Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!
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Yikes--no coloring for 6-9 months?!? I didn't have any gray before, but if it comes in 'sewer rat', I will definitely be coloring.
I head to BMX tomorrow. Please pray for a pCR, as I feel like that's the only thing that will give me any peace, especially after getting rattled by the studies regarding NOT having radiation. I just want to be able to sleep for the next five years, you know? I'm also trusting that this surgery will go smoothly and be successful and that the reconstruction will have no complications.
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mine started grey but then color returned to it. hoping it's the same for all of you.
Question, anyone get a scan of their brain as well through this process?
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El Tigre a few days after my very first chemo (docetaxal/Herceptin), I was admitted to the hospital overnight for fever and very severe headache and low neutrophils. Because of the nature of the headache (got really worse lying down) I was given a CT scan which luckily was normal (the docs were looking for brain mets). Curious why you asked0 -
Thanks Tessu
well a sister of someone who works in my building just finished chemo and rads a month ago (breast cancer - not sure stage or what type er/pr her etc) and complained about headaches and she insisted on a scan of her head but they (medical and insureance) denied it and set her home with 2 weeks of pain pills for her headaches. They finally did the scan after those 2 weeks and it turned out badly for her. 4 tumors in the brain and 2 behind one of her eyes. It has me a tad paranoid sense i have headaches that i really believe are associated with allergies but still... in the back of my mind.
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My hair is pretty gray too. Not too worried at this stage. I wear wig to work and when I go out. Happy enough without on weekend. My sister is hairdresser I will ask her to order colour for sensitive scalp and get it done when Im ready not worrying about waiting.
Edsmom Ive finished chemo and honestly I had no real problems. My skin held up well. I finished a week a go I do feel quite tired but Im managing to work full time, go to gym and even go out a little. The biggest pain was the everyday thing but the six weeks flew by. They were a bit painful committing to time before treatment but once I started it kind of worked out.
El Tigre I had all my scans at beginning including brain. Scanxiety is something we will all fo through forever now Im afraid. Take heart and trustvthat we are being monitored for our benefit. O
Its really hard I know xxx
MARIA
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edwsmom, I've made it through 75% of my rads as of today and so far, not so bad. Have felt a bit more fatigued, and a bit more sore, the past day or two, but it's manageable. Better than chemo!
I'm wondering how I'll feel once I'm not heading off to the hospital regularly. Interesting how so many of you are experiencing such emotional ups and downs. I keep thinking I can't wait for all this back & forth to be over, but I wonder if I'll feel a bit lost! I do hope we can "check in" somewhat regularly. I feel better knowing ya'll are here.
My hair was already salt & pepper and it seems to be coming back in that way, although too slowly. I was wondering if it would be mostly salt at this point!
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I'm not sure if each center is different but in my cancer center, re radiation, when I went for my sim they gave me a list of appointment times all at around 1145 am so i called in to explain my situation and the lady was great. I told her what time was best for me, and I got appointments roughly the same time 15:00 (within 15 minutes either side) for the remainder of the time. They have 6 radiation suites (4 reg and 2 Brachytherapy (sp) suites).
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Good luck CarolinaAmy! I'll be saying a prayer for you. Hope all goes well.
edwsmom-- I was asked at my initial markings appointment what time was good for me. A week later I had my SIM and was given my schedule. I actually had 3 appointments before I had radiation, well 4 if you count meeting the RO for the first time. So far it's quick and easy. I've done 8 out of 33 and so far just a little pink. I usually arrive 15-20 minutes early and the majority of the time they take me as soon as I get there. I get 7 zaps and it literally takes about 2 minutes. On Mondays it's a few minutes longer because they take x-rays and I see the RO. I really like that they've given me a card with a bar code which is used to sign in. I scan the card and head straight back to the dressing room. Usually no time to sit as they come get me straight away.
As far as hair goes, I'm about 10 weeks PFC and have about a half inch of mostly gray. And why is it that the hair on my face is coming in on all the places where I wax? LOL. Even my eyebrows. The good part of my eyebrows have fallen out and all the strays that I get rid of are coming back no problem. I do not want hair on my chiny chin chin!
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I started rads this week. When I went in for my simulation I was given the choice of morning or afternoon. I picked afternoon and the lady said that if they didn't have an afternoon they would schedule where they could and then switch me once an afternoon spot opened up. Before I left my simulation appointment I had my list of appointments all for the same time in the afternoon.
Radiation is going fine. Monday they were running behind because everyone sees their doctor on Mondays. The rest of the week they have been running pretty much on time. I don't check in. I just go get changed into the gown top and wait and they come get me from the patient-only waiting room.
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Skittlegirl, the scheduling and waiting room process sounds very similar to that at my Center...scheduling did get a little off during the two holiday weeks that were a part of my treatment (Christmas and New Year's week).
My hair is coming in lighter than before which is quite unexpected!
