Anyone starting Chemo in Feb?

CommandoBarbie

Hi Twink & Hillary! My eyebrows have thinned considerably. Being blond, they are pretty hard to see. Eyelashes, really thin, but still there. When I went to the drug store today, I picked up a taupe eyebrow powder to try this weekend and see how I liked it. It's pretty good! I'll dig up the brand name if you're interested. Seems to be good stuff.

MelanieW

Well, today I seem to finally be back on the road to feeling somewhat normal. My daughter brought my granddaughter for lunch. She is simply an amazing child. Her favorite phrase right now is "I like it", and she says it with such conviction. She will be 2 on May 28th...she was born on our anniversary! Can you tell that I love being "Nana"...lol.

I will be having another Muga scan right before my next chemo. Of course, I didn't realize this until after I had left chemo and did not get to question the onc as to why. But...his nurse must have accidentally put my previous visit's notes in my stack of research paper, and it said that I had a Grade 1 Systolic Murmur. I don't see that as a problem, but who knows.

Hillary; I have very thin and sparse eyebrows now. What's left is kind of wirey and wild looking. If I had a little more hair sticking up on the top of my head, I think I could pass for a half-crazed "Bert"...you know, from Sesame Street! My eyelashes are thin, but still hanging in there.

Carynn; Too funny about the shampoo. Which Nioxin did you end up with? I might ask my friend to get it for me. Honestly, there are some people who do not initially catch on that I am bald. My denim bucket hat does a great job of covering my head. There have actually been several men in our business who have made fun of my hat...and then feel awful when they find out why I am wearing it. I try to make them realize it is okay...and then I give them a hard time about it...just for fun.

Tink; I am so glad you and your baby are doing well. You must be such a strong woman. Please keep in touch with us.

Marsha; I would absolutely love to meet you when I come to Orlando. I will actually be there in September also. My daughter is going for a convention and I am going as a babysitter. We will be at Disney World starting Sept. 19th, and will be there for 5 nights...staying at the Boardwalk. I usually don't rent a car while there as we just get an airport transfer, but if you are going to be in Mickey's neighborhood, it would be great to have lunch or dinner there at the Boardwalk. I think of you when I walk by my convertible in the garage. Odd, huh? I haven't driven it since last fall. I just think, wouldn't it be nice if I were as brave as Marsha and could just get into it with my bald head and just drive. I used to have so much fun with it.

Night All....

swimmingmom

Leah, Congratulations on the results of your test. Thanks for explaining RFA, did not know what stood for. I hope all the news continues to go well for you.

Scott, we will keep Teresa in out prayers and hope she is out of the hospital soon and feeling better. It must have been frightening.

Tink, good to hear the little one is doing well. You must be one tired woman!

Hillary, no eyelashes eyebrows cut off halfway, looks funny unless I pencil in the outer half. Finally got to a LGFB class and wearing the eyeliner helps with no lashes. But I only mess with it when I go to work. When I am to home everyone gets bald and no makeup- scarey!

Catherine, instead of yummy food descriptions maybe we need to settle for romantic details of your gardening.

Karen

lightphoto

Things are not looking much better right now. Just before I left the hospital this evening, Theresa recognized a leakage near the expander incision site. We immediately contacted the nurse who in turn called the doctor. He recommended another antibiotic and will check early Sunday morning. He also said to be prepared for a surgery, with one of two possibilities, one to remove the expander, the other to complete the exchange from expanders to implants. Theresa and I are really disheartened by this chain of events. Things had been going so well.....up to now.

CommandoBarbie

Scott, I'm so sorry to hear about Theresa's set back. I'm sure she's in good hands at the hospital. I will keep you both in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted.

Hugs...

