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Anyone starting Chemo in Feb?
Comments
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After tomorrow I have two taxol left. And I will be finished. No rads for me since I have had them 18 years ago.
Piper0 -
Leah, Leah!!! So wonderful to read your note... You seem to have met a great surgeon. There are posts on these boards about the RFA procedures and the lady who wrote about it was thrilled about this option and was recommending it highly (I guess a search on RFA should bring back those posts...). So when is your surgery now?
Take care and keep this wonderful smile of yours...
The day after Abraxane is never too bad (felt completely normal and worked most of the day, in between other things, that is...:)), but I can tell now that my tongue is getting sore again, my fingers a bit more numb and I am gradually getting a bit achy, so I'll take a couple of advil pretty soon... No nausea, but I have had more the feeling of heartburn at night... nothing too bad: I drink a glass of water in which I dilute a dose of a special clay, and it does the trick (less chemicals than Maalox and the likes). it's called Smecta (I am not sure it is sold here...??)
Today was high drama... because Zoe almost got a squirrel!! I did not suspect she could do that: I saw the predator in her and felt awful for the squirrel... but he (she? it?) had the good idea to squeak so she dropped it immediately and let the poor terrorised creature run back to the top of the cottonwood. I sure hope she did not wound this poor baby... I love squirrels... Toby thinks that Zoe is his heroe... although supposedly a rabbit hunter by design (PBGV), he never caught anything, not even a mouse...
Today is a good news day for me since the insurance company has at last resolved the mess in my account (they had issued a new membership # just for me, DH being now "Medicare", and it was supposed to be seamless, but the system started seeing me as a new policy and stopped paying the bills almost right away, all the way back to January... A full time job for me to have that corrected, and now, they did... ouf!! Big sigh from the providers, too...
Well hope the night fairy will take away the nausea, the aches and pains and let everybody sleep soundly (how nice to read in bed before falling asleep, Carynn, I have rediscovered this big pleasure now that I have my own "tree-house" in the guest room bed so we can each sleep better... enjoy...). Marsha, Wendy, Pat... hope you did OK...
Karen, glad the abraxane is giving you less problems.
Melanie, I wish you to find somebody able to answer your questions. You live in Houston? (I can't remember where you are... I know Sammiekay is in South Texas).
Well, dear ladies, take care and talk to you later in the week
Twink, Tink... we'd like to hear from you... hoping you're doing OK
Hugs to all,
CatherineH0 -
It's 2am Thursday morning and I on the "decadron high" and not sleepy at all. Weds #4 taxol went ok, port still won't cooperate with giving blood....so slow. Great news Leah and happy your happy with your doc. cuz it sure makes a heck of a difference. Well let me get back to reinstalling the OS on my daughters crashed computer while I have the energy.
Pat0 -
Good morning sweet friends
Hope everyone is doing well. Had taxol #3 yesterday ...very uneventful. On the steroid high last night at BNO and had to concentrate on NOT talking the whole time! Slept well once I finally went to sleep andthis morning just a little indegestion so far. Bone pain usually starts up tommorrow evening (Fri) and goes till about Monday.
Leah girlfriend I am doing a big ole happy dance for you! That is terrific news. And that wig is sooooo real looking.
Hillary thanks for keeping up with everyone this week, this round is definately easier than the AC. My eyelashes are so thin and my eyebrowns are thinning but still there but have all turned blonde!
Carynn, I send my DH out with the guys a couple times a week. He "jams" with a few other guys. His friend has a recording studio set up in his house, my Jim plays the guitar and has a great voice. We are planning a No Mo CheMo jam out here at my party house for a couple of weeks after my last treatment. They bring amps, mikes and the like and being in a theatre group means I have lots of friends who will get up and sing. Should be fun. My friends Al and Irene own a catering company and are insisting on catering the party. They are also bring their karoke set up for when the band takes a break. That is when all the friends who shouldn't sing in public will get up and make an ass out themselves! hahaha
Catherine, glad to hear you are doing so well on the abranaxe and that the insurance is settled. We have a squirell family that lives in our grapefruit tree and they tease my dogs all the time, getting them to chase them. Here's pictures of my babies:
ROXIE
MAX
Pat, sounds like you are doing well. Was that the last one for you, #4?
Melanie....you are going to be in Orlando in October???? I live about 90 miles north of there. Would love to maybe meet you some how.
