Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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I'm with you - doing the same route - haven't heard yet of anyone who had a lumpectomy by the time chemo was over. Would be interesting to hear of anyone who did. I have heard, however, of some who opted for a mast anyways, because they feared recurrance. If a lumpectomy is done, they still have to get clear margins - and if they don't, they'd have to do surgery again. I'm not willing to go through any more surgery than I have to. Being HER2+, I think my mind is almost made up.
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stlcardsfan - I was not given lumpectomy as an option due to the size of my tumor. I will be having my surgery about 6 weeks after chemo is done...mid May sometime.
I am torn on the single mx or double mx. I will do the single mx now and then my surgeon said they could do the other mx at the time of my reconstruction later this year.
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Cakelady-great close-up! Not only does your hair look fantastic, so do you!!! I too had shoulder legnth hair before bc. I figure it will take 5 years to get that long again, lol!!! Take care. By the way, are cakes your business? Just curious.
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allisontom911, What a beautiful baby! I was diagnosed while breastfeeding, so I can relate to having to take care of a baby while on chemo. I was 38 at diagnosis and baby was 6 months old. You also have 911 in your signature. Curious as to your reason--9/11 is my birthday.
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weety911 - thanks for the compliments on my baby. I think he is pretty darn cute too...lol. 911 in my signature is the date I met my hubby. 9/11/98.
I was not breastfeeding but he was almost 7 weeks old when I was diagnosed. How are you doing now? Where in treatment are you?
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Kjbell.........Thanks for the nice words. Yes cakes are my business, ( well , not my own business) ,, I have been a decorator for about 25 years, first ice cream cakes at Baskin Robbins, then Costco, and then the last 5 years or so at a family owned bakery (not my family). This economy is really hitting our jobs hard. All our hours have been cut. January was a good time for me to have my expander surgery because it's slow and I was off for 4 weeks....... ouch.
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Wendy....if I lived closer to you, I would definitely want you to make a cake for me!! I bet you are good at it. My fav is white cake with white icing...wedding cake, yum!
I am getting a massage tomorrow and can't wait! I haven't been able to lay on my stomach since last year after my mastectomy because of my expander. The massage therapist I am going to works on geriatric patients and since I am a special case because of my lymphedema and scar lines on my hip area, I think she will be careful with me.
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Christy..... Thats funny, because I like chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.....but I like all kinds of cake!!! Have fun at your massage... I really miss not laying on my stomach too,, my gosh.
I just got back from the PS and got expander fills..one side he put 120 cc and the other I only got 75 because it felt tight, and it hurt more too! How come my non cancer side is always giving me more trouble than the cancer side?? I hope the PS can work some miracles on me.... but I think it may take longer than we anticipated.
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Well ladies, last night 7 of us MD women met in Baltimore for a ladies' night out. It was so much fun - and Jaimieh and Alaina from this thread were there!
I want to tell everyone that yesterday was Jaimie's FINAL HERCEPTIN!!! So CONGRATULATIONS JAIMIE!!!
Alaina and I have only 3 more Herceptins to go. We will both finish the same week in early April. I can't get over how fast this year has gone. A roller coaster for sure, but I have so much to be thankful for - and not the least of which is getting to know all of you.
Love to all
Amy
ps. Jaimie - get a new avatar photo. You are A MILLION TIMES PRETTIER than that picture. And you are a photographer!!! What's up with that??
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Thanks Amy!
Yeah it's hard to get anyone besides me to click the shutter in my house and I am horrible on the other side of the lens..lol.....
It was so wonderful meeting Amy and Alaina. It was so much fun to get together with people who you know have done the same thing and ladies who know how you feel. I do not think there was a moment of quiet time with all of us
I can't wait to see you ladies next month.My last herceptin was yesterday morning. My first onc. nurse Connie aka. Jezabell was my nurse for yesterday. She made sure that she had me for my final herceptin which as normal we have are little pretend spats and we laughed and carried on. I did feel bad because someone told her that she was mean to me last time so she had to tell the other patients that we were joking. Honestly she is such a wonderful nurse and really made me feel like someone cared. During my first chemo. I had an allergic reaction to taxotere and she sat with me FOREVER. Then after my appt. she called me 4x in the first week just to make sure I was okay.....anyhow it was bitter sweet ending.
BTW, this day one year ago I shaved my head
Not a fond moment that I remember but that is when I lost my blonde hair Now I have a crazy do that I just throw product in and make it stand up all over...lol.... Last night Amy and I decided that we have the same do but I think her hair is longer than mine Anyhow I am still recovering from my surgery but I do not let little things like drain bulbs keep me down. I am out and about anyhow
I tell everyone after chemo. drains are a cake walk. I found out that I will be back in NOLA at the end of April for stage 2 so I am excited about that but I am grateful for the time in between to heal. I hope everyone is doing well and doing things they love to do. Everyone who just started hang in there....it honestly does get better. Now I hope my energy starts to go up from here.......
