Starting Chemo July 2019
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I’ve been having to watch lifetime for the past few weeks because I’ve seen all the Hallmark ones 1000000 times. I have gotten the new ones recording so I’ll have it to watch once I’m home from my surgery. Also don’t forget the Hallmark Investigative channel has new Christmas movies too.
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Thanks everyone for your kind words! it really is wonderful to have the support from the members of this group.
We’re going to Hawaii for a week on Friday for a wedding, so I’m focusing on that to give myself a mental break. As much as I want to plan all the steps involved in this mess, I’ve stayed sane primarily by just taking one step at a time and not looking too far ahead.
I’m planning to subsist on new episodes of “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, “the Expanse” and “No Offence” when the new seasons start in November. Streaming video is a wonderful thing. 🙂
Diane
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Shocking......Three good days in a row!
After having 2 or crap weeks, I’m so grateful!
Taxol#8 tomorrow. Let’s see how long I can keep the good days going 😊
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melmax I’m so happy you’ve had 3 good days! It def helps get your spirits and mind back up!!! Good luck tomorrow 💕💕💕
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Melmax - great to hear you’ve had some good days in a row! Hope tomorrow goes well and you continue to have reduced SEs.
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Diane: safe travels and all my fingers and toes are cross that you have a glorious time in Hawaii! xoxox eat a bunch of macadamia nuts and drink a bunch of real kona coffee for me!
Melmax- hope that Taxol Thursday treated to you well. Cheers to good days!
Halloween was snowy here so very few trick or treaters. A treat for me is that I def. have some peach fuzz on my head. What a lovely feeling! I can also now count how many Taxols are left on one hand! 5 to go! 5 to go!
Happy Friday and 1st of November to Everyone! (Oh just realized Pinktober is over. Yippee!)
xoxo Victoria
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Thanks for the well wishes everyone!
Victoria only my 5 more taxo and peach fuzz 🙌🙌
Question: I’ve seen some of you are getting ovaries removed or hysterectomies. Is this something all breast cancer patients need to look into? My oncologist hasn’t mentioned it.
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Mine are being removed because I have a BRCA1 mutation.
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Same I'm going to have my ovaries and tubes removed b/c I have the BRCA 2 gene. :-)
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Melmax:
My MO suggested an oophorectomy. I was still having regular periods, and in his words "We want to shut those ovaries down." I've had ongoing problems with ovarian cysts and also have large fibroids, so I was onboard with taking the lot out and having a total hysterectomy.
This is from mayo clinic online "For those that haven't yet experienced menopause, oophorectomy reduces the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, while mastectomy reduces only the risk of breast cancer." I'm not looking forward to hitting menopause so abruptly, though. My surgery will be in March after radiation is complete.
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Thanks to everyone who answered my question. I was already a year or more into menopause (at age 51) before my bc diagnosis and genetics testing was negative. Sounds like i have a lot of research to do and questions for my gynecologist and oncologist. We also haven't discussed hormone or targeted therapy.0 -
I’m 41 and they haven’t said anything to me about it
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For some odd reason the last few days my body wants to have hot flashes 😡
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jjpope1 - that is what happened to me after my last chemo. Hot flashes, night sweats... Ugh. I just started Gabapentin to see if it helps.
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my last treatment was on the 18th and it’s just now happening. And when it comes OMG it’s like walking into hell. My head sweats, I get clammy, it’s crazy. I am not ready for this change mess at all.
I do have a question for y’all cause I about had a stroke when I read this. This is coming from a friend that has BEEN THROUGH THE RINGER with cancer and is very involved wit the Susan Coleman foundation. We were texting the other night and she text this:
I'm scared of metastasis. Recent studies show that early stage cancers are most likely for metastasis and just by virtue of having a diagnosis you are at risk of metastasis
So know that makes me feel like I’m a waking time bomb. I’ve done a lot of reading prior to BMX and chemo but I guess I’ve not done enough. All along I’ve had in my head because of what the drs have said that all the cancer was gone, that I was cancer free and I haven’t convened myself with anything else. But now I’m freaking out.
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What else could you do really? Jjpope. I'm scared of metastasis too. currently my #1 fear. If you have had cancer it can com back at any point, which sucks sooooooooooooo bad. You are cancer free today, but no guarantees for the rest of your life. Hopefully you will be one of the many people who live and nice juicy life and die some other way decades from now. Hopefully there will be medical advances that will make metastatic cancers a chronic disease like diabetes for example and people will be able to live decades keeping the tumors at bay. Here is what I am telling myself. Don't let worries about tomorrow steal today's joys. (I'm going to keep working on my phrasing and then I'm gonna get that as a damn tattoo.) I use running, journaling, and reading cozy mysteries and hallmark movies to keep my threshold of worry to a level below needing medication --only b/c I've done medication and don't want to go back on-- If you find that the worry is causing you not to be able to function or take a deep breath, don't hesitate to get anti anxiety meds from your doc.
Also another thing we can all do is take this diagnosis as a call to action. What do you want out of life? What have you been putting off? That can be a focus to not let cancer worries take over and freeze you in place.
Oh another thing we can do to calm ourselves, is to put your hand or hands on the crown of your head a take a few deep breaths. It's grounding. It works!
xoxo big hugs.
*Note when I say you I'm not just talking to you JJpope. I'm talking to myself too! I have spent too many hours down a rabbit hole trying to get the internet to tell me if my cancer is going to come back. Damn Internet didn't know .
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jjpope1 yep. Most things I read on the internet or hear from another survivor freaks me out because There Are No True Answers. Ugh! One thing that really gets me is knowing that the treatment itself can cause secondary cancers. I’m trying to take one day at a time. It’s so hard.
If I haven’t told you all lately, I really appreciate all of you!!!!! 💕💕
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I guess I was stupid not thinking about that 😩 or realizing it could happen. Now I sit here and get more pissed that they think it’s ok just to do blood work every so often instead of a pet scan or more detailed test other than blood to be proactive.
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You are not stupid at all . I think we all walk into this with very very little knowledge of what it all means and even after we learn more about this whole cancer thing there is so much conflicting info out there! At this time scans are expensive and have lots of false positives so not a super great option. I did go to a pink event at the beginning of October--turns out I like my cancer camraderie online and not so much in person-- the key note speaker was a very well respected Breast Surgeon and she said w/in a decade we will have an accurate BC blood test and we will be able to rely on that for follow up care- she said it could be sooner depending on how fast the FDA moves. According to research, she said, the future of BC will be less and less surgeries as we learn to stop the cancer before it can form tumors. So fingers and toes crossed for good news on the horizon.
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Wow that’s awesome. One of my Troopers, his wife that has been by my side from day one said the other day that since Sept. 2 of her coworkers has been diagnosed with BC.
I know this is in His plans and timing and not mine! I know this isn’t anything I can control or fix and I guess that’s what is getting to me right now because I’m a fixer and one that feels like I have to take care of everything. I guess I had in my head I did what I needed to do to get rid of this and move on. Now it just spins in my head about possibilities, and that I have a 13 yr old. Knowledge is power but sometimes too much knowledge is dangerous. I’m so on the fence of stop, let it go, give it to God and move on. But the other side of me wants to dig more, find out all I can, try to fix it, fix me. 😢
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jjpope, I worry too about mets. That's why I'm doing the clinical trial....trying to do everything possible to keep reocurrance away. I've been considering BMX too even though I didn't test positive for any genetic mutations.
2019, you give good advice! Trying to stay positive. It would be great if we could just have a blood test to monitor us.
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I am having a WTH moment. Chemo finished September 9. Tamoxifen started October 9. Head hair growing, although still significant bald patches. But my eyebrows started falling out! Like, I have very few left. It started in the past couple days. Seriously?!
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Divergent I chose BMX to prevent anything else and not repeating this mess again.
Fairydragonfly I have read where that has happen to others. My eyelashes have come out except a couple. Eyebrows have thinned but haven’t completely come out.
Not sure how many of you have kids but my 13 yr old is trying me soooooooo bad!! He just keeps poking the bear 🤬🤬🤬🔪🔪🔪 My sweet, caring, mamas boy has turned into a teenager and I just pray I don’t hurt him before he grows out of this stage lol.
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My son is 13 too. He is really trying my patience with not doing his homework!
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My kiddo is 17 and failing senior math on purpose because he doesn’t try. 🙁 Talk about poking the bear! I’ve had to push him through school. A/B student. Never studied a day in his life. Tests well...28 on the ACT. Has never liked school. He’s a mystery to me. I’ve talked him into two years of community college before he joins the Armybut I have a feeling it’ll be money down the drain. What’s a mother to to? I just keep loving and supporting him!
💕😊💕
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Anyone else deal with the side effect of eyes tearing excessively? Its really just an annoyance but I was wondering if it is all Taxotere/carboplatin or if some of it is allergies. Thankfully my last systemic chemo was 10/24 and this is the first time its been bad. Just curious.
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Hi Gals,
I've been reading but haven't felt up to responding to anyone until now. My 5th TCHP hit me like a brick wall. WOW...glad that's over and I only have one more to go. Rubydream, I have excessive tearing and also nose dripping. I never leave home without a tissue. It's a pain for sure. I thought I was told it was the Herceptin but I could be wrong. I don't know what was so different about this infusion except that the cumulative effect kicked in. I actually vomited for the first time along with everything else. UGGH!
Fairydragonfly, you are not the first person who has said their eyelashes fell out after their chemo was over. My eyelashes are hanging on by a thread so I'm sure the last of the group will fall off soon. Eyebrows are hanging on a bit better.
For you ladies raising teenagers, my thoughts and prayers are with you. I've raised three myself but doing it while going through chemo and cancer in general is another deal...The good thing is they don't stay that age for long and then they turn into wonderful adult children that you actually enjoy spending time with!!
The discussion on recurrences of cancer is a hard one. We are all so new to cancer and it's a common feeling I'm sure that once we go through what the Dr. tells us to do that we should be cured. Unfortunately, this time we are in it for life. I have three friends that are 8 years, 10 years and 17years breast cancer survivors that are past treatments and doing well. They all still go to their MO for a once a year check. I too look forward to something other than symptoms to tell us if our cancer has returned.
Stay strong ladies!!!
Julie
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Rubydream yes Taxol caused my eyes to drip excessively, My oncologist verified it was the Taxol as did the infusion nurse. I found Systane lubricant eye drops at the drug store. A couple drops each eye every morning and eye tearing stopped. 😊
Julie - only one more to go 🙌🙌🙌🙌
Hoping that your SEs ease up for you.
Taxol #9 today. I really thought they would reduce my dosage but just said if my SEs get even worse to call them or go to the hospital. All I can say is I’m so grateful for the better days. I will get a break from infusion during Thanksgiving week so I’m looking forward to that. 😊
Sending love to you all! 💕😊💕
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Melmax,
I’m having my ovaries removed this coming Wednesday. My tumor was estrogen fueled and ovaries produce estrogen. I have been on Lupron injections since June, but my oncologist said even with the Lupron injections you can still get estrogen surges. She said she would rather see me get them out, my OB/GYN also agreed that this was the best route, to completely stop the estrogen.
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- Maggie sending well wishes to you for your surgery Wednesday. I had one ovary and tube removed when I was 39 due to tubal pregnancy that burst. The physical healing wasn’t difficult for me and I’m hoping the same for you. The plus side is you won’t need to take that drug anymore. If having the other ovary and tube removed will stop even more estrogen in my body I’m definitely doing it and will ask about uterus removal too.
I was up all night again after having infusion yesterday. Benadryl no longer helping me sleep. Work no longer an option the day after treatment so I’m working M-W now and try to go in on Saturday or Sunday afternoons for a few hours if the other SEs aren’t that bad. Update on the three good days I had awhile back: poof....they went bye bye and never came back 🙁 Those three days were heavenly compared to others because I was able to get my stomach gas under control. Less pain and I was able to move around much better.For those on Taxol can you remind of anyprescription drugs you take for SEs? My only prescription is for acid reflux. The rest are over the counter.0
