Starting chemo April 2023
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Sorry that I missed your eyebrow issue catm and also sorry that your trailblazing on this one. I suspect we are all heading into the Dali phase of the art tour. An eyebrow on a pillow, bangs casually draped over the back of a chair like a cozy throw and a dog curled up in his/her bed glancing at a Furminator. I can see it happening. I know it's coming.
Iamnobird: I have so much to learn. Eyebrow stamps? Alright. I should get back on amazon. 😃
Lunch cancelled for today. My infusion buddy's sister in law is in the hospital.
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Good morning gals from the tub (started to soak at 2:00 am) and from sunny Southwest Florida! I think it’s funny (and not surprising) that we are living parallel lives in so many ways. We are all up in the middle of the night & sleeping during the day as needed. My most troublesome “side effect” & leg pain (I guess from the shot?) have been waking me up around 2:00 am the past few days. Njdogmom: I hope you’ve gotten some rest & are feeling ok? I have also been sleeping a lot as well. Did you get your ENT appointment??? Are you handling the antibiotics ok?
I’m in Naples, FL just for a couple of nights. My brother & I held onto my mom’s condo and her car. My daughter borrowed the car the last month of school (her car died) so we wanted to get it returned to FL. Easy drive from ATL.
EYEBROWS: Bird, we are indeed “birds of a feather” as I am very well stocked up in the fake eyebrows department. I have stencils, powder, temp tattoos etc. (Check out “Bossy Brows”) I really like the eyebrow pencil I bought as well. Fills-in very nicely & easy to use. I tried to find the name (off Amazon of course) but will need to take a look if I ever get out of the tub.
Love the photo of your poochie splayed out, Bird. I was alarmed at first then had a good laugh!
Njdogmom: how are your fur babies handling everything? Are they the type of dogs/old enough that you can let them out for a bit or do you need to walk them each time?Had a nice Persian dinner last night. Today I think my daughter & I will walk around downtown a bit-
Hoping your treatments go well today!Cat
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Heya! Chemo number 7 done. My bloodwork is still really good and all is well. I have been having the PHESGO shot, but I have a big red patch at the injection site. They are thinking of switching me to the IV forms of the medication. It isn’t bothersome really so I don’t have strong feelings either way.
Cat: I even bought, wait for it, eyebrow wigs. Mostly because I don’t trust my ability to stamp or draw. Enjoy Florida. A little getaway sounds fun. I hope that you are feeling better. I can see me soaking a lot as well. I was allowed to use the tub in labor and delivery when having babies and they had a hard time getting me out to give birth.
Like everyone has left Finland. There is a mandatory 4 week summer vacation that all employers must accommodate. And folks have at least another month as an additional option. This means that folks clear out for June and July. It is supposed to a good time to do tourist stuff in the city.
NJ: I hope you are feeling well also. I am sorry that your lunch was cancelled. My chemo buddy was at the hospital today and we were the only two patients. They had several people who couldn’t have
their treatment due to bloodwork today. Sharing my #7 pic and the view from “my” bed.
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Congrats on #7! You look great!
Having a tough day. My dog was diagnosed with bone cancer. Trying to figure out how to get care for him. Poor guy is in pain. Local vet oncologist isn't accepting new patients. So sad for him. He's only 8. I honestly don't know how much more stress I can manage. 😢 I may be away from the boards for a couple of days sorting things out.
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NJ: I am so. So sorry. Much love to you as you sort this out. Let me know if you want to talk and I’ll pop onto the server.
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NJ: Hoping you get answers today. I know how scary and hard it is.
On a lighter note, I loved your Dali reference. Eyebrows draped on chairs 😂😂. Indeed. We have to keep laughing through the surrealism of the entire thing.
Not much here today. I haven’t had as much steroid energy as normal and I wasn’t as out of it yesterday either. I’ll have to ask if they reduced some doses of pre meds. My nurse is a whiz and will just do stuff like that as the situation merits it. I told her I want all of the medications needed to do the job but nothing extra.I think we are going to bump our trip to next weekend because it is a long weekend with Juneteenth on Monday and will be more relaxing for Chris to not have to go in after being away. We are going to attempt some tourist stuff this weekend though. The weather looks especially warm and sunny on Sunday. Meaning a high of 64 but that is perfect in my book.