Carynn

SammieKB

Hi fellow cruisers,
I have been catching up on posts. I have hit a bump in the road, something like Theresa's, although not as serious. I have expander problems I believe. The right side of my chest wall has swollen above the area of the mastectomy up to my collar bone. It has been a slow process. I had them filled on May 2. I noticed gradually a swelling there. Also the cord in my arm pit(where the lymph node dissection was done) has returned and it sore all the way to my wrist and down my side to my ribs. And today I noticed my right wrist was swollen, not the hand, just the forearm and wrist. I measured it and it is 1/2 inch larger than the left arm. I called the PS and he will see me tomorrow(Happy Mother's Day) at his office. Say a prayer for me. I hope I don't have to have another surgery. More than that I hope and pray this is not lymphedema. He told me to wrap my arm in an ace wrap.

Catherine, what great news about your insurance. It is a good day when one can get the insurance company to pay.
Your squirrel story turned out better than mine. My outside cat(name is O.C.) brought a dead squirrel and deposited it by my back door. Thank goodness DH took care of the remains before I saw it. I am a real animal lover. I put a collar on him with big tags that jingle. Hopefully this gives the birds and squirrels a headstart. He really is a very sweet kitty, but his nature takes over.

Leah, what wonderful news about your new staging and treatment. I am stage 2 also.

Marsha, loved the pics of your babies. I know they are a comfort to you. Just like children. I love the NoMoChemo Jam. You ought to coin than phrase, like the LGFB workshops. What great friends you have. Tells me you must be a very good friend yourself.

Carynn, I love your new picture. You look gorgeous. I love the blonde hair. I took my blonde "bob"wig in for repair....too close to the oven when baking cookies. Fried my bangs. They say they can repair the damage. I bought another one in a rich auburn/brown(the color of Jan's) in the "bob" style. It really looks nice and a nice change. Blonde one day, redhead the next.LOL
Big football fan here, I never miss Inside the NFL on HBO because I love the personal stories about the players. I will look for the Romo bio. I, too, love biograpies.

Terry, Nice pictures of you and your family. Thanks for posting them. Oneday I hope to figure that out and post some myself. Daughters and families here for mother's day. Maybe they can show me how to do that. They are both computer picture literate and also have fancy cameras.

Hillary, Hope you are feeling much better. You have really had a time of it with SEs. Bless you heart.
Isn't it amazing how God places people in our paths and He gives us a chance to serve, even as we are struggling with our own journey. Just gives us a boost to do something for someone else. I have sparse eyelashes and eyebrows that are absent from the middle to outer edges(they were before chemo, but now more so).

Tammy, good to hear from you. Great to know you and your baby girl are doing well.

Scott and Theresa, You are in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted on your progress. I would be happy to get rid of my expanders. Hope they give me that option. I will see the PS tomorrow and find out what is going on with all this fluid in chest and arm.

Hugs to all. Have a wonderful Mother's Day. I will post after the visit with the PS tomorrow. Love Sammie Kay

vegas

Sorry I have not been better about posting the past week or so, but now that I am "done" with chemo everyone seems to "expect" things of me, and it is hard to refuse them, even though I would like to. Old habits die hard, it seems.

Good news on the eyebrow front. Five weeks post chemo all of a sudden the eyebrows came in like gangbusters, and I even had a wax job Thursday to shape them again! Gives me hope that the dark fuzz on my head (my DH says there is no gray, tho he may be lying just to make me feel better) will eventually be real hair again.

To all the Februaru cruisers = you are so close to being done! You are an amazing awesome bunch of women and I am proud to call you my friends.

marshakb

Hillary, very thin eyebrows and eyelashes. What I do have has turned blond! I too met a fellow bc sister, here in the chat rooms and she lives 15 miles from me! We have become friends and it is nice cause SHE knows. We've done lunch, I have introduced her to my friends, etc. It's great.

Melanie, I will definately make a point to get to Orlandos Boardwalk in Sept!!!!! Yes, would love to do lunch. And about the convertible/bald thing. I realize how odd it is, going out "topless" and that not everyone can do this. EVERYONE says the same thing to me "Not very many people could pull that off, but it looks good on you!" And to be honest, after 2 months of bald, I forget it most of the time. When someone at the store does a double take and runs their buggy into a display of Campbells soup, I think "Oh yeah, I'm bald." LOL I got my big ole earrings and my colored sunglasses and I am good to go.

