August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
Comments
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Ladyinbama: I am definitely joining the "mistaken for a man" brigade as of today! Now I have NO boobs, the one left with the near completely failed expander and now the other with no expander, and this situation will take months to fix. Between the military buzz cut and no boobs, I might change my name to Lou tomorrow! It is time to focus on weight loss and not the lack of boobs and hair!
In the end, I feel your pain. I feel like I look like a total train wreck! Awful. On the bright side, if this keeps up through Halloween, I won't have to spend money on a costume. I am really not upset about this at all, however. It is just another chapter and I am not concerned about it. If I am not focusing on my boobs and hair I can probably get a lot more stuff done!!!!
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Lizzy, glad you are better.
Today is my 40th Wedding Anniversary. We were going out, but late this afternoon I backed out. Like so many of you say, I just don't like the way I look, and especially tonight I did not want to face crowds and crazies. I think now we are going to the movies and an early supper tomorrow night. I too look forward to the time I can fuss over my hair and the clothes I wear.
Whoever said we all deserve a better 2011, you were so right. So I wish one for all of us.
Happy New Year Ladies. I don't know what I would have done without you all. God Bless.
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Question: do those of us who had LN removed during our initial surgery run the risk of developing LE as a result of any future surgeries on that side? Just wondering and had forgotten about that before I went in today....like that would have changed the fact I was getting surgery!0
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Hi Friends! Happy New Year!
We just had our closest friends over tonight- lots of good food, good wine and good laughs. The kids ran around like crazies until about 11:30 and then we all called it quits. I'm now heading to bed and watching CNN NYE Anderson Cooper. My fave. Anyhooooo, just wanted to say that last NYE I never would've thought I would be here where I am on the eve of 2011. But each of you has helped me throught this year- and that's not just lip service. I appreciate each of you enormously and I thank you for hanging in there with me through 2010. What a hellish year- but the next will be better for each of us. Can't wait til the eve of 2012 when we all have long hair and no SE and check in with eachother just to pass the time for fun. Love and a big hug to each and everyone of you.
Sweeney
XOXO
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Happy New Year everyone!!
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Lizzy - glad you are feeling better. Sorry you needed to be in the hospital.
Texas - So sorry about your sister, hope she is doing alright and hope they put him in jail for a long time.
Sue - Sorry rads are making you tired. I thought you were only starting the beginning of this year. At least you can say some are already done! Hang in there.
All - Best wishes for a very happy and healthy New Year. It was not hard to kiss 2010 goodbye last night. I hope we all feel stronger, healthier and happier in 2011. Thank you all. I do not often post, but try to read everything everyday. My family, friends, and co-workers know about all of you. You are the only ones who truly understand what this roller coaster has been like and for that, I thank each and everyone of you. I hope this thread stays around for a long time because I would love to keep checking on how everyone is doing. Thank you for being there for me when I have needed you, making me smile with all your stories, and know that you are all in my prayers every day. I have been blessed.
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lizzy glad you are on the mend. What a year we have all had! If someone had told me this time last year I would be where I am now I would not have believed it!
all thanks for your support and info this year. Here's to an uneventful 2011 for us. \
Gearing up for my lumpectomy on Tuesday. Hoping for excellent pathology. lizzy did you have any side effects from the anesthesia. I'm not afraid of the anesthesia, more afraid of the lack of
. If they dare try to skimp on the numbing meds during the wire localization they will see me nutt up big time.sweeny: what did you use on your hair? As soon as mine gets a tad "longer" (more than 1/4 inch) I'm going to do something about the gray.
Off to Ikea to get my mind off of bc.
library lil
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Maybe thats where the pink comes into play.... after we've been stripped of our femininity (after all what is the visible differences between men and women- breasts and hair) we needed to feel feminine and thus this whole pink movement for breast cancer.... Just a thought
Lizzy glad you're out and doing well...
