Starting chemo August 2014
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kittaehs say Happy Birthday Cassie!!!!
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Yay!! Happy Birthday!!
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happy bday! I hope my 44 is a better year than 43 too. Hi kittehs
Is it silly to be worried about losing weight too now? I would like to drop 20+ before I start on Femara, I'm afraid I'll never be able to lose weight once I get on it.
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Well ladies, I started Femara a few weeks ago in the last few weeks, no appetite and have lost 7 lbs . Love, Jean
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Happy Birthday! I hope 44 is a great year.
Gatmol- I started aromasin a week or so ago and started exercising and eating better. Lost 3lbs so far. I figured it is as good a time as any to drop some pounds and live a little healthier.
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happy birthday
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hmm I swear I am putting an exclamation point there but for some reason it is not showing up even after I edited.
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Cassiecat=HAPPY BIRTHDAY .Many many years of health and happiness!
Went for my check up post treatment. My MO says I'm good to go. Will see me in 6 months. Suggest 2000 units of vitamin D3 and calcium twice a day 600 units. I was already doing both.
I see him again in 6 months. Then went for mammogram. All clear. Spoke to radiologist afterwards. Showed me everything looks good. Suggest MRI in 6 months. PHEW,glad this is done. Was told by my MO my blood counts could be low for a LONG time. States if I get an infection it will be from my own body not fighting off the normal flora that lives in our body. YUCK!!
Left there and went and bought shoes. Felt much better after that.
I truly feel like I am done with this journey. Don't ever want to repeat it.
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wow. Eileen! What an incredible feeling! How strange, too. You're done. Bye.
Bye? After all this, so unceremonious. After such a tumultuous relationship. Now I just go home? See you in six months? (Sorry I don't know if you are feeling any of this, I'm just imagining working through this right now!) it's a big deal to be done. Shoes are a great reward. They should come with a gold medal too!
Love that two have reported weight loss after Femara and AI. Do you think it has to do with estrogen? Do you think it has to do with better diet and exercise, and just feeling better? Maybe I'll give my self a break and just have another thin mint or two. Darn Girl Scout cookies
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Cassiecat - Happy 44th!
Ellenpg - It feels good to be finished. Still have to get my stamina back. I get tired very early in the evening. I'm not into my regular exercise routine either, which I'm sure will help with my energy level.
Hope everyone is feeling well. Keeping you all in my thoughts
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Cassie - Happy Birthday to you and many more.
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Thanks, everyone, and Bippy's kitties, too!
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Cassie, Happy Birthday!
Somehow I removed this thread from my favorites. urrhhhh. My shoulders ache, my knees ache, my arms ache.... Had an appt with PT felt a lot better afterwards. I asked if I could come in twice a week.lol. I feel like an old lady. I see RO tomorrow and she said we would talk about these symptoms. she has not yet said they were SEs from RADs. Could it be from the position?
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good morning my peeps!
Bippy is DONE with rads. Now, just Tamoxifen and finish up Herceptin in July. Most of the FUN TIMES are ovah. What will I do with all my time now? Work, play, enjoy life like a normal human being?! Wow.
Eileen, you get those shoes girl!
I am burnt like a ball park frank under my arm. Blistered and purple, red. Pretty. Painful as hell. Well, trying to maintain happiness and know that it will heal. My last brutal assault is over!
My bestest friend is here from Maine, and we are having a blast. Drinkin wine at night, eating good food, and reminiscing. Today we go to another local sight, a lovely botanical gardens and thrift shopping after.
I cannot believe we have made it this far.
Ladyb, I still feel like an old lady too. We will get better
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Congrad's Bippy and all you gals finished or close to finishing. I don't feel like an old lady, I am an old lady! 72 at the end of April. Time flies when you aren't looking. Well there are perks. Here's the latest pic of my great granddaughter Valentina Jean. ..
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Precious picture, Z!
I had a good time on the cruise. It was great being with my cousin. I never left the ship. Had 2 massages and a facial...instead of adventures off ship. Still not much energy so had nice naps daily. Our room was a beautiful suite with even a jetted huge bathtub.
Gatamol...reading to catch up...it was all the staffs fault that you were late arriving at chemo....I would have been very upset and I don't have babies to get home to.
Why am I having more joint and bone pain on the Herceptin and Perjeta alone than when it was with the Taxotere? Some days are miserable. Does anybody have ideas?
