Starting Chemo in Nov. 2011...anyone else?
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naan, that's so frustrating. You're so close to being done with chemo, that just doesn't seem fair. I hope they can work it out so you don't have to post pone your surgery.0
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Thanks Jenlee and grandmaV, I hope so
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Jenlee, Congratulations!0
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Well put GrandmaV, the support here is wonderful
Beth, be kind to yourself, you've been through a lot. My MO told me not to down play what I'd been through. I hope your joint pain starts to ease up soon, it's not fun. I'm happy to say, I'm starting to feel better and the pain is easing up. Now I just have to go and fill my prescription for Tamoxifen.
Jenlee, congratulations on finishing 8 rounds of chemo and being a mom to a little one! My hat is off to you. I hope you recover quickly from this round and get to enjoy some time before your surgery.
naan, I'm sorry to hear about your low counts. It must be really frustrating. Now that I'm finished chemo, I sometimes forget that some of us here are still suffering through this tough treatment. I hope you can still have your surgery on time. When is it scheduled for? Let's keep dreaming about that vacation!!
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Jenlee ~ Yaaaayyyy!!! I know how difficult TAC chemo is. I had my last infusion on Feb 21st and I am still battling some yucky side effects. Good for you for powering through! Life gets better as you get farther and farther out from it.
naan ~ Ugh! I had ridiculously low red blood cell counts and my iron was at like zero. The one thing I will say is that once they figured out the problem and I began taking the proper supplements...I felt much much better. I hope that is the case for you!
GrandmaV ~ I know exactly what you are saying about the difference between advice you get here versus advice given by well meaning people who know nothing about what we are going through. Seriously, if one more clueless person tells me about some ridiculous cancer "cure," I'm going to scream. Most recently, I was told about a man who had stage IV cancer of some unknown type, who simply decided that he was going to be "happy." So he laughed and laughed at every opportunity and his cancer suddenly disappeared and now he's fine. Now let me be clear about the fact that I believe in miracles and I know people get healed both naturally and supernaturally every day. However, when people tell me these stories as if they will apply to all cancer patients across the board, it's like saying, "Sandy, if you would just laugh more, your cancer will disappear!" Grrrr.
I think I might have hit my lifetime quota for stories about other people with cancer. Unless it is coming right from the mouth of the cancer survivor themselves....I really don't want to hear about it.
I'm going to go work myself back into a good attitude now. Perhaps I'll just laugh and laugh until I feel all better =]
SAN
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Tip as, I'm scheduled for surgery on 5/25.
Sandy, I know what u mean about people telling miracle cancer treatment stories, my husband read online about terminal cancer patients surviving by becoming vegan, I was literally on a vegan diet for the first couple of months during chemo, go figure y my counts were so low then. Today, my cousin came by and shared a story about a guy who survived terminal cancer by going tree hugging on mountain hikes, I said that's nice!0 -
Julie ~ I also heard about a guy who just decided to start running once he found out he had cancer. He had never run before, but he started and then ran every day until he had just "run" his way out of cancer :-\ Even if that is true, which it totally might be, it is dangerous to offer that as some sort of viable alternative to getting surgery, chemo and radiation. If I had just started running, or laughing or eating a vegan diet instead of pursuing every medical treatment available, I'm pretty sure I'd be dead or close to it. My tumor was large and aggressive and my miracle is that we caught it just before it had spread to my lymph nodes.
I believe in a blended approach. I am doing everything medically possible, while also eating the healthiest organic diet I can, and exercising. Why not blast this cancer with everything available to me??
SAN
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Hi everyone, Had a mammogram and Ultra Sound on the cancer side this morning. NED! I can't quite believe it. I'm cautiously happy, I guess you could say. It's almost like I'm afraid to believe it.
Bonseye, I hope you're doing well after having the lump removed in your groin. Let us know when you're up to it.
Nel - I hope everything goes well during your chemo infusion today. Let us know how you are when you can.
San, Linda, and Claire, How's radiation going?
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Hi GrandmaV, that's wonderful news and hopefully the first of many clear scans. I'm very happy for you. Have a great weekend! xoxo0
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GrandmaV - wonderful news!
I woke up in a foul mood yesterday. Like a black cloud over my head all day. I went to work and things were okay until I snapped at a co-worker. Good heavens! I apologized and told her to please excuse me - I would go and take some drugs. Today (with lorazepam) is marginally better. I should be happy that I'm almost two weeks out from my last chemo not snapping at people. I may need a sign on my chest that says "danger! irritable old bat".
Thank you for listening.
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GrandMaV--so happy for you!
Hey all, tamoxifen is giving me wicked night sweats at times. Have to strip off my t-shirt and sleep w/o it for the rest of the night....
