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Anyone starting Chemo in Feb?
Comments
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SammieKay... wishing you an easy last Taxol and a lovely break to get strength and boost your spirits for the next series of tx.
Jan, sharing your joy of having gone through the rads... tomorrow will be a big relief. Take care.
Marsha, sorry to read about your achy bones... take it easy, enjoy the sun and the warmth like a lizard...
A nice day to all of you out there...
Hugs,
Catherine0 -
One more set of pics of my wigs, these are the newest ones and the ones I plan to keep, the rest will go to ACS. I still like the wig in the first row the most. Hubby likes the longest wig, pic doesn't show the very long hair in the back. The last wig is one from the TLC cataloge and the color is sunkissed brown. I have one more wig coming that is a dark brown and shoulder length. The first two wigs actually have 3 shades of colors in them. Now I'm all set for the trips (college graduation here locally, boot camp graduation in CA, Mom's 80th birthday party in Illinois and maybe Colorado
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Hey Jan, I can understand why you might prefer the short honey brown, what with summer on it's way and all. They all look great on you. See what happens if you restyle the shorty, maybe part it in the middle, thin the bangs out alittle and brush the sides toward your face. Either way, you got three great looks going for you with all those social activities on your calender! LOL Hugs, Marsha
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Tuesday - SammieKay
Wednesday - CarolM
Thursday - Carynn, Pat, Theresa, Alyson
Friday - Karen (1st Abraxane)0 -
Quote:
Tuesday - SammieKay
Wednesday - CarolM, Tropicmom
Thursday - Carynn, Pat, Theresa, Alyson
Friday - Karen (1st Abraxane)0 -
Hi all - just another quick post - but I do have to say Jan, I love all the wigs! And Catherine, what a great story about the concert.
Well, my eye is so much worse today that I had to take a sick day! Arrgh! We only get 10 a year then have to use vacation. I've already used 4 for my SNB so that leaves me 5 for my surgery. grrr....
Anyway, apparently, I did a real number on my eye. It is extremely sensitive to light and very painful. I have a Dr's appointment this afternoon. I feel kind of silly going to the Dr, but as we are all so paranoid about infection, I dont dare let this go. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I dont need any antibiotics (I get the distinct impression that being on antibiotics will postpone my chemo Thursday). Now you might think I'm over reacting to not wanting to postpone chemo, but here's the thing, I cant find my tumor today! Now, I know that doesnt mean it's gone, in fact it wouldnt surprise me if I'm able to find the damn thing tomorrow. But obviously this means that the chemo is working, and I just dont want to miss a day!
Yup, bring on the bone pain!
I'll post later if I'm able to get on the computer after my Dr's visit. Best to those at the bar.
Carynn0 -
carynn,
I got an eye infection and they gave me antibiotic eye drops and it cleared up pretty quickly. I hope it goes well for you at the apt. Let us know
Karen0 -
Hi all -
Well back from the Doc. Wow! By the time I got the appointment, DH & I ran one errand, went to lunch, went to Doc, picked up script, it's 3:00! Where did the day go??
Well, I guess it was good that I went in. I saw my PCP instead of an Opthamologist. It was nice as I hadnt seen him since dx. Anyway, neither eye is infected, but I really did do a number on them. Each eye has corneal abrasions, and these very attractive white rings around the iris. You would be amazed how painfull it is! Extreme light sensitivity, etc, etc. Doc prescribed some drops which he thinks will clear them up in a day or so.
Off to relax now. Will talk to you tomorrow.0 -
Well, Carynn... no infection is always good news... You take it easy now... Till soon,
Catherine0 -
had my 1st taxol treatment last thursday. the only side effect I have is bad joint and bone pain. I will take that over the nausea any day. Have not missed a day of work. Hopefully the next one I will not have as much bone pain.
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Jan, I still like your top wig the most, with the long one second, but even the short one is cute! I am going to also donate two of my wigs to the ACS and keep the two I like for later on bad hair days or when I am too much in a hurry to do my hair!
Carynn, so sorry about your eyes! Rest them up and I am still looking to find out if your friends also live in Anthem Country Club or Sun City Anthem! Great news about your tumor disappearing - I am praying you will never find it again!!!
