Chemo Starting August 2018
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santab - Very cool about the graves. And also, I'm glad to hear the first appointment went so well. I like that they greet you by name there.
hughope - I had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction on both sides. You should not need drains for the exchange surgery. I don't know about the breast reduction, but I'd be surprised if that involved drains. The pain is much, much less with exchange surgery, I found, and none of those awful t-rex arms like with a mastectomy.
MGJ - Oh. My. God. I'm cringing at the idea of my nether bits being lasered. That had to hurt like the dickens. Yay for your port coming out soon! I tell you, it makes a world of difference to me to have mine gone.
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The "family burying ground"
chilling at the hotel
Wishing everyone a good day
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Santabarbarian—I’m on my ‘Putting Humpty Dumpty back together again’ phase. I’m having my eyebrows microbladed today. Oh, my eyebrows and eyelashes have started growing. How are you doing with rads?
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So far no issues. I am hoping my skin survives.
How are you doing skin-wise?
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SB, cute kitty pics. It is great you found the gravestones, but does seem sad that they have been forgotten until you came across them. Genealogy is so fascinating, I have very little family and unfortunately my parents weren't big on talking about their families and of course being young and stupid I didn't ask. Wish you the best on your rads.
MGJ, hope your lady bits are getting better, I can't imagine. It makes me cringe to think of it, you are one strong lady.
Hughope1, I wish you the best on your surgery next week.
Well, got another expansion today and am off of the antibiotics, thank goodness. I don’t know about you all, but I’m tired of taking meds all the time. I’m still extremely swollen but am working on arm movements along with my walking exercise and I feel pretty normal these days. Tomorrow I’m headed to my H&P infusion, I don’t even worry about it because I just don’t get any SE’s from it. AND, exciting news, I’m getting hair. I definitely am going down the path of male pattern baldness, top is coming in slow, but who cares, it is coming back. YEAH.
All take care, best wishes to you all
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So glad the hair is coming in, Mactaz!
My widows peaks are finally starting to get a little less extreme, fuzzy new baby hair coming in there at last.
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quick question for you all, I just noticed I have lost most of my eyebrows and my lower eyelashes. Did you lose these after chemo. My upper lashes seem to be okay so far. o strange it is happening now,
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My eyebrows went last - and might have kept falling out a bit more PFC.... and they are very slow to fill in. One hair at a time! My eyelashes thinned but hung in there.
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MACTAZ—I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes a few weeks into weekly Taxol. Like 99% gone. But now they are growing in. Glad to hear you're doing well. Yeah for the hair growth! It's such a relief when it comes in.
Wanderweg—I'm uber excited to get the port out. It's so obvious looking and if I'm riding shotgun the car seatbelts bother it.
Santabarbarian—Kitties! So cute! During rads they give me a 'bolus' to bring the rads to the skin. That is every other day. Those days my skin might get a little cranky if it's towards the end of the week. I'll have the bolus tomorrow and my skin will be cranky and happy to have the weekend off. But, it's just red and slightly tender. Like a sunburn. For my skin I'm using a vegetarian form of Aquaphor from Alba Botanica. It's just like aquaphor but not petroleum based. I rub that on right after rads in my car in the parking lot. I just hike my shirt up. Nothing to see on that side anyway. 😉 (It will stain clothes) After my shower at night, I made a combo of calendula oil, hyaluronic acid, vit E, CBD, and hemp oil and rub that on. So far so good. I just looked up the Miaderm ingredients and made my own take on it.
My lady bits are no longer sore, the eyebrows are now sore. Last night if I crinkled my face my eyebrows screamed at me. Better today.
Anybody else starting rads? Kwilli? Aren’t you seeing the RO next week?
(I was half way done yesterday and didn't even realize it. The med assistant told me 18 out of 36 done. I'm just not miserable so I'm not fixated on it the way I counted every chemo down.)
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Yes, I hate the chemical kinds of lotions like aquaphor. Your brew sounds more my style!
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MACTAZ - my eyebrows and eyelashes thinned and I lost a little clump of eyelashes on either side. Never lost them completely. But my fingernails are getting weird, and I’m 14 weeks out. The white part at the top has started extending down into my nails.
MGJ - I hated riding shotgun while I had my port. I like the idea of mixing up your own oils and such. Where do you find hyaluronic acid?
My hair is still thin and short but it’s coming in very evenly and has gotten to a point where people don’t seem to know if it’s intentional. I overheard one of the librarians mention me as “the lady with the shaved head who was just up here.” I was around her corner, but I wanted to yell, “I didn’t shave my head!”
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Still on the short bus. Slow. Finished chemo and surgery is Tuesday. Because of chemo and shrinkage lumpectomy instead of mastectomy and worst lymph nodes shrunk from 3 and 2 + cms to 1. 2 and 1. Still getting complete axillary lymphadectomy. Worst of taxol seems to have hit after finished, painful muscles which combined with MRI gave me a terrible stiff neck. BS wanted immediate MRI of head because suspected brain cancer. I refused and my dear primary cured my brain cancer with a muscle relaxer. My legs are really painful. No problem walking but I use my hands and arms to lift and lower sitting to standing. I assume after surgery and with a drain that will be a problem. Every thing could have been worse and I am doing fine. Trying not to think about surgery. Reading all your experiences is beyond helpful. Where do I go to return this unpleasant 70th birthday present? It isn’t one I’ll forget
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wanderweg, that is exactly how my eyebrows are, short little hairy caterpillars. I have one nail where the White is extending down, but I had funky nails since my 4th infusion. They turned yellow with funny brown spots in them. Watch your nails, my OC said if white of nails extend down you might lose that nail. Might want to talk to someone, not sure if there is something you can do.