Sending hugs to all
Octogirl
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Here also with the hair, gray/white. I kinda like the length and really hate to see it get longer! Hubby wants it longer;) I made it thru, chemo, radiation and now on the Herceptin every 3 weeks. Sorry I haven't been on hardly at all, but I work daily and at night I'm doing my husbands bookkeeping. I was fine during chemo, radiation was easy 5 days a week for 4 weeks, little redness. My last radiation was on 1/26/16 and now I'm exhausted and my left knee and leg are killing me. I've been a runner for the past 6 years and I ran after my surgery and chemo but the radiation has wiped me out. Is anyone else having this exhaustion or pains? I can barely walk up & down stairs, grrrrrrr. Oh yeah, I lost my eyelashes, fingernails and eyebrows thinned out. Eyelashes are back
Hope everyone is hanging tight. Stay Strong girls!0 -
Carolina - thinking about you tonight. By now you've had your bmx and diep flap surgery. I hope all went well. I also had diep flap. You will be out of commission for a while but it does get better!!!! Hope you have a recliner at home. It was a godsend to me. My hubby moved it up to the bedroom and I lived in it for a time. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Do check in when you are up to it. ((Hugs)). -Shelly
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Echoing Shelly's warm wishes for fast recovery, CarolinaAmy - thought of you many times Friday. More <<hugs>> from Minnesota.
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Chevy,
Since I started Herceptin only I've noticed that my legs/knees really hurt - especially in the evenings. During chemo I attributed this side effect to the Neulasta...but now I'm thinking maybe the Herceptin contributed as well.
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And this #£¥%$# bc just took away another of life's pleasures --- my left foot hurts, apparently has some kind of tendon inflammation that makes walking (out in the sunshine, with my dog, listening to the birds sing) too painful. Yes it IS fair to blame bc for this because I've had no foot trauma, and the walking I've been doing lately is still much less than before bc. Grrrrr
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I'm scheduled for a prophylactic mx on Wednesday (had a unilateral mx initially because I didn't yet know about my gene mutation), and then I move on to radiation. For those of you ladies who did neoadjuvant chemo, how long did you wait between chemo and surgery? I have been pushing to get everything done, but now I'm starting to worry I may not be leaving myself enough recovery time.
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InSF - Last chemo was Jan 26, lumpectomy surgery was Feb 23. Assuming your team will test your blood pre-surgery to ensure your WBC and RBC are in good shape (?).
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in SF
I had my last chemo on new year's eve and my BMX on January 28th - so about a month to recover. I agree with Minnesota - they will likely check your bloodwork to ensure that your WBC/RBC have recovered. I ended up being quite anemic before my surgery and they ended up giving me a blood transfusion just before the surgery which fixed the problem.
I start radiation today (fingers crossed - I'm nervous). So I had about 7 weeks to recover from BMX surgery before starting radiation.
Hope this helps!
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I had my surgery about 4 weeks after chemo ended. Chemo finished on 1/13 and surgery was 2/11. I was trying to avoid having my STD company send me back to work before surgery, so that's why I asked for an early date. Surgeon was fine with it.
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edwsmom- I started radiation on March 14th, I've had 6 treatments, I am a little pink but other than being tired, I am feeling OK. When I went for simulation I asked for early morning app'ts because I have to drive and hour and forty-five mins each way. and I am working. I get there at 815 and usually done by 830 or 845. This first app't took forever, I had to lay in same position for well over an hour, made me nervous but I was told it was normal for first visit. Also I am laying on my stomach because of breast size 36DD. Anyone else heard of this???
CarolineAmy- Sending prayers. Hope you are feeling OK.
El Tigre- I did not get scans above my collarbone. They did Chest, stomach, and pelvis area. Oncologist told me everything was clear. Recently I looked at my online records and read everything since being diagnosed. And the results of the scans showed tiny spots on left hip and a very small place on my liver. But it said no suspension of malignancy. I freaked completely out!!!!!!! I asked radiologist about it and he said its nothing to be concerned about, if they scanned Me (meaning HIM) they would most likely see all kinds of things and you cannot biopsy every little thing!! I am still concerned and freaked out, but at this point my doctors do not feel I should have more scans and unless they request them I guess its nothing I can do??? It confuses me that I was told NOTHING showed on my scans......Anyones else have this happen??
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tkemp - yeah they just scanned my torso. They did find 2 suspicious spots on my liver, I saw them and they looked like what was in my breast. All 4 docs (MO RO Plastic Surgeon & Breast surgeon) all thought it was cancer of the liver Stage 4 mets. They lazily ordered a liver biopsy, which threw my diaphragm into a painful spasm that took my breath away at every heart beat. It was painful like that for about a week. We thought i was stage 4 for two weeks, it was horrible and surreal. Luckily the biopsy showed non-cancerous and the bone scan was clean. But i always wonder the time from the scan and the surgery & chemo if something got out but as you doc said we can't biopsy every little thing.
