Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!
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HUGE happy tears for fidget and Southern!! I am thrilled for you both!!!!
Thanks, Shopgal, for talking me down. I have to let myself trust my MO's experience and judgment... though I'm keeping off my feet as much as possible to ensure I'm as healed as possible. I'd like to get at least one more (or two at a lower dose, whatever) before calling it quits. 11 feels better than 10.
Lisa, I'm so glad you got 11 under your belt and that you are at peace with your decision. Rock on, girlfriend!!
Mom... good luck with the surgery! I'm sure you're in very good hands.
OH MY WORD, I'm just so overjoyed for our pCRs!!!!! I'm praying that for myself.
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Southerncharm what wonderful news Im so happy for you.
Lisa no more chemo.....Im so glad its been such a long time and its behind you now.
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Amy - Do trust your provider's judgment and experience. You will be fine regardless of how many treatments you end up completing. You've already been through a TON of infusions and stress, and that counts for a ton. Keep us updated!
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MN_LIsa congrats on being done with chemo!!!
Fidget Southern- that is awesome news!!! I hope to join you!!!
Good luck with rads Annie and Lindy!
I missed all of you so much! It's good to be back and hear all this great news. Thanks for all the good wishes, I'm going to listen to my guided imagery and affirmations tonight and tomorrow morning before I go to the hospital. I'm ready for some new perky boobs LOL!! I asked the PS today if he could make them a little droopy to match my age and he said most women want the boobs of a 20yo. I know he was cracking up inside or just thought I was nuts.
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Congratulations Southern and Fidget! So nice to hear some good news.
You, too, Lisa. It's great to be PFC. Hope your neuropathy clears up asap.
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mLisa yay for no more chemos🎉🎉🎉
Fidget and southern huge congrats on PCR!
Lindy & Annie I also 1/2 way thru rads, I am at 14/25 whole breast and then 5 boosts.
Mom2 sending good wishes for an easy surgery and recovery to you.
Amy I hope you are resting and taking it easy. It's tough thinking about what if. Esp about if we reduce dose or stop early. I had pretty bad bladder neuropathy on taxol and was stressed about it being permanent. I was conflicted about doing my last DD even at a reduced dose. MO let it be my choice whether to stop or go ahead and it was a hard decision to make.
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Fidget and Southern - your wonderful PCR news brought tears to my eyes!
mom2boo - I'm with you; I don't want the boobs of a 20 year old either. At my age that would just be weird. I will, however, be happy to have the boobs of a 30 something...
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Best news to wake up to with my morning coffee is hearing about all of you with PCRs!!! Yay!!!!
MN-Lisa: Yay for PFC! Sounds like stopping chemo now is wise. I suspect that the full set of chemo treatments may be a bit of overkill, because so many patients need to stop a bit early because of serious SEs but they still do very well. You've probably gotten more than enough poison in your body to kill off the cancer
I hope your neuropathy starts to heal once the last of the drugs have flushed out of your system ---- it's taking its sweet time, but my neuropathy (and other SE crap) has been progressively easing, especially since 4 weeks PFC (I'm now at 5 weeks PFC) Southern that post is beautiful. I'm saving it and might try to make a craft project with that quote
Hoping everybody else's neuropathy also starts healing fast (((hugs))) and that this week'schemo, rads, and surgery go well. Hugs to everybody (((((hugs)))))
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Fidget's post about her conversation with her MO reminded me of my experience with Perjeta
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LOL! TriplePositveP that shirt says it all for me! Ugh, so glad that part is over, but boy all that pooping was worth it! I can't remember if I told you all about the story my MO told me about the woman who threw up the whole time on chemo, then when she ran into her MO 6 months later in the mall, it all came back and she tossed her cookies right there in the store. I just looked at him and asked him to please ignore me outside of his office. LOL. We laughed so hard when he realized me pooping my pants if I saw him would not be a great hello.
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Hi there. I gave up on cancer treatment so I just wanted to say "goodbye". Not seeing any MDs anymore so I can't contribute to the talk. My MO just pissed me off one day- it was enough. Just stopped going. No one called to see if I was ok. Just didn't care. So I don't care. Have a great life!
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Congratulations Southern Charm!
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Oh Grey. I was afraid that's what happened to you. I'm so sorry you couldn't connect with a more compassionate medical team. I hope it's not too late for you to find a way to continue treatment. Please don't give up!
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Grey - I have thought about you so many times. Please don't give up, please find an MO you can work with. Treatment is horribly tough. But you're worth it. We care about you.
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Popping back in to say, last chemo was yesterday! All done! Made it 12/12 Taxol (Doc cut the dose on the last few by 20% to get me through). EVERYBODY was there on the last day. SCCA has really impressed me. (It was a coincidence, but still). Every chemo nurse that I had regular visits with was there and came to wish me happy trails. My oncologist happened to be on clinic rotation that night and came to see me (and make sure I got my Lupron shot). Hugs all around! So happy!
Tonight: Flight to Hawaii. Any special requests? I'm doing a victory (swim) lap for every infusion and every person requests 1 lap in their honor. Y'all have been so supportive.
We had the "next" conversation: 6 weeks radiation after a month break, on to Tamoxafen for at least a year (preferably 2). Then Baby (hopefully!).
The wait staff at Joey's was excited too. Can you tell?
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Woohoo!!!! Super congratulations, DLcygnet! You made it!!! Hope you enjoy a fabulous vacation in Hawaii --- you've earned it!!!
