Any 40-ish survivors?
Comments
-
Rachel, I did loose all my hair, and it all grew back. It's not as long as I would like, but it is the healthiest hair I have ever had. My nails are strong too. I'm taking prenatals since I figured they are the best anyway. I didn't stress over what to eat while in chemo though. I was given a great book by the doctor, "Eating Well Through Cancer" by Holly Clegg. It was by my side the whole time with tips for if your stomach is loose, or constipated etc. I was told to stay away from buffets, raw vegetables, no rare meat, and your favorite foods - please don't eat what you love at all during chemo - in case you are like me and it stays with you....I did however eat Mcdonalds and Wendy's etc. I still can't drive into the parking lot even! that was a plus!
0 -
Ah, I was typing that forever...Rachel, good luck! The hair really wasn't awful for me the first time (I did chemo, surgery, chemo...so lost it twice). It's just feeling like it's going on a long time now and I'm a bit tired of it. Yours will grow back. I have 2 friends who have alopecia, and every time I want to complain about it, I try to remember them and how this will be over for me soon. Yeah, cancer...what could be sexier?!
0 -
Prof - about the hair, I have been taking a supplement called "Great Hair" that I bought at Vitamin Shoppe for about a month now. I swear my hair has grown an inch in that time. It is a little pricey but I think it is working so I am sticking with it. Just thought I would mention it. My hair has grown pretty well all along but really seems to have taken off with this product. It also has the added benefit of making my finger nails really strong.
And the butter cookies sound great! I love butter cookies.
0 -
Damn, I'm so bad about food--red meat all the time, etc., but the thought of taking mystery vitamins totally frightens me. It IS nuts though. I'm sure the diet coke I'm downing is killing me too.
0 -
I'm off cookies forever, as a result of cancer...my blood work gets check often....triglycerides are bad bad bad.....funny though I've never felt healthier! lol.
Lisa~malpractice during a deposition, loved that expression! I'm not an attorney but I worked with them all the time - they have the best sense of humor - and I'm talking construction law, in Texas, with them....nothing funny about that! So it's good to ge a good laugh in with them when I can.
Funny after chemo, I can't even spell excerise correctly - so triglycerides, yeah, needed spell check...
0 -
Lisa - I would have cried too. It takes a big effort to put on a brave face all the time.
Burley-
We also got a devastating phone call an hour ago. A friend (31 years old) with BC just found out its in her liver and they've told her and her husband 2 weeks. My DH and I are shocked and devastated. We did chemo at similar times and she was due to start rads next week. How can the doctors say that??? Do something, anything!! I am angry angry at the doc - which makes no sense at all.
I can't think of anything else. I don't know how we'll get any sleep tonight.0 -
Damn Doctors!!!! No one has an expiration date...there are so many women on this board living with liver mets. Kiwimun I hope your friend gets a second opinion, The liver is one of the few organs that can regenerate so depending on how much of the liver is involved and if the mets have spread to other organs/bones, there is hope that your friend can thrive for years with proper treatment. Sending you big hugs!
0 -
I agree Michelle. I spent last night reading some of the Stage IV boards and seeing exactly that - women successfully having treatment.
By the way, I love your new profile pic. Your hair looks fab!!0 -
Thanks KiwiMum I felt pretty that day and just had to capture the moment!
I have lurked on the Stage IV boards since my original dx...at first I think I was preparing for the worst but then I came to know and admire the women on that board. That's why your friends doctors comment pissed me off so bad! I have a women who I met in my chemo infusion room, 42 with two young children and stage IV from the get go with liver mets, she is still going strong 2 years later.
0 -
Frickin' doctors...ugh. They always seem to say the wrong things. Well other people's doctors-I like mine. My favorite thing about my Oncologist is every time I ask for a certain scan he orders it for me. Kiwimum-your friend will be in my thoughts. You too.
I seriously need to look into prenatal vitamins-I can't believe how short my hair is. And my nails are crap.
Gina! Off cookies forever? Noooo, it can't be...
0 -
Honestly..cookies are one of my major food groups.
Kiwi...O2B is so right. I can't believe a doctor would say that to someone. I'll be thinking of you both too.
0 -
Just checking in and sharing my two cents (for what it's NOT worth...lol)
Burley & Kiwimum - I am so sorry to hear about your friends and will pray for them both. My heart aches for everyone touched by this stupid disease.
