August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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I am not sure if this is the same as what Lizy posted awhile back, but looked useful. (last couple lines is where it came from)
In this case, the newspaper came to the rescue. For everyone else, there's a national organization that provides legal help for people with cancer who have problems with insurance, jobs and housing. It's the Cancer Legal Resource Center, 866-THE-CIRC or 866-843-2572
Posted by Cancer Bitch at 10:16 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: discrimination, landlord, legal help 0 -
lizzymack1 ....can you write a book? Or maybe you could be a motivation speaker or write a motivational book you put words together so awesome!!! Thanks for all you write!!
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Iowa: I am actually writing a book! It is a hysterical story of several first dates...my friend called me the "dating machine!" when I worked in Manhattan. Of course, 1 date is all it takes to decide you either do or do not want to see someone again and, invariably with me, it was usually NOT! It is nothing sordid but just an ecclectic of several, several dates that I recorded over the course of some years. Very funny stuff! Consequently, I will do anything for Bret Michaels girlfriend!!!!0
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Carolyn - you already have made it better - I'm sure not just for me but for others as well.
I have to ask you - how in the world does someone make the decision to become an oncology nurse and remain so? I think the nurses at my cancer center are so wonderful and special. I just wonder how on earth they do it every day? It must be a whole different kind of nursing than just bandaging someone up in the ER and sending them on their merry way, or a nurse on a maternity ward or something.
Finding myself immersed in cancer I just want to run from it when my treatment is done. I wonder as an oncology nurse or an oncologist, how you 'live" cancer day after day year after year. Not live "with" it as in having it yourself, but having your life be dealing with people who have it. It must take a very special person!
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Good Evening Chemosabes!
The capes have been given out....CKPTRY, DEBJ, LISASINGLEM and TEXASROSE. Thanks to all of you for giving us all inspiration and showing enormous strength this past week.
Also, I have SPTMM, 57COLLEEN AND ZENITH having treatments this week? Also, SPTMM, I have you down for 10/2 which is Saturday? Zenith- I have you down for potentially starting Taxol this week? Please advise.
If you are having treatment this week and I don't have you down on the list, please PM me your dates and I will update the spreadsheet.FOR ALL OF YOU having treatments this week, I wish you all the very best and for NO SEs!!!!
Your FEARLESS Leader!
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Wow, I've not read our thread in a couple of days and bunches of good stuff here. I appreciate all the words of wisdom about worrying about recurrence. For me, I try to remember that the more I dwell on the problem (cancer, side effects, recurrences, whatever) the more the problem grows. The more I focus on the solution (things I can do to feel better, what I can do for someone else instead of focusing on myself all the time), the more the solution grows.
Deb: I hate you are going through the pain of losing Pup at the same time as dealing with cancer. I had to have one of my dogs put to sleep at the same time I was dealing with an illness of my mother's, and I know how it seems like God or fate or something is just piling it on us. Go ahead and get good and pissed off if it helps. He can take it.
Ladies, I have my 3rd and final FEC on Tuesday, then in a couple of weeks it's on to Taxotere or Taxol (haven't decided which drug I'm doing yet). Rachel how'd you do with your last FEC? Hope everyone made it through the weekend ok.
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Calamity, thank you for posting your concerns. I have worried about recurrence and tried to understand it and figure out the hows and whys and really got nowhere with it.
Please do not anyone worry about "bringing us down". If not here, where? This is our place and if you post your concern it very likely has something to do with my concern. Who else can I ask and get good feedback. Today my DIL told me she thought her Aunt had BC because her husband smoked in the house and she ate poorly and that it "could be that" because we don't actually know. Now, does anyone think I am going to have that discussion again. Um, no no no. Here we support one another, cry together, laugh together. Every single opinion matters to me and means something in this crazy constellation of ideas, diagnosis, and unknowns we are caught up in.
I have the sniffles, some sneezes last night and two or three coughs today. I haven't been out of the house in 7 days only DD in on thursday and DH home from the road on thursday night. Where on earth did I get this. DH got flu shot at the airport but I do not think that could get me, killed virus right?
