Any 40-ish survivors?
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Awesome Sandy!
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Hi All,
Burley- I hate people who remind me to be happy that I'm alive. what the %^$#@!It is ok to want it all. Of course I'm happy to be alive, but I also want my hair, my boobs and every thing this disease changed.
Hope you are feeling better today. I see you are beautiful with your short hair.
Kiwi - 0nly one to go. Good for you! The third AC was the hardest for me too. I thought the 4th was going to be worse, but wasn't. Hope you cruise through it and the taxol as well. It will be over before you know it.
O2- good for you with the exercise! As you probably see in the E-LAB thread I'm barely hanging in there.
Hope all of you have a great day!
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SusanHG - can you tell me what kind of sleeve you get, brand, etc. I am also flying in July and went to a LE therepist, but she was not overly helpful, thank goodness I had some questions to ask from this site. I might post over on the LE board also.
So, for those who are done "active treatment", I'm struggling what to say about "where are you know" or "what is your prognosis"? Do you say cancer-free for now? In remission? Everything went as well as to be expected?
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If you are done with active treatment, you can say in remission, or if you are on an AI you can say in treatment, whichever you prefer. You can also say done with chemo, still in treatment. Your prognosis is whatever your onc tells you after active treatment, but I like "everything went well", it's a good statement, especially if you aren't very close with the person asking. Pretty much whatever you are comfortable saying to the person who asks is fine. I used more detail with family, and a generic statement for acquaintances. People still ask, and I still say I am doing well pretty much across the board (no matter how I feel) but that's just me.
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Kymm-Hi, I was just reading your post about reconstruction after just a lumpectomy. Well, I am currently recovering from my second re-excision to origional lumpectomy done on 3/22. My surgeon suggested that I go for a PS consult before this surgery because she felt this surgery would leave me with a real defect. The PS suggested that he put in a tissue expander at the time of surgery, this could stay in during rads and then be exchanged for an implant or just left in. I decided not to get this because I wanted to see how it would look after surgery and rads and then decide. Anyway, the other option he spoke of was a flap (latissimus dorsi or abdominal) reconstruction that could be done after rads. I was told that it doesn't hurt to wait and they often see women years after lumpectomy/mastectomy and still get good results.
Good luck to you, it sounds like you are going through a lot, hang in there.
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Meegan-I hve been saying that I am done with treatment and am now "healing", which is quite true after rads. I think people want to just know if we are mostly out of immediate danger.
About the sleeve, I went to a surgical supply place today to get measured. I am to get a Compression Class 1 sleeve and glove. I still have to call the LE specialist back because there was a question about whether I would need the full glove with fingers, or half glove without. I also want to see whether I need to wear them on a short flight that I am taking (1 1/2 hours). She did tell me on the phone that they are not sure this will prevent LE or not, or even whether air flying even causes it, but it is better to be safe than sorry,
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Lisa: I'm definitely interested in an exercise thread!! It will be slow going for me since I just had a hip injection for a labral tear and still waiting to see if it works. I've really been able to go on short walks and bike rides lately, but will increase it if I am lucky to be out of pain next week.
We can either keep track on here or a separate thread...
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Hi ladies,
Does getting out of bed count as exercise
I am day one out of treatment number 5 so far just headache and cramps and tired. But I know from the past that it will get worse before it gets better but hey just one more to go. DH still being as ass, guess I will have to deal with that soon. Too tired right now
Hugs to you all
Kymn
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Kymn - I wish getting out of bed counted as exercise! I'm currently lying in bed thinking about thinking about exercising ... maybe later
Best wishes for the next few days.
Lisa - I'm interested in an exercise thread. Any motivation is welcome.0 -
Kymn tell your DH to call the WAAAAAABULANCE, you've got enough to deal with right now. I know that DH's have feelings too but sometimes they have to get put on the back burner, they don't know how to do that much.....
If getting out of bed doesn't count, then count me out right now!
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KiwiMum - I did the 4AC/12 Taxol, and the taxol was WAY easier than the AC. On taxol, I had some neuropathy in my fingers and toes, but nothing debilitating. My hair even started growing back about 6 weeks into taxol. The only bad part about taxol was the benadryl and steroids they give you to prevent allergic reaction. I couldn't drive afterward (too sleepy), and the steroids make you gain weight even if you're trying not to. Good luck with the last AC!0
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I am feeling so overwhelmed right now, anyone else feeling that way. Not as bad as when I was first diagnosed, but close. Just finished Rads, so now only herceptin every 3 weeks. But now, I feel like there is so much to "do", like starting to excercise, looking at my eating habits, etc and have no time. I'm back to working 5 days a week, although 2 days at home, and I feel I'm right back to having no time to take of myself.
