Starting Chemo June 2017
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Hap B, there is an interesting thread called Moving Beyond Cancer/Eyebrows Months After Chemo Has Ended on this forum.
I am thinking of having my eyebrows tattoed. I am getting tired of painting them on. If I do I will report and show before and after photos.
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I have not noticed headaches on Herceptin. I did lose most of my eyebrows again which is disappointing. Eyelashes are not real full either, but still have some. Not sure if that's from the CMF chemo or the Herceptin. My last infusion with chemo will be at the end of the month and then will only be Herceptin, Perjeta and I'll start back up on Tamoxifen a few weeks after the last chemo. Still have my pixie hair on top.
VL22...I can't make any rhyme or reason out of my flashes. They have a mind of their own and flare up at any time. They do seem less frequent now during the day but still more frequent at night. It's a game with the covers being on and off. I think when I start back up on Tamoxifen they may increase again, but time will tell.
Came down with a cold. I had a runny nose mid-week and thought it was the Herceptin but then my throat started to sting. Still thought it might be irritation from chemo, but yesterday was the day I decided it was a cold. Lots of nose blowing and today I have Lauren Bacall voice. I feel just fine otherwise - other than the the other little party favors from treatment --hello immodium! -- so hopefully a few days of sniffly stuff and I'll get through it. I'm scheduled to travel on Monday.
Headed down to FL on Monday to visit my folks. My dad ended up in the hospital. He has congestive heart failure and kidney issues. His heart cannot pump with enough strength to stop fluid build up and then he gets on diuretics which tax his weakened kidneys. It's a delicate dance. I believe they have it under control now, and he will get out of the hospital on Monday. My mom has been very stressed with his issues and worrying about me and just recently her sister was surprisingly diagnosed with lung cancer. A shock because she was not a smoker. Caught early and removed and looks like she will get away without chemo or radiation needed. A good thing, but still added emotional stress for my mom. Just want to go down and spend a week to hopefully prop her up some.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
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peachy, love the Lauren Bacall voice 😂, I’ve had it for 2 weeks now. Had a cold last week and tons of snot and a cough. I’ve pulled my back out coughing. Now everything has cleared up except the voice. I’ll start calling it my Lauren Bacall voice, my kids won’t know who that is. I call their dramatic penciled in eyebrows, their mommy dearest eyebrows.
No headaches from Herceptin but I always get the runny nose and food tastes change for a week after infusion.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, 1 more day of Springs Break
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Peachy, have a great visit with your folks. Tr y to take care of yourself and get rid of that cold so you don't give it to your dad.
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Just checking in with everyone. Seemed to be doing pretty well. I went ice skating last Friday and took a hard fall. Lucky I didn't break anything. My wrist and coccyx bone are still sore. I am done with ice skating!
I start PT tomorrow to try and get this range of motion back in my right arm. It improved 20 degrees since late December, but I need another 40 to go to get to match my left.
Peachy, I hope your father does well. Glad they seemed to have caught your aunt's lung cancer early. There is just too much. I hope you will continue to stay strong with your continued treatment. Big hugs!
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VL22 - I was anticipating some hot flashes from the anti-hormonal, but so far nothing. I do notice some minor joint aches from time to time. They are not really painful, just bothersome.
Peachy - I hope your trip to Florida is one filled with love, peace, and comfort.
Julia - Your hair is lovely. It looks so thick!
I started PT on Monday to address possible radiation scarring. I am grateful: my physical therapist sees no evidence of lymphedema, so that is a huge relief to me.
Wishing you ALL beautiful spring days!
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Hello lovely ladies - I just got fitted for my compression sleeves for flying to prevent lymphedema. I foolishly forgot to get them before my last flight and had some swelling that only lasted a day. That was my wake up call I guess. There is lots of controversy about whether these things even work but I am going to give them a try. Not covered by medicare.
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Hi JulieJazz,
What does the fitting for compression sleeves entail? I have a referral to get one but just waiting for approval. I have regular (non medicare) insurance so hopefully it will be paid for. Thanks.
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They just measure your arms in about 10 places. Sometimes they have one in stock or in some cases they have to order a custom one.
