Starting Chemo in Nov. 2011...anyone else?
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Grandma --thank you so much!! I think MSK does them prone...we shall see.....I go 9 days post op which I find interesting. After having my whole front cut open I really don't think I will be lying on my belly. I will check out your video. Thanks for counting with me you all are great!!
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Sandy, This isn't the one I remembered, but it does talk about tamoxifen having a beneficial effect in reducing risk of osteoporosis. You could ask your Onc about it, but I don't think you'll need a bone density scan before you start:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/tamoxifen
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Good Morning All,
It is soooo good to see everyone moving forward. And to those finished or almost, thanks for hangingin with those of us that have a way to go. I have 3 more treatments of AC and will be done wioth that mid May and then on to 6 weeks of rads. I am grateful to hear how folks are doing with rads, I am anxious to get there and worried at thte same time.
I had my first AC two weeks ago and after the first 5-6 days have felt pretty well. Napping more often. Laid down a for what I said was an hour the other day and woke up 3 hours later.LOL I amgoing to enjoy this weekeknd of feeling well, next AC is next Friday so know I will be off my game next weekekdn ,so to speak.
I am getting tired of looking at the calendar and wondering if I will feel well enough to attend some event coming up and trying to plan work events and activities around my schedule. I jsut want to be able to say yes I am good with that, whatever that is. My 40th high school reunion (OMG) my kids just laugh , is the day after my 3rd AC treatment. I have bought a ticket and AM going. My dd (13) is going to help me shop for an outfit, I hardly ever dress up, so I will feel good, no matter my hair style. I am woman hear me roar!
Not sure if I have mentioned this here. I found an excercise program,LIVESTRONG, for cancer surviors and those in treatment. The YMCA's run the program, it is free and goes for 12 weeks twice a week, I am begining next week and there will be two trainers and 10 paricipants , you set your own goals. I am hoping it is a good restart to excercising again. Check the local Y. I'll let folksknow how it goes.
Rambling. I am home alone this AM. Wahoo dd is at a friend's overnight and ds has gone skiing up in NH ( not sure he realizes there may be no snow) . I am going to putz around my house, by myself and enjoy every minute and play MY music as loud as I want.
Gentle weekend
Nel
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Nel, Thank you for the info about the excercise program. I am going to look into it. I was just asking yesterday at the cancer center about an excercise program. They gave me the number of a non-profit organization for cancer support here in town. I'm going to call them Monday to see if they have something, if not, I'll call the Y. Enjoy your weekend.0
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Bonseye, Is MSK for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center? If so, you have one of the best. You're also right about the prone position being offered there. I was just looking at their web site and it looks like a wonderful center for treatment.0
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GrandmaV - Thanks for the Femara thread. I found page 98 & some of the other posts really helpful so I bookmarked it as a favorite on bc.org
Ladies, I can relate to errors in the medical records. I have been routinely requesting & receiving copies of all my medical records for some time. As an example, the BMX pathology reported 6 involved lymph nodes. When I read the report I thought I was in chemo brain mode, since I only counted 5 including the sentinel node, and dismissed the incident as my lack of understanding the report. On my post-chemo visit with my MO, he was reading the pathology report and stated, much to my surprise that it was incorrect---there were at total of 5 and not 6 nodes involved. Pretty scary, if the pathologists cannot get simple ddtion correct. Ughh!!!
Like so many of us, I am still having problems with the fear of the unknown aka fear of a recurrence. I know it is counterproductive but I can't seem to shake the fear. I sometimes find myself thinking of my husband's world when I predecease him. Pretty morbid.
I guess I have to come to terms with it (acceptance)--- but I am not there yet.Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend
{{{HUGS}}}
Rose
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GrandmaV ~ Thanks for the Tamox info! I'll do some research on it, so I can ask some semi-intelligent questions to my RO
Bonseye ~ I do my rads on my back. Because I had an MX and I now have a tissue expander in, there isn't much that gravity could to for me. Anyway, nobody offered me a "prone position" option. I lay on my back, perfectly calm and breathing normally, until the stupid machine starts and then I completely forget how to breathe...every time :-\ Oh well, I'm only 3 treatments in, so hopefully, it will get better! Yaaaayyyyy on your last chemo!!! We are all so excited for you. Only this group can fully understand what it means to complete chemotherapy. There is nothing like it in the world. Once I began to emerge from my "chemo fog" for the last time, and I knew I'd never have to go again...I was indescribably happy. I can't wait to celebrate that feeling with you too =]
SAN
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Grandma V- MSK is Memorial Sloan Kettering. I do feel blessed to live around the corner from their NJ facility. It is an amazing place and everyone treats you so well. They do have the top of the line technology. Should be interesting to lie on my belly, but if that is the best way I am all for it. May 17th is my next appointment there (post op). I love having all these great women to share with! Blessings to you!