This place is really important to me and I think to the rest of you too.
Sweet dreams
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Gingerbrew, I am ROTFLMAO at your DIL. Thank you for a laugh first thing in the morning!
I know a woman who did exactly what she wanted all her life. Ate what she wanted, drank what she wanted, never worried about her weight, traveled when she wanted, men when she wanted, and left husbands, children and boyfriends when she wanted. And even smoked, yes, smoked! Ok, she still smokes 2 packs a day but I haven't seen men or strong drink around for a while. Now, it is possible that she will get cancer, and possibly even die of it, but it has not happened yet and she is nearly 90. Dear, sweet grandma.
All I can say is that it seems to have worked out for her.
Lizzy, my last chemo is on Thurs Sept 30.
I hope everyone is well!
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Lizzy my last AC is this thursday the 30th. postponed because of the viral cold i had last week. Taxol will start on the 14th if all goes well.
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Hooked to the Decadron now - port accessed - guess that's a good thing! Next comes one of the bad guys............
ativan's making me woozy!@
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calamtykel,
Enjoy that ativan;-) Hope your treatment goes quickly. To answer you question my mother had her breast cancer treated at MSK when I was younger and I think that's part of what led me to oncology. I think that how the doctors and nurses treated her played a big part in how she managed. There are times it is heartbreaking but it is also very rewarding. It feels good to comfort someone when they are scared or to be able to make them smile or laugh. You really get to see how strong the human spirit can be and I got to work with some very dedicated and compassionate people. I miss it and always thought I'd go back when the kids were settled in school. I actually was in the process of renewing my license when I had my mammogram. I guess now I'll have to see where I am psychologically when the time comes. Just another thing this disease has taken from me - but maybe just for now.
Carolyn
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Carolyn- I feel you will go back in some capacity because I think once you're done with this and moved on, you'll want to turn around and help other women. I think one of the most comforting things was when I called my midwife's office right after I was diagnosed and the receptionist said to me "I'm a 10 year BC survivor!" Then it turns out that my MW also had breast cancer. She was at the tail end of her treatment when I went to see her. Her support of me, and the hour she spent just talking to me and helping me through the first days of diagnosis. Even if you don't go back as a nurse, I can see you going back as a volunteer or even social worker!
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last of the Big Red done. Started the cytoxan now I think.......some little bag's dripping something. I'm doped up so not sure...................:)
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Well...FEC #3 kicked me in the a** a little and although the actual chemo in hospital went OK--got home, had slight nausea, had crap sleeps and just don't feel myself. My husband was away with my oldest which made it a little harder. Just me and the youngest, getting him to hockey and bday party. Had some help with my sister and a couple of friends. Oncologist did say that the upcoming treatments will be harder (3 X Taxotere) and although the nausea will be a little better--the aches and pains will come. Will go in for blood levels the day before incase I need the injection that I read so much about. Have decided to stay close to home for the next couple of days. I am in the Run for the Cure this coming weekend with 43 friends and family--will be a hard day (week after chemo) so will build up for that! No arenas this week!
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Calamtykel and Rachel - thinking of you and wishing you a minimalist SE week.0
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Good morning chemosabes!
Calamtykel: Reporting live from chemo!!!! I love it! Enjoy woozy, woman!
Hair: I think it is starting to go but I am refusing to admit it! There are FULL STRANDS coming out so I figure if I don't brush it and am very nice to it, maybe it won't go!!!!
Dr. Weiss: I am sure you all viewed her message. It is a heartfelt, very positive message. On a very deep and convoluted level, I find incomprehensible that she had to get this. I know her mother had it but in the big land of "why," this looms large for me. Why any of us but in particular because losing her mother to this was tantamount to starting this site which, like several of you have said, is such a wonderful place to come and unload when this whole experience just gets too much. No one deserves this disease and it's victims are a macabre mix. I am so grateful for this site. I am just so glad she started this.
