August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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12 weeks away...................... 0 -
Hi everyone, so I received some news about my scans. Turns out I have a "hot spot" on my skull and they want to look at it again in three months. I saw it, it's pretty big. I'm trying not to be worried about it as I know that Bone Scans can pick up everything under the sun. But of course I would've preferred something a little less murky. If I'm honest I think my subconcious is pretty freaked out by this, I've not been sleeping well and am waking up at 3am unable to get back to sleep. But like a lot of recent posts from others, this could be peri-menopause stuff. I'm having those horrible hot flashes again too.
In the good news category (b/c I am trying very hard to stay there!!) work is good, kids are good, Christmas IS only 12 weeks away, I get to travel to Ecuador in November, my Mom is visiting soon and I love the cold Fall weather too.
:)Sweeney. XO
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Good day, warriors!
I remain, with my lovely drain bag hanging from my stomach, fiercely entertained by "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia!!!"
Sweeney: I am so sorry to hear about your hot spot however I have an inspirational story for you to hopefully help you keep it in perspective! I think I may have mentioned I was a tom boy! I wanted a YZ so I could go to the canyons with the boys and my other tom boy gal pal! After I cracked my head open trying to do "Evil Kinevil" stunts with my bmx bike, I got a swift "NO" to the YZ request...haters!!!! IN any case, winter was upon us and I was all of 10 years old looking for my next sporting high and stomping around still furious about the nay on the YZ!! Friends and I decided to go sledding down this wicked vertical hill, on our red flyers with newly greased blades, and the hill was replete with these amazing plateaus and drop-offs so no wonder I hit the gray steel pole that blended nicely with the trees behind it, head first no less! It is stuff like that which will cause hot spots on bone scans. The trauma from that kind of hit can last years. I, too, had a hot spot on my skull on a bone scan which they kind of figured was caused by that sledding accident. They never really figured out what was going on, if anything and there is always so much in the "on deck" circle w/me, it just got shelfed. Just remember an infection or years-old trauma to your head. Also, these tests are not 100% anyway. Just take it easy and go get a massage. Do you all have "Massage Envy" in CA? I would just get a massage and do some yoga. Try to relax. Also, Ecuador has some fantastic housing prices and a friend just bought a waterfront condo for $35K! Not joking. It is an up-and-comer.
Look forward to your trip, woman, and just really try to keep this in perspective. Also, something I read on the Merck site, normally there need be "several" hot spots to indicate mets to the bones. I know this one large spot could be precipitous of smaller ones that could be found later etc... and collectively be considered mets but one big one, I would not be too worried. Don't worry, be happy!
OMG..I re-read my post from last night I realize I don't give a back-story! I mentioned my female PS b/c I told her numerous times, pre-flap, that I did not want large breasts! My suspicion is the day of the micro PS was doing the preponderance of the work, she was doing another surgery and later in the day, when she checked in with my sister, the "damage" (so to speak) had been done! I think she was doing a little Monday morning QBing (that is a little football nomenclature for you, Ladyinbama!!") and also trying to gather from my sis if I really did not want large breasts. Alas, what is done is done and there is zero reason to talk about such ludicrous matters now! I am alive and I have what appear to be breasts once again=it is all good!!!
Time to go get some plum tomatoes! I have developed quite an interest in cooking and tonight is bruschetta and lazy Greek chicken cutlets! Good times, girls!
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Hello
I had my second chemo treatment fri., Thank God I didnt get sick like i did the first time but my tongue keeps getting white everytime i have chemo. I have four more weeks to go then off to radiation.
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felis - Good to hear that this one is going better. The white tongue could be thrush and you should tell your doctor, I think you can get medicine for that. I know it seems like a lot of medicine to take but it isn't forever, it's just to get through this.0
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ok. i lost my hair i just feel funny without hair but i have scarves.
