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Comments
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Twink, you look so pretty on your pic: real hair or fabulous wig? Just curious...
CatherineH0 -
How are you doing, Marsha? Hope everything is OK.
CatherineH0 -
Hi folks!
Sorry I haven't kept up with the daily reminders of bar reservations, but I'm being laid low by AC#4, thankfully my last! My RBC was a bit low on Tuesday, so that might account for my fatigue. My onc nurse said something about getting a shot (arasept) before next chemo (taxol) if it hadn't gone back up.
Today should be Steph, Pat, Twink, Terry and tomorrow is Maisy.
Welcome to Shirley ...
SammieKay -- I started the thread about kids on Helping to get through treatment. Check it out ...
OK, back to bed ...
-- Hillary0 -
Jan -
I had lumpectomy, 1 sentinel node with micromets in it - (ER/PR + HER2 neg) and I am "only" having to do 4 tx of AC - no taxol. My onc said I wouldn't need it! Good for me~
I will move on to rads the early part of May.
Every doc has their reasons I guess.
Jen0 -
Good morning
It is a fine Autumn morning after a very wet day yesterday. I kept wondering what my wig would be like if I got it really wet but managed to avoid the heavy downpours.
Twink, further to your story my wee neighbour asked her mother where was the other lady next door. She was all smiles when she saw me after school but certainly just looked when I was wigless.
Catherine, hope the pain has gone and you have a better day.
Hillary like you I am so tired. at this moment I don't actually know how I am going to last the day. Its day 15 since #2 and so bloods are probably very low which doesn't bode well for #3 next Thursday. Will just have to wait and see.
Shirley welcome aboard this cruise. I am intersted to see that you are having FEC, this is what my treatment is then I go on to Taxol once finished.
Jen, I am ER/PR+ HER2 neg but I had 23 pos nodes which is why I am going on to Taxol.
SammieKay there will be plenty of us still cruising with you. I don't finish chemo until at least mid June all going well and then it is radiation for at least five weeks.
Hope every one has a great day and those at the bar have plain sailing
Alyson0 -
Good eveing girls...
I made it through TCH #4 today with no problems. My counts were still good so no shots for me (I had an extra week this time to recouperate). Doc is pleased with how I am doing but not with the fluid retention. So he gave me an rx for lasix, postassium and an antibiotic...my port incision is red and looks like it could be getting an infection...so I am turning into a regular pharmacy. My blood pressure and pulse were up today due to the decadron, so he lowered my premed dose from 5 decadrons to 3 the night before and we will see if I react to the Taxotere next time. He offered me a pill for anxiety, but I refused it. I really do think it is the decadron. I really don't feel anxious and I don't want to take another pill.
I slept for about an hour thru chemo...nothing exiciting was going on. A lot of older folks who were sleeping anyway. So if you can't beat em, join em!
Well...I think tonite will be an early to bed. Plan on going to work tomorrow. My boss's mom passed away, so I should attend the funeral in the morning. Sat & Sun I will lay low and will wait and see about Monday.
Hope my fellow cruisers for today are doing well also...
Love to all of you!0 -
Welcome Shirleyv! Nice to see you here... You started chemo one day before me but I'm on an AC then T regime. get caught up ... this is a great bunch of women.
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Terry,
I think I'll be with you for the duration. Four AC down, 4 DD Taxol to go, then surgery, then radiation? Still a ways to go...but I'm glad the AC is behind me.0 -
Okay, I'm done with the 'red devil' forever. Today was pretty uneventful other than the extremely long wait to see the onc before the chemo.
A few interesting tidbits though... one... My onc prefers taxotere over taxol. He says they are equally effective, both equally agressive and the taxotere produces fewer side-effects. The taxotere is a synthetic version of taxol. I need to look into this a little more before my next bar visit on April 12th.
Also, he remarked that the 'lump' seems smaller again and softer...not gone though
The onc nurse really made a mess of the IV this time. Not entirely her fault though. She tried one vein, it hurt me, so rather than take a chance with the adriamycin she opted to go for another vein. My hands were cold so my usually enormous ropey veins were nice and small and flat. She used a tourniquet and the 1st vein popped...like an aneurism. It's all swollen and dicolored now. Oh well... whatever... it could be worse.
