Starting Chemo in Nov. 2011...anyone else?
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Grandma,
Orme was great - began the morning with a chuckle!
I haven't said anything to my kids. My feeling is there is nothing for them to know until there is something for them to know and right now there is nothing for them to know. I feel well, look well and if the herceptin/tykerb work then I will continue to do so. There are minimal SE's, some fatigue, but really I am almost 60 with 2 teens, a job etc, so fatigue is already part of my life! I just don't want them to have to think or worry about anything right now. They have had enough on ther plate. Right now, this feels like the right thing to do.
Hope all are well.
Nel
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Julie & Nel ~ Hope you both have a good weekend with few SE issues from your treatments. It is definitely sh**** that you have to deal with this again. It is the absolute LAST THING anyone wants, especially after going through treatment the fist time. We are here for both of you.
Quaatsi ~ Hope you enjoyed your ride and that you are doing what makes you feel best...as in not watching reruns...I can totally relate. When I start to feel sorry for myself, I, too, veg out in front of the TV. I am embarrassed to admit that I became hooked on "Housewives of New Jersey" during chemo and haven't been able to break the addiction yet...LOL! So as you can tell embarrassment doesn't stop me!
Hugs to all and hope you have a great start of the week...thinking positive for all of us!
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That's right, OMG it just doesn't get old, loved seeing it again, thanks!
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Just saying hello and hoping you are all feeling well today. I also wanted to bump up our thread!
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My chemo will start again tomorrow, not looking forward to the SE's but if it's gonna kill all my cancer cell, I'm ready! I was hoping to start after Labor Day, but hey the sooner I get rid of all my tumors the better, right ladies! Hope all of you have little to no SE's and we can all do this together! Wish me luck!
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Julie, hope everything goes well for you tomorrow and the next few weeks will be few se's.
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GrandmaV, thanks
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Julie ~ Thinking about you and keeping positive thoughts that you won't have SEs from your chemo treatment. So happy that you are keeping an upbeat attitude and you are so right...get those nasty cells knocked down as soon as possible!
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Well ladies, all went smoothly today, took a nice nap and I was done. Only took about 2 hrs, short compared to my past experience. I will be doing weekly Carboplatin for 3 wks, then 1 wk off for 2cycles. Was and will be a breeze! Feel so good I want to go Labor Day shopping early with my girls! Thanks for all the cheering! Wooparoo wooparoo!
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Julie,
Glad it went so smoothly. Have a great weekend
Be well
Nel
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Julie ~ Glad to hear you are feeling so good. Hope you have a great weekend!
Nel ~ How are you doing? I hope you are doing well...been thinking about you.
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Julie, I'm glad it went well for you today. Hope that continues.
Nel, what linnyhopp said, how are you?
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Phyllis, are you all done with chemo?
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Grandma, I had my last infusion of the Evil Ixempra on Monday 8/19. Started the 2 week course of Zelda the same day. Had labs on Monday, 8/26 and my counts were very low so we stopped the Zelda and did 2 neupogen shots. Now I'm home avoiding infection until labs on 9/3. I may get another week of Zelda at that point. THEN I'll be done....hopefully! Rads are planned for October. Here's to hoping I get enough hair back to prevent an Uncle Fester Halloween!
Nel, hope you're doing well!
Julie, glad things are working for you,
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Thanks ladies, so what are your plans for this Labor Day weekend? My girls will go to their Godmother's house Sat for a fun beach day sleepover so I can rest. Then on Sunday I'm having 3 families join us for a pool party BBQ, with friends and family, can't wait! Hope all of u have a wonderful/restful holiday weekend and will return to post after Mon!
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Julie-- I am happy for you that all went well. Enjoy your holiday weekend!
Q
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Hi All,
I am doing OK. Minimal side effects from either the herceptin or tykerb. My nose is begining to run as it did the last time with herceptin. I can deal. Getting a rash on my face, I beleive from the tykerb - a bit itchy, but again I can deal.. Very little in the way of bathroom issues form the tykerb and that was the SE I was most concerned about. So all in all OK.
