Starting chemo August 2014
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Amy= Yeah you!!!!! Great news congratulations!!. You can breath a little easier.
Jean= Good luck. Hope everything goes well and you can proceed. I hate the waiting.
My radiation got put on hold again. Third time. WBC's my MO says is dangerously low. So,I got another neupogin shot and they will redraw tomorrow. If it is ok I can go back to radiation. I only have 6 more boost left. I feel like this will never end. I asked my MO if I'm going to be dead in a month and I'm too stupid to know that. He just smiled. He says this is all due to chemo and having radiation follow. Do others have this problem? I have not seen it on the boards. My counts were always low even before BC. Chemo keeps giving.
My big check up with my next mammo is in 2 weeks. I am not anxious as of yet. Just a side. My insurance denied a claim of testing my tumor that was removed for rate of growth. Fish score. Said not necessary in treatment or dx of BC. Really!! I have not gotten a bill for that yet. I will appeal.
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Great news, Amy!!! Woo hoo!!! And no rads? More good news!
SweetHope, good advice for those who come after us!
Jean, I hope things stay on schedule for you.
Eileen, I'll be curious to see what my blood counts do during radiation. One would think it wouldn't do the same damage as chemo, but this whole journey is confounding at times. Sorry you've been delayed.
And stupid insurance! That crap makes me see red.I was back to work today - yahoo! I'm tired, but it was so good to be back in my element, with my kids.
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Got the herceptin / perjeta scheduled next Tuesday, surgery on Thursday February 19th. Love, Jean
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amy, YES!!!! How great it must be to done and NED. I am thrilled for you!
Jean, good that you are on schedule. Sooner to be done that way!
Cassie, enjoy your work lady. I am jealous!
Eileen, they never mention my wbcs, I should ask. Hope yours get back up real soon! So you can finish dis chit.
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Thanks. I am grateful to only have surgery posponed for a week and my wonderful sister who is posponed g her trip to sunny Florida to take care of me after surgery. I am truly blessed. Love, Jean
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Hello Ladies! I'm behind on reading posts again, but wanted to throw this out real quick- I just ran across this webinar series on FB and went out & registered for all 8 sessions. I hadn't heard of this Web site, but seems like it might have been useful before now... Web site is called Cancer + Careers. Here is a link to the Balancing Work & Cancer webinar series: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/community/events The 1st session is tomorrow and the topic is Health Insurance Options.
I'm going to start looking for a new job pretty soon, one way or another. I am increasingly dissatisfied with my current employer (just in general, not related to Dx), although my immediate supervisor has been great through this whole experience. I was putting out feelers before Dx, but then stopped looking b/c I needed to keep the insurance. Also, it's bid time, and if we don't win our bid with the state, I will most likely be out of a job at the end of June anyway. This is the 1st time in 8 years I'm actually worried about it, I have so little faith in this new company that bought us...
Hope everyone is doing well!
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Strongenough=Nice to hear from you again. Good luck job hunting.
I'm back in radiation. My counts are up after neupogin shot. Five more rounds. Just want this to be over. My MO told me my bone marrow will be compromised for a long time due to chemo and radiation. So, I now carry anti microbial hand lotion. Really careful in crowds and being near people who are sick. Oh well, I can do that. Anything is better than chemo. This is easy stuff.
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strong enough, good to see you and glad to know that you're thinking of us and moving on.
Way to go Eileen! I can't wait to get the rads over with either.
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Hello, StrongEnough! Nice to hear from you, and good luck with the job stuff.
Eileen. glad you are almost done - yay.
Jean, so glad to hear your sister can be with you.
I start rads on Thursday. I'm nervous about it, but ready. Day 1 is one day closer to being done with it. I've also been battling a head cold for going on two weeks almost. So while my WBC counts were really good last time I had them checked, I can't help but wonder why I can't shake this cold. Normally I don't really get sick. After all my years in classrooms, I feel like I've been exposed to everything! It's annoying because a) I don't feel good and b) it interrupts my sleep when I can't breathe through my nose. I think if I didn't have this cold I'd be feeling pretty good, all things considered.
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AMY! Amazing! I would just weep with relief! Good luck tomorrow.
Jean...so sorry for your shingles. I wanted to get the singles shot, but my MO said not while pregnant. I'm worried about the chemo triggering it. It must be so painful. Does anything bring relief? I remember my mom used zostrix which is the hot pepper capsacian or however it's spelled. But that seems crazy? Hope that you are not delayed.
