Class of 2009 - Sisters in the same time frame
Comments
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Jojo - it will be full time but I will be returning on a gradual basis over a six-week period.
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Hey 2009 girls! I haven't posted in awhile, but knew you guys are in the same boat as me, so wondering if there is any insight. I started dd a/c followed by dd taxol in July 09 finishing in Oct. My very heavy periods stopped altogether after my second tx and have just resumed this past Aug. I was sad, as I was enjoying no periods, but happy to think my body was looking for "normal" after a horrendous year. My question is this, I feel like my hair is thinning now. I just had a haircut and lost most of my chemo curls. So I can't tell if I can just see my scalp better because of the straight hair, or what. Of course, this worries me, like every little change, ache or pain. I'm also wondering if it could be hormones, because clearly, with my period, there is some kind of change. Anyone have any thoughts?
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Hi everyone! I haven't posted in awhile, but am looking for some insight. I started dd a/c followed by dd taxol in July of 09 finishing in Oct. After my first tx, my very heavy period stopped. My hormones were then out of whack complete with hot flashes. Now this past month, my period resumed, just as heavy as ever and the hot flashes have all but stopped. Glad my body is looking for "normal" after a horrendous year, just hate having my period again! My question is how does this hormone fluctuation affect your hair. I feel my hair is getting thinner. I seem to have some shedding after a shower, nothing at all like with chemo, but alot. I just had a hair cut and lost the majority of my chemo curls and my hair is 90% straight again. I can't tell if I am just able to see my scalp because of the loss of the curls. Anyone have any thoughts?
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Hoorayyyy Pauldingmom! Woo hooooo!
My sis goes in for her exchange surgery tomorrow morning. We are excited to get all of this over with. Will jump in to say hi when she's out of the woods.
XO, Mary
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Hi Mary, send good wishes and luck to your sister.
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Mary ~ hoping for a smooth surgery for your sister !
Cydz ~ are you on tamoxifen? I have read that can cause thinning.
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No, JustmeAlicia, I am a triple negative, so I have no follow-up drugs.
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Stress causes hair loss and usually occurs some months after the mega-stress event. Twice in my life I had spells of hair loss 3-6 months after very stressful periods. If it is due to stress, your hair should thicken up with time. Less frequent shampooing and gentle treatment might help.
pam
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I have baby fine hair and a little thinning goes a long way. I have found that not washing my hair everyday helps. I still take a shower but just use a little conditioner and only use shampoo 2 or 3 times a week.
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Hey ladies I hope whatever is causing your hair loss goes away whether it's stress or medication. I saw my med onco today and got a good report he said all my blood work was great and my platelet count was back to normal so I'm really happy and not stressed over that anymore. He increased my doseage of Tamoxoifen to 20mg daily from the 10mg I was taking but I don't really know why after 6 months. I couldn't ask him because he wrote my script out in the schedulers office as I was checking out. ??? Like what was up with that. Oh well. The whole reason he had me on the low dose was because I had already had a hysterectomy 8 yrs ago and have no estrogen for the Tamoxifen to block, it's all gone. I don't think he remembers because he couldn't remember why he didn't give me chemo until he went back and read his note. No worries... I have no more stresses till November when I have to get my annual mammo done and it will be the first one
Renee.
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Renee, just cause you have a hysterectomy doesn't mean your body doesn't produce estrogen, unfortunately, cause I wouldn't have to be on Femara otherwise. Our bodies produce estrogen from fat, etc. which is why we start packing on the spare tires generallly around menopausal time.
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And also from the adrenal gland :-(
psm
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I should have called my spare tire what it really is------a spare for one of those monster truck tires!
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Thanks ladies I am aware of the fact that our bodies continue to produce estrogen. What I should have said was they checked my hormone levesl and my levels are very low which is why he put me on a low dose to start with, at least that is what he told me. But it doesn't matter I will try taking the medication and be a good patient. LOL!
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Renee, I have been on 20mg since starting 5 months ago. No SEs to speak of.
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of course you know..duh...you're a nurse, right?
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Hi All!
Just checking in - I haven't been on for a while and had pages and pages of catching up to read.
I have to admit that I am in the camp that checks for breast changes frequently. It's not hypochrondia - I like to think it's vigilance!
I have to laugh about one thing that's happened to me - my rad onc told me that my ribs would be affected by radiation and if I fell I could easily break a rib. I totally ignored that because I hadn't had a fall in so long that I don't remember the last time.
Well wouldn't you know that I have fallen 3 times in the last couple of months! No broken ribs but I've done me some twisting and bruising damage. Luckily I'm seeing a very good Osteopath and she gets me right back to feeling better!
I'm happy to report that my hair is coming in a bit darker than the original white fuzz but still very grey. I've just had it cut into a nice shag style and yes it looks like it's intentionally cut this short rather than growing out from nothing.
I am enjoying having it this short and curly - it's very quick and easy to get ready in the mornings!
I've been on 20 mg of Tamoxifen since April (take it in the morning) and my blood tests showed that I am menopausal (chemo induced). No signs of it returning and I'm glad for that.
Actually I've been on a bit of Tamoxifen break - 2 weeks now - in preparation for TE surgery that I had yesterday. I will start up the Tamoxifen again tomorrow.
I have to say that since I've been off my joints haven't hurt and my feet don't hurt when I first wake up and put them on the floor. Also no leg cramps in the night. So I believe that all of that was related to the Tamoxifen and not after chemo effects.
