February 2012 Chemo
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OMG Ali the puppy is ADORABLE!!! And I love the thought of your daughter's pink, sparkling shoes. I would have liked to see them. So sorry about your friend's son...that is awful news, heartbreaking.
I am four weeks out from last chemo...WHY are my feet swollen and painful NOW? Makes no sense....Looking forward to consult with rad onc tomorrow. Obsessed with the thought that I have cancer cells in my chest wall muscle. Overemotional...had my herceptin today and met a new PA they have at the cancer center. After I left I became irrationally upset and angry, thinking that if there is a new PA, maybe the normal PA I see (who I LOVE) is gone. She is so good, always pays attention to my woes and gives me a breast exam every month or so, which is so reassuring.
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Just popping in. I posted at the beginning of this thread and have been reading it throughout. You have all been inspiring and re-assuring. I have finished my chemo and done 4/25 rads. I have a 5hr round trip each day to rads which is very tiring. Hugs to everyone. Kylie x
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Ali
I was re-reading some posts and totally missed you talking about your friends son. My God that's terrible to have happen to someone so young. Effing cancer!
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I had my exchange surgery this am. Very sore but not as bad as I was after DMX. Anyone have tips or suggestions?
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katopet
5 Hours!! OMG that's a long day!!
Christina
I had the weird feet swelling a few weeks PFC too! Kind of freaked me out because of how herceptin can affect the EF. Totally went away about 48 hours later mind you. It was the first hot weekend and mabey I overdid the salt but it was strange.
Ali
Your DD's outfit sounds amazing. I wish you would post a pic.
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ali...beautiful daughter....beautiful home...sweet fur child!
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Ali, your daughter looks just like her mother. :-)
Susan
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First question, what is exchange surgery?
And no question, but just saying, my ankles are very swollen. I don't think I've eaten a lot of salt. I'm 2 weeks out of last chemo. Go today for dose of herceptin. can't wait to get home and lay down. Didn't realize how tired I was going to continue to be. My oncologist is talking about doing radiation on the spot on my bone on my left leg. I'm hoping I can get her to wait for 2 months so I can enjoy this break. I hear radiation also tires you out. I so want to get my strength back.
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Grit
Of course you're still tired. I was tired and achy for a good month PFC, this sh_t takes its toll physically never mind mentally. While I didn't have RADS alot of people on these boards say its a cakewalk compared to chemo although I too have heard that it causes fatigue too. Exchange surgery is when you switch out a tissue expander for an implant.
Ali
Thanks for posting the pics. Your DD looks like a model, georgous like her Mama. Love her shoes!!
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Ali- Beautiful!! You must be so proud! And i love the little furball too. so cute
Grit- My ankles started swelling too about 2-3 weeks PFC. it was very odd. I had it for about a week then it went away. My onc said to keep an eye on it but seemed to think it normal.
Hope everyone is feeling well!!
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Ali, your DD is beautiful! And cute furbaby too! Grit, I am three weeks PFC and my ankles have swollen up again. Just saw mo and he said just keep an eye on them. He also told me it would take time to have more energy. So it looks like it is also a normal thing, gritgirl. Also, my hgb is still under 8.9 - very low and that is not helping! Katopet, is there a Ronald McDonald's house where you could stay so you font have the five hour drive? You might want to look into it. Msbelle, hope you are recovering from the Exchange surgery and ate doing well. Christina, as I just said to gritgirl, looks like the PFC ankle swelling is normal, or as normal as we are gonna be!
LOL. To all, much love, and I hope you have few SEs if you are still in tx.0 -
Ali - Wow! She is gorgeous and the dress and hair and shoes just as I'd imagined from your description (I'm telling you - you are good at word pictures!).
I, also missed what you had written about your son's friend. My heart goes out to him and your friend and the family. My three sons are 22,19, &18 - so that is close to home - I am ever thankful that it is me and not my children or my husband who has to deal with this. I just cannot go there in my mind. Prayers for your friend's son.
Susan aka Grit - Since I haven't finished I can't attest to the swelling after finishing. But baby it IS HOT outside in the summertime. Yesterday was a scorcher just about everywhere ... did you have a 100 degree day too? Our bodies are going to do a partial summer swell regardless. I take every opportunity to elevate my feet whenever possible. And keep flushing your system with water. And haven't forgotten you about the DIEP questions. However you want to do that - just let me know - publicly on here, private message on here, email, whatever ...? Any would work. And I'll let you know everything I know (ha ha - probably more than you want to hear) and anything that can be helpful. I am still really glad that I went with the DIEP and that I had the option to have my mastectomy and reconstruction all at once. There are so many different reasons for different timing and everyone is different even with their preferences.
Moonflwr - sorry you have had such a tough go of it too. Elevate and flush and I am praying for less side effects overall for you. Eat lots of iron rich foods. My husband found Quaker Oat Squares have a TON of your daily RDA of iron in them and so much easier on the system. That was one thing I was eating pre-chemo because I had to get those numbers up from being anemic post surgery.