Marsha, not to worry, your social life will pick up again, especially after you get done with chemo. Just five weeks out now and I feel like a totally new person. Wahoo!
Got the official word from the radiation oncologist yesterday, no rads for me! He totally advised me NOT to do them as there was almost no benefit and much more risk. So I really am done except the nipple reconstruction and port removal. And of course, growing just a bit of hair back.0 -
Great news, Vegas... done, done... enjoy!! but come visit every once in a while, and start planning this dream vacation to Paris...
CatherineH0 -
Hi Marsha and all my girls on this cruise,
I am home from last Taxol. I never really recovered from #11 before I had #12 today. Two of the ladies having chemo today had already finished their Taxol and both are doing Herceptin. They both said by the last two doses of Taxol they were extremely fatigued. So I guess my fatigue and joint pain are normal. I feel like I have the flu. I will hang in there. I start FAC on May 15th. This too shall pass. Right? Fairy dust to you, my friend.
Catherine, I teared up reading about your concert. I know it was marvelous. Maybe I will order the Amadeus movie from Neflix. The last one I watched starred Robert Downy Jr. It was very good.
Carynn, I have suffered your malady and it was horrible. Mine was complicated by the fact that I ran into an oleader bush in the dark and I wonder if the poison of that plant made it hurt so bad and it took mine almost a week to heal. No kidding, worst pain I ever had. Seems silly, but it isn't a joking matter. Corneal abrasion, bad pain.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Jan, I love the wig in the top picture. Very nice.
Think I will shop for one like it. Did you have to have them styled or did they come ready to wear.
Hugs to all, especially those going to the bar this week.
Love, Sammie Kay0 -
good morning...just checking in...
Jan...you look great in all your wigs...I like the chin length one the best. Hope you enjoy all of your trips.
Marsha...hope you are feeling a little less achy by now. I have not had that SE with the taxotere. Just fatigue and nausea (could be from carboplatin too)
Carynn...hope you eye mends quickly. Both of my older kids have had this and they could not wear their contacts for a couple weeks. I would not be able to STAND my glasses (aka Coke bottle lenses) but I have worn hard lenses since I was 15...so never had to deal with the issue.
Vegas....I can't believe you are done...please keep in touch.
It is turning out to look like a pretty day here in PA. My son got called last night to dress for a varsity game, so will go to the ballfield immediately after work. Then I will be done in. Hope he gets to play. He is just a freshman.
I managed to get my continuing ed credits completed for my insurance license, so I just have to get to the annual compliance meeting this week. Next week at chemo, I am planning on asking for a leave until end of chemo. It would be about 8 weeks. Bummer that I am not allowed in the sun...without covering up that is. Onc says the chemo makes you sun sensitive. And I am very fair.
Well...got to get moving...have a great day.0 -
Vegas that is great news on no rads! Today is my last day of rads yaaaahooo! All the sore areas are healed up and oddly my nipples have skin peeling but no raw areas on them.
Sammie Kay, the wig only needed the bangs trimmed as they come a bit long to be trimmed to make it fit you. Otherwise nothing else is needed. Amazingly those two are very lightweight for long haired wigs. This is the ebay seller I got that one and the longest one from. shoulder length wig ebay page If this link doesn't work search for Item number: 290090861712 This is the very same wig as my shoulder length one. Here it is again in a lighter shade on that seller's site lighter shade shoulder length wig on ebay
Caryn...glad you had your eyes checked and it wasn't an infection! Sounds pretty sore! I had a contact dry in my eye once and I tore the cornia trying to get it off my eye! I have very dry eyes due to allergies so don't wear contacts anymore.
I ordered my lymphademia prevention sleeve since we wll be flying on one of the trips.
I just had to share this...
My rads doc asked me yesterday if she can use my case to present it to the tumor board that women do need an MRI along with mammograms to find cancer. She said mine was a perfect case to use. I said also tell them that the guidelines the American Cancer Society put out last month for what women should get an MRI didn't even pertain to me at all. If they had gone by the guidelines they would have passed me by on getting an MRI! I told her yes, if it will help other women find cancer earlier, I want you to use my case!
