Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!
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heck yea.
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good Morning everyone,
Thank you for sharing all your stories and I wish everyone a beautiful week ahead. I am day# 8 after 1st chemo. Going to go out to the movies today and try to have a normal day. Have had SE and been tired but it could have been worse! You are a special group of ladies
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my toothpaste tastes like blech this morning. What brand are you all using that helps or doesn't taste like crap? My dentist told me to use pronamel fresh mint but it bites. I use biotene dry mouth rinse but that also makes me gag so I really don't want to use their toothpaste either.
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Fifth day past round two, last night still so much joint pain I couldn't sleep, even with turbo pain meds plus ice packs, but this afternoon everything seems to be settling down, even the brain fog. Spent a couple hours coloring in one of those "for adults" coloring books by Millie Marottathat are supposed to calm you --- at least didn't make me feel any worse
The lymfedema specialist did phone, and will see me briefly tomorrow (!) to at least assess and measure for a vest and possibly new sleeve and glove. I couldn't believe it --- she's sacrificing her lunch hour. Said yes, I was given totally wrong post-op instructions, but thinks it is still early enough to help. She said the therapy usually is given after chemo, but wants to take a look. I feel like I've won the lottery
My husband took my poor dog to the vet --- her ear canal infection did not clear completely with drops. She needs to go back Friday for a thorough cleaning of both ears, plus a couple other things, under light anesthesia. She's already 11yrs 10mos., old for a toller, and her spinal stenosis is slowly but surely weakening her back legs. I'm selfishly hoping she'll be able to comfortably hang around until I'm done and recovered enough from this chemo to be able to really play with her again and take her to the nature trails in the forest outside town. We both miss that. Her birthday is Christmas Eve.
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Round 2 of AC was yesterday and I am managing nausea much more effectively.😀
Thinking of all of you and hoping for the best
Lila - I also have plotted my calendar days out and have lined up any plans based on how I hope I will be doing! It helps and feels good to have some power.
Annie - how's the sore port? Any improvement?
Hugs to all!
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my port is ok if no one touches it. I still get that shooting burn occasionally under my arm pit. I'm giving it until Monday before I call the surgeon. Taking ibuprofen and tylenol. Nuelasta was this morning so I'm probably gonna switch to the hard pain meds tonight. If I can just get a break from procedures I can pull it together. I'm just so friggin tired of people touching me.
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Cajun, short answer: Yes.
Long Answer: We forget. A lot. We forget to buy condoms (I worry about transferring any of my chemo). We forget to say something until one of us is asleep. We forget we even want to because of all the other crazy stuff going on. But every once in awhile, we're lucid enough. And every so often the baby is even asleep when that happens.
I'll be honest though, a back rub after a long groggy worst-day-of-the-cycle is plenty.
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Southern, I'm also sitting in a recliner, getting pre-meds for round 2.
LindyC, congrats on the dream house. I'm online shopping for a light fixture for our downstairs apartment, and am glad we're not in the middle of a major build or renovation right now. What a fun project!
I knew that my kids would be out for fall break Friday and Monday, but somehow missed that they'll be out Thursday as well. Apparently, my house is going to be full of 15 year old girls Thursday. Which will be fine, because they can serve me. I even have a little bell (insert evil laugh).
Tessu, they're setting up an appointment with a lymphadema specialist for me today. Mine is mild, but it's definitely there and I want to get ahead of it. I'm so glad they're fitting you in!
After spending the past couple of months in waiting rooms, my dislike of daytime tv is morphing into a actual loathing. Ugh
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southern and Scotland have an easy infusion today. One more down
Southern I'm gonna try kids toothpaste. Bubblegum sounds good to me. I have a nasty coating on my tongue that won't let up even with baking soda rinse. No white spots & it's not thrush.
Annie hope you got some rest you deserved it after your long haul yesterday.
Lindy how cool that you have your house to design. Sounds like hard work but a lot of fun.
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*hugs Annie* My port was put in on 1 September, so I had 2 weeks before anybody accessed it. I can't imagine turning right around and going full throttle. Hang in there. At least you get a couple weeks to rest and heal.
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if you have white coating on your tongue make a paste out of baking soda and water and scrub it off with a qtip. If you stick your tongue way out and rinse it before it goes back in your mouth you never taste it. The baking soda kills the yeast.
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Maybe I'm just older or too married but sex sounds about as good as another round of chemo at this point.
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Scotland: I too find daytime TV to be fully associated with dr's offices. Blech!
Katie: woke up totally nervous about tomorrow. I just don't want to get as down as I did last time (or get thrush or dehydrated or any new side effects). I want to keep feeling normal! But--sister in treatment--we shall kick butt on this one! Chemo party tomorrow!!!
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Had nuelasta today. Waiting for the gargoyles to come pull out my arms later today. Hopefully I'm getting ahead of it with drugs but I not looking fiward to the next 5 days.
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I was told no more sex for 3-5 days post chemo due to the toxicity. It's the only time my husband has been supportive of that concept. 😄 I've had an odd resurgence of libido (which is normally long gone) the second week following chemo both times. Shocked the heck out of myself.
Mom is here for another six days and kind of driving me crazy. 😌 Give me patience and gratitude.