Piper I have one more to go and no rads for me either!! Have you already had your surgery or will this be all for you too?
So good to finally hear from some folks we have been missing. I admit to reading everyday and sometimes not posting but ALWAYS know how everyone is doing. Much love to all, you are always in my thoughts and prayers. Ladies.....we are about to finish up this chemo cruise!! Marsha0 -
LEAH! My second surgeon is a female named Smith and she's really on top of the newest stuff too! Sounds like she gave you some great news! Am so happy for you!!! Your wig does look like real hair. Makes you feel good when you can find a wig like that. I have 3 other wigs I got off ebay that are simply horrible looking IMO but am happy with the others that I got that look wonderful and so real. So gals if you end up with a wig that just doesn't cut it, don't keep it, know there are better ones out there that don't cost an arm and a leg!
Catherine, that has got to be a relief getting that insurance mess corrected.I don't know what mine is doing yet about the genetic testing costs. I too love to read books before going to sleep. Our youngest has gotten hooked on books ironically during marine boot camp of all places! He's already begging for books to be sent to him! I'm lucky that a local used bookstore has a bunch of tables outside that holds used books 5 for $1. They constantly put more books out there so I check it everytime I'm down that way and pick up a few more.
Carynn,I found a used book based on notes from Brian Piccolo while he was being treated for cancer. Its title is "Brian Piccolo A Short Season." I picked up Brian's Song DVD recently and the book is way different than the movie. Even has some of the medical notations about his tumors and the chemotheraphy he had. I was interested in these because my high school coach (who was my gym teacher one year) was in the movie Brian's Song as a coach had died recently.It made me think about the movie.
Marsha that sounds like a fun Jam party!0 -
Marsha, your babies are adorable... what would we do without our doggies... I got put off by photocuckets because they ask for a cell phone number (we don't have those), so I did not post anything...
I wish I knew how to post pictures not going through an external site...
Have all a great day,
Catherine0 -
Just wanted to check in and let you know that round 6 (last dose of AC for me!) went well yesterday. Now it's on to tamoxifin starting next month. It has been a pleasure cruising with you all! I will still check in often an will be thinking and praying for all of you!
Wendy P0 -
Congrats, Wendy!!! What a milestone... I can imagine how ecstatic you must be not to have to go for more. Good luck with Tamoxifen, and come tell us how you do on it (I will probably start in June until declared officially mennopaused, at which time they'll switch me to Arimidex... for better or worse...)
Good luck to you and enjoy this wonderful healing time.
Take care,
CatherineH0 -
Hello Marsha and it's great to hear you're doing well even considering the DD taxol bone pain. My dr. didn't "do" DD taxol on any of her pts so I have 8 more weeks/doses to go but so far the discomfort is for about 2 days and I havent' needed anything more than tylenol or motrin. Heck, I'm still off work and REALLY starting to feel like I should be back. But I hear from others (and my dr.) that the taxol "accumulates" so you can have worsening side effects as they go on. So I just hope this really is as bad as it gets but aware of the possibilities.
NOTHING is as bad as AC that's a fact. But we did it and we're some tough women making our way through this journey.
Well it's 4pm and I've been up now since yesterday around 8am and just now feeling a little drowsy. That's a darn good steroid high!
Take care everyone.
Pat0 -
Congrats Wendy on finishing 6 doses of chemo!!!
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Hi girls....
Wanted to report in that I am back from the bar and it was uneventful. I had to practically stand on my head to get the labs out of my port, but at least it worked...seriously they had to lay they chair clear back that my head was lower than by body. I told them I was the comic relief and they got a kick out of that! I had a little nap there and then DH and I went and had lunch...salad bar and soup. Then we went and picked out some hanging baskets for our moms for Mother's Day and I got a hanging fuschia for my hummingbirds to drink at. That is my traditional Mothers Day gift from him. I am feeling a little dizzy now.
You Taxol girls seem to be like me on the Taxotere...day 3 is the worst, but I have not had neuropathy or bone pain. Just a little nausea and extremley tired.
I don't have to have a shot tomorrow as my blood counts are holding their own so far. But I do have to take a potassium pill now every day. They tell me my potassium is low. And I am bruising more easily taking the extra Coumadin.