Vegas...good to see you. My DH swears my hair is growing. Went from peach fuzz to stubble.

Sammie Kay, so sorry you are having trouble with the expanders. Let us know what the PS says. LOL at the fried bangs!

I love the picture posting. Putting a name and face together is great.

Catherine, sorry your taste buds seem to be on vacation. I will settle for the gardening descriptions for now. HA

Theresa, my goodness. You are in my prayers, ths too will pass.

Karen, are you still doing well with the SE of this round of chemo? You had such a bad time of it with AC, I worry about you!

Tink, SOOOOOOOOO good to hear from you. Glad the baby is doing well. Pregnant in August, oh my, hot hot hot!

Carynn, thought about you with all the race news that has been on. Dale Jr leaving and the like. Do you think Jeff Gordon is gay? He does drive that rainbow car. LOL LOVE the blond on you.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL THE MOMS ON THE FEB CHEMO CRUISE. SPECIAL BUFFET WITH CHAMPAGNE IS SET UP IN THE DINING HALL. SEE YOU ALL THERE. XOXOXO,,,,,Marsha

MelanieW

Happy Mother's Day!

Scott; Oh, how I hate these bumps in the road we travel...especially the big 'ol potholes. I hope they get some definite answers for Theresa very soon. Sometimes, the hardest part is just not knowing. You are a special man to keep us all informed here.

Sammie; I hope your dr. visit goes well today, even though I know you would rather spend this day any other way but that. You know, the arm might be phlebitis. I had that and antibiotics cleared it up. I truly hope it is not LE. That is certainly one of my big worries. I have a constant sore arm on the non-node surgery side...from using the veins for chemo. I use daily warm compresses or soaks in hot water.

Marsha; Now, I am really looking forward to meeting you. Hopefully, by then we will be sporting "Tinkerbell" pixie hair! I was looking on the toxicaudio.com website hoping they might be around Orlando during one of my 2 visits. Sadly...no. I have heard them twice and they are a blast. I am mentioning this as they will be at House of Blues June 8th and being a theater gal...I know you would love them also. They are an acapella group that use their voices to not only sing, but to make instrument sounds. It is amazing!

Vegas; That is such good news about your eyebrows. I hope mine come back that quickly! I have always had extremely fast growing hair, so I am hoping that doesn't change after chemo. I have been busy making my plans for July. My friend just had her last fill with the PS that I was using. I guess she told him of my plans, which is fine. He actually said he had never heard of the one step process with Alloderm...HUH?!?! Do these doctors not ever do any research on their own? He uses Alloderm, so I just don't get it.

Huggz All

Primel

Marsha, so nice to read you this morning... laughed at the sight of people running into the Campbell soups display while watching you (a true cartoon...). I don't do much topless appearances (only at night to sleep...). DH sees me here and then, but I am the one who can't get used to it, so I wear my bandanas which give me a more cheerful look... I simply do not regognize myself in the mirror when I catch the reflection... does not get me down, mind you, I am too busy with other things... just a matter of months, and we will gradually reconnect with our old self (will we??). I got a PM from a BC sister who lives in Denver, too, and posts a lot on these boards. And another one moving back to CO this coming June (her in-laws are on the otherside of "our" park)... I hope we will meet soon, giving them a hug will be like hugging all of you, BC sisters... You stay in good spirits, Marsha, OK? I liked the BP story, too... Pet your babies for me...

Scott and theresa, special thoughts for you today, hoping Theresa will have this scary infection behind her soon. Is reconstruction essential for her psychological well-being or could she do without it to lower the risks? I do not know what those expanders look like, but they sound like "foreign bodies" (metal? plastic?). Please keep us updated, we want to know that the antibiotics are working and the fever is gone... Hugs to you both.