Otherwise it's really not that bad (the drug). Rads are tedious and sometimes annoying--the technicians aren't as nice as the chemo nurses. They just seem to be in a hurry, like an assembly-line feel. Oh well, just a few more weeks.
My hair is nearly 2 inches long and I think I'll keep it short. I can't believe it but so many people have used the word stunning about my new hairdo, (it's white-blonde with dark, and wavy for the first time in my life). I guess that's the silver lining in the cancer cloud. But my eyelashes and eyebrows are still thin and not growing very fast, darn it.
Hugs to all of you.
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GrandmaV ~ Yahooooo! That is awesome news!! We'll take a report like that every time!! Rads is going ok. I am super grateful for my awesome techs and nurses. I know others haven't had it so good. Yesterday I was uncharacteristically messed up. I had thrown my back out and then the Vicodin I took made me violently sick for about 24 hours. By the time I headed into rads yesterday I was a wreck. As I was leaving the room, after my tx, a nurse met me in the hallway. My awesome techs had gone to get her since I was having a hard day. I totally broke down in her office and she kinda talked me off the ledge. What a wonderful team I have. Overall rads is good ~ thanks for checking in with me =]
Claire ~ I was hoping for some fabulous cool new hair to grow in, but I'm getting nothing but gray
Oh well. So, night sweats with Tamox, huh? That's a bummer. My hot flashes, which I've had since December, are making me CRAAAAAZY! I get so irritable and I literally have to strip clothes off when they hit, which is every 30 minutes. Arrrrggg! I'm not sure I can take it if I have to add night sweats to the mix. In the grand scheme of things, I guess it beats having cancer. SAN
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Claireinaz-
If you take Tamoxifen in the a.m. you may not have as bad of night sweats. I take it in the a.m. and have very manageable night sweats- A fan on usually does the trick.
Also, I must comment that my hair is also very short- It grew back salt and pepper- I can't tell you how many people have told me it looks stunning also. I think so many women wear their hair long these days that when you see a short cut it is unique and attractive. Strangers would come up to me and tell me they love my hair. Literally a silver lining to our story....
Susan
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GrandmaV ~ Thanks for asking...rads are going along OK for right now. I have finished 9 out of 33 treatments and I can definitely notice that the breast is getting more and more tender and sore. I am prepared for the skin to get bad as I was told that by the tech and doctor, but it scares me to think of how bad it might get! Slathering myself with MiaDerm 3 times a day and hoping for the best. How are you doing? Hope all is well It sounds wonderful to hear you are NED! Hoping the same for all of us. Congratulations!
SAN ~ Glad you are feeling better. The techs we share truly are great people and the nurses are awesome! I feel lucky and blessed to have such a great team, including the doctor I have...heard your doc is great, too. George mentioned you had hurt your back and seemed concerned. No more Vicodin for you...yuck...who wants to feel like you did! Have a great, healthy weekend.
To those of you with noticeable hair...I am so jealous! I am 6 weeks past my last chemo and just starting to get some fuzz in the back. Hooray! I was afraid I was going to be the one with the rare side effect of no hair growing back. At least now I am much more hopeful! Can't wait to say I have 2 inches of hair like so many of you!
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It's been a while since I have had a chance to post here and it is so good to read and catch up with you all, good and bad. I agree with talking to folks who have been there, who ARE there and those with well-meaning words. Naan, I echo your AHHHHHHHH! I've had a frustrating week, even though I am 4 weeks since my last treatment. SEs are fading and I am feeling better in many ways, but have developed something called costochondritis in my ribcage from my tissue expanders. Hurts to deep breath, move, drive, sneeze, cough...very limiting! They did a chest xray to make sure nothing more was going on and that was fine. They gave me a prescription anti-inflammatory to help, but apparently it can linger for months. I HOPE NOT! It was just discouraging after I was beginning to feel a bit better.
Rads for me start on Monday morning. LOVE the techs already. They make the atmosphere fun and friendly, a great camaraderie (did I come close to spelling that right!?)
Linnyhopp, I have no hair yet either! I mostly miss my eyelashes! I know they will come.
Csquared, I got a wicked headache on AC...during treatment, from the cytoxin, and it lasted 4 days. Plus, I got migraines with each round around the 5th or 6th day. Not much I could do except pain meds and ice packs. NONE of that with Taxol, though my leg and joint pain was bad
I just keep reminding myself that it took 4 months to pump that poison into me, I am thankful that it is kicking cancer's butt, and it will take time to work it all out of my system. Stretching and moving did help with the leg pain during Taxol.
GrandmaV, it has been a long road and so glad to hear you are cautiously happy! That's better than nothing and I understand that feeling! All of us just need to remember that this is not our normal selves...hope everyone has a wonderful day! It is the weekend of our homeschool co-op's play and my daughter is in it. LOVE these kids...they are all currently here at my house, eating donuts and getting hair and makeup done. Performance last night, then 2 today. SOOO tired adn sore from helping, (very limited helping!), but love being a part of it.