Leah....I am extremely happy for you...not only your diagnosis and staging, but that you found a surgeon and hospital you feel good at and have confidence in. I know I went to a women's hospital in Pittsburgh and had a wonderful surgeon. The treatment and caring was just so different than what you get locally. Glad too that you will end up with beautiful breasts....my surgeon made the most beautiful incision I have ever had...and I have a few which are not nice...c section, bladder repair, hernia repair. I am contemplating having a breast reduction on the other side so I can be symmetrical....I wish you the best!
Catherine ... My doggie just LOVES squirrels...it is nothing for there to be 6 or more in my yard around my bird feeders and it just drives Princess nuts when she is in the house and sees them. Of course if we let her chase them, they always go up a tree and get away and she just looks around like "Where the heck did they go?" It is too funny. I am trying to figure out how to post a pic of her for you...she is 1/2 beagle and 1/2 dalmation.
Wendy...congratulations on ending chemo and starting tamoxifen...can't wait until I can say the same...my last chemo is June 21, then rads, then femara (since I am postmenopausal)....
Well, going to get moving here. I wish all of you a good evening...hope my fellow bar cruisers today did as well as I did (or better!)
Love0 -
http://eshare.hpphoto.com/FilmStripHome.aspx?JobID=DB969136-19f0-4f40-8fb8-70b213c56de6&SKU=HP
Catherine and all you other FCC's that are interested...I am sharing some pics of Princess, The squirrel dog, some tulips in my garden and of my pride and joy, my four kids..Becky is 23,Matt is 21, Rachel is 17 and Mike is 15. The pics of me and Rachel were taken after she danced at competition at 1:00 am, needless to say, they are not the best of me...I was ready for bed hours before that! I have some pics of DH and I on our 2nd honeymoon in 2005...we took a trip up the east coast to Maine, but they are on a disk, which I will have to hunt up and share.
Well...hope you enjoy. Talk to you all soon.0 -
Beautiful pics, Terry... definitely a good reason to fight teeth and nails this BC... lovely family. So glad you are faring OK through Taxol... Have a nice evening and plenty of rest,CatherineH
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Afternoon all
Great to hear your news Leah. It is so important to feel confident in your doc as well. My surgeon is a young, well 37 yr old who is rapidly climbing to the top of her field. it is great to have someone like that.
Wendy, well done to have completed this part of the journey.
Pat my port is a bit slow giving blood but it is so much easier than trying to get it from my arm - that can take 40 minutes.
Have managed 3days at school this week - not bad. Very tired at present. Only real problem is a bit of numbness in my right foot, this was the on most affected by polio so probably it is inevitable. Some of my fingers have periods of tingling as well.
Have just been over the road to have lunch at the garden centre and they had lots of bulbs on sale. So have more to plant tomorrow. It is really Auutumn here, very dark in the mornings now and it is getting colder.
The family have decided to come for lunch on Sunday - it is Mother's Day here in NZ as well. It is so nice to have them all together. For so long it was one at home with the others off on their OEs.I enjoy having the house to ourselves but it is great that at present they are all close by.
Have an appointment withy the RADs Onc tonight, think he is going to start doing the staging for the next part of this journey.
Hope all the bar visits have gone well and that everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Alyson0 -
Hi, Alyson, nice to hear from you... I was afraid my left foot would suffer from the Abraxane, for the same reasons as yours as you know, but so far only my fingers got the tingling+numbness (mild), nothing in my feet and toes after tx#3 out of 4... go figure...
I wish you a delightful bulb planting frenzy... and to spend happy moments with your family for Mother's Day.
Take care,
CatherineH0 -
Jan -
So glad you are keeping your horses! I know they are a lot of work, but at least for me - it is so worth it! When I am having a "bad day" - I head to the barn to see my boy! My horse has a great personality and he can cheer me up instantly - a little begging for treats, a lot of petting and hugging from me, and kissing and hugging his muzzle is by far my favorite thing!
Hope it all works out for you --
Jen0 -
Oh Wendy, good for you!! I am marking the days till my last taxol, 12 days away............and I will move on to tamoxifen also.
Terry, wonderful pictures. Your daughters are beautiful and it is really good to put a face to you also!
Alyson enjoy your family visit and Happy Mothers Day!
Pat, ahhhh you are on the 12 weekly taxol. Sammie Kay did that one also. I think she felt pretty good through most of it.
Catherine....whatcha cooking this weekend?
Jan, Brian's Song is one of my all time favorite movies. I guess the next time I watch it, it may affect me differently!