SammieKay, sorry to read about the swelling and pain. I wonder whether the heat is working against us now: I noticed some fluid retention on either sides of my mast scars and feel like a water bed again when I apply pressure near my left armpit (the side with no axillary dissection! go figure! The right side does better, always did from day one after surgery), and the feeling of having been caught in a lasso loop is really present, 4 months later... In my case, I suspect it is the Avastin that slows down the healing process "inside" (the scars look OK, healing wise). Sometimes I can feel the cording in my armpit and down my right arm (half way to the elbow), but for now, no swelling. I try to keep my arms up as often as I can think of it, to relax, for instance while watching TV or while thinking about how to translate a sentence (crossed over my head to rest). I have had 5 physical therapy sessions now, and will go again only if problems. I try to stretch as often as possible (in door jams, and trying to creep up the walls, plus exercises with a broom stick). This painful chest (not unbearable pain, just general soreness and tightness) is a big surprise to me (the surgeon thinks that pain is good news: the nerves are growing back... not as numb as it was after surgery...). Hope you'll get help on this (did you have lymphatic drainage with a phys. therapist? I went to a clinic specialized in BC, it seems to have helped me... for now...

Tink, thinking of you a lot... you're amazing... Take care.

I join the choir to wish all mothers out there a very special day today, painfree and filled with love...
CatherineH

wildabouthorses

Happy Mother's Day! Hope everyone is having a great day even if you aren't a Mother! I'm sorry to hear some of you are having setbacks...gentle hugs for you!

I'm seeing dark stubbies moreso now like they are thickening on my head!Even my friends that peek at my head see the difference. The longer but few 3 inch hairs that stayed when I first lost most of my hair seem to be thinning out at the same time these dark even stubbies are appearing. Never lost my eyebrows or eyelashes.

My hubby and I are in the process of seeing if we can get a loan to buy a used Goldwing to turn it into a trike. His bone doc told him on Friday to stay off of our motorcycle yet since he is definatly having surgery for the 3rd time to replace broken screws and to "glue" the one of 4 spiral breaks that hasn't healed yet.This break is the one that separated his foot from his leg bones. Doc did say he could get on a trike now as there is no weight lifting in using one of those. Our dealership happened to get a used 05 goldwing the same color as our motorcycle trailer so we jumped on it and are awaiting to see if we can get a loan that includes triking it out. If we do get it we will then plan for a long bike trip to my Mom's in Illinois in June then head out to Colorado for a bike event there! If it doesn't work out then we will take the convertable car instead on the trip. One good thing about the Goldwing is if I fall asleep I won't have to worry about falling off the bike!

GoldenEyes

I went through chemo all last Summer. I still dont have eyelashes, maybe few strands, but my eyebrows have grown back. I want to wish all the Mothers here, A wonderful Mother's Day!

wildabouthorses

Our oldest son sent me this via email for mothers day, better than a card. Get your hanky out...it sure made me cry.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5693476600846072000&q=Randy+Travis+Angels

Primel

Jan, made me cry, too... plus I love Randy Travis voice and songs... Put a big kiss on your son's cheeks for me next time you see him...
Enjoy the day, thinking of you and your DH... hoping his bones will stick back together again...
CatherineH

CommandoBarbie

Happy Mother's Day to all the FCC Mom's. I hope your day is as special as you.

It's hard to belive that at the end of the week when I turn it back over to Hillary, she'll be listing Cruisers who have their last chemo tx. I'm very happy for you all. Without further ado, here's this weeks. Please let me konw if there are changes -

Tuesday - SammieKay
Wednesday - CarolM, Tropicmom
Thursday - Carynn, Pat, Theresa
Friday - Karen

Pepper1073

Marsha,

I had a bilateral in dec with DIEP reconstruction. I do have one more surgery left will schedule in the fall to fine tune everything.

I can not wait.

