Calling all TNs
Comments
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BONE PAIN: TAKE CLARITIN. NOT CLARITIN D, JUST PLAIN CLARITIN. seriously, it works wonders.
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Congratulations Titan! I'm with you, I am also finding Taxol to be harder than AC. With AC I just kind of felt "yucky" but with the Taxol I am in PAIN!!!!
Pamelajo - You are not being a ninny!!! Right now you need to trust that you are doing everything in your power to kick cancers A$$!!! Also, I agree that PT (or even just stretching on your own) can help with cording - if that's what it is.
Monisch - Welcome & good luck!
MichelleS - My onc told me not to take Advil???
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((((((((((((Pamelajo)))))))))))))))) So sorry you are feeling so stressed. I remember when I was expecting my first baby and my breasts grew huge and at great speed. The resulting stretchmarks were bright red, resembling blood poisoning, for a loooooong time. I think your Drs explanation of the expansion is reasonable. I also have had cording for 6 years. It sounds like it is in the same area as yours, I hate to run my fingers over it, because it is scary. It's just something I will have to live with.
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Well, I guess I am not alone with the Taxol pain thing. Thank you for all the suggestions. I think I will definately try the Claritin next. My Onc's office told me to use Alieve and a heating pad. When I asked for a non narcotic pain killer (I have enough narcotics at home already from all this poop) they called in Vicodine. What is up with that? I have also been obsessing about every little lump and bump I feel. I have felt some small "bumps" in my "healthy" breast but have been reassured that they are normal tishue, etc. I think I will have the DR. check it out this Friday when I go. All tests done have come back negative in the right side but as you all know, when you have something in your mind it takes over
. Pamelajo - My DH sleeps through everything but when I am having a bad night and have to be up damn straight I make sure he is up with me..... I figure if I have to suffer due to no fault of my own so does he..LOL:)
Hope you are all having a good day.
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I am relatively new to this site, so hello to you all. I am triple-negative, had a mastectomy in January and finished chemo in June (four rounds of DD AC, four rounds of DD Taxol). For all of you having pain and other taxol side effects, I highly recommend acupuncture...I truly believe that this kept me out of the hospital and certainly helped me to cope with side effects. It virtually took away all of the AC nausea and relieved a lot of the pain and neuropathy I had with Taxol. I skipped one acupuncture treatment after Taxol due to scheduling problems and had a terrible time...passed out, hit my head, much worse pain, etc. SO, if it's available to you I highly recommend trying at least one or two treatments. I was very skeptical at first but am now a believer...I took no meds other than a few herbal/vitamin supplements during chemo and although I felt lousy much of the time, there really were no serious side effects. Anyway, I hope this might help some of you and good luck...
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Monish: Your nails could get very thin, brittle, and they may darken. Some women put ice on them during their chemo and they say it helped. I had my last chemo on 3/1 and my nails are now half grown back to normal looking. I am not sure if gluing anything to them is a very good idea. You could end up with an infection because of your lowered imunity. I am no expert, so I would ask your onc or the nurse about this. I covered mine with an antifungal base and when they got dark, with polish to hide them. If you get horrible constipation (I did) go on line and see if you can purchase a product called MagO7. It's a magnesium/oxygen gentle cleanser recommended by my nurse and let me tell you, nothing else worked! It made chemo 10 x easier on me and I recupperated from each round with much less sickness. Best of luck to you.
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Wyliec7: My Onc has an accupuncturist on staff. I never had to use it (my insurance didn't cover it) but I have friends who swear by it.
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Monish - My chemo nurse put ice bags on my finger nails and toe nails for every round during the Taxotere infusion (my regimen was Taxotere and Cytoxan). I had no nail problems whatsoever. In fact, my nails were better than normal because I had stopped doing the fake UV Gel nails a couple of months before chemo started. I would highly recommend icing them.
Sherri
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Pamelajo: Go ahead and have a good cry! We are not built to be so strong. I am not one to feel sorry for myself or spend much time dwelling on my cancer but you have been through hell and are trying to come back and sometimes it just gets overwhelming. Cry until there aren't any tears left and maybe you will sleep like a baby tonight!
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Congratulations Titan.
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Congrats Titan!!
New comers - hello and sorry you have to be here but glad you found us.
Monish - also look for the topic of what month you start chemo and join that group also. I started in April and joined that group of women and it is a great help to me.
