Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!
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((((((((Grey!))))))))
Yes, I've been doing the baking soda thing (sans salt in my case) twice a day since I started chemo. No mouth issues although that was one of the SEs I was scared of....and yes to crackers by the bed in the am and a sip at night (I don't need it every night, but when I do feel the need it works like nothing else does): really helps me with nausea...the sip is also much better than ativan when I need to get away from the steroids...but fortunately, my taste buds haven't reacted nearly as much this round as last (or maybe I am just getting used to the constant disgusting taste which would be very sad if true). Like you SC (edited to add: or is it Scotland..having a hard time keeping up, sorry), I find that I can't taste flavors unless they are very amplified: so for me bring on the spice and the heat. And the vinegar. I am noticing that I am eating more meat (especially beef) with round two than round one, because I do crave it. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, with a bit of spicy salsa on the side: almost my dream meal right now. Since it tastes good, and almost nothing tasted good for a time there with Round One, I am wondering if that is my body's way of saying it needs it right now?
This is my good week. Week three. Walked again this am: a mile and a half. Trying to enjoy the week while I can as Round Three is Monday the 19th :-(
Hugs to all today!
Octogirl
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SC: I am in a similar place on hair: little gray whips around my ears! WTH? and I STILL Have hair on my legs (and in other places I won't mention)...but the beautiful brown hair on the top of my head? no, all gone. :-(
Octo
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Go for it SC...I had steak last week....with lots of salt and pepper...medium rare as a concession to chemo, as ordinarily I like it blood rare. With a baked potato and sour cream. It tasted as good as anything can taste right now!
Octo
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They put me on iron (otc slow FE) since my hematocrit, hemoglobin and red cells are low.
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Good Morning ladies - woke up to day five of a massive headache/migraine. Nothing will make it go away completely. It has been so hot here (Southern CA) and I just can't get comfortable. I still have some hair, but have taken to wearing a hat now because the shedding hairs on my shoulders, my back, and my pillows are driving me nuts. When I look in the mirror, I do not like the shape of my head and I especially hate the look of my face without my long locks. So depressing.
As crappy as this all is, I find such comfort in being able to log on, read through the posts, and know that I'm not alone in all these awful side effects and ugly feelings about my appearance.
Hugs to all - have a great day
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CT scan this afternoon for me. Still waiting for them to schedule echo and bone scan. I don't have symptoms and labs look fine, but still am scared since tumor was so big (7 cm) and it's grade 3----and my chemo has been delayed to where I'm close to the end of the most effectivness of it scale!
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Dried apricots and pumpkin seeds. Highest meatless iron.
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hi guys,
Southern, I'm experiencing the same thing this round of TCHP. Last round was way worse.
This time I had more bone pain and a bit of nausea, but decently managed with meds. Just one bad day with C then a bit of D. But none since - which is way different than the first round. Today I'm mainly just tired.
I feel like if I really pushed myself, I could go into the office tomorrow, but I'm wondering if I should just work from home and go in on Thursday just to be sure and really feel up to it energy-wise.
I definitely struggle with trying to bite off more than I can chew.
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Artista:HUGS and we are in your pocket for the CT scan....xoxxox
Octogirl0 -
I also look like a little old man, and shedding seems to have stopped for the moment. I'm guessing that the rest will fall out when I get round 3 next week? I've heard that having a bit of fuzz helps hats and scarves stay on. More awkward, ONE eyebrow thinned.
Aggie, I had that day Friday when my hair started falling out in earnest. My 15 year old and husband did, too. The hair is hard. I have been startled by the stranger in the mirror. Rant away! Honestly? It does just suck. All of those beautiful, bald, empowered women in the breast cancer ads? Sometimes I want to slap them silly for creating this image that we're expected to live up to. It's as if all of the crappiness has been swept under a nice, pink rug.
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Thanks Southern.
I work for a company where I'm a senior person and I'm responsible for bringing in new work, servicing clients, etc. I'm really nervous about clients or potential clients finding out about my cancer. In some way, I'm afraid they will not want to hire me/us or somehow thing I'm not up to the job.