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I was told no restrictions on sex. So, yes to sex!
I've been using my normal Trader Joes baking soda toothpaste. It mostly tastes like baking soda to begin with, which I don't mind. If everything tastes horrible for a couple of days, you can brush without toothpaste. It's better than nothing. I also make sure to brush my tongue. That seems to help when the tastebuds are on strike.
I should be done with this infusion in an hour. Then I can go home and wait for the side effects to kick in. I feel like such a paranoid hypochondriac.
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This girl is also a paranoid hypochondriac
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We were told avoid bodily fluids for the first 3 days. After that everything should be metabolized, but use condoms for protection. DH got snipped after baby #3 so we are good in that department.
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paranoid hypocondriac is a freebie with cancer; like the gift with purchase that keeps on giving. I'd like to return both.
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Scotland we snipped after no 3 too so no issues there either but I have absolutely no libido. i feel so bad for my husband. I think I need to put out tonight before round 2. I just feel so gross - think I'll wear a bra, so uncomfortable with all my scarring. I was already feeling a little down about having extra skin after my twins were born (couldn't help it, they were 8 lbs and 6.6!) and now I feel like my body is just a disaster. I have no butt and went from a DD to a C. I know he did not marry me for my body, but it's hard to look at in the mirror.
The symbol for breast cancer should not be a cute pink ribbon, it should be a bloody hatchet.
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Cajun thanks for that. I was feeling alone there for a minute.
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Annie, not alone! I think that's one of the best things about this board. Somebody is sharing your experience, good or bad.
I have a fear of getting a UTI too. I'm somewhat prone to them (I've already had 2 this year) and I was told that Cytoxan irritates the bladder and I'm not up for a round of antibiotics. I wonder if I could manage oral + hand job instead. I don't think that's nearly as satisfying, but I really didn't want anything in there until I started the Taxol.
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I specifically asked about contact precautions after chemo and they didn't give me any. 😕 I wasn't feeling it for the first week and a half anyways. I really wish our doctors could be consistent. I am all about sex when I feel up to it.
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I also think sex is made harder because I already feel like my body has been repeatedly invaded. Surgery, tissue expanders, implants, the port, the constant man-handling of my breasts (well, what were once breasts), pumping me full of chemicals all the time. I'm not at all a touchy-feely person at all, but now I really just want hands-OFF of my body.
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Hehe. Husband is afraid of breaking me sometimes, so there's no pressure there. Since the hair fell out, even less. So we'll see. I'm definitely feeling a dry spell coming on between the Lupron and the Constipation/Big D side effects. I want to go swimming as soon as my scars are fully sealed. I tend to feel better, thinner & sexier afterwards.
Re: Bloody Hatchet
"Having breast cancer is massive amounts of no fun. First they mutilate you; then they poison you; then they burn you. I have been on blind dates better than that." - Molly Ivins0 -
I would love a swim. I wish there was a pool around here. Maybe I'll get a pool and put it up in my garage. Hmmm something to research.
Day after round 2. Other than being freakishly tired I feel ok. Last night I was a little wobbly, but I've mostly slept it off. Got my nuelasta today so tomorrow may be another thing all together. Here's to hoping it's not bad!
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scotland, I'd be really interested in comparing notes about our lymphedema treatments/gear/instructions etc. If you are up to it.
There's a lot of LE info on these discussion boards
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Day 5 after AC is the worst for me in terms of fatigue. But they pump me SO full of steroids I can barely sleep; then I crash. Then the very next day, I'm ok. Except my head is tingly. Must be my retreating hairline. Cowards. Day... 19?... something like that. Hair is visibly thinner - you can kinda see the balding spot on my left (picture right). Every time I look at the floor of the shower after I'm done, it looks like somebody shaved the back of a Wookie. My husband is plotting to take it all off Wednesday night. I should invite Mom over. It'll be hilarious. I'll reminder her of all the times she had to comb lice out of my hair or untangle knots when I was growing up. What's a good wine and appetizer to serve at a private head shaving parting? Perhaps "The Illusionist" Cabernet from Sleight of Hands Cellars and some Brie-ze Through My Hair cheese & crackers.
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Lmao Lisa brie-ze through my hair cheese. Omg if I was drinking milk it would gave come out my nose on that one!
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Lisa- I found any wine worked the night my girlfriends came over and we Shaved my head. We had some sour puss shooters(sour raspberry liquor) and I bet I had a bottle and a half of wine. Bawled like a baby in the shower after everyone left. Then took an Ativan and slept like a baby. Woke up the next day with a brain cramp from all the red wine. I wasn't in the mood for applies just do your shot and shave my dam head. The Brie-ze is awesome tho!
Good luck getting it done. Just remember you ARE beautiful and stronger than you think you are.
I just woke up from an amazing nap. Day 6 infusion 3. THat is the day the poison gets me. I wake up achy and am exhausted for a few days. Laying low....living life like my 17 year old....sloth mode....except I can see the floor of my bedroom and I don't have any science experiments growing on my bedside table in the dishes that can't seem to find their way to the dishwasher until mom goes apeshit. Chemopause=don't argue with mom, I do have the power to take your car keys away
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