If my second surgeon (whom I went to after getting a second opinion) and rads doctor hadn't insisted on an MRI on both breasts they wouldn't have found the larger and invasive cancer in my right breast that was never seen on the mammograms that caught my non invasive cancer in the left breast!
At least something GOOD will come out of me having breast cancer. Never thought I'd say that! Maybe this is the reason the good Lord put me through this...who knows?
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I think I'm all caught up on everybody's posts...but I'll be darned if I can remember well enough to respond in kind. I'm sorry. It sounds as though most everybody is managing with minimal T SEs. That's so good to hear. Apparently T is easier than the AC combo.
Unfortunately, I think I've felt worse this last week than I have through all 4 ACs and 1 T. My onc suggested no neulasta following T#1. By the time T#2 rolled around, my WBC count was down to 3.3 from 20.5 at T#1. (I feel like I'm repeating myself... a case of deja vu? Pardon me if I mentioned this already) I insisted on neulasta and got it. I wasn't too bad over the weekend... a little achey and sore mouth, but nothing serious. Monday I felt like crap. Self-diagnosed thrush, got the magic mouthwash and am starting to feel better now. Blah. Enough already.
My surgery date is set for June 6th and I'm in the process of researching the PS' 'one-step' recon procedure as well as talking to other women (testimonial-type). So far, so good...Vegas, I want to give the PS that link and ask him to ID the differences between what he does and the linked info.
Night all...0 -
Hi Twink! I'm with you! It's hard to miss a day or two and keep it all straight in a response. So, everyone, finally got caught up and hope you are all well today. Special hugs to Pat, Theresa, & Alyson, my drinkin' buddies for tomorrow.
Vegas, I PM'd you with some info about my friend. You'll have to let me know if you know anyone fitting that description.
Been a really long day today. Went in early to get caught up while it was quiet. Needless to say everything was an emergency. Ended up spending 11 hours. No biggie, felt fine while I was there, beat now. So off to be a couch potato.
Talk to you all tomorrow.
Carynn0 -
I hope everyone sips slowly at the bar this week and it all goes down easily. I haven't been posting much as I have been so busy. I been back at work everyday for about a week now and there has been so much to catch up on...lots of meetings scheduled this week.
I will be doing #5 next Tuesday and I have my list of questions ready as usual! I wonder if this has happened to anyone else...my scans were supposedly clean when done right after my lumpectomy, but then the SNB done during the mast had a extra-nodal extension that was 1.5 cm. How on earth could the scan miss something that size???? The other 2 nodes had micromets.
Like Carynn and Twink, I am tired from a long day and will try to catch up later.
Take care everyone...0 -
Will be thinking of you, the Thursday-at-the-bar girls...
Looks like our pre-BC lives are gradually taking over, which is good. Work is coming in here, too, and I am back spending hours reading in French about brachytherapy for a manual to be translated over the next 2 weeks... back to the same excruciating dilemma: do I stay some more in the yard gardening or do I go back in and try to get a few pages done... aie, aie, aie!!!
You all take care, dear Marsha I hope you are feeling better... Not much to report here... taste not 100%, bleeding nose here and then, vague transient weekness in legs and arms, no real pain. Enjoying life as much as I can...
Hugs all around,
CatherineH0 -
Carynn, it's a good thing you told me about the PM! I would never have seen it as I have never even checked that page before! I sent you a PM back as well and one to Catherine who PMd me weeks ago. Sorry, Catherine, I had no idea it was there!!
Hope everyone is feeling okay this week. I still feel kind of guilty for missing half of the chemo cruise, like I deserted everyone.
But I am feeling so good so much faster than I thought I would! I hope that gives everyone lots of encouragement! There really IS life after chemo.
Yet in a weird way, I am feeling kind of betwixt and between worlds as it were. Halfway out of the chemo world, but only halfway back into "normal" life, whatever that is.
Be forewarned, as soon as people hear you are "done" with chemo, they automatically expect you to be totally healed and ready to pick up where you left off. Psychologically, at least for me, it hasn't worked that way yet. While I can feel the old world of work and friends and social obligations starting to suck me in again, there is another part of me that is kind of in retreat/rebellion and does not want to go all the way back to that world again. While part of me absolutely loves being out and seeing friends and working again, still part of me resents losing my fortress of solitude that the cancer treatments created.