Also 20% of the population will have spots on the liver that have nothing to do with cancer
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All - thanks for sharing your timing. My surgery is four weeks after my last chemo infusion, and it sounds like pretty standard timing. I am concerned that they don't want to do any labs, since nothing has been checked since the day I finished chemo. I sent a message to the surgeon yesterday, and her nurse responded that labs weren't necessary unless the anesthesiologist needed them. It seems risky to just assume my RBC and WBC have returned to normal, but I guess I just have to hope for the best. Sigh.
tkemp - I had three spots on my liver scan that the radiologists were not concerned about at all. It does make me a bit nervous, but I am just choosing to believe that the radiologists' assessments are correct and they are benign. I also had an equivocal bone scan (spots on my ribs that could be suggestive of malignancy), but the doctors are assuming these are not cancer because they didn't show up on the CT of my torso. I'm taking the perspective that once we get this far in life we will likely have accumulated a variety of oddities that show up on these scans. But I also know I will always have a level of anxiety that mets may already be out there. I think it just comes with the diagnosis of high grade cancer with lymph node involvement.
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InSF - I was surprised (and concerned) that they didn't check my labs pre-surgery either. Everything worked out fine - I guess they see so many patients, they assume you are going to be in the majority of folks whose WBC/RBC have recovered sufficiently in that amount of time PFC. I'm sure you're eating right and getting plenty of rest during your four-week break before surgery. <<pre-surg hugs>>
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yay my heart function study (gamma scan --- I glow in the dark now ha ha) this morning showed NO drop in function from the herceptin. I started at borderline normal, so this is a very welcome surprise. Herceptin can continue at least for awhile; no idea when the next control will be, but don't care right now.
And I get ten points for NOT breaking into tears during the iv catheter insertion (like I did yesterday at the MRI). Or the radioactive "stuff" injection (which always burns, although they keep saying that's impossible).
On the way home I realized I haven't eaten a hamburger since before surgery last summer, and I WANT ONE RIGHT NOW --- so that's what's on the stove at the moment
I hope everyone here has a quiet, peaceful day full of healing and good news.
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Welp, my big toenail that had gone almost completely black cracked and bled today.
In the middle.
I had *just* gotten back to 30 minutes / 6x per week on the treadmill this past week. No more exercise for a while. In brighter news, my hair is coming in nicely. So I guess I got that goin' for me. *sighs*
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Ouch, Minnesota, that sounds painful
How are you treating it? I've almost stopped exercising since my foot got sore. The exercise bike didn't hurt too much the one time I tried --- but my motivation has slumped to zero
Just feel like hiding under the blanket all day, except my dog needs walking --- which hurts because of the inflamed joints Heck just standing on it hurts <insert pity party> Not sure how to pick myself up again. Aside from the foot, physically I'm in much better shape than during chemo, but my energy level has been zero lately and I'm having difficulty finding things to smile about Hoping next week's blood tests show something easy to fix (anemia, maybe?). That will be the first bloodwork since the end of January..0 -
I washed and bandaged it, then dropped a note to my GP asking for treatment advice. Husband dug an old "leg condom" (used for showering while broken-leg-in-a-cast ages ago) out of storage, so I'll be able to keep it dry while showering.
Hang in there on the exercise and on regaining your mood. I've struggled with that mightily over the past few weeks. As others have commented, "I'm finally out of shit-mo, what's my problem?" is common. We'll get there. It's just going (evidently!) to take a while longer than we might have expected / hoped....
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Aw Southern. That is such a sweet photo!
Hang in there, Lisa. Sorry about your toe.
I have 2 more zaps, tomorrow and Monday. And then... I don't know. It will be strange to not go to all these appointments all the time.
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Southern, give your dear husband an extra hug from me to thank him for giving you so much loving support throughout your battle with this crappy cancer! Both of you are shining with love in that beautiful photo!<3
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hey gals! Just checking in today as I went for my first post chemo checkup with my mo. I am 16 weeks pfc and doing ok. My mo said I look good and I actually feel pretty good. I have a cute grey brown pixie (at age 45!) and am all healed from rads finishing 4 weeks ago. I was given a script for my annual mamo in July and a script for a post chemo echo to again be repeated later this fall. I have lost a total of 39 lbs since my heaviest at chemo; most of the weight since Jan. I went down 4 dress sizes from a 16 to a 10. My appetite has not returned, and I can't eat more than 850-950 calories in a day. My mo was ok with that because I am taking vitamin supplements and eat fruits, veggies, and lean proteins and no junk foods. As for neuropathy it still sucks. I have bad leg pain and numbness. I actually stubbed my pinky toe the beginning of March and wound up breaking it. Ouch!
I have been reading along here even if I didn't comment. I love hearing about our milestones. I couldn't have made it though without the support we give one another. My cancer taught me to appreciate so much more and live life more fully.
Here is a pic of me 2 weeks ago feeling good
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