HAPPY NEW YEARS ALL MAY 2011 RING IN A HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Mommichelle- I feel the same way too. Big hugs to you.
LibraryLil- I'll be thinking of you on Tuesday. You'll come through with flying colours and let us know about your pathology. Eyes, toes, fingers crossed for you!
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Librarylil--Good luck with surgery. Anesthesia is always the thing that I was concerned about--making sure that they give you enough! For my lumpectomy--I could hear them talking at first so I'm sure my heartrate started to increase as I thought--oh no--I will be awake through surgery. The surgeon then said "we know you are still awake--don't worry". Then someone else said "lights out"..next thing I remember is waking up in post-surg
Sweeney--My hair is steadily growing in...what did you use to colour your hair? I have a feeling that once my hair is longer and fuller--the colour may not be the best! I still have a while to go until I could do anything with my hair .. but I'm planning ahead
Happy New Year to everyone!
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We had a quiet evening at home last night, watched the movie Grown Ups, very funny!
I am very excited to be going to Florida Jan. 23rd a week after I'm done with radiation. Much need vacation to get away from it all.
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Happy New Year everyone!Sweeney: Your hair is growing much faster than mine. I finished about 2 weeks after you. I'll try to paste a photo below.
Leg and Feet pain: I was blaming this on my running. It seems though that it is a SE. ugh. I've also recently started having numb fingers on my right hand and my eyelashes are falling out like crazy. This is 9.5 weeks post final chemo.
Lizzy: I'm glad they got that TE out! Now time to get better and get that final tx done!
Cal: How did your brunch go?
Carolyn: Happy birthday on Friday!
DebJ: Happy anniversary!
Libraylil: Good luck with your lumpectomy! What did you get at Ikea? Funny ... we are planning to go there tomorrow. I love that place.
Sue: Yay! On the vacation. I hope it warms up here for you!
We just got back from spending a few days in Saint Augustine. We had a really nice time. I'm going to try and paste a photo below.
I couldn't get the image to paste right here so I'm adding a link:
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Lizzy - How are things going today?0
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I think what frightens me most about surgery is always the anesthesia - and it's not going under, but coming out. I hate that feeling! That really tired, blurry vision feeling -where you're tired but you're panicked and you just fight it. AND the nausea is the biggest fear. That is what i hate most, because you go under feeling fine and wake up sick.
This last time I waived the narcotics and never got sick once from it! So maybe it's the narcotics that are making me sick.
I had 16 here for brunch today -they all left. I had fun cooking but it was a VERY BUSY day - I can't believe how much work it was since a lot of the things had to be cooked last minute! I made a LOT of food and everyone seemed to like it - they all stayed until now -= 6pm. So I'm really looking forward to some majorly earned downtime tonight!
I'm beat! And I forgot to take my tamox today so I'm off to do that now
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Happy New Year to all of you-
I am still in the hospital. I am so hoping I go home tomorrow. The area was not stitched up again but is "packed" so as to avoid it quickly becoming infected again. This packing will have to be changed daily for several months until this heals. I guess the VNA will provide some assistance in the beginning. The wound itself is becoming itchy which, if memory serves, is a sign it is healing...hopefully!?
i am really grateful for this thread as it has been such a comforting place to come when things just go too much. Another major thing I love about this thread is when everyone else told us we were crazy or that symptom etc.. was not typical of our chemo/cancer etc... we could remind them that 10/15/20+ others we know are having the same problem. That was always so, so helpful or even when it was not because others told us we were crazy/it was not a chemo se, it was still nice to come here just to hear others were having the same problem or were feeling the same way. It has been one of the best parts of my 2010.
anesthesia: what scares me the most is I won't wake up. I am always thinking they will lose me during surgery. It is weird but true. Especially yesterday when my hematocrit was so low, as it always is since chemo began, that I just will be lost during the process. Well, I made it through again...yay!
