Calling all TNs
Comments
-
Fighter: finished treatment in June and I am still in chemopause, my onco stated that he doesnt really expect mine to come back bur I am 46.
0 -
I went into chemo pause after TX #2 at the age of 49. Onc says things will stay this way.
Navy
0 -
i am experiencing hot flashes and my cycle has been gone since i started taxol # 3, i'm on #8 now. I'm only 28 so the Dr's said it should return but no promises
0 -
Hi everyone,
Almost 1 week out from mastectomy and axillary nodes dissection. The mastectomy part is not so bad, almost can't feel the scar. But the node dissection part hurts quite a bit. I try to do a little exercise for my arm but it feels like if I have a rubber band that keeps my arm from lifting and it is very sore. Even the skin under my arm is soooo sensitive. I have to sleep with pillows behind my back to be almost in a sitting position so it doesn't stretch to much when I get up. And the drains...... boy do I hate the drains!!!! I am lucky that my friend is a nurse because she can come over to change my dressings and clean my scar and drain scar so I don't have to go to the clinic everyday for that. For those of you who had axillary node dissection, how long does it take to stop hurting?
0 -
Is anyone going to the Vegas reunion on September 30? Tomorrow is the last day to sign up.
0 -
Beetle- thanks for the info re: the cough. I guess if it has not gone away by my next onco. appt. in late March, I will bring it up with him!
Fighter - I had a period right before I started chemo in late Oct. and have not had one since. I am 45 and my onc. says it is doubtful it will come back, but he has seen it happen in women my age.
0 -
Hiedi- Love it, and love you. Thanks for all of the tickles and smiles you have given me.
Andrea- I PM'd you but I agree with Ruth I felt my tumor shrink fast (Almost couldn't feel it) with Taxol at first and then my cancer overrode it and started growing back fast!
Michelle- What can I say? I'm so sad and sorry about your brain tumor but happy? about it being the good kind. I hope someone will make you homemade soup and deliver it to you with a smile.
CC4npg & Gillyone- My nose is still running.LOL
Hi Jenn- I wasn't able to work during AC but I am a landscape designer and I do mostly physical work. Even though I have a fabulous crew I pretty much lied low during it. I felt much better on Taxol although as the other gals on here heard I developed an unbelievable craving for chocolate. I would dream of it and my mouth would start drooling for it during the infusion. I hope the chemo works for you and you are able to do a lump instead of MX.
Fighter- Wow! For some reason I am going through a kind of delayed depression also. It sucks.
Babs- I am still tight had my surgery last Fall. I also still have pain I thought it was my cancer growing back but with my clean pet I realize my onc is correct in saying that it is pain from the surgery. I also have really sharp pains that come and go. Kind of nice knowing it is normal. I didn't go to a PT although I kind of wish I had now.
Suze- Here's to next time in NYC. I hope your MRI shows there is nothing to worry about. Have you tried acupuncture? I realize that these words don't really help much but I am sending positive vibes your way.
Thank-you again to all of you lovely ladies for your cheers! It has been a pretty good day today the sun even came out for a while. I had a great time last night. I went to a "Sex Toy" party (First time). What a hoot! I really had a lot of fun and spent way, way to much money. Hmmm? What does that mean? LOL. I think I need some of Heidis' men friends. Ha Ha! Long distance relationships can be a drag sometimes.
0 -
Sex? Toy? Tell me more...
0 -
Suze- When I was severly anemic years ago, I had a terrible headache the entire month!!! Maybe that's it....anemia can trigger all sorts of malaise.
Babs- unfortunately, its gonna hurt for awhile where they took out the lymph nodes. But it WILL quit hurting eventually. I would say 2-3 months honestly.
0 -
Fighter - I had my last period during my second chemo treatment in Jan. 2010 so it's safe to say mine's not coming back. I was 45 at the time and my Onc said there was an 85% chance the chemo would put me into chemopause. I'll admit, I don't miss is at all. I've had two bouts with hot flashes (off and on for about a week each time) but nothing major. Perhaps there's more hot flashes to come but hopefully not.
Heidi - I'll be in touch soon about our plans for Washington. My sister and I already have our flights booked. We're going a day early and staying a day later to make a mini vacation out of it!
LJ - I think we need to know more about this party.
0 -
Babs - I did have pain under my arms for about 6 weeks or so, then one day I realized it was gone. Make sure to stay ahead of the pain, once it gets ahead of you it's harder to deal with.
0 -
Fighter..about the chemopause..your onc can do a blood test on you (like you probably want to give more blood)..I forget what it was called (imagine that)..but it will tell you whether or not you are in permanent menopause...my DH and I wanted to know so that we could..well..you know what I mean...(blushing here)..(guess I need to go to a sex toy party..ha ha).and I found out that I was TOTALLY infertile..not sure how old you are but I was 49 at dx so there wasn't much chance of my "friend" coming back.
Gilly..I would love to go to Vegas..one of my favorite places..but my DD is getting married on October 1st...I think that trip would be totally awesome though!
Heidi..still thinking about the DC trip...I talked to my DH about it and he said that he thought if I needed to go..that maybe I should..I'm still thinking about it..would love to see you all!
0 -
Titan - you really need to go to DC so we can meet you in person!!
I had the blood test done during my routine physical last June. My GP checked my estriol levels. And, while I wasn't in the official menopause range, I was significantly lower than a women who is having regular periods. My score was 188 and the range fluctuates between 400 and 600, according to my doctor.
0 -
Ummmm, I went to one of those "parties" I was just laughing the whole night. Was after chemo #4 and I looked awful and didn't really feel that great either. BUT what a hoot. All kinds of lotions, potions and "toys". You can even buy a little "safe" that has a combo lock to store all your stuff so wandering children can't get into your stash. Gosh how I remember giggling as the lady was explaining what do with the various items. Now if I could just get my Mojo back in gear.........