Piper

lightphoto

I am jsut getting home from another day in the hospital. Just as I arrived at her room, they were wheeling her out headed for surgery. If I would have been thirty seconds later, I would have missed her. Because it was Sunday morning and not very busy, they allowed me to go right down into the pre-op area, just outside the surgery room. I could actually see the OR from where I stood but I eventually went out to the waiting room. Plastic surgeon described the surgery as a very simple procedure that should not create any other delays or complications. He thought that she could resume chemo as scheduled on May 23rd, but of course will need to clear that with oncology.
The resulting effect of today's surgery were possitive. The fever broke almost immediately and the excessive heartrate and BP fell as well. Theresa enjoyed 2 good meals, if hospital meals can be good, and enjoyed visits from our kids and my parents. Seems in good spirits.

Special thanks to all of you that have praying for us. The support that we can feel is great. Please know that we pray for each of you every day.

Primel

Thank you for posting, Scott, even on a day like today. Wishing Theresa prompt recovery so she gets her strength back before chemo. She is lucky she has you at her side. Sending big hugs your way...
CatherineH

Alyson

Great to hear that Theresa is on the mend. Love and prayers from this side of the world.
Had a great Mother's day with the family. After lunch while the men folk moved some furniture the DDs decided I needed to purge my wardrobe and shoe collection which I did quite happily. Now have two large rubbish bags to deliver to the Church Shop. In all a very succesful weekend with some odd jobs getting done, the laundry plastered ready for painting and a door stripped and sanded. This is the down side of living in an 120 year old house which we are restoring. This for some of you folk is not old but here in NZ it is.
Managed school today - just- was so tired by 2.00 that I came home early. Have a school trip tomorrow which I hope I can survive.
Good luck for those at the bar this week, i will be thnking of you all.
Take me off the bar list for this week I am down for the 24th having slipped a week behind schedule, then hopefully the 14th June will see the end of chemo.

Alyson

talbrig13

Good Morning!
Took a while to catch up on everyone...
Theresa & Scott....Hope this is the last set back for you, but glad to hear Therese is feeling better already. This journey is full of unexpected challenges. Be well soon!

Tammy, so glad you and baby daughter are doing well. I cannot imagine how tired you are. I was 3-4 months pregnant with #4 during a hot humid summer is PA...cannot imagine 8 months along in Texas! But the time will fly and once she gets here you will wonder how it went so fast. God Bless You!

Hillary...My eyebrows are hanging in there, but I notice my eyelashes are thinning...the bottom ones on the left are gone...now why don't both eyes match??

Vegas...congratulations on your wax job!

I has a nice relaxing Mother's day. Planted a climbing rose bush under my trellis to replace the one lost in the winter. Hubby cooked a half ham on the grill and we made ham sandwiches. So I did not cook...yeah! I was still queasy from chemo on Thurs, so had no desire for a fancy big meal...so this was fine. Hung up 3 new hummingbird feeders today too.

Still feeling a little queasy, but am ready for work and will be heading off.

Good luck to everyone up for a drink this week. Hugs to all of you.

It is a beautiful PA day...the birds are at my feeders, the sun is shining. Wish I could stay home and enjoy!

NANA45

Today is my 3rd TC treatment, then after that only one more to go! Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's day at least I felt good as it was the day before Chemo and all the kiddies called that was wonderful.

hockeymomfl

Hi Ladies,
I have been away for awhile. I have had multiple family members visiting from out of town for the past month. Boy am I tired:)
First off, I am glad to see that you are all doing well and that the scares that some of you had, have been cleared.
Secondly, best of luck to those of you who are going through some rough patches with side effects etc. My thoughts and support are with you.
I do love all of the photos and nice wigs ladies......
I am doing well. Got the all clear from my pelvic ultrasounds (3 of them) and am now ready to start Tamoxifen this week. Will start on Wednesday. Planning to take baby asprin with it to offset the possible issue of blood clotting.
It is good to see you all doing so well.
Keep up the good work. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Good news is that my eyebrows and eyelashes have grown back. My hair is growing back stronger in some areas than others. I am hoping it will all even out eventually.
Cheers for now....
G.I. Jel

MelanieW

Scott; I am so happy you made it in time for a kiss or to squeeeze Theresa's hand! I know it meant a lot to her just knowing you were there with her. Fantastic news that her fever broke! What a relief. You both seem like such sweethearts and I hope she is out of the hospital soon.