Ginger: eating and partying and drinking etc... obviously does not cause cancer because....KEITH RICHARDS does not have bc!!!!!! Poor Keith...I do give him a hard time! I am with Lisa on the ROTFLMAO on that one! Cancer gets started because either a cell called for a protein delivery and it did not show up OR the protein truck arrived and the cell refused delivery. That is it in a very simplistic sentence. How this equates to what we eat and drink, or like someone has deluded themselves into thinking they can avoid cancer through what they eat and drink needs to talk to Martina Navratolova who was dxd in March with bc or Lance Armstrong who fell victim to testicular, brain and I beileve lung cancer all at once. These are 2 lifelong athletes who arguably have led pretty healthy lives...go figure.
Rachel: I am sorry you are not having a good time of things this past week. I know, I go back a week from tomorrow and will undoubtedly be similarly situated next week. WOE IS US! I hope you feel much better as the week goes on. SEs go away! Poor, poor Beavertail!
I hope you all are having as good a day as possible. It is raining in CT today and I am feeling lazy but alas I will be going to make an egg white omelete momentarily sans the tobasco (we will meet again post-chemo in Jan!!!). Good day girls!
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I think about this idea of "preveting bc" a lot. You can read 1,000 books about what to eat and how to exercise and what to do to be healthy and prevent cancer. But, when we do that, doesn't that then mean that we "failed" if we get it. I mean, I have always believed in moderation. I drink - a little bit. I eat meat - a little bit. I eat sugar - a little bit. But I eat a lot of vegetables, and I exercise regularly. I do not smoke, never did.
Last year, I decided to try this ultra-healthy lifestyle I keep hearing about. I went vegan, no gluten, no alcohol, no caffeine, etc. And nothing happened - I was promised I would lose weight (didn't), have more energy (didn't), use less insulin (didn't). Then 6 months later, I'm diagnosed with bc. Now, to be clear, I'm not blaming the bc on the diet changes, but I am a person who is not a victim. I beleive I am responsible for the things that happen to me. And I usually blame myself for things.
And that got me to thinking - if there is all this prevention we can be doing, doesn't that mean we "failed" if we get bc, isn't that the logical conclusion? And I decided NO! That is not it. We can only do the best we can. And other stuff happens. And I have read here about many, many people who had extremely healthy habits who still got bc.
So, I have gone back to my belief in moderation. S**t happens! We can only do our best and deal with it as it comes. I'm not going to live my life in fear of a recurrance, or another form of cancer, and miss out on my life at the moment. (I went back to my normal diet several months ago.)
This was longer than I intended. I'm still trying to figure out my thoughts on this topic, but I wanted to share.
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Lisasinglem: it is virtually impossible to apply logic to an unknown. We know nothing about what causes cancer and, like you said, this falls squarely under the amorphous nature of "S" happens! That is it. Eat, drink and be merry!!!!!!! Forget about all that other nonsense! If someone thinks that have even a modicum of control over the potential they wil get cancer, they have got another thing coming. We don't know what causes it, we don't have a cure...live and let live!
Conventional bc wisdom (as if this even exists!) says I got it b/c I did not have kids....but 95% of you all have kids!!!! GO FIGURE! To me it is a waste of time to lament having it, having to deal with it, pondering where it came from etc.. b/c it is ubiquitous. It is a waste of time to blame yourself for getting it or to think through some major lifestyle changes you can control the potential for recurrence b/c in doing that you, somewhere along the line, have convinced yourself you know how you got it!!!!! DON'T BOTHER! Enjoy your life and focus on the serenity prayer...in fact, live by it!
Like I said, I tease these 2 guys from work that I "caught" it from them! I explained I never had bc before I sat with those 2! That is the equivalent of logic that can be exercised where cancer is concerned!