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Jamie...Congratulations on your last Herceptin!!! Way to go!!! When you were shaving your head last year on this day, I was having my mastectomy! There are so many one year 'anniversaries' with us all, and we will never forget those dates! What a year...
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Jamie!!! You are DONE! WooHoo!! Here's wishing you all the best, including a mega blast of energy.
Cheers!
Cloud
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Finishing Herceptin is a big milestone! Congrats Jamie! When three weeks past, and New Years rolled around this year, it felt very very strange to NOT be going back for another infusion. It still feels strange. Glad to have the port out too!
I got my first haircut this week. One year ago, I told the hair dresser, I was bald! Happy to have hair now! And to not look sick or to look like chemo head! LoL!
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Koryn - your hair is BEAUTIFUL. Congratulations on finishing treatment and thanks so much for sharing the photo!
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Jaimieh.... Congratulations on the end of Herceptin!!!! Wow you have been through soooo much. I hope things go really well for you from now on. I have Herceptin on Monday, I think its # 17.
Koryn.. your hair is really pretty!! looks good. We like seeing photos, don't we everyone?
Christy... ya my one year mastectomy date is Feb. 20th. Right behind you chickie.
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Koryn....Your hair is beautiful! I can't wait for my bangs to be as long as yours!
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Koryn, your hair is awesome. I love seeing pictures gives me hope to have hair again some day!
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congrats to Jamieh & Koryn:) that is awesome. You give girls like me at the beginning of this crazy journey hope that a year from now I will be done with all of these appts and also have some hair on my head. best wishes ladies.
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Congratulations Ladies!! Woo Hoo! Definitely something to be proud of!
Hugs to you for completing this journey!
~Sher
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Congrats on everyone finishing up with tx. Seems like a long time ago I finished but it was just last July when I finished my Herceptin. I do have hair but I have trimmed it 2 times to get the shape looking right. I still have short hair but it is funny so many have started wearing their hair short now. I am not sure if they are just getting ready for warm weather or they thought it was good idea. I am right in style anyway! Still doing the blood tests but going to onc every 3 months now. I am still battling the red blood count. I think my age is part of that problem but I am hopeful. I did read where a person has long term red blood count problems then they are 3 times more likely to have a re occurrence of cancer. I hope I am not in that group but I have to have my port indefinitely so I can't get deported any time soon plus if I need a transfusion it is easier to put it in there. I am so glad everyone seem to be doing good and upbeat.
Carolyn
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gramma23 - Why do you have to have your port Indefinitely?
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CinCan, the only reason I know of is because my red blood count is still really low and the doctor said so. I can live with it and I guess it would be better to have it than to have it out and need a transfusion again or the cancer come back and need chemo. I will just wait and see I guess. He may have said that so I would quit bugging him about it. On this breast cancer site it does say that people that continue to have anemia are 3 times more likely to have it return. I guess maybe if my blood counts had bounced back to normal they may have taken it out. I just don't know but I had cancer in 3 lymph nodes. A friend of mine that goes to the same cancer center has non Hodgkin's lymphoma and she has to leave hers in indefinitely too. May be the cancer center or maybe the cancer in the lymph nodes. I see my onc again in March so I will probably ask him since I have to have it flushed every 6 weeks. Right now I am going every 3 weeks to get a blood test and a Procrit shot so it is not a big deal to have it flushed every other time. Most I know have had theirs out after all the treatments are finished. I was diag with ER-/PR- HER2+ stage III grade 3 but after I finished chemo the radiation doc said I was stage IIb and I am not sure why the change unless because I had all the treatments. My brother was diag with cancer about 6 months before I was and he died last year so that could be something they are considering.
You will probably be like most and when you are finished you will get yours out. Just because some don't is not really a bad sign.
Carolyn
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gramm23 - Thank you for that explanation. My port has been in for 3 months and it is still very sensitive. It bothers me when I sleep on my side or stomach, the only time it doesn't bother me is when I am sleeping on my back....and I am not a back sleeper. I just can't imagine having to leave it indefinitely. I am very sorry to hear about your brother. It sounds like you've been through so much. You deserve a Big CONGRATULATIONS! You sound like a fighter....so keep on fighting!
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Gramm...I am so sorry to hear about your brother...0
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Cincan and ccbaby, thank you for your thoughts. I lost my brother a year ago but it is sometimes not easy. My sister in law has had a real rough time with it and that is why we went to see her. We went at Valentines day so she would be busy. It was a long 8 or more hour trip. My husband had triple bypass surgery just as I was finished the TC part of my chemo Nov of 2008 but he is doing much better I hope! He has to go for his yearly stress test and I think he is nervous about it too. it is in March though.
