Gayle's Cancer Updates

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gaylejackson2
Posts: 3172
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:13 pm
Location: Utah

Re: Gayle's Cancer Updates

Post by gaylejackson2 »

alliesmama4 wrote: Sun Nov 10, 2019 8:42 pm Gayle..So sorry to hear what you are dealing with.. Still keeping your in my thoughts and prayers. Did they say how long the pain would last after each session or is it on going during the whole treatment sessions? I cannot imagine how much you are suffering. You are a strong woman but you are also human in need of a lot of comfort and love from those around you. I do hope they are able to help you. Just know I am sending you love and warm and caring thoughts. Vent here as much as you need to.
Love and very gentle ((hug)) your friend, Janet
Janet,

I do not think they even know how the bone/muscle pain will effect each person, it's more of a wait & see what happens.

Hubby & children are caring for me, and my close friends around here are checking up on me daily.

Which reminds me, I must edit my larger "email" again for other people. I'm going to put in there that they can call or text me, and that moving around some is good for me... perhaps it's rather bad of me to tell them all how I've lost my "filter" but RS woman is not the ONLY person to say stuff. I suspect I've offended her and need to make amends (my soul says I must), but I wonder if I'll ever get teh same from her.
Last edited by gaylejackson2 on Thu Nov 21, 2019 1:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Gayle's Cancer Updates

Post by alliesmama4 »

gaylejackson2 wrote: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:39 am Janet,

I do not think they even know who the bone/muscle pain will effect each person, it's more of a wait & see what happens.

Hubby & children are caring for me, and my close friends around here are checking up on me daily.

Which reminds me, I must edit my larger "email" again for other people. I'm going to put in there that they can call or text me, and that moving around some is good for me... perhaps it's rather bad of me to tell them all how I've lost my "filter" but RS woman is not the ONLY person to say stuff. I suspect I've offended her and need to make amends (my soul says I must), but I wonder if I'll ever get teh same from her.
Good to hear that your DH and children and close friends are there for you. When you are so sick as you are it is hard to try to maintain a happy and caring attitude towards others so just do not worry about offending others. I worked with a lot of critically ill people and it is not fair to expect them/you to be Susie Sunshine. I have had patients that apologized to me later on how mean or hateful they were but I tell them it is ok and to let these feelings go I was not offended due to the circumstances.. They were in too much pain to realize what they were saying at the time.

The RS lady needs a reality check. Especially if she is to continue in her current position. She does not seem to have empathy.
Janet Alliesmama
gaylejackson2
Posts: 3172
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:13 pm
Location: Utah

Re: Gayle's Cancer Updates

Post by gaylejackson2 »

alliesmama4 wrote: Mon Nov 11, 2019 9:07 am Good to hear that your DH and children and close friends are there for you. When you are so sick as you are it is hard to try to maintain a happy and caring attitude towards others so just do not worry about offending others. I worked with a lot of critically ill people and it is not fair to expect them/you to be Susie Sunshine. I have had patients that apologized to me later on how mean or hateful they were but I tell them it is ok and to let these feelings go I was not offended due to the circumstances.. They were in too much pain to realize what they were saying at the time.

The RS lady needs a reality check. Especially if she is to continue in her current position. She does not seem to have empathy.
Agreed, neither much sympathy. Perhaps she was given them this calling to help her to be able to relate to others better, but this is just my opinion, it's nothing I know.
Last edited by gaylejackson2 on Wed Nov 13, 2019 11:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
gaylejackson2
Posts: 3172
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:13 pm
Location: Utah

Re: Gayle's Cancer Updates

Post by gaylejackson2 »

As always, this will be tailored for multi-site postings.
—-
Dear Family & Friends,

Many of you did not know that I was going out to Salt Lake for another appointment on
Nov 12 2019 with Dr Panucci. This visit was at University Hospital as it was the first available for him, as opposed to Huntsman Cancer Institute where the rest of my cancer appts. have been previously.

Because I had seen reddening on the undersides of my breasts just 1 day after my chemo treatment, Dr Panucci felt that I should come in and get checked over.