I know part of this is because my daughter is graduating 5th grade this year so there are a ton of things going on right now. And my sister is getting married July 9th in Florida and there a bunch to do to get ready for that (and remembering to bring everything!)
I am trying not to worry about all these things, but I'm not being very successful.
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(((Meegan))) - going back to work full time threw me into a tizzy, between work, kids and DH I was so exhausted by the end of the day I had no time for me. I was overwhlemed with trying to learn how to eat 'good' foods, drink plenty of water, try to slip in some exercise...
I call it the 'all consuming treatments stage is over, I have to get back into the swing of things but I am soooo tired and OMG what they hell just happened to the last year of my life' blues!
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The reorganization is tough. Sticky notes!! I still have them everywhere. And a planner that I write everything in, even phone calls I can't foget to make. Whenever I'm tired, I write something in that I don't have the energy to do, or a call I forgot to make during normal business hours. I do a bunch of little things everyday to break it down, it's not so overwhelming that way.
Readjusting is weird. I thought I'd swing back in when I returned full force to work and schedules, but I had to focus so much on work and schedules I didn't accomplish any more. It works in time.
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I couldnt live without sticky notes, I leave a ton of them for what I need to do when I get back to work. I usually take one week off then back for two and I would be lost without them.
I havent had any trouble with nails so far. Still have most of my eyebrows and eyelashes too. Wonder if they will go? I have a bit of hair all over my head, not really a colour but it is fuzzy and soft.
Havent gone into the pit from hell yet still on the steriods that constantly add a pound on my a$$ every 12 hours sigh...and my stomach omg what the heck happened there.
Will check into tomorrow if I am not in chemo hell
hugs Kymn
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crazy night at my house. My youngest son has a birthday (13), 8 Boys spending the night. We fed them hambergers and hot dogs, etc. They had a fire and smores, one boy also brought some small fire works, and they have been in the pool. I have no idea how late they will keep going, but I think is will be a long long night. I have promised to get up in the morning and make a big special breakfast. My husband is already sleeping, after I cleaned kitchen, carried in food from patio, gathered soda cans,,etc. He loves have people over to cook out, no wonder, I do all the work, he just flips the burgers. Oh well.
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Sig2130 - Gosh not looking forward to MORE weight gain. I'm already eating out of control on AC, the thought of this continuing but increasing on Taxol is quite distressing. It's like being pregnant all over again. lol
Kymn - you made me laugh. I feel like I'm adding a pound every 12 hours too.
Can't doctors create a chemo regime that makes us skinny? It's like a sick joke that on top of everything else we're contending with, we also get fat. I wonder what % of this doctors are men vs women? Women doctors would understand and add a bit of weight loss stuff in the mix!
Christine - 8 boys staying the night sounds like hard work. My daughter had 6 girls (+ my 2) stay the night for her 9th birthday and I was exhausted the next day. Good luck. I hope they don't keep you up too late tonight.
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Sig2130 - forgot to say. I hope my hair starts to grow back on Taxol. I'll be thrilled if it does!
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Hey Ladies...
You all make me smile, when I come on here.... My back is screaming... my new boobs are stretching my muscles... and I am just cranky! I was happy with my old boobs... one of those days... thanks for making me smile
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Hi Burley, been thinking about you...I don't know if you feel this way..but one of my local breast cancer friends (met her in chemo) recently had this kind of let down..I don't know how to describe it but have felt it myself...I'm happy to be here-I'm thrilled to be with my family and so on but theres also something more. I thought after surgery,chemo,rads,more surgery, that I would feel normal again. I am happy and try very hard to see the positives but I too miss my old body ( not so much my boobs cause they were sort of sad) but the new boobs are not perfect either. Darn it after all THIS I wanted to have great cleavage and my shape back. I still have surgery ahead and my plan is to not let all this get me . So I hope you will feel better and I just have to think it all gets better....
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Kymn- I hope you will continue to feel better and better. I know the steroids do keep you going the first few days...I always got what we Kentucky people call "The Big Eye" couldn't sleep well for a few days. Also so sorry to hear you still have the added stress with your DH, I hope that will get better for you so that you can focus on you.
Hi Readingmama, I'm glad you asked the question about "What to say" I always have this blank look on my face...so the other girls had some great responses I can now borrow. It's hard to know what to say because I am really not done but don't want to get into all of the details...
Susanhg- My ONC was sorf of skeptical about the flying being linked to LE, but the LE specialist told me to wear one because it can trigger....You just don't know sometimes what to do but I'm glad to hear you got a sleeve and at least you can protect yourself as much as you can.