Okay! Hope NJ gets dog stuff underway and that Cat is feeling well.
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Hi gals,
Just home from FL and I'm pretty tired. I had so much fun yesterday but I think I did a little too much so feeling a bit queasy tonight. I'm sure it doesn't help too that I'm not getting a good night's sleep with the "side effects" waking me in the wee hours- though this am was a bit better as I took some medication for the side effect before going to bed.
Iamnobird: You look SO good! What a great photo of you and my goodness, your hair is really looking good!
Glad your blood work looks good and whoop whoop for number 7! Very interesting about the mandatory vacation. YOU CRACKED ME UP with the eyebrow "wigs"- I would totally order those as well! The fancy eyebrow pencil I bought does a pretty good job.
Njdogmom: My heart is full for you and so sad to hear the news about your dog and the bone cancer. Heart breaking. I just can't imagine you receiving this news on top of all the other things (besides BC) that you have been dealing with. PLEASE call me anytime. I am here for you.
Ok- I'm signing off. Before I forget, I have a doctor's appointment at 10:45 on Friday. I hope to make our call but just depends on how long the doctor's appointment takes.
Sending hugs-
Cat
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Hey gals-
I was wrong about my doctor appointment time this morning. It’s much earlier than I thought so I anticipate joining our “12:00” (EDT) call as usual.
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Good morning all!
I am still feeling well and enjoying the lovely weather. I am about to go for a long walk with the dog. I washed my hair last night, always scary. I am always afraid it is just going to all come out in the shower or something. Otherwise, still pretty boring here.
Cat: I hope that you continue to feel well! I am so glad you had fun in Florida. Fun is important right now for sure. And I am glad you can pop into the call! Hope all goes well at the doc.NJ: I hope it was a good/uneventful chemo session with carboplatin and good liver values. I also hope you have found a doc for your pup. I hope we can check in with you on our call if you feel up to it. I get the urge to runaway and not talk as well. But we are totally here for you.
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Darn! I can’t make the call today. So sorry guys. Timing is a bit off and we need to eat dinner later than normal.
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Sorry for the delay in checking in. It's been a rough week. No updates for the dog yet. Awaiting a consult with a vet oncologist. He's in pain and getting him out and back into the house is becoming a struggle for him. I have a padded harness that I'm using to try to hold some of his weight on the couple of steps we have to navigate.
Carboplatin was available. Thankful for that. Infusion #9 done and heading into the final round (3 weekly infusions) for the phase 1. I had a bit of a meltdown this week. Went for bloodwork and was told that I was seeing the nurse practitioner this week so I needed to be somewhere else. I told them they were mistaken, that I was seeing the oncologist. Trekked across to the room they wanted me to go to only to be sent back and put at the back of the line. I just lost it. Thought they were going to have me escorted out.
Glad #7 is behind you Iamnobird!! Checking the boxes and making progress!! You look amazing!
Catm: It was a pleasure chatting Friday. Thanks for listening to my tale of woe. You were right about shrimp and now I want some!
Not sure if any of you are wearing medical alerts. A neighbor suggested that I get one when I had the port placed and she recommended . I got the love links bracelet and have had it on since I got it. Some of the styles have swappable ID plates and bracelets. Anyway - thought you might enjoy browsing.
I think I may need a glass of wine this evening.
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NJ: I am glad you have a consult with the vet oncologist soon, but so sorry that he is in pain. That sounds awful for both of you. I am glad #9 is done! That is great. Last 3! I think I start EC a week before you. I am on the final 2 of the Paclitaxel. Your stress levels have to be so high. I am sure that your facility has seen it all before as far as meltdowns go. That jewelry is just lovely.