Pamelajo - have a good cry and then return to being your strong self! Husbands can't live with em and can't live without em!! ;-)
It's really interesting to hear how different all of our SEs are even when we are on the same treatment schedule - like JenC and I are. So far Taxol has been a breeze for me rather than AC. Instead of constipation I have the wost diarrhea all the time!! Hmmm... no nail problems yet, keeping my fingers crossed.
So I diagnosed in Feb. and was just talking with my DH the other night and asking him if he thinks that I could still be in denial of all of this. I am not depressed at all and went back to work right away, now off for the summer. I haven't cried maybe once because I knew what my mom went through and didn't want to go through again in her life her last time with chemo. Otherwise I am in a good mood and don't get down about the loss of bost breasts, being Triple Neg., or even having cancer. I don't know should I talk with someone? I feel fine about it all. I guess I am confused about not being down? What do you all think - could I be an exception to the rule?!
Kelli
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Kelli, I don't think there is a thing wrong with you. I'm normally pretty upbeat too. Guess 1 a.m. doesn't agree with me LOL
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Hi Kelli. I think it is great how you are dealing. I am usually upbeat to but have had my breakdowns. I think we are all different as to how we deal with things and how we react to them. Good attitude gets you through they say. There is no right or wrong way to deal with it. Keep doing whatever you are doing to feel good and upbeat.
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congrats Titan.
Kelli~ Everyone deals with things differently. I was a basket case 'till I started chemo. During chemo, mentally, I was OK. But recently (18mos), I've hit a bumpy patch. You just never know how you'll react to something like BC. There really isn't a wrong way.
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Kelli...I liked reading your post! and I liked Jen and Michele's comments to you....I needed to read that today...for some reason I'm little stressed out....maybe it is because I'm going to a calling hours for a co-worker and friend that died of ovarian cancer after work tonight..then heading home to go running and then trying to feed my entire family..plus we are going away for the weekend and I need to make lists and go shopping after work tomorrow...plus I think (know) that my son is planning a party since the parents will be away.....and I see the onc on Tuesday..
well..hell yes I have somethings to be stressed about...I guess I don't even have time to think about cancer anymore!
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of course he's planning a party. don't stress. it's useless. kids will be kids. Just let him know in that Mom way that you know that he knows you know. And then tell him you aren't sure if you are staying away very long because you have that onc appt
and it's stressing you out. He'll never know if you meant it or not.so sorry about your friend Titan. Not fair is it? so hard to go through when you own mortality is in question......but then thankful to be alive and yet sad that they couldn't make it too. I know. Lost a dear friend a few months ago myself.
Hope you all have a great evening. I'm not having another night owl session tonight. I'm takin a sleeping pill and getting some zzzzZZZZZ's
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Titan - So sorry for your loss. Very sad. My thoughts are with you.
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Thanks Pamela and JenC....the mortality thing really does hit doesn't it..I came home and started getting busy and I thought...you should be thankful that you are stressed out and your son is having a party and you are going away from the weekend but have alot to do b-4 you go away..at least your family isnt having a funeral for you.
It's that "new normal" stuff....its like...I freak out about stuff and then I think I should be grateful just to be here to freak out about things!
Pamela..had a little talk with my son..he's having about 20 people over...They are good kids..I'm not concerned about that..I just get concerned about kids that hear about a party and show up and my son will have to kick them out...I worry about that....
This girl that died..well she supported me throughout my chemo..she was funny, bright and very matter of fact...I was crying to her over the phone about my anxiety of having taxol and she told me that she had it over 100 times in the past 12 years...talk about feeling like an idiot...but she told me that I would be fine...she had been through so much..it just isn't fair and it just isn't right...it isn't right that WE have to deal with this either...
Sorry for the whining..but sometimes it just gets to me...we don't deserve this..but thank God we have each other.
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MBJ - do you know of any local stores that sell that Mag07? I need it - bad!!!
I was going to try the l-glutamine powder. Anyone else try it?
I can't take Benadryl or Claratin - sucks!!!
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I have my second Taxol infusion tomorrow so I decided that I would take some down time today and go to Watercountry with my kids summer program. I cant wait. Never been there and he is so excited that mom is going (hes 5 1/2). Really hoping the weather holds out but either way it is a day without pain, irritability and work:). Hope you all have a great day and get to take some "me" time for yourselves. We all need it a this point I think.
