Anyone starting chemo August 2016?
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SweetRain, I frequently get upset stomach and heartburn. I take Prilosec, but have heard on another thread that some have switched due to it being hard on kidneys. Have you checked with your MO? I got that cold also before Christmas and the cough lasted 4 weeks! So sorry you have that and the coughing just makes your stomach probably more upset. My MO told me not to expect energy to return to normal for about 6 months (ughh) and I find that even though I'm 14 weeks PFC, I still get exhausted after a semi-busy day or in the evening. By 9 pm I'm ready to stretch out in bed to watch TV. I'm such an exciting spouse! You're still pretty newly PFC, so just cut yourself some slack and pamper yourself. Your body has been through the wringer and it will take time to recover.
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I need to get caught up on posts! I had trouble keeping up with all of you without my computer. Maternity leave was busy - two holidays and lots of chemo.
I just finished my chemo last Thursday. Taxol was a doozy for me.
Here is a picture of sweet little Josephine Jane! She was born on November 21st at 6:03pm and she is perfect.
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I've had a bit of a run so far. Even though I had a lumpetomy in June, I had a dermal recurrence of my breast cancer after AC. I noticed a rash and talked to my oncologist, who sent me straight down to my BS, who took out a knife and sliced some off and sent it to pathology right there. This was four days before my induction. She called me the next day to let me know it was cancer.
I gave birth (another story!) and a week later I was getting CT and bone scans for staging. Thankfully, the cancer was still local and the scans came back clear. It was a terrifying time, staring at my new baby wondering if the cancer had spread.
I started dose dense Taxol right away. It has been very painful, but it cleared the rash. I finished Thursday. I will be taking the pill Xeloda for a month.
I start rads in two weeks. Hopefully we will zap those cancer cells to smithereens!!
Love you gals. So happy that pretty much everyone is done with chemo. I'll check back in more this week.
Annie
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Annie, she is just the most beautiful little girl ever! Congratulations! I'm so sorry about the cancerous rash. I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been. Thank goodness the Taxol took care of it. Xeloda is pretty heavy duty so hope I hope you get through it easily. Just looking at the beautiful little face must be the very best therapy ever.! Keep the pictures coming; we've all been waiting to see her. Love to you both.
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Aww, look at that darling little one and YIKES on the dermal recurrence, Annie! You've definitely been on an emotional roller coaster. I hope you tolerate the Xeloda and radiation well.
Lyn
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Annie we've been wondering how you were!! So happy you are hanging in there with that beautiful baby!! She's so cute!!! So glad you caught that residual crap! Interesting looking up that drug you'll be on now, as there's a study about it and I need to keep it in mind once we see what happens with my pathology after surgery.
I love the hair picture, I can't remember what I've commented on lol. Its great to see everyone popping back in.....
Barbara- how are you doing now?? I had to re-read all the crap you went through, but so glad you had a great 2nd MO and got back on track.
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Annie...she is just too precious. Thank you for sharing your little blessing with us. Sorry about all that other crap you have to go through
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Thanks VLH. I am on a very low carb diet right now trying to lose the 40!! lbs I've gained this year (and while being on Tamoxifen), so I am not currently eating yogurt (although normally I do). My D seems to have gone away though. I've not had it for several days now. I also have struggled in the past with digestive issues, so am very nutrition conscious. Lots of probiotic and fermented foods. I avoid all gluten (I'm not celiac, but it causes me really bad bloating/headaches), and typically have to keep my carb counts lower than is usually recommended (extreme bloating, migraines, brain fog...). I was diagnosed with carbohydrate intolerance by a gastro several years ago. Gastro gave me no advice other than to avoid too many carbs (thanks~). But later found a nutritionist who thinks it was a bacterial imbalance. She helped me to mostly overcome it with meals and supplements to help heal my intestinal tract and get my bacterial imbalance regulated (look up SIBO if you are interested.) It took me over a year to feel better once I started with her. I had been miserable for 2 years prior to finding her.
