Starting chemo July 2014
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chaos, you r rocking the look. I ditto everything that everybody has said. Have u lost the eyebrows too? If so, r u pencilling them in? They look awesome in pics.
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JenKay - thank you for the WBC info. I was 1.2 and ran to check my labs after reading about your neutrophils. I don't have that on here, but the closest thing i've got is my Platelets at 207. Maybe that's related? I feel a lot better today and get another shot tomorrow. I keep telling my family to wash their hands - like i'm a mad woman about it! I know the next step is the hospital, but I feel confident the shots are working. Glad you're feeling better. I didn't know you with hair, but you totally pull off the buzz cut, promise!
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Wallegator, just watch your temperature, that'll let you know if you need to be seen. Meantime just keep doin' what you're doin'!
I should upload a "before" pic alongside the "after" pic, huh? I think I'll do that right now
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Chaos... You look amazing!! im so sorry to read you have lupus as well .. I imagine that must be very uncomfortable... saying prayers and sending positive energy
Mags... I love the wig .. I wore one to work today
Thanks to my Mom ♡ I have 3 to chose from and yes it is so hard not having Mom with me... but I do feel her near and know she is watching over me as I sm certain yours is as wrll ♡JenKay ... you look beautiful
Boxofrockstar... welcome to thisamaxing group full of incredible women
I am so very sorry you must endure this during pregnancy... I will keep you and your baby in my thoughts and prayers always...
Im on my 2nd day out from treatment #2 and doing fine.. hoping to continue this way... Had my shot today.. went to work and thanks to the sterroids I cleaned my house.. went shopping and am now ready for bed lolWishing all the ladies sweet dreams and side effect free days night0 -
A minute ago JoeysMommy wrote:
Chaos... You look amazing!! im so sorry to read you have lupus as well .. I imagine that must be very uncomfortable... saying prayers and sending positive energy
Mags... I love the wig .. I wore one to work today
Thanks to my Mom ♡ I have 3 to chose from and yes it is so hard not having Mom with me... but I do feel her near and know she is watching over me as I sm certain yours is as will ♡JenKay ... you look beautiful
Boxofrockstar... welcome to thisamaxing group full of incredible women I am so very sorry you must endure this during pregnancy... I will keep you and your baby in my thoughts and prayers always
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I miss my mom. This is her high school graduation picture, 1936.
WendyWinslet, welcome to the thread. Best bunch of pink warriors on the planet (IMHO). You will find support and encouragement, humor, pet pictures, and hats. Also you will be prayed for, by many many folks all over the world.
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RainDew: I'm happy that the TE is saved let's pray for fast recovery !
ChaosRains: you look gorgeous as always !
Mags love the wig it looks so real .. Is that real hair wow you look nice:)
Wallegator just wondering if you took the neulasta shot , did you? Because when I had the first time around with cancer I didn't and my counts were really low like 500. This time I'm doing so much better with the shot that my blood exams came completely normal.
Fallenmirage thanks for the info sure we have lots to deal with ...
Jenkay you really look like a rock star
beautiful grad you are feeling better ! Boxofrockstar I can't imagine what you were going thorough but sure can assure you that here we are with friends do anything you need you can txt and we will be here for you:)
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Mags... She is so Beautiful.. God Bless her and you always.
Mommymel... Thank you so much for the sweet coment about my family... I am truly blessed ♡ and never take any of them for granted... aftet losing the two most important people in my life other than my son... My first husband Wayne died in a dirtbike accident during a weekend getaway in 1993 we shared a beautiful and priceless love
and my Incredibly beautiful Mom passed away 2 months ago. I know the importance of unconditionsl love. I live no other way
life is too short. No one on their death bed ever said I should have spent more time in the office. We need to live, love and appreciate now..
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your family and friends are wonderful to have done that for you. To be put in ur grateful journal!!! so sorry for your past husband and mom. I lost my dad a yr ago and I still miss him. It never goes away I think.
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My turn:
Chemo day 14: Lew had to get the Flowbee out, I'm all trimmed up short, hair started coming out by the gobs, now it's about 1/4" long all over.. So there's still a little color there, will see what the pillow case looks like in the AM. Too tired to post a photo tonite.
