August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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sptmm - I'm so happy you didn't blow up!! That's encouraging!
Wherria - Glad you are back and a new puppy coming - nice way to start the year!
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Wherria- glad you're back!!
SPTMM- so glad you didn't blow up!!
Rachel- The biggest hug ever. I am certain tomorrow will bring good news your way. You'll be on all of our minds, that's for sure.
On work- thanks for the insight guys. I am looking forward to going back.
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OH Rachel - HUGS!!!!!!!! Yes, the waiting is the worst. I have decided that it's not even dying of cancer that scares me as much as the waiting and the FEAR! I'm more afraid of the fear than cancer....does that make sense? Unless you've lain awake in bed shaking for hours in fear while waiting for a test, it doesn't make sense.....
pls let us know!
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Hey Texas - don't look at that 1 in 4 thing or whatever --- did you see the lady over on the IV forum that's been 18 years with stage IV?? I'm expecting the same for you! They are coming up with some interesting new treatments - did you see the breast cancer vaccine info? They are running clinical trials now. In mice, they found that they shrunk or eradicated mammary tumors! =:O
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Yes i did see that post (i am on the stage 4 boards as much as i am here)
We are following every treatment that is being researched- there is also a lot of promise in nano tech that delievers the chemo only to the cancer cells so nasty SE like we had to go through
And some stem cell research using the cancer's own stem cell to make a cure...
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Rachel, sending prayers for you.
Calamity, hurrah! Congratulations on your good news. I understand what you mean about the fear itself being the worst.
Texas, I think BoPeep becoming an angel threw us all for a loop. You are in a different place though and somehow it seems you will surely walk with us all for a long time. Sending you big hugs,
I had Rads #3 today. My DD surprised me and met me in the Rads waiting room along with 5 month old Zoe who was charming everyone. My DD attends a parents playgroup at the hospital so she popped over. When Zoe was only 3 mo old I would say what does a pirate say and she would saay AR ARR. I tried it in the waiting room today and she responded exactly the sam. It was so funny and cute.
Wherria welcome back. WHat kind of puppy is it that you are looking at? Puppies are such fun aren't they?
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Anyone know how long I should wait to use reg. deoderant under my rad. arm, I forgot to ask yesterday. I don't want to stink on vacation LOL. its to freakin cold in Iowa to sweat. It was barely 4 again today, I'm freezing with the heat on 70.
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Ah Gingerbrew - nothing like a sweet little baby to make rads fun for all
Wish I had seen it.0 -
Sue - I don't know about the anti-persperant. My last rads is tomorrow. (Yay!) But I have so much pain with the skin under my arm, I have a feeling it will be awhile before I will want to put it on. They did tell me that I could use deoderant as long as it had no anti-persperant in it (something like Tom's of Maine). But I'm not using that until my skin under my arm heals a little bit.
Sending out love to Rachel and Texas. Just lots of love.
Calamty - so glad to hear about your good news.
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Ginger: I was wondering how little Zoe was doing. Any new pics? Babies are a great mood lifter. Good to know rads is going well for you.
Iowa: My rad onco said I could use deoderant as soon as I was done. She said if it burns, stop using it, but as long as your skin is healed she said there were no problems using anything.
Wherria: So glad to hear from you!! I certainly hope one of them is unshoworthy (is that a word?). Can't wait to see pics of the new puppy. And on the pain...I still have significant joint pain. Onco says it could last up to six months, but it is manageable. I mostly notice it after sitting for a while. I get up and walk like a 90-year-old woman for a couple of minutes!
Lisa: Yeah!!!! Last Rads!!!
Rachel: Nothing but good news today!!! Adding to the group {{{{HUG}}}}}}!
I had the worst night sleep ever last night! I am going to be snoozing at my desk today. I slept better on the steroids. I certainly hope that wasn't a side effect of the Tamoxifen or I am in for a LOOONG five years! And I have a killer headache this morning, probably from the lack of sleep. Oh well..day has started...time to go to work.
Have a great day everyone
Debbi
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Well ladies - i'm headed for the ER this morning.