Cincan I think as time goes on your port will not bother you as much. Mine is still tender to touch it but I lost weight and it turned on it's side and so when they flush it they have to push down to insert the needle but it does not hurt to put the needle in. I am so happy to have a port instead of them trying to find a vein in my arm. Mine do okay for a normal blood draw but when I was getting them every week it begin to look bad since I take Warfin to thin my blood too. Now it is only every 3 weeks. when I was first pregnant 47 years ago I was a stomach sleeper too but with each child I got away from that. I could not sleep on my stomach now if I had to. I did not sleep well at first with the port and also when I had radiation. I do find myself sleeping on my back at times now because of back pain and it helps that. I guess we will adjust to whatever is needed. I wish you luck with chemo and then getting deported. I will be glad to hear when my red blood count is up again. funny how such little things become so important! maybe if you buy a pillow especially for side sleepers like I did it would help a little. You put your arm under the pillow and your head on top when you sleep on your side. it is not great for the hair do though. I have short hair and it sticks straight up in the mornings!
Hang in there everyone, You can get through this and be a survivor. I know a lot of women who are.
Carolyn
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It has been a while since i have logged on here and it is overwhelming trying to catch up! CONGRATS JAMIE! Oh man done with the big H, that is awesome. And Christy, you are almost done too. I am done in June.
WENDY, I have the same issue as you, i have more trouble with my non cancer breast as far as pain and tenderness than the one that started this whole problem in the first place! I keep getting a sharp pain under my other breast that feels like a cramp! It might be indigestrion, but who knows? i feel like i notice a milllion aches and pains these days that i never notices before.
I was able to go on my first vacation last week to IDAHO to visit close freinds and hit the snow. It was so nice to do something that had NOTHING to do with a doctor, needles, hospital, paper gown, or anything to do with Cancer for 4 days! It is also nice that total strangers are complimenting me on my "haircut" instead of staring with "that look".
Hang in there newbies, I am 6 months past chemo and it really does get back to a better place and with HAIR!
Glad to catch up with all of you. Take care!
Trish
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I love peeking in here...Koryn, I love your hair!!! I had my last TCH on 12/10/09 and have between 1/2 to 1 inch of hair growth, full with no scalp showing anymore. There is hope! I asked my Onc if I could get color...he told me no ammonia or peroxide, but a gentle rinse with color was okay.
So, my hairdresser did her research and I had my hair "done" for the first time since July '09. I had the tiniest of trim, but it is the first time I have been back to work coverless
I little gel on top to give more texture with wisps around the ears and temples. It works. I have worked full time through the whole ordeal and today was the first day I showed up at work without a hat or wig in nearly 6 months. Have the Annie Lennox look going on...I just can't wait for bangs and some ear coverage! But how liberating it is to be coverless. There is hope, ladies!Herceptin is going weekly until September 2010. Had the 13th radiation today out of 33 (20 to go) and continuing with the Zometa IV III trial.
Strength and perseverence to you...I know it feels like it an eternity, and I still get a little down being barely 1/2 way through, but with each day, we are closer to finishing our treatment. Hugs...
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Cincan~ Eventually you should be able to tummy sleep again. It took me a while but I have been able to sleep on my stomach multiple times in the last year...inbetween reconstruction surgeries..
Trish~ Thank you! It is kinda odd being done. I already tried to make babysitter arrangements for the Monday that would be hercepting..lol.... I am a creature of habits.
I get to talk to my oncologist next week about getting my port removed. I am excited but at the same time it is like my security blanket is being taken from me. I have a little port and after the initial pain I have not had any problems with it. I am going to get it removed during my stage 2 at the end of April if I can. I know that my incision site will look awesome and it would be one less procedure for me to go thru.
My hair.....oh my hair.... is about 3-4" long and doesn't like to do anything but stick up. It's not in a good way it just does whatever it would like and I try to make it look like it was done on purpose. I use so much hair products on it that it amazes me. I could never imagine that such a small amount of hair would require so much hair stuff. I go back to the hairdresser this week and we will be talking color again. We should be able to highlight the ends this time.
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SANIASIA! Good job girl! I remember when you first came on and were about to start chemo! Now you have hair and are topless! yours grew fast! Isnt it just the best feeling!!?! And JAMIEH is right, it is amazing how much more product i use on my hair that it is 2 inches long than i ever did when it was to my waist!
Been dealing with some really bad anxiety and hot flashes the last few days. Do any of you ladies on Tamoxifen find the hot flashes are off and on? last week i hardly had any, and the past 24 hours i have had more than i can count. my night sleep was horrible because i was freezing then sweating all night long. I am taking Celexa for the anxiety and felt like it was helping a bit with the flashes. Do they ever stop? Im 40 and have a new found respect for my mother!
Im sure my anxiety probably doesnt help, i feel so stressed sometimes about recurrence that i get myself worked up. How are you ladies dealing with this? i cant seem to get any comfort in the numbers my doc gives me about my low chances of recurrence. I just keep focusing on the stories i hear. I have been told it is normal the first year to feel like this, i sure hope it subsides soon.
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