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Hi All,First chemo session was on Tuesday July 22, 2014 and next session is August 12th. The treatment itself went very well. However, I had five days worth of symptoms starting the very next day. I received a Neulasta shot on Wednesday July 23rd. Took Claritin for five days and experienced excruciating bone pain on the 6th day. Next time I will take Claritin for seven days. As of today I still haven't lost my hair but, I expect to find hair on my pillow in the upcoming week or after my second treatment. Good luck to everyone!!!
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DancingDiva - I lost my dad 10/2/2006...and no the loss never goes away. I miss my dad as much today as I did back in 2006...especially since I am planning my wedding and don't have him to walk me down the aisle or meet the love of my life. I will say the time heals...it lessens the sadness and hurt, but not the love and loss.
And I think you asked about icing-- I am given ice to chew on, put my hands in and wrap around my feet. I also happen to be icing my head (cold caps).... My Onc nurse thinks it does help... I wish I can say I really did it last time, but kept falling asleep from the Benedryl...so really didn't chew on much ice.
Another thing that helps neuropathy is L-Glutamine. There have been studies using 30g/day that is effective in preventing neuropathy. I'm taking @10g....can't say if it works or not since I only did 1 treatment so far. Hoping it does...
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We had a very long day today. It was Chemo day #2 in St George, UT. Because there is an hour difference in the time zones, we leave home at 7:00 am to get to a 10:00 am appointment.The good news is that my WBC is 16. Can you believe that? I don't have to make that trip back up there for a Neulasta injection. MO said we will cross that bridge when we get there. She was really pleased when I said I had 10 good days. DH and I spent the day in the infusion room with 3 other BC ladies plus another that stopped by to visit. Nice group and a good visit. We may get an addition to our list... at least as a visitor.
I tend to not have first day issues, so we shopped before we headed home. At 4:30 we were about 2 miles from the turn off to our town when we hit a traffic back up. It was stopped still. It was also 108 degrees out there in the desert! I turned on the radio and immediately found out that a woman robbed a bank in St George Utah was chased into Nevada and ultimately stopped at our exit by the local police and highway patrol. She was slowed down because of 2 miles of road work where 2 lanes turned to one. She refused to get out of the car, so they stopped traffic and sent to Las Vegas for a SWAT team. We sat there for 2 hours and eventually found a way to turn around in the median and go back to Mesquite, NV and have dinner at a casino. We saw on the news that she gave up and they opened the highway about the time that we left the 10 mile long back up. At 8:30 we headed back to find the same back up. Why....we don't know. We slogged our way at 4 to 6 miles per hour through the 10 miles of back up to get to the turn off and home around 10:00 PM. Many vehicles did not fair too well in the heat, on the second go around there were many broken down cars along the side of the road. Apparently it made national news, so if you saw it, we were there.
I'll try to check in tomorrow, if all is well.
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Coyote - what an exciting (but pain in the butt) day! I think it's unusual for a woman to rob a bank - I think that it's almost always a man for some weird reason. She must have been desperate. Glad that you could turn around and have dinner.
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Warning: very long post (let's hope it doesn't take up 2 pages!) I didn't check in for 1.5 days and there is so much to catch up on! (you can't blink on this site without missing a lot).
Wizard, Mumford, Elaine, Mags - thanks so much for the support with my chemo decision. It's weird - when I tell those that don't know about this stuff that I quit chemo they get all quiet because I think they think I've chosen to die. (I guess some Stage 4's sometimes do that). I have to quickly tell them that the chemo was optional before they get all teary eyed on me. (speaking of which - saw the Diane Keaton/MIcheal Douglas movie tonight and it was very cute).
Yoga is my godsend, too - had something called the Sunflower program in SF last time around - miss that (free yoga, Pilates/etc. at the swank Bay Club). I just joined another studio here and felt so good to get back on the mat.
JoeysMom - so sorry to hear about your losses over the years - you look great in your photos! The picture of your breast erupting like a volcano had me in stiches! (I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time....) It's good to find the humor in some of this stuff.
Chaos - I'm so sorry that you are in a haze. I'm hoping and praying that things get better for you. You look fantastic au natural. It's a good look on you!
Puffin - thanks for the tip on my WBC/RBC. I'll call tomorrow to get it checked. I have shooting pains in my neck lymph nodes - not sure what that's all about. Your garden is gorgeous - we want a pic of you and Lew on the Segways!