Benj69, good luck with your surgery. I’m happy your results from chemo were good enough so you could do a lumpectomy vs MX. I have arthritis in my knees, hips and back and while I was on chemo I felt terrific. When I was done with chemo, it has come back, I to can walk okay, sometime a little slower than normal, but up and down motions are a killer. My OC said I felt good during chemo because it kills inflammation. Wouldn’t it be nice if that was a result that lasted forever. And I know what you mean about returns, I hate those no return policies.
Take care and will be thinking of you.
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Benji -- the lymph node that I had cancer in, that was over 3 cm, shrunk to 1.0 x 1.5, and it was dead as a doornail upon removal... wishing you the same! I wish you good luck in your surgery with a speedy recovery!
wanderweg you look gorgeous! Nice dark hair, too! Totally hip.
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wanderweg—I love the hair. It’s looking great. The color is fantastic. I’m so jealous! I wish mine looked that cool. The hyaluronic acid I bought is from Amazon in a blue bottle from InstaSkincare. It doesn’t have icky preservatives in it. I just ordered another 2 bottles. I smear it on right after a shower when I’m still damp dry and then put my oils on top of it. I also have used it on my face and I like it.
Benji—I will be sending you positive vibes for your upcoming surgery. That chemo really did it’s job and nuked that CA. Yes! I’m sorry that the Taxol is still giving you muscle aches. They didn’t give you much time between chemo and surgery, did they?
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Benji - I wish I could return this gift, too - I don’t like the way it fits! The surgery is no fun, but then you move toward the healing phase. When is your surgery scheduled?
MACTAZ - I don’t think you can stop a nail from lifting off if that’s what it’s goung to do mine seem to have stabilized, so I’m hopeful they won’t.
Santabarbarian - Thanks!
MGJ - Thank you, and I will look for that on Amazon. I have used Argan oil on my head and face and like that, too.
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Well, I thought all the side effects were done, hahaha, the joke is on me. First, now my hairy caterpillars are gone and I woke up this morning with my face beat red, looks like I have some kinda of rash or allergic reaction to something. Here I go again, 20 questions trying to figure out the cause. 😖 some days it is so hard to stay positive. How much more crap can we all go through.
Sorry for bitching, needed to get it out.
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Bitch away; we've got your back!
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MACTAZ - Oh, I hate to hear that. But if there's any place in the world it's okay to complain, it's here. And it sure sounds warranted.
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Thanks everyone, I appreciate your support.
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Mactaz, how are you feeling today? Is the redness going away? I hope things are better and thinking of you.
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Thanks for asking, red went away but still have scaly patches and it itches like crazy. Also when I put lotion on my face it burns. Not sure what is happening - I have been using Vaseline to soothe skin..... I see OC tomorrow - maybe he can think of something. I am guessing I had a allergic reaction to antibiotics, but not sure. I stopped using them so hopefully will go away.
How are you and the kitties doing? Hope you rads are going well, sounds like a good facility. Wish you all the best.
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Things are good so far! Kitties wonderful, hotel comfortable. On nice days I walk, it's ~a mile each way. Meeting my D in NYC for Brunch today and have 3 friend dates next week. So far nothing nasty happening, just pink skin. Not painful. I am using organic aloe vera w no alcohol in it (found online) calendula infused-olive oil, & organic hemp oil w lavender in it (a protocol I found on line) and it is keeping me quite comfy.
I hope you get relief soon... Have you tried benadryl? I think our bodies are basically crying "uncle!" after all the junk they have had put into them!
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Thanks SB, I will try some benadryl, can't hurt and might help. Glad to hear your rads aren't so bad and that you are at least enjoying yourself. Take care.
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MACTAZ— I’m sorry that happened to you.
My chest finally said enough after radiation. It’s all chewed up. Broken areas. Slightly itchy. Now I’m glad the rads center is closed tomorrow. One more day to heal. Crap.
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My husband thinks I am crazy to bring my living will to the surgery. What did you guys do
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MACTAZ, Santabarbarian and MGJ - You've all been in my thoughts as you go through rads.
Benji - I didn't, but should have. It's really a good thing to have on file with your hospital.
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Benji, I did a healthcare power of attorney and took it with me. You just never know what can happen, all good things we hope but......
Wanderweg, thankfully I don’t have to do radiation. How are you doing?
MGJ, thinking of you. How many more sessions do you have?
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MGJ someone at my rads place recommended domeboro - compresses - as soothing on rads-damaged skin. I am pretty sure the last time I encountered domeboro was for a sitz bath after giving birth...? But worth a try....!
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benji69: I took my health care directive and gave it to the admitting nurse; a copy for my husband and a copy for a friend. Better to be prepared; although I understand your husband is reacting from fear... thinking of you; sending you light and love.
MACTAZ, i’m Sorry this is happening. I hope you’re feeling well again soon. Totally agree, your body is just like “f-off, enough already”!
SB: best of luck with rads, lady. May your body be well.
MGJ: I hope you heal before your next treatment.
Wanderweg! Love the lid! Gorgeous
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