My big toenail is horrible. It hurts so much. No pus or infection that I can see. Any tips for the pain. See Onco on Thursday and chemo-lite as I call it. Hopefully he can do something for my toenail. Some of my fingernails are affected also, but not so painful.
Missed you all while I was cruising. Wifi was expensive and very slow
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Beatmon, welcome home! I have two fingernails that hurt, one more than the other. I don't know about the joint pain. Maybe it's cumulative?
Jean, love that photo! She's adorable.
Bippy, way to go.
So glad you made it through all of your rads.Angie, I've been encouraged to keep up with my post-MX stretches through rads. So maybe the soreness/stiffness can be a SE?
Catie57, good to hear from you. I'm working on figuring out a regular exercise routine. I had to make myself a color-coded spreadsheet for each day to see when I could reasonably expect to go for a 15- or 30-minute walk. It's helped.
Eileen, why the D3 and calcium recs? No one has said anything to me yet about those.
windgirl, your posts made me laugh. Here are some extra exclamation points!!!!!!!
As for weight loss, I've actually lost weight over the past 2-3 weeks, and I'm not trying to. I think it might be related to being sick for so long. I'm at the point now where I'm trying to put some pounds back on, as my BMI fell out of the low normal range. Not good! I know, it's a "good" problem to have, but I'm trying to put weight back on through healthy foods while still walking, and it's been a challenge.
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I have been achy last week or so. My DH gave me a firm talking to. Exercise helps with aches and fatigue. It's just a matter of pushing myself off the couch and doing some. I know from past experience that exercise does make a difference. I will start slow with stretching and bands. I have been biking on and off but need to do it more. I always found that I have more aches when I'm inactive vs walking, stretching and moving. The chemo and rads set me back, but determined to get myself back and feeling good. That is my pep talk to myself and all the ladies of the group. Lol hope everyone feels better soon...
My son is leaving tmrw a.m. to go back to China. Going to miss him. He was home all of Feb, which was great.
DH and I heading to Turks and Caicos with another couple on Sat. We planned this during Chemo. It was nice having this vaca to look forward too
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cassiecat= I am a triple neg BC. Higher levels of Vit D supposedly prevent a recurrence. You are a triple positive. Completely opposite from me. Check it out on the triple positive discussion boards. This is where I got the info originally. Calcium is for bone strength. You need to take 600 mg twice a day. Cannot be taken at the same time. Has to be with magnesium and Vit D. You need that with the calcium for absorption.
Ladyb=hate to hear about your aches. Feel better soon. Hope they resolve soon too.
Beatmom=Your trip sounded fantastic. Something is worse than taxotere. Can't believe that. That was THE WORSE! UGH!!!!
Bippy= I love getting together with my good friends. So much fun.
Catie57. I found if I got up and put on my sneakers and got out I was able to exercise consistently. I live in Fl so I only had to open the front door. Then I walk 4 miles. Once I start I am ok. I listen to my ipod and sing the entire time. I feel so much better. I kept that up during chemo. I swear it helped. I did not walk as much and was super slow. I am now back at gym to lift weights 3 times a week. Start slow and make realistic goals. Three times a week for 10 minutes. You can do that!!!
Jean=CUTE BABY!!!
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Valentina is adorable0 -
gorgeous baby Jean !!!
2 weeks post Op tomorrow from bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction ( implants and alloderm) last drains came out Monday. Still quite sore mostly at bed time so sleeping in recliner and taking ativan.
Hair started coming back !!! No eyebrows still
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I have my last taxol next wed. These last ones are getting harder. Today, the day after, I generally feel really good with the steroids. Today I feel like I have the flu, exhausted, teary, very hard to care for the seven week old babies. But haven't been able to sleep yet. And I had a break for four weeks after taxol 4 before starting up again. You straight through 12 weekers must've felt absolutely awful for the last four or five. Got my first neupogen shot last week, hurt from about 24-48 hrs after in my spine. Such a strange pain...felt like my spine was being pulled out of my body, like predator, the movie. How'd you guys feel re taxol? Next wed is the last one, then I pack up my cold caps and get ready for surgery. I slept between cold cap changes last night. All these things I was going to do, like tasks I neede to get done online, did not happen. Think I have a bit of a problem not feeling "productive enough" during chemo! Maybe I need a shrink! (cross posting this from taxol board, as this one is busier...so sorry if you read twice!)
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cassiecat have you tried ensure shakes to help with gain? Or lots of cheese. I love cheese. And wine? And bread? Do you even feel like eating?