I'm feeling pretty good, as usual the 'day of'.
Carynn, I'm taking all of next week off...I need a break from work and I probably should have been taking more time off through this than I have been.
Here's wishing all those who stepped up to the bar this week are doing okay. I'm thinking about you all. It's so nice to not be alone in this flippin' mess.0 -
OOPs...meant to say Leah (not CatherineH), sorry -- re the fuzz standing up...either that or you've been electrified
Here's hopeing for the former...hair starting to grow in. Are you on Taxol now or are you done with chemo? 0 -
Jan and Phyl,
The Taxol following AC is standard for aggressive tumors too. I had no nodes (clinically, since I haven't had surgery) but because it's a triple negative cancer...they hit me with the 'big guns'.0 -
Hehehe ... That's my 'hot babe' wig Catherine. Thanks for the compliment. If you're interested, other pics of hair and wigs (and a stream of words to family and friends) can be seen at http://profiles.yahoo.com/whata_day
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Hi all - I'm back from treatment #3 this afternoon. The infusion itself went okay, but I got really stressed out and annoyed prior to. I went to the pharmacist to pick up my Emend and there was a problem processing it through the insurance. So I spent 30 minutes on the phone between the Dr's office and the insurance, but I finally got it. Then I had to deal with the one of the rude front desk chicks bad attitude. I signed in and took a seat and then I heard one of them whispering about how I was late. So when she called my name, I let her know exactly what had happened, and that I was told by the nurse to wait for my Rx. I really like my onc and all of the nursing staff, but some of those reception ladies really work my nerves. I told the onc what happened and he said he would handle it because patients have enough to worry about without being stressed out by the front desk. So once I was able to calm down from that, everything else was uneventful. I watched a DVD during treatment, got an Aranesp shot for my RBCs and headed home. Tommorow I go back for Neulasta.
Once home, I ate some dinner before the nausea could set in, and right now I just have the typical headache and my back hurts - guess it's time to get out the Tylenol. If the decadron keeps me up tonight as usual, I will consider taking the Ativan, as I am still kind of wound up. I just can't relax.
Catherine - thanks for the words of encouragement, and I hope you get some rest and your Neulasta pain subsides, while you are snowed in!
Hillary - thanks for keeping up the bar reservations despite not feeling so well yourself - hope you are feeling better soon.
Terry - hang in there post-chemo and hope that your can get your port issues resolved quickly.
Pat and Twink - I hope to hear that your bar visits went smoothly today, and Maisy good luck with tomorrow's visit.
I will try to check in over the next few days.
Steph0 -
Post deleted by Twink
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If you didnt see the NBC network news tonite, there was a fabulous piece on correspondant Ann Thompson. Wow! could I relate. Here's the link for the video:
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?f=00...032619/&fg=
Carynn0 -
Carynn - that story was great. There's been a lot of recent focus on getting MRIs - I'm going to have to ask my onc. about it with regard to a tool for diagnosis after chemo and radiation.
Thanks - Steph0 -
Thanks for the link, Carynn, I regretted I had missed it... it is now corrected...
Hope you're doing OK. It is still snowing, here... all day!! (but melted some at the same time...). I am worried for all my plants that were coming out so strongly... Perfect opportunity for doing nothing... reading, e-mailing... couch-potatoeing...
Have all a healing night,
CatherineH0 -
Carynn -- thank you, that's a heartwarming story. I wish they'd talk about more details...but that's the analyst in me.
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Wow Twink, you're must have some BIG veins to accomedate the chemo! The nurses better take care of them!
My LAST AC was pretty uneventful. Just the usual in that the port still won't let them pull blood so they have to stick my arm for that but no problem since I have pretty good veins and I prefer them just sticking my arm and not jacking around trying to get the port to work right. It's good for infusions though. My white count was great, hemoglobin low so I got Aranesp and praying for no big side effects from that.
Anyway not to bad head or nausea effects this evening like I usually do by now. So here's looking forward to and uneventful #4 and good riddens red devil (but thanks for killing any stray cancer cells!).
Pat0 -
Carynn & Catherine---thanks for the links! I have a lot of research to catch up on, but can't seem to get a clear answer if I'm at "high risk" enough to qualify for an MRI since I already have BC, but none of the other qualifiers.