Nana45; congrats on your last tx coming up!

Terry; A ham sandwich is one of my favorite meals lately. I made chicken enchiladas yesterday. DH asked if I had made this before, he really liked it. Nope, I just have had too much time lately to watch the Food Network. I love to cook. My friends have been guinea pigs for my "creations" many times...and they all keep coming back for more. Good sign.

Alyson; Wow, it sounds like you got a lot done. Did your DD's need a few wardrobe additions? When I first read your post, I thought "boy, they do laundry differently in NZ"...plastered and painted...LOL...I read again.

Time to go out and water the plants, then I am out to get my weekly massage. My girl is less than a 5 minute drive from me and is more like a PT. She's very good. My bald head even gets a good rubbing! Bless her heart...she just likes to talk a bit much. Southern gals can say just about anything they want about almost anyone...as long as it is followed by "Bless Her Heart"...

Thinking of those at the Bar today.

Huggz All

Primel

Melanie, hope you're feeling great after your massage... I could take one today... my first occurrence of the blah since Feb. 13... I think it is the Abraxane acting up on my muscles (achy legs, feet, joints in general... not bad, bad, but I can tell it's something new... oh well, almost done with this series anyway...)

Good for you with cooking new things... we have absolutely minimal TV cable stuff, so cooking is only on PBS... I forgot about it... I definitely need inspiration these days with my dead taste buds...

Well, I'd better stay on the pages I am supposed to be translating, and stop sneaking in here...

Have all a nice evening...
Hugs to all of you, with special big ones to those from the bar or going through rough spots...
CatherineH

twink

Glad to hear everybody is doing pretty well. Leah, your news is outstanding...made me smile. It's good to see that Teresa is on the mend...what a trial.

Had a nice Mother's day yesterday. Like Terry, spent some time planting. Have most of the deck pots filled now and it does look nice.

I have to tell you girls....I know we all said AC sucked and that Tax(otere/axol) was easier but I am having a heck of a time with this. Three down and one to go but my mouth is killing me, my toe nails hurt, my finger nails hurt, I'm running a little fever again, my joints are sore.... This is worse for me than the AC was. I can't believe I'm saying it...

In any case, it'll pass, I know that but for now, I'm feeling pretty miserable.

Catherine, glad you're reading the blog...my mantra...one more left, one more left...

Carynn, thanks for the remarks on my new pics. I braved the world bald...took my cue from Marsha (note, I didn't say cue ball).

Received word from the insurance company last Friday that they're challenging the bilat. They want the rationale for the right mastectomy (which, at this point is prophylactic) -- my BS says he's never seen one refused in the last 10 years. Also, seems to me I read something about federal law coverage in this area....ring a bell with anybody. Blah...idiots.

See you later girls. Hope everybody who's getting treatment this week does well and that those recovering from last week, heal quickly.