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Hi All, I had surgery 3 days ago - lumpectomy - and have been diagnised with TNBC. Plan is for Chmo and the radiation. I am trying so hard not to be petrified. I know that many of us do survive, and I want to be one of those, but I have this terrible fear that I cannot seem to shake. My nodes were clear - good news - but I have seen path reports of women with clean nodes, early (like me) and they still recur and die. What can I do to stop this horrible fear that keeps making me feel so sick and scared. Maybe its just that today is a bad day. Anyone have something encouraging for me? I am so sad... :-(
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It is so hard. I keep wondering why I'm putting so much money into retirement when I should be traveling around the world lol
But I guess I try to live one a day at a time for now - and I look into the beautiful eyes of my 2 year old granddaughter and I can't imagine her life without me.
So... think - YOU are going to be okay - and keep saying it and soon you will believe it and so will that nasty old cancer
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Thanks to everyone with the thoughts and I am glad that I am not crazy!!
Well ya know!Titan sorry to hear about your friend - that really does suck. Prayers go out to you and her family.
JenC - Have a great time today!! It should be really fun for you and your children. Good luck on the next Taxol. I am up to #5 and yes Sara from our other site was correct I am losing my hair once again!! Man!! That really sucks!! It's all over my pillow and in my one hat that I wear!
barbbasile - You will beat this!!! You are a strong women and can get through it. Yes you will have worries but look at Titan and others who are on this site and are done with their treatments and are making it happen! We will get through this together - this site is a great place and the women on it are so wonderful. Nodes were clear that is great news - look at the good stuff as it comes and remember take one day at a time. Your post really hits me because as I just posted yesterday I still have not freaked out yet! Not sure if this is good or bad seeing as I found out in Feb. I just go about living a normal life and try not to think about it other than dealing with my SEs from chemo! My neighbor came over yesterday and said to me that if I didn't wear a scarf out no one would know that I have cancer becasue I am so peppy all the time! I guess that is good to hear all though she doesn't see me in my home when I need to take those naps! ;-)
Good luck and thanks to all.
Kelli
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barbbasile~ Most of us don't die. Really. And, chemo is so effective on TNBC. My onc told me that at a stage I, my chances were very, very good that I'll get old and senile someday. (I'm 38 now; 36 at diagnosis.) With all of that said, I still have issues with the "dark thoughts" and have bad days (weeks!). When I was 1st diagnosed, I was a basket case. But, like I said in a post above, my metal state improved during chemo because I was actively doing something. Finally, I don't know if you are a "data person" but I am and the data shows that after 2 yrs post-diagnosis, your risk for mets drops dramatically and at 3 yrs, it has returned to *almost* baseline (ie the general population). For ER+ women, they have to wait and worry for YEARS and YEARS before they return to baseline. So, yeah, it sucks to have a high risk initially, but at least, over the long haul, things look easier. Here's a link to a poster from the SABCS that says just that. But, ignore the stupid title. The message of the data isn't as the title suggests (that prognosis is poorer initially) but is that we are in the clear sooner. Pay special attention to the graphs in the lower right corner... We are the red-line that plummets!! Those poor ER+ women just plug along with risk for YEARS.
http://www.posters2view.com/sabcs09/viewp.php?nu=4044
{{Titan}} I do the same thing. I get frustrated with something non-cancer related and then will get mad at myself for not cherishing each moment. Sheesh. It can be crazy-making!
Kittycat~ I took Senekot and Senecot-S by the handful. ugggghhh. I hope you feel better soon!
Thinking about all of you guys. Hope you all have a great day!
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JenC - Have fun today!!! Hope the weather holds out for you.
Barbbasile - Welcome, we are here to travel this path with you and support you in any way you need. I promise it does get easier. You can do this and you will.....one day at a time! {{{HUGS}}}
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Kittycat: So sorry to hear you are going through it. I bought mine at VP Discount Vitamins & Vitamin Shoppe Carries it. You can also get it on line. I also just started taking the l-glutamine powder.
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Titan: So sorry to hear about your friend. I have a very dear friend with mets who helped me through my chemo, too, only to have her cancer return with a vengance. It's in her bones and liver and I get so upset because I am doing really, really well and she is not. She is this amazing person and it is so unfair. Big hugs!
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MichelleS: Thanks for the link! I agree with you, I would rather have this, catch it early and do everything I can then drag out treatment for years and years. It's all about quality of life.
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Pamela...sorry to hear about your friend too!
JenC...you are going to have soooo much fun....enjoy your babies because pretty soon they grow up and have parties when you go away for a couple of days!
Michele..thanks for that link! Looks like one year out is the peak and then it starts dropping pretty dramatically. I am now keeping track of the months from diagnosis...
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me too! I'm at 19. Nerd that I am, I actually have the graph printed and I mark my spot on the curve each month.
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