Chemo in Sept 08
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Susan - They call it an eyelet scarf. Here is the link:
http://www.headcovers.com/654/naomi-eyelet-scarf/
I have AC #3 on Friday. My taste buds never recovered from tx #2, so I am not happy.
Good Luck to all having tx this week.
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Hey ya'll.
I have to say that my 4th A/C kicked my hiney! I'm only just now climbing out of the valley I've been hunkered down in for the past 4 days. Thank you Lord, I actually felt like stepping outside the house today.
I know my nausea and headaches are small compared to what some of you ladies have been dealing with. I don't mean to whine about it, just glad it's over.
You girls have been in my thoughts all week. Sorry I'm not able to respond to each of you like I want to. {{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}} to those that need them and prayers going up for you all.
Much love
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Hi Girls,
Sorry to hear that so many of you have had trouble and trips to the ER, it is so frightening when we don't know what is going on!
I have just come back from 2 days away with my husband, we went despite my low blood count, which should be higher by now, will find out tomorrow when I go for my 3rd FAC. I had two treatments in the spa, one leg massage and one soothing scalp treatment, but they made a mistake and asked if I was ready for my HAIR treatment! Had to laugh and tell them, I only have 2cm of hair! Good job I was feeling strong. My little bit of hair is still there and I even had it blow dried for the first time in a year and the lady even cut the tiny bits by my ears for me, I felt human again
Hope everyone does well this week and that all blood counts are high (but not too high) will let you know how I get on tomorrow. I have had a couple of chest pains in the last few days, but I think it is related to eating fatty food, will check with the onco tomorrow.
bye for now, Singapore Chris
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Susan, I've been hoping that you are better. So sorry you ended up in the ER.
It has been a rough three weeks, I spent a good part of last night talking myself into going for number 3 today.
Hope everything goes well for both of us today. Now we're more than half way!
Chris
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Hi All,
I had my 3rd Taxol today (my second to LAST treatment! yay!) Totally uneventful -- just goes to show you a person can get used to anything, I suppose. I brought my laptop and the time flew.
I found out my counts were low again, so another Neulasta shot for me tomorrow, my last they say. Luckily, I don't have a problem with SE from Neulasta shot!
I anticipate Wed/Thurs through the weekend will be body and joint aches from the Taxol. STILL MUCH BETTER THAN AC THOGH!! by a LOOOOOONG shot!
I have booked my matectomy and reconstruction surgery at the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans (this is NOLA all over the boards) and this will be Dec 2nd, three weeks after my last Taxol.
Hope all are doing well! OH!!! I feel stubble up there on my baldish head!!! yay!
Sprngtime...
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Anybody miss me?
I've been in the hospital for the past week with cellulitis of the chest wall. When I got there, my white count was 1. They had me on two IV antibiotics and then added a third. They will be sending a visiting nurse to the house once a day to do a dressing change and they will teach dd how to do a second dressing change. I am SOOOO glad to be home and be able to sleep in my own bed tonight.
My next chemo has been put on hold...indefinitely until this infection clears up....and all of this is because of a broken tooth and incompetent dentist!
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Oh Jane! You poor thing! That is just awful! Hugs to you and wishing you a speedy recovery!
Hugs to everyone else who could use one!
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Jane - dentists are evil! Yes, we did miss you! Tell everyone that you need to be handled with kid gloves (sterile kid gloves that is). Hope those antibiotics kick this thing in the behind.
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Juli - thanks for the specific link. I wonder if my dh would have a hissy if I ordered more headgear!!
Tanzie - glad you are doing better
Sing Chris - your 2 days away sound heavenly
Hope things went well for you today.Chris - I am doing okay. Had a mild reactions again to the taxotere but my nurse was great and quickly shut it down. She gave me saline and then slow dripped. She bumped it back up after a while and I began reacting again, so we stopped and then she kept it very slow. I was there from 8-3 and missed my LGFB class, dang it! I'm doing to reschedule for November even though I'll be done the week before (they said that was fine) because I want my free makeup LOL.
My only complaint tonite is some indigestion which I have not have with either of my first 2 txs. What's up w/ that?!
I sat beside a sweet, sweet girl (33) with liver and colon cancer, stage 4. She has two little boys. I will pray for her daily. She just happened to have a ct scan because of some other minor issues and they discovered her cancer.
Springtime - glad you are doing good. And Jane, bless your heart!! Feel better soon!
Okay gals, the sofa is calling my name.
Have a good night, everyone
Susan
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Hi everyone! Sorry to hear abt your infection Jane. My chemo is on hold also , d/t cold/sinus infection. We are going back to Chicago, as my mom died today. I will not be posting for awhile.
