Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!
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yay skittle. Congrats🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
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cinque I gained about 6 lbs total during chemo. Most of it was after taxol #1 when I was pumped with max steroids. I lost some of that weight gain finishing taxol. After chemo I have lost an additional 8lbs 1 month and am now thinner than I was at dx. I still have a way to go to get to a healthier weight. But I started changing my eating habits and now have a more plant based diet. Thing is since the beginning of Jan I am just not hungry. I actually have to force myself to eat. It's like ac all over again without the nausea.
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Congrats Skittle and everyone who is finishing up this nasty chemo! Skittle, my BS is like yours. He moves fast and wants to do surgery right at three weeks from my final chemo so it's gonna be the 29th of this month. That's a few days after my first Herceptin alone infusion. I really hope I'm not going to be the oddball and have SEs from it. Everyone on my team seems to think Herceptin will be a breeze. Right now I'm having SEs almost as bad as my first chemo. Stupid hemorrhoids from the poopers again! My cough isn't helping either.
I really want to say thanks to everyone here. I honestly don't know how I would have made it this far without the honest and candid conversations here. I will be forever grateful. Thanks everyone!
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Anyone else having Treatment Fatigue?
After 17 weeks of chemo, I am tired tired tired. And I have surgery and six weeks of radiation (and radiation SEs!) and years of AIs (and AI SEs!) to go.
I'm exhausted and discouraged and grumpy. Ugh. Tell me it's worth it. Cause I'm not feelin' it.
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It's worth it Lisa! I'm tired of the waiting and waiting personally. Waiting 3 weeks to get chemo now, waiting to do the CT scan afterwards to see about that lung nodule, waiting to get these tissue expanders out and perm implants in then some kind of hormone pill for years. That's how I'm tired, not physically thankfully. But we all have people relying on us to get through and be a part of "life" again with them. My family doesn't know except my bro. They all think I had a relapse with generalized anxiety of 5 year ago and need to be alone. This hiding biz makes me tired too. Thankfully none of them live here so it's not easy for me to get busted. We can't let cancer win. I have the 5 year and out and 10 years and out thread book marked as people reach their milestones, and I sure can't wait to add mine in there in the future.
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Minnesota_Lisa - I have serious treatment fatigue. Here we are at the beginning of the year and I'm looking at likely September to be recovered from surgeries, and that's if I don't have to go back to work for awhile first. There is so little I can do between the chemo and the tissue expanders, and the pre-existing joint and nervous system issues which have been exacerbated by Taxol.
We are facing impossible choices: more taxol at the risk of permanent debilitating neuropathy; radiation of the axillae after ALND at the risk of permanent debilitating lymphadema. I am just hoping that the years of AIs don't take too much more from us, as we have all lost so much from our lives already. I keep telling myself that staying alive is most important and everything else will just have to work out. We will see as the neuropathy gets worse...
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Artista and inSF - Thank you. Just came off an epic crying jag and am taking your words and fellowship to heart. Thank you again.
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And wouldn't you know this would show up in my Twitter feed moments later....
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Minnesota_LisaFR -
I hear ya on the Treatment Fatigue, thank you for giving it a name. I think we were lock step on the weekly Taxol, sorry to hear about the neuropathy. Possibly the MN winter contributes to our fatigue here in MN. Its been so cold i haven't wanted to leave the house! We will get through this as we do each MN winter, with a beautiful summer awaiting us. And I love that we all have each other to lean on.
-Here2win
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MNLisa- It's worth it and you are worth it!!!! Of course you feel fatigue. You are entitled to. You have been through the ringer. A good cry may be just what you needed. Someone wise said we should allow ourselves time to grieve and be angry now and then. I do find it strange that somehow I feel a bit better after a cry. I hope you are feeling better, too.
I agree that this waiting thing we do messes with our lives. I have lived the past several months planning around treatments, side effects, appointments, etc. Now that I am past he worst of it (AC and T), I am going to try to live my life like I used to - making plans and looking toward the future. I will try to think about treatments/appointments like other appointments I have had- say for a haircut or a manicure - and stop living my life around them. I am going to try to stop putting my "normal" life on hold like I have these past months. Does this make sense at all? This is a new revelation for me. 😳
You are almost done with Taxol!!!! Huge milestone! I hope you will be proud and look ahead with knowledge that the worst is behind you. Here2win is right- a thawing spring is just what we need. It's right around the corner.
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Hi Lisa
Treatment fatigue had me depressed in bed for two days this week. My calendar used to have fun things booked in now its got doctors appointments. It seems like we've been doing this forever. I feel more posirive today but I expect feeling all over the place for quite some time. I think we're all normal and most people in our situation would feel the same.
Keep pushing through we all have to do this because the world would be a much darker place without us around we are totally awesome.
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One positive: Today I had my heart function measured by ultrasound by the same private cardiologist I went to between Taxotere/Herceptin and the CEF chemo (because the hospital doesn't consider it necessary to measure as often as in the States). My getting out of breath walking just half a block had me worried. Well, my ejection fraction is essentially the same (low normal) --- didn't drop significantly ---which qualifies me for the Herceptin treatments. My body is just extremely out of shape from "just sitting around" since summer --- and from being blasted full of chemo. He wrote me an exercise prescription I can live with, and is pretty confident that I CAN rehab back to my pre-BC active self. Best news I've gotten in ages
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Thanks, HeretoWin! I'm in a better place this morning and focusing on the beautiful summer to come. Hang in there - the days are getting longer....