Andi
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Susan,
I never would have figured this haircut would look good on me. I think I'm keeping it. It's so easy and simple; I was afrad it would look too severe and mannish but with different eye makeup and earrings--I still look like a girl :>) I don't mind the color either since it looks blonder than silver anyway. I figure I've been exposed to a lifetime of chemicals in 7 months, so I'm leery of putting more on my body just to color hair.
I break my 20 mg tabs apart and take one in the a.m. one in the p.m. When I start taking it once a day (soon) i'll try both night and morning and see what the results are. thanks for the suggestion!
San, yeah...some night sweats but not every night and not multiple times a night. Last night I slept through, no night sweats, no waking up at 330 as per normal, and I got 8 full hours of sleep! 1.5 hours of bikram yoga probably helped me sleep since I was really, really tired. And magnesium, trazadone, and a little valerian extract too
I'm considered "premeno" and I never had hot flashes before this, but the few I have are no big deal: they last seconds and by the time I notice I'm having one it's mostly gone. The night sweats are little more dramatic but still, yes: I'd rather have them than the BC I just had
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GrandmaV, congrats!
San & Andi, I'm sorry to hear that u had such a hard time, but this too will pass!
Phyllis, it's ok, I think after all we've been through we're allowed a few snapping sessions, u shouldn't feel sorry, your coworker was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, tough!
This past Thurs, I was an emotional wreck, I got my Lukeine shot for the 4th time this week and just lost it. I was balling, my DH kept asking what's wrong and I couldn't answer him, cause I didn't know y I just cracked! Maybe I just needed to cry, I was just sick and tired of getting treatments, my last shot was more painful than usual, I couldn't believe my chemo was delayed once again, Cancer sucks, y me, y do I have bald patches in the back of my head and to the left, where did all my bushy eyebrows go, who knows... At least I felt better afterwards, I guess I just needed to let it all out!0 -
Hi ladies~ I have a question I need to pose but have no intention of offending anyone so if the question does offend you, I apologize in advance. I felt it best to ask those of you who have possibly been done with chemo for a while because I would feel bad posting it on a current chemo thread. That said.., I am feeling semi-isolated because I am not experiencing any truly devastating SE's from my first AC treatment on 4/19. I did have a headache like no other for the first couple of days and I did experience fatigue to the point when I left the house on Sunday (3 days later) I felt like I was on drugs or something.., just that cloudy feeling in the head. Strange but do'able especially to go get my wig trimmed! Are there any chemo warriors out there who can share a "good" experience. For fear of "jinxing" myself, I'm frightened to admit that I really can't complain!
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C-squared-
I had TC and had very little problems. I had terrible heart-burn, constipation, bloating. My first treatment resulted in IV infiltration, the taxotere leaked into the surrounding tissue- I had what looked like a terrible burn for about two weeks- very painful- my wrist area is still numb- no feeling in it. But other than that first time, I really had very little SE- I also only had four treatments which is minor compared to others.... My biggest regret is not watching how I ate during that period- I gained 30 pounds which is proving to be difficult to take off even with exercise. Well intentioned people kept saying to me not to worry about the weight, just keep eating - So sorry I didn't have more self control-
Susan
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C-squared, compared to what I've read here already, I had less side effects from AC DD than others. I think we are all diff with different metabolisms, response to medications, etc. I did have some nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, hyperacute sense of smell, dry mouth and watery eyes, but all in all did okay. I was never flat on my back in bed or on the couch, kept up my normal crazy activity level, and managed to teach a full load of university courses through AC.
We respond differently. It doesn't mean the chemo isn't working and that's straight from my own MO.
Claire
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Hi All,
Grnadma, wonderful, it gives us all hope.
C-squared, I too have had minimal side effects, so very grateful and really hate to complian about what I have had.
I had my 3rd AC onFriday and have done well. Sleep alot on Friday evening when I came home. Saturday I was able to go to a work event for a few hours and then went to my high school reunion in the evening. 40nyears OMG. Wore my wig only for the third or fourth time. Tired today and have slept off and on since I got my son back on the bus to school in NH. 1 more and done. Little scare that could have been a big scare on Friday. They thought I had clots on the side opposite frommy surgery and the porta cath was not working initially. Just made for a longer day, no clots and they got the port a cath working again.
Back to the couch for the evening
Wishing all a genlte evening and week ahead.
Nel
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Thanks everyone, I hope everyone get's this news too, and soon.
Phyllis, I haven't snapped at anyone yet, but I do cry at the oddest times. This battle takes such an emotional toll on us.