Had #3 A/C on Wednesday, and was mostly uneventful, but didn't get the benefits of the decadron high this time...I've basically been sleeping since I got home, which is something new and different. But so far, not too much nausea either, so that's good. I did wear "the hat" and will post a picture when I figure out how and can keep my eyes open long enough.
My center is pretty sterile and "western medicine", so the hat brought lots of smiles...but my friend who took me this time is also a hypnotherapist, and did some work with me while they were giving me the "red devil"...which had caused me a post-tramatic stress reaction the last time. So I guess I'm well on my way to getting myself a reputation---at last! Complementary therapies and humor bash up against western medicine....hmmm...what a concept!
Good luck to all, and hope the weekend is uneventful for you...no nausea, no pain, and gentle spring walks...I'll post more when I can keep my eyes open....0 -
Glad you all enjoyed the link. Her story touched me as it has so many similarities to mine. Chemo first, etc. I especially enjoyed her comments about wearing a wig to work for the first time.
Steph - I thought the MRI info was interesting as well. It would seem from the research that anyone who has had b/c should now have them ordered as standard protocol. I will be interested to see what they do with me after tx. And Twink, since you're doing chemo first too, I wonder if they'll do another on us to see how much the tumor shrunk before doing surgery. Interesting....(BTW Twink, loved your site - I've actually set up a blog locally and havent
posted it yet - maybe this weekend?)
Catherine, did the snow clear up yet?
Pat, so happy to hear that the SE's were kind to you this time! Hope it stays that way!
Freethought - You GO girl! They will learn that us February girls are NOT to be messed with! Cant wait to see the pictures!
Well, believe it or, I actually did the WHOLE DAY in the office yesterday! Hope to do the same today. We are pretty casual in IT, only "dress" for meetings, or if we are meeting vendors, etc. Fridays are even more casual. I'm going to venture in today in the scarf and ballcap look.
Have a great day all - talk to you tonite!
Carynn0 -
That was me, Leah. I had 4 DD AC as neoadjuvant chemo. I will have more later after we do surgery and decide what to do about my liver (I was stage IV on diagnosis). So I will lose my hair again when I do whatever chemo is next later. But the fuzz looks so good right now!
Sybil, I saw an intake counselor at a place called the Healing Garden (www.healinggarden.net) which is a wonderful resource in my area for breast cancer patients. I will start some shortterm counseling 4/10. Again, thanks for your courage in mentioning it.
Biggest news- off to N. Calif (San Francisco and Napa Valley) for a week's business/vacation. I need the distraction! Hope all of you are great next week- not sure how much access I will have to internet since I am not lugging my computer. Drink deeply, and rest up. Love.0 -
Good morning Cruisers,
I am high on the decadron. Only slept about 3 hours last night. Going to work though after popping all my pills...antibiotics, bp & coumadin, zofran, vitamins, lasix and potassium....I think I am reacting to my taxotere, with swollen fingers and redness on my cheeks, neck and hands...if it gets too bad and itches I can take benedryl too. Have to go to a funeral this morning.
Hope everyone is doing fine after their AC treatments...it seems my TCH is a little easier to manage the day of and day after. Tomorrow will be my beginning of really feeling the effects.
Catherine...the lady next to me yesterday was getting Abraxane...not sure what else she got with it. Just a little bag, the nurses referred to it as her skim milk.
I don't know if the Taxol has more SEs than Taxotere. I seem to be having them. But then I had a major reaction to my first infusion.
Hope everyone is doing well. It is a beautiful spring day in PA. My crocuses and miniature daffodils are blooming on the sunny side of my house. The shady side will be later. I live in the woods, so I time spring by what is blooming and leaves coming out.
Happy Friday all,0 -
Just another comment on MRIs, especially if your breast tissue is dense (as is mine). The mammograms are ineffective in screening for cancer in dense breast tissue. Statistically, dense breast tissue is a known risk factor for breast cancer (5X more likely to get breast cancer, above and beyond the diagnoses attitibutable to ineffective screening tools). There is a school of thought, particularly in Canada, that women with dense breast tissue should have annual screening MRIs not mammograms. I am hopeful my insurance company won't make a stink about ongoing MRIs for me once I'm through this mess. I plan to take them on if I get any resistance.