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I am with Lizzy and Lisa---Something went wrong in my body, and I got Breast Cancer. We did not cause it, nor is there anything we could have done to prevent it. The only changes I will make in my lifestyle because of breast cancer are as follows. First I will have regular screenings (never had time for mammogram before and had my first one when my cancer was diagnosed at 47). I will be very diligent about this in the future, because if it does come back, I am going to catch it early this time. Second, I am going to enjoy every minute of my life and treasure the small things, like sitting with all my kids outside on the back deck, doing nothing but talking! I have learned that these are the important moments and I will try my best to slow down and enjoy them. Other than that, when this is all over I plan to live my life without fear of recurrence and without depriving myself of enjoying my life as I wish to! We will just file this whole incident in the category, as stated before, of SH** Happens!
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Just got home from chemo - had a heart to heart with my oncologlist so to speak. She really is a wonderful person.
I told her about what I'd been reading online - were we just doing this for nothing?? How do mets present 15 or 20 years later?? She explained it sort of - the chemo, of course, reduces the risk greatly of a return. As the years go on, the risk increases, I guess because the cells can multiply again. It has to do with the faulty DNA codes in them or something. But it was sort of the conclusion we came to here on the boards - that you can't live your life that way. She said "We can lower your risk --until it is "low" that bc will return - but I cannot tell you that you will never have mets or a recurrence. There is just no way to know. What IS happening is that there are new ways of treating mets, recurrences, etc., every day. I'm very excited about a lot of the research and studies that are going on." So it was an interesting conversation. she was very positive but I felt very truthful.
So here I am - AC number 4 circulating; hoping it will cause havoc ONLY for the bad cells and leave the good ones alone. Just had some eggs and toast - going to lie down now...............:)
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To all you worry warts: My big mistake, and believe me I won't make that mistake again, in getting BC was thinking that I could be 64 and female and not have a highly increased chance of of being diagnosed with this lovely disease. I will never turn 60 again and am considering a sex change operation. Seriously, I had yearly mammos, self exams and lead a relatively healthy lifestyle. I found my lump a full two months before my scheduled exam. The dianosis is very good at this point between early detection, chemo, radiation and probably most importantly hormone therapy. At the end of the day it's still a crap shoot and the primary reason for BC is SHIT HAPPENS. Until they find a preventative cure everybody is vulnerable. By the way, a really good way to remove make-up is with Cosco's face cleaning wipes and for night moisturizer, it's pricey, but Miracle [worker] by Philosophy is an excellent product. For everything else face related give the Boots line a try, you can find it at Target.
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Well said and very wise!
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First, thanks to all for the kindness and compassion. I was reluctant to tell about my Pup, but after reading all these posts, I felt safe to do so. Your words really, really helped, and did give me a better insight and perspective. My heartfelt thanks....
I started steriods today at 9 a.m. and go for Round 3 TCH tomorrow. My port access is a little bruised. There is a new young girl at the center where I go for Herceptin and she has hurt me both times. I am wondering if she really is a Nurse...can people besides Nurses do infusions? They are constantly showing her "something new". I go into Nashville to the doctor's office tomorrow so it will be a whole different crew, thank goodness.. I know I will not sleep much tonight, and am making a choice to be more active this go round. I will be taking steroids thru Sunday, and will taper off to only 1 twice a day the last two days, hoping to avoid the crash.
Again thanks to everyone for being the compassionate, wise, strong, supportive women you are...
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I have a cold or allergies. I don't know which. No temp, sneezing running like crazy nose, cough sometimes.
I also have some slight discomfort in my neck, on the port side ? I also have a swollen area just above my collar bone on the outer port side. So now I have scared myself. I found out there are lymph nodes where the swelling is. I had no port problem, just was aware of it sometimes when sleeping on my side.
I will call in to the hospital to our nurse coordinator in the morning. I am just at a loss for any simple thing it could be. I can now easily tell you lots of really serious things it could be. Never go to google search, type in lymph nodes and click on photos or pictures. One more lesson I have learned on this road.