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Got my 3 D nipple tattoos yesterday. They look awesome but I can't say it wasn't painful. My insurance covers it if it's done in a drs office so my PS has an artist come in once a month to do them. One more step to back to normal. Now if my hair would only finish coming in. It's still pretty thin especially on top. Someone suggested getting it highlighted to cover it, I may look into that. Hope everyone has a wonderfullweekend, 3 day weekend for me
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LTWJ: I'm finally getting my hair. Still not enough to cut but it is starting to grow. I've actually been brave enough lately to go out without a hat on.
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My hair is definitely not ready to be cut and it’s very thin on top. My hair used to be thick and coarse, now thick but very fine, and thin on top. I got rid of the wig and wear a bandanna at school, and nothing a home. I got a sunburn on my scalp though so I need to be more careful.
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Hello all....it's been a few weeks. I went to FL and happy to say dad was released from the hospital the day I arrived. With congestive heart failure, it will always be a challenge. His heart is too weak to prevent fluid build up and they have to be careful with diuretics because his kidneys are not good. His potassium level was nil so they immediately got him taking potassium pills. He lost a lot of the fluid and now needs physical therapy and to MOVE. He was not motivated. He was depressed because of cataracts limiting his eyesight. He had both eyes done last week and sight is much better. This lifted his spirits. Now he says he will do the walking/therapy because he feels more confident now that he can see better. I said I understood why he was hesitant to walk when he couldn't see, but now there is no excuse. There are plenty of things that are out of his control. Physical therapy is in his control and he needs to do it. A little bit of role reversal but somebody had to give him the talk. Ha.
I had my 4th infusion Thursday before Easter. That was the last one that included the CMF chemo. Going forward it'll be Herceptin and Perjeta only. Should mean much less time in the chair and no side effects from steroids and anti-nausea meds and no more Neulasta shots. Yay!! Every other time I don't even need to see the doctor or nurse-just infusion so even less time overall. I'll start Tamoxifen again in a couple of weeks and start thinking about the exchange surgery.
I need to go for my 3 month echo cardiogram. I do not seem to have any signs of heart issues so not too worried about that.
So I pretty much know what I'll be feeling after each infusion but had a weird day last Saturday. I felt very sore. Not bone pain, but anything "soft" was super tender. My belly felt as if I did a thousand crunches (trust me, I did not!) and just under my armpits and back were tender to touch. Felt like I was beaten. It only lasted that one day but it was a new thing and a little freaky.
Nowadays I deal mostly with loose stools, runny nose, hot flashes and leg cramps. Lost a bunch of eyelashes and eyebrows again. Boo. Hair on my head continues to grow in....a little slowly, but hey it's coming. Below was taken 03-04-18. Sorry for the size.
I hope all are doing well and are starting to get some Spring. Mother Nature is holding back on warmer temps here in NY but I think I'm going to escape snow this weekend at least.
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Glad to get an update, Peachy. Glad to hear your dad is doing better and you are down to just the two drugs. That is progress! Looking great!
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glad to see we are all hanging in there for the most part..I have had a whirlwind of a week or so..tons of family coming into town to see my Dad..he had had prostrate cancer which had spread to his bones for the last 7 years and also suffered from COPD..unfortunately my Dad passed away last Thursday from the COPD..he had gotten pneumonia and his poor body just couldn't handle it anymore. He lived about 10 minutes from me and I was so happy I was able to see him the day before ..I just knew by the way he looked it wouldn't be long..luckily I was able to give him gentle hugs and tell him how much I loved him and how sorry I was to see him hurting..his last words to me were "shit happens"..ha! He had me laughing right up to the end..then last Monday I had my gallbladder out because what they thought was a polyp turned out to be two stones.i feel like i did a million sit ups...now more family and I'm in a wedding on Saturday..ahhhh I can't wait until I don't have to do anything at all..no commitments..I'm a exhausted...other then all this I'm still doing herceptin every 3 weeks with joint pain almost like the flu but after tomorrow I'll only have 5 left..on a lighter note my hair is growing in good and my brother actually cut it for me the other day..I hope everyone has a wonderful week and we all have a better summer then last year. .I consider this my summer redo
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So sorry for your loss hhuey. Glad you got to be with him.though and very glad that your treatments are almost done. Hang in there through the next whirlwind and enjoy your downtime. You have earned it.