Anyone have any words of wisdom for this strange phenomenon?0 -
Vegas,
**I** could have written your post. I feel the same way. Though I never stopped working, I think the feeling stems from the fact that I am a different person now and what was the old world really isn't. You can't ever go back as you were. I need to think more and give you a more eloquent response, but I definitely resonate to what you wrote about keeping a little part of yourself separate and remote.
More later.. work calls.0 -
Good Morning ladies,
Just a few lines before I hit the dusty road to chemo. ]
Carynn, How many treatments of chemo did you have? I have to have 6 treatments in all and I am on my 5th one then I have one more on the 23 of May then I am done. I have been told that is all I have to do. Have a good day everyone I have to run my baby to school.
Theresa0 -
Oh Vegas....honey I feel the same way. Everyone wants good ole normal Marsha back and I find myself gazing off, no real thoughts in my head, just not tuned in to everyone else. I guess it is because our innocence of life is just gone. It's like you are the only one who understands how fragile life is and you only get one go round. I so want to be carefree again but know that day is long gone for us and try to just be carefree for the moment I am in. If that makes sense at all.
My counts are way up. I think the Neulasta really worked its ass off this time. Probably why I am having the bone pain so bad, that and my size as well. Twink, think the small boned, slim gals get the bone ache worse? Feeling much better today, taking Aleve only. Went to my friends house last night for BNO. Fun fun, good week and all. LOL Thinking of those at the bar today. Hugs all around, Marsha0 -
Marsha I think you said it very well about those feelings!
I know we all don't take life for granted anymore and stop to smell the roses and look at others who just keep on going with the daily grind with no thoughts about what is really important today and right now vs rushing through their daily lives. I was outside this morning looking at all the flowers blooming in my yard and wondered why do they look just stunning this year to me. Are they really stunning or have I changed in how I look at them?0 -
Hi Leah, I worked too, but from my home and no one expected too much from me, which was nice for a change. Now everyone is expecting me to take over again at work and "be the woman," and I just don't want to.
Those roses in my yard look awfully beautiful too, Jan. And Marsha, I think you are very right, we lost our innocence.
Not to mention the fact that I am still having trouble focusing on a project for very long at a time. I have lost my self starter along the way.0 -
Notice the new pic? that was me last night. Wig is pretty good no?
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Since Catherine seems to have relinquished her role as food descriptor, I thought I'd step in tonight. I had a delightful dinner of roasted asparagus with a little balsamic vinegar, accompanied by cheese toasties made with a goat gouda.
I bought the asparagus at a farmers market where I enjoyed lunch with a dear friend of mine. Her son and mine are close friends at school. She lost her husband to lung cancer when she was pregnant with their second child. Because of her experiences, she is one of my friends who truly understands what I'm going through. We try to have lunch at least once a week, but usually can only manage it on my "good week".
Remarkably, I have not had any hand or foot neuropathy with taxol #2. I did have more bone pain this time, but it was manageable. The nausea was also worse with taxol #2, equivalent to the nausea I still had with AC despite anti-nausea drugs.
Marsha -- I can totally relate to your comment: "I find myself gazing off, no real thoughts in my head, just not tuned in to everyone else." I do this all the time, and it really unnerves my husband.
As for focus, I am still so impressed at those of you who are working through this treatment. My exhaustion level is such that I sleep or nap at least 12 hours a day. My onc isn't worried about this -- my body and my spirit just need time for repair.
I agree with Vegas (and Leah, etc.) about the "fortress of solitude that the cancer treatments created." I am going to slowly ease back to work after my rads are over. I am greatly looking forward to the brief time between chemo and rads as a chance to regroup and regain some strength. Steph, I might join you at the 5-star hotel. Or, go to a spa. Who was supposed to be researching spas for us?
Hugs to all ...