Cat: Shrimp? Now I am intrigued although I think shrimp from the gulf coast are the absolute best. The ones here are tiny little things. I do prefer the oysters from colder waters, but am not eating oysters this summer for obvious reasons.
I am sorry for missing out on Friday, The call time is at 7 pm, which is a bit tricky for our dinner on Fridays. We were grilling and doing a movie and my husband got home at 6:45 so it was tough to make it all work. Is there any chance of calling an hour earlier? Does that work at all? No big deal if we can’t change. I’ll do my best to make it when I can.This round of meds has been a bit harder on my skin. My face has broken out more and my nose was running constantly yesterday. We saw the movie Afterglow in a cool old movie theater that had tapas and drinks and big plush individual chairs. I liked it, my husband didn’t so much🤣. But it was a nice day regardless. I have been sleeping badly as well. The midnight sun thing, even with blackout curtains, is insane. Plus night sweats and when I wake at 4 and go to read for a bit to get back to sleep, the sun is up and pouring in on me so it is hard to feel restful. Otherwise, I am fine. My hair is shedding a bit less than last week, but definitely feels thinner to me. Funny though, I did see some stats on the Paxman site that indicated that only 15 percent of people who did AC-Paclitaxel managed to keep 50 percent of their hair, vs. 43 percent on Paclitaxel- AC. They think maybe we get better at cold cap use.
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Good morning/evening ladies!
Iamnobird: Plush chairs, tapas, drinks and a movie? Sounds amazing! Midnight sun, not so much. It's difficult enough to get to sleep and stay asleep in the midst of all of this. I make eye pillows if you'd like one. Keeps the light out and the lavender is soothing. My hair is thinning out too. I noticed that I can really see my scalp along the part in my hair. We missed you Friday and I look forward to next time! I love that we are so casual about it. I never feel stressed that I have to be there or be on time.
Catm: Glad Florida was fun and I hope you're feeling better!
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Good afternoon gals! Though I am tempted to say "good morning" as I, like Bird, find myself on a wacky yet consistent "sleep" schedule. I wake up around 4:00 am, am up until around 11:00 am then fall asleep from 11:00 am-2:00 pm- and it is a DEEP sleep. My legs are aching at 4:00 am and "other things" are also in full swing requiring my attention and my need for a hot soak in the tub. Am still struggling with that side effect and just trying to get all of that under control.
I am good with changing our call time Friday to 11:00 am (EDT) or another time that works. I am very flexible, Thoughts?
njdog; My heart aches for you and your fur baby, plus it is physically a job trying to help your dog when he is in that sort of state. Bird: I shared Friday with njdog that I had a 3 three legged Shiba Inu for many years. We had to have her front leg removed (cancer-like tumor. Not offically diagnosed as "cancer" but the tumor kept growing and behaving like cancer) and it was quite the ordeal for her ("Ping") and for us, her caregivers, carrying her around. Thankfully, she was very portable at 25 lbs plus my kids were all around. She also was 8 when we did the amputation but she lived many years after that, especially since the diagnosis wasn't really "cancer".
njdog; Hope you've gotten some rest. Such an awful week for you and glad this week is behind you.
Bird: your dinner and movie sounded like fun.
I went out to dinner last night and ended up having 3 drinks! We ran into some friends and had a drink with them at the end of the evening. It was a lovely evening with the weather (June has been so nice in ATL) and great to feel just a wee bit "normal" for a bit.
Today is a "soft Sunday"- not much going on and of course I am just waking up from my big nap.
I, too, am continuing to shed and my hair is definitely thinning. I am glad it's hanging in there.
Hope you all have a good rest of the day.
Sending hugs,
Cat
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Good morning! 11 EST is a bit easier for me if it works for you both. I’m pretty flexible though so no worries. This Friday, I will miss again though as we are doing Father’s Day dinner out at a BBQ spot and then heading away Saturday to Sunday for our little couples getaway in a forest resort. Hopefully I won’t feel too yucky.