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thank you ladies..hapb I'm just on the Herceptin and you are correct that it is no picnic..my new hobbies are walks in a newfound park, the occasional beach outing and a lounge on my couch with the heating pad
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Kim, Peachy, and Julia......all.of you are looking great! And more importantly Healthy!!!
Its crazy its been a year since our diagnosis and we are still fighting this. Whether it be treatments or side effects. I had my ovaries removed today. So I'm checking that off my to do list. I had my preop testing and on the EKG it showed abnormal results. They could not rule out Anterior Infarct(heart attack), my guess is it's just damage from the chemo. Hoping no side effects or symptoms occur from that! As for today's surgery it was easy. I'm a little sore so one day on the sofa will do me good!
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Its snowing here in Pennsylvania in April. Summer needs to get here!!
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Susie, I am praying for your speedy recovery. I'm so very sorry to read about the EKG findings. Chemo is so aggressive and one never knows the long-term complications. I pray the EKG results have no bearing on your long, healthy and happy life.
Spring cannot arrive soon enough. I had planned to visit family in the Midwest last week but ended up rescheduling the trip for May. My hometown received over 14 inches of snow! In one day! Whatever happened to April showers?!?
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Take care, Susie. Hopefully those heart issues won't turn out to be too serious. Hope some spring weather will be coming soon. You hae a good attitude and you will get through this. Happy spring to all my June chemo sisters.
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Hello June ladies!
hhuey so sorry for your loss. I smiled at your dad's last words to you. He's right. Shit happens! It sounds like he knew how to roll with it when it does. May he be at peace and may his memory keep you laughing.
susie Hope you are all recovered from the ovary removal. Sorry to read about your EKG results. I have to get an echo every 3 months to check my heart. It's a reminder that besides the cancer - the cure could get me. ugh.
I had lunch with a friend today at one of our favorite lunch spots. A year ago this Friday, we sat in the same place after I had my first biopsy. I was still hanging on to hope that it would come back negative while secretly "knowing" the image on the ultra-sound was far too funky to be benign. It was strange to try and have normal conversation over lunch while my brain spun crazy scenarios! The beginning of many strange days to come. Flash forward a year and I'm still checking boxes.
The 2nd short course of chemo has ended and I'm down to Herceptin and Perjeta for the next 8 months or so.
I am scheduled for my exchange surgery on June 4. Finished my last chemo 4 weeks ago so I got the thumb's up for surgery. Happy to get the expander out and move on to what will hopefully be a little more comfortable. It hasn't been terrible with the expander, but there is definitely room for improvement in the comfort category.
I don't know if I want to start retaking Tamoxifen now or wait. I'll have to stop 2 weeks before surgery so would be 3 weeks on, 2 weeks off, then back on after surgery. I wonder if that may be too much of a roller coaster. I have a message in for my oncologist to weigh in and give me her recommendation.
All in all I feel good. Every 3 weeks I am reminded I am battling cancer when I sit in the infusion chair. Other than that, I can get on with every day life.
My heart is aching, though, for my beau's grandson. At 12, he has been diagnosed with a very rare cancer (desmoplastic small round cell tumor) that has a very poor prognosis. 4 weeks ago he was fine. Felt a lump under his rib on a Sunday. Monday he went to the dr and scans revealed the mass. Originally called a neuroblastoma that has gotten entwined in his aortic artery. The DSRCT research I have done is depressing and heartbreaking. Currently in a holding pattern. He may come up to NY to go to Memorial Sloan Kettering or to Houston to MD Anderson. St Jude's rejected him saying it was too rare, they don't have an open study or the personnel to treat properly. Apparently, only 200 cases have been reported since 1989. If you are so inclined, please send up a special prayer for Brody. Cancer sucks. Cancer in kids is beyond comprehension.
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Dear Peachy, So glad to hear you are feeling good all in all but so sorry to hear about Brody. That really is too much. Praying for sure.
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Hello to all! It is has been too long. I had a wonderful 11-night cruise vacation to the Panama Canal. I felt great and was out later than my DH most nights.
Woke up last Friday with bacterial pink eye! It's still with me but slowly getting better. I guess it feels good to get something "normal?" hhuey, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your father (so grateful you were able to say goodbye).
Peachy, your hair is looking great. It seems like you are doing well! Glad your chemo is over!! Such difficult news about Brody. I cannot fathom your family's pain, and I pray peace and a miraculous healing for him.