Overthemoon

Hello, I have not been posting and I haven't caught up on all your posts, but I wince when I read the posts from those not doing well, and I smile when I read those with good news...we are all in this together, and it means a lot to me to share a connection with such a great group of women (and man,or two) in the same boat.
My Update: April 24th was to be my last chemo, then on to radiation and anti-hormone drugs.
One of my tumors was Borderline Amplified per FISH; one onc considered Borderline to be Postive and two onc's considered it to be Negative. I accepted the opinion of the onc's who said it was Negative vs. the one who said it was Positive. But I just could not shake a feeling, call it intuition, and I don't always heed mine.
Recently, my onc attended a seminar which included HER2; afterward, my onc presented my case to the speaker. then recommended I deliver slides of both tumors from both my biopsy and my lumpectomy to Dr. Michael Press, renowned pathologist who is a HER2 "guru", at USC's Norris Cancer Center. Dr. Press looked at my slides himself, & confirmed that one of my tumors, the larger one, is HER2+ and that I need Herceptin.
So a week before I would have my last chemo, I was told I need 2 extra, for a total of 6, staying with the Taxotere, but replacing the Cytoxin with Carboplatin, and adding Herceptin. Now I won't be done with Chemo until June 5th, then Herceptin every 3 weeks for a total of a year.
It is a setback. I feel like the "Sybil" with the multi-personalities in the book -- and movie, remember how great Sally Field was in the starring role? -- one of me is bummed beyond words to not be done with IV infusions until April 2008, another one is grateful that now I know for certain and now the HER2 trait can be treated effectively to prevent a recurrence.
Tomorrow I will have Chemo #5, my 2nd with THC, and I know I will be in good company with SammieKay......my best to all, Sybil

twink

Good luck to you Sybil. Chin up...it's good to know that you're doing the right thing, even if it does seem to go on forever.

wildabouthorses

Sybil, wow so sorry to read you have to prolong chemo and the iv infusions but glad you followed your gut feelings and are having the correct treatments done now! I think we've all learned we have to question things when it comes to cancer and our treatments...sometimes its for the better even though we may have to endure more.

MelanieW

Sybil; Talk about being conflicted! I am so sorry that your chemo cruise is going to last for longer than you thought. At the same time, I can see where you would feel like you are glad that you know that you should be continuing and are doing so. Wow. I was also worried about the possibility of being Her2 borderline. My onc assures me that I am neg. I certainly hope he is right.

Catherine; My massage was so nice. I feel much better if I make the point to be there weekly. If you ever find the right person, it is therapy that is actually enjoyable! I too love PBS, and I often wish that cable/satellite did not exist. Life will just never be that simple again...at least not in our lifetimes.

Twink; I am so sorry that Tax SE's are getting you down. I have been on it since the first chemo, so I can't relate to the differences. I did seem to bounce back a little quicker with #5, which I am thankful for. And as for the those insurance issues...it's bad enough that what we deal with daily without adding to our problems. That said...I am thankful I have insurance and I know it will all work out in the end. I don't think they have a "leg to stand on" in your case and they know they will end up paying. My injections nurse Clara, told me that after years of dealing with insurance issue and delays, that she has determine that it is all about cash flow. They know they will ultimately pay, but they use delay tactics to retain their "money in the bank" so to speak, as long as possible.

On a curious note...Do any of you keep up with your tumor marker numbers. I asked about mine last week. My numbers so far are 18, 20, 25...rising, which is bothersome, but they said they are still very comfortably in the normal range. I have read that it is actually desirable for them to rise during chemo. I have also read that the tests for this are terribly inaccurate and many onc's just simply do not use them. Just something else to confuse me...*sigh*...

Huggz to all at the bar today.

marshakb

Twink, hey girlfriend so good to hear from you. I must go to your blog and see your Demi Moore head. I thought maybe you had one!!! Bilat question.....there was some kind of law change. Remember that some insurance companies are TRAINED to say NO first to anything a little questionable so you need to stay on them about it. Not that I think the prophylatic is questionable but you know what I mean............. I don't think the taxol is worse for me than AC but this is no walk in the park either. The bone pain is really bad for me, epecially days 4-5. I'm chanting the same thing "one more left". ONE week from tomorrow.

Sybil, well good news and bad huh? I hate this crap. Of course you are doing the right thing to persue answers to unknowns. You won't be alone.....we have a sisterhood here that doesn't end just cause the ship is docking for some of us. Hugs to you

Melanie, the southern accent works great for me HAHAHAHA Bless her heart LOLOLOLOL

Have a great day everyone....Sammie Kay, drink up girl and here's hoping for no hangover! Marsha