February 2012 Chemo
Comments
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Dltnham, so sorry I forgot you start Monday. I will add you to my prayer list. I hope for no problems for you either! And, how fun that the other walkers care, so sweet.
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Gritgirl - Good news, glad you can continue to be annoying
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Thanks for the prayers moonflower. Ten more days until my UMX!
Jen, I am crossing my fingers and toes that you don't need rads.
lumpy, I am glad things are getting better for you, but SO sorry to hear about your BIL.
myleftboob - glad to hear the stiffness/pain may not last too long. lol @ the lady who flushed her teeth!!!
susan - so happy for you that you get a longer chemo break. Let us know how the surgical consult goes. Love the new profile pic!
Hildy - I hope you and your family have a good visit with your FIL. So sorry your family is going through all this. It's terrible to have to go through so much at one time.
dltnhm - that is so sweet.
Thanks for the t-shirt tip; I may do that with a couple of old t-shirts of DH's. I really hate buying new stuff for medical reasons. Like I don't have enough expenses. Good luck on Monday!0 -
gritgirl- glad to hear the good news. I love seeing the front of your face. Love the pic.
Good luck to everyone starting RADS this week.
Lumpy- so sorry to hear about your Bil. Prayers from me as well.
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I am having rads to the sternum and chest wall, I'm not sure what it is all called but if you follow the line down to In between the breasts. Then it's all around the left breast upto my arm pit. Nothing on the breast is this what most people have?
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Nothing to the breast? I find that strange...dunno how they could avoid it but I am sure no expert!
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ok have lots to say but am absolutely exhausted and there is NO reason for it--hoping it's not the approaching"nadir" time---labs this weekend...
hildy-i'm a leftsided RADS person...
susan i love your pic! thanks for updating! i guess i need to get mine taken....
ok- hair update- first i have upped my biotin intake now that i am actually PFC...the hair that is on the sides is about an inch to 1 1/4 long but so freakin fine! i had thick thick wavy curly hair so this is so foreign to me!! the top is much more bare and is coming in very gray...
well- on lunch at work so need to spread my computer time out elsewhere- hugs to all!
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Hildy - I'm a leftsided rads person also.
Ali - I will know more when I have my appointment on Friday after my RO has determined the plan based on the CT from Monday. What I can tell you is that right now I have Sharpie marker 'X' marks the spot marks: 1 - X right at the top of my cleavage on my affected left breast; 2 - straight line mark about 2" below my bra line or 2" above my belly button a little to the left of center; 3 - X on the left side below my underarm area sits just above my bra; 4 - X on the right side below my underarm area sits under my bra. When I left the CT scan room to change I also had a line mark about 2" above my cleavage on my sternum. There was no sticker on that mark so the nurse gave me an alcohol wipe to wash it off. I'm fairly certain that these are not the exact locations of where the radiation will be beamed - only because I know that there was no talk of beaming anything on my right side. I think these are all the first alignment markings to position me in the best possible position to make the markings based on the CT scan. But what do I know?? <grin> I am a little tired of becoming a mini-expert on all these treatments but I will persevere in my knowledge and understanding base.
Have you googles radiation therapy markings, radiation therapy tattoos, etc.? It helped me a bit to see some other images and get a better idea of what the tattoos look like if I decide to go that route.
Lumpy - So glad that your hair is coming in. I have naturally curly/ naturally wavy hair also. The hair on my head feels much finer than my natural hair but since it's only about an inch or so more or less and it hasn't been that short since birth .. I still can't tell what kind of hair this will end up being. On the sides and back it definitely curls/feathers kind of back when I finger comb it that way and the front accepts the finger combing forward with little slight curl towards the face. But of course since it appears this is all going by the wayside I will probably have to wait a couple more months to see what kind of hair shows up again. I love the soft stuff however.Understand the feeling of foreign however.
Lashes and Brows - I have yet to get one lash or brow that looks like they did before. My eyelashes are all very blonde right now as are my brow hairs. The brow ones are sparse. I have kind of pronounced brow bones I think so it looks like that area is there with few brow hairs. I don't know if this makes any sense to anyone. Maybe my chemo brain has totally messed up my perception.
Moonflower - no problem ... it's hard to keep track of everyone sometimes ... Thanks so much for the prayers :-)
The Boys are Back in Town .... The Boys are Back in Town ....