I went to consult with the plastic surgeon who will be doing a lift and reduction to match lump side. I am really anxious to get right breast tissue to pathology as well, just to see if there is any Cancer there. It will be a relief to have that over with. Probably seven weeks away. I'm still scared though.
Yes, I've been cold capping and the thread is active, so if anyone has any questions, check that out, or PM me. AC seems like an eternity ago.
My one toddler has been so needy for mommy today it's nuts! Screaming tears when I leave the room. It's been quite a day here, but we are winding down. Calgon, take me away
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Cassie...good luck with rads. I'm sure I will be scared when the time comes, but we are all here holding your hand!
My counts look good too, but my csection wound got infected and I'm on heavy duty antibiotics. I'm sure it's the chemo weakening us, even though our counts "look fine". Phooey!
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finished 2nd Rad today. Posted my experience on the RAD thread. The female substitute RAD tech ticked me off today and I let it be known. My center assigns a team of techs to you for your entire treatment plan. I have two males and 1 female. My first appt yesterday was great and caring. My regular female tech was off today and the substitute did not have a good beside manner and I made it known I didn't care for it. Got an apology from the team.
Cassie, how is work? Good luck with RADs
Cathie, how was the celebration!
Strongenough, glad to hear from you. I will check out the webinar.
Ellen, so glad your blood count is doing better. Interesting as I asked RO about blood work during RADs and she said they would only do it if needed.
Amy! Yes all Done. So happy for you on the results and being done!
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Amy, wonderful news! So happy for you.
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ladyb= I do not think they draw blood for rads. However, I wanted t go to the dentist as I go every 4 months because I have a problem with my mouth ph. It had been 8 months as I could not go during chemo. The dentist would not see me if my counts were low. So,they had me get blood work and since then the nightmare has begun. I am sorta glad I got is done as now I am super careful knowing my counts are so low. I have no symptoms at all from low counts.
Gatomal=Good luck with future surgeries. Chemo seems like a long time ago. A bad dream.
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ladyb...good for you for speaking up. Most folks that are in health care are great, some are jerks. You have a right to complain and put those jerks on notice that you won't tolerate it. Glad the team apologized. Those bad apples should shape up or ship out. There is one scheduler that is such a B@&$ that she made me cry with frustration during AC chemo. But yesterday I was feeling stronger and told her off. In a nice way. Like "you know, you should try and be more of a facilitator for patients instead of saying that's not my job" she is clueless, and didn't get it. I complained about her today, and will do so again to her boss.
Hugs to you.
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Cassie I had a cold that started 2 weeks before rads. I was not even worried since rads was 2 weeks away but the damn thing stuck around for a while. I was still sniffling during my first few rads. Oh and it was tough while I was on the rads table trying not to move, and I would feel my nose running. Luckily I did not drip!
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windgirl, yes! I am worried about either dripping or being so congested, lying flat out, that my sinuses are going to kill me!
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ladyb, you GO woman. i will not tolerate it either, from medical workers. They belong somewhere else.
My rads are ok, only 7 more. I recommend Lidocaine rx for pains. I am sunburned, no doubt. Also, I use a gel ice pack to cool it down. Works great and sucks the heat right out. Yeah, my pit is gettin hit with hot and cold.
major breakdown last night, at least my tear ducts work.
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Amy, congrats on being DONE!
Cassie, rads are really nothing compared to chemo. Even if you do get some of the worse SE, they are nowhere near as bad as the chemo SE. I got radiation dermatitis, very, very itchy rash and nothing seemed to take the itch away. Rx steroid cream helped somewhat. But all in all, the weeks flew by and I was suddenly... finished! I got the sunburn also, and very dark spots underboob, but that peeled off and is gradually lightening again. And silver lining - a few weeks after I finished, my incision scar peeled and now looks so much better! You will do fine tomorrow, and it's all downhill from there.
I had 35 treatments, 25 full breast & 10 boost. I never had blood drawn during radiation. I did get tired at the beginning and at the end, but the beginning might have been b/c I only waited 2 weeks after last chemo to start. I have another followup with RO in April, and she wants me to get a mammogram before then. That scares the hell out of me. I really don't want to do it. For one thing, it's going to hurt. My lumpy boob is still sore and full of scar tissue. I can't even think about getting it squished. I'm also scared to death something else will show up (even though my original lump never showed up on a mammogram)... I've been preaching to a coworker (who has a history of melanoma and just turned 40) that she must go get a mammogram. Now I get why she doesn't want to.