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Hello All-I am going to post this thought about fatigue before I read the next four pages (I know I'll forget something!) I too am very tired and have trouble breathing. My ankles swell if I am on my feet too much or wear shoes for a long period of time. My ankles and feet feel fatigued also. I am almost six weeks out from chemo. I have pain behind my expanders and down my left arm where some lymph nodes were removed. I can't wait to get it all back and start feeling better.
My hair and eyelashes are growing back. My eyelashes are blonde and my hair is growing back black. I have never had black hair so this should be interesting!
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I took my first tablet of Femara today. Only 1,824 to go. Woo hoo!
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I have changed a lot since this 2nd diagnosis. I love more and deeply. My family really means something to me. I enjoy life. I had my first dx in 2008. I have had 3 major surgeries, biopsies and minor surgeries, radiation and chemo. I have lost my hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails and toenails. I am crying less and when I do it is because someone has done something special for me.
Thanks for standing by me during this time. I am blessed to have gone through this with each of you. I came here for help when no one could help me here at home. I haven't been able to check in and I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm sorry about so many posts but my memory is not the best right now. I am laying here with my legs elevated and forgot to get paper and pen!
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Beth ~ So sorry you are still having such a hard time of it, but it is good to hear from you again. I, too, am almost 6 weeks out from chemo and I still battle fatigue. I have found my biggest problem is trying to gain back my confidence and self-esteem. Funny what gaining 20 pounds and going bald can do to a girl's mojo :-/ I am still shocked every single time I catch my reflection in the mirror and see that I have no eyebrows. My DH is as wonderful as ever, but I am still just not myself...not by a long shot. Feel better soon, my friend...we will get through this!
SAN
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Bethu,
Glad to hear from you. The fatigue continues for many of us. Just when I think I canm take on the world, I will lay down for a one hour nap and lo and behold, don't wake up for 3 hours. My hair is growing back black as well. I have never been black, my Dad was, and have been gray for ever. Maybe black is the new blonde!!.
Just adds to the we have so little control over this experience.
Be well,
Nel
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Good morning, all. It has been a while since I posted and have enjoyed reading and catching up a bit. Congrats to all who have finished chemo. ADD ME TO THAT LIST!! Woohoo! My last Taxol was on Thursday, and am now aching through the last week of SEs. Yay! It is a milestone, and onto rads. Meeting with that doc on Thursday morning for my first consult. GrandmaV, I am going in with a list of questions, thanks to your research and insight!
Beth, I love your picture. You look like a very upbeat person and I love it! I do know how you feel...many things are more precious. I'm eager to see how long it takes to get back to my old self, if that's possible or even desirable...I've learned a lot that I don't want to forget.
Didn't check in right away since my tx was Thursday, had company on Friday (a good visit from my oldest friend, which was wonderful but exhausting), and our son came home for the weekend with his girlfriend. VERY good weekend, but slowly deteriorating into the leg/joint pain and fatigue. I was pretty good for most of it, but shut down yesterday. It's odd to think it is the last time I am dealing with this and have never been beyond the 2-week timeframe to know how long things take to fade away! I don't really care...still taking things one day at a time and eager to see hair growing back! I haven't lost nails at all, but everything else. I am looking forward to some consistent sleep as time goes on. It is not something I've had much of throughout chemo!
So, Beth, I'm here with my legs up too and eager to be beyond these painful days and seeing days where I get less weak and painful every day! Step by step...you have all been a wonderful support and I am so thankful!
God bless your day. Andi
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Congrats Andimom! It's a relief to be done, isnt' it?
I'm nearly two weeks out from my last taxol and still need naps at times although I am feeling better every day. I decided to start taking tamoxifen (five years!) on my daughter's 30th birthday April 11. I was scheduled to start yesterday, but I'm thinking of it as a way to give her the best bd present--my life. She doesn't have children yet but is married and I want to be here for her and her children. I want to be the "cool" grandma
I'm waiting for my MRI results...could come as early as today. I'm hoping that the clear PET scan in Oct and the chemo following that squelched anything brewing in either breast...but I'm scared.
Claire
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Andi, Congratulations! No more Chemo!
Beth, Hopefully your SEs will fade away with time. We are the ones who are blessed to have had you on this thread with us.
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Yaaaayyyyy Andi!! We all celebrate the end of chemo with you! Welcome to the club
Claire ~ Still hoping and praying your results come back totally clear!
SAN
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HI Hale0811,
Thanks for your reply! Its been a couple weeks since I saw my surgeon. She actually told me that my margin for that particular edge was fine. I have complete faith in her because she is one of the very very best in the field. She said with absolute confidence that she did NOT recommend a double MX for me....and that the concern was more of a metastisis elsewhere in the futre. She said I had a complete pathologic response, and that with Triple Negative, my chances are 95% that it won't come back anywhere else! I'm happy about that....but I guess time will tell. I feel skeptical after all this...and its been hard to "instantly" transition into being happy. I guess part of me doesn't buy it. My partner found me this graph that showed the percentages based on a large study, and my oncologist also echoed that.