D
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priz- my heart and sypathy goes out to you. I am so sorry to hear about your mom. Prayers to you. I lost my mom in 97 but some days it still seems like yesterday. I will be praying for you.
Jane- glad you will be able to rest at home. So sorry to hear you had problems.
Sounds like a lot of us are hitting speedbumps right now. I pray for all that are sick right now or recovering and i pray we each improve soon. I still don't know if i will have tx thursady. I am holding out hope that this cold and bronchitis turns this week.
Good luck everyone and take care.
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Priz - So sorry to hear about your mom...my prayers and hugs for you and your family.
Today I grabbed the shopping list (my kids made) off the fridge and discovered that my 15 yr old son had written "a cure of cancer" in the middle of the list. He is so sweet!
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Hi Girls
Tanzie and Susan, hope you are feeling better.
Springtime, glad your Tx was uneventful, that's just what we want, only one to go!
Jane, we missed you, hope you are feeling better and the nasty infection has gone!
Sue508, sorry you had a reaction to the taxotere, it does sometimes happen in later treatments as we become a little more sensitive.
Priz47, so sorry to hear about your mom, I am sending you strength and good wishes at this very difficutl time.
I had my 3rd FAC today, my white blood count went up from 1.8 to 6.58 must have been the scalp treatment at the spa! I told my oncol about my chest pains and was promptly sent to the cardiologist, he checked me out gave me an ECG and said it was Acid Reflux (heartburn), now I think about it I have been drinking an awful lot of fresh orange juice over the weekend, a substitute for alcohol. Obviously to acidic with the AC attacking my windpipe. At least it wasn't anything to do with a heart attack! Had my chemo, my 17 year old son who is frightened of injections, came with me and did fine, we both sat an watched the Red Devil drip slowly down the line ready to kill off any nasty cancer cells that might be lurking around! I am resting now and waiting for season 4 of Desperate housewives to arrive!
Wink, Everytime I see you photo on this site (everyday), I think you are holding up a glass of champagne, it was only a few days ago when I had a really close look that I realised you are holding a pole!
Take care everyone and don't lose heart along the way, we are strong and we can do this! Singapore Chris
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Check out this website for some amazingly beautiful scarves www.anokhiusa.com
They are reasonably priced too!
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Donna - I have a anokhiusa scarf I bought locally - it is sooo soft and comfy - will be getting more of them. Thanks for the link.
Sorry to hear so many are fighting infections right now - best to all of you. My numbers are still low so I'm working from home this week to try to avoid any problems. My temp is up from normal in the evenings but I suspect it is my body trying to figure out if I'm going to have a period or not - groan. I'm definitely not as peppy as I was at this point on last tx - but still doing great compared to what I expected.
I have rads after this - but don't know how quickly they'll start. My last chemo is Dec 1 - if I can get them to start in Dec - I'll be done with tx in January - how cool would that be! (other than the 5 yrs of tamoxifin and recon....sigh
) On the funny side - my daughter (18) was home from college this weekend - I mentioned that after recon I wouldn't have to wear a bra...her immediate response: "But you will!" Gotta love it.
Best to all of you - it is wonderful how strong you are. When I see people afraid to look me in the eye, it is a great reminder of how much this path is strengthening me.
Ruth
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((((((priz))))))...I can't imagine what you're going through...you have my prayers and my sympathies..
Genia...nope... wasn't me! My port's never been infected, although I wonder if the tail of the thing has grown! I hope yours stops itching soon!
Iowagirl...great interview, and I have to say that you look fabulous! I hope everything turns out in your favor!
Springtime...I've got stubble, too...I'm still doing the FAC, haven't started the Taxol yet...I can't stand it, so I shave it off! I've still got my lashes and brows, and my danged period, too!
Jane...Prayers that your infection clears up in a snap, and that you're feeling wonderful soon!
I'll have surgery tomorrow to back up the tail on my port, then go directly to the cancer center for chemo since my port will already be accessed. It's gonna be a long day! I'll just be so happy to have a normal heartbeat!
Now, I hope you'll excuse me so I can eat myself into oblivion until midnight...cheesecake anyone?
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wink- i bought scarves from anokhi also. They are pretty colors and i the prices are good. I didn't buy too many till i found out if i liked them but so far they are my favorites.
theprettiest- i would love to have cheescake!! Best wishes for tomorrow.
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OK, from my experience, the Neulasta isn't what makes you feel so bad a few days after chemo, I think it is just coincidence. I didn't take the Neulasta shot this last go round and still felt like crap on days 2-4. I also ended up with low counts, so my recommendation is not to skip the shot...
