May 6 Re: B-9 Biopsy Results

It was B-9!!!!!
I sure wish I had thought of this title before I published the last post! I thought of it in time to send out to all the folks to which I sent the original mail. Thanks again to all of you wonderful folks out there!
We had our only group rehearsal tonight for the concert Saturday evening. I need to bone up on some words!!
And tunes. Oh. My. My neighbor tells me to just mouth the words - cuz I make her get off key. Oh. My. But I do Loves me singing. I sound just like Barbra Streisand and Jane Oliver together in my brain - and I love it.
Love to all you all. Patty ; )

May 5 Benign fibrocystic tissue with calcifications

FINALLY! They called me at about 3:30 this afternoon and said all was well. Except for my brain, which was about to explode from waiting to hear.
The spot was "fibrocystic breast changes with some calcifications", and they got all the calcifications removed with the biopsy.
This biopsy was not like the easy peasy ones before - I was clueless, before. I'm OK, now, though, and that is what matters.
Thanks to you all for all the thoughts, wishes and prayers - glad it all turned out the right way. Love to all of you-alls. Patty : )

May 3 Wait Till Monday

I made several calls on Friday, asking why should it take so long to find out the results from this biopsy. No good answers - no one really knows - they all are just guessing - but, could be because it is the weekend. Could be because it takes 72 hours to do the labs. Could be because they do not have an in-house lab. Could be because the lab tech is out sick. Could be..... So, I'm just waiting. And waiting.
Sara's 'pretend' first swim meet was this afternoon. They have one called the Red and White meet - half of the team swimming against the other half. It is just to see if everything works that needs to work when the time comes for the first home meet -- the stop watches, the computers, the tables, the kids, do the timers know what to do, does the starter know what to do, does the announcer know what to do?
They had an ice cream social after, and that was very successful. It worked like a charm. Chocolate and vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips, caramel 'bee-bees', sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, M&M's, marshmallows, shredded coconut and chocolate syrup. YUM. yum. I had to go the second time to see if it really did work right! ; ) It did. Sure enough.
The swim meet was short and sweet, and now we know everything works, and so now we are ready for the meets to begin. I think all the meets are mostly in June - basically every Tuesday and Thursday evening.
This evening we have a pot luck at Mrs. Kersey's house with all the singers and their families. Our concert is only one week away. I know some of the music. \o/ Sara tells me that <--- is an open mouth with hands on either side of the face. Oh, dear.
Love and hugs. Patty : )