He said everything looks like it is healing good, that my incisions look to be completely healed. I was released to have baths!!! 😍😍 But he also said to check with Dr Ward to make sure baths are a good thing with my chemo. (Dr Ward says it is fine with him as long as it is fine with Dr Panucci.)

I’d mentioned redness--there was none when we got there. I also told him about the soreness that cropped up afresh with chemo, I hadn't felt any pain for 2-3 weeks then after chemo it came back. He said it was normal, and to expect those kind of painful flareups all during chemo. Then he said, “You have mastectomy & lymph node removal scars under your right arm and across the tops of your breasts even if you don't see them. It is Very Normal to be bothered by them for weeks & months after surgery (some women are sensitive in that region for Years).”

He also said that due to the chemo, my body will be healing Much Slower, and while he might normally release me to full activity at 10 weeks, he is going to recommend (to his co-Plastic surgeon who will be taking over my care) that I stay at 4-5 pounds lifting limit for 12-16 weeks, Until My Chemo is Complete, OR Possibly not until 1 MONTH AFTER CHEMO ENDS. :o He says also that I need to make sure I’m not engaging my core muscles, as that will keep my inner belly incisions from healing properly (he emphasized this repeatedly). Well actually my whole body's functions are slowing and breaking down, and healing time is reduced drastically by the Chemotherapy.

I am to keep walking, but to keep babying my body which means I should continue to sleep elevated, keep my feet up, avoid standing or sitting upright for more than 15-20 minutes as it will continue to aggravate my belly. No other exercises are allowed, as any additional exercises could slow down the healing of my chest & abdominal muscles, tissues, and grafts.

He examined (by touching the scars & skin) my belly incisions, and abdominal wall to make sure the inner muscles were healing. They are still very tender, and I kept sucking in my breath as he was doing his gentle examination.

He says that he recommends that I continue my post-surgery care with Dr Isaac Goodwin as he did my breast reconstructive surgery with Dr Panucci on Sept 23. We will see; if I don't get good feeling/vibe from him then we’ll try to get in to see Dr Kwak or Dr Angwahl (or however his name is spelled).

As for me, well my body continues to fight against the chemo but it is also breaking down too. Newest on this list is disintegration of my mouth & tongue, with gosh-awful sores along the edges of my tongue, and a strange bumpy feeling on the roof of my mouth—and I have thrush now too. So Dr Ward’s team contacted me this morning (Tuesday) and sent new Prescriptions (To my pharmacy) to combat the thrush, and a mouth-pain-numbing combination that is Soo nasty that it makes the Nystatin for the thrush taste delicious!

I’m hoping nothing new crops up for a day or two, as I feel like I’m keeping our pharmacy in business. However, I’ll continue to keep monitoring my body and let Dr Ward's team know about new issues.

Nothing has really changed for me other than I can take baths now. I’m still restricted in all major ways (NO lifting, reaching, twisting, cooking, stirring, driving, etc.), am still to keep babying my body for good healing, and for those several who have asked, there is No Physical Therapy that I can do to heal faster/better. Physical Therapy is not recommended for Microvascular Breast Reconstructive Surgeries, as we want to encourage healing and good grafting—which won't happen if you're using your muscles.

I still plan to cut my hair short, probably on Sunday Nov 17th in the evening. I plan to have my girls trim at first, then I will have hubby use his clippers with the 1/2 inch guard to cut it shorter. I plan to have one of my older boys video both portions of my hair cutting, as I feel that will be useful and helpful in my healing process. I also plan to keep 2 braids of hair, one of my natural dark brown, and one of my gray hair (which I have noticed has gotten A LOT more white/gray hair in past 2 weeks)--I think that being able to hold some of my own hair on the hardest days might actually help me.

As for Monday November 11th 2019, I was 7 weeks post-surgery, and November 13th 2019 marks 1 week since I started my TC Chemotherapy treatments.