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felis - I wore a baseball cap a lot. Glad you came by to say how you are doing. Hang in there!0
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Sweeney--so glad that you posted, I have been thinking of you and hoping all was good. I have no idea about bone mets...and forced myself to stay away from Dr. Googling that...but something tells me all will be good
Sounds like you are doing a good job keeping positive and staying away from bad news...which is good and I know, so very well, that it is difficult. Is there anything in the meantime that they do or they just monitor? I also love that we are heading into fall..cooler temperatures, fall colours!I have my gyne oncologist appt next Tuesday and hoping that this passes without any concern...I don't feel that there is any concern but of course, walking into a big cancer hospital just sets my nerves on edge.
Felis--I had similar issue during chemo and they prescribed the "magic mouthwash" that helped and also I rinsed with club soda all the time and it helped. Hang in there.
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Sweeney: Sorry to hear about your "hot spot". You seem to have a great attitude though. Just keep trying to stay positive, although I know it is hard. Like Lizzy, and you yourself, pointed out, it still could be nothing to worry about. I had one show up in my hip a while ago. It's still there, but benign and nothing to worry about, so that does happen. I will keep you in my prayers however, because a good word never hurt anyone..LOL.
Felis: Glad to hear that your second treatment went better than the first. I gargled with baking soda and warm water and it helped with the white tongue. But, like Rachel said, the doctor also had stuff called "magic mouthwash", ask them for it. I wore scarves throughout my chemo too. Made getting ready to go much easier in the morning, just tie and go..LOL! Hang in there, your hair will be back before you know it.
Lizzy: I definitely think that the male plastic surgeon forgot to leave his "manliness" outside the operating room, and hence your "humungous boobs". I am kinda glad I don't have much to work with in the abdomen so I don't have to worry about that. I have to tell you though, seriously, you think a doctor could leave his manly boob obsession out of patient care, wouldn't you. I guess it just goes to show how powerful the female breast really is!
Rachel: Good luck on Tuesday!
Have a great night everyone!
Debbi
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Good evening, warriors!
Sptmm: good point as I wish they had less to work with!!!!!! Very good point!!! Honestly, though, I am sort of ambivalent b/c as much as I said I wanted small, I don't think I would be happy if they were much smaller as I was never small to begin with!!!
Geesh, I don't know, Deb- I just might be really uncomfortable in a world where men were NOT obsessed with breasts!!!! My GP used to joke with me about some show on TLC where the PS is always saying something like "everyone gets DDs!!!" I never saw the show but I found it pretty funny nonetheless and now I realize it is rather accurate!
Felis: good to hear from you! Glad you stopped by. Just think, you are almost finished with chemo! That is milestone you will never forget. I lost my hair as well. I wore baseball caps a lot and because most of the time I was doing it was in the Fall to Winter months in CT, I wore a Peruvian hat constantly! That worked out really well because they are long enough in the back that one might have suspected I had a short hairdo as I did not lose lashes or brows. In any case, it comes raging back as soon as chemo is done
My onc told me to use Biotene all through chemo but b/c I am so hooked on original Listerine, I just kept using that. Biotene is another one that is good for dry mouth and that can also be what is causing the white marks in your mouth. I agree with Omaz, however, in that you should talk to your doc in case it is something that requires a prescription to fix. These weird things will most likely go away once done with chemo.
Well my sciatica is **killing** me tonight so off to bed I go
Happy trails, girls-
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Lizzy - try the salonpas patches for the sciatica - you may need 3-4 but it might help!0
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Omaz: doc gave me muscle relaxers but tonight I would like to try a knife!!! I think I have some of those patches in the "medical" closet! So sad that my cosmetic, hair supply, hair tools closet morphed into my medical closet! In any case, I am so much pain tonight I don't even think I could go through the closet to find them. I am hoping I make it to bed!0
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I'm sorry Lizzy - I hope you feel better in the morning.0
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my nails are hurting me bad what can i do. my right thumb is turning black what do i need to do.
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my nails are hurting me bad what can i do. my right thumb is turning black what do i need to do.
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Hello I'm having problems with my fingernails and toenails hurting my right thumb is turning black what can i do for the pain my nails are in.