NJ: Your eye pillows sound amazing, but I don’t want to put anything else on your plate right now. You need a break and to concentrate on getting through this stuff. I think we are at the point where the effects of this first medicine round are definitely strongest. I really hope you are getting some peace of mind about your pup. It sounds like Cat had some good info to share and I hope that your dog will also enjoy many more years of life.
Cat: That sounds like a fun night! I had a wine outdoors in the sunshine on the island we visited yesterday and it was so nice! Just restful and happy and normal. A reminder that normal life can return some day. I also walked about 6 miles and was really beat. Your sleep schedule sounds a lot like mine right now indeed. 4 am is way too familiar! I am stressed at 4 am too and worry about all sorts of things that I know are fine. And yes, I am also happy my hair is hanging on a bit longer. Everyone seems to have different thoughts. I haven’t minded the shedding that much (although I do usually wear a scarf in my hair when we go out), but other folks shave at the first hint of a shed. I think coming out in clumps will freak me out, but so far that hasn’t happened.
Totally boring day here. Just dog walks and laundry. I am loving sitting outside in my swinging chair and soaking up some sun. My PHESGO reaction is giant and red on both sides of my legs. So, so lovely. I can’t decide if I mind that more than the idea of having 15 more infusions after chemo rather than 15 of the 5 minute shot. I am thinking I’ll take the shot and the redness and save my veins.
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On a funny note, I am trying to decide about bike riding while on chemo. I mean, it is fine, except if I crash or fall, I am worried about bleeding and infection. So I haven’t done it. Bike paths are everywhere here and I would love to ride though. Maybe I’ll ask my nurse tomorrow.
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Lammobird, I'm glad you started this thread. I had no idea where to start. I'm probably older than most on here (going to 68 in a couple of days), so am not familiar with how to post anything. I'm scheduled to have a MediPort inserted tomorrow for chemo beginning on 6/22. I handled the surgery (right simple mastectomy with sentinel node mapping and removal of 10 lymph nodes) well, but I have a rather pronounced hearing loss, and had lost my hearing amplifier device before the surgery, so I literally couldn't hear most of what the surgeon or nurses were saying. I also have really bad tinnitus already (which is what has caused the loss of hearing), so hoping not to make it worse with chemo. I'll be on a dose-dense doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide regimen every other week x4 and then Paclitaxel along with 5-10 years of tamoxifen as well as radiation. A long road ahead and a short time to get there. Hubby has been really supportive as well as coworkers and my two remaining sisters (lost 2 sisters and a brother in the last couple of years). I have a pretty good knowledge base (nurse for over 30 years), but that's not been to my advantage (once staff find that I'm a nurse, they assume that I already know what's going on, but it's so different on the other side of the stethoscope). I'm scared out of my mind about chemo, and very isolated with the hearing loss and no outside actual socialcontacts, but you all seem so warm and welcoming, it takes the edge off of some of this. My cancer type is somewhat uncommon (IPLC, stage 3a, high-grade, 4/10 nodes positive, two separate tumors, metastatic to nodes, extranodal extension in one node), though my oncologist thinks there is a good chance to reach NED (no evidence of disease). That's where I'm trying to focus, something like the "vanishing point" in a painting, except it's where I see my cancer "vanishing." If that seat across the way is empty, do you mind if I sit down and stay awhile?
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Corduroy mouse: I am so sorry that you found yourself here, but it is indeed nice to have company along the way. I’ve found this group to be so helpful. We have some experience with your chemo as well. I am doing 9 weekly Paclitaxel, then 3 EC (same meds as your doxorubicin). Then radiation, HER2 meds for a year, hormone blockers and more HER2 meds. I like your image of a vanishing point in a painting. It is a good thought to hold. I was SO scared of chemo and crying when I got to the ward to start my chemo. Thankfully, once is underway, it is so much better and manageable. Your team will help you so much.
Okay. I just wanted to check in and welcome you. I had my treatment today and need a nap! All good here. Number 8. Bloodwork was good, but I am right at or below many of the minimum levels now. They said the doc might want a 3 week break between chemo cucjed, but I hope not. I’m ready to get this over with!