Lisa - I used to be a strong sensible person but lately seem to be an emotional basketcase more often than I care to admit. I hate that you had a rough day but please don't let it define your progress.
Gina - No cookies? Ever??? I don't have that much willpower.
RachelV - Will be checking out the new thread and thank you for starting it. Seems I may need some of those suggestions myself.
Sending hugs to all.....
0 -
Hey friends. Anyone else feel like you don't know anything about bc? I'm Her2 positive, and all the statistics are old and don't reflect the current use of the amazing drug, Herceptin. So,it's tough to say what the prognosis is. I went on a Her2 site, and it's all encouraging, but like everyone there has a recurrence, and someone just said how it can happen anytime (and I guess that's true of all of us, right?), but it just made me feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop now. My doc gave me a great prognosis, but everything I DON'T know about my cancer has me so totally worried sometimes. I guess it's the researcher in me. I try not to go to all those articles and studies b/c they do make me pretty anxious when I read them. But sometimes I just feel like a complete idiot for not getting more interested in my own illness.
It's been a rough week here. Hubby suffers with depression, and it hasn't been good lately. I can't believe the WAIT to see someone too! It's MONTHS, and so many docs just aren't seeing new patients. I was so pissed today calling around. It was easier to get into a world class cancer center than it is to find a local therapist for my husband!
I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, and feeling like I can't really talk to anyone about it b/c it's hubby's business. Y'know? I just wish we had tons of money and I could give us the vacation we all need.
Thanks for listening, sisters.
0 -
Prof - I was the same way about my cancer too. I finally came to the realization that NO ONE knows what makes these things form in the first place or makes some recur when others don't. You won't move on from it until you quit obsessing over it. And you will never find the answers you are looking for. If it is going to recur then it will. If not, then it won't. Trust me, these were not easy concepts for my analytical and control freak mind to accept.
I am sorry your husband is having a hard time and can't get help. Could he see his primary care doc? They often treat depression.
Hang in there!0 -
Thanks, Lisa. You're right. I know it. That's what I told myself about not letting myself go spend hours at the library on this. LOL. I guess I'm a bit of a control freak too.
There is no crystal ball and no journal article addressed to ME about MY cancer. We did call his primary care for now, but he's not a counselor and I'd love to see hubby get in to see someone soon when he's feeling open to it. It just amazed me how hard it could be. We have some calls out, and I may call some places again tomorrow and see what's up--maybe these guys take Mondays off!
In other news, we got the house decorated for Christmas. I'm trying to find out exactly what it is that I'm NOT doing this year b/c I have cancer. I think I'm still doing it all. Time to find something to hand off to others.
(Actually, it's going to be a nice, quiet Christmas this year just the three of us so no big dinners! Yay!!!)0 -
I think cancer is the worst possible disease for control freaks! You can't control something that is so complex and poorly understood.
Speaking of control freak and christmas, my almost 4 year old niece helped me decorate this weekend. The ornaments are all wrong - unbalanced in size and color distribution, as well as spacing. It is driving me crazy but I am too tired to fix it right now. That will be next weekends project I guess.
Yeah for e quiet Xmas. I never get those.0 -
LOL! Yes, my five-year-old "helped" too! I moved a bunch of them.
This is our first quiet Xmas! It's CRAZY! To relax? Over the holiday? Whhhaaaat? My parents will be up a week early for my exchange surgery, so we'll do Xmas with them then. That'll be fun...but I'm just making ziti or something...no big lamb meal this year.
0 -
Ziti sounds better anyway! My sister and I always make my dad cook his famous and crazy delicious rigatoni for Xmas.
0 -
Hello Ladies
I am with you all!!! I know exactly what you mean when you feel you have been strong and then BAM it all comes crashing down around you. We are doing this! we are fighting the fight! But we still get to cry! Thanks to all my sisters for your support. Hang in there HUGS
0 -
Prof - I felt the same way...kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, wanting more concrete data on Her2 positive outcomes with herceptin use. I declined rad's with the hope and prayer that Herceptin would give me a better benefit and with some twisted idea that I needed to save the rad's for when it comes back! Distance/Time does make it better and now I am just living my life best I can. I can still feel that prickling of fear, especially when a new pain crops up but it is not all consuming anymore. I think I finally came to terms that I have no control.
