Starting Chemo in July 2017
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thank you purple, will go to CVS today to pick up some cream. I need to be careful not trying new lotion since I have sensitive skin
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Morning,
Today is day 5 after DD #3, ugh, this flushing is hanging on and so embarrassing to be in public with a beet red face. However not to much public exposure today as I'm completely out of gas. First day since the start of this chemo journey and I contemplated briefly staying in bed a least till noon.
Dragged myself out and am here in my robe, not to keen on a shower but I have an afternoon appointment for a colonoscopy I need to get done between chemo and rads. It was due at the time of my diagnosis but I let it slide. Fun times!
I really should go down and walk on the dreadmill this morning, geesh, I want to be a slug instead!!
Have a good day, hugs and prayers.
Theresa
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hang in there teese.... and get on the dreadmill... might help :
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Teese - sorry to hear that you are having a bad day, yea moving around might help. Day 4 is my down day.
I need to setup my dreadmill I can't walk outside for awhile due to poor air quality in California. Need to get ready for my #5 taxol this morning.
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Paulette, Very worried for all of you in California, are you far away from the fires, many prayers said for you all.
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Happy Friday! Yay, we made it through another week! This week has been topsy turvy for me. I live about 2 hours away from the Nor Cal fires in Napa and the smoke has traveled to our area making air quality really bad. I don't have asthma but started wheezing earlier this week. I think the chemo side effects aggravated it. It has been so depressing watching all that's been happening on the news, and as much as I want to drive up there and help out I know I have to prioritize my health.
After my last TC infusion a week ago, my bone pain lasted longer than usual. Aleve helped manage the pain better than Tylenol. I also have tingling in my feet, more in my toes so I'll pick up some glutamine this weekend.
For those fighting fatigue I just realized that moving helps. I forced myself to go to the gym twice this week since I'm doing the LiveStrong program and just getting on the treadmill for 20 min at a leisurely pace helped with my fatigue.
A new SE came up for me this week: peeling skin! My hands have been drier and peeling like I have dried glue on my hands. It's not painful or blistering, but it's very annoying. It maybe that I'm not drinking enough water this time around.
I also went back to my PT this week to diagnose the swelling of my left hand (surgery side). She took measurements and it looks like I have started to develop lymphedema. 😞 My arm measurements were about 1 cm more than it was 4 months ago so it's not only my hand that is affected. I can't tell just by looking at it so I'm glad I went to see her. Now I have to manage it by doing lymphatic draining massage daily to move fluid around to other lymph nodes. She said the swelling may also be partially chemo related since the steroid may cause fluid retention so we'll see if it goes down in the next week or so.
I have been pretty private about my bc so only a handful of people outside my family know. But I am participating in the ACS Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at the end of the month. So last night I posted a link on FB to my fundraising page which shares my story for BC Awareness month. I know everyone's FB timelines are filled with news about the fires in the area so we'll see how much interaction my post will get.
Sorry for the long post but it's been a crazy week and wanted to update you all. Have a great weekend everyone!
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Thanks for the encouragement, I did go walk and it helped my fatigue and my feet feel less tingling. It helps having you guys so much.
Sunnyjay, loved the update, you're doing so well! Are you doing rads, can't remember
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Sunnyjay - I’m about two hours away from Napa also, I am not walking outdoor now. My hubby just cleaned the treadmill so we can walk inside. It’s painful to watch news now, I still can’t believe all these sad stories. I have been seeing my PT weekly, I booked my appointment all the way to thanksgiving now. They even suggested I get a pump, my PT also said chemo and steroid will make our arm retained fluid.
Just finished my #5 taxol, sleep more than two hour on the chair, nowmy brain just fogged up. Hope I don’t have muscle pain. Will see dermatologist on Monday to figure out my arms rashes.
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sunnyjay & Paulette, thinking of you gals and the air issues you’re facing!!
I also started getting some of the dermatological SEs... my right foot is peeling (yuck) so I’m slathering on Bag Balm at night.
Today is day 4 after Taxol #5. Tonight I’ve been feeling “flu-like” — sore shoulders, sore throat, my lower back hurts. Ready for this to be done. But, I was able to go to the high school football game (son is in marching band) and enjoyed it, so I’ll take it. (That’s more than I could say with A/C!)
Have a great weekend gals... I’ve got lunch and a race expo with girlfriends tomorrow (a half marathon I was supposed to run... still going to do the pre-race festivities, darn it!) and then I’m committing to doing NOTHING.
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wow Jen you are running again!!! Go girl!!
#5 taxol, now My stomach feels funny and I actually have a little nausea I have to eat ginger candy. I haven’t have this for long time. Also I have so much gas might have to take Zantac .... my hubby is cooking steak for dinner !!!