Beatmom did your toe hurt on your trip? Bummer, must've been hard to walk if so. I don't have nail pain, but got my first bad ingrown toenail last week, as this taxol is thickening the skin around my nail beds. At least I dodnt get an infection.
Jean.the baby is gorgeous! So much hair! How old is she? She seems so alert. Hugs to her! Nothing better
Catie57 exercise seems totally insumountable to me right now. Good for you for even thinking about it. If it really does help, maybe I'll try walking the French bulldog down to union square and back. It's a hard walk up the cable car line. Two and half blocks straight up. It's like a forty degree angle though (or it feels it)!
nurse shark! Two weeks post op already? How did you do? What about caring for the baby, when did you feel like you even could feed her or pick her up, change a diaper? I'm trying to get some part time then full time help lined up for the two weeks after surgery, but it's hard to find a good fit at a good price. Even at a high price! I swear I would work as a doula now with all mepy kid experience. Some are making $40 and hour during the daytime! Cash
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Bippy...so glad you are done! Can you beleive it? Well herceptin will counts, and tamoxifen...but the every day stuff is over. Maybe you can make an aquaphor hot dog with your armpit., tons of aquphor, then lots of big sterile dressings as a bun. I'm sorry I'm joking, it just seems awful. I'll be experiencing that new indignity come may I thin. Haven't met with RO or even know how many weeks I'm in for. I've been hearing about this shorter three week treatment time, but not sure if I'm a candidate. Won't find out until the path report is in. That's like five to six weeks away? My BS said that she may not do an ALND since my SN seemed to clear with the chemo (finally..post partum) but I'm sure that's just wishful thinking. It I'm in for it.
Maybe I'll have a glass of champagne tonight...you've inspired me! Even though I feel like what's inside the hundred diapers I change a day. It smells like a barn in my apartment right now
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Gatomal, I am hungry, but I don't think I'm eating enough. I don't have a very big appetite and get full quickly. I've been trying to eat more small meals throughout the day, but I think your suggestion of ensure or something is a good one. And I do love cheese! It's getting ridiculous though. I'm thinner now than I was while going through chemo! And I didn't have much in reserves.
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i somehow hit the link and removed this group from my favorites! I have pages to catch up on...I don't go to the actual boards much. I just get them all in my email and keep up that way... Ugggh....so happy belated birthday Cassie! I hope it was everything good and that 44 treats you well!
I guess I'll get caught up and I have my notifications on so I will be around more!
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Cassie, can we trade bodies for a bit...I'll fatten yours up and you can thin mine down! I know both problems are equally distressing. I thought it was impossible for me to forget to eat or not feel like eating until I went through Chemo... My dad weighs 150 and cannot make himself eat...been that way my whole life...I hope you can find something that helps you stop the weight loss train!
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Gatomal I still can't lift/carry baby I change diapers and feed bottles with help of lots of pillows. My mom is staying 24/7 until I'm cleared to lift him surgeon says probably 4 more weeks. I don't know what I'd do without her.
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gatomal, LMAO!!!! Hope you are feelin better soon. Surgery is scary.
So, I will share here cuz I was reprimanded by someone not to scare newbies on the rads board....my underarm had the feel and look of crispy chicken skin. It is now peeling, and so blackened skin sloughs off to reveal new, pink sensitive skin. Fun times! All throughout, it freakin hurts. And so pretty. My RO is on my chit list. BUT! He has never had a local recurrence in 35 years, so maybe his scorched skin policy is good in the long run. Trying to turn ball park franks into lemonade!
Nurseshark, take care.
We are off to enjoy our last day with our Maine friend and small party tonight here. Buh buh radiation tx!
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Bippy= My SIL gave me a soap for radiation fragile skin. Used to help heal the skin. I never needed it. So,it is unopened. If you send me your address I will be happy to send it to you. I used the cream version and my skin only had a very minimal pink tinged. You can always give it a try. It is all natural.
My BS told me yesterday no MRI in 6 months. I have no reason to warrant one. He says mammo every 6 months. Must be 3D. That is the only way my tumor was found. They told me the follow up mammo before sugery did not show my tumor. My original mammo which was 3d did show something. They also told me the radiologist who read the original mammo was the one to thank. She picked it up. I had sent her a git after I was diagnosed thanking her for having good eyes. So,all in all it really is the radiologist who is the key.
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