Have a great day,
Kim
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Hi everyone, I just found this thread and would love to join you. I'm turning 42 next week and have been married for 7 years. No kids but I live vicariously through my nieces/nephews. I live on Long Island but I grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and my husband is from southwest England. I work as a social worker evenings/weekends in the ER and on inpatient units at a Veterans hospital.
I just had my last chemo on May 31st (TCx6) and will have Herceptin for a year. The chemo was a rough ride and I am so happy to be done. At the moment I still have "taxotears" and look like I'm crying all the time and I'm carrying 12 extra pounds which everyone keeps telling me is mostly fluid (I hope so). The fatigue is still tough and I can't even think about exercise yet because my legs are so sore/weak from the Taxotere. I have hot flashes at night although they have settled down a bit. I managed to work full-time through chemo with only a few days off but it was a challenge. Next up is radiation starting on June 20th. My MO is not starting Tamoxifen until after I finish rads but I dread adjusting to yet more SEs. Oh, and I can't wait to see some hair growth soon:)
One of the hardest things for me in this journey is feeling so "tied down" by constant medical appointments. I'm adventurous and love to travel a few times a year and I hate that my life is consumed by breast cancer right now even though I know it will eventually get better. I'm trying to find small ways to deal with it. I've been celebrating my birthday every year since age 40 by skydiving and I will be doing the same this year (MO gave her blessing). My husband and I have also planned a special trip for Sept to Paris/England to celebrate the end of chemo/radiation (my typical trip in the past would be somewhere like Costa Rica to go whitewater rafting but I'm certainly not up to it this year!)
Nice to meet all of you. I don't know what I would have done without all the discussion boards as I was going through chemo...
Beth
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Hi Beth,
Gosh , I would love to travel to the places you have been. Someday...When you mentioned TAXOTEARS.. I remember going through the same thing and my nose ran too. I carried tissues everywhere!!! I had to stop wearing my contacts for a while. I'm trying to remember,there was a kind of drop that was recommended and it helped . Chemo brain I can't remember the name right now.Taxotere was hard on me too. I had said before the ONC said most people find it to be easier,but I guess my body had a different plan. I also had joint and muscle pain and would sometimes take my pain med. from the MX only at night to sleep. So happy for you to be done with the taxotere. I did not do herceptin so I can not really speak about that but did do 28 rads. That is wonderful to plan such a great trip to celebrate the end of rads and all.. Doesn't it help to have that to look forward to? I am new to posting at all. Had never done so prior to this thread. I really have just now been able to talk about it. To me it seems the ladies here have covered many different topics and everyone is so different in ways but the same in others so it is nice to be able to ask a question because someone here has prolly crossed that bridge. I look forward to getting to know you and the others as well. Sorry again for the long post.
Kim
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Welcome Beth, ski diving?! I love it. Afraid I might pop a TE if I went ski diving. Several hairless girls here, I am a month ahead of you and some signs of life appearing on my head, finally.
Kim, you have such a positive attitude, I love reading your posts.
I love this thread, so many threads are sometimes negative, I don't post or want to read them. This thread feels more like girlfriends getting together to talk.
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Beth - Welcome to this thread. I can relate to your feelings about being tied down with appointments. I finished rads in mid-february and, although the daily stuff has ended, between my PCP, Gyn, med onco, surgical onco, and rad onco, I see a doctor at least once a month. I am so tired of it. I need to work in a dentist appt at some point but don't have the heart to add yet another appt right now.
Your energy will get better. When I finished rads, I could not walk for 15 minutes without my thighs locking up from exhaustion. I am just now getting back to something close to normal for me, although still not quite there yet.
Your trip sounds great! I love England!
I hope everyone else had a good weekend. I had to work today, but had a good day yesterday going to my nephew's pee wee baseball "all star" tournament. Those boys are so stinking cute. I just love going to their games.
Speaking of my nephew and his sports, can I just share a funny irony with you all. About 18 years ago I had a crush on a bartender at a bar that my best friend and I hung out at. This was the year after we graduated college. He was so cute and, because he had an even bigger crush on me, we almost never paid for drinks! Good times. We never really "dated", but we spent a lot of time together, including a number of really drunk nights where, well . . . you know. Don't judge. I was a hot, wild, 22 year old. LOL. Well, he now lives very close to my sister and his oldest son is in the same class as my nephew. they are best friends and play all sports together. The dad/former fling also coaches my nephew in baseball and basketball, along with my brother in law. They too are best buds just like their sons. What are the chances?! It is so awkward seeing him at all the games. We all went to lunch together between games yesterday and the awkwardness was just awful. He is worse about it than me. It cracks my sister up. This sort of shit always happens to me . . . lmao.
