Chemo in Sept 08
Comments
-
Whoo-hoo Genia and Spring!
Juli - this is for you {{{{{{{SLAP}}}}}}}}
I had an MRI of the brain yesterday and it is confirmed, there is nothing there. The Dr. supposes the headache could be due to stress (ya think?) and the weakness in the right arm, pain in the right wrist and 3 numb fingers is neuropathy from the Taxol. My elevated BP is probably a combo of the Taxol and stress, too.
Where is all this stress coming from and where do I send it?
0 -
I finished Taxol/Herceptin #9 today. Only 3 more. Is that enough? I was counting down when I would be chemo free, and now I worried that we should do a couple more...
Trude - I'm going to have radiation with my expander. I'm thinking it will start in August. Good luck on your surgery. It was my first surgery and I was definitely freaked out in the days leading up to it. When I actually had the surgery, I was asleep and awake before I knew it! All things considered, it was one of the easier things I had to do. Remember to say something if you have any pain or nausea. They are quick to bring out meds!
Genia - Another story for you. I had a bone scan, and they made me do my head twice (once looking towards the side). Didn't think anything of it. Then they said they want to do an xray of my head. What? That wasn't planned, so I knew something was up. Very sadly I let them do their head xrays. In a few minutes they popped in and said I could go.
Next day, I see my onc. He said the bone scan did show glow on the back of my head. The bone scan can glow where there is injury, cancer, (and a third thing I can't remember). So the xray showed there was nothing. But my onc is very conservative. He said let's get a Brain MRI to be the tie breaker. He also thought it odd that only my head would glow. Went for the MRI, again trying to read anything in to the techs expression - nothing. Of course, I did the test on Friday, and after a very long weekend, I call the onc's office. The nurse says, the MRI was clear. Unimpressive I think was the word, or something that meant nothing there to see. She was surprised I was so nervous to get the results. She mailed me the radiologist conclusions just to satisfy me. So, just lighting up on the bone scan can be nothing. With all you have been going through, you are probably due a few injuries
The bubble wrap didn't arrive quickly enough!0 -
Hi girls,
Genia, fantastic news, thank god! I can feel you smiling from here.
Priz, let us know what the biopsy results say, try not to worry.
Springy, Hurray! Hurray! springy finished rads today !!! Keep applying the cream and all will be well in a week or so. I jumped into the pool for you and the water was lovely, I swam around for you too!
Juli, get a grip and look after yourself, you are sick you need to rest. Who is it that is asking you to work when you are ill. You will not recover very fast if you don't rest. Please look after yourself. (O.K. you can call me mother)
Don't work too hard winky.
Take care everyone. Singapore Chris
0 -
BrandonMom...honey... that's your BRILLIANCE (and it is TOO impressive!) showing up on that MRI! That's MY story! 0
-
**runs though the thread waving wildly, and cheering for Genia and Beverly! After making a loop or two, she gives Robin, Chris, Brandonmom, Priz and Donna a great big hello and a "Good night!" before heading back out into the world.**
0 -
scans can definitely be scarry. The techs know what is there, they just can't diagnosis since they are not docs !!! Crazy....they do all the work ?? I am doing radiology billing right now and with only one facility in town......I see all my reports right away....kinda cheating ???? Yeah, I know but sometimes its scarry.
Genia - I am sooooo happy for you!!!! You deserve some good news !!!
Brandonmom - Thanks for the good thoughts. I am sooo happy to hear you did well. My general surgeon had to bribe my plastic surgeon to do the expander at the time of mastectomy. She is so intelligent and has so many powerful hook ups. I got my surgery reviewed at MD Anderson by the big guys ....How cool is that !!! It made me feel a little better about choosing this method.