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Yesterday afternoon I braved up and went downtown to meet a half dozen local BC women for tea. I've chatted a bit through the FB group, but this was the first time I'd met them face-to-face. I've decided to force past my shyness and take active steps to make new friends and have other things in my life than just work and keeping the home going, so this was a start. One woman just had her biopsy and is waiting for results --- I wanted to hug her... Another is free of disease ten years out from her second BC (and was one of the first local Herceptin patients) ---- that gives me hope.
And this evening I had to ask my husband to sniff the chicken stir fry I was making, because I swore it smelled like fresh dog poop.....my taste buds are recovering from chemo, but my nose is still taking its sweet time....oh, the food was fine (luckily).
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Got deported today and then had a meeting with my RO to discuss the next phase. I like her a lot and she was very encouraging. Told me I was done with the hard part so I hope she's right!
Moving along, but still quite the journey ahead. Sigh.
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Luzeeelu You are far far ahead of me and inspiring. Thank you. (Hope we're both through with the "hard part"!) You've got this.
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Thanks, Lisa. I'm really not all that far ahead of you!
Southern, the spot has gotten a bit sore this evening, so maybe you can wait a bit!
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DL Cygnet: woohoo! Let the recovery begin!
Luzeelu: congrats on the deportation! I was deported two weeks ago, and life on the other side is good.
Tessu: glad you enjoyed your FB group. Your sense of smell should come back soon
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DLcygnet yay on finishing chemo! 🎉🎉🎉 enjoy Hawaii.
Luzeelu happy deportation to you
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hi ladies!
Congrats, Lisa, on finishing. Xo.
BRCA sister, Lisa, have a most fabulous trip to Hawaii! Def swim a bit for the mutants.
Grey, I hope things improve. I'm sorry you aren't finishing treatment, but I respect that it's your choice to make. May God work a miracle for you.
Lots of change here. Our nanny quit for a family with an unlimited budget. The twins started k3 and love it! I'm home with my son until I go back to work 2/29. Over the worst of the flu and neuropathy but not feeling good still. Lingering cough, eyebrows still falling out and hair is growing in much lighter and sparse. Kinda look like an alien. Start rads next week, 33 zaps. Start lymphedema PT next week. Busy, busy. Love to you all!
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congrats, luz! I'm keeping my port another year but will NOT be sad to see it go. It looks like a place where I can communicate with the mothership. 👽
Made my first future plans. A horseback riding birthday party in April.
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Nail problems
:I am now 5 1/2 weeks PFC and I think I'm losing my left big toe nail --- no signs of infection, but the nail area is sore and the nail itself is dark and stopped growing longer a couple weeks ago
Left thumb nail starting to look the same I had been hoping SEs would be over once chemo was over, but I guess not But: I've been taking anastrasole (Arimidex) AI for a week and a half without any of the horrible SEs mentioned in those threads here (unless tiredness is from that --- I've been chalking that up to mild anemia and continued but improving sleep problems). So I guess things even out
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Anyone else having bizarre dreams?
During chemo I stopped dreamimg, and especially during the last three doses (CEF). I couldn't sleep more than 2-3 hrs a night, even with sleeping pills. Now for the past couple of weeks, I've finally been able to sleep longer, without any pills except melatonin --- and I've started dreaming again,with a vengence! Not actually nightmares, just crazy stories that make no sense at all once I wake up. Brain is still very foggy (short term memory and concentration difficulties) but luckily is slowly improving.
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Tessu - Sorry about your nail problems. But it's great that you're sleeping better!
My fingernails became dark red (never black) and they are still tender 10 days PFC. But they are starting to lighten at the cuticle, so maybe they are starting to grow back in normally. I did have one toenail that went black and loose.
Like you, I'm sleeping better. I reminded myself yesterday that feeling worse on chemo was a long, slow sawtooth down. Recovering will be a long, slow sawtooth up and not every day will be better than the previous day. And I've reconciled myself to how long it's really going to take for hair to return: many months more than I had hoped.
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MN Lisa, so glad you made it through Tax#11! I will have #12 on Tues at a reduced dose. Neuropathy not good but I think I can make it through. Are you continuing with Herceptin?
Gosh, not checking in for a few days and there is so much to catch up on!
HUGE Congrats to Fidget and Southern! We all can't wait for this same great news!
Momboo2 wishing you the best with surgery and recovery. Be strong and rest!
Carolina Amy glad your recovery is coming along. Focus on the future and feeling better every day.
Tessu yes I have had nail problems as well. I have lost one big toenail, second one almost ready to pop off and a third toenail looks bad too. I also have both thumbnails lifting, one is almost ready to come off. This kinda freaks me out! Can't do so many simple things because my thumbs are numb and sore. I soak them in Peroxide many times a day which helps. I also apply coconut oil with tea tree oil several times a day a s well. I hear it takes 8-10 months to grow out a nail. Yikes!
My heart aches for Grey. Sure wish she would find a solution that works for her.
Wishing all of you a good healing week. Lots of love to everyone
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I'm almost 6 weeks PFC, and the nail funkiness continues. A couple of them turned yellow and thickened. They've lifted slightly, but seems to be growing out without falling off. They only hurt a couple of days.
Minnesota, the hair may not take as long as you think. A week and a half ago, my scalp darkened. I have a decent 1/4 inch of chemo fluff and hair now. It's very fine and mostly colorless, so I still look bald. But it's definitely growing! If I hadn't just finished chemo, I'd be sporting a nice GI Jane now. However, I'm thrilled to have something on my scalp and some baby eyelashes. I'm beyond ready to look normal again
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tessu, i have heard that the dreams are a known SE of the Arimidex.I've had them too. As SEs go, not an awful one to have. Like you, mydreams hsven't been bad, just weird.
Hugs
Octogirl
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