Calamtykel: 16 for lunch?! How do you do it? Just amazing.
Omaz: I am ok but just wanting to go home. I miss my house and my life pre-bc for that matter! How are you today? Any walks? Any chia hair?! I hope no falls if you did walk!
Well, I am going to relax and watch more tv!!!!!!! Good things, good stufff!
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HI All.
Happy New Year to you all! I just popped in from the September thread with a question, but first, you should know, that i follow this thread regularly and am rooting for you all. Lizzie, I know, in particular, are going through a rough patch, so I wish you the best. You have been an inspirational host/leader of this thread and I enjoy the cape-asoids.
Ann, Joy, Sweeney, Omaz. I noticed a number of you mentioned edema and sore legs, etc I finished chemo (TC X4) 6 weeks ago (hurrah!) , but i have had a really sore back/neck right jaw. I wondered if anyone had edema in the face or neck area? I previously had two herniated disks in my neck and they seem to be acting up too.
In any event, I am trying to figure it out and would love to hear about other folks experience. thanks, Beau
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Lizzy - I was in Walgreens and I saw the chia pets on the shelf!!! I wondered how I could apply it to my head.....I should have purchased one, I never had a chia pet before! My duaghter was trying to decide if I still looked like a baby eaglet or have progressed to a koala. Personally, the koala fuzzies fits best. And, I did better on the hill today, no spills, less soreness, a teeny bit faster. Take care!0
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Hi gals,
I'm going to try and put a pic of my hair growth here. This is a shot of me taken tonight watching (my guilty pleasure!!) Sidney Crosby.:) So Ann, I'm not that far off from where you are. I remember that much growth and it wasn't that long ago. Rachel- I used a colour that looked like my very dark brown hair, but the stuff I have now is so colourless that it came out kinda reddish. I like my old colour better. I'm going to try to match it darker next time.
Lizzy- really glad you came through the surgery well. Glad to hear from you!
Hope everyone had a great New Year's Day. Once again Cal- you're incredible!! 16???!!?
Okay so here's the shot- and please remember- I must seriously like and trust you gals!! This is me in my flannel owl pyjamas, NO makeup, NO earrings, nothing!! I never let my pic get taken like this;)!!
UPDATE: Can't for the life of me figure out how to post a photo. Darnit. Will change my avatar instead!
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Omaz: what you do is buy a few different animal shape chia pets and create an almagamation of chia pet fur for the wig!!!!!! You could also do a mohawk with the dog or ...well, you get the idea!
Sweeney: WOW! That is a lot of hair growing back in. Nice...you are only a few strands away from saying 'what chemo?!'
Las Vegas 2011: Alright...here is the story: many, many women from bc.org do this annual trip. I really think we all have to consider this. Not only will it be our group but we will also be with hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of our bc sisters. I should be just about done by October and I am hoping we all can commit to this trip. They start a thread in Jan/Feb. Someone else on this thread brought it up. I don't know about you all but I can definitely go for a weekend of boys, debauchery and margaritas (or whatever your top 3 are!) and just see some shows, have dinner, get to know some of the others from the site etc.... . I think we should all consider it and get ready to make some sort of indication of interest/deposit in the first quarter b/c I think it books quick. I hope we can all do it. I think it will be a lot of fun and something we all will desperately need as the '1-year-since-we-started-chemo' date for all has come and gone.
Let's do it, girls!
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Sweeney: Your hair looks great!
I just posted on the "hair" thread that I'm beginning to worry about my hair. It's coming in on the sides, but the top is almost totally bald still. I know it's early (I'm 4 weeks PFC). But my head looks scarily similar to the woman who has a Web site about taxotere and permanent hair loss. She has spotty side hair, none on top. For those of you who are far enough out for hair regrowth, did anybody else have this, i.e., the top grew last?