#2 son Aaron and #3 son Ryan arrived safely back from Colorado where they spent 4 days with our #1 son Drew (all numbers are birthorder only). Aaron has been in Alaska this summer and Ryan has been in Texas - both working as camp counselors. So good to have them home. They had good "Bro Time" and brought me back hugs from my best friend in Colorado :-) We bought Ryan some of his linens (dorm rooms have Twin X Long mattresses) while he and I waited for Aaron's flight to come in. Yes - two different flights and two different airlines to get them home from Colorado. I LOVE my boys!!!
Hugs and love everyone!
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dltnhm - so glad your sons are home.
I am so unhappy! Long story short, I spoke with the radiation oncologist I consulted with a month ago, and apparently I heard what I wanted to hear and not what he was saying at all. He is recommending radiation after my mastectomy. The tumor was close to my chest wall and a mastectomy is not going to do anything for cancer cells in my muscle tissue.
Seriously do I have to have every single treatment available? Seriously I have to miss that much more time off of work? What will this do to my skin, and my reconstruction results? I was upset, cried, got depressed, got angry, and now I'm overwhelmed... too much to deal with on top of trying to mentally prepare for surgery next week.
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{{Christina}} I know dear one. It just is overwhelming at times.
If you were leaning towards implants, from all I've read and listened to the docs, the risk of capsular contraction after placement of implants is there. Tissue Expanders to "save the place" so to speak along with their intended purpose, could be used and you could get the implants after your radiation treatments are done.
You could also have TEs, radiation, and then a DIEP. I looked into this and discussed it with my PS and my RO. In the end I chose an immediate DIEP with my UMX.
There is the possibility of necrosis or change with the rads, but my PS is confident that he could use fat injections and such IF that occurred. I know you are looking into NOLA so when you are ready check with them about what they advise and what they would do.
It's just a lot to get it all. On the other hand, they are throwing everything they can at it and if it's close to your chest wall they are not taking any chances with you.
I'm not trying to talk you out of your emotions. They are real and raw. Cry, scream, yell, whisper, punch pillows, do what you need to do. My firm belief is that - if you are a praying person - God can take anything you have to say ... He doesn't mind doubts, fears, questions, expressions of anger, fear, worry, whatever. He gave us emotions for a reason. He can handle it.
Hugs again.0 -
(((((Christina)))))) special prayers for strength coming at you. You know how they always say God does not give you more than you can handle? I tried to convince Him that I was not quite as good as he seemed to think.....maybe it will work for you! MUCH, much love. YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT ALL!
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Christina, I know what your going through my moods are all over the place. Most days I'm angry and shout at the family then I'm silent they can't win.
All I know is we have to go through this to get better or keep us stable.
Hugs to you0 -
Hildy: I'm so sorry to hear about your father in law. How hard. They can't do anything surgical to my liver because the lesions had spread across the entire liver. so here we are. just treat, watch and wait.
Diana, it is wonderful when folks show they care, isn't it? That lunch must have been lovely.
My prayers are with you all as you start rads. I have been spared that so far. I figure I had to get something nice for all of this BS.
Met with surgeon today about removing gallbladder while doing mastecomy. Answer was no. Oh, well. I was just perturbed that I had to sit and wait so long to hear no. So if my gallbladder really acts up, I'll have to do more surgery. Pooh.
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First day of rads today I was late because a cop car pulled me over.
He said I didn't have insurance on the car and I had to sit in the back of a cop car.
My insurance company had got a letter wrong on writing down the number plate.
5 mins to go for my rads I say, is this going to take long only I'm a cancer patient and I need some treatment. His face was a picture and when I got out of the car I said thanks for that .0 -
I do have to have rads above my collar bone which begins with super something hehe
The doctor told me the whole of my breast and upto the collar bone could be swollen badly and my throat will hurt.
What a shit day I have had0 -
ali...yeah that is a shitty day alright BUT at least you got to play the cancer card to your advantage. I hope he didn't give you a ticket.
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Ali, wow. Have you noticed a low lying little grey cloud above your head lately? Girl, you have not had much of a break, that plain sucks!!! Hugs, and more hugs.
