Topic: Starting chemo September 2009

Hi London-Virginia! That's great that you want to join us (well, me....)! And nice to have someone almost in my time zone. I live in Oslo but am american. I studied in London and am often in the UK. Actually, I was supposed to fly there today but had to cancel because of the operation.

I LOVE your image of your father leading the entire British navy (marine?) throughout the ages to fight on your behalf! I read a study that said those with a "fighting spirit" had a better prognosis than those that "stoically accepted" the cancer. I would say you are doing well on that account! Interestingly, those that were in denial and didn't want to admit they had cancer also had better prognosis'. I suppose the most important element is a positive attitude- based on reality or not. 

I also have had my Dad watching over me, but in a more modest way (he was a concert pianist, so his colleagues wouldn't be as helpful as your Dad's...). He passed away after a long illness in June and I still have a little pouch of some of his ashes with me that I will later spread in his home town. When I went to the hospital for the operation I took the pouch with me so he could make sure everthing went alright. I don't know if that sounds weird but I've always been a Daddy's girl so it helped me out. Maybe my Dad could play concerts on the ships before the big battles to help calm the sailors nerves and help with morale? Do you think that would be good?

My surgeon said I would also have FEC. What does the 75 mean? I will have to check about the cold cap treatment at my hospital.  Otherwise, I've been thinking about just buying some cheap scarves and using that to hide my bald head. I've done alot of research on the internet and there are a million cool ways to tie scarves so I thought I would try to make the chemo treatment into a creative fashion statement. On the other hand, I might feel so ill that it is all I can do to get a scarf stuffed onto my head any which way! I also had thoughts of making a henna "tattoo" on my head. I don't know if that is too rock 'n roll/Hells Angels or not. I'm a classical musician so I always have to consider how things look with an evening gown on ;-)

Are you from originally from London? I've spent alot of time in Cornwall and London and have done alot of travelling around in the UK. 

All the best wishes for beginning your chemo! Sorry that you have to be first out, but we (I...) will be coming along soon. But then you also will be first finished ;-)

Hi - I am expecting to hear from the cancer clinic in about 3 weeks or so. I had my bi-lat max on Aug. 6/09. Saw my surgeon on the 14th. post-op . My ILC tumour was 4cm, SNB 0/4.My BS said that I will be having chemo and so I am probably going to start in September, as well. I have no other details yet.

I, unlike, London-Virginia, am not looking forward to any of it. I just try to put one foot in front of the other and move on. London-Virg - your post did make me laugh though.

krcll - thankyou for starting this thread (not sure if that is the correct term) as I will definitely need to have this kind of support and others with whom to compare notes.

I live in Canada.

Wondering if I can join as well. I will be starting Taxotere, carboplatin, herceptin at the end of August.  

 Ninjamom:
 Why did they switch you off of  TCH?  What do you mean it didn't work very well?  And the proverbial question... did you loose your hair?  So not looking forward to that.

  And what is the "cold cap" tx?  Wonder if it would work for the TCH protocol?I will ask tomorrow. Thanks.

Hi Everyone

London-Virg: Thanks for the welcome. I did understand what you meant by looking forward to chemo - as another step to getting all this over with. Your posts are funny; they make me laugh; we will need that for what is coming so please keep it up.

DH and I were planning a trip to England this fall. Three of my grandparents were born there and one grandmother was born in Scotland. Maybe we will try it next fall. 

I read as much as possible on the forums about chemo. I guess I had convinced myself that it will be pretty  bad but today I read some posts from women whose SE's were not that  difficult, so fingers crossed for all of us.

I have already been to a shop that specializes in wigs and clothing for cancer patients. I have not made a final decision on a wig yet and was going to go with a one that looks just like my own hair but maybe I should look for something a little different. I really need to stop feeling so very sorry for myself and get on with things. 

Ninjamom - I had bi-lat mx but with no reconstruction. It was pretty easy for me, really. I did not have to take any pain meds. I hope that your surgery will be just as easy as mine.

I have come to this site every day, sometimes many times a day, since my dx and it has been such an enormous help to learn from the others here and to be able to share all aspects of having BC. I am particularly grateful to the women who have been through it all and still take the time to come back to encourage us and advise us.

hi all,

i live in Boston area and diagnosed in June. I had lumpectomy and will have lymph node axillary surgery next monday, and as soon as i heal from it, by endof septmeber i will start Chemo.  I am so frightened by chemo. They recommended A/C with 4 treatments to start with.   They may add more to it after the surgery results. Im scared,specially losing hair part already kills me with this long waiting.  Any support wouldbe so appreciated.   I am new the supportgroups and everything.  thanks.

hey Kari - that's some post!  What a fantastic amount of handy info for scarves etc etc.  Love the Fiddler on the Roof jest!!  Also the Quaker look.  I think that is my consideration on scarves etc - I don't particularly want to look like the first Central London member of the Amish community (although they certainly seem like very nice folk and I rather approve of horse -power farming.  Doesn't hurt the land and horses are the world's nicest creatures in my book). I would like to see the Traffic Wardens trying to tow away a horse and buggy!!  Could be a great way of bucking the central London congestion charges - I think they only apply to cars.  Hitching up out side of my favourite store on Bond Street could be fun!

 If wearing scarves/hats, then I think that rather shows off earrings to their best advantage.  Perhaps a moment for investment in more earrings ladies?

I have found Aloe Vera gel is soothing on wounds or around wounds, and Arnica does help settle bruising. 

