Chemo Starting August 2018
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I had the nuclear medicine scan of my bones today. Good news is no since of bone mets. Weird news is they can't rule out a lesion behind my left ear and said a brain CT may be in order. I have zero pain in that area. Also, worsening osteopenia, which I thought the tamoxifen was supposed to be helping. I'm waiting on a call from my MO to see where we go from here. I was hoping to get a clearer yes or no today.
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That was quick work wnnderweg. Glad to know your bones are clear! I hope the ear thing is nothing. Keep us posted!!
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wanderweg, good new on bone scan. I OC told me that tamoxifen was suppose to help build bone also. He said it was a choice for me if I can’t tolerate AI or my scans continue to decline, hope things turn around for you.
I had a brain scan also, mri, because I was having vision problems during chemo. All came out good,They did find a lesion, so I had to retake 6 months later but no activity so all is good. Wish you the best and hope nothing but good news for you
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MACTAZ - when you had the brain CT, was that something with an IV? I like to know what I’m walking into (huge needlephobe!
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I wanderweg, understand completely. Yes, I got contrast. They put an IV in when you arrive but the gadolinium, I think that is what they use, doesn't go in until the very end. At least that is what they did at mine. The only thing I felt was a cold sensation when the fluid went in. Didn't have any side effects, they said just drink lots of fluids after. Oh yeah, I think it lasted 30 minutes so not to bad
Here they don’t give you lidocaine anymore so if there is a vein, they usually use one on top of my hand, I use my lidocaine I had from my infusions. I understand the needle phobia, me too, but have to admit it wasn’t that bad.
I'm wishing for the best result for you.
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Thinking of you guys... I am so glad and grateful that we could be in this together for the last 12 months. Lets keep this thread alive! Thank you for being such great chemo sisters. Sending love to all!
xoxoxo
SB
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Agree wholeheartedly SB, I know this would have been much harder without my chemo sisters. How are you doing? Wanderweg have you heard anything from your brain scan?
I had a great girls holiday, it was so much fun just getting back to normal.
Hugs to all
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Santabarbarian - I agree the support has been amazing and I want to keep the thread going, too.
We fly out today to Iceland! The weather forecast doesn’t look great but I’m still insanely excited about going
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Hi guys, I totally agree. Not sure what happened to my earlier post, went to edit and must of pushed delete.....oops. I wouldn’t have made it through the last year without you guys.
Wanderweg, how fun, you always go to exciting places. Enjoy.
SB, how are things with you? Staying out of trouble
I got back from a fabulous girls holiday this week and had so much fun. One thing, I went swimming and it is much different with an implant I couldn’t get use to the feel of it under my muscle and seem to sink much faster. I use to be a scuba diver and good swimmer, not sure that is in the cards anymore but who cares, there are other things to do.
Take care all
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Port came out today. Hooray.....treatment is officially OVER!!!!!!!!!!
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Hip Hip Hooray Mactaz!!!
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MACTAZ - great news! I was so glad to get my port out!
We had a fabulous time in Iceland. And I sat in many a geothermal spring with no ill effects to the side where lymph nodes were removed (I did wear a compression sleeve on the plane, though). We saw whales in the fjords, petted the friendly Icelandic horses, and saw the northern lights one night. We were just overwhelmed with how beautiful a country it is. Lots of great seafood, too! I am putting a couple of photos in. One is at Hellalaug, a geothermal spring in the Westfjords with the fjord behind me. And the other at the airbnb we stayed at on the Laugaból horse farm. The guy who hosted us owns the whole end of the peninsula - 10,000 acres. I highly recommend it.
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what an exciting vaca, it is beautiful and you look great.
Hope all are doing well
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I have two friends who both traveled there and loved it. Seems gorgeous and remote!
And the HAIR is adorable!!
xoxo
Love to everyone!!
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Hi ladies,
Hope to find everyone doing well.
Wanderweg—that looks amazing. I’ve always wanted to see the northern lights. And a natural hot tub! Sign me up!
Mactaz—congrats on getting the port out!
SB—thanks for all of the supplement recs. You are one amazing researcher.
I also get so stinking tired. My bedtime is 8 pm. I can’t nap anymore, I just can’t 😭 so if I can’t sleep at night then I’m screwed. Hot flashes are still rampant and oh so juicy. I’m liking not having boobs. I just suits me now, I suppose. Still neutropenic. Ugh. That is a bummer and my RBCs are still out of whack from chemo. Also my vision sucks!
You are all so awesome!!!!
XOXO
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Thinking of you wanderweg. Hoping the followups are good news.
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I meant to post earlier but I left town immediately after my brain CT. The MO's nurse called me as we were on the road to give me the all clear. Big relief! So, no idea what that was in the mastoid area, but he's just calling it an incidental finding.
