Starting chemo July 2014
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Alive, but this one has been almost as bad as the first. Will post more in a day or two, I just hope I can get out to vote tomorrow.
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knmtwins - !00% understand and squeezing you hand.
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knmtwins so sorry this one is so difficult. Wishing you well.
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knmtwins - so sorry you're feeling so poorly
Rambling rose - I see my MO every 3 months for two years with the triple negative. I wonder what they'll do with you the third year...? Maybe every 6 months then? It's been awesome reading about everyone who's going through the same thing. They can really understand, which is an understatement.
RedHeeledWoman - I read about some offices having specialists - like a chemo oncologist. I just have a MO, but more specialists can't hurt!
So I met my two doctors who will do my DIEP surgery separately. Let me just say they were on two different pages! So frustrating! The first said I was a perfect DIEP candidate and good for a B to a C cup. Great, I was a C, and B to a C would be good. The second doc didn't think I had enough belly (It feels like enough!) and thought I'd only be an A cup. Two things: 1) get on the same page 2) if I'm going through all this, I expect to be more than an A! I'm not wanting double D's, but really...?#: She was pushing the TE's which I really don't want. Anyhow...got to call the first doc again tomorrow for clarification. Funny, in a way...
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kmntwins -- hope your SEs ease up soon; sounds rough.
WalleGator -- you can have some of my belly, if that helps (thanks twin pregnancy!). I know what you mean, though. You'd like to think the two doctors had a similar idea about the outcome -- otherwise, who knows what you'll get. Good luck, working all that out.
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Coyote, there's no way she had third degree burns unless there was some horrible accident. She was exaggerating
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Coyote -
I had 6 weeks of rads with my last bout of BC, and despite having very fair skin, I made it through with no redness or burning at all. Don't stress about it - it doesn't happen to everyone, and I'll bet JenKay's right, and she was exaggerating!
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Here's how I coped with radiation (per the advice of the RO): slather a layer of pure aloe around the area. Go further than you think you need to go, especially under the arm and up toward the neck and chest. Wait for that to dry. Then slather a good, thick layer of water-based moisturizer (I used Glaxal base, but Lubriderm good, too). Then let that dry. This kept my skin pretty healthy until the last week when I needed some hydrocortisone and a product called Prosheild. Some itching and sunburn-like, but totally manageable and nowhere near 3rd degree!! Just watch with the aloe...it can be drying so I did stop it when I started to see some skin effects and just used the Glaxal base. There is fatigue, no doubt about that, but it's a walk in the park compared to chemo.
Knmtwins...healthy thoughts and love coming your way....
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boxofrockstar: congratulations, I'm so happy for you. That is such a big milestone to put behind you.
Coyote: Remember everyone is different, use your creams. My skin did fine with rads, a little pink and tingly but no "burns" at all.
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well I am surprised. Today was taxol #4 and my bloodwork was slightly up this round from last. That made me happy. I thought it would keep going down with each infusion. Who knows where I'll be next week. Infusion went really quickly today too YAY. I am 1/3 of the way done with taxol as my oncology nurse put it. That made me see the light at the end of the tunnel for some reason.
Hope everyone is doing well. For those doing rads do come back and tell. I know I can read the rad threads but like hearing from you guys on this thread too
Oh I also got my follow up echo back after adriamycin and my heart looks good. So even though my body let me down by getting breast cancer it seems to be holding up during treatment YAY(hope I didn't just jinx myself lol)
Hugs to all
Nancy
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Nancy: I finished my rads last Friday, skin pink but no open areas, breast has various zings but nothing that I've even needed to take ibuprofen for.
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oh wow you are done already? Congrats. You only had to do a few weeks? How do they determine that?
Nancy
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Thanks for the "burn" information and encouragement. It might be that she was wrong about the number. I did discuss this with my RO at our meeting today. He said that if skin damage was headed in that sort of direction, he would stop treatments for awhile.It was a great consult today. He answered all my questions and explained his opinions and recommendations. The clinic uses TomoTherapy equipment, which is very state of the art stuff. He did not recommend an accelerated program for me and explained why not. I will do 28 days with no boosts (5.5 weeks) starting next Monday. I feel better.
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Another thing.. Dr told me that only one patient in the last year had skin issues that resulted in blistering. Also, BC patients who did not have chemo expressed extreme fatigue as an issue. Former chemo patients said fatigue was not such a big issue. How does it go? If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger.0 -
that's good to hear Coyote about the chemo patients handling rad fatigue better. We really do turn into warriors don't we?
Glad you feel better about starting rads
Nancy
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Coyote, that reminded me of this.
Speaking of which, I had an ultrasound today of two areas on the right side (tumor was left side) that MO was concerned about because there are hard lumps there. The radiologist said they are not seromas, and she was concerned enough that she's ordered biopsies of both, scheduled for November 20. So, not out of the woods yet. MO told me that the cells they found in the right breast would have most certainly advanced to cancerous if it had not been removed. The radiologist said that there may have been enough breast tissue remaining to have it develop there. *sigh*
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Nancy: I asked my RO that too, how come I only needed 3 weeks. He used what's called the Canadian Model. Criteria: need to be postmenopausal, estrogen +, small tumor, clear margins, clean nodes, and it works better on smaller breasts. It's a larger dose of radiation with each session.
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Mags - I'm so sorry that you have to deal with more questionable spots. From one perspective, it is better to find them now and deal with them than have them go unrecognized and spread beyond the breast area. I can so relate to where you are in this. It took me some time to come around to being thankful about finding new lymph node tumors. Sending prayers for strength.