I am on Cape Cod for the weekend. Working from home/or beach on Friday. My ex is bringing our daughter down on Saturday - she has school Friday and I have 2 friends who will be visiting for the weekend. I have a house here, that is rented most of the summer. This is my peaceful place, the street where I spent all my summers growing up, know all my neighbors etc. Know one here knows I am stage 4, flying under the radar as long as possible. So at many levels a safe place. So like Julie - looking ot enjoy the weekend.
A peaceful weekend to all
Be well
Nel
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Julie and Nel, Your weekends sound wonderful. Makes me happy to know that.
Phyllis, your posts always make me smile. I remember when we all looked like Uncle Fester.
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Nel, sounds like fun enjoy, us stage 4 need fun and laughter!
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Glad to hear everyone is going to be feeling OK for the holiday weekend. We are going to celebrate my birthday with family on Sunday afternoon. My birthday was actually on August 24th, but some of the family had to work so it was delayed. I have to say that before BC I hated getting older, but now I welcome every single birthday I have. I know you can all relate.
Nel ~ I have to say I am a bit jealous about your Cape Cod home. I have always wanted to see that area!
I hope you all stay well and have a relaxing and fun Labor Day weekend!
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Nel - I am glad that you are having a good weekend. I also completely understand how you feel about not telling a lot of people everything. I never told my mom or my husband's dad. I also never made announcements at the school where I taught, choosing only to tell my principal and my 2 closest friends. Eventually, pretty much everyone at my job figured it out anyway, but many of the people I see from time to time, including mine and my husband's parents still don't know. This was my decision; both of them were and are in poor health and in their 80's and 90's and just didn't need to know. However, I do miss sharing this part of my life with my mother. At times, I just want to whine and moan to her and let her comfort me, but this is the price I pay for not sharing my diagnosis and treatment with her. I am sharing this with you because I am hoping that you have some people in your life that do know what is going on with you and are in positions to support you and your daughters throughout this time.
Phyllis, Nel, and Linda - You are in my daily prayers as you continue to fight this disease. I hope you are staying strong and experiencing minimal discomfort.
Beth - How is the exercise going? This past weekend my sister told me that she was going to start walking again (she had stopped because her knee had been giving her pain). She said I had inspired her, that if I can do it, she can. That made me feel good to know that I had inspired someone.
I am wishing everyone a peaceful, healing weekend!
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Someone has kindly pointed out that I shouldn't tell people to demand scans and I do agree with her to a point. This is just my opinion, I am not a Dr, if I tell you to jump off a roof, would u? Please ask your drs what is right for you as an individual. I said demand scans because I didn't know I had the option. When I looked back at my journal notes from my previous breast cancer battle, I saw that they were going to do scans, but nothing was scheduled, I changed onc in between cause mine opened up his own practice so maybe that was the missing picture.
Who knows, but the fact that my new onc is asking me how do I know if I really was all clear after chemo, surgery, and radiation when I had no scans done? I was in shock, I didn't know! Once stage 2 triple negative, now Stage 4 of unknown origin with mets to brain, bones, lung, appendix, left neck, left shoulder, pretty much everywhere! They're still working on pathology! How crazy is this! I thought I was in the all clear! Living a happy healthy life with my 2 young girls (10 & 7yrs old) and husband! Why? Why? Why wasn't I given scans, what happened to close monitoring for the first 5 yrs, I didn't make it to 1yr? Why why why!!!!!! This is so frustrating!!!!!
I'm sorry to the new folks if I am freaking you out, but I want to believe I'm a minority and this doesn't happen to most of us. It just seems unfair! I did everything they told me to do, ate right, exercised, got blood tests done like clockwork, all normal. How can they be normal when I am Stage 4 with mets. I guess blood tests aren't very accurate either!
I apologize, for my rantings and ravings, but where else can I do this. My family is devastated right now and I have to act strong in front of them so I'll let myself go here. My elderly parents have to see their only baby daughter go through this not once but twice! If one of my children got this disease, I don't think I could bare watching them struggle and just die! I feel like such a burden on my family! They are all so supportive, but at what cost?