I just didn't want to go thru the TRAM or other more extensive surgerys.....I am old enough that an implant will be just fine.....I keep telling every one, I will have one boob and one foob !!! LOL
Spring - YIPEEEEE You have reached the end of the treatment....now all thats left is to heal, this will be the easy part. Have an extra margarita tonight ...WOOO HOOOO
Trude
0 -
Mom (Chris) - Still can't breathe
My heart rate was 141 at the radiologist's today. How high does it have to be before someone cares? I have a one hour appt tomorrow (simulation?, pre-simulation?), a cat scan on Friday, and a diagnostic mammo on the lumpectomied boob on Wednesday. They are getting a new machine in the middle of my treatment, so while it is being set-up, I will have to go to another city for a week's worth of treament. The boosts are also done at the other facility.Jane - Thanks for the smack. I did have a talk with my bosses today and told them I will type 3 hours max/appraisal. If they want more, they will have to pay more.
I just called 2 friends that I think may have a nebulizer machine (to help me breathe), and neither one answered their phones.
It's too late for Urgent Care, and I don't want to go to the ER...Hugs (no Smiley inserted here... I crashed last time I tried)
0 -
Dear Genia
So HAPPY for you that the bone scan is clear. So very very happy!!
Big hug,
Sam
0 -
Thanks ladies.....I appreciate all the well wishes!!!
Juli....you have me worried girl. That heart rate is double what it is supposed to be. I'm surprised SOMEONE hasn't shown some concern there. Please call the Dr. tomorrow.....and see if you can get back in to see him. You should be feeling better by now.
hugs and good night all.......love ya
0 -
Thanks Sam....you must have posted at the same time I did. Just saw your post.
0 -
Juli, call your oncol straight away and see what he thinks about your heart rate and the fact that you are not feeling better on the antibiotics. Even if it's the middle of the night over there. Please do it now. Hope all is well soon.
Singapore Chris x
0 -
Normal heartrate is anywhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute.If you were still doing AC, I'd think that the adriamycin was the culprit, because it was in mine. My heartrate at times was over 160 bpm and very unstable. I'm wondering, since Taxol can cause neuropathy in hands and feet, could it possibly affect the nerves in the lungs? Any other medications you're taking? Beta blockers can make breathing feel like you're breathing super thick air...Chris is right...don't wait to get checked out, and when you're there, whether it be after hours, the ER, or your oncologists office, I'd be letting them know that you're not leaving until SOMEONE comes up with the right diagnosis. I'd be mighty cheesed, lemme tell ya!
Love you all!
Robin
0 -
great link including the possible side effects of Taxol!
0 -
Yay! Genia is just old and decrepid! (sp??) LOL!!! These diagnositc tests really take it out of you... We don't care if you'll be hunched woman! Your spirit shines through!!
My genetic test thing took 2 weeks. My ONC office just read me the test, no genetic councelor stuff. I was neg, but glad to know given we have 2 teen daughters...
I am bright red, but done with rads! Yay! I can't even drive b/c I can't wear the seat belt right, this too shall pass.
Juli dear, hmm. Not liking the sounds of this wheezing!!! Are you getting better?
Denise, what did you find out? Let us know.
I hope we didn't loose Chris at the bottom of the pool! Come up for air Chris!!!
Winkie!!!!! You came back! Your trip sounds nice. I just realized that I can actually take a trip soon, I have not seen my family in NJ for about a year, and my Mom and DAd are in their 80s. I need to get up there...
Love you Girls!!!!
Redish Springie...
0 -
Yep....bein old and decrepit isn't a bad thing at all!!! I'll take it......lol
I have the wildest hair you have ever seen right now!!! I swear it had better LAY down.....it's stickin straight up all over my head.....lolol.........but hey.......at least it's hair!!!!
0 -
Genia,
My hair was sraight up in the beginning too. It is starting to lay down, but then with all the scruffs from everyone, within a day, it is sticking up again. But like you, who cares, it's hair!!
0 -
Hi Girls,
Just came back up for air, grew some fins while I was down there in the pool, do you think it could be a side effect from chemo??
Heal soon Spring, I know it will still be a little while before your skin is back to normal. Do you think there has been any effect on your recon?