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Carynn, I'm glad you enjoyed the site. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just being over-indulgent but my family and friends (none of whom are in the area since we moved across the continent last August) seem to appreciate the steady stream of news mixed with a little nonsense. Share the URL to your site if you're up to it Carynn. I love surfing around at night time -- I don't watch TV, just my laptop screen.
As for the MRI, I know my surgeon has been monitoring with ultrasound and should have a fairly good idea of the change in size by the time chemo is done. The only problem at this point is the question of whether surgery will precede Taxol / Taxotere or follow. I have an appt. with the Surgeon on April 12th at which point this will be decided. Right now, the sucker is still quite evident.
Day following AC#4 and I've talked myself into working from home. Not sure how much work I'll get done but I'll get the few must-do's checked off my list and play the rest by ear. It's a beautiful sunny day here in the Lehigh Valley. Hope everybody is coping with well with their treatment after effects...hugs all around.0 -
Hi all,
Just checking in. So far so good after Wednesday's treatment. Not much to say. My husband and daughter leave today for the Y National swim meet in Ft. Lauderdale. First time I'm not going - kind of a downer for me, but I didn't want to plan to go since I wasn't sure how I'd handle the chemo - plus there is a lot of sunshine. Oh, well, next year!
Terry, I got a sleeping pill (restoral, I think) and that seems to help me on chemo days and the three days after when I'm taking the decadron).
Leah, Have fun in California! Sounds like a blast!
Steph, sorry you had to deal with insurance issues - no one needs that during this time! Hope they learned their lesson!
CatherineH, Snow!! Yikes! But I bet it's pretty!
Carynn, Thanks for the link!
Have a good weekend everyone!
Wendy0 -
Freethought...I am dying to see a pix of that hat!! Glad you are doing better this time around so far.
Steph..I too have run into the bitches at t he fron counter. What is with them? They work in a onc office and treat patients like that? My onc and his nurse and lab techs are great but........
Jan, I had one stickin' micro-node also that put me on Taxol.
Hillary, hope you get to feeling better. Have we heard from Karen and Linnie lately?? I especially worry about about Karen, she has had such a touch time of it! Hi, Phyl, haven't talked to you in a while! Wendy, Allyson, Terri, Jel, Sammie Kay and everyone I might have missed just wanted to give a shout out to you!!
Leah, have a great time on vacation...you deserved it girlfriend.
Catherine, doing OK... queasy some and tired but just laying around taking it easy this time. I would love to look out my window and see soft peaceful snow, how soothing.
Pat, didn't it feel great to get that last A/C done????? Yippee And Terry, you too on the TCH
Twink, I swear girl you crack me up. Just in general, nothing specific, it's like I can hear your tone of voice.
Carynn, Aren't you on your "good" week right now? Glad to hear you felt up to work. XOXOXO Marsha0 -
Thank you so much for that video. Today is not a great day for me and I was feeling down. I have been so strong all along and all of a sudden I feel like everything is hitting me all at once. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but the strong me seems a little rattled now.
Seeing this video about Ann Thompson has helped. What would we do without this website.....
Keep on cruising.
Jel.0 -
Hi Marsha, Steph and ladies,
The comment about the onc receptionists. It must be a requirement of each onc office that they be nasty, thoughtless and heartless. I had a run in with one of them myself and she actually reduced me to tears.....
We dont need any grief from these people, we are already going through enough.
Jel0 -
Hi, ladies... well, Neulasta effects are not as vivid as yesterday (the worst it's been out of the 4, but still very bearable), but I went to the onc office this morning, not that I can't spend 2 days without seeing them, but my port incision site had been more red since Tuesday and I did not want to go into the week-end with a risk of infection... I did well, they thought it was just starting and put me on an anibiotics for 10 days to be on the safe side, since the neosporine was not very efficient. Apart from these bobos, not much to report... I am taking it very easy. The snow is almost all gone, and I mustered enough energy for a short walk with Toby... no queaziness so far (did not take anything today), hope this coming week is going to be gentle to all of you. I am so glad the protocol does not include more AC... one more of those would have been tough... In my mind, the healing process to recover from those 4 tx has already begun, and hopefully abraxane will not interfere too much...
Thinking of you all,
Hugs,
CatherineH0
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