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Gingerbrew,
Let me tell you that I went through the same thing. After my port surgery I had a horrible cold and also a fever. I felt a lump in my neck and freaked out. I had an appointment with the my surgeon the next day so I waited to ask him. My surgeon is a wonderful doctor and he also has a bit of a dry sarcastic sense of humor, I asked him about the lump. He said that yes it was a swollen lymph node. I asked him what we should do and he said probably biopsy it. My eyes got huge and then he said, I can't joke around with you at all. He said even if he hadn't known I had a history of cancer, just by the sound of my voice with the cold, he would have asked if I was sick. He said the nodes were doing their job and 99% of the time, if you are sick and have swollen nodes, they will go away. He told me to keep an eye on it for the next several weeks and if it didn't go away, we would look at it more throroughly. Well a few days after I was feeling better, the lump was gone. I do think it is wise to ask about it, but try not to worry. It is very likely your body is doing what it is supposed to do to help with your cold.
Michelle
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DebJ,
That's crazy that they bruised you at the port site. I wouldn't let this girl access it gain. Just tell them you've had bruising/soreness twice and can someone else access it ar your next visit. I think you've suffered enough and she can practice on someone new:-) (Don't worry, people do it all the time, even without ports if someone has to stick them alot they'll ask for someone different) Are you using EMLA cream, it's nice not to feel the stick either.
Carolyn
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Gingerbrew: this insidious disease has us all reaching into the depths of madness, grabbing for our "worst case scenario" calculator at one point or another so you are definitely not alone. I am sure, like mommichelle points out, you have had swollen lymph nodes a 1000 times over the years as they do fight infection but it meant nothing to you. As for the runny nose, watery eyes and flu-like symptoms, my chemo nurse told me although they don't advocate using Claritin for dealing with Neulasta-caused bone pain, she did say a lot of people take it to deal with the allergy-like symptoms they get as a result of chemo. Are you taking a Claritin or a Zyrtec daily during chemo? You might want to start.
Don't forget, the port is another "thing" in your body that is really not supposed to be there. Perhaps while sleeping on your side fluid pooled in that area. It could be the site itself that has, for lack of better words, rang the alarm for your body to start fighting against this intruder. Of course, when that happens and we are on chemo, ringing the alarm all night is not going to get the fire truck (WBCs) to show up so your body asks your lymph nodes to start doing all the work instead of some of it. There are so many completely innocuous things it could be; try not to scare yourself.
I know this whole thing is scary. Take it easy. Try not to go for the "worst case scenario" calculator
I promise you one thing: since this whole bc battle showed up in our lives, we all dragged that joker calculator out and absolutely give it way more power by keeping it very handy....or as you put it: GOOGLE! No more googling!!! Mommichelle: your surgeon is devilish!!!!! I have to say though, I love his sense of humor!
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JSW: where have you gone? I just thought of you this morning as Ben and Jerry's has been sited by the FDA for using "toxic" ingredients in their ice cream! Say it is not so!! I am hoping you are doing well. Hang in there, kid...they say it gets easier!0
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Any infection or virus can cause swollen nodes. My son had a very swollen LN a couple of months ago. I took him to the doctor and he said ALL his nodes were swollen. They did a chest x-ray and bloodwork. He came back with every marker for Lyme's possible. His lyme is now gone however, his one node is still swollen. They say it can stay that way for a while.
I do know that when I used to get colds I my underarm always hurt. It was on the BC side, but I think that was a reaction to the cold virus and my body trying to fight it. I also had very swollen nodes once when I had strep throat, with no other symptoms, not even a sore throat.
It stands to reason that LN's on the port side might flare up - it's a foreign thing in the body. Just make sure they watch for blood clots also, which can cause swelling. My port site is still quite red in one area - there is a circle that hasn't healed yet, at one end of the incision. I was told to keep bacictracin on it and I am covering it with a large sterile pad so my bra strap, which isn't sterile, doesn't rub on it. I hope it gets better soon and not worse!
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By the way, has anyone noticed that having steriods can make everything feel better?? Last night I think I had the first comfortable night's sleep since this port went in! My shoulder didn't hurt, my chest didn't hurt - my port didn't hurt! I can only attribute it to the steroids! I was So comfortable! Unfortunately they will wear off probably today or tomorrow, but it was a great night considering it was a post chemo night!
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