Taxol really dry out skin out, im using dehumidifier in my bedroom already and I changed my lotion to Aqaphor already, one of my nurse friend suggested me to use
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I'm not running yet, Paulette
This Sunday is a huge race in town... it's pretty cool - goes from Detroit into Canada over the Ambassador Bridge, then back into the States via the tunnel under the Detroit River. I've run the half marathon twice and registered to run this year, but sold my bib. Saturday is a huge expo and packet pickup... we always used it as a day to hang out downtown and eat, drink and shop running stuff
I'll do that part ... just no running tomorrow. (On the upside, it's supposed to rain and be nasty tomorrow, so I'm not too bummed about missing this year!0 -
never been a runner but usd to love to ride my bike but when my balance when bad i gave away my lovely purple Cannondale, used to love to ride along the coast and made some great friends in some of the local clubs, not any more
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Jen - you will be runnng the next one, I know you can do that!! How are you feeling today? Yesterday you said you have flu likes feeling, aches shoulders and sore throats.
I’m so happy that I can sleep five hours on my infusion day, that will help my emotion. I was not a sporty person, I used to train with a trainer but I stopped became a daily walker. I tried to find a yoga instructor before this BC journey, I think after radiation I will try to find a yoga class or do some Thai Chi.
Have a good weekend ladies, if anyone wants to join our FB, please contract me or JenRuns.
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It's a gorgeous fall evening, hopefully I'll feel up to a spin around the neighborhood tomorrow, however temps are expected into the 80's. Not a fan of the 80's right now, waiting for the 60''s.
Have my RO appointment this Thursday, I'm anxious and nervous to get this started. It'll become the new norm soon I know.
Jen enjoy your day with friends at the expo, drink and be merry!
Have a good evening all,
Hugs and prayers,
Theresa
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Teese, it’s high 70 outside and high 60 inside my house. Air quality is good so I went out for a walk then went to Macy’s picked up a pan. So I had a pretty good day. I’m happy for you finishing the chemo train, let us know how’s your radiation works out. When I’m ready to jump on the radiation train you should be finished.
Ladies, my body must got used to the steroid, now I can sleep on the infusion night, and my appetite is not as good as before. Sucks!! Having stomach gas now, so I have to start taking Zantac and hope that help my appetite.
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with all this med and treatment......appetite has not been affected
Taxol treatment is off for next week, i am on a 2 week on and one week,off, it is my recovery eweek
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proud - how many taxol are you doing? My appetite always has been bad since I started chemo
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Return of the mouth sores....they are at least not on the inside of my lips or tip of the tongue, but one inside my right cheek hurts like hell. It hurts to touch the outside of my cheek, and I'm getting a headache. At least I have hydrocodone, which I am definitely using.
Hope the smoke clears for everyone in CA. Seattle had its turn this summer, and it was not fun.
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leatherette - I got those cheek bites during AC, make sure put hydrocodone there as early as possible,
Air quality isn’t bad in my area, but it is still burning in Sonoma..... no more wineries soon,
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Paulette: Isn't it great that the air quality is so much better today? It was still a little smoky last night so I was happy to see the blue sky. It's nice that you were able to get out for a walk too! Hubby & I went to our local Firefighters pancake breakfast and open house. Part of it was outdoors so we were glad the air was much better today.
JenRuns: I've been having some improvement with my peeling hands with Eucerin. I have eczema prone skin so I've been using the ine for eczema relief. It took a few days to calm down. But now you have me curious about bag balm. I haven't heard of it before but I'll check it out if this acts up again. A quick Google search says it's available at my local Target.
Teese, did I read it right that you just finished chemo? If so, congrats! I still have to see my RO to see when I should start radiation, or even if I should. At our initial consultation prior to starting chemo, he said I was a borderline case... so I'm on the fence. I haven't looked into what constitutes whether rads is necessary. Does it have to do with tumor size, lymph node involvement, staging? Or is there a scan that needs to happen before we can determine rads? He threw a lot at me at our first meeting and my mind was still processing the chemo consultation. Part of me wants to be done with this already and move on to reconstruction. My PS had mentioned that I would have to wait a year after radiation before she'll do reconstruction.