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This male pattern baldness duck-down thing is bizarre. I really don't feel like it's coming in up top other than some stubble that doesn't grow. I think I may shave it all off and see if it is about to start coming in a little more evenly...
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Hey - has anyone heard from AnnieB?
I was just thinking about her. She hasn't posted here in a while..
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I pmed Annie she says she's is doing well with radiation and hanging in there.
What is everyone's thoughts about continuing to post after chemo. Does it bother those of you still in chemo? I know that I am 9 months into all this I don't want others to feel bad because I complain about surgeries and such while chemo was so much worse.
How do the ladies doing rads and surgery feel about continuing posting? I mean not to be crude but this whole treatment process is a sh=%% sandwich at times. The process of getting ones life back ok and on track is part of that too. I think that is why do many have PTSF after this. No one really understands unless they have been there and gone through it.
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As one of those who will still be plugging through chemo for awhile, I really hope all the chemo graduates continue to post. You ladies have been so important and helpful for me - I would miss everyone!
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I've had my bmx surgery, I've had my chemo and have had 7 of 28 treatments of radiation. My next surgery will be reconstruction at a date yet to be determined. I hope that it will be done by the end of the year. I don't have much time to overthink things and just take it day by day.
Chemo was horrid and the radiation, while not as bad, isn't much fun as it requires my going every day. I have yet to suffer any real SE's from rads but I'm sure they'll be coming.
My biggest issue now (can you believe it) is my hair, brows and eyelashes. The hair is just peach fuzz with a few bristles showing up. My brows and lashes bailed after chemo was done so now I'm on hair and brow/lash watch. I'm so impatient...I want it all back NOW!!!
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I'm in chemo until March 1. I'd love to continue reading how everyone is doing in their journey where ever you are in it. Plus, we can offer tips that may help since we are all in different phases.
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I think we all share a great kinship of sisterhood. I believe we still should check in on one another through all phases of treatment. Just my 2 cents. I like encouraging on those in different areas of their recovery and dealing with bc and hearing everyone's stories. It helps to feel less alone.
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to those waiting and wishing on hair growth it really takes off after 2 weeks. Biotin helped a lot. And the top of my head was pretty shiny until this week. I do look like I have male pattern baldness still but there is hair there which is a good thing. I am finally starting to see dark hair. I did think about buzzing it off at 2 weeks when I saw the colorless and grey/white hair, but I couldn't think about doing the buzz again. Just too hard mentally. I'm glad I waited. And being patient is tough, but there def is hair there.
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I'm finding my taste buds come pretty well 2 weeks out from chemo, now that I'm on an every 3 week protocol with Taxotere- so I've been enjoying some of the foods better---just in time for #2 of 4 on Tues.
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I too would like to keep up with everyone even though I don't post that often. I do read everything. I typed a long response an hour ago and thought it posted but it disappeared!
Lisa, I agree about the Taxol fatigue. gets me down too as I am usually so darn energetic! I just had Taxol #8 after skipping a week due to neuropathy. My MO reduced the doseage this week so we will see what happens. Really hard for me to type an I keep dropping things. I was glad to hear your MO stopped your treatment early Lisa. Sounds like if we get at least 9-10 treatments in the MOs are comfortable stopping.
Hair, duck down fuzz or what ever it is that is growing on my head is welcome! I am eager to see what this white stuff does...curly, turn dark? Mixed colors? Guess it will be a surprise!
Shopgal glad to hear Biotin seems to help too.
Congrats to those finished with chemo! Wishing all of you a time for peace and relaxation this weekend even if it means hiding in the closet which I sometimes do!
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HI ladies,
I'm 2 weeks PFC. How much Biotin do you take? I'm thinking I'll try it out.
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I also read every day even if I am not actively posting....
Now 8.5 weeks PFC, finished with both chemo and rads, yay, and just now starting to see signs of hair..but that said, I am with Shopgal even though my hair seems to be taking longer: I couldn't bear to shave it now! I am having to exercise tremendous patience but I am seeing progress every day.
Hugs to all
Octogirl
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edwsmom I take natures bounty hair, skin, and nails vitamin that says 3000 mcg of biotin on the front of the bottle. I took that first and saw a lot of growth. Then I switched to a regular 1000 mcg biotin vitamin. When I was taking the lesser dose it seemed like my hair was not growing as fast. Then I switched back to the higher dose which helps with growing out the taxol dark lines on my nails. Also my brows and lashes are coming back better with the higher dose.
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shopgal do you just have a bottle of biotin?
I was taking a hair skin and nails combo and I didn't like the kind of folic acid in it( synthetic). Right now I disolve two packets of gelatin in hot water and drink it with Tang. It seems to help with nails,hair and my gut that is still recovery.
When I finally get the ok after surgery I am going to take
Wheat germ oil ( natural vitamin E) and
2T ground flax seed in yogurt ( heard that was good to prevent recurrence)
Fish oil
1 cup Broccoli sprouts ( very easy I just sprout them in a mason jar)
Maybe the "Hair skin and nails" vitamins again.
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Exercise I do just have a single bottle of biotin 1000 mcg. I also have a bottle of Natures Bounty Hair,Skin,& Nail that has 3000 mcg of biotin in it.
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I hope everyone who feels moved to do so continues to post. I have gotten tremendous and valued insight into my near future from your reports from PFCLandia!
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I agree that we should keep posting! We've been through the fire together, even though we are at different stages of the journey. Personally I find it very helpful to know what the experiences are of the sisters who are ahead of me. And I can't imagine not knowing what happens with all of you. 💚
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