Anyone else on Tamoxifen yet? What makes people tell you the worst story they've ever heard to try to relate? A woman at my husbands work went on and on about how she new a woman whose personality completely changed, cheated on her husband, left him and her kids and was a wreck. Then when she went off 5 years later completely turned around but by then couldn't mend things with her family. Thanks for confirming one of my worst fears about this drug!! (that Tamoxifen will change my personality and make me a miserable person). Why do people do that? BTW, so far I think I'm still me. I have had a few days of being a bit more irritable, but trying to mentally take note and not react to it.
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Annie - your baby is so beautiful! I'm so happy for you!!! What an ordeal to have to go through though with the dermal recurrence. I am so glad that it is still local! You will get through this!!
Dara - Great. Now I want a puppy!! So cute!
Cali - have you gotten results yet? Fingers crossed that everything is ok.
Sorry if I missed anybody. My mind can only hang on to about 3 thoughts at once now.
Wishing you all a happy day!
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Annie - Josephine is so awesome. We have all been wondering about you. So glad you have popped by with your update. I'm really sorry you had such a hard time. I also did a dose dense Taxol and it was not a picnic, but I got through and so did you. Hurray!!!
Kechia -- I'm not on Tamoxifen, but you need to remember that everyone is different. Don't let the idiots get you down.
My eyes have been itching for the last two weeks, and I now have very short eyelashes... yipee!!
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Annie your baby girl is beautiful ! Congratulations. I'm doing rads too. On #12 of 33 So far so good. Don't know whats coming next though. A big hello to everyone else!
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Thank you all so much! I am delighted by little Josie, for sure!
Day 1 on Xeloda is not too bad. Fingers crossed it stay that way. I am taking them for two weeks, until I start rads, and then starting again in another two weeks.
I love all the hair pictures! Mine is similar to all of yours in length. It came back salt and pepper after AC, then all the pepper fell out during Taxol! It started growing back - all white. So my head is all white, some long scragglies and some shorties. Oh well! It's hair
Dara - I love your new grandpuppy. SOOOO CUTE!!
I loved all of your holiday messages, too, everyone!
Kelly - No Tamoxifen for me, I'm triple negative
. BUT I hear lots of, well, not positive, but not negative. I think many many women find it very manageable. I bet the lady who went a little wacko did it because she just had breast cancer and realized her own mortality. It makes you rethink things, am I right!? Why did they decide not to put you on Tamoxifen before - because your had such a low stage?Elizabeth - Congrats on being done with chemo and on your eye lashes!
I am sorry again for falling off the radar! I think it was all just a bit too much for me.
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Welcome Josephine Jane! So happy to see your post Annie. Congratulations on your new little one. She is adorable. I'm sorry to hear about the dermal reoccurrence -but so glad to hear that scans came back clear.
Dara-So glad to hear that your GS is doing well at his new school. It's a crime that his old school failed him. Great to hear he is thriving now.
Kechla-I started Tamoxifen on Dec 1 I've had mild hot flashes and have noticed some knee joint pain the past two weeks. I have my first follow up with the MO since starting the med on Feb 1. It's tolerable as of now
Dara and Kelly I agree with you both. Chemo sucked, but I'm thankful for all you ladies and this board and it was doable.
I think my chemo brain is finally lifting. Finally feeling more like my old self, though still not 100%. So thankful for my work. I missed my annual review....been with company for 13 years. They gave me my annual review and even gave me my yearly bonus, even though I missed 6 months of work this year.
Waving to everyone else and wishing you well.
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Kechla....your story made me chuckle ...you can't fix stupid. I'm so glad you are still you and not running off with anyone. I don't have enough energy to run off anywhere with anyone!! I'm calling my gynecologist tomorrow because no one has called about results.
Elizabeth ....I think it's all those new little lashes growing in that cause the itching ..I have it too.
Karey59... I am #21 of 33 and starting to get real red and itchy!!