Thank you all for your prayers, I really felt them last week especially on the days that I felt soo ill from the effects of the chemo. Thank you also to everyone who has called me, visited, texted, sent cards or gifts, brought dinner, or whomever has helped my children.

With all of my sincere love and deepest appreciation,

Gayle Peel Jackson
Last edited by gaylejackson2 on Thu Nov 14, 2019 9:00 am, edited 4 times in total.
rinty
Posts: 1919
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 3:54 am

Re: Gayle's Cancer Updates

Post by rinty »

Oh, Gayle, really hope all these things settle down for you.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Gayle's Cancer Updates

Post by alliesmama4 »

gaylejackson2 wrote: Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:23 am As always, this will be tailored for multi-site postings.
—-
Many of you did not know that I was going out to Salt Lake for another appointment on
Nov 12 2019 with Dr Panucci. This visit was at University Hospital as it was the first available for him.

Because i had seen reddening on the undersides of my breasts just 1 day after my chemo treatment, Dr Panucci felt that I should come in and get checked over.

He said everything looks like it is healing good, that my incisions look to be completely healed. I was released to have baths!!! 😍😍 But he also said to check with Dr Ward to make sure baths are a good thing with my chemo. (Dr Ward says it is fine with him as long as it is fine with Dr Panucci.)

I’d mentioned redness--there was none when we got there. I also told jim about the soreness that cropped up afresh with chemo, I hadn't felt any pain for 2-3 weeks then after chemo it came back. He said it was normal, and to expect those kind of painful flareups all during chemo.

He also said that due to the chemo, my body will be healing Much Slower, and while he might normally release me to full activity at 10 weeks, he is going to recommend (to his co-Plastic surgeon) that I stay at 4-5 pounds lifting limit for 12-16 weeks, Or Until My Chemo is complete. He says also that I need to make sure I’m not engaging my core muscles, as that will keep my inner belly incisions from healing properly.

I am to keep walking, but to keep babying my body which means I should continue to sleep elevated, keep my feet up, avoid standing or sitting upright for more than 15-20 minutes as it will continue to aggravate my belly.

He examined (by touching the scars & skin) my belly incisions, and abdominal wall to make sure the inner muscles were healing. They are very tender, and I kept sucking in my breath as he was doing his gentle examination.

He says that he recommends that I continue my post-surgery care with Dr Isaac Goodwin as he did my breast reconstructive surgery with Dr Panucci on Sept 23. We will see; if I don't get good feeling/vibe from him then we’ll try to get in to see Dr Kwak or Dr Angwahl (or however his name is spelled).

As for me, well my body continues to fight against the chemo but it is also breaking down too. Newest on this list is disintegration of my mouth & tongue, with gosh-awful sores along the edges of my tongue, and a strange bumpy feeling on the roof of my mouth—and I have thrush now too. So Dr Ward’s team contacted me this morning and sent new Prescriptions (To my pharmacy) to combat the thrush, and a mouth-pain-numbing combination that is Soo nasty that it makes the Nystatin for the thrush taste delicious!

I’m hoping nothing new crops up for a day or two, as I feel like I’m keeping our pharmacy in business. However, I’ll continue to keep monitoring my body and let them know about new issues.

Nothing has really changed for me other than I can take baths if Dr Ward, Chemo Doctor, okays it.
I’m still restricted in all major ways (NO lifting, reaching, twisting, cooking, stirring, driving, etc.), am still to keep babying my body for good healing, and for those several who have asked, there is No Physical Therapy that I can do to heal faster/better. Physical Therapy is not recommended for Microvascular Breast Reconstructive Surgeries, as we want to encourage healing and good grafting—which won't happen if you're using your muscles.
You mentioned you need avoid engaging your core muscles. That is one of the reasons I cautioned you a while back about scooting a laundry basket with your foot. You are using core muscles. You are tightening those muscles to maintain your balance and posture. Let someone else take the basket down to the laundry room. If there is no one there at the time let it go until someone is there.I know you want to do more but need to follow the Drs advise for you healing.
Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
Janet Alliesmama
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