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Hi gals,
Just checking in! I had a whole thing written last night and I touched "something" and then "poof" it was all gone! I just couldn't re-type last night.
Corduroy Mouse: Welcome! Sorry you find yourself here as well but I am confident you will enjoy our little group. I am er-, pr-, HER2+ and possibly also HER2- (still unpacking that). I'm stage 2, IDC with some spread to my lymphnodes and pectoral muscle. I also have multiple tumors in one breast (multifocal carcinoma). I'm doing TCHP for 4-6 cycles (have my third next week) and might then be gettng AC for 4 treatments followed by surgery. Radiation is unknown.
Mousse: I agree with Bird. The first chemo is SCARY but I really do feel that the apprehension of the first one is worse than the actual treatment. I would suggest you ask your team if 1) you can take something like Xanax the night before and 2) ask if they can put anti-anxiety meds in your IV as you start your first treatment(ask for this in advance of the actual day- my advice). Keep us posted please.
Mouse: Are you able to get a replacement hearing device? I know these are shockingly expensive- ugh and it's awful yours got lost. My mother went through something similar.
Bird: Hope your trip is fabulous and that you continue to feel ok post treatment. And YAY for another one done! I can't quite find the exact place where you mentioned this BUT I think you should try to save your veins whenever possible- I think you were leaning towards continuing with shots?
Njdog: Hope your week is going better. Any update on your fur baby? Did you talk to the oncologist you were waiting on?
I am good. Weather continues to be surprisingly nice in "Hotlanta"- went for a walk this am and am off to try to play bridge with my chemo head! The other ladies are all so nice. I'm then going to "Spiderman" with my son so all in all, looking forward to fun and normal things today.
Sending hugs to all!
Cat
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Welcome Corduroy Mouse! I'm sorry that you find yourself here but so happy to have your company for the journey. I hope you're able to replace your hearing amplifier soon. We feel isolated enough going through this process! If you look back at the beginning of this thread, you'll see first hand experiences with chemo. We were all anxious and frightened. Our infusion nurses are amazing and know exactly what to do to resolve any issues. The anxiety was worse than the chemo and after a couple of treatments, it all becomes rather routine. I think we all agree that scalp cooling is worse than chemo t`oo. 😊 You've got this! And we're here for you every step of the way.
Iamnobird: looking great, as you always do! Congrats on #8 and I hope you have a fun trip!
Catm: Vet oncologist called yesterday. They had a cancellation for this Thursday but I have chemo so can't do it. Next available appointment is 6/27. Glad you're having good weather and that you have the energy for all the activities!
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Cat: You are amazing! I am so glad you have the energy to do all the things with your current chemo regimen and sleeping patterns. Both you and NJ are rock stars. I’ve heard that carboplatin is a rough medication. And yeah, I am with you on the veins. My veins are holding up so far, but I have needle marks all over my arm. I am not sure why Finland doesn’t use ports unless your veins are essentially unusable. Luckily I don’t have a thing about needles.
NJ: Ugh. That is good that you have an appointment for the doggo, but I am so sorry that this week didn’t work and y’all have to wait so long! I have to admit that I am not looking forward to EC chemo, but I am looking forward to going every 3 weeks instead of weekly. I am tired of spending a day there every week for sure. I have my ECHO scheduled for Monday. So, fingers and toes crossed, the PHESGO hadn’t caused any heart issues. I feel fine, but it can apparently cause asymptomatic damage. But most people are fine. I’m going with that! We check every 3 months. But likely will check again after the EC. Did your doc say how long they wait between your last Paclitaxel and first EC? I mean, my blood work isn’t bad by any stretch really. So I was surprised that his notes said 3 weeks, but my nurse said she wasn’t sure that is what he means so she will ask for clarification for planning purposes. I just want to get through this part asap and on to other parts of treatment.