May 1 Biopsy over

Happy May Day! I forgot what day it was until I had to put a date on something this evening and finally wrote out May instead of 5-1-08!
Radiology Ltd. called me immediately after the Dr. sent them the fax ordering the biopsy and they were able to get me in almost immediately!!! None of this 5 weeks of waiting stuff like the last one.
I was at Radiology Limited this morning at 10:00, and got back out to my car at 12:40pm. I have been a very nervous person for the past few days, and very much so this morning, so I am very glad this part is over.
As soon as I left the building, I felt the weight off my shoulders and was much more relaxed, so I guess I was just dreading the procedure lots more than I thought.
I filled out paperwork (same questions and answers as a week ago - Hello!) Then sat and waited to be called back in. I heard a husband and wife grousing at each other about "...nothing to read - look at all these people and there are only three magazines" "You know it's like this, why don't you ever learn?" I held up my book of Sudoku puzzles, and offered it to him. He said no, he didn't like them, and I said me neither at first when my daughter tried to get me to do them. I finally learned how and I'm addicted to them (just the easy ones).
He said he couldn't figure out how to do them - he was an engineer and knew math but he just couldn't figure them out. I was so proud to show him how (he accepted my offer) and listened to my hints, and thanked me for explaining it. He had always tried just filling in one box at a time. Poor guy, no one ever told him how, and he didn't have Sara's handy tutorial that she wrote up for Granddad, when she was trying to teach us how to do the puzzles.
So.. they called me back in - change into gowns (first one open in the front and second one open in the back, and took me back to the first little waiting room, where the nurse started the IV line, then another tech came in to ask ?s and take my blood pressure. Whoops! The IV was in the right arm and I'm not to have blood pressure checked in the left one because of the lymph nodes. (I only had one node taken out - shouldn't be that big of a deal - I would think.) (My medical training will be over soon, and I'll be getting my diploma then.)
Any way, she had to go ask about what to do, and came back, saying - they want me to take the pressure on the right arm - "you hold the IV in". Oh yay! So, I held down on the puncture site and held in on the end of the butterfly do-hickey. I didn't want it flying across the room when she turned on the automatic BP machine. ; ) It did squeeze pretty tight, too. My arm is a little extra swollen just below the elbow tonight, I think probably because I left the Coban wrap on till about 6:30 tonight, and it was a little tight! Squoze me up a little too long and too tightly.
The Radiologist from Australia came in and explained what all was going to go on, and then -- off to the MRI room, more explanations etc., and me begging for an extra pad for my non-sticky-outie-rib side. I discovered an anomaly with my ribs, and it became very painful when they did the first MRI here.
I asked for something different to be done so it wouldn't hurt so much - and they already had it cushioned for me! Plus, enough other people had complained about the 'discomfort' (a medical term meaning extreme pain) that they were trying different and extra padding to make it more comfortable.
They had to take pictures, then take more pictures with the contrast injected through the IV, pull me out, the Radiologist (guy from Australia) placed the 'locater' 'wire', put me back in for more pictures to see if that was in the correct place, back out for the biopsy. Don't move a muscle during all of this, please.
Now -the placement of the marker 'wire' was fun. First a tiny mark on the skin after he had made his calculations from the pictures. Then cleansing, the lidocaine (? or something like that) injected at the skin, in a little further and then on in even deeper. Ow, ow, ow.
The locater 'wire' was hollow, then he inserted the Dremel, or the hand blender, or the dentist drill, or the mixer - all the things everyone thought was the sound it made. The Dr. said an electric knife.
I didn't look quickly enough before they disposed of it, but one of the nurses said it looks like a Braun hand blender and the Dr. holds it sideways against the skin. It has a long 'screwdriver-looking' bit on the end that has an auger (!) on it and it just scoops out a section and suctions it in a little to hold it, then that is what they sent off.
They told me it would take 5 days to get the results - I hope not! The last biopsy I learned the next afternoon. Maybe next time I'll learn not to have things done on Thursdays! Too close to the weekend.
I've had ice on it off and on all the rest of the day. Went for my choir extra rehearsal and we sound so good with our Latin piece. We are working really hard and I hope lots of you can come to the concert!
Again - Saturday, May 10, 7:30 pm (!) (not 7:00 as I had previously erroneously stated!) at Christ Church United Methodist, 655 N. Craycroft.
I'm in need of sleep, so I'll stop here - any questions - post them in the comment section - the guest book doesn't work anymore - sorry if you've put something up there - I don't get anything anymore.
Love and hugs and kisses and thanks for all your well wishes. I got several notices of bad e-mail addresses - most of which I know are correct, so, I'll try those again - but if someone in your family feels left out - sorry - I'm going to try to re-send them. Maybe it was just too large of an address line.
Peace out. Patty OXOX : )

April 28 Another 'Thingy' in my Right Breast

This afternoon was my follow up visit with my wonderful surgeon, Dr. Roeder. We made this appointment months ago, to follow up with my MRI and Mammogram. I had the MRI and a chest x-ray on the 14th and the mammogram on the 17th. They sent me home saying the Dr. would let me know about the MRI, and then with an OK on the mammo.
Well.....turned out that they found another 'thingy' in my right breast that they want biopsied.
From the final report: "Nonspecific nodular enhancement centrally with the right breast. An MRI guided core biopsy is recommended".
But wait - there's more -- (tee hee) -- there are lots of words I have never heard of and have no idea what they mean.
"...mild diffuse background parenchymal enhancement bilaterally". "...demonstrates a 5x7 mm region of nonspecific nodular enhancement with indistinct margins of the central aspect of the breast . This nodular region is located approximately 5 cm directly posterior to the nipple and demonstrates an indeterminate type II time intensity curve. No other dominant enhancing nodules are identified in the right breast."
What in the blue blazes does all that mean!!
Well - it means another core needle biopsy, for which I am waiting to be contacted to schedule. They promised me it would not be anything like the five weeks I had to wait for the last MRI guided biopsy, which was a bust because they couldn't find the spot. They think this might be the same area??
Looking for a clean bill of health for me and for all you'alls.
Love to all. Patty : ) : )