Thanks,
Felisa0 -
Well they told me 4 more treatments to go but it seems so long. The second treatment didnt hit me hard like the first one did, thank God. To be honest with you I'm scared that the cancer will come back. I have radiation treatments next hope that go ok with me.
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Good day, warriors-
I did a little research, just on the local level, recently on all the fundraisers for cancer research/care etc.. Just in looking at 10 events and their average fiscal results, I found that over the course of one year, approximately 5 million was raised. That number is huge. Can you imagine what it translates to nationally? They are making so much money off of fear with this disease there is little incentive to cough up a cure!Omaz-the muscle relaxers made it worse! What a night I had but doing a bit better today. It has been totally exacerbated by the seromas, the belly drain and my inability to do stretches and to work my abs. I am a train wreck! Thank you for your well wishes just the same!!
Sweeney: when do you find out more about the bone scan and what are they doing next? Please keep us posted.
Felisa: nail problems are very common w/bc chemo esp the taxanes and doxorubicin. There are some things you can do: when washing dishes, use rubber gloves. When you go to chemo, ask for 2 bowls of ice and some rubber gloves and immerse your fingertips in the ice (cryotherapy). Avoid getting manicures and your nails done until chemo is over. Wear clear nail polish and monitor your cuticles. If the cuticles get overgrown, don't pull them off but gently use a cuticle remover tool. A woman I met after chemo told me she had a lot of nail problems. She said she would do the ice during chemo *and* when she went home she would also do frozen bags of veg on her hands for 20 minutes at a time for about 3 or 4 times. The idea behind cryotherapy is when your fingertips are cold the chemo will not reach the nails that easily and therefore can't cause cell damage. I had slight nail problems during chemo but not to the extent you seem to be having. The above advice is really that of us bc girls collectively (and our experience) and they might help but as a whole, there have not been studies indicating any of this helps! We can only try!
We are all scared the cancer will come back. That is a very, very natural part of this process. I would safely assume 100% of us live with that fear to one extent or another. The good news is when chemo and rads are over, and you start to feel stronger again, you don't fear it so much. Right now it is very much front-and-center for you so it is understandable you are having these fears in perhaps a more pronounced way than you might say 6 months down the road. Hang in there, it will only get better once chemo is over
I hope everyone has had a nice day. It is in the 60s here today...Fall is arriving!
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Lizzy - Glad your back is doing a little better. I 'threw' mine out in spring and the muscle relaxers didn't do anything to help.0
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Thank you im going to try that.
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Felis--Not sure what chemo you are currently on but I know with my Taxotere--they provided me with Ice Mittens and Booties which stayed on during the treatment and I didn't have an issue with my nails. I know some people used the ice mittens etc and still had problems. It seems very individual. Just cross those chemos off the list and before you know it, it will be done. If you have any issues--talk to the Doc or the Nurse--they have lots of suggestions and recommendations also. Closer to being done
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im on cytoxan and taxotere. i have four more to go and it seem like forever.
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Felisa, please be aware that some of the side effects you may begin feeling need to be reported to your oncologist right away. I have periferal neuropathy in my feet and to a lesser degree inmy hands. I finished chemo nearly two years ago and my neuropathy is not improved. I was taken off of chemo after 6 rounds, 4 or Adriamycin and Cytoxin, followed by 2 of Taxol. I had my first symptoms during the 3rd or 4th chemo treatment and reported beginning numbness and tingling. When I came in after my 6th treatment and told the Onc that I had been walking arounf with a book light in my slipper and couldn't feel it I was taken off of chemo right then. I wish it had been sooner, the numbness is profound, it makes walking clumsy. It hurts like electrical shocks or spasms in my feet. These are painful like a burning. My fingers aren't as under my control as I would like. My message is to be alert. I am posting this now because you don't seem to be on a message board with your current treatment peers. I discussed all of this back in 2010. You are very welcome to be here with us, but know that you are missing some of the day to day chemo info shared by those currently in treatment!
I got your PM and all is good, on the way soon.
