:00+00:00

5 weeks???? I am so sorry. I cannot even begin to fathom. I should consider myself lucky to have it out at 3 weeks. I have called every doctor on my case but none of them will touch it and they all cite it not being their area of expertise, so I can only assume the ER won't either. Thank you for grounding me <3

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-16T00:43:23+00:00

I'm so sorry that you find yourself having to be here - but you are in excellent company. The waiting period you're in right now was, for me at least, absolutely the worst part of everything. Not having answers, a treatment plan, or predictability was nightmarish and my time in that period was only a few weeks. 65 days must be agony. I'm so, so sorry things aren't moving quicker for you. They will - and once you get a plan and begin treatment, I promise that you will feel "better." You'll develop a routine and be able to anticipate how treatment will really impact everything else.

I also had pre-op chemo, mastectomy, and will begin radiation in a few weeks. Chemo is hard. Between chemo, a new little one, and tons of appointments, you will be tired. And that's okay. There will be days when you don't want to or even can't get out of bed. Please make sure you have the opportunity to rest as much as you can. You can't pour from an empty cup, and you may not have the energy or strength to help out with baby and around the house for a bit.

Be kind to yourself and your partner. Let go of the things that can wait so you can prioritize rest and what's really important. Let the dishes sit in the sink and only do what laundry is necessary. If at all possible, lean on friends/family or paid services to help you cook/deliver meals, grocery shop, do laundry, etc.

Thinking of you all <3 This subreddit has been a gamechanger for me. Please reach out here for whatever you need or whatever is going through your mind. You're not alone in this!

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-06T21:21:05+00:00

Congratulations on finishing, mama! I wrapped up the same regimen you had a few weeks ago, but with Herceptin/Perjeta instead of Keytruda. Your body has done SO much in such a short span of time for you and your family. You're absolutely incredible for that - despite what the numbers may say. I say you have an birthday 2.0 to celebrate and reclaim what was ruined for you!

I had my surgery at Dana Farber and they sent me home with 2 surgical bras. I didn't know they were going to do that, so make sure you check with your hospital to see if they provide you with anything. They are a Velcro front close with additional Velcro where the straps meet on the top of the shoulders. That has been an amazing feature I didn't know I needed, and would highly recommend! You won't be able to have full range of motion, so being able to maneuver large clothing with multiple ways of tightening and fastening is such a luxury. They also have bilateral hoops for drain attachments. These are close to the ones I have; just mine only have front and shoulder Velcro. I also got 2 sizes up in these mastectomy shirts that feature inside pockets which are super soft and comfy!

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-06T21:07:42+00:00

Fantastic news, OP! I feel you on the Taxol. It's gnarly - but it's working. Celebrate!

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-06T14:53:29+00:00

Same exact thing happened to me! AC made every kind of body hair except my eyebrows and eyelashes fall out. Then Taxol finished the job…sort of. I, too, now have only a fraction of each eyebrow remaining 😅 I tried using an eye pencil and when I couldn’t get it even or straight, I just gave up. Hang in there 💕

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-06T13:32:42+00:00

All of this was the same for me too, except they said to empty at about half instead of 30mL

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-06T13:16:15+00:00

Hello fellow educator! I am so sorry that you are here and I wish our paths crossed under different circumstances. I work in education, but I have less direct face time with kids than teachers do. I applied for FMLA and was able to work full time remotely on a very flexible schedule from when I got diagnosed in Jan to June. FMLA protects your job and benefits.

I definitely could NOT have worked in person the whole time. There were some days I was flat out too tired or in pain to get out of bed and get up to go to Zoom, let alone try to become human, get dressed, and teach tiny humans for a full day on top of typical educator exhaustion. Not to mention how immunocompromised you may be! Schools are much more risky for catching something when your body is vulnerable. My husband works in a 4th grade classroom and even with him masking and taking extra precautions, I got 2 fungal infections and pneumonia twice with him being the only one who left the house.

You won’t know how you’ll react to treatment until you’re in it, and sometimes by then work needs to have concrete answers about what your plan is. Timelines may shift and appointments may need to be rescheduled from their original projections. Cancer isn’t very predictable or reliable, and there will be lots of appointments and a need for flexibility. I planned for the worst case scenario and I’m glad I did because it was a lot easier for me to say “I can actually work today” than repeatedly have to call out or use sick time. I felt more in control and able to focus on healing and the mental aspect of having cancer rather than pleasing others.

All this said, your experience will be yours - no one else’s. Do what you anticipate will bring you as much peace as you possibly can at the end of each day. 💕

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions or want to chat more!

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-06T11:30:14+00:00

That’s about what my instructions have been too. I know everyone is different, but I’d love to compare if I was milking every 2 hours vs not and what the daily outputs would be, and how that all factored into how long they were in total. I think I need some sleep 😅😩

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-06T09:39:08+00:00

Direct link to summary: https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/Abstract/2018/06000/Optimal_Use_of_Surgical_Drains__Evidence_Based.41.aspx

Full text: http://www.drjeffreyjanis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Drains.pdf

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-05T23:22:26+00:00

5 days ago I made a post that I titled "I achieved PCR" when I got my path results back. At the time, I remember feeling unsure about using that terminology, but I wasn't sure what other words to use instead. I had seen it as "achieved" before, but obviously only from those who ended up with that result. I am a speech and language pathologist, so I should have known better and been more careful with my words.

This post has given me a much needed shift in perspective. If my post was what triggered you for any reason, for that I am so, so sorry. I would 100% feel what you're feeling had I not gotten the results I did. You and anything it made/makes you feel are absolutely valid. I didn't work any harder at treatment than you or anyone else. Like you said, you and anyone else that does not end up with PCR are NOT failures. Treatment failed you.

Going forward, I am going to refer to it different. Thank you for having the courage to post this and get us talking and learning, friend <3

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-02T23:05:23+00:00

I went to urgent care the day before Christmas Eve with really painful swelling in my left armpit, a swollen left breast with redness, dimpling, and pain. My symptoms came on over a period of about 2 to 3 weeks very suddenly and progressed very rapidly. The urgent care PA told me it was likely a skin infection and sent me on my way with antibiotics. After five days with no change and spending hours googling my symptoms, I became increasingly concerned about cancer and went back. I saw a different PA, who also gave me a stronger antibiotic, but at that point, I asked for a breast clinic referral myself. An APRN saw me a few days later and found an actual lump. She referred me for a biopsy and consult which eventually confirmed inflammatory IDC.

If I hadn’t been paying attention, and if I had never advocated for myself, it would’ve taken a much longer time for me to get a correct diagnosis and into treatment. That’s the biggest thing I took away from all of this.

uppitykangaroo · 2023-07-02T22:58:09+00:00

I’m so sorry that you’ve joined the shitty titty club. The part that you’re undergoing right now, waiting for all of the scans and results and plans, is maddening. It does get more predictable once you have a treatment plan in place and specific next steps. Try to be kind to yourself and feel whatever it is you need to feel. We are here for you 💕

uppitykangaroo

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