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Hi Girls,
Sue508 and Priz, I know it is hard to drink anything when it all tastes awful, but if you don't drink alot, your skin will be even worse. I have tried gingerale, but a bit to sweet, tonic water, most of the time I drink soda water, no calories, as I have NOT lost any weight! I always have something to drink next to me, but I get fed up with it pretty soon, I am now going to try some very weak peppermint tea and drink it cold. I also put body lotion on when I remember, and it does make a difference, I decided to buy some nice face cream to make me feel special and not so dried out looking and I think it is working.
The hair thing is another matter, Gena take heart, you look lovely in your photo. This does take some time to go from one stage to another. I am now totally comfortable with my tiny bit of hair and am itching to go out commando, it is only a matter of time. My whole family are now used to my new look, but it did take them several months before they stopped noticing that I was bald, my 12 year old especially. He has some freinds coming round for halloweena and I will wear a bandana then. Although my dd is wonderful and really doesn't seem to care, I think we were brought up to know that men prefer long hair on women, at a time like this being bald doesn't exactly make you feel sexy!
Now is the time to forget the sexy bit and work on the deeper level of love that we have with our partners/children and if you don't already have it, look for it. Let's use this time tell our partners/children how much we appreciate all the little things they do for us and how it makes us feel strong that they are coping so well (even if they are not).
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel after almost 10 months of chemo and I must admit I think my skin and body have copied really well, I know that you are will too, so keep going and it will all be over soon.
Singapore Chris
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On the drinking topic - when I have the worst metal taste - if I put a slice of cucumber in my water it's better. Two reasons I think - one, it's alkaline and feels good on the mouth and two, that's what you get at the spa before they take care of you. I normally drink a lot of water, but when I have the metal taste, it is a lot harder for me to get down. I seem to have constantly chapped lips during this, so drinking helps with that as well.
On the positive side, a sweet friend in Chicago sent me a gorgeous hat box today and filled it with horrid halloween wigs, pirate stuff, and a tiara. She is always so nervous that she will say the wrong thing - and she is so wonderful. I normally don't dress up at halloween - but maybe this year. The best suggestion is that I paint on a goatee and go as twins with my hubby. The worst - Brittany Spears during the meltdown phase. What are you guys up to?
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Even though the only place I am going on Halloween is to my surgeon's office and oncologist's office, I am going to get up at 6 AM so my daughter can paint my bald head orange and draw a jack-o-lantern on the back. I will try to post pics. I was going to do this for work and my husband asked last night why I would want to go to the doctor like that. I told him that I wanted other patients to know that it's ok to be bald. There is nothing to be ashamed of and that, if they are bald, they might as well see the humor in it all.
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Way to go, Jane! Please do post pics!!
Priz - so so sorry to hear about your mom! I will pray for you and your family! Hope your cold is better soon too. ((((((()))))))
Bettysgirl - hope you are feeling better soon too and that you can get your tx Thurs.
Juli - sweet, sweet son!
Sing Chris - your posts are always so encouraging. Glad you figured out the acid reflux thing. Hope you are feeling good today after your recent tx.
Ruth - I'll be done w/ chemo toward the end of Nov. and then will start w/ rads too. Not sure if I'll start before or after Christmas. I think it's supposed to be a walk in the park (well, maybe that's a little extreme LOL) after chemo. Have you heard that too? Your box of goodies sound great - what a nice friend! Ruth, I too have problems w/ chapped lips. I can't think of the name of the stuff I'm using, but it's a yellow container and I got it from Walmart - squeeze tube almost like vasaline - works great and stays on a long time. I'll try to post the name later.
Prettiest - praying your surgery goes smoothly and yes, pls send me some cheesecake LOL.
I am doing okay - day 2, tx 3. Felt great this morning til I took decadron, then felt shaky crappy. Feeling a little better now. Chris, how'd you do? Hello to everyone else!
hugs,
Susan
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Priz - my thoughts and prayer are with you.
Jane - wonderful plan - you go girl!
SingChris - my picture is from my first TX - I wish it was a Mimosa!
Ruth - I'll have to try the cucumber. I typically just added a flavored tea bag to my water bottle - it gives the water a hint of flavor and makes it easier to drink. Maybe I'll do the Brittany meltdown for the contest here at work! Love the Twin with your hubby.
BrandonMom - my onc's nurse told me that it's the Decadron wearing off that causes the third day after TX (Chemo on Thurs, day 3 Sat) to be the worst. I have felt pretty decent the day of and the next).