April 21 Seasons Choir

I am right now singing with my buddies in the Seasons Choir. We are singing lots of good stuff - I'll tell you all about our performance songs when we pick them from all the songs we're trying out.
There are about 20 of us again - we come and go. A few people have gotten sick or had a family emergency and had to drop out, but we will still be a block of ladies singing our little hearts out.
Our concert will be May 10, at the Christ Church United Methodist, the same place we've been holding the concerts.
We are trying this year to have an extra rehearsal per week at one of the singers' houses. I hope that helps me - the one of not much memory power. They told me today that at some point I would have to quit using the 'Chemo Brain' excuse. HMMMM.
We are singing: Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child; Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme; I'm gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter; Nigra Sum (LATIN! -- EEK!); American Lullaby; Sing a Song of Six Pence; and River in Judea -- this last one with both of the other choirs. Mrs. Kersey is letting us sing so many songs because we all argued for our favorites. She reminded us that at the first concert, we only sang 3 songs! The ones we won't sing this time are One Minute Madrigal and Kyrie (by Imant Raminsh and is the most gorgeous arrangement) We will probably sing the Kyrie at the Holiday concert.
We have only two weeks left before the concert, so not enough rehearsals for me. MUST. GO. PRACTICE. NOW.
Please, please, come hear us sing -- Sat. eve. May 10 at 7:00 at 655 N. Craycroft - just north of 5th Street on the west side of Craycroft. Bring friends - it's free if you don't care to make a donation. Bring friends who are women who would like to sing for fun - no auditions - very casual, and fun. Did I mention we have a good time?
Hey - also brings friends who are male or female and are 13 - 20 (ish?) and would like to sing in the other awesome choirs! They need new voices all the time, also. Mrs. Kersey Rocks!
Later Gator. Love ya mean it - I'm going to catch up on this blog - nothing much has been happening. Patty : ) : )

March 31 Just Having Hot Flashes

The hot flashes have not abated yet - I'm still waiting for that to happen. They are different from the "power surges" that I have had before. These puppies are pretty much from the neck up - beginning with hot and red ears and then the sweaty neck and the forehead and the upper lip. Lately there have been prickly arms and lower legs. It feels a little like a niacin flush.
I keep thinking I am going to try to leave out my vitamins for a week or so to see if I am having a niacin flush! The docs did say that the flushes might improve with time. (Improve as in dissipate, not get to know how to become a better hot flash.) ; ) I'm waiting. And waiting.
I don't have much new to add except my hair is growing and growing and is quite a lot thicker (and much curlier).
I figured out a few nights ago while I was busy not sleeping (Yes, that is another side effect of the chemo that is still going on - they said something about the rest of my life, perhaps?), that the reason my hair is so thick is that it all fell out at once and so it all began growing in at the same time. So, every hair is in the same phase of the growing/resting/falling out cycle.
Now, does that mean it will all fall out at the same time? I certainly hope not! I don't know just how it will all fall (pun intended) into place, but I think it will probably just begin the same cycle, soon. The growing cycle is from 3 to 5 years, and then it rests for a few years then falls out and then begins all over again. So...what will come will be a surprise.
I have been scrubbing and scratching my head - it itches, probably because of the regrowing, and finally realized - NOT ONE HAIR IS FALLING OUT RIGHT NOW!!!!
NOT ONE!!!
Unreal.
I know this for a real true fact, because I have been pulling and tugging at my hair ever since I figured this out. I simply thought the hair was just too short to be catching in the drain and that was why I wasn't seeing any fallout! Hmmmmm!
The eyelashes are itching and falling out lots - eyebrows and eyelashes really like the eyelash 'reconditioner' that I have been using.
My eyebrows are growing on the ends of the brow where they haven't for years.
I read recently that one symptom of thyroid problems is missing ends of your eyebrows. (Not the hairs, silly, the brow!) Maybe that is what happened to me?
We are busy trying to figure out our summer. We will be heading to Seattle for Bob's dad's burial, and then later to Kansas for reunion and visiting family and friends in KC.
Let me know when you are available - Seattle and KC folks.
Sara will be swimming again this summer - she missed it all last summer. Boy, has a lot of water gone under the bridge since last summer!
My girlfriend (who got me to move to Scissor Talk which is about a mile from home) who began working with me at Great Lengths about 4 months after I moved here, is now moving to Seattle. I don't know what I will do in this town without her! I'm so sad for me and happy for her. I AM going to see her in July when I'm up there, though!
I'm hoping on doing a lot of visiting and resting and eating off my chest while doing crosswords and sudoku and watching TV while I am in KC!!
Later, gators. Love you all. Patty : ) : )