Jennliza - I'm also taking a refrig. billion+ probiotic (I was being treated for candida before all of this), and L-Glutamine (although my hubby got me 500 mg capsules so I've been taken a handful to try to get to the recommended 10 to 30 mg. (I have to go and get some higher strength ones - I've been having some buzzing in my hands/feet hoping that the dreaded neuropathy doesn't set in. Need to add back in Omega and Vit. B (for the stress). Are the cold caps working for you with the hair? (I'm so upset at my MO for telling me that they don't work...ughh).
Chaos - I bet your lupus has something to do with your SE. I have a bunch of autoimmune things (Hashimotos, Vitilago) and as you know, I suffered from the SEs, too.
MommyMel - love your buzz cut!!
Mags - my husband is from Glasgow Scotland (met him when he was visiting and on the boat to Alcatraz) and we lived there for a year before kids. I love the Scottish people - they are the friendliest and most interesting folks on the planet - and very loyal. And I can't understand half of them even though my kids say that I talk with a Scottish accent when I'm around them. Love the wig!
Maiden - pounding headache was my first SE - had it for 5 days - nothing took it away. I hope that yours is going away. Advil/Tylenol etc. are your friend. Looking back on it, I wish I had asked for something even stronger as it was tough. Try drinking tons of water.
Rain - glad you are coming home! Chemo will be there when you are ready. Take good care of yourself.
Mumford - I had the BRCA1/2 test (by Myriad) done TWICE. First time when I found out overnight that every single female on both sides of my birthfamily either died or suffered from breast cancer. It was a jolt for me. (I was adopted at birth and searched for my bparents). I became an activist for open records and was interviewed by Soledad O'brien and was in several magazines with my message for adult adoptees to find their bparents and get their medical history. First test came back negative. Then bfather was tested after prostrate cancer and was positive for BRCA2. Then after first go around with DCIS I was tested again (my MO couldn't believe that I wasn't positive). This one came back negative as well. Then after this go around, I was tested for the BART and Extended panel by Ambry. I'm happy to say that I was negative for any of these, too.
Kebab - sorry to hear that you are BCRA2 positive. My good friend was treated at Stanford in November for ovarian cancer - Stage 3. So far, so good. You are in good hands there.
Boxofrockstar - a friend of mine finished chemo in December and then found out she was pregnant (she was wondering why she was incredibly tired). Baby was born in May and is fine.
JennKay - love the look! Sorry to hear that your mouth is on fire.My update: I start radiation on Monday (22 treatments), my 89 year old mother is flying in on Aug. 8 - quite surprised since she is joined at the hip (read that "skilled enabler") of my addict brother who abuses her and she hasn't been down to see us since we moved from CA to SC. I think that her friends and family were giving her grief for ignoring me during my BC. I'm going to our hospital's weight loss clinic tomorrow to learn about it (it's integrated with a psych component which I think is a part of my problem). I've gained 45 pounds since moving to SC 1.5 years ago so something is up. In fact ladies - I'm slightly embarassed to tell you this but I was going to have a mastectomy with FLAP this time around and they said I was too overweight - and also - that they couldn't do implants for the same reason (I'm a 40C). Time to lose the weight. Ice cream is my friend but no more!! The SE's are still with me (the big D, shooting pains in odd places, like lymph nodes and joints) which is crazy since it's been more than 3 weeks since my first treatment. I don't have a chocolate craving anymore so that's a good SE to have! Getting used to my buzz cut - it's a bit stickly - I feel like a porcupine!
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Coyote, thanks for your words of strength about TNBC.
Some days, I just don't think about it. I ignore whatever implications it might have. I am doing everything I can to remain cancer free, today, in the here and now. Can't worry too much about what things might look like down the road. I tell people it was a small tumor, caught early.
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WalleGator - I think we match! My cancer was a triple-negative too.
RamblingRose - I didn't see your original post about TNBC, but I noticed your note to Coyote. For what it's worth, I had a triple-negative cancer 9 years ago, and am still here to tell the tale. At the time, I had a lumpectomy (clean lymph nodes), chemo, and radiation. No further problems. Fast forward to 2014, and a second lump appeared in the same breast. My oncologist says, though, that he regards this as an independent event (most likely), because if it was related to the first lump, it would have happened much earlier.