Why does it seem all the fun stuff is planned on my after treatment weekend? Dang....Chamber of Commerce Fish Fry is tonight and I so want to go. I'm gonna start planning something for next weekend right now! LOL
Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers on the Feb. Chemo Cruise Line. It's your day so try to enjoy!!! Marsha0 -
Good morning ...
Well, I fell down on my job yesterday and forgot to send out hugs to our Thursday imbibers ... StephJ, Piper, Terry, Twink -- hope you're all doing well.
This third round of taxol hit me early and hard .. nausea, toxicity, bone pain, facial pains. Oddly enough, however, no finger pain. The facial, head, and neck pains are wierd -- I feel like everything is swollen and its hurts to touch certain places (neck, cheekbones, parts of my scalp). Getting a bit better today with everything but bone pain, which from past experience I know will continue to worsen over the weekend.
I had the most amazing thing happen today. There is a woman that I've seen at the breast cancer chemo center every time I've gone. Because there are private rooms, you don't really get to meet the other patients. Today, when I was coming back from dropping dh off to pick up his car from the shop, I saw her walking her dogs. She lives about eight blocks away from me. I can't believe that we haven't run into each other around town. She's got five kids, from 4 to 12! She's coping, mostly because she has to. We exchanged phone numbers. She's doing post-chemo surgery in July, so I offered to help out (I'll be doing rads by then). I also hope that we can get together maybe once a week, as there's nothing like another bc sister to understand what you're going through!
-- Hillary0 -
Hi everyone sorry for not posting more often. Chemo, pregnancy, work and 2 year old make me TIRED! Everything is going really good with pregnancy. Baby girl is doing awesome. She's due in August, not really looking forward to Texas summer 8 months pregnant!
I have 2 more chemo's and then I'll be done until after the baby gets here. Then I'll have 4 Taxol treatments.
I just got caught up on all the posts today. I hope everyone is doing well!
Next trip to the bar is 5/16, which happens to be my DH 40th birthday! Not to exciting for him since the phenegran knocks me out for the rest of the day, I can barely wake up enough to walk to the car!
Take care! I think and pray for all of you everyday!
Tammy0 -
Tammy, thank you for the good news. Does not take a stretch of imagination to understand how tired you must be, but you sound in good spirits. Hang in there... and your DH understands your circumstances, no doubt...
Thinking of you all,
Take care,
CatherineH0 -
Hello Everyone, It has been quite some time since we have posted. We have been very busy here with a kitchen remodel that is starting to drag out too long.
It has been encouraging to see so many of you doing so well as you getting closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. That said, Theresa has had a very serious setback. On Thursday afternoon, she was feeling the normal fatigue so she went to take a nap. She routinely checked her temperature. It was a little high. After her nap she felt worse. Check temp again, 103.2. Called onc, reported to ER and now she is admitted getting some heavyduty antibiotics.
Chest xrays show signs of pneumonia in her right lung and skin is bright red at the expander incision site. We met with several drs today and they are all concerned about all of this infection. By the looks of things now, she is liking to be in the hospital until at least Sunday. The plastic surgeon even suggested another surgery to remove the right expander. I will be able to get back up the the hospital again tomorrow afternoon. It is a bit of a drive.0 -
Scott, so sorry to read about Theresa's infection (do they think the pneumonia was started by infection in the expander site?). Wishing her to recover from this as soon as possible. Looks like these expanders can be a lot of trouble. Please keep us posted, OK?
Thinking of you both and sending hugs.
CatherineH0 -
It's going to take me the weekend to get caught up on everybody's posts but thought I'd check in quickly and let y'all know I'm still out here and doing okay. Hope this is so for all my fellow cruisers.
My chemo was delayed by one day this week -- had it yesterday instead of Thursday because the onc was unexpectedly called away on Thursday (grrr....disrupts my entire schedule for this next week).
As usual, infusion was totally uneventful. On the good news front the Taxotere is kicking the crap out of the tumor...it's barely palpable. Not sure whether that matters at this point, given the impending mastectomy but does feel good knowing the chemo is working.
It's my eldest daughter's senior prom tonight so I'll be busy doing 'mom' things today...enjoying helping her get ready for the big night.
Have a peaceful and relaxing Saturday everybody. I'll be back tomorrow after I've had a chance to get caught up on your news.
Hugs...0 -
Marsha, well... not much cooking these days... It's hot, and I switched to outdoors activities (my seeds are sprouting... holly-hock, sun flowers, blue bonnets and sweet peas...). The cosmos from last year reseeded themselves, amazing...