 Getting quite nervy as Friday draws closer.  No rationale, just the unknown.  I still have two not healed areas on my breasts (my op was complex and unusual in the US - lumpectomy but with big breast reduction on both breasts.)  I would have liked it if everything was totally healed but don't want to wait forever to do the chemo.  The chemo will slow down further healing, so I guess I am facing 3 months of having to have dressings on both breasts.  Grrrrrr  Ironically, it is the right breast that is the worst, and that wasn't the one with the lump!!

While I think of it, ladies on regimes other than FEC, I am reliably told by a friend in Greece that wearing dark nail polish on both hand and feet nails helps protect from the worst excesses of some of the chemo regimes.  Don't know why it needs to be dark, but apparently it works.

I am drinking gallons of fluids because that a) helps the nurse get a vein more easily, b) helps flush the chemo.  Apparently good for avoiding any cistitis problems.  (not unknown with FEC).  I have also read that for a few days after chemo, it is a good idea to just pour some water over your private bits when you go top the loo (toilet) as again, that would wash away any chemo chemicals after you've had a wee.

How you doping Newtonville?  Hang on in there.  Do you live in a rural area?  Where is it near?

I find it really interesting to get the opportunity of meeting people from all over the glove.

I am nipping off to bed now, but will catch up with you all soon.

warmest hugs to all - 

Hi everyone

krcll - I have always been a bit of a "low-energy" type (some might say lazy) so I feel about the same as always. I am having odd electric shock type feelings in my incisions every once in a while. It is a bit painful when it happens. Thanks for all the info. about the scarves; you have done a lot of work.

London-Virginia  your post made me laugh out loud. I don't do that very much these days so thank you for that. The woman at the cancer accessory shop said the same thing about wearing larger, more dangly earrings with caps and scarves. I did buy three pair of new earrings on a recent trip but somehow I have misplaced them.  

Good tip about drinking water and better veins. I had not heard that before. 

ninjamom -do you have a port?  

Hope I can join your thread also as I will start chemo tomorrow ( 8/19) with 4 rounds of ac and 12 weeks of taxol. I am also from the Boston area (South Shore) and had bilat mx with node dissection and reconstruction on 6/26/09. This was a local recurrance after lumpectomy and radiation last year so am very sick of cancer and treatments. Hopefully after chemo I can get my life back to normal. I am also vey nervous about the chemo because I hate taking meds. Hope I tolerate it as well as I did the radiation and surgery.The scary part is everyone is different so you don't know till you get it how it's going to affect you. Well thanks for startng this thread and will let you know how my first treatment goes :)

Hi everyone

mrsb45  We will be waiting to hear how you made out with your first treatment- I so hope it is easy for you. 

Gitane - I take my pals where I can get em but your comment is  funny. I will head over to the ILC board tomorrow.

Hi all,

London-Viginia - I feel nervous right along with you. Your sense of humour and positive attitude will carry you along way. I am sure they would not give you chemo if your unhealed areas were going to be a problem but it is another rotten thing to have to deal with on top of everything else.

London-Virginia - I know what you mean - I tend to be outspoken and somewhat sarcastic (blunt, I've been told) but with this diagnosis my friends all say - you'll be just fine, you are so strong. I cannot believe they are talking about me. I am anxiety-ridden, weepy and afraid of the future. A real "dysmal Jimmy" as you put it. 

Even my family thinks that the surgery was the biggest hurdle and that is over now. I think that was the easy part.

Have you painted your finger and toe nails black? I will try that based on your success with it,   

mrsb45 - how did make out today - was it easier than you expected? I hope so.

mrsb45- It sounds like you have had a tough time. I'm so sorry to hear that. But maybe next time you will know more about which meds help you best with the side effects? I hope that you will be feeling better tomorrow...

London-Victoria- I just want you to know that I will be thinking about you tomorrow when you get your first chemo. I'm sure you will have a fantastic team around you, like mrsb45 seems to have had. That is the most important. All the best with managing the side effects. Just remember that Admiral Lord Nelson and Codrington are on your side!

delaine- It is funny how everyone is so concerned about the surgery, but don't seem so concerned about the chemo or rads. I suppose that getting a breast cut off is so dramatic for most people that it is hard to realize that other things are, in the end, harder to tackle. I have to say that I have been open  at work about why I am away (or rather, I told 5 people and within 1 week 125 people knew.....) and everyone has been incredibly supportive and nice. I know they don't really understand even if they want to, so I expect them to lose interest just about the time I need the most support.... Also, I am thinking having cancer might be like when I went through a divorce- I was always able to "pull myself together" at the beginning, but as time went on I had less and less energy to manage things. I just got run down. Even when I was "done" with the divorce I then had to build myself up again. It is hard for anyone on the outside to realize how it really is. But then that is why we are here for each other. WE understand!

newtonville- I just got my first scarves from headcovers.com. 4 days from the States to Norway! They are beautiful scarves and a nice size. They have a great selection. I have ordered 1 or 2 scarves from 6 different places, so I would in ANY case find something that worked for me. I will keep you updated as to how it goes.

mrsb45 Sorry to hear that you had a rotten migraine from the chemo. I hope that you are feeling better now, are you?

London-Virginia - I am hoping that your treatment tomorrow will not be difficult. Keep us in the loop. How nice of your friends to actually volunteer to be vomited on. You have good friends. I'll be mentally putting my friends up against yours - I bet none of them are that loyal. Personally, I prefer to be sick in private so would not want them there anyway - just want to know how far they would go though.

hello kcrll and newtonville - I have looked at the headcovers website - it is good to know that they ship their products so quickly.