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Just a quick check in. First chemo was July 28th and so far no major side effects, a little indigestion and slowing down of the digestive track. I've taken some Pepcid and Colace for it and it seems to have helped. I've drank so much water I think my eyeballs are floating now. I'm sorry to see some of y'all are still having such bad SE and pray that you get relief soon and that everyone's blood counts improve. I love seeing everyone's photos of the new hair cuts and wigs, I'm just waiting till the day I have to buzz my hair off, but haven't noticed anything different yet. Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm pulling out the sewing machine and going to try and make some head covers for myself, found a few simple patterns online to try.
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Thank you all for the warm welcome and encouragement! On one hand of course it sucks to have to do this while I'm pregnant, but the silver lining is, I always have something really happy to think about to offset the negatives . And if I'd found this lump before I got pregnant, instead of in the second trimester, they never would have let me even try to have this baby. I'm just praying that the side effects don't get worse with the remaining treatments. I also have a 2.5 year old, and chasing him around is getting tough.
Jennliza, I also lost my dad in 2006 (to lung cancer). The first thing I thought when I heard about it was "he won't be at my wedding". It was tough, and going through this without him is tough as well.
Sorry to those of you who are having the rough side effects right now. I'm nervous about next time, but it's encouraging to see how everyone is dealing with it. I'm also loving all the buzz cut photos! Seems like I may have one to post in a few days but we'll see.Is anyone else needle/injection phobic, like I am? I know nobody enjoys a needle, but I get like a panic attack every time I have blood drawn. An IV makes me want to pass out. At my first chemo, I got dizzy and pukey before they even started the meds, just reacting to thinking about the whole thing and seeing the IV! I was fine after a few minutes - it happens every time I give blood and always goes away eventually - but it wastes time and feels crappy. Of all the awful things about chemo, the is the worst part for me.
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Thanks for all the compliments! If only we saw ourselves as others saw us!
A friend of mine did a brief stint as a makeup artist at Victorias Secret and they actually used YouTube videos to train her... you can search for makeup geek which are the videos they used... I also found some good ones on makeup during chemo. I really never wore much makeup before... my hair was so long and thick it took forever to fix my hair so I'd throw on some eyeliner and lip gloss and call it good... now that I'm not spending forever fixing my hair I've started playing with makeup.
I want to go wig shopping but finances haven't allowed that yet, but then again I do live in Texas and wonder about the heat and humidity and wearing a wig and I don't want to spend money on something I'm not going to use... and, with my energy levels so low lately it is just easier to throw a head covering on and be done with it.
Mags, JenKay, love the pics!!
Boxofrockstar so sorry you had to join our little group can't imagine going through this while pregnant
Woke up this morning to a thunderstorm and cooler weather and am feeling dare I say, almost normal so I'm off to dead head the roses. Boy do they need it they have been being ignored!
Hope you all have a great day!
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MomtoIrishQuads.... Lol.. although my breast errupting like a volcano was painful and quite disgusting it is a story to be told ... I myself find it humorous when telling it ... it is definitely one to remember lol.... even funnier was the next time I went into doctors office to clean it out they had the entire exam room covered in plastic lmao... they did not know what to expect lol.... Thank God it
Minimal side effects kickin in now on day 3 of second infusion... slight nausea and stomach cramping... continuing the emend steroid and claratin hoping for the best... if nausea gets worse Ill take compazine
Keeping positive thoughts for all of us
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Good Friday morning everyone! Hope everyone is doing well. I was wondering if anyone else is doing neoadjuvent treatment like me. I'm doing 6 treatments of Taxotere, Carboplatin, Herceptin and Perjeta then Herceptin for a year. I'm going to have a mammogram and ultrasound somewhere in the middle to determine if I need a lumpectomy or mastectomy.
Also, my hair is starting to fall out,
. I am looking forward to wearing my pink and blue wigs though0 -
MomIrishtoquads - Another thing you can take for overall PH Balance are GreenFood Powder Pills. They help alkaline your body. When your body is too acidic, bacteria grows....hence Candida. I take pHion Balance Super GreenFood pills....can buy on Amazon. I also bought the L-Glutamine on Amazon. I couldnt find pills that had more than 1g...so I bought the powder that has 4500mg (4.5g)/tsp. I put a tablespoon or so in my yogurt in the morning. I also have pills that are 500mg. I take them too to hopefully get around 10g/day. My mouth was very senstive (the slightest spice set my mouth on fire)....and seems to be turning back to normal once I started the higher dose.....could be a coincidence.