Katopet - that is a REALLY long commute for rads. I remember you from the beginning and you are 'down under' as we say around here, Australia.You had quite a commute for other things as well if I recall correctly. Perhaps, like Moonflwr suggested there is some type of home where you would not have to make that commute every day of every week. I don't know if Ronald McDonald houses are international - but might be since the golden arches are certainly international. Sometimes there are other homes like that for folks to stay in too.
Msbelle - I've heard those tissue expanders can be bears and the exchange for most feels so much better. Hope this is the case for you. I can't speak to this since I had DIEP reconstruction at the time of my left UMX.
Christina - have been wondering about you and school. Oh and dear one you have the swollen ankles and painful too. So sorry. Elevate and flush and I have no idea either really if it is a PFC symptom. I understand the whole idea of the rads obsession and the irrational thinking when your PA wasn't there. Although I had clear margins with the chest wall, I had what I consider a lot of nodes. So I keep thinking they need to nuke the heck out of those babies - BUT at the same time I don't want them to send me into lyphedema with rads. One week I came in for my Taxol and they said my nurse was really busy and someone else was going to be getting me started and such and I LOST it totally. I was a wreck. They got my nurse. I guess for me one of the selling points of going with this oncologist was that I would have the same nurse and she would be my nurse. Plus that particular day was following the weekend when I thought perhaps I had caught something because for I had a sore throat and some aches right before my son's graduation. I was a basket case. It was much better when my nurse came and took care of things. She's the one that really 'knows' me. On the other hand - I do have to constantly remind myself that there are some wonderful nurses and PAs there and they have helped from time to time and I've loved them and know they are caring and professional. So IF something were to ever happen to Abbie and she was gone - the Lord would provide another to get me through this.
I'm still missing responding to some folks on this thread ( I read all the messages - but sometimes I only have my phone which makes it more difficult to respond and definitely to wordprocess. Man my brain has been rattled ... so scary when I am used to being organized in my brain and have always had an excellent memory. My husband keeps reminding me that this too shall pass ... just a little bit longer. I read a study about women having this side-effect when they had rads and NO chemo - pretty much suggesting a 'radbrain' too. Can you imagine? Ah well, just another thing to file away and hope I can recall it when I need it. LOL.
Hugs to everyone and enjoy your days and nights or nights and days (whereever in the world you are)!!!
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Ali - your daughter is beautiful and your new baby is adorable.
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Thank you for all of the welcoming words and advice about the surgery. I am so nervous, I lay awake at night worrying. I do have help aqt home....3 teenagers that are great....my daughter is 15 and a HUGE help and twin boys that are 14....my mom is also close so she helps out a lot too. I was thinking last night that I have to go and buy some shirts that button up the front because I usually wear t-shirts all the time. How many drains do you usually come home with? My doctor said that it is usually a 1-2 day stay in the hospital and my surgery is on a Friday so I'm thinking I will be there until Sunday maybe Monday at the latest. When you get home how often does the visiting nurse come? Thank you for the baby wipe suggestion, that is a great idea! Can someone give me a quick cheat sheet of everyone who is on this board so that I will get to know you all quicker. I wish I had joined at the beginning of my chemo but better late than never
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Kylie - OMG that is a LONG drive...that is a shame that you have to go so far. Cancer sure shows you how strong you can be...I think I could have been perfectly happy not knowing though.
msbelle - no advice from me, but I do hope you feel better soon.
myleftboob - yes last week they made me have an echo when my feet started to swell, but thankfully it came out fine. I would be devestated if I could not continue the herceptin. I just feel like it's a miracle drug.
Ali - Sarah looks beautiful! And I LOVE the purse and shoes!!!
And OMG the puppy is so cute, too cute!!!Susan - swollen ankles are so pretty aren't they? I really would not care that mine are swollen except that they hurt after a while too. I hope yours go down...keep your feet up! And I will say the compression stockings really do help for mine.
dltnhm - thanks for the words of comfort. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that gets attached to the professionals that help us get through treatment.
momtoncc - lots of good questions and I sure don't have the answers but hopefully someone who does will respond. There is lots of information on this site in the Reconstruction section. I am looking at reconstruction as some point in the future (UMX scheduled for August) and honestly the information is a little overwhelming.
Had a good and bad day today. I went to see rad onc. While I was waiting I asked the receptionist if my favorite PA was leaving (they hired a new PA and last night I got to thinking, I hope that doesn't mean my PA is leaving). Turns out my PA is leaving in about a month, to spend more time with her family. I turned into a huge bawling baby at the front desk, so embarrassing. The receptionist told me that the onc is trying to convince the PA to stay on PRN and ideally come in 1x week, and it looks like she will at least be there PRN. So if I get to see her before she leaves I will surely cry and beg her to come in 1x week...and then schedule my hercepin to fall on that day. lol Seriously she is so good with checking my breasts every so many weeks, and making sure I am not due for any scans or tests, and she gives me a hard time when I don't do what I am supposed to, and I know I need that. Oh I am so upset, cried off and on all afternoon...