So my chemo buddy has stage 4 ovarian cancer. She has been on cisplatin as emergency chemo since they saw some liver issues that may or may not be related to the diagnosed liver metastases. She is 47 and has been living in Finland for 25 years, but her husband is now working in Dubai. He is here now and they will move there in July. I was able to share that my aunt has been living with stage 4 breast cancer for 20 years now (spread to liver, other organs and bones). That seemed to give them both a bit more hope. She was surprised at how aggressive my treatment is and I was explaining to her that they generally are more aggressive with the earlier stages than the stage 4 as the goal is to try to keep it from returning and not stability. She acknowledged that that makes sense. Sadly, I think with ovarian, it usually isn’t caught early enough.
Okay. It’s energy day. I am doing the weekly hair washing (gulp) and walking the dog and making a grocery run. I have now stockpiled about 12 kilos of Epsom salt in the sauna area (my tub is there as well). My husband thought it was kitty litter and tried to put it in the garage lol. So, fun fact, Finnish homes almost always have a sauna. Even apartments do. But, they usually only have showers not tubs. I actually made my husband request a tub on our housing preference survey because I am a bath junkie! Which is the other fun act, because we move every 2-3 years housing and furniture are provided. Embassies have a housing pool of rented and owned properties and you are assigned it before moving. It’s total luck or the draw. Family size and rank are officially taken into account, but you also get to indicate some preferences. We lived downtown in Vienna, right by the opera house and had hop off/on buses stop outside our door. I pushed through gaggles of tourists daily, but the upside was that it wad a beautiful area and our apartment was a classic 1870s altabau (old style) Vienna apartment. But we had no outdoor space and walking without people everywhere was impossible. I asked for the suburbs of Helsinki, a small yard, a bath tub and close to the sea and this is perfect for me now. It is a longer commute to work though and my sons definitely preferred the downtown locations as they were much more lively.
Can y’all tell I am on steroid energy?🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Iamnobird: Steroid energy is high on my gratitude list! Glad you are enjoying the burst this week!! They are usually the most productive days of the week. I've noticed the crash period is extending a bit for me as treatment progresses. Are you having a similar experience?
I have no idea if there's a break between neoadjuvant phases 1 and 2 for me. I'm hoping not but my body may appreciate an opportunity to rebound before starting AC. It's on my list of questions for the oncologist this week. Much as I will appreciate only going for chemo every third week, I'm thinking this information should have been provided during chemo training but it wasn't. From a numbers perspective, sounds like I'm in a similar place to Iamnobird. Things are slightly below normal.
Chemo #10 tomorrow! Almost over the round 1 finish line!! I'm looking forward to not worrying about availability of carboplatin each week but AC starting, not so much. 🤣 My neighbors are working out plans to get me to and from chemo every third week during AC. I'm really thankful for that.
Goal for today is to resolve pet insurance issues. I've been paying for pet insurance for 8 years and haven't submitted any claims since this fur baby was a puppy. I submitted a couple of claims last week and the insurance company is requesting all vet records for the past 8 years or they will not cover these claims. I'm astounded. They had no issues taking his insurance premium for 8 years. More stress for the pile …
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Hi gals,
Just checking in! My energy is not as good as it "looks on paper". The movies last night with my son was fun ve(always love seeing him) but also frustrating as the "sides" (my new nickname) struck and I had to get to the privy 3 times ASAP, not fun. Lesson learned? Scope out seats in advance that are as close to the exit as possible. This will help a bit. After the movies, I was in bed with more "sides" and wiped out. Today I took it easy and had a massive 2 hour nap.
Bird: awesome about #8. Ugh about the AC. I feel the same about all of that. I hope you have a wonderful trip and thank God you have a place with a tub! I don't know what i would do without my tubs and unlike you, I am NOT (until now) a bath gal. You look SO good! Me? Not so much! Up 10 lbs, hair is weird and I am pale but kicking "little c" is the most important thing of course.
Njdog: that stinks about your fur baby. Both having to wait and file all that paperwork. UGH!!!! Hope treatment goes well tomorrow!
Very sad about the friend with the ovarian cancer. That's a tough tough one. I"m sure you lift her spirits Bird!