I too had the headaches and light headedness/dizzy spells after chemo but now that is all gone. I don't think that was related to the Tamoxifen but more an after effect of chemo since they went away while I was still on Tamoxifen.
I hope that going back on Tamoxifen will be easier than the first time taking it. We'll see...
Stay well ladies and enjoy your weekend. I'm going to take a couple of Tylenol (for the TE pain) and I'm going to bed now.
Marie
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Marie, Glad to hear all went well with your TE. I would check in less often, but it would take me hours to catch up with everything. I check in twice a day.
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Marie congrats on the TE's! good luck going back on the Tamox hope you have no more worrisome side effects.
Michelle I am with you... if I didn't check in at least several times a week I would be so far behind I couldn't catch up on the threads I post on.
Maybe that's a good indicator that I type/talk too much! LOL!!0 -
HI ALL
MARIE
Glad to see your doing well love your new pic your hair looks great
Well i had my brain scan and body scan last Wednesday and ill get the results on this Friday and still having mild headaches, but other than that im good taking it easy the weather is warming up now so going down the beach to walk the dog takes a bit longer now lol ,talking about soft bones my dog broke my toe the other day down the beach he was running up to me and well i dont know what happened but it is all bruised and soooo sore, and a few days before that he ran into my legs while playing with another dog and im sure my shin bone has a small hair line fracture , oh well as they say shit happens lol MICHELE im like you hardly any side effects from tamox its been great
Well take care lovelies
JOJO
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My goodness, Jojo, how big is your dog?
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SHELBY
He's a rotty not too big yet he is only 9 mnths but he feels like a brick wall when he is on the move and he runs into you
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Jojo, Has it been nine months since you got your pup?
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Hello Ladies!
Today I am in a bad way...I am having terrible remorse over this TE surgery.
Just to recap for those that don't know me...
I had a mastectomy (left side only) last August (2009) did 6 rounds of chemo, and 35 rounds of radiation which I finished up in April.
Right after my mastectomy I had cording issues under my arm due to thrombosed lymph glands. I exercised and worked at it and it finally went away. I had a much better summer this year - I was all healed up with full mobility.
I bought a beautiful (if you can call it that) prosthesis (Anita) in January and some pretty mastectomy bras (Amoena Leena). No one could really tell that I was missing my left breast.
Which brings me to today... I just had these TE put in last Thursday.
The surgeon used the same incision as the mastectomy scar and there is no pain whatsoever. It's nice and clean and I can see the beginnings of a breast bump. I feel like a proud pre-teen!
BUT my lymph glands have flared up again this time under my arm on my torso - you know that area between your bra band and your underarm?
It is so painful that it is keeping me up at night. Unfortunately I cannot take any pain meds - allergies and bad reactions - but Tylenol Extra Strength is taking the edge off.
I hope that this too will pass - with exercise - like the underarm cording did from the first surgery.
I am wearing a lovely compression bra and have to wear it for 3 weeks. At first I thought it was the bra that was irritating the area but it's not that at all.
Anyone else have/had this trouble?
Marie
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I have not had your experience, Marie..... but wanted to say how sorry I am that you are going through this. Seems as if there is always something
I hope someone on this forum can offer some suggestions. All I have is my deepest sympathy. (((((HUGS))))))pam
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Marie, still waiting to talk to the onc about recon. Hope you start to feel better soon. I want boobies for a vacation next spring...is this just wishful thinking?
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Hi All!
I'm just home from the hospital. I went in hoping that the pain I was feeling was from a seroma that could be drained and "fixed".
That is not the case.
It's probably lymphatic and so I'm seeing my general surgeon tomorrow. He is my follow up doctor and saw me through the cording I had before.
The good news is that I had a cardiogram, chest xray and blood work at the hospital and they all came back clear/normal.
I also got a shot of something that is not making me break out in hives, or vomit and I'm actually getting some pain relief!
Well I'm off to bed now - hoping that tomorrow the surgeon will have some suggestions on what to do with this burning pain under my arm!
Hugs to all!
Marie
ps Michele my timeline is monthly fills which will end in December and then a couple of months of stretching. I think that I'll be having my exchange (to implants) in late winter or early spring.
I'm opting to do this slowly and gently to achieve a successful outcome with radiated skin.
I'll keep you posted!
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Glad you got some relief MarieK. I don't have any great advise to help you but sending you ((((Hugs))))
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Marie so glad that you were able to get some much needed pain relief. Hope your surgeon is able to find out what is causing the burning and correct it.
Hope all goes well with your fills and reconstruction on your radiated side. My plastic surgeon wont even touch me on my radiated breast side. He told me it would open up a field for infection. So I'm left with getting the other breast reduced in a few months and will basically have no breasts left. The radiation left my bad breast pretty small (I went from almost a DD to a B cup)! and the left breast is a full DD still and is going to be reduced to a B. Though I would much prefer to be a full C my plastic surgeon says NO WAY! There is not one I have found that will do implants here in Alabama under these conditions either, but I'm glad to be alive and have my breasts so I guess I really shouldn't complain. Sometimes it's just hard to not go off on those tangents or rants and remember life before. And I know that each and everyone of you know how I feel.
Hugs to all of you. Have a very great and Blessed Friday!
Renee
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Marie ~ I am hoping it is just normal swelling and discomfort from the Tissue Expander being put in. Your body has to adjust to a foreign object in there. Hang tough sister. I hope you are feeling better soon.
Michele ~ I see nice foobies in your future !
Have a great day all !
Alicia
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