-- Hillary
P.S. Leah, I wouldn't have know that was a new pic or a wig!0 -
Hillary, good for you... your asparagus + goat cheese sounds light and good (goat milk is much easier to digest than cow milk). I realize that between my messed up taste buds (feeling of having pulled them out with tweezers...:)) and not shopping myself, I am running out of ideas for menus these days or of time to fix something more involved... fortunately tomatoes and strawberries are showing up again (I do not eat those in the winter, trying to stick to what is grown locally or elsewhere in the US under normal seasonal conditions). I also do not want my weight to go up... I try to make some fresh slaw with red and green cabbage, a carrot, red onion, and a delicious dressing with shitake mushrooms and sesame seeds... (Annie's...) for vitamins and all the good stuff in cabbage. DH went and got us dumplings last night from the japanese restaurant a couple of blocs away (very good food there). We were planning to smoke ribs and chicken tomorrow, but the weather won't allow it (will be much colder and rainy...). Well, there will be soon warm sunny days again... I had even ordered on line the fantastic sauce from The Goode Company in Houston... even in France, we would receive shipments of their bbq classic sauce...
I have plans to cook some fresh rhubarb from the yard with a couple of apples and a few strawberries, to eat with yogurt or shortbread... tomorrow maybe (reminds me of the time when my mom and my grand-mother were cooking preserve in a big copper tub on summer days, with the buzzing of insects in the air...)
Like you, very little neuropathy issues, but more the vague feeling of some joint and muscle weakness... I must be sitting at my computer too long again: yesterday I watched live via Internet the "big debate" between the 2 candidates for the presidency of France to be elected next Sunday... 2h40 minutes!!! they can't be serious!
Like so many here, I know exactly this feeling of the "fortress of solitude" (in a positive way) or a rediscovered secret garden of some sort. The only difference, maybe, is that it is something I have lived with for years (our life is so removed from the big stress of "normal" life that we have always been, both DH and I, fairly contemplative people, unable to even pretend to be interested in a lot of things that make a lot of people around us get all excited). For the last 20 years, we became pretty minimalist in our social interactions, going for what seems more essential to us... and we are not young, anymore... All I want is calm and serenity... not terribly focused on anything in particular either...
You all take care, lovely ladies.
CatherineH
Carynn and fellow cruisers at the bar today, hope everything went well.
Leah, I never noticed any difference between your initial pic and the current one... amazing!!!0 -
Hi friends.
Missed my LGFB class in favor of my son't ball game. They lost, but I do love watching him. My 6'1" 15 yr old baby.
Girls...I need some positive reinforcement....I found a lump under my arm just above by SNB scar. I called my friend who is a nurse practitioner at the onc's office. She is going to check it in the morning. I don't understand how it could be a lymph node, while still on chemo??? She said it could be infection or something else. Maybe so I wouldn't worry so much??
Well, don't know what else to say. Please pray it is nothing (maybe a boil or something simple starting).
Hope all of you are doing well. Thanks for listening. I will think of all of you as I lay awake tonite.
Love,0 -
good evening all!
Hope you enoyed your day. I was up at 3:00 am with my decadron high before tx. Put a few hours of work in and off to Taxol. --> amusing story alert <-- When DH took me to the Dr for my eyes, we saw a PA walk into my PCP's office. If it wasnt Bead Boy, he definitely has an evil twin. I mean we both saw him and looked at each other in shock! Once we got called for my appt, we didnt get a chance to ask the Doc if it was indeed Bead Boy. Got to the Onc today and we told the nurse about it. She's actually going to find out as it turns out that my Onc is my PCP's main Onc referral. It is very possible that he is a PA there now! The nurse agreed that I forced him into a specialty change! If it's him, I'm sending him some beads for sure!
The good news today is my Onc couldnt find my tumor either! I found a spot about the size of a pea this morning, quite a change from the lime size previously! Onc thinks it's entirely possible it's scar tissue from where it was. We'll know more after my last 2 Taxol and we do a scan.
One of the premeds did a real number on me today. I'm sooo tired! You know, the different kind of drug induced tired - not fatigue. Got a good nap after tx and before logging back into work. But, I'm going to go veg out now and try to stay up for Survivor. How did my fellow Thursday Bar Mates do? Do let us know!
Hugs to all!
Carynn
PS...I had to add, Leah, the wig is awesome!!! You look gorgeous and it doesnt look like a wig at all! You go girl!0
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