Starting chemo July 2014
Comments
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good mojo coming your way Nancy!!
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Nancy: mojo for good blood work is on its way
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thanks raindew and puffin - I know it sounds silly, but I really need it lol
Hugs
Nancy
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Nancy --
JUST. ONE. MORE. TAXOL.
Super mojo coming your way for decent numbers.
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Nancy, my last chemo was postponed, so I hear you.
Look, hair!
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thanks mags and Elaine. Mags congrats on the hair YAY - what a happy feeling. Mine has come back on taxol but it's all white every last strand of it.
Nancy
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Mags! Hair! A great picture, as always.
Nancy,
My hair started growing again during Taxol as well. It's the same color it was -- a kind of light brown/very dirty blonde. (I used to be blonder in my youth.) It's still not very long, though -- not long enough to ditch the wig!
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Shoot then- I knew I was gray but not every single hair on my head boo hoo sniff sniff ha ha
Nancy
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Nancy - Mojo coming and how odd, you had hair on Taxol? I thought we lost our hair from any of the taxanes, not just Taxetere. Oh well, what do I know. I don't see any hair starting yet, but I didn't shave my head, just cut it to 1 - 2", so I have little baby hair wispies the whole time. Maybe there is some stubble hiding in there. I sure hope so. Funny, instead of all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, many of us will say, cancer free and hair. This time last year I was probably complaining about how long it took to dry that butt lengthed thick hair. I've tried not to grieve it, but now that I'm 'cancer free', I must admit, I do miss it. I try to look on the bright side, now when a hot flash strikes, I can take my hat off. If I had hair I couldn't do that... but deep down... I really miss it.
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knmtwins how are you feeling? I hope you are doing well. Thanks for the mojo. I think for some your hair starts to grow on taxol because it is a weekly low dose. I have heard of others like Elaine having it grow back too. Too bad mine is all white humph. I have zip for eyebrows and eyelashes *sigh*
Merry Christmas to all
Nancy
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The return of hair has begun, but it is 1/4" and few and far between. Not at all photo worthy. It is soft and not prickly, so that is nice.
Mojo to you Nancy.
Merry Christmas to All.
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Coyote -- my new hair is soft and kind-of fluffy, too!
Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas to all!
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Just had my implant exchange surgery yesterday. I'm in a lot (!)of pain but so far everything looks good!
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Yay, JenKay! Hope your recovery goes well, and that things continue to go well. Also, hope you have access to some of decent painkillers......
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JenKay - If I recall correctly, the pain of the exchange actually diminishes fairly quickly. Maybe its the memory of it Hope It is true for you.
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Just an update. Seems rads will be a ways off.
I called the RO on Tuesday and talked to the tech. I told her I was not going to go ahead with rads because I couldn't handle the pain in my shoulder. It is still hurting a week after the trial run. She said the RO wasn't in but would call me the next day. The RO called Wednesday and told me in no uncertain terms that radiation is not optional with the aggressive nature of my cancer, and the positioning also cannot be adjusted in order to get the correct exposure. She then suggested treating the pain with Motrin (tried it) flexeril (already take it) and narcotics (I don't want to spend 6 weeks stoned). Her final option is a pain specialist. I agreed to try though I am not optimistic. My appointment is January 6th, all the way across town.
Next week I have a PET scan on Tuesday followed by MO appointment on Wednesday. I will tell him that I can't do radiation with my shoulder like this, and I really don't want any more surgery but orthopedic specialist says there's nothing that will fix it short of complete shoulder replacement. I've known that for years. I have had 2 surgeries on it already, because the bone spurs slice through the rotator cuff tendon.
DH is not happy with me about all this, at all. I'm just a stubborn broad who's tired of being in pain.
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oh mags I really am sorry the pain in your shoulder is so bad that you may not do radiation. I hope the pain specialist can do something for you. I too want you to have the radiation, but I do understand the pain. I will be thinking of you.
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Mags -- I don't blame you at all for thinking about foregoing rads. It sounds as though your pre-existing shoulder issues would make rads a form of torture. You're ER+/PR+ -- will you be doing hormonal therapy? If you agree to do that, does that significantly reduce your chances of recurrence? Maybe, if you can point that out to DH, he'll feel better about you foregoing rads. Of course, if the pain specialist has some great ideas that will help you get through rads, that would be good, too. I guess everything's worth a try.
My RO is pretty old-school and aggressive, too. He wants the surgeon to take out all of the Level 1 and Level 2 lymph nodes, just to be sure. I can see lymphedema in my future, eh? Oh well; we shall see.
