Chemo Starting August 2018
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I just want to encourage those who are currently going through chemo, there is life aftwerwards! I completed 6 rounds of AC and 12 rounds of Taxol on Feb 2nd of this past year, and 30 rounds of radiation. My hair has returned. I had it buzzed shortly after I completed chemo to get the grow out even, then had a trim in August. I have no long term side effects from chemo and about a month after radiation ended, I started feeling my 100% energetic old self.
I continued to run through chemo, as much as I could (on the good days!), and have resumed running races, just finishing a half marathon last weekend and I will be running one next weekend.
My husband and I took a trip out west and into Canada and climbed one of the scariest hiking trails, the Crypt Lake Trail, and to me it was a celebration of what I have overcome.
Hang in there ladies! Attitude is a little thing that makes a HUGE difference! Stay focused on your blessings, and on positive things, especially when things get rough!0 -
Glad you are doing so well Dawn! I think pretty much everyone on this thread is done with chemo since we all started August 2018. My husband and I went out to celebrate the one year anniversary of my last round of chemo last night. This is me a year ago yesterday and me yesterday. What a difference a year makes!
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Wanderweg, OMG you look fabulous. Your hair is so much longer than mine. Doug and I went to my nieces wedding a couple weeks ago and I felt normal again.
SB, I was so happy when you got your kitties, well I finally adopted a stray and you are right, they do make you entertained.
I miss you gals, hope all is well.
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Mactaz I love that orange cutie!!
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I had 4 rounds of TC 3 weeks apart...last one was end of August 2019. Just got done with 20 doses of radiation 2 weeks ago. By far, the side effects of radiation were worse than those from chemo. With chemo, I took a few days off of work after each round, had headache, mostly from cold capping, and GI issues but it wasn’t bad. Radiation has caused burns and I haven’t left the house in over a week. I wasn’t expecting that....everyone said radiation was easy.0
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MACTAZ - You look great! Isn’t it nice to feel normal? Never thought it’d be thankful for that!
Seawell -I’m sorry the rads are so difficult. I was on a thread once where people were listing what they found to be the worst part of the whole experience and there were about as many different answers as there were people. I guess it’s just extremely variable how any treatment is going to affect you.
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MACTAZ and wanderweg— You both look amazing!
Seawell—I'm so sorry rads has been tough. Chemo was so rotten for me that I sailed through my 33 rads. Even though my skin totally broke down, rads was not even a comparison. We are all so different!
XOXO
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Seawell, sorry you are having a hard time with rads. I didn’t have to do rads and I was thankful. I know several ladies on this thread had rads and made it through. Good luck and wish you the best.
MGJ and SB, how are you two. What have you been up to lately.
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Right now I am in nor California helping my parents... my 86 year old mom broke her leg. My 92 year old dad needs someone to assist him (feed him, mostly) and help out. So I am here for a week, then my sis will come spell me. I just spent the last 5 hours cleaning the kitchen! Solidly 5 hours of scrubbing (including re-washing poorly washed dishes, etc). My mom is a HORRIBLE housekeeper (hard when you lose your eyesight and sense of touch in fingertips...) but insists on doing it all herself. It is great while she is in the hospital to deep clean everything. And she will be laid up for at least a couple of months, so that will have to come to an end. I am working on finding someone so wonderful that even if my Mom makes a full recovery, she will want the housekeeper to stay!
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SB, your to hear about your mum, perhaps the one good note to come of it will be she will accept help. But I know it is probably hard on you. Take care.
Good news for me today, had my one year mamo yesterday and it cam out clean. I was sweating a bit but so happy with the news.
Take care all
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Wanderweg and MACTAZ, you both look amazing!!
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Santabarbar, we just went through that with my dad. He is 81 and was diagnosed with lung cancer this past year. He had half his lung removed. But I had to take many trips to the midwest to be with him, and we went through his place and cleaned it, and had carpets shampooed before he returned home from the hospital. Thankfully all of this happened near the end of my radiation treatments and after. Hope your parents are doing well!
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Seawell, I had bad radiation burns also. I used the gel from and aloe vera leaf. It really helped. My burns actually started to stink and turned almost black. I had mupriceron and applied that and it healed the infection I was starting to get, then I did the pure aloe gel from a leave.
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Phase one of rescuing my parents is done. My Mom's hospital & rehab stint allowed us to "white tornado" everything and pull it together without her feeling usurped. Thank god my Dad is mentally very sharp and logical; just frail. He surprised me; he was grateful and mostly reasonable. He got a little testy about something at one point, and I said, "Jesus Dad, I am trying to HELP you..." and he replied, "Oh, I know that, and I am grateful-- I guess I am just ashamed of needing so much help." Which was surprisingly self aware, and cleared the air, and gave me a lot of empathy.