A former colleague who I adore, sent me an email asking to get together. This is definitely someone I've talked with in the past about partnering with on some work. I have to get back to her about getting together. I guess I just need to suck it up and make plans to see her and tell her in person (at a time that I look ok).
Anyone else struggle with this dynamic?
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hi ladies. Had my third TC yesterday. One more to go. Then rads.
Still have the old man hair(3-4" bangs) and am not shaving. I'd rather see hair than none. Am not as brave as the others:(
I actually am having fun with my human hair wig(for church and special events where hat is inappropriate
Halo from tlc is my go to. It is itchy but the wig liner solves that and the sweating too.
Walmart has $4.97 beanies but they are crocheted so skin shows:( I got the cream and gold to match my creamwig liner.
glad to be part of this thread.:)
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I iced my port last night and took some tylenol. I have nasty yellow green bruises from top of the port down my boob. They really beat the crap out of me. I'm continuing ice today. It's feels a wee bit better. I'm going to hold off another day and see if it eases up. I think it was just very invasive and it's just taking time to heal. Well I hope that's it.
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annie did you have infusion recently? I also had the green bruises right after my first infusion. I think it was the meds...hope you feel better.
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edwsmom: I am going through the same thing. I am in a visible position in my organization and I do some consulting in my field on the side. I really like the extra $ from the consulting and don't want it to go away...plus it sometimes takes me to fun places.
My approach has been to tell people only on a 'need to know' basis and then only if they are close. I have told my two closest collaborators outside this organization (who don't see me everyday but we do work together virtually on a few projects). They've been very supportive. Then again, the three of us have a steadfast rule we apply in deciding who we will work with and what projects we will take on: "NO ASSHOLES" . It does help to really stand by that rule!! But edited to add: I am in the non-profit sector. It would be a whole different thing if I had to bring in clients in a business environment.
But I hear you. I haven't really figured it out either, for exactly the same reasons you describe. When I am in the office, I tend to hide with the door shut. And praying for cooler weather so I don't look strange in caps and hats and scarves, since I have yet to find a wig (or even a halo) that doesn't make me crazy with 1.) itching and 2.) fear it will fall off.
:-(
Hugs,
Octogirl
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AG3 it's bruises from the port surgery 11 days ago. Nothing heals quickly now with chemo. I have bruises all up my arm from 3 weeks ago that nearly look fresh.
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Annie - I'm in the same boat with the bruises. My right arm looks like a battlefield from neupogen shots, blood draws, port placement, and chemo. It's painful and extends from my armpit to my hand. Ice and ibuprofen seem to help a little. Hope you feel better soon.
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I hope the port bruising goes away soon, guys. Ice + Painkillers + Kittens. Good luck!
Aw Aggie. Big hugs. Have you gone to Goodwill or someplace to try on random hats? Maybe your local cancer center has a resource center? I felt so cheery after weeding through the free hat bins at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance... so many people crochet cute little hats for cancer patients. I know it sounds silly, but every hat I saw made me think that there was one more person who had my back. Bright colors are my friend. And then the lady said "take as many as you want, we have another 50 tubs in the back." *touched* Also, when the hot flashes started, I was glad to have the shaved head to help cool me down. Don't get me wrong... that big mirror in the bathroom when I get out of the shower is evil. I try not to look. Too many scars. Not all of them visible. This tiger has earned her stripes.
Also, I'm totally shaved and having a fitted hat doesn't fly off me at all; except when my son rips it off my head. (Peek-a-boo Mama!)
As a side note, oatmeal, plums, prunes, and prune juice have done wonders. I'll take the little D over the big C anytime. Thanks!