Hugs Ginger
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Felisa, please be aware that some of the side effects you may begin feeling need to be reported to your oncologist right away. I have periferal neuropathy in my feet and to a lesser degree inmy hands. I finished chemo nearly two years ago and my neuropathy is not improved. I was taken off of chemo after 6 rounds, 4 or Adriamycin and Cytoxin, followed by 2 of Taxol. I had my first symptoms during the 3rd or 4th chemo treatment and reported beginning numbness and tingling. When I came in after my 6th treatment and told the Onc that I had been walking arounf with a book light in my slipper and couldn't feel it I was taken off of chemo right then. I wish it had been sooner, the numbness is profound, it makes walking clumsy. It hurts like electrical shocks or spasms in my feet. These are painful like a burning. My fingers aren't as under my control as I would like. My message is to be alert. I am posting this now because you don't seem to be on a message board with your current treatment peers. I discussed all of this back in 2010. You are very welcome to be here with us, but know that you are missing some of the day to day chemo info shared by those currently in treatment!
I got your PM and all is good, on the way soon.
Hugs Ginger
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Felisa, please be aware that some of the side effects you may begin feeling need to be reported to your oncologist right away. I have periferal neuropathy in my feet and to a lesser degree inmy hands. I finished chemo nearly two years ago and my neuropathy is not improved. I was taken off of chemo after 6 rounds, 4 or Adriamycin and Cytoxin, followed by 2 of Taxol. I had my first symptoms during the 3rd or 4th chemo treatment and reported beginning numbness and tingling. When I came in after my 6th treatment and told the Onc that I had been walking arounf with a book light in my slipper and couldn't feel it I was taken off of chemo right then. I wish it had been sooner, the numbness is profound, it makes walking clumsy. It hurts like electrical shocks or spasms in my feet. These are painful like a burning. My fingers aren't as under my control as I would like. My message is to be alert. I am posting this now because you don't seem to be on a message board with your current treatment peers. I discussed all of this back in 2010. You are very welcome to be here with us, but know that you are missing some of the day to day chemo info shared by those currently in treatment!
I got your PM and all is good, on the way soon.
Hugs Ginger
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im a diabetic i already have neuropathy and alot of other health problems. im on neurotin 600 mg twice a day just as well as three different depression meds. i have a lot going on with me. did you get the address.
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Yes I did, will be coming your way soon. I am sorry you already have neuropathy. Neurontin is one of the drugs that is used to treat neuropathy. I have had it used for nerve pain in the past. It interuppted sciatic nerve random firing and gave me my life back.
Good luck to you.
Ginger
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Yes I did, will be coming your way soon. I am sorry you already have neuropathy. Neurontin is one of the drugs that is used to treat neuropathy. I have had it used for nerve pain in the past. It interuppted sciatic nerve random firing and gave me my life back.
Good luck to you.
Ginger
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Girl i have had back surgery five years ago for two herinated disc. i go to the pain clinic for sij problems and low back pain i get injections with steriods. i have two bulging disc in my neck, oh yeah i also have ddd in my spine. Girl i have alot more i can tell you whats going on with me. Thanks for the wraps and thanks for talking to me i'm glad i have someone to talk to. heres my email felisaragland@gmail.com. email me anytime.
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Good evening, warriors!
I just love the Emmys! It is my fav and I do so enjoy seeing what everyone is wearing, men and women, and what designers etc...! It is a guilty pleasure but not as bad as my newly-acquired, guiltiest of pleasures, "Honey Boo Boo!!!!" I watch about 5 minutes of it and I almost feel embarrassed, like it is not on a cable TV and like I am looking through a key hole! Just startling!
In any case, I wanted to pass along this link to a very promising development in bc research that I found in the NY Times today, as follows: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/health/study-finds-variations-of-breast-cancer.html?_r=0
Remember, right click and select "open in new tab/window" to get to the article. This is a pretty big deal. I hope there is breakthrough soon.
Felisa: wow! You certainly do have a lot going on. Honestly, though, if you did not before bc, you most likely would have after anyway!
Hope your nails are doing better.
Hope everyone had a good weekend-
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