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friday hugs to all....
allergies are awful- eyes poofy almost shut--not sure if it's the chemo, the avocado on my awesome panera sandwich a few days' ago or the banana i ate yesterday- hard to complain but dammit.....
ok- so i'm at work- actually hooked up home comp last nite for a few minutes- now i have to unpack boxes etc so i can get to my chair to sit down and talk to all y'all...
so-sending friday hugs.....
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lumpy, what does the doctor say about the allergies?
ali, i hope today has been a better day. i do love the cop story though. :-)
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Lumpy
My eyes were red and itchy and I thought it was my contacts so switched to my glasses. I noticed alot of sleep in my eyes in the morning so I went to the doctor. I have friggin pink eye!! Sweet.
ali
Your poor kid but hey it was your insurance company's mistake. The cop's face must have been priceless
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grit/mlb....
i go to my primary doc on monday and the allergies are top on my list...my eyes are all poooofy and i still am getting occasional chemo tears just rolling down my cheek.... i have some food allergies and it seems like every durned thing i love to eat including apples and bananas and strawberries (and a whole lot more) are related to either ragweed or tree allergies...so i probly will have to go to an allegist finally--if i knew that it was JUST the chemo i wouldn't worry but A) it doesn't look nice and
this morning it was difficult to see!whiny whiny
as to mlb and pink eye- OH NO!!! owie- be careful!!!!
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Ali- good luck with Rads today. Hope the cop didnt give you a ticket.
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Today went well and no cops in sight.
My wrists are painfull and I'm achy all over, feel dizzy and not with it but I feel so tired.
Second day of rads and six hours after my scar under my arm really throbs.
This is not good
Love to everyone0 -
Ali
I hope you feel better. Take it easy.
Re Pink Eye. Seems ten time better already this morning. I'm hand washing fanatic but I guess we all slip up once in a while touching a grocery cart or something then rubbing an eye. Have a lovely coldsore to boot, mabey I'm a little run down. On Valtrex for that. Had a SIMA test today prior to Herceptin to make sure my EF was OK because it was 56 last time. It actually went up to 59 so we were good to go. I'm down another 2 pounds as well, thats a total of 14 from my highest after chemo and steroids.
As it happens sometimes when I get my eating under control and start to lose a few I get cocky and start sliding back into bad habits. So I downloaded My Fit Pal onto my Blackberry to start tracking calories. I've never been a skinny gal but it would be nice to lose another 16 pounds. That would come in handy for recon time along with slimming down my face a bit for the short hair I'm going to have to sport for quite some time.
Its a civic holiday here in Ontario so off until Tuesday. Doing tomatoes with a couple of GF's on Sunday. The Italian one that really knows what she's doing is going to make fresh pasta and bring some homemade wine (the best homemade I've ever tasted) Should be fun. I think we're doing 6 bushels!!
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Hi everyone....I havent been ignoring you, just burning the midnight oil trying to get ready for my son's wedding reception next week, which is at our house. Of course, I completely overdid it, and now my arm is swollen and sore, so I'm back in compression garments, and I just cant worry about what anyone thinks who comes. The house will not be ready, but thats just the way it is. I think it will be ok, but it will fall way short of how I wanted it to be. Oh well....they'll still get married.
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First call, glad to see you, too bad you over did it! It will be beautiful, and as you said, they will be married. MLB, glad your EF actually went up! Hope you enjoy the weekend with the GFs. Ali, I hope things start going better for you. Lumps, hope your allergies are shortlived. Much love to all.
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Firstcall, really sorry about your arm but you have been naughty by over doing things. Have you got a group of helpers if not round some up. You should not over do it because it could take months to get your arm back to normal.
I am the same but when I had my surgery I knew I couldn't over do things, I tell my kids help me or you don't get lifts.
You need to be looking after yourself, family and friends think your back to normal but I think we need a year to recover.
I know the wedding will be grand and I hope you post some pics.0 -
firstcall
I'm sure you're house is beautiful but we always tend to look at what's not up to snuff vs what's done. Ali is right, round up some help!
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Firstcall....am certain the wedding will be beautiful...please post pics and altho I am guilty of the same thing...WEAR YOUR SLEEVE!!!!
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LOL we are all such Mothers! Sorry first call, just a bunch of natural nuturers here, who really care about everyone on the boards. LOL
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