As for the cold caps....yep, they are working. I started shedding a lil yesterday (exactly 14 days past treatment). Like 20-30 hairs came out in the morning when I wet my hair. But today I washed it (can only wash 2x/wk with cold water...and not with normal water pressure....I wash it in the sink) and less hair than yesterday fell out. One woman reassured me that she has been on the Cold Cap discussion board for over a yr and not one person has had to wear a wig who used the Cold Caps with my chemo protocol. So taking faith in that.... I have 5 more treatments....so a long way to go. And I'm sorry your MO told you not to....so did mine....so does most....but I'm glad I went against her. I will still lose hair....the average seems to be about 25-30% hair loss.
I bought a wig before I decided to do the CC....once I know I dont need it, I plan to donate it to someone who needs it (probably in Dec). Its not a human hair wig....but its a good synthetic one....cost $500!!
Wishing everyone a mild - no s/e wonderful weekend!!!!! I'm off to Toronto to meet the rest of my fiance's family.
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KiLin and Rambling Rose we're atll TN. I know Mumford, VerukaNY MommyMel Maidentired and CoyoteNV are, too (did I get that right??), so it's a pretty big group for a bc they say is not so common. RamblingRose I like your attitude! After the DX all I could think of was that I was going to die before my children grow up. Now I've put that behind me and just focus on each day. KiLin I love the success stories - if you can go 9 years cancer free that's great. And it does sound like they caught this last bit early and I know you're working hard to make the right choices everyday.
ChaosRains I too haven't yet bought a wig, but I thinking I'll get just one just in case. I'm in hot hot Florida so I think I'm going to be more partial to scarves.
MommyMel they didn't give me Neulasta (which I had expected) but Neupogen shots. I think it's pretty much the same bc they recommended the Claritin for the bone pay. I get three shots.
Day 9 and I'm doing ok. Minimal SE now that my WBC is up. I don't get a blood test til Thursday but I'm already feeling livelier! I'm on an antibiotic bc my WBC was so low, Claritin and Prilosec.
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Mumford - meant to tell you that I loved the blog. Couldn't have said it better myself.
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Chaosrain- Next time you are at the infusion center, drop by the American Cancer Society office. You can obtain a wig from them at no cost. Hope you are feeling okay. Sorry things have been tough on you.
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Just wanted to share my good news - not only was my CT scan clean, I just found out my bone scan was too! What a relief! And chemo side effects even seem to have subsided. Happy day!
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boxofrocks, I am like u. I cannot handle needles if they hurt going in or if I feel them inside. I,ve tried doing hypnosis or trying to get into relaxed state before needle but frankly I am not good at it. I've been told to get a good nurse, get a port or PICC line, and take an Ativan. I have to wait for my port...I' m in quebec canada, but u shouldn't have problem getting it. Hope all goes well with your pregnancy. Hugs
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Dancingdiva - My onco doesn't allow icing anything. He says he does not want me to protect any body part from the chemo drugs.
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Good Morning, It sounds as if things are rolling along pretty well for the July group. I mentioned last night that I met some very nice BC ladies at the infusion center. One who was 3N and another who didn't know her status in that. I suspect by her treatment that she might be also - Charlene. She was wearing a very neat tube scarf that she bought at the 99 Cent store for $1. She gave me one and it is great - 100% cotton. She said they come in many colors and patterns. I might have to make a trip into Vegas to find some. About the wigs and heat. They don't work for me! It 105 to 115 degrees all I get is a sloppy wet and hot head. I'm a scarf girl now. I am not too keen on having my picture taken - much less minus hair, but I'll see what a selfie can do once I check out those make-up videos!Here is a bit of show and tell. This is some of what I do in my studio. This is a primarily carved gourd, with turquoise inlay on the gourd and the stand, which is a dried cholla cactus branch. I'll be sending it to Santa Fe to the gallery that represents my work. I also work with silver, copper and gemstone jewelry.
I was excited that I was able to finish it last week. I was concerned that I would not be up to any art work during chemo. We can do it!
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