I also work more "normally", translating... Not to mention that my taste buds are dead (I keep adding salt -- very bad idea -- because everything tastes... well, tasteless). I also have the feeling that my tongue got caught in a mouse trap! So, cooking is minimal (thank you Whole Foods...)... I feel like eating cold things. Hope you're not too hot in sunny Fl. We are all back in the shade... the swamp cooler is not up yet, but this will be needed soon...
Hi, Twink... nice to hear from you and learn the good news. So happy for you.
My best wishes for your daughter's "big night"...
Hugs,
A nice week-end to you ALL out there,
CatherineH0 -
Ok. Found out that Great Clips at the Safeway Plaza carries Nioxin. (My chemo buddy at work started using it with two treatments left and had hair in less than a month! Granted, he's a guy that wears his hair very short, but it was unbelievable how fast it came back!) Anyway, this was GREAT news as it meant I didn't have to hunt down a beauty supply store, rather, the next time I went to the grocery store (one mile from my house), I could stop in and pick up the Nioxin to have on hand. So, Saturday morning, up early and dressed, decided to go to Starbucks at Safeway to kill some time, then pick up the shampoo as soon as the salon opened. Ran to Walgreen's, got side tracked, and got to the salon about 20 minutes after they opened. I walk in and of course the place is packed, standing room only. As I walk in and start looking at shampoo, every customer in the place begins to stare at the obviously bald chick in the hat and scarf looking at shampoo. I just smiled at everybody, and started reading the labels to figure out which Nioxin treatment was the one I needed.
Now, you have to understand that where the shampoos are displayed, I am standing sideways, with my profile facing the direction of the stylists. This makes it even more obvious for them to see I'm wearing a scarf under my cap and that I obviously do not have any hair. One of them yells out "Do you need help?" I say no, just trying to figure out which Nioxin is the one I need. I can still see people looking at me like I'm crazy out of the corner of my eye, when the same stylist yells out, "Do you have color on it?" At this point, every head in the place turns to look at her now like she's nuts! I just gave her a long look, then said, um, no. A few people start to snicker, and I go back to reading labels, laughing. At this point, the Manager comes over looking very sheepish. By now I've grabbed the ones I need and am ready to check out. The Manager keeps looking at me like she wants to say something soooo bad! Finally she starts talking about the Nioxin, how great it is and that it really works. We talk a bit about chemo and by now the customers have figured it out, but the but the other stylist was clearly still clueless. The Manager tells me good luck and wishes me the need for a hair cut very soon. I walk out, giving about 16 people a story to tell when they get home. I wonder if anyone explained it to the stylist yet.
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Carynn,
Radio Frequency Ablation is the same as what Leroy had for all his tumors. This was the easiest to understand website:
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/general/rfa/rita.html (with pictures!) though there were many good ones.
Platinum is the same as what Lance got, but we are talking very different doses and different adminstration methods. I still don't know if I will do a taxane next or whether we will just wait for awhile, since I seem to be stable right now.
My oncologist said I could have the RFA during radiation, but not chemo, so working it in "soon" would be a real possibility since I do rads after my surgery over the next two months.
I would like to talk to you privately/or email about all this if you would like.
Love.0 -
Hi Leah! I PM'd you my email:)
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Just curious -- am I the only one with basically no eyelashes or eyebrows left?
-- Hillary0 -
Hillary -- eyebrows almost invisible with just a few lashes hanging in there... oddly enough though the eyebrows seem to be growing back immediately.
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Hillary, very thin eye brows, here, and 2 eyelashes on each side... my eyelashes have always caused me grief since teen-age years (I got them from my mom's side: straight and sparse... kept curling them with a special "tool" in younger years to be able to use mascara in a more effective way... plus khol pencil on upper and lower eyelid to fill the blanks... looked pretty good, mind you)... i hope they'll grow back luscious!!! (wishful thinking indeed...). I am so concerned of possible bacterial eye infections that I quit using eye make up years ago...
I do not think any hair of any kind will grow back as long as I am getting Abraxane (just one more... just one more... just one more... see, Twink, I read your blog)... seems lethal for hair cells...
I did not have any pictures taken of me during this time of my life I want to forget as soon as possible (but will remember and keep in touch with you, dear fellow cruisers!)
Have a nice evening, even hairless...
Hugs,
CatherineH0
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