But the good news was that I saw rad onc today, and he said maybe I don't need rads. He said if I have my UMX and the margins are good, I don't need rads, even though the tumor was so close to my chest wall. And he said he thinks there is a good chance my margins will be clean now that I have had chemo. So that was awesome to hear. I feel really bad though because he and his nurse were very kind, and I was a total sourpuss, because I was trying to not cry over my PA leaving.
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I am so ready for my hair to grow in. I am so tired of looking like a cancer patient!
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My hair has really started growing over the last week. That includes brows and lashes!! I'm at week 7. Ive read others say that once it started it really started, and I have to say it's true
. Hope that helps anyone that is staring in the mirror - it will come back! I was able to use mascara even.0 -
I am at 23 days PFC (except for Herceptin), and my hair is looking like the ugly duckling. Standing up at all angles, but it is longer than it was. My eyebrows are coming back. Not so much my eye lashes. Those are still awol. Much love.
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Moonflwr - I can't see my lashes, they are so light but I can see them once I put mascara on or I can feel them if I hold my finger close to my eye and blink. They definitely arent growing back as I expected, but they are there.
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Thanks ladies, that makes me feel so good to read that your hair is coming in...hopefully mine will soon too. I talk to it every day to encourage it to grow...they say it works for plants...so far it is not effective for hair. lol
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hello all....
i am unable to view the pics of ali's daughter-boo! am at work and they block things so i cannot complain!
friday was taxotere/cytoxan #3 and saturday was neulasta--the bone pain started friday nite....
had a horrid weekend- achy all over and the bone pain has been unbearable...even my teeth hurt !!!!!!! percoset will put me to sleep and lasts about 4 hours (prescribed for 6 hour intervals). of course, at work, i cannot take them! i brought the heating pad and will put it on if needed as well as tylenol.....
i tried to go to a scentsy party yesterday- got all cleaned up and got there-made out my order and went back home--just unbearable pain and my attitude would not have been pleasant forteh party so --
eyebrows and lashes falling out again...how long does it take for them to cycle through to have some left when they fall out?
hoping all of you have a great week.....
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My eyebrows and eyelashes show a tiny bit of growth. My hair still looks like baby ostrich.
Yesterday I spent the day laying down to cut down on swelling on ankles. Now that I'm back at work, they are swelling again.
Neuropathy still there and going strong. That's what I hate the most. Saturday I fell out of the bath tub (I caught my foot on the grab bar I had on the side of the tub and think the neuropathy had something to do with it). I bruised my legs in several spots, but really bad one on upper left leg. It was a scary moment and part of the reason I stayed laying down on Sunday.
I'm going to fight for chemo next time that doesn't give me neuropathy. Neuropathy sucks.
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Lumpy, have you tried the claritan for the Nuelasta bone pain? It really worked for me. You have to take it for about 5days, though.
Gritgirl, I am sorry you are having so much trouble with nueropathy. It is not fun, I had some even before I started chemo from my diabetes. I was so scared chemo would make it much worse. I have been lucky and it hasn't gotten much worse then it was to begin with. I also have a grab bar on the side of my tub, not to mention a raised toilet seat, a lift chair and a supply of diapers. Crumbs, its like a nursing home here. LOL Damn BC.0 -
Lumpy and Gritgirl- I hope you both feel better real soon!! Keeping you both in my prayers!
Had a good weekend although busy. My son turned 7 yesterday so on Sat we had cake and ice cream with the family. Sat night 2 of my good friends from high school who have helped walk this journey with me took me to dinner and a movie.(still cant drive from surgery) lol We went to see Magic Mike. (Try explaining to your mother in law what that movie is about... i didnt even know the storyline so could only say male strippers.. her response oh...LOL) Then yesterday we went to a bounce house for my son and some of his friends, then the pool(i stayed in the shade the whole time!) Then out to dinner with one family and our kids, home in time to watch the gymnastics olympic trials. Now I am pooped! But we are getting ready to go on our family vacation to Hilton Head! My sister in law is a nurse so I will be in good hands while I am there too. lots of stuff to do this week but this time its a "good thing" to do stuff.
I hope everyone has a good week, and watch the heat!
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yes i do the claritin-however the chemo i am getting now- the taxotere--also causes bone pain and it's really doing its' number on me! as well as muscle aches...
yesterday i noticed tingling in my right arm and hand too--hopefully just a passing thing..
susan that is scary to think of falling....
my brows and lashes had grown back some but then fell out again --something about cycles of growth?
i just plain ol hurt.....whiny whiny whiny.....
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Ok, lumps, sorry you are on pain. Taxotere is really the pits. I had to have my dose adjusted because I had terrible SEs with it. I hope yours get better.
Jen, glad you had fun this weekend, although make sure you rest too!0 -
lumpynme, note to self about taxotere. that's one of the options my oncologist mentioned for next round. yikes.
question for folks. i put on about 15 lbs during chemo. i figured it was due to the steroids. did other folks lose the weight or at least part of it after chemo? i also heard there's herceptin/weight gain connection.
susan
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