I met a friend for lunch today who had stage III BC five years ago. She is thinking she'll stay on an AI for at least another year. We both wonder if those core biopsies could potentially send cancer cells out. Doesn't make sense to me that breaking through tumors with a trocar but leaving them in for a while isn't dangerous. Also, after we talked, I've decide to defer any decision about revision surgery indefinitely. I think I need to just grieve the changes and learn to accept my body as it is now.
MGJ - I stay tired, too. I take my tamoxifen about 9pm and rarely stay up much past that.
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so happy the news was good wanderweg!
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good new wanderweg, so happy for you.
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Thanks, guys
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wanderweg—whew! Great news!
SB—I’m starting to read again because I sure couldn’t last year. I was too distracted. I bought the fasting book from Longo and the ‘how to starve cancer’ book. Anything else you recommend? I did a 4 day fast a couple months ago and half of the week I intermittent fast and eat super low cal. On the weekends, I try to do the 16 fast but it doesn’t always work out! Wine and cheese plates get me every time 🤤
Take care everyone!
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Hahaha MGJ..... I am currently on day one of a 3 day water fast. I hope I do not hallucinate (and if I do I hope I hallucinate Patrick Rafter). I have only done the FMD since being sick; no total fasts till now. (I once did a 3 day-er before and it was pretty crazy feeling. Maybe that was all the THC stored in my fat cells from prior life getting released? Anyway I felt surreal.)
I think Dr Block's "Life Over Cancer" is good for all the general recs. I am doing some of the McClelland stuff; it seems really sensible as long as you double check the interactions and contraindications specific to one's meds/cancer type. I think it's smart to get in front of a possible recurrence.... My MO did not want me on doxycycline or mebendazole due to being NED and there being risks to both in long term use (blood disorders). He said he'd feel differently if there was currently live or treatment resistant cancer in me. But a lot of the pathways can be blocked with simple OTC stuff.
The Fenben thread is full of people who are informing themselves about this stuff and is open to non stage 4 peeps.
I usually eat in about a 8-10 hour window. I am fine w skipping breakfast so this works for me. I decided to do water fas as I am alone for a couple of days and it just seemed like a good time.
I am 30 lbs less than I was at diagnosis. I am not scrawny or haggard just very lean. I think the intermittent fasting is responsible for this, because in the 8 hour window I am hungry and I chow down. Mostly stick to A+ diet but recently had a splurge....I am spending a few weeks out of town near a wonderful bakery... my deal w myself is *occasionally* a little fresh yeasty real food bread from a superlative bakery is ok for a treat. Bread is my now my "cake." I don't miss sugar or booze. Don't miss pasta or rice. In the last year I've only eaten processed carbs here and there, mostly to be normal at a dinner party. Not that hard once the sugar addiction symptoms go away.
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SB—the 4 day fast was nuts! I was dying to eat at the end of it. I usually don’t ever get hungry like that. My hubby was out of town so that’s how I survived it. I have gained back about 15 pounds. I’m still quite thin but feel good.
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Well, I failed my 3 day water fast, but fell back to FMD. WAY too hungry!!
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SB—No worries—that’s ok! You know I was about to keel over after four days of tea and water myself!
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Hi wonderful group! I was posting in here a year ago when I began chemo and then became overwhelmed and retreated, trying to pretend that everything was ok. But I miss connecting with my fellow warriors. So I’m finally realizing all that we’ve been through over the past year and a bit and just wanted to see how everyone was doing. I have a lot of reading to do!
I’m wondering if anyone else, who has had reconstruction, has felt a small (head of a sewing pin) sized hard bump toward the bottom and toward the middle of the chest? I’m wondering if it’s possible what I’m feeling is a small suture scar from where they see the AlloDerm to the muscle. I should probably look through this site for some info, but figured that I’d start by reintroducing myself first.
Nice to see you all again!
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Hi Moonrabbit - I think I started with this group after you weren't as active with it, because my chemo started the very end of August. Are you implants over or under the muscle? I haven't had any little knots but I'd run it by my breast surgeon or plastic surgeon to be sure it's nothing.
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Hi! I started the first days of August. The implants are under the muscle and the bottom form of the breast is achieved using Alloderm. So I’m wondering if it’s a stitch from the Alloderm to the muscle that has formed some scar tissue. But I contacted my breast surgeon and am waiting to hear back from a nurse to discuss and or set up an appt.0
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Ah, okay. Mine are above the muscle, so not stitched in, I don't think. But I'm glad you are going to ask your surgeon about it - likely nothing but it will be reassuring to have someone actually take a look at it.
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hi Moonrabbit 5, mine is under the muscle and not stitched in, I don’t have any knots. I hadn’t heard or read anywhere where they do that but I do agree with Wanderweg that you should find out from you plastic surgeon.
Mine flipped over several times before I had the pocket resized, it still seems to move a bit but is much better than before.
Let us know what you find out. Take care
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