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Mags - my fingers are crossed for the pain specialist. Also, what about acupuncture? Sometimes going a little to the East can help, as it brings in different thinking. I did it when we were going through IVF and got pg the 1st time. Was it that, who knows, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
This is all because of that node they couldn't get to, is that right? Are there other radiation places in town? Might they do it slightly differently? Have you called your orthopedist or PT person, to see if they might have any ideas? What about a chiropractor, might they have suggestions? I know many times I have wondered if I had to hit the cancer with a sledge hammer or if a normal hammer would have done the trick, but with a 7 - year-old and two 10 year-olds, I figured if they were pointing me towards a sledge hammer, if I switched it to a hammer and it didn't work, I'd always wonder. Oh, I so hate cancer and the decisions it makes us chose. Sending love, happy thoughts, prayers and whatever it is that crystals put off, oh I think it is positive energy.
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It just took me a half an hour to get caught up with everyone. Praying for you all who are continuing with chemo and rads and it will get better. I just had bmx with te's on dec 10 and I'm still in pain and frustrated that I can't do everything I want to yet but my path report came back cancer free so I am most grateful.
I thought it would never end but it will. I had my last chemo Oct 29 and my hair is starting to grow back and I actually have underarm hair and my mustache is coming back to!!! Never thought I'd get excited about that!
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hi pinkninja - so happy you checked in. Glad your BMX went well and your path was cancer free HOORAY. Your hair is coming back nicely. Mine started to come back even though I am still doing weekly taxol(last one on Tuesday), but it's all white - snort. I guess I was in denial that I had so much gray. I'm not that old either (52) Humph lol. Guess I will be wearing my wig for a while - it looks like how I used to. Phooey on this white stuff.
I hope that very soon you can do everything you want. You deserve it - heck we all do
Hugs
Nancy
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Nancy -- I am sending you lots of good vibes!!!
I am 52 as well and I right now have white fuzzy hair coming in. I say the Chemo scared my brunette hair white! I have bald patches and sprigley hair all over, about an inch long.
Thats a nice pic Pinkninja ! YAY for the cancer FREE! Awesome words to hear for sure!
I look sick in my photos or I would show them. Maybe I will get a good pic of my hair growing on a side shot.
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AJ maybe the taxol has something to do with it. No that can't be true - Elaine's hair is coming back with her color. Drat. I guess time will tell won't it? Hope you are doing well after your masectomy.
Nancy
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Pinkninja!
Glad to hear from you. Congrats on your path report! I hope I'm as lucky, and that your recovery becomes more pain-free soon.
AJ62 and Nancy -- who knows why our hair comes back the way it does? I've heard some people's hair comes back curly when it was previously straight. (Mine will probably be stick-straight and fine as usual.) I even read a sad story about someone who did the carboplatin-taxotere regimen whose hair has never grown back (apparently that happens to a very small percentage of CT ladies). I'm just happy that I'll have something, some day. More importantly, I WANT MY EYELASHES AND EYEBROWS BACK. I can live with the wig, but my pencilled in lines and false eyelashes look phony, phony, phony.
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My hubby had the nerve to tell me today, "I can see your mustache again! It's starting to grow back!" Um, thanks babe. It was funny though. I have about 5 eyelashes on one lid and 6 on the other one, I can't wait till those come back. I've been wearing a lot more darker eye shadows and eyeliners and you can't tell too bad. Also wearing crazy hats make people look at your head and distract them from not having eyebrows or lashes
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You are so cute pinkninja. Love the hat lol. I've been doing the eyeliner/shadow thing too. It does help a lot. You look great. Oh and my hubby would tell me the same thing about the mustache growing back - then he would snicker - such a brat
Nancy
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That carboplatin/taxotere hair thing is definitely something I did NOT want to hear. Oh please, I don't want to be bald forever. I did that combo and my hair growth is definitely stunted. It is extremely sparse and about 1/4 inch long. It's white, but it was white when it fell off. There are no eyelashes but my eyebrows didn't all come out for some reason. I had to come back and edit this.... I'm getting hair growth on my chin. There is hope for my head.
I'm happy all of you are doing well!
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Love the hat PinkNinja !!! Too cute!
Here is a pic of my hair growth... I say the Chemo scared my hair and its coming in white!!
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Here is me after I shaved my head.. I miss my brunette hair!
I had gray hair before but lords! This is a bit much! I was born blonde and when I was 5 or 6 yrs old my hair got sandy colored and darker... and of course got some gray hair as I got older but to see this fuzzy white hair? Hurry up I say to the brunette... I miss my eyebrows and eyelashes as well. *Sigh*
My 10 yr old son has informed me as well that my mustache is growing back too ! How observant my son! LOL
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I hav a ton of hats and I love wearing them. Here's a few and yes I actually go shopping out in public with them!
This one is a football team, Jacksonville Jaguars, I just liked it cause it has a gianormous jaguar on top of my head wearing black sunglasses.
Love this one for obvious reasons, it's pink!
This is my sock monkey hat and my mother, she loves my hats
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I went to family Christmas without my wig. I miss my former hair color too, not ready to be grey.
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