I hope you can find someone for your hubby to talk too...my dh and I sought counseling about 6 months after I finished treatment. we only made it to a three appointments because the therapist kept putting all the problems at my hubby feet and I felt she was being unfair to him! This damn disease is so hard on not only us but our families as well
My kids and hubby put up the tree this year and, for the first time ever, I did not go back and re arrange the ornaments!!! It is truely amazing how I have let go of trying to control EVERYTHING in my life...I still have issues but I am not as crazy about control anymore...pretty impressive for an OCD, perfectionist.
Hugs to all!!!
0 -
Hmmm. A lot of control freak/OCD types in this thread, huh?
And all of us trying to not be that way. 0 -
I'm an OCD type too...
0 -
Just for the record, I was sooo type B prior to diagnosis. Not anymore.... WTH???
sigh......
0 -
Hummmmm must be our 'generation'...
0 -
Hmmm...maybe it's what has kept me coming back here. We're all strong. We all support one another. We manage to take care of ourselves (and our real lives) and each other...we're multitaskers and all about getting it done even though it's more challenging than ever.
0 -
Hello Ladies..I know this post has been going on for awhile, but I was reading through and I think I might fit in. I'm 42 had my first t/c treatment today 1/4 of the way done. Will have like 36 rads after the chemo. Not real thrilled about losing the hair, but whatever I will deal with it. I have a five year old son and I love, love beer (especially the microbrews). And coffee (i'm a bit of a coffee snob). It's so wonderful to meet up with such wonderful woman. I too am a bit of a control freak, but this year I cut way back on Christmas decorating which was quite liberating as was getting my hair chopped off 8 inches. Figured why not, it's gonna be gone soon anyway do something I would have never done under normal circumstances! I'm going to be a survivor too.
For the record my cousin was diagnosed at 34 with stage IV cancer. She had a lumpectomy and 5% of her liver removed. She was pr+ er+ and her2+. She's 6 years clean! We have no history of breast cancer in our family and she's my paternal cousin so I've always been told she wasn't a close enough relative to consider my chances of getting it. Who knew!
0 -
Welcome Heather!!! I did Taxotere and Cytoxan in 2009 plus herceptin. My best advise is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I drank so much water my first infusion I actually gained 10 lbs that day. Also don't forget to add electrolytes...I drank so much water that I had major electrolyte depletion and ended up with a huge headache so mix it up with your hydration choices (although I would avoid the micro brews during chemo infusions
) I also chewed ice chips, ate Popsicles and otherwise kept my mouth pretty darn cold during my infusions to avoid mouth sores...worked pretty good, only had a few mouth issues (don't forget to bring a warm blanket and fuzzy warm socks). Also - DO NOT EAT YOUR FAVORITE FOODS - I developed an adversion to chocolate that lasted almost two years!!!! I didn't do rad's but Kiwimum just finished her rads and I know others will chime in too.
0 -
Add me to the control freak club! Our tree looks like santa threw up on it!! Total chaos. I am fighting hard not to take it all down and rearrange. It's about the children ... .right?
Hi Heather. Welcome. Well done you getting that first chemo done. Your post sounds really positive, and I truely believe that helps gets you through. I recently finished treatment, my last rads was a week ago. I am still somewhat uncomfortable from the burn BUT it's all worth it to give me the best possible outcome.
I went on yet another school trip today. It was the Junior School beach trip. It was fab and my and my youngest had a great time. I also went without a wig or a hat!! I decided in the weekend that I'd had enough of them and to just get out there. I did and it felt great. I don't care what people think of my hair, I felt quite liberated.
I haven't had an update on my friend. She is in hospital and I don't want to intrude. She is constantly in my thoughts and I feel quite sick to the stomach thinking about her.
0 -
(((((KiwiMum)))))) I hope your friend is doing well!
0 -
hi girls, i'm home! yesterday afternoon. 14 hour surgery, woke up in pacu at 11pm, moved to icas (1 step down from ICU) at 6am. Spent 3 nights there and 1 night in a private "regular" room. Right now the thing that hurts the most is my right arm as the IV leaked and it is swollen and hard and red. It happenned on Sun and I took more percocet mon than any other day! I don't remember pacu, but turned into Crazy girl, was awake, but not with it and my dh was restraining 1 hand and nurse restraining other, guess trying to scratch, take air tube out, everthing I should not do. I'm glad I don't remember it, they had to call Dr. twice and sedate me. Was out of it, but aware of myself on Thurs, but very sleepy. Everthying looks great so far!
0