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puffin thanks for the explanation. When I talked to the radiologist before chemo he did mention something about post menopausal women and the shorter version, but I couldn't have it because I am premenopausal and now that we know I had one positive node I am out. That's ok I will get through it just can't wait for chemo to be over. Must admit the taxol has not been hard for me so I can't complain.
Mags sorry you have two small lumps in your right breast and that you have to wait two more weeks to even find out about them. We will all be keeping our fingers crossed that it turns out to be benign. Many good thoughts for you.
Nancy
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mags,
Sending prayers your way. Hope it's nothing to worry about, but glad you're making sure!
Shirley
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Mags: prayers that the spots turn out to be nothing significant.
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Mags - why a 2 week wait? I'd go bonkers. I'm not good at waiting...
Mother In Laws --- OK, so my husband has asked his mom a few times to come help with the kids during my chemo. Each time she has said how sorry she was, but that she just couldn't, but would be there after my surgery. So... You know what is coming... she says, she can't come then, it is Christmas, why can't I just have the surgery in January. WTF... what part of the word CANCER does she not get. Yea, I'm going to leave possibly active cancer cells in my body... I'm already putting it off a week until after Thanksgiving.
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Nancy -- my numbers on Taxol were a bit low at the beginning, but they popped up for me as well. Taxol is pretty gentle for chemo. Congrats as well on the results of your heart scan!
Coyote -- I hope you're right about rads being tolerable. I think I'm supposed to do at least 6 weeks.
Mags -- good luck with the biopsy. I am also surprised that it will take you two weeks to get your biopsy, but I pray that the lumps are B9.
kmntwins -- Yeah, some people *say* they want to help, but when you push them for specifics, they back away. Annoying. Of course, my ILs are both deceased, and my parents live about 3,000 miles away from us. So, I get no family help either! But, I'm somewhat irked about my parents -- they are RETIRED, relatively well off, and take cruises/travel regularly. But, they haven't visited me ONCE since my diagnosis. I am supposed to visit THEM for Christmas, and I'm not even sure of my surgery date yet (think it will be early January). Oh well; at least they pay for the plane tickets.
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knmtwins and Elaine I am sorry your inlaws and parents aren't more helpful. My mother is the same, but she is 91. I think she has only called me once since my diagnosis. She did fall and sustain a muscle pull and suddenly that was more important than my cancer diagnosis. I don't know like I said she is 91 so I just let it ride, but I get no support from her - a phone call would be nice. Oh well I have bigger fish to fry lol
Nancy
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kmntwins - I've thought quite a bit about the "helping hand" from friends and family in relationship to how I have responded in years past when people I know have had to deal with cancer issues. Frankly, I'm fairly embarrassed about my failures in that area. I think now of all the things I could have and should have done. I think there is a huge "walk a mile in their shoes" factor or have seen previously what happens when someone they care about has this experience. I know that I will respond differently. I can only say that I really didn't understand. I do know if anyone had said to me, "This is what I need you to do for me....", I would have done it. Have you tried that?
Plus, there are actually times when it is easier to do without unenthusiastic or helpers who need to be entertained. My DH asked about family coming for Christmas. I should be finished with radiation the weekend before. I asked if he was kidding. There is only one person among the many members of the family - that I love dearly - that I would want to make a multiple day visit before next Spring sometime. That is his daughter - and since we married - mine. 1) She is the easiest person in the world to be around. 2) Requires zero maintenance - being able to sit around in fuzzy slippers, drinking warming beverages. 3) Knows her way in and around the kitchen. and 4) We can talk about anything and everything for hours on end.
But then, I have no children in the house, and a husband who will at least attempt to do anything that I ASK him to do. I have had to learn to ask. I know that he is a huge game changer for me. I understand that I am fortunate.
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Mags hopefully all is well.
I feel like coyote re help. I've never been confronted with others having cancer but I gave been insensitive to others in the past . Now having gone through this I realize how I could have been a better person. Having said that, family is different and I'm having same issues with my sis. Family should be there for u , it's innate,but for whatever rEason it doesn't work out that way sometimes. Feel ur frustration.
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I'm done with chemo! Yay! 1 day PFC and counting ...
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Sending words of support and good vibes to Chaosrain ....... her surgery is today.
Congrats to those finishing chemo....... welcome to the other side of chemoland!!!!
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Regarding family/friend help:
I haven't needed much of anything other than the first 3 days of chemo when I was so sick after the very first infusion - hubby fetched pills/bland foods/gingerale, etc. After that, I was given more steroids and was not sick again. My sister, who would go to the ends of the earth for me, drove me back and forth to chemo, taking turns with my husband. I could have driven myself but they insisted. Like Coyote, I didn't know how to ask for help. I finally blew up at hubby last week when I came home from work to a sink full of dirty dishes. The weekend before, I had spent all day Saturday doing the floors, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, changing/washing sheets & clothes....I'm still doing all the housework and have also continued working every weekday.
After I fussed at hubby about not helping out, he defended himself by stating all he "does for me". When I demanded "what exactly?", he talked about climbing onto the roof and blowing off the leaves, painting around the windows outside......after that I just screamed at him "and how does that help me as a cancer patient".
I knew he was clueless, but I just didn't know how clueless.....
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melrosemelrose thanks for updating about Chaosrain. I have been thinking of her and wondering how she has been doing. I hope her surgery goes well and recovery goes smoothly. Sending good thoughts to her.
Nancy
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