Okay, for those of you interested in an exercise chat, I am thinking that a new thread is the best option, but am going to give it try here first. You all have to hold me accountable. I am promising you (not me because I will break that promise) that I am getting up tomorrow morning and going for a walk/run combo. I am starting out easy and building up . . . 1 minute running, three walking for 30 min total. I will report in tomorrow evening.
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Go Lisa, go! I'll hold you accountable, then maybe you can do the same for me. There is an exercise thread out there, but I always have a hard time joining groups that have been around a long time. I feel like an outsider. I promise to do something tomorrow, although it may just be squats while I brush my teeth for 2 minutes.
Welcome Beth! So glad you found us. Your comment about the Taxo-tears cracked me up, although they drove me CRAZY! I carried tissues in both pockets everywhere I went, and left tissues on all the surfaces in the house. The kids would throw them away, which also drove me crazy. I stopped wearing my contacts when my eyelashes fell out, but I bet I would have had to anyway.
Kymn-I hope you're feeling ok. I'm thinking about you-hugs from AZ.
Well, my Onc decided to take me off the Arimidex for 2 weeks to see if the bone/joint pain is from that. No change so far, but it's only been 3 days. If there is such a thing as 'tennis elbow", I would swear I have it-without playing tennis. And my hand (same side-left) is in a permanent state of cramp. WTH, really? Enough already.
Michelle-my boobs do the same thing when I flex my muscles. Like when I wash my hands and look up into the mirror to see my boob almost folded in half. I didn't know it was something I should ask my PS about-I just thought I was stuck with it.
Nipple tatts have peeled and the color is nice, although one is bigger than the other. Dammit.
I ran errands with my husband today for about 5 hours, most of it spent at the mall, and I had just about had it with people by the time we were done. Mid way through I bought a baseball cap and put it on-I think with my "bangs" being so short, I still get the stares and wondering minds. I hate it. I used to have so much more self-confidence. I will get it back!
My son called me from camp today (been gone a week, 5 more to go)-his phone kept cutting in and out so we really didn't get to talk. And of course, because he's around his friends, he won't tell me he loves me. Dang.
My daughter gets home tomorrow after being gone 10 days with my parents-yayyyyy! It's been so quiet. Clean, but quiet.
Well I hope everyone has a terrific Monday! Thanks for keeping this thread alive. Love it!
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Oh crap, Kim-thanks for thinking about me! I really appreciate it. You can call me Kim too, ya know! Burley is a nickname-short for Kimberley. Have a great day tomorrow :-)
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Burley...I hope your break works. I saw my Onc. Thrusday. I have to finish my Femara and take a one week break and then I am going to try Armidex...think I spelled that right. My fingers this week hurt to the point they kept me up or woke me up if I moved or touched them. I told them I could deal with the knee pain but not the hand. I also have trigger finger in both middle fingers. lol they say the Femara didn't cause it but funny so many of us have it now. I am hoping the change will have less pains. I hope you have the same luck.
The heat continues hear and I am holding up so far. A little swollen with my LE but not bad enough to go to PT for it. My have kids camp this week and I am a volunteer. It is from 6-9pm but it is so hot. I hope I can handle it because every adult that volunteers lets 30 children to attend. The past two years they have had over 1000 kids. It is free for ages 5-17. We even feed them supper.
Hope everybody is doing well. It is hard to catch up when you have been gone for a week...plus I can't remember if or what I read anyway thanks to my chemo brain.
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Hi Lisa, No wonder you like those baseball games!!!! (just teasing). I love stories like that! Makes me remember when I was young and we were at a club (bar) some boy said to me "you dance like the wind" Can you imagine...the wind??? Anyway....AHHHH-the good ole days.
Hi christine47- Thank you. Written words are more difficult I think. I would like to be helpful to anyone going through this if only to say I understand.
Kim and kittydog- I am not looking forward to the switch in meds. My ONC will switch over to one of the ones you are taking when we are sure the cycles are done ....I hope it gets better for you.
Kittydog- How great to volunteer for all those lucky kids. Do take care of yourself. Find some shade now and then.
I hope I didn't miss anyone and have a great day
Kim
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Lisa and Burley: sounds good about the exercise thread...I have the same problem about joining old threads. Seems like the conversation usually drifts off topic and it is hard to join in! I'll give it my best try today. My cortisone shot to my hip doesn't seem to have worked, which means the pain is coming from the herniated discs in my back, which means that I'll probably have to live with it :0 Oh well, such is life!!
wish I could run, but the boobies are not feeling up to it yet. So I'll walk and bike a bit today. 0