Susie, I hope the heart issues will resolve. Stay on top of it. Are you having any issues from your ovary removal?
Julia, I wore my compression sleeve on my flights and had no issues. My PT measured me when I got back, and I was a tad bigger. I did get some slight sun, which she said could have caused that. I will remain in PT for another six weeks. We are making great strides to get me with a more normal range of motion. She said a lot of the pain I feel in the ribs was caused by the radiation. She's an amazing PT. I am so glad I agreed to this. She has taught me a lot! Stretching is essential to get through this. I guess I will stretch forever...lol
Friday will be my one-year diagnosis - May 4th -- when the force wasn't with me. This year, I will be seeing my Gyno on that day -- the one who called and told me the news. I am going to ask if I need to consider having my ovaries removed.
I seem to be doing ok on the Letrozole. The joints don't hurt like they did in the early weeks. I forgot to take it for the first time last week. Woke panicked and just took in the morning. If I have to take this for 10 years, I am sure it won't be the first time I forget. I have learned to relax about some things. My first post-treatment mammo is May 16th. DH is going with me. It may be an anxiety-filled day, but I choose to just enjoy today for what it is. (Pink eye and all)
I was happy to get out and do SUP in the Bahamas. I love doing this. I feel for the first time but was able to get back on the board. My PT wasn't sure I would have the core strength. This was the first picture I showed her upon my return. I give her credit!
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Kim, that turquoise water looks very inviting! I'm so happy you enjoyed your cruise and all it had to offer. You look strong and confident on that board. Kudos to you!
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Haven't posted much but do drop in once a week to see how everyone is doing.
Looking good Kim. I've forgotten at least two times that I can remember to take my Letrozol. I'm thinking there's probably enough in my system day over day that one day wouldn't matter.
I'm really trying to put this whole BC behind me. I got a little emotional last week as that was the one year anniversary of my operation. Funny, my diagnosis day came and went without any problems. Now, I'm not looking forward to my first mamo in two weeks. I also saw a report that says Mammos do more harm than good.
Oh, and I finally have some hair although my gosh it's taking forever to come back. It's at the sticking straight out stage. The only positive thing about all this is that the 8 lbs of weight I lost on chemo is still off.
Fingers and toes crossed that we all stay cancer free for the rest of our lives.
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Peachy and Julia, you both are looking great!
Kim, I love the phot that you shared with us, you look amazing....
I had forgotten to bring my Letrozole for two days when I was away from home and I figured I just wasn't going to worry about it. What's done is done and I resumed it when I got back home. I do my best and that's all I can do.
Pink, I have heard the same about the mammograms. When the fiasco occurred with the hospital mixing up my mammo scans with someone else during my FIRST mammo after dx, they had to take another scan. My ONCO was not pleased that I had to have two scans instead of one. My dr office is reviewing my scans to be sure that they have my scans and not someone elses. What a mess!
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Pink and Moody, Well, I can't blame you for not worrying about missing a pill or two. This is a precaution, and we are doing the best we can in all this.
Pink, Glad you are getting some hair and have kept 8 pounds off. I have kept off about 3. I am ok with that. I have heard stories of 30-40 lb weight gains on this meds, so I am hoping that is not the case for everyone!
I have a follow-up with my radiologist today. I am sure it will last 2 minutes or less. What can she say? No redness or such, and thankfully I did well throughout. I do have some tenderness in my right rib cage I will mention to her. My PT says it's Rads related. PT wouldn't do therapy on me this week because I am battling a really bad cold. Crazy how I could have done so well all throughout my treatment then this is just a bugger-bear. I can tell today is looking up. I have coughed my throat raw. 'Tis the season for such!
So proud of how far we have come, ladies. Troopers all!
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Looking good Kim! Salt water therapy is the best!
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms.
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Happy mothers day to all moms and daughters. My mom just celebrated her 92nd birthday. My dad has settled in to memory care so that makes it easier for us when we go to visit him every afternoon. I am blessed to have them both. I had a nice call from my son. We saw him and his wife last weekend and will go to see them again this weekend. He called me today and put a sweet post on facebook about how he is grateful for modern cancer medicine. Love to all my sisters here online.
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Greetings June ladies! Just wanted to stop in to say hello. Nothing new to report on my end. Counting down to exchange surgery. Hope all of you are feeling well and enjoying Spring.
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