I woke up really dizzy - moved my head and the room was spinning - one leg is weak. I'm so scared - doctor wants me to go to the er for evaluation.
WHY is nothing easy in my life!??
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Sorry Calam!! Hope it is nothing, maybe a little weak from all the stress and the surgery. Stress does really weird things to our bodies, and you certainly have had enough of it lately. Anyway, feel better and good luck this morning! {{{{{HUGS}}}}}0
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Congrats, Adey!
Welcome back, Whitney!
Rachel: Lots of hugs. I'll be checking back for your post.
Lady: It feels funny for anyone to be jealous of my hair. I'm 12 weeks, 2 days pfc.
Sue: I too am using Tom's deodorant.
So sorry, Kel
Let us know how you are doing when you can.0 -
Cal - We're there with you in spirit at the ER.
Lizzy - How are you doing?
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Bone scan was clear...woooo...I think that I started breathing again after the Doc said everything was "fine". Honestly, I need to find a better way to get through scans. I now don't see my med onco for a few months and in fact, the next time that I see him won't even be at the Onc clinic--just in his office instead.
Cal--Sorry to hear that you are not well--my thoughts are with you for sure.
Thanks everyone for all of your kind words and support. It means so much
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Cal How are you doing? Hopefully the dizziness is just low blood pressure or something easy to treat.
Rachel Have you gotten your test results yet? I hope all is well.
Wherria So good to see you back here! I am sorry to hear you are still having so much trouble with the lymphedema and hopefully that new machine will help. And I hope that you end up with a new puppy soon!
I hope everyone is having a good day. Hugs all around!
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Rachel I just saw your response, it looks like we posted at the same time! So glad to hear your scans came back clean. It is always a little frightening to wait for test results. I think I have mentioned before I had thyroid cancer 6 1/2 years ago. I still get a little anxious whenever I go for a check-up with the endocrinologist. They check bloodwork and do an ultrasound on my thyroid (lack of thyroid actually since I had the whole thing removed) yearly and every time I still get a little bit anxious until the doc says everything looks good.0
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Thanks JSW---I know that I need to work on the anxiety. I am taking that "Healing Journey" course right now that is supposed to help but I have only done one class--hopefully, it will help in time!! My onc nurse said everyone is still anxious with scans etc. She hasn't met anyone who isn't anxious. Maybe she is putting my mind at ease and excusing my craziness!
As an FYI, on Monday my med onc mentioned to me a clinical trial that is happening in Canada for breast cancer patients and the drug Metformin. Metformin is a drug used for diabetes but is showing some effect on Estrogen blocking. He mentioned that the main side effects of Metformin can be sugar levels but the dose they provide is pretty small so doesn't make huge difference but other main side effect is decreased eating levels. I don't qualify for the study because I had a previous cancer (cervical) and therefore disqualifies me from the study. Just an FYI incase you want to ask your Docs if interested.
Thanks again to everyone for help boosting me when I was feeling so anxious. It is amazing.
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Hi all -
I'm home - they did a ct of the head and a bunch of other tests that didn't show anything. Was on a monitor for a long time, etc. Really there is no way to know what happened but my dizziness is gone. I was so scared- I still am. I'm really wiped out. Hoping it is vertigo and virus related and NOT tamoxifen related or other some bad thing. am REALLY unhappy to have had the CT to the head. More rads - just what I need.
so that's where it is.........nothing conclusive.
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Cal - I am glad you are ok. Maybe over the weekend all the worries will pass out of your system and you will find yourself involved in other things and having fun. I wish that for you.0
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Calam: Glad to hear you feel better. Sorry you didn't get a definitive answer. Hopefully it was a one time thing, just low blood sugar, stress, or something innocuous like that. About the rads...I think we all passed acceptable levels a while ago, can't hurt us anymore, LOL.
Rachel: Good news!!! Yeah!! I think we all need a little bit of that anxiety reduction. It is hard to trust that it will be nothing, when you have already been hit with the something. Hopefully we will find a way to relax eventually, but I know that I am struggling with that feeling of insecurity about my health big time!
Texas: How did it go with the surgeon?
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Rachel- WOOOO HOOOOO. Happy dance in Ottawa for YOU!