Genia, what happened to uncle fester has he gone, only to be replaced by some beautiful creature with standy up hair?
Mine is laying down down down, and until about a week ago, seemed VERY flat, but it is now getting there and seems a little thicker. I personally think that rads slows down the growth of hair, but my rads oncol, says not. Hey what does he know, has he ever had rads or chemo????
Love to you all, take care Singapore Chris
0 -
Look .....I learned how to add pics!!! Actually my dd took these at christmas, I stole them from her myspace site >....Ha Ha Ha
Juli - how are you doing???? We are all worried.
Trude
0 -
juli- hope you are feeling better everyday.
Chris- WISHING i was in that pool with ya!!!
Trude- i love the pic.
Sorry to those of you that have had to wait for scans but glad to hear it's good stuff.
Well, with 5 left to go i am on a rad break. They deemed me too burned to go on right now and i am off until monday when they will re-check again to see if i can go on then. He says to expect some radical changes over the weekend....UGH!!! I am ready to be DONE WITH THIS MESS!!!
Hope everyone has a great evening. I've got to go baste myself. LOL
0 -
Hi everyone, It seems all I can do for now is buy everyone a Cosmo on Facebook...I want to do more but I'm no good. I wanted to take a bus ride today and could only do 20 blocks...10 stops...arrgh. I'm happy all of my dear friends were negative. That is the best news in the world to me.
Juli I worry about your heart rate. I am late to respond but I hope you are breathing better.
Anyone's doc make them do this...I hate and am terrified to do it and to not do it. Diabetes being a bitch of a disease that I had under control inspite of my tonnage:)
Anyway here's the regimen...:(
Taking Decadron 20 mgm now...20 mgm @ 0630 and doc to give me 20 mgm in IV along with Taxol. Damned Decadron has triggered my sweet tooth. I forgot until last night how much I craved sweets when I was on it for my RA...Lord knows I hate it even if it is God's gift to us.
Speaking of steroids... I remember how puffed up Jerry Lewis was a few years back, but he looked much better at the Oscars last Sunday night.
After tomorrow, I have 2 more Taxols to go.
nitenite
xoxo
Mina
0 -
Mina - I had 8 mg the night before, but I'm not sure how much I had in my IV. You are getting a lot of Decadron!
Here was my day...Call the doc first thing this morning and beg for a breathing treatment. He sends me for a chest xray at 11:30 am and gives me a 1:50 pm appt to see him. Chest xray shows fluid in my lungs, but I also have swelling in my hands and feet, resting heart rate of 120, plus a fever of 101 for a week. Diagnosis... either Bronchitis or Congestive Heart Failure...I'll take Bronchitis! I tell him all I wanted was a breathing treatment and he acts like it's news to him! I get my breathing treatment and an antibiotic shot in my butt (ouch! it burns!), a script for water pills, potassium, my own breathing machine, meds for the breathing machine and a stronger antibiotic. Then I race over to the radiologist for my simulation appt at 4 pm.
Thanks for all the good wishes! I can breathe again!!! Now I need to go type another appraisal.
Hugs
0 -
I just got off the phone with the surgeons office and they want me to go Tues for an ultrasound on my left breast because a lesion showed up on my MRI. I'm very confused now......and worried sick.
I'm wondering if it was there the whole time.....because I remember on my original MRI report it said questionable findings in my left breast. But that was NEVER addressed by anyone! Or is this something that has come up since my chemo was finished.........
Anyone got any ideas about this?
Juli......I'm sorry you are still feeling so bad. Hugsssss sweetie.
0 -
Hi all!!!
My hair is so fun! It is starting to look wavey, I wonder if it will curl? I have to get a picture!! TOday I was at the cancer center and whipped off this wig multiple times to show my hair to everyone. Once in the chemo "lobby" area, I appologized, but said I was so excited to show Nurse Mary my hair. They were all thrilled to see hair, I would have been too!