I will beat this no matter what! But I really really hate FCA! Where's the damn cure already, enough people have suffered and been lost! Stop taking mothers!!!!!! What will our babies do without us?0 -
Julie, Yes, please rant here. You're carrying so much on your shoulders, you need a place to just let it all out. I can't pretend to know how you feel, but it sounds unbearable and overwhelming. They keep telling us they're getting close to a cure, but we need it now. It is all so unfair that you have to go through this.
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GrandmaV, thank u! I feel so blessed to have you as my sister!
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On a happier note! My 2 little girls now 10 and 7yrs old have been the most patient and loving kids a mother could dream of. Since I was dx in Oct 2011 til now I was not able to throw them a decent birthday party, but neither one of them complained once and just asked for play dates with friends once I felt up to it.
I threw them the biggest, most awesome belated/pre-birthday party money could buy yesterday at Chuck E Cheese! I gave them a hint, but they were still very surprised! Their real birthdays are in December, but they deserved this, so since I was having guests over for dinner, I asked a few to join us for a lunch party at Chuck E Cheese as well. They had such a great time, although I think my husband loved it more! They ended up getting so many tickets for prizes that all the other guest were able to pick the best prizes that were there! We were all so happy, but mostly the kids couldn't stop smiling! I loved that!
After Chuck E Cheese, we headed home to prepare a big Korean BBQ feast/pool party for initially a very small 3 family get together, but grew to 11 families, most with small children. Everybody had a great time, especially me, couldn't stop laughing the whole night, ate so much, gain like 10lbs in one sitting! My awesome high school friends came out, so good to see them, some I haven't seen since graduation. It was so much fun for everyone who came and for our family too! I bought so much food, we'll be having leftovers for weeks to come! I love get togethers!
I feel so energized and happy that I have so many people who pray for me, who think of me, and who believe in me being cured! I can do this, I will do this, I will beat this!0 -
Julie, Thank you, you're sweet. I feel the same way.
Hey, they say laughter is the best medicine. I'm so glad you and your girls enjoyed your weekend. Sounds like your husband is a big kid. I bet he went in the tubes with the girls. I used to do that with my kids, when I was much much younger and slimmer.
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julie-- i am reading your post-- this IS the place to let it all out. you have every right to ANY feeling you have. You just want the emotion you have to help you, not get in the way of your healing-- and holding stuff in doesn't help!! So out out...
I remember when I first got dx with BC. I had two friends who said it wasn't fair-- fair? I thought. And they said to have TWO different cancers --just isn't fair. I have to say that if i had agreed with them, FOR ME, it would have gotten in the way of my healing process. I found and still find that focusing on what is and what I can constructively do about it, works for me. Now... that is not to say this is the right way for everyone or for that matter ANY one else...but it is for me. The down side to this, I might add, is that the people around me have pretty much forgotten that i am STILL recovery from 52 weeks of chemo, 2 surgeries, 3 hospitalizations-two from pneumonia... while working..... kinda gets to me sometimes and it is ME who has to stand by myself... but there it is...my whine.. oops..here's to WINE!! (that I will likely not ever have again!)...lol
q
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Thank you my sister, I knew I found the right place to let it all go here. You gals are truly my sisters and I really appreciate all your support, and you know I have your backs too. We are one! We will conquer! WE WILL WIN with flying colors!
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Quaatsi, we like a little whine with our dinner. You know, ever since you told us about your dog named Quaatsi, thats what I think of when I see your screen name, and how you felt she/he (I can't remember) stuck by your side during your first round with cancer and then Quaatsi got cancer and you felt she/he took your cancer away. That's such a beautiful story and it just tugs at my heart strings. My little dog, Chocolate Chip, has been my companion through all my treatments and infections the last 2 years. It's so nice to have the love of a sweet little animal. He has learned my moods and acts accordingly. If I'm cranky, he stays on the other side of the room, but if I'm depressed he's right there beside me offering doggy kisses and before you know it I'm laughing and playing with him. I'm so glad he's been here with me. By the way, how's that cleanse going?
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Julie - Your post reminded me of the three musketeers phrase "All for one and one for all" That really says it all.
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