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Leatherette, you might try my mouth sore trick, though it horrified my nurses. I rinsed my mouth with cognac. I did it at bedtime and the sore was 50% smaller the next morning. Did it the next night and it was gone the next day.0
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(dang it, typed a response and lost it, I think). Long story short: race expo and lunch was kinda a fail. It made me sad to see how I was in a different place than my girlfriends... couldn't participate in the "the weather's going to suck for this run" conversation, discussion of next races was a bummer for me, and I just felt out of place. Oh well. Get through this and look forward to next year, I guess
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JenRuns another one of those grief experiences. All that we are missing out on gobsmacks you in the face. Next year
Sunnyjay, I'll be interested to hear what will happen next for you. It looks like alot of folks are scheduling surgery before radiation. But maybe they are not people with tissue expanders. I have my surgery to swap out the expander scheduled for January0 -
Travrlhound, I could have sworn that when I got the expander put in she said 3-6 months after radiation to switch out the expanders. But at my last appointment she said 12 months. At least I'll have time to get a 2nd opinion. Haha
JenRuns, Awww... that sucks that you were snubbed by your friends. I felt the same way after posting (exposing myself) about my bc experience on FB. Since only family & a few friends knew I thought I would get some type of support from my broader circle of "friends". Both my husband & I posted our own BC awareness month status update, tagged each other & linked to our team page for the Making Strides 5K we're doing. In general, our day-to-day posts get immediate responses and interactions. But this time, there are hardly any interactions. Those that did "like" the posts were those that already knew. Oh well.
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I was told i had to wait at least 6 months after radiation before getting my implants, though my PS had said if there was a month in between chemo and radiation, he would consider doing it. (Not going that route... actually considering a diep flap now that I know I need radiation. BS suggested it, based on high implant failure rates post-radiation.)
Thanks, sunnyjay... in their defense, the gals didn't really snub me... I probably withdrew. In all fairness, I probably should have skipped the day...
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Jen, sorry for the disappointment, reading your post made me aware of a similar thing that happened this summer to me. We have to just tell ourselves that this too shall pass. I'm glad you're taking it so well, but it sucks. However I can't wait to hear about the first race you get back to.
Paulette and leatherette, glad the air is improving, after watching the news I was really concerned for you California gals. Hoping you are far far away from this mess. In the east we contend with the occasional hurricane and I guess because we have such a lead time when they happen it doesn't seem as frightening as these fires. Good grief, what a nightmare. Praying for everyone out there.
Travelhound, that's quite the mouth trick, it works fast, I'll keep it in mind and hope to never use it. My chemo nurses would probably have a cow, they didn't want me to even use a water pik. Haha, I think I'll tell them about it just to see their reaction.
Sunnyjay, I finish in 8 days, I just have the initial RO, (really a second opinion, spoke to someone in May and have chosen a different facility that's closer) appointment. Will begin rads I would guess in mid Nov, be finished by the new year, as long as there are no delays. As far as who needs rads I think even the Drs don't have set guidelines. At first I was told a mastectomy equals lumpectomy plus rads. But, I see loads of mastectomies getting rads. Who knows, I sure don't.
I also have great results with the really thick Eucerin cream in the jar. I massage it onto my feet 2-3 times a day. No peeling yet, we shall see.
Proud, this is your good week, hope you fit in something enjoyable. Are you still bouncing back with the two on and one off? How's your hair, will it slowly recover and grow in? I have it starting on the sides and not on top yet. Not particularly happy with that. :-/ Sigh
It's a rainy day so I'll be on the dreadmill again, the rest of the week looks lovely, though. A new bike/walking path opened up next to the river, I think it's time hubby and I check it out.
Hugs and prayers,
Theresa
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morning, my plan for today is to go to the coast with one of my gym pals. I have to say, my circle of friends have been awesome in driving me to appointments and just generally being pals. But there are some in my life that i sort of stay clear from as they are negative.
I am not clear yet on how many taxol treatments i am to,have. Doctor has not said. I was such a mess when the mets were discovered......rads has cleared the tumor on my spine, the chemo has cleared up the spots on my liver so taking things one at a time. I also have mets to my bones so continueing chemo for now. Stage 4 has no end.
Looked up at my kitchen ceiling, so when did the brown water stains happen? Guess that is a new project
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proud, I knew you reported good scan results, but very happy to here liver and spine spots have cleared. Great news, now for the Taxol to wipe out the bone mets. Thanks for sharing the good news.
Brown spots on the ceiling, fun times!
Enjoy .your day,
Theresa
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Proud - my SIL has stage 4 also, mets to her bone and liver, they found new mess from her bone and liver couple weeks ago, so she is going to do rad on her bone then they are going to do biopsy on her liver. She is in her 70 and she has been fighting for the last 7 years. It’s great they cleared your liver and spine spots, let taxol to wipe out the rest.
Teese - I need some positive energy damn nosebleeds got me down.
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Travelhound, that is a side effect treatment I can get behind! I'm not a classy lady who has cognac laying around, but a trip to the liquor store is in order.
😉
Sunnyjay, I had a similar FB experience. I should have stuck to my instinct to keep the whole BC thing off FB. I deleted my post. I think posting a picture of my dinner will get more of a response. Go figure
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