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Hi wonderful ladies!
Taxol #3, Day #3 and all okay so far. I had to have another Neulasta shot yesterday as my whites plummeted again, even from just Taxol! I anticipate some aches and joint pain starting tomorrow, but I am trying L-Glutamin so maybe that will help. I'll report back!
I had a dream my hair was back! One more chemo to go, 11/10. Then Surgery Dec 2nd (three weeks later).
I saw another OCN yesterday for 2nd opinion - they are not sure (I am doing neo-adjuvant chemo) if I have a lot of invasive cancer left and am a "chemo non-responder", or if it's all DCIS in there. Only will know after surgery pathology. This was upsetting to hear yesterday! All this chemo potentially for almost nothing!??? ahhhck! I did not want to hear I could be a "non-responder" with "stable disease" .So many others are getting a "complete response". sheesh. ;(
Apparently, this can sometimes happen if you are High ER and PR (I am 90% each) and Her2-. I hope it does not happen to anyone else! Most others do really well, and even most in this group. Maybe I am just the "lucky one" !!!
Springtime
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Susan, I've heard the walk in the park concept too - worried that I'll get too excited about that and be disappointed. It really should be fine - and much easier than chemo. I'm eager to be done with the tx and move on with my life. I was on the askapatient website looking at Tamoxifin today - maybe I should enjoy the radiation phase.
When I was reviewing rad side effects with my doc, he said - this can cause cancer - but it takes 35 yrs for that to happen; if chemo causes cancer it's usually in 5-7 yrs. Now there's a marketing pitch to love! Springtime, hoping for the best for you. The non-responder label does seem a little insulting...but the real thing they said is they don't know - so try to stay with that. Remember the diagnosis phase sucks the worst because of the slow trickle of real information - this puts you back in that cycle.
Jane - you definitely have to post those pics! Orange has just never looked good on me - impressive!
Hope you are all having better days,
Ruth
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Springtime - I totally agree with Ruth, concentrate on the "they are not sure" part. My onc had about 4 different regimes that he was considering; he did not make up his mind until 2 days before my first tx. I've already had surgery, so they can not tell if I'm a responder or non-responder. I was worried that I might be a non-responder because my hair stopped falling out and is growing back (just had 3rd tx). I too would hate to think that I went through all of this for nothing!
Juli - what a precious joy your son must be - that's one of the sweetest things I've heard!
Donna
PS I think that my "font problem" must have something to do with using my Mac; I'm on a PC right now and have had no font issues.
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I hope I don't offend anyone with this question, but I also value the opinion of the women on this site. My husband and I are born-again Christians and many years ago we decided not to celebrate Halloween because of its Pagan origins and because it is the High Holy Day for Wiccans (Again, I apologize if anyone practices this). Our church usually has a Harvest Celebration at the end of October and the kids and adults dress up for that. At any rate, my husband has told me that he doesn't want me to decorate my head for Halloween - not because he doesn't want people to see my bald head, but because it is Halloween. I told him that, to me, it's not about Halloween, it's about making a statement. I want to let people know that it's ok to have cancer; it's ok to be bald and it's ok to have a sense of humor. I am hoping to do the same thing at Christmas and, if I'm still bald, at Easter.
I have never done anything my husband has not wanted me to do, but this is something I feel strongly about and I feel compelled to do it. What is everybody else's opinion? Am I being unreasonable? Am I being disrespectful to his beliefs?
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Thanks WInk and Ruth, I needed to hear that!
I just have to keep hope! Then deal with whatever it is. In any case, hormone therapy will be big for me, it seems.
Maybe in the future they will know more about exactly what types of cancer will respond well to chemo and what types will not. Wouldn't that be great? Then instead of everybody gettng toxified with chemo, only the ones who can benefit will. What a thought!
Another hope! for the future!
Springtime.
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Springtime - I think they are getting much better at figuring out who gets chemo. I heard that the number given chemo is down to 25% of what it used to be. We are just super lucky to join the Temporarily Balding Club. It's frustrating to think we are going through this for kicks - and worse, that our children would have to.
Jane, I have to say I don't see the difference between decorating your head for halloween versus harvest day. I'm a born again christian as well, and have been to many church harvest festivals - and have seen a lot of outrageous costumes....it sounds like this is more of a discussion with your husband on why he sees the two costume rules as different. (and a pumpkin head would definitely be in the harvest theme
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Jane, it does seem a bit odd that you want to decorate yourself for Halloween if you do not celebrate the holiday. Why not just do it for the Harvest Celebration at your church? Wouldn't that send the same message?
Chris
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