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Lady - my top is the thinnest. I have quite a bit over my ears and its growing well, back too. Top is thin but seems to be improving. I am almost at 6 weeks PFC. Top has been improving the last couple weeks the most so hang on, its probably coming soon!0
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Lizzy - why won't you be done until Oct? LV sounds like fun, when is it?
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Lady - I have just the opposite issue. My top is coming in but I have big bald spots still on the sides. I am at 7 weeks PFC. I wouldn't worry about it yet. 6 weeks is still a very short amount of time, and just like we all react differently during the chemo, our hair will also react differently when it starts to grow back. I know the permanent hairloss is a possibility but it is still very rare.
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Thanks for posting the photo, Sweeney
Maybe by the end of the month I can look like you! I just spent the weekend with no hat/scarf. But my daughters told me I need to wear a scarf to church this morning. lol0 -
Beau: I've not had that same issue.
Lady: If you look at the photo I've posted above, you can see that in the front you can still see my scalp under the sparse hair growing there, but further back, about from my ears and then up from there, my hair looks darker/fuller. I know it is hard not to worry, but give it a few more weeks. I didn't have any hair growth at all at 4 weeks pfc.
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I'm five weeks out of my last taxol and my eyebrows seem to continue to disappear!!! =:O Anyone else?? I'm pretty bummed about this - my leg hair's growing back - I can even see a lip shadow (UGH!!!) but my eyebrows are getting thinner and thinner......
Off to church this morning --everybody's sleeping late and we need to leave soon! DH and I are in the special needs kids class today- I totally forgot. So we gotta be there and be there on time! At least I don't have any hair to do!
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Calam - I just have a tiny bit of eyebrow left toward the center.0
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Hello chemosabes of August! Here a chemosabe sister from the December thread.
Lizzy, hope you still remember me from the June Mastectomy thread. Finally the time has come for me to start my chemo treatment after waiting 6 months. My baby is doing amazingly fine! She came a bit early (at 34 weeks). C-section recovery was fine and even tho my baby spent 2 weeks in the NICU she is one month old now and putting on some weight and cute cheeks
Started my chemo on Dec 22nd with barely none SE. Wondering if any of the lovley August chemo-sisters is under FEC treatment (x6 then Tamoxifen for 5 years
) like me, anyone??? Would really like any advice, comment or such
Day 10 post round 1 of chemo: So far very minimal SE, two or three days ago I noticed some tiny white spots (acne like) on my face that come and go during the day. Also... damn hot flashes! and I'm not even on Tamoxifen yet
Hair status: about the same. No big changes. Must be me being the paranoid, but I do feel it less thick and "weird" when I take showers. Plus, I'm on my 5th week post partum, so loosing hair is part of the deal too.... niceee! Is the end coming soon?!
Thnaks a lot in advance! and wishing you all a healthy and more prosperous 20110 -
Joystars-- Congratulations on your baby girl!
The end will come... my last tx of 6 is on Tues the 4th. It's funny but it I still find it hard to believe that I'm going through this. And still get a little surprise when I look in the mirror. (c: I don't mind the baldness but it is a bit of a shocker sometimes!
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Lizzy glad you are coming along and getting better. You amaze me with the "unstitched wound". I can't imagine. Guess you do what in necessary. I know you are anxious to get home to your own "stuff".
lumpectomy and nodes time for another pre lumpectomy whine from me. Any of you that came home with a drain, what should I take to wear home. I'll spend one night. I'm not afraid of the surgery..worried (as we all can be at times) about down the road. I trust my surgeon.
hair my top is thinner than the sides still. Howeverl the top is the area that seemed to fall out first. I just hate for Dr. cute to see me without makeup and my Joan Crawford penciled in eyebrows.
sweeney you look great. I can't believe the amount of hair. Did you use a permanent of semi permanent color? It looks very thick and like a good haircut.
chin hairs isn't life funny. All of a sudden I too noticed a LONG white chin hair. Hey about about some nose hairs...that would be helpful. Libray lil
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