Annie...hope you are getting enough rest and help.
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Hi all. Elizabeth, my eyes itched a lot when the lashes were beginning to grow back in. So my hair, like Annie's seems to change. It sure doesn't seem to be growing very fast, but the texture is more like hair now, but is more salt and pepper. And the sides look a little like steel wool pads with the crinkly curls. The back also has more curl coming in, but it's not long enough to be curls yet, so it looks like a little wave that crimps straight up. The length seems shorter in spots than it was a couple of weeks ago. Very weird! At this rate, it will be 2 years before I can go without a wig etc.
Cali, really start applying more of the creams if you're getting red and itchy. Very quickly I went to really reacting to the rads. If you do, just know that the skin heals super quickly. My skin is totally back to normal and has been that way for well over a week.
Kechla, while I'm on Anastrozole rather than Tamoxifin, I've know quite a few women on that drug and none of them went off the deep end like that! That's too funny. Sounds more like she went through a mid-life crisis, maybe brought on as was mentioned by the fear of her own mortality.
My back is still giving me some problems, but I still made it to the pottery studio yesterday and just had a blast. I can totally forget about everything there and just focus on the clay. Love it. Getting a bit worried that my back pain isn't going away. Guess I need to break down and call/see a doctor. Wondering if it could be the reaction to the Anastrozole (typical SE is joint pain so this may be related.)
They're predicting 7 days of rain here so looks like our drought may be easing! We need the rain, but sure miss the sun now. (I'm never satisfied! lol) Have a nice Thursday.
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Annie. Since I chose BMX for the first one (DCIS) they did not recommend any other treatment. It was the main reason I chose BMX. Chance of recurrence was supposed to be about 1%, so the risks from tamoxifen would have outweighed the risk of recurrence. I guess the odds were not on my side. Ironically, we are going to Las Vegas today. ...odds! Maybe I'll win on 100-1 odds! 😂
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Kechla, I've been so ravenous the last few days that I'm worried that the 100 pounds I lost will come roaring back with a vengeance. I'm glad the dietary changes proved helpful and hope you can get the GI system properly balanced again soon. Tummy issues are miserable. :-(
Sensitive, how wonderful that your employer has been so supportive! It's nice to be appreciated.
Lyn
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SweetRain, ginger tea is supposed to be good for mouth sores. Mine have gone away.
(I know you're done with chemo now but I just wanted to post this in case someone is looking for help with chemo-induced mouth sores, and stumbles across these posts.)
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Chemist ....thank you ...as you know when your in the middle of this all you appreciate any advise.
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Had my last taxol today. 4 A/C and 12 weekly taxol done. Meet with my BS next Thursday regarding surgery. Thinking it'll be March.
Hope everyone is doing well. These boards have been a blessing. Especially this group!
Hugs to all.
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Kz1966... Woohoo ...Congrats! So glad for you! Chemo checked off... Yay! Hugs
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Yay Kz! It's such a fantastic feeling to finally be done isn't it? Hope you can recover quickly from any lingering side effects!
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Congrats Kathie!! So happy for you!!!
Hope everyone is well.....my arm is better- still sore once in a while, but I was cleared for BMX w/reconstruct on Tuesday the 31st. Not looking forward to being laid up again but it is what it is!! If anyone has any last minute hints I'm open to hearing them lol!
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Congrats KZ
In your pocket, Kelly.
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Totally thinking of you Kelly and will check in on you. Please Please let me know if I can be of any help at all.
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Kelly...will be praying for you on the 31st ...keep us posted.
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Thanks! I will post an update when I can!!!
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Thinking of you Kelly! Love and hugs for tomorrow.
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Thanks Dara!! I've been teary off and on all day......not scared, just mourning going through another process that's going to lay me up again. Getting melancholy I guess! Will post when I can!
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Kelly...got youin my prayers for tomorrow ...love & hugs. I can't imagine how this would be on your emotions sweetie this all just stinks!! We're here for you!
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