Betty, I am sorry your Rads completion is DELAYED!!! UGH!!! I am done and so so so glad. It is getting worse though, LIke they said. But being done makes a difference!!! Who cares I say, it will heal!
Mina, thanks for the FB cosmo!!!!! woooooooooooo!!!!! 2 more to go girl!!!
Juli, WOMAN!!! Holy cow!!! Now stop competing for the prize of most sick!!! Jane and Genia already won that and we're NOT HAVING a PHASE 2!!! Glad you feel better!!!
Genia, if this isn't enough to get a bilateral mastectomy, I don't know what is!!!! I have to tell you I am so glad to have all of this suspicious breast tissue crap (forgive my language) BEHIND ME! You do not need this STRESS!!!! Anyway, an MRI is very sensitive and pick up the slightest thing, and often have false positives, so DO NOT WORRY. THis is terrible though, you have been through the ringer with the bone thing and now this!!! PRAYERS!!! ((((Hugs))))
Trude, you cutie! Hubbie cute too!!!
Chris, no gills here!!! You go girl, stay in the pool/sun/air!!!
Hi Winkie Dinkie!!!!!!
Love to all, Spring.
0 -
Genia - Will it ever end? I've had enough... how about you?
I went in for my Herceptin this morning, but they wouldn't give it to me after I told them about my breathing problem. My onc said that maybe it is a blood clot in my lungs, (What???) so he orders a ct scan along with the radiologist's ct scan. And since it's Friday, I'm sure I won't hear anything till Monday, right?
Time for another breathing treatment...
Hugs to all
0 -
Juli - I think someone upstairs is trying to tell you to slow down and take it easy. Keep BOTH of your feet up and relax. You need to take care of yourself.
Genia - I'm just going to go ahead and believe that your MRI is off. If they had done my MRI before the Mammo, I might still have that tumor in there. Even though the medical history specifically indicated that they had already diagnosed L breast cancer, the MRI said that there was a suspicious mass on the left that should be re-checked in 6 months. I'm glad I didn't wait 6 months to get it checked. IMHO, I don't think the MRIs are that reliable at all.
0 -
Juli girl......you have REALLY gotten me worried!!! GO TO BED AND STAY THERE!!!!!!!!!!!! No work......just rest!
Jane.....I'm hoping this lump was there from the start. Irritates me that the other surgeon said he didn't wanna take my left breast because there was "nothing wrong with it". Hellloooooooooooo!!!! If it said in the original MRI there was questionable findings......who was HE to make that call?
Can you tell I'm very angry and tired of all this BS........I honestly am!!! Just when I get one word of GOOD news.....cancer hasn't gone to my bones......I get this message today.
Trust in the Lord Genia.......... trust in the Lord........just gotta keep sayin that or I would scream about right now!
hugssssss and love you ladies
0 -
Genia, I am sure you are SICK OF IT!!! But imagine, there will be time soon when this is behind you. Think of the blueprint, a healthy you, living life, with this all in the past.
That's what I try to do. There has to be HOPE !
Today I signed up for my old Yoga class that will start mid-March. I have not been there these past 8-9 months!!! To me, this is like a rebirth, a reawakening, a re-ME. This is the blueprint I want to get back to.... (will I wear a wig, scarf, cap, or go comando? that is the question...)
HOPE HOPE HOPE for the FUTURE FUTURE FUTURE!!!!
Spring...
0 -
Tanzie - was that you who streaked through here?
Juli - I can't believe what you are going through..please take it easy this weekend and do not hesitate to go to the ER if your breathing gets worse. Are any of your great-looking boys hanging out with you this weekend?
Genia - I agree 100% with Beverly! My onc told me that my tumor (lt breast) was big enough that it's probably been there for 3 - 5 years (and I had yearly mammos) - so to me it was a no-brainer to have a bi-lateral mast - wondering what was in the right breast that wouldn't show up for another 3-5 years!
Beverly - is that you glowing in the eastern sky in the mornings? No wait - it's just the sun. I hope that you're doing well and healing up nicely. The low for Sunday is supposed to be 18 degrees - bundle up!