Cal- dammit. You do not deserve this! I'm going t ask god to just give you a break and some peace. You deserve both.
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Hi ladies, me and my questions. I am wondering now that Im done with chemo and rads., I will be seeing my Onc. in 2 wks 1st time since last chemo. How do we watch for cancer over the next 2 years. Do the just feel the areas and nodes left? Any one had this check up yet.
Sweeney- we want pictures of your great vacation.
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Rachel and Calamity- SO glad to hear that it was nothing
Iowa- Great question, but i dont have the answer...
Surgeon appointment yesterday- SO the surgeon said that based on the size of the 1 tumor that disappeared (11cm) he recommends a mx because even though its not showing up, there cold be a few live cancer cells that made it through chemo but are too small to pick up. Also in order to get clear margins he needs to remove some of my pectoral muscle cuz the tumor that is still there is attached to it. He also recommends zapping the area where the pectoral is removed with rads. Then recon. I told him i am not interested in the recon but i'd rather do a bi lat mx even though i have a smaller chance of getting BC in the other side. He said that he agrees and I can have them both removed. Its scheduled for the 31st of this month.
I have family flying in from out of town to be here for 2 weeks- is that an appropriate amount of time after the mx?
How'd y'all fare- anyone have muscle removed? I wonder how that affects healing time....
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Texas you totally kicked but on that tumor. Good news.
all Im headed for my re excision of the lower margin in about an hour. Chant "clean margins" for me. libray lil
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Librarylil--Wishing you clean margins!
Iowa--I asked my onco the same thing--there are no additional scans to be provided unless there are some symptoms--otherwise checkups and mammo/US. Strange new world!
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Texas - It sounds like your surgeon is being very thorough.0
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Good day chemosabes and radicals:
Sorry I have not been around much....still recovering from the infection and my energy seems restored and then I go outside and try to navigate the 40" of snow and layers of ice and I get tired! Then off to napsville I go. Back to chemo next week so there goes what shreds of energy I had. I look ahead, though, to May when perhaps I will have enough hair for a short, summer do!
Libraylil: Good luck today....wishing you the cleanest of margins.
Texas: I had a bmx. Two weeks should be enough. The hardest part for you *might* be the JP drains and managing the kids. One thing to definitely bring to the hospital when you go for surgery is an ace bandage. What you do is put the ace bandage around the back of your neck and wear it like a scarf. What you then do is safety pin the JP drains to the ace bandage. That is the most effective way of leaving the hospital and having sufficient support for each drain. Try to get 6-8' of ace and double it up so there is sufficient strength to hold the weight of the drains and so they don't swing around too much.
You will probably feel pretty good w/in 7 days of the surgery. Start some moderate range of motion exercises for your arms as soon as you feel well enough to do so. As for muscle, they did not have to remove any from me. Following up with rads is great. I think you will do pretty well with chemo then a bmx and rads. I would not worry too much about the muscle. First the cancer attached to it so it has to go but, and more importantly, I think your muscle might grow back and reattach itself or patch the hole, per se. I am not sure about that but I know muscle repairs itself over time.
If you need anything, PM me. I will be glad to tell all I know!
Rachel and Kel: glad you two are in the clear and got happy results from your tests and biopsy results. Good stuff.
Well, I am the last house on a dead end which is code hockey rink these days. I have to try to get out of my driveway, onto the big 70' patch of ice that is the end of the road and try to navigate to get to the pavement all so I can go to the bank. Good times, man! Plus there is a total of about 6' of navigable space on the road in between the 10' snow piles. I have not seen snow like this in CT in over 15 years.
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Adey: congratulations on being done and having no port and moving further and further away from your bc dx! Good times, sister! Don't forget to let me know about the collective reasoning on rads. Of course I am unequivocally not eligible for rads now anyway with this gaping hole in my chest of which I have the dubious honor of having to pack twice per day....gross.0
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Sweeney: on the work thing, I am on long term disability so I am not going back to any work until I am done with this entire process...4 more surgeries, 3 more scans etc... Good for you, though. It must feel good to be getting back to your life as it were. I have a ways to go, my friend.0