I started exemesate (generic Aromasin) in January and got a rude surprise when I went to get it refilled this month... My new insurance includes Rx under the deductible and 30 exemestane tablets cost $361! So I will have to pay that until I reach my $2000 deductible, then I will pay 20%, $72/month. Outrageous! When I picked this insurance plan, I had no idea what meds I would be on so had no way to check this. If I had, I would have chosen a different (more expensive) plan. For this month, I used a GoodRx discount card & got it for $257, which is still bad, but a little less bad. But every time I don't use the insurance, it doesn't go against the deductible, so I'm shooting myself in the foot, costing myself more money in the long run. Not sure what I will do next month...
I am getting my energy back, but strength & stamina is lagging. I've been walking 4-5 times a week, 3-4 miles, and it's not as easy as it used to be. My joints are still very stiff and sore, and the exercise seems to make it worse, but the doc said walking is the best thing, so I will keep on truckin'. Also starting to take some supplements for joint health and inflamation from Melaleuca. I've lost 2 lbs. since I stared 4 weeks ago. Hoping they start falling off faster soon.
My hair is coming in good, pretty thick and even all around, but it is ALL GREY! I only had 2 spots of white before, which are still there, but now the rest is grey, there is no denying it.
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strongenough= Yes, rad are so much easier than chemo. I have 4 left to go and basically had no SE. My hair is coming in and it is pure white. So,my BF and I dyed it last week. I am now a light strawberry brown. It is about 1/4" long.
As for insurance. YUCK!! I chose a really expensive insurance because I got killed in 2014 with deductables. I now pay $809.00/month with $1800.00 my max pay out. Drugs are free. I feel I am now working to pay for my health insurance. I could go on for hours how messed up the health insurance industry is. Being in the health field the waste we spend is incredible. Ok I will not get started.
Glad you are doing so well. I get my mammo on Feb 26. I am not freaked at this point. May they come back CLEAR.
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Here I am checking off one of the items on my bucket list. Yes,me and Henry Winkler. I am the one in the scarf.
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Eileen, how beautiful you are and how wonderful to have met Henry Winkler. Love, Jean
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Eileen...did you give the the message of thanks you wanted to? I bet he was very touched! Great job
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You look great by the way!
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So great! I'm happy for you, Eileen.
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Eileen, that's awesome and you look wonderful!
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Thank you for all the kind words. I have always said I am the lowest highest maintenance girl there is. Meaning I am vain about my appearance yet,try not to be over done. I have shared I am a botox and facial fillers addict. It is like crack cocaine. Just got my hit 2 weeks ago. Thank god my counts were ok.So, I needed to read those words. I feel so frumpy.Henry was wonderful and very grateful. He took my letter and put it under his chair for later. Also, my son sketched a picture of him. Henry is all about being the best you can be and NEVER relying on anybody to boost you up. You can do and be anyone you want to be. He had VERY non involved and actually boardline emotionally abusive parents. They only paid attention to him when he became famous. Even at his age and with his fame. The blueprint on how you were raised never leaves.
3 more rads and I'm DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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awww, Eileen. It is great to scratch that off I bet!
I was just over on the rads board bitching. We have seven treatments left but I'm so over all of it but I just want to quit. The doctor talked me out of it though. Yup! i wanted to quit chemo too. I suppose I have issues with closure.......
Anyway, back to cooking I am. Making beef stew in crock, yes I seared the beef and precooked the veggies in butter! Another job interview tomorrow and I am NOT wearing my wig. It is at the point of me either being a comingout lesbian or a very short, chic, brave cut. No one has the balls or the surety now to ask if I had cancer. Ha!!! Let them guess. Just going to dust off the interview skills, maybe enjoy making them uncomfortable if it takes that turn.:). I am feeling a tad evil
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Go for it Bippy! I was just saying that when I get another inch or so of hair, the assumption won't automatically be, "Oh, she's had cancer" anymore. I'll just look like a cool chick with an edgy hair cut.
That's what I tell myself, anyway.I posted an update on the winter rads board, but things went well today. Much better than last week. I had my first treatment and have (most likely) 34 left. My RO told me not to count them. But I had to see where that takes me. Last one? April Fools Day. Ha.
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Eileen, awesome and you look wonderful! I hope that after Henry reads the letter that he reaches out to you. Almost at the end, YaY!
Bippy, so funny. Let me guess and I dare them to ask. Or the wrath of Bippy may surface. LoL.
Cassie, so funny April fools. Just give them one of those I dare you stares on that day and say this is the last one right, right!
Strongenough, whoa! That is a lot.
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