I thought I was dying

hopitus wrote:

You don't know me or my family but I feel the same way. You are my
unsung
heroine of rpca for sure. If what I remember re your medical issues is
correct,
you deserve every bit of it. Your illness took my sister 14 years ago
this month.
I wear her name, as well as three friends' on badge as I walk with the
locals
in the annual March. Many medical breakthroughs in last 14 years.

They *have* made some amazing break-throughs in breast cancer. It's no
longer the death sentence it once was. (Although I'm really sorry for your
loss, hopitus.) What I have isn't breast cancer; it's an *extremely* rare
form of chest wall cancer. Mine spreads through connective tissue instead
of through the blood. It doesn't respond to chemo and my doctors won't do
radiation therapy because the tumor (which has returned) is right over my
heart. Still, I've had to have a mastectomy, 4 ribs & half my sternum
removed, left chest muscle & lower abdominal muscles removed along with my
lymph nodes on the left side. The advice I have to women who get diagnosed
with breast cancer and are hesitating on whether or not to get a mastectomy,
I have to tell you that it doesn't make you any less of a woman and it's
really no big deal. Sometimes the dissection is so clean, you don't even
have to have further treatment, i.e. chemo & radiation.

Please, ladies, get a mammogram - they're really not bad! Takes 10 minutes
and they don't hurt. Technology is incredible these days. Better than a
mammogram is an MRI, but I gotta warn you, they're NOT comfortable. Those
take about 45 minutes and they're loud, claustrophobic, and you can't move
an inch the entire time. An ultrasound is also a good test and that's
completely painless; just cold gel and a scope. A CT scan is best, though.
They can see everything with one of those. I get them about every 3 months.
It involves a needle and an iodine dye, it takes 10 minutes, and the results
are so clear! They get a full 3-D image of your insides. Anything foreign,
like cancer or even gallstones, shows up a bright white on the scan. Pretty
neat.

If anyone has any questions on a medical procedure they may be afraid of,
e-mail me. Trust me, I've had them ALL. (Oh, and a full body bone scan is
pretty cool, too!) Remove the NOSPAM to reply.

kili

Kyla =^. .^=` wrote:
Okay, may I ask what good is an appendix? I had mine removed back
in 1972 when my youngest daughter was born. (by C-Section)
Kyla

I don't think anyone knows what an appendix is for. At one time I heard it
was like a third stomach on a cow to help aid in digestion of grass. Don't
quote me on that one, though, because I have no idea!

kili

kilikini wrote:
I don't think anyone knows what an appendix is for. At one time I heard it
was like a third stomach on a cow to help aid in digestion of grass. Don't
quote me on that one, though, because I have no idea!

It's what's called a vestigial organ. It used to have some use back in
our evolutionary past, but it's on its way to being completely lost.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

Victor Martinez wrote in
:

kilikini wrote:
I don't think anyone knows what an appendix is for. At one time I
heard it was like a third stomach on a cow to help aid in digestion
of grass. Don't quote me on that one, though, because I have no
idea!

It's what's called a vestigial organ. It used to have some use back in
our evolutionary past, but it's on its way to being completely lost.




Sort of like a brain for some people I know.

On Aug 3, 7:05*am, Victor Martinez wrote:


It's what's called a vestigial organ. It used to have some use back in
our evolutionary past, but it's on its way to being completely lost.


The appendix is bigger in vegetarian animals especially those that eat
leaves and I think non-existent in obligate carnivores (Another
example of feline superiority). Interestingly old world monkeys have
larger appendixes than most other primates. Presumably at some time in
our evolution when we ate more vegetable matter the appemdix had a
function but as we've evolved it has shrunk. Some scientists think it
may have a minor function for the immune system but that's just a
theory

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

On Aug 3, 7:41*am, outsider wrote:

It's what's called a vestigial organ. It used to have some use back in
our evolutionary past, but it's on its way to being completely lost.

Sort of like a brain for some people I know.


"DAVE! Can you pass me some kitchen towel to dry off the monitor?!!!"

That needed a BW!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

On Aug 3, 7:00*am, "kilikini" wrote:

Please, ladies, get a mammogram - they're really not bad! *Takes 10 minutes
and they don't hurt

Over here they're free once you're over 50 and you get them every so
many years but it's the getting them bit....I turned 50 last November
and assumed that the local health service would send me a birthday
card along the lines of "Happy 50th birthday! Call the number on the
card and we'll book you for mammogram- so we can do our bit to make
sure you have many happy returns"

Last week my GP sent me one of those letters about their upgrading
their computer system and as they haven't seen me for a while if I
don't reply they'll assume I don't want to be on their books anymore
(They did once send me a letter that actually read "Dear Ms Madigan,
According to our records you have not contacted this practice since
2001, if you have moved from the area or died would you please advise
us of this fact"- I toyed with walking in and telling them I was dead
just for the look on their face!) so I wrote back pointing out that I
am now over 50, have a probable family history of breast cancer (my
mum didn't come straight out with it but when she mentions rashes on
her breast then ends up in hospital and dies of a heart attack
secondary to pulmonary embolism with the third cause being metastatic
liver disease- I think I can work out where the primary was). can
they please send me details/book me an appointment for a mammogram

If they don't come back soon then I'll chase it up myself

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

On Aug 2, 2:08*pm, wrote:

(*Arnold Shwarzenegger, governor of California - to my unending
embarrassment)

Didn't he abolish declawing in California? I think I read that
somewhere- if I'm wrong I'm wrong- if I'm right that he's done more
decent things than the current prime minister of the UK and he's not
as annoying as the last one!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

Didn't he abolish declawing in California? I think I read that
somewhere- if I'm wrong I'm wrong- if I'm right that he's done more
decent things than the current prime minister of the UK and he's not
as annoying as the last one!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

I don't think so. The City of West Hollywood banned declawing and the
state challenged the law. As a former long-time Californian, I feel
confident that you can count on Gov Arnold to push for laws that make
good press but don't have much real effect.

On Aug 3, 8:16*am, Daniel Mahoney wrote:


I don't think so. The City of West Hollywood banned declawing and the
state challenged the law. As a former long-time Californian, I feel
confident that you can count on Gov Arnold to push for laws that make
good press but don't have much real effect.

He sounds suspiciously like Gordon and Tony over here

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs