Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!
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How many Dead fans does it take to change a light bulb? None. They just let it burn out then follow it all over the country.
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Loving the Dead jokes!!
Southern I can't believe you look that good on infusion day!!
Tessu - def send him out again!
Jabe - good luck teaching tonight and hope the steroids don't mess with you too much
I'm finally feeling less foggy, this time was a doozy. Off to genetic counseling hoping to get insurance to cover it. I'm a facts person, I want to know what is going on with my body so I can make informed decisions.
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Southern - Another chemo round under your belt and negative genetic testing - huzzah!
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I think the general consensus is try to get decent food in, but eat what you can tolerate.
It's hard to really limit foods when so much makes you sick.
I've seen a nutritionist, talked to my doctors, I think they are just realistic about it, although they suggested protein and different ways to make sure I get enough. Honestly, if any of them prescribed a specific "eat this, not that" it wouldn't matter one bit because I can only eat certain things and it changes day to day.
After chemo seems to be when it is more realistic to address diet.
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It is after chemo where concern for diet is made, not during. You have to eat whatever you can keep down so no exclusions. After then yes, soy will be on my radar as will the processed stuff which is not just for cancer but all diseases/problems. I have bilateral osteoarthritis which means inflammation. So I will be looking at decreasing my garbage eating after chemo to help with this issue as well as potential for diabetes and heart issues that I have a chance of getting by being overweight alone. I think this dx is changing my thinking. Rather than saying f*ck it after chemo is done and keeping with my ways that I'm sure contributed to where I am today with too much crap foods, I'm going to do what I can not to get back in this boat. Too many recurrences it seems. Yeah, I know. Why am I reading the stage IV board? Well I'll be stage IV if the nodule in my lung disappears after chemo is over. Plenty of ladies over there that had stage I and didn't think recurrence would happen and a few years later here they are. So sad. While you can't totally prevent anything, you can decrease the chances even more by making healthier choices after chemo is done and you have your life back again. xo
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Oh, SouthernCharm that is AWFUL!!!! (and your meme is perfect!)
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gyno ultrasound found a tumor. Waiting to schedule yet another biopsy and surgery. I'm having it all taken out. I put my foot down and they finally agreed.
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I have also wandered over to the stage IV board, not sure why, except maybe it's part of processing and trying to understand as well as I have had too many people in my life with stage IV.
I also was sobered by the number of people who had stage 1 treated and had a recurrence years later as stage IV. I know it is important to have a positive outlook and not wring your hands constantly waiting for a recurrence, but at the same time I am glad I am at least more aware.
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Annie- I'm so sorry. Could it be a benign tumor? I will pray for you. I know how it is- I went through my own issue a couple of years ago. Perhaps if they had removed my uterus, the breast cancer would not have had anything to grow on.
Having "Round 2"- started to panic and breakdown when I saw the three vials of red coming towards me. Met with my MO who started to get concerned when I sobbed I didn't want to do this. The first round was worse than anything I have ever been through- nausea, vomiting, fatigue- just a feeling of my whole body in pain- a pain I have never felt before-mouth sores. The good news was that chest pain was probably from my bone marrow making new cells. I almost gave up on chemo today. I just hate being sick. I hate looking sick. I would take having my fingernails pulled out again if I didn't have to have chemo. I just want to get a real job and be able to be normal.
Now I have to get ready for my hair to finally start coming out. Whoopee! Got to get that wig I guess. Not looking forward to the next week of puking hell.
Southern Charm- I admit it took me a minute to recognize the abbreviation. Love it! I'll be there with you soon- bald and very unhappy.
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Southern - NONONONONONONO. OMG. Consider reporting that interaction to administration. I know that seems harsh, but seriously, that is NOT OKAY.
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Grey - I had the all-body pain/intense distress you describe after round 3. I sobbed for hours. It is awful and I am worrying a lot about round 4 next week.
Hang in there. Find resources. Continue to be honest about your feelings and your need for help. You are tougher than this treatment and you deserve to live.
We're all in this together: "Eyes on the finish line." xoxo
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Grey, I am so glad that you let your MO know how awful you were feeling. Glad also though that you went ahead and did it. You are tough. What Minnesota said.
So sorry Annie but glad you put your foot down.
(((((((((Hugs))))))) to all of you.
Octogirl
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For everyone worrying (or not worrying) about bacon and healthy eating and such...
I haven't eaten any red meat for more than 40 years. Didn't eat any meat at all until about 10 or so years ago, when I started eating poultry and some occasional seafood, mostly because I just missed it.
And for most of those 40 years, I've eaten as much organic and/or unprocessed food as possible. More than 60% at least. I prepare food with ingredients, and not mixes or out of jars. That sort of thing. I've tried to eat as healthy as possible as much as possible.
My big weakness is french fries. And I don't make my own because they stink up the house too much.
So I've been very health conscious and I still got breast cancer. Go figure.
The nurse practitioner who did my pre-chemo education said that the most important thing to eat, especially if you're having trouble eating, is protein. So if you can eat bacon right now, go for it!
Hmmm... maybe I should pick up a package of turkey bacon. Not the same, but not awful either!
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Annie: seriously? Was there a reason they chose to do the ultrasound (sorry, I'm being selfish and asking for my own benefit)? I am sending benign vibes your way and a big huge hug
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SORRY total brain fart. It's not cancer. It's causing trouble though with the apocalyptic bleeding. He's like well if the bleeding happens again we do a biopsy, but you are at higher cancer risk because you already have cancer. And I'm like how fast can you schedule surgery after chemo? Take it all out.
I got the ultrasound because of the bleeding. It was MEGA bleeding with HUGE clots. My period started 15 days late. Chemo made me not ovulate but had a big lining buildup that clotted then broke like a damn. Sorry if that's TMI. Went to the ER. Morons there did nothing. Got the internal and external ultrasounds today and so on.
I'm just tired inside and out.
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Annie-I am SO relieved! You still get the big hug as that royally sucks but I'm so glad it's not cancer
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I'm going to try and avoid all the future cancer I can. Chemo, rads, hysterectomy...I'll do everthing I can.
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Annie Im so relieved. I agree lets avoid future cancer at all costs. You girls are Angels. I am seeing kindness everywhere. Not usually the soppy type but god my friends and family have been amazing. Love to all Eyes on the Finish Line....not eyebrows though...
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So the gyno, Dr. O'Shae, who is an older doctor and a total lovey, tells me that back in the day before ports Adriamycin was given in your hand through IV. Not only did it ruin veins, but if it leaked into your tissue enough you had to have your arm AMPUTATED.
Ladies, we are blessed to live in a better age for cancer patients. Survival is so possible for most people and longer lives for those with advanced cancers is increasing more and more.
We suffer through chemo and surgeries, but we know it's worth it and gives us more future days.
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Annie- I am so happy it is not cancer. Neither was mine but I did have to have an urgent D&C (without insurance) to stop the bleeding. Finally a couple of months later my periods finally totally stopped.
I am parked at a rest station because on my drive home my vision has become blurry in one eye. I also had to get gas because I almost was out. I don't think round 2 is going to be a benign procedure. I am just so totally fatigued. And my mouth feels like I have been eating molten plastic.
Will need your help when my hair starts falling out in clumps. Told my doctor I think I need depression meds now. Feel not good.
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I stopped wearing the wig. I throw on a beanie and let'er rip. It's self conscious either way. Just be comfy. I've stopped wearing makeup too because my skin is so sensitive now. I'm embracing my chemo-hag!
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Annie- So sorry to hear about your continued plight. Makes me feel bad about whining about my delays in chemo. So glad it's not cancer and that you're going to have it taken out. My housekeeper used to bleed so much that she had to carry extra undies and pants with her at all times. It was that bad. She had the hysterectomy which was an outpt procedure and after 6 weeks of taking it easy, she was back to work cleaning houses. She feels so much better and is so happy not to have periods anymore.
I hope your husband pitches in more. I"m sorry but for those of you who don't have the most helpful considerate husbands, shame on them. I could never marry someone who wasn't like that no matter how much I loved him. WTH?
Grey- Good to see you are fighting and things seem to be going a little better for you. I know you are alone so I'm looking to you to carry the warrior torch ahead of me, paving the way for me to follow alone.
Southern- If this experience doesn't get me to change my lousy eating habits after chemo is over then nothing will! I know I've seen people who were marathon runners and vegans and they still got cancer. So I know it's not all about diet and exercise as if that was it then there's the cure right there. But so many factors play into it and that's why I think it's so hard to find the cure. My MO and chemo teach RN both said the first 72 hours drink like there's no tomorrow. Chemo works in your system for one hour only. After that, help it along to get it out which is about 48 hours to get out. Then keep drinking a lot to keep hydrated but start focusing on eating too.
Tomorrow is hump day so wishing you all a good hump day! xo
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Yes. You get the infusion and after an hour of it being in there, it's no longer active and it's done- which is one big reason they push to get the toxins out so quick- it's not working anymore after an hour so don't marinade in it.
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I can totally see why people get hooked on pain meds. It's like "hello Norco my old friend, please slay the nuelasta" then you're all like ahhhhhh.
I added mira lax to the daily mix. Tomorrow will reveal how the week will progress.
3 down 1 to go. Chemo has been the worst ever experience EVER. I'm over you chemo *shakes fist in the air*
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Annie: Your post that your US did NOT show cancer just made my morning!!! Yes!!!
And thank you for the "strong woman" post; I need that this chemo cycle. Losing too much time to headache again this cycle
Grey: I hope you can find the strength to continue with your chemo; it sucks that you are getting hit with so many bad side effects and have to deal with them alone (((((hugs))))) Chemo so much but is the best modern medicine has to help us fight this. I keep trying to remind myself that if the chemo is making me feel like hell, it is also making the cancer cells feel like hell, and that has helped a tiny bit. (So does crying.) Please try to hang in there.
I don't intend this as mean, so please don't take offense: Everybody's posts about how uncomfortable wigs and other hair pieces are have convinced me that it's ok to not feel up to going downtown to get one of my own right now. Maybe later, if the SEs from the next mix (CEF) aren't as bad as these Taxotere/Herceptin SEs. I sewed turbans (out of a white t-shirt and my old flowered "comfort shirt" that I had put into our recycle bag because the sleeves had shortened too much); I also have a cute cap from a friend in the States. Since I rarely go out in public, they're enough
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tessu- I thought I would be wearing a wig a lot but I don't. I wear my halo most of the time and only wear mymore pricey wig out when I care more. My husband said he completely understands because he would hate to wear a hat all of the time now with hair.
I actually wore my nice wig out this last Saturday and now my head broke out in basically pimples and it hurts. It might be a coincidence. Maybe my scalp doesn't like the shampoo I am using.
I had my second shot of Lupron a week and a half ago. My first month I had zero side effects. Now I am SUPER irritable/emotional. I HATE it. I am pretty chill most of the time and the littlest things are annoying me. Throughout all of this I haven't cried too much until recently.
I also miss my hormones and sex drive. Between weaning and this damn shot I was feeling back to normal. Now I feel broken. No sex drive and I might as well be the Sahara desert. My husband gets it but he doesn't.
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Oh and also my MO office has a bowl of candy out at the desk and some candy by their snacks in their infusion room. For some reason this drives me insane. Sweets are my weakness and something I am trying to get away from. I have never put any thought into candy dishes in different offices. Some reason though a cancer doctor's office having a candy dish doesn't seem right. Especially if sugar does feed cancer. It is like a dentist office having candy to me.
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TFOXY the MO wants to put me on lupron. I talked to the gyno about it. It's basically giving you prolonged menopause symptoms for as long as you're on it. That was a big factor for me deciding to just take out the ovaries. It's once, you do the menopause, it's over. Lupron also costs thousands of dollars per shot.
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Annie- I will only be on Lupron for 3 or 4 months. They are giving it to me to attempt to protect my ovaries to prserve fertility. I don't know if I will be able to use that fertility bit just in case. I am wondering if Tamoxifen will come with mood swings too. Down the road I am going to decide if I am going to stop Tamoxifen and just get my ovaries out.
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