August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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lady very nice pic, you look good. I'm still waiting on eyelashes.I said a special prayer for you and dh in church yesterday:-)
Carolyn
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Thanks Omaz, Debbi and Carolyn.
My surgery is Wednesday afternoon. I'll stay at the hospital Wed. night, and if no problems, come home Thursday. If I'm not too loopy from pain pills, I'll check in and let you all know how it went.
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Lady--Your hair looks great! Good luck on Wednesday--will be thinking of you.
After a super busy weekend, this is the beginning of March break here so kids are home for the week--today will be a quiet day and tomorrow we are heading to US for shopping trip (our dollar is doing well and your prices are cheaper!). For some reason over the last couple of days, have had a headache that I cannot shake--I think I am grinding my teeth at night as I wake up with my jaw aching and head ache--hubbie doesn't know as he falls asleep so fast and can sleep through anything!
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Good luck on Wednesday Lady, I will be thinking of you and wishing you a quick recovery!!0
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Just thinking, we say BC is the gift that keeps on giving, it's actually BC TREATMENT is the gift that keeps on giving.
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Healing vibes for Wednesday lady.
On that day I'll be seeing HAIR, with no hair!
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Lady and IowaSue Nice hair pictures! I am jealous! And Lady, good luck with your surgery on Wednesday. I'll be sending good thoughts your way.
This weekend I noticed that my stubble on my head is getting a little longer and finally starting to get darker - it was that really pale fuzz that you can barely even see and now I'm getting little stubbles that look more like my hair color. I was so excited, I ran out to show DH my head and he just said "can you hand me that piece of paper over there?" Clearly he does not get it.
This morning I had my pre-rads CT and got drawn on with bright green marker. Very attractive. My rads start date is in 2 weeks, the 28th. I am so eager to get rads started, I feel like the sooner I get started the sooner I will be done!
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jsw- rads went surprisingly fast for me. Only 8 more to go. I keep shoving my head in my families faces! They look and kinda pat me on the head like I'm a dullard. Clear fuzzies for me still. Although my dd thought I had a bruise on the back of my head and it turned out to be a little circle of dark hair! I think I might have to shave and see what happens... 0
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adey mine was colorless on top but started turning darker (in some areas, gray in others) after about 6 weeks0
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OMG! My pubes are migrating to my head! I have a little triangle of dark hair on the back of my head by my neck. It's hilarious. I'll try to post a pic. WTF! 0
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LOL!!! I wanna see the pic!!
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I think I'll have my dd draw a face first and use it as the beard!
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Lady: best of luck with surgery this week. Your hair looks good.
Omaz: are you going to PT for the fascial cording? It can somewhat easily be rectified through PT and stretching exercises. I would stretch every day.
Adey: sounds like an attractive look! Let your dd draw the face! Perhaps, and in honor of the crazy Sheen, write "winning" below the beard!
Ckptry: Looking good
JSW:congrats on starting rads! Good luck!
Hair: It is growing in, pretty much evenly all over, and is dark, dark brown and gray! Gross! I think my first stop is going to be "Pink's" hairdo on my way to something longer. I like her hair. I might spend some time short after it grows in but I am definitely not staying dark brown and gray!
Texas: I have a few interviews with nursing programs coming up. I will let you know how it is going. I have been studying bio, chemistry, algebra and anatomy and physiology. I am definitely making progress and feel more confident going into the admissions test. Let me know what is going on with you.
Donating: I am starting to consider donating all those wraps I got last year. I bought a lot and hardly used any!
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Hi Lizzy - I will see the LE therapist Weds, but I don't think she has much experience with cording. I can see them now in my inner elbow area, it's a little creapy! I have an appt with another therapist who is VERY good but not until the 5th of April. I am stretching. Two women here gave me information and I am following their advice (kira and lago). I am a little down because of the LE/cording and my neuropathy is worse in my hands. I knew it was a possiblity that it could get worse and sorry to say it did. BUT, I am hopeful that in a couple months things will all be much better!0
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Omaz: if you search "fascial cording" you will find a plethora of resources. Also, yoga and pilates cannot hurt. Our lymph "lanes" are like elastic bands and what they did in surgery was cut the bands, take a few pieces out and sew it back together. The "cording" is the lympathetic lane lamenting it's lost parts. They can also snap during stretching but to my understanding, all you will feel is relief if that happens so not such a bad thing! I am not quite sure about all the other ramifications regarding a snap but I wanted to let you know it could happen. I also understand cording is much more manageable than LE. LE does seem to suck...no doubt about that.
I hate to get political but....GO WISCONSIN!!!! I am so very proud of what our fellow citizens are doing in that state in standing up for themselves and refusing to be pushed around by the establishment and they are NOT stopping! First the Super Bowl and now this! They are fired up!
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Thanks Lizzy. I think the radiation irritated everything so no only are they missing their parts but a bit angry about it as well!
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Good news I got my DIEP moved from Oct. 18th to May 17th. They will take out my port then and I will get my last 3 herceptins through my veins. I am very excited to get rid of this extra fat and get real breasts.
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Hi all,
I thought I was having no side effects from the tamoxifen, but gradually have developed night sweats to the point that I wake up during the night looking like I went swimming in my clothes. If I try not to wear pj's I am awoken by the sweat tickling me as it trickles down my chest or back. I also thought I was having some sort of post traumatic stress after chemo. I was feeling distraught and panicky and had to start medications for both depression and anxiety. I stopped the tamoxifen for 1.5 weeks around surgery. Within 24 hrs of restarting it I was walking around weepy and feeling hopeless and realized I had felt better mood wise off of the tamoxifen -even after surgery. I mentioned things to the onc but said I won't stop the Tamoxifen. I expected her to be admant that I need to take it, but she said 'we have to look at your quality of life also. I can't be inside your body so only you can tell me what's tolerable.' I'm also having trouble thinking clearly, just feel more foggy. I explained that I had taken effexor after my daughter was born for depression and it caused night sweats so it wouldn't work for controlling them in me. She said many women have side effects from it so she doesn't like to use it. So suddenly 5 years of getting up during the night freezing and changing myself and the sheets, taking meds for the mood changes I'm having on tamoxifen and dealing with the side effects of those meds, and pain/bleeding with intercourse (for which I've decided to take vaginal estrogen) seems like alot. The decision is harder b/c the oncologist said there's a chance I may not even need the tamoxifen; as a her 2+ cancer it may be the herceptin that keeps it away but they are not sure. Anyone else changing a few times a night? I'm really feeling tired and run down but so scared for my kids if I didn't take the tamoxifen and recurred. But I don't want to be miserable around them either. Thanks for letting me vent!
Carolyn
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ckptry - Remote controlled, timer equipped, standing fan at the foot of the bed. Wake up in a sweat, turn the puppy on, cool down. Really helps me out. Have them by mail order thru walmart about 30 bucks. I have been up with hot flashes at night since last Sept about 6-8 times a night.0
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Sue - That's fantastic! Glad they can move it up. I haven't even started to think about getting my port out yet, as it probably won't happen until August, but it is an exciting thought!
Carolyn - I'm so sorry you're having a hard time with Tamox. I'm having the night sweats, too. I used to sleep in the nude, but didn't like waking up in the wet sheets, so now I'm wearing cotton shorts and a t-shirt. Now I wake up with wet clothes, but the sheets are fine. I tend to sleep through the hot flashes, but wake up when I'm cold and wet afterwards. My onc said that there is some chance the symptoms could abate in 3-6 months, so I'm going to give it that amount of time at least. I've been on it for 6 weeks now. I haven't noticed any emotional symptoms, but I was a little bit of a basket case before BC, so who knows? :-) You will make the right decision for you. Trust your heart.
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Lisa - Are you in a show right now?0
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omaz I never feel hot - I'll just wake up shivering b/c I'm cold and wet. I try to just put on light blankets/clothes even though I'm cold b/c I just wake up wet again . There's actually the outline of my body in sweat on the sheets, I have to change the top and bottom.
Lisa thanks, I am going to try to wait it out to see if they improve.
Carolyn
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Carolyn: So sorry you are going through all that. I HATE my hot flashes, haven't had the severe night sweats. I don't have any answers, just empathy.
Those of you who are prayers say one for me tomorrow. My ov ca staging surgery is tomorrow. I'll be in the hospital overnight and home Thurs. if all goes well. Pray for a clear path report!
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Lady - I'll be thinking of you tomorrow!!
ckptry - I think if I didn't wake up right when they start I would be all sweaty under the covers. I wake up feeling sick to my stomach for a few moments and then I know its coming so I throw off the covers and turn the fan on high.
Rachel - I tried some GNC time release melatonin to help sleep and it seemed much better than the drugstore type I got before. Of course I have an n=1 night's worth of data so I can't draw any conclusions!
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ckptry I'm sorry to hear you are having a rough time with the Tamox. On my onc's orders I won't start until rads are done but I am wondering what my side effects will be. I have also heard some rumblings that perhaps Tamox is not as useful in us HER2+ gals and I wish we knew more about that. I have been doing pretty well with the herceptin and would rather take that for longer than take Tamox if it would be more helpful. Anyway I agree on the remote controlled timer fan. My hot flashes right now cause me some trouble falling asleep but then I seem to be ok once I get to sleep. So I set the timer on my fan to turn off after a couple hours.
Lady I will definitely be thinking of you tomorrow. I hope all goes well and your path report is all clear!
IowaSue Good news about getting your surgery moved up! I am sure you are excited!
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Lady - Prayers with you tomorrow. Thoughts for great news coming your way.
Sue - Fabulous news about the surgery date!!!!! I am so happy for you.
Tamox - Not sure what symptoms are what. I did go to the oncologist last week because I was getting freaked out by a bloating feeling on my side and under my rib cage. He told me that it was something that sometimes happened with women who have had mastectomies. He said something about the lymph fluid building up and causing the pressure....anyone else hear of this? I was thinking that it was my liver or kidneys or something (actually thought it was my fat roll pushing in on internal parts at one point too), and he made me calm down. The feeling was gone for about 3 or 4 days but now it is back again. Very uncomfortable and just want to be positive that nothing else is going wrong!
Hope everyone is doing well.
Michelle
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mommichelle- i read somewhere about chest lymphedema. i am so afraid of getting LE as i am at risk on both arms. I learned how to do lymphedema massage. You might ask for a referral to a le therapist.
I am done with cataract surgeries and will be going back to work this week. I am having lots of hot flashes on arimidex so not sure if i can stick with it. my hair is coming back slowly so still have to wear the wig.
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Lady. You look very pretty with your hair. Prayers coming your way from nc. Lib ray lil
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Lady....will be thinking of you tomorrow.
Omaz......thanks for the info on the other melatonin. I am still sleeping like crap. I will see my family doc in a couple of weeks and hopefully get some help with it as lack of sleep is completely horrible.
Tamoxifen.....I was doing pretty good. Have hot flashes for sure and interrupts whatever sleep I do get. Also seem to have headaches off and on. Doc said common side effect. I have been on it since December so almost three months.0