I start radiation in 2 weeks. I am really scared, although I don't mention it to people much...or denounce that I shouldn't be worried about it...but I am. Can anyone relate??
thanks,
brenda
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Waxgirl, We all can relate. Every step we take is scary. For me radiation was very easy, just a bit monotonous to go everyday. It was a bit unnerving to actually lay there and be zapped by radiation, but it is over before you know it. The actual treatment isn't even 5 minutes. Have you had your simulation and planning yet?
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Well Hello all my Nov Chemo gals!! Looks like some of us are onto rads! I start a week from today. I do have a question? I am just now losing my eyelashes?? My hair is growing back in salt and pepper.. but now no lashes..LOL anyone else lose their lashes?
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Chemoladies,
My MRI results were NEGATIVE! As in no other involvement seen in either breasts....whew!!!
I now move to rads r4/11 and tamoxifen the same day, but need to meet with my RO before that, as he planned on radiating the whole breast (had plan and scan done already, got tattoed, the whole works), and my MO thinks that might be overkill since I'm going to have a BMX later this year anyway.
Lory48, my lashes and brows thinned and lightened a lot, but never fell out all the way. I've just started using Latisse, so I hope it thickens them up somewhat. My hair is over an inch long and looks blonde (white-blonde on top but is very dark around the sides). I had bedhead for the first time this a.m. since Nov!!!
Cyberhugs to all of you--
Claire
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Claire.. Awesome news!! such a relief. As for my lashes, just my right eye.. lol it's hilarious. I am still waiting to hear on my "plan" Ihad the ct, tats and was given a start date.. but no appts made yet. I called today to check and learned they have not complted my plan. This news makes me nervous.
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That's great news Claire!
Lory, Yep, Lost lashes, brows, and nose hairs. They're all back now. Brows came in very bushy, lashes about the same as they use to be.
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ha, my eyebrows are coming in weird...they seem to be sticking straight out! I have to use hair product on them to make them behave.
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I lost my eyebrows...almost entirely, eyelashes and nose hair. It is very strange when you have to nose hair. My hair has been growing back since Taxol treatment 7. It is growing really fast and I hope my eyebrows start growing.....last chemo Friday and I still can't believe it!
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Yay Claire ~ What great news, we are all so happy for you!
Yep, I lost my eyebrows completely and my (usually very full) eyelashes are quite sparse now. My hair has just barely begun to grow in, but it looks suspiciously silver or white in places. AHHH!!
SAN
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So glad to hear so many are finished with chemo now...me included! My eyelashes are going, going and probably soon to be gone. Can't wait to see my hair grow back, am sure it will be very white. Oh well, at least I will have some...I hope! Glad to know that those who just finished will be over the SE's soon. I had a really tough time on this last one and am so grateful to finally be starting to feel better. Now if the fatigue will stop soon. Take care, all...and hugs to everyone! Linda
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Hi guys just checking in I'm 5 weeks PFC and my hair came in as white fuzz and now looks like it's turning black barely half an inch. Im going to buy the nioxin shampoo soon and see if it speeds up. I still have some fatigue, been walking everyday pumping up for surgery, will see how it goes! Congrats to all that have crossed that finish line! Couldn't have made it without my sisters here, men just don't get it.
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Lori- Lost my lashes too! Not to mention my eyebrows all but disappeared. I am 6 weeks post-chemo awaitig to start RADS & my eyelashes are coming bak slowly.
Claire- Congrats of your MRI results--- you go girl!
Wishing all a terrific day!
Rose
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Claire, such good news! Every step like that is good and encouraging. I meet my RO on Thursday and see my surgeon for a followup - will be asking her about what tests I will need to be sure chemo did what it was supposed to do.
I have had a tough time this last round, but LOVE the feeling of not having to go back. I've never been beyond the 2 week mark to know how I'll feel and can't wait to find out!
I have about 3 or 4 eyebrow hairs on each side and maybe 2 lashes. I look forward to having them back. I feel like a blank slate!
Sounds like many are moving in good directions and others are still in the thick of it. Hang in there, everyone! I've got another rough day or 2, then each day will get better. I am part of our church's Good Friday service and hope to feel pretty well by then. They have candles lit for each hour Christ was on the cross, and throughout the service, they have different ones come up to snuff out a candle - they always ask those who have had a tough year, who have 'suffered' in some way and it is always significant. I have been asked to snuff out a candle. I look forward to it and my son has already offered to help walk me up if I am still unsure of my walking. It will be a special day.
Enjoy the beauty of the day! Breathe deeply as we all keep moving forward!
Andi
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