Claire, that's a good way to describe rads, assembly-line. You're in and out so quick it all seems very mechanical.
San and Linda, I'm glad to hear rads are going ok. You do have a wonderful team. I'm glad they're taking good care of you both.
It's funny about the hair. I've been getting compliments on mine too. It's about 1 1/2 inches, not enough to really run a comb through, yet, but people have said it's "cute". It's been a few decades since anyone used that particular word to describe anything about me. I didn't realize I had such a cow lick at the crown, it's growing in a spiral shape and won't lay any other way at this point, but it's hair and I'm happy to have it.
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Andi, I hope your rads experience is easy and uneventful. So glad your techs are friendly and fun. Mine were pretty much all business. I did like my RO, though. He was great.
Julie, I'm hoping your lukine shots are getting your wbc up, so you can get on with treatment. I had to have those after my first treatment, and they really did the job. I was scheduled for 5 but only needed 3. It has probably done that for you, too. Don't worry about the crying, I think were entitled to cry when and where ever we want.
Nel, You're almost there. One more treatment. Yay!
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Hi Everyone--I have been missing and have a lot of catching up to do......I am happy to say that the lump I had removed from my groin was just a cyst. I found out late Friday night on my way home from the Emergency Room...yes Emergency Room. I have to wonder why I am being tested so much and suffering constantly. I was on my stairs in the foyer...turned to walk down-have to say I was holding on and being careful and my feet went out from under me. I landed on my right ankle--heard a crunch and off I went in an ambulance. The pain was so severe and the ER didn't do too much to ease it. I have a high tolerance for pain meds due to my previous back surgeries and after the mastectomy even 8 mg of hydromorphone did nothing that night to ease the horrific pain. I have a non-displaced fracture of my fibula and am waiting to call the orthopedic office this morning. They have to fit me in and I have to contact my Plastic Surgeon about my surgery next Tuesday. Really--how much torture can one endure. I so appreciate you listening because after having a staph infection....shingles...my husband having shingles...and my husbands company doing a reality show in the midst of my chemo....I have no words anymore. It is really difficult to get around on crutches after reconstruction and with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I am hoping since this is a non-weight bearing bone and it is non-displaced they will put me in a boot in light of the situation. Please pray for me as I really need some serious strength to get through yet another painful chapter......I think I am going to write a book and the title will be what I said to my brother in law the other night--"My house is a mess....I am in horrible pain --and I have No Eyebrows!" What else can I say.......will post an update after seeing the doctor...meanwhile I am doing my best not to cry and stay strong....I relally thought the end of chemo would bring brighter days.......they must be there somewhere....
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Bonseye,
Oh what is there to say. Cry if you need. This is just all way too much for one person.
Wishes for a gentle day
Nel
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Bonseye, I agree with Nel, that's too much for one person. Crying doesn't mean you're not strong. Sometimes it's necessary and we feel so much better afterward. My heart goes out to you, you've been through so much.0
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Dear Bonseye, I'm so sorry to hear about your fall. I'm sure you're wondering will there ever be an end to all of this. I hope you can get an ortho appointent quickly and are not in too much pain. I'm very glad your lump was just a cyst. At least one less thing to have to deal with! I will pray for strength for you to get through this and that those brighter days which do await you, will come quickly. xoxo0
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Thank you Nel, GrandmaV and Tipnas I sure do need encouragement these days. I can't get an appointment with an ortho (where I work) but the podiatrists do treat this so they are getting me squeezed in. I also noted this AM that my incision has opened up and I have to see the surgeon's partner before going to podiatry to see if they have to dermabond it or whatever. I think that is my new word...whatever....not much I can do these days. My incision is in a bad place and I am sure my fall didn't help. I certainly don't need an infection so that will be my first stop. I am counting down until the month that there may be a fun "day" I can enjoy. Thank you all so much for your caring thoughts-I am so blessed to have you all!!
<<hugs>>
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Bonseye, so sorry to hear about all your battles, will definitely have u in my prayers. Hoping for quick recovery and reaching happy days ASAP!
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Bonseye--What the heck??? A fall on top of everything else! I am so sorry. Keep us updated on what is going on with you.
Grandma V--How are your eyebrows? I remember you said they were growing back very thick or at least I think it was you...I have decided to get mine waxed. One daughter likes to have hers threaded and the other doesn't. I don't know that I want that either.
I had a cowlick on the right side of my head and now I have swirls in my black hair. I have never had black hair in my life! It should be fun to see how it grows back.At least I have something to look forward to!
I have been bothered lately by another recurrence. It is a scary thought to have BC again. I don't know how I would handle it. I do know that strangers are kinder to me than some of my friends...that is both sad and encouraging.
Be blessed everyone and I'll check in again soon.
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