Trude - love the pic - I steal pictures from my kids too. How tall is your man? Looks to be a good 3 - 4 inches over six feet. You two are a fine lookin couple.
Bettys - what does he mean by "radical" changes?
Chris - do you get extra activity points for diving into the pool? How's ww going for you? I've lost 8 lbs in 4 weeks - I hope that I can continue to drop two pounds a week - for the next 20 or so weeks!
Robin - LOL, I love your assessment of Brandonsmom's MRI. Brandonsmom, I think that my head would glow from ChemoBrain - I had it bad today - kept using the wrong words; we have a new doc from Hungry and I said "I guess we're not making babies here anymore" (of course I meant to say doctors) - then I said "oops - Freudian Shimp" which is actually a little Freudian Slip...this kind of thing continued all day! At least I was entertaining - made myself chuckle.
Sam - it's great to hear from you - how are you doing? Is your hair growing back in? I love your photo!
Mina - I'll take a cosmo anytime. Wow, that sounds like a lot of decadron! I'd be climbing the walls; what does that do to your blood sugar? I can definitely understand your concern. I'm right there with you on the sugar thing GF - I sure have a powerful drive for the sweet-stuff; have to watch out because both of my parents have DMII.
Jane - I can't remember if it was on this thread - but someone said that a good stress reliever was throwing glass bottles into the bin at the recycling center - kind of like throwing plates - you get the satisfaction of breakage, but no mess to clean up and no accidental shredding of persons in your household. I'm going to give it a try tomorrow (husband is upset with my new Fiesta Ware e-bay buying frenzy)..ggrrrrrrrrr
I threw aside my wig and have been wearing either a hat or scarf to work - but have been taking off the hat and going cranial commando! I had a scarf on at work and one of the cleaning guys asked me if it was an "Arab Thing" (not exactly sure what he meant, but he was serious). It made me laugh!
Love y'all
Winkie Dinkie (glad I don't Stinkie)
0 -
Wink - My 2 youngest (21 yrs & 15 yrs) will be here. They are pretty much glued to their computers on the weekend. I'm just grateful I have a breathing machine at my house!
Y'all won't believe this, blame it on a bad week, but my left wrist is in a brace because it hurts to bend it (either direction). This happened night before last, and I have no idea how it happened. It's not swollen, but the bone looks out of joint. I tried to show it to my primary doc yesterday and my onc today, and they both changed the subject back to my breathing issues. oh well, maybe next week I'll try again.
When it rains, it pours. LOL
0 -
Hi girls,
Genia, try not to worry, fill you head with something good and don't let that little voice tell you anything you don't want to hear. We are all thinking of you and wishing you well.
Juli, I am so glad that you are able to breath, but make sure you get your wrist looked at. but goodness, the more experts you see the more opinions you get. Here is a thought for the day and it is for you.
"My health is very precious to me, I take excellent care of myself"
All is well with me except that I fell over yesterday in the street. I was walking along with my son and discussing if a Starbucks used to be on the other side of the road, when down I went. I cut one knee, and pulled a muscle in my right shoulder, but luckily my hands didn't get grazed, I was worried about lymphademea. Later in the day I went to my clinic, with a new friend who is just starting out with chemo and all the nurses saw my knee and surrounded me with care and attention. It was pretty funny as I was supposed to be supporting my friend, not getting treatment! I asked my oncol what would have happened if I did cut my hand badly, he said it is important not to get anything on the arm infected, because of poor drainage and if it was bad, they would give me antibiotics straight away. Thought I would pass that on. I feel much better today.
Winkie Dinkie, well done for losing 8 lbs thats excellent. I have been doing really well all week and today my skirt turned itselft completely around while I was walking, I am taking that as a good sign! I will weight myself on Monday morning and let you know how much I have lost.
Good vibes to everyone, especially Genia and Juli. Singapore Chris x
0