I spent 5 hours the first day just cleaning the kitchen-- NOT including the oven and fridge. Literally everything in it was at least slightly dirty due to my Mom's insistence on doing everything. She has some neuropathy and bad vision and that means she can't see or feel the bits of sticky dirt on things. Every cupboard, drawer, dish, pot, pan, glass, and implement. Dog hair everywhere too. Then I tackled the bathrooms. Then the laundry. I felt I had to pull things together enough so that a new weekly cleaning crew we hired could come, and not turn and leave immediately!
Then there were all the logical things that we did.... Like, my dad uses a walker. There are all kinds of implements you can attach to a walker, none of which my Mom (his interface with the world) had ever purchased, because she LOVES to be the lynchpin of everything and feel she is "needed." So, I got a tray and a satchel, set them up, and VOILA he can heat up his own burrito, and walk it to the dining table. We had gotten them emergency battery lanterns etc due to power outages that have been happening in Ca.... well, my mom had placed them in a bottom cabinet UNREACHABLE by my father in his walker. DUH!!! These are two examples of ~50 things that were not set up for functionality. My sis joined me and the two of us carted out a truckload of stained or ripped clothing, old recycling, broken stuff etc. We organized, neatened, re-arranged, and scrubbed. We hired needed people and got gutters cleaned, etc. We ordered things. Last, my sister put up 2 "nest" cameras so we can see the main parts of the house (kitchen/dining, office, and master).
The funny part is that my Mom will think she left an immaculate house. She will never know!!!
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santab - That's a lot of work. Your dad is lucky to have you and your sister there to hep navigate (and work around your mom!).
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SB, you are amazing and your partners are lucky to have you. I’m glad ur sis was able to also come and help, it is tough to transition to caretaker for your parents.
Smiling dawn, thanks - I’m beginning to feel like my old self.
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SB, I’m sorry to hear about your mom’s leg, though pleased that she’s healing well. Mom’s can be very stubborn (said with love)!
SmilingDawn, Wanderweg, Mactaz; looking good ladies!
I’m sorry to be a Debbie downer; but you’re my cancer peeps and I need to share. I have had a regional recurrence; meaning my bc is back in my lymph nodes (axillary). I go for surgery on Tuesday. I’m not sure what comes afterward. The hardest thing was telling my kids. They’re scared (as am I). Please hold them in your thoughts.
I can’t fathom chemo again; though I suppose it’s quite likely. Yuck!I will return and update you another time. Much love, you beautiful badass babes! X
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KWilli - I’m so sorry! Holding your kids and you in my heart.
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KiWilli, I was so happy to see you but am saddened by your news. We are all here for you, know you are a tough lady (but it does suck). I’m thinking of you and your kids, hugs and all my best wishes coming your way.
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Oh KWilli, its good you are sharing-- that's what we are for, and we are with you. I notice, no radiation on your Tx. I wonder if rads might be useful on this? If so make sure to ask about proton rads. Sending you a huge hug. xxoo SB
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Santabarbarian! One year free! Woohoo!
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YESSSS!!!!! One year ago, exactly, was my last chemo. I am hoping you have a plan pulling together by now?? Keep us posted on your next moves.
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ha! No plan yet; I actually caught the flu and surgery is now THIS Tuesday. I’m glad as I was able to finish some lagging stuff that needed attention!
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and thank you, eveveryone, for your kind words! X
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KiWilli, I’m glad you are feeling better andwill be thinking of you this week. Keep us in the loop....hugs....
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hey gals, new study out about mushrooms and breast cancer, different types help both estrogen + and triple negative. here are two are rifles, the second talks about the different mushroom benefits
https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/19991210/mushrooms-may-play-role-in-breast-cancer-prevention-treatmenthttps://foodforbreastcancer.com/foods/mushrooms
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Thanks Mactaz, that's good info and I love mushrooms!
Reishi is the one for TNBC and that's a simple capsule.
love to all, SB
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SB— All that cleaning? I can’t imagine. You are an angel!
KWilli—No! I’m so sorry! It just seems so unfair. This f—-ing cancer s—t!!! You and your kids in in my thoughts. Sending you all sorts of good vibes. I hope surgery went well.
I still have no immune system. My onc ordered a literal list of labs and then thought I might need a bone marrow biopsy (they’re going to have to knock my ass out for that one. I saw that in procedure school and that absolutely made me sick and I’m no wuss!) My WBCs are 2.4 and my ANC is 1.4 or 1400. My RBCs are still too big (macrocytosis).
It never seems to end. . .
XO
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Oh bummer MGJ. My WBC was low a long time but has finally gained ground in last 2 mos.
Have you tried hyperbaric Oxygen? I think it might have helped me...
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Kwilli, thinking of you and hoping you are enjoying a warm holiday with your kids. Keep us posted -- we are in your corner!
MGJ, hoping Santa brings you some WBCs asap.
Love to everyone!
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