#ThePrunaBomber0 -
One bad needle, and I'm bruised for weeks. Very little bruising after the port surgery, except where the idiot doctor blew the vein in my hand getting the IV in. My surgeon struck me as exceedingly meticulous (always flawlessly dressed), and it seems to have carried over into her work as I had hoped. My mother would have approved of her needlework, and that's saying something. Annie and Rok1, I hope your ports heal quickly and that they save your veins from further manhandling. With the beginnings of lymphadema in the surgery arm, I'm completely paranoid about the veins in the other one.
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Good morning everyone, Ha! Took awhile to read through all the posts. But, I find it comforting that I'm not alone.
Grey - so glad you're back.
Southern- funny, I mostly have gray hairs left and I tried pulling on them too...but no dice. They're hanging on.
Haven't gone for my usual walks. Not quite back energy wise. Getting there slowly. For now just concentrating on getting enough nutrients even though sans appetite. I am back in the office and taking it easy.
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Hi all
Octogirl. For nausea side effects you say crackers by the bed for morning and a sip at night May I ask what is the "sip at night"
Thanks
Rosieo
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Well it happened! I am right now getting my second drug Cytoxan after the Adriamycin. I feel very sleepy and have a bad taste in my mouth. But I am almost done with my first chemo treatment. I am feeling a little nauseated but hopefully it will pass. Just feel really tired. This weekend I spent some time in the ED. I realized that I need to be careful with what I say and do. But I am learning. I only wish I could figure out how to load a picture. I have been watching.0 -
Glad to hear from you Grey. What's ED?
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emergency dept I think...
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Thanks Octo for you kind words of being in my pocket! Drinking so much before this CT scan per directions and am about to explode, and I still have 2 more 16 oz "drinks" to do, one in 5 min and one in 35 min. Ahhhhhhhhh!
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I think ED is what some of us call ER
Glad u r doing it Grey!
The sip is a reference to mj buds....which i stole from Southrn (the reference not the mj)
Hugs
Octogirl0 -
ah yes. I thought that might be the case...ER=ED
and sip = toke
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aggiemegs I didn't fee like the cancer patient until I shaved my head. My armor which was my hair was gone.
Annie yup chemo makes us slow healers. I was also purpley blue then yellow from my port. Took about 2-3 weeks to fade.
Rosieo I keep either goldfish crackers or animal crackers with flat ginger ale by my bed.
Southern & hazelnut I feel ya on the stubborn grey hairs that stick around. Without the dark ones there the grey looks even more pronounced.
Lisa cute purple hat
Edwsmom & octo I admire you & anyone else who is able to work. I am on an loa. I thought I could work on dose dense but boy did it kick the crap out of me.
Ag3 wow 1 left almost there
As for me ladies I have my last AC tomorrow before I start taxol in 2 weeks. I am so looking forward to being done with the red devil. Never want to see a red tube of anything again.
CarolinaAmy how are you?
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Hi ladies! Just popping in to say hi! I'm on the rebound after two evil days of pain and nausea.
It's funny, I don't like my head bald at all, but I think you all look adorable! I decided to give up the hair fight and just go bald everywhere unless there is a lot of sun (I live in FL) in which case a hat is a necessity. I slathered on sunscreen at the pumpkin festival this weekend, spent 45 minutes in the sun, and STILL got a sunburn! The real test will be daring to go bald in court (I'm an attorney). I know that will get some stares, but you know what? Screw them, I can win this case BALD!
Is anyone else working on their diet during chemo? I am almost 8 weeks sugar and simple carb free (except for fruit) and it is hard! I knew sugar was in a lot of things, but I didn't realize it was in almost EVERYTHING. So I moved to a lot of dairy and meat during chemo (I'm not a big meat eater, this was a big change for me) and then I read about all the pseudo-estrogen passing into meat and dairy from the non GMO soy those poor animals are fed (not including all the moral qualms I have about the meat industry, but I'll save that for another day) and have decided to try to revert to a mostly, but not totally, vegan diet. My ER was 99%+, I don't think I can afford to do things that are possibly raising my estrogen levels.
It's just SO much change and so rapidly. I really just want a big piece of cake and some ice cream!!!
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Cajun - I bet you look FIERCE!
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