Navy
0 -
Mojo... yeah, I haven't had much interest either. Anyone else want to chime in on this? I know we are all at varying stages in our life, but we're not dead yet.... sometimes I just think I am wrt to this subject.
Anyone?
0 -
oh boy, here we go......
0 -
heidi- I haven't lost my libido but with the chemopause I do have vaginal dryness which is an unexpected drag. i just bought some mint flavored edible climax gel at the party I went to and also ordered a new kind of lubricant among other toys. Ha! Ha!I wasn't really in the mood while I was on AC I just felt horrible and hurt all over as many of you probably did too. I have noticed sadly that my boyfriend does not have the same desire for me that he had before BC. I'm hoping to rev things up when I see him next time he is in town. By the way, what is wrt?
Titan-& Sugar- I am 47 actually will turn 48 on March 10th but a year ago December I became pregnant and actually had to do chemo to abort it. It was stuck in my tube entrance to my uterus due to fibroid tumors. I had had that blood test and it was really low around the 100 range and was told that to become pregnant I would need to take pills to up my chances. I was actually getting regular acupuncture to try and shrink my fibroid tumors. Ironically I first felt my lump a month later.
By the way I have been working on more paintings. I started painting when I started chemo and they kind of depict what we are all going through. I was asked to put one in an art show this coming Saturday. It's so complicated to try and figure out how to post photos on this thread at least I haven't been able to figure it out. If anyone wants to see them I have them on my facebook page. Just PM me and I will tell you what it is. Hope everyone had a great evening.
0 -
Hope I wasn't to blunt or explicit, I sure don't want to offend anyone. My apologies if I did offend anyone.
0 -
Mojo who? Libido what? Haven't seen those in a while myself! But then with all the stress of fighting cancer, I'm not surprised we have a loss and I contribute a lot of it to that stress. So far, I haven't really missed my mojo and I'm sure it'll come back somewhat. As for the monthly friend coming back, I haven't had one since the end of October and I had hot flashes during chemo so I figured I was probably in permanent chemo menopause. However, that being said:
I'm on the other side of my oophorectomy and exchange surgeries!! Yay! So definitely no more cycles for me!
My surgeries were yesterday... Monday, the 28th... outpatient. I slept the rest of the day and I'm very sore, mostly from the ooph. I'm excited to view my new tata's! Strangely, I haven't had a hot flash since surgery (yet). I feel pretty good. My right eye is not seeing clearly though and that's driving me nuts. I think I need reading glasses JUST for that one eye! It's fixable so I'm not too worried, just aggravated. The gas pain from the ooph really isn't fun, but I'm not too bloated.
0 -
0
-
Angelisa- wishing you a quick and pain free recovery. hugs!
0 -
heidi- Too Funny! Love it.
cc4- Congratulations on completing yur surgery. I hope your healing goes smooth and quick.
0 -
OK, here for your viewing pleasure are some of our dearest laurajane's paintings! I found them to be very evocative.Enjoy!
0 -
Thanks Heidi. Wish I could figure out this crazy computer stuff on my own. But we have you! It's fun sharing.
0 -
Just cathing up on the posts and Laurajane that is THE BEST NEWS EVER!!!!! SSSOOO extremely happy for you. huge hugs..
Hope everyone is doing well. I do have a question for your girls. I finished Chemo in October and radiation in December. I will be going for my mamo at the end of this month (on the right side only) but have not had any other testing and my onc said that it is "not necessar, why do tests that you dont need" has anyone else heard that? I just see so much on here that people are going for PET scans etc and not sure if I should be doing these things to and why my onc would say I dont need them??? Any input would be welcome.
Jen
0 -
Beautiful artwork. I am in awe.
0 -
JEN- I asked my Dr. at MD Anderson about doing a PET scan and she said that I am showing no signs of cancer or pain anywhere so there is no need to do one because alot of the time you don't find anything or if you do it has nothing to do with the cancer and it would be something else for you to worry about. I don't know why Drs do what they do but if you want one you could tell your Dr to order it for you.0
-
Wonderful work laurajane! I'm an artist too... pastel pencil medium. You do very nice work!
Jen: I had appt with my onc last week and she said they don't do PET scans unless there is a problem. She said they will do the blood test for ca markers every once in a while, and if that seemed higher then they would do a scan, but PET's show up everything and she didn't see a need in my particular case to do that. Basically she goes by both tests in conjunction with each other... the ca markers and the PET together. She told me to inform her of "anything" that didn't go away in a reasonable time. I will see my onc in 2 months and then eventually it will go to every 4 months, then 6, and so on.
0 -
so nice to see your work, laurajane! I've thought about doing paintings on my whole BC experience, but it's still too raw for me. Kudos to you!
Libido - oh, this is a bad one, probably the source of 75% of the conflict in my marriage. I've tried explaining to the hubbo that what's gone is gone and I don't see it coming back. Chemo put me in chemopause at the age of 44 and it appears to be pemanent.
Oh and wanted to ask - any of you have reconstruction with implants and have flown on an airplane recently? In May I am traveling just with my 6 year old. I'm pretty sure the airports we're going through have those new invasive scanners. I don't want to submit to the radiation, and I don't want them to see that I have implants. However, I don't want to raise a stink since it's only going to be me and my child and I don't want to cause him fear or worry. Thaoughts?
0 -
Mojo not to bad still had sex during treatment just not as much. I guess I would feel more complete once the transfer happens (scheduled for June). I still haven't showed my husband my TEs just yet. I usually lounge around in a cami.
Curious about the chemopause because I maybe the first person that actually wants to be in CHEMOPAUSE. We already have a boy and a girl so we are set.
0