Not much else. Chemo #3 is next Wed for me.
Njdog: Do you want to chat Friday? If so, any interest in chatting earlier? I'm hoping to get over to a nursery to buy some flowers before the crowds but am flexible.
Sending hugs,
Cat
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NJ: Thinking of you today and hoping all goes smoothly! Good luck with pet insurance as well. What a pain! We had it for our pup in Vienna and it was tied into the centralized vet records so they could check that if they needed additional info. They were great at paying out though. And I def miss having it, but couldn’t keep the same one even changing countries and Finnish companies don’t want to take a 4 year old pet. Anyways. I hope once you get it sorted, yours will be great at paying out also. My nurse says a 2 week break is standard practice, but thinks my doc wanted 3. All of this is happening at midsummer at which point every medical professional is vanishing for several weeks. I am glad I got my echo scheduled now because July is bare bones!
Cat: Aw. You’re sweet. I look all kinds of wonky there as well. My hair is totally weird and I miss my former length every day. I hate it this short on my face and wear lots of scarves to compensate. And I am blotchy. But we try. I definitely overcompensate on styling (not on chemo day obviously) because I don’t want to look sick. I was kinda eccentric and boho to start with lots of big earrings and headscarves so luckily it mostly just looks like me rocking my weird look. But I am happy to still have hair for the moment so there is that 🤣🤣. I am sorry that your SE is such a pain the arse, literally. Can they recommend anything to help make outings a bit easier for you? You’re on a tough chemo regimen. I think TC HP is one of the roughest, as is AC. So party on, clearly you are a badass. Give yourself lots of grace.I was up at 5 and crashing a bit now at 9. But I had coffee so not really. It’s the massive embassy 4th of July party today. It’s not for embassy staff, but for official contacts and embassy staff plans and hosts and it is always a huge ordeal. My husband will be immensely relieved when this is done 🤣🤣.
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Thank you Bird, Cat, DogMom. Y'all make me feel so welcome here that it almost brings me to tears. Maybe it's serendipity that I'm here. Had a MediPort inserted on Monday, had to get up at 4:30 to make the drive to the hospital. The attempt on placing it on the left had to be aborted. The surgeon couldn't get the GlideWire into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and after several attempts, and after securing permission from my husband (I was under anesthesia and glad of it…lol), he was able to insert this on the right side. I feel like I was beaten by a gang and left by the side of the road to die. On Tuesday, had a color flow Doppler echocardiogram to get a baseline on size and function, since one of my chemo meds can cause cardiomegaly (as well as a lot of other nasty side effects). It was kind of a thrill to see the heart valves opening and closing, and with the colors to see where the blood was pumping from. There was a student there as well, and she got a chance to take a shot at getting some images. I could tell by her face when she got a really good one. She was beaming from ear to ear. It felt so good to see something good coming out of all this bad stuff. Karma….paying it forward, one day at a time.
On a bright note, I have survived all this sufficiently to have earned a little karma. Today is my birthday, and I'm 68 years young. I haven't seen our only son in over a year, and he is driving up from Ft. Myers Florida to Clearwater to take part in my head shaving party. I thought since I had so little control over the BC, that this was one choice I could take charge of. My husband is cringing at the prospect, but he did buy me a nice cap and scarf for the occasion. Then we'll have Dominos for dinner (haven't had a pizza in more than two years, so I'm salivating just thinking about it). No more appointments until chemo next Thursday….I may finally get a chance to rest.
I thank you all (plus the moderators) for making this a safe and welcoming community. Remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and more loved than you could imagine.
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Corduroy mouse: Happy happy birthday. Enjoy your pizza and your son! I wish you lots of great memories. And some good rest this week. I have my Echo on Monday. It is good to keep a close eye on stuff for sure. I am sorry your port insertion had some drama, but glad it is sorted and available to you now.
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Good evening friends!
I’ll need to be briefer than usual as I’m headed out to dinner with a girlfriend in a bit.Mouse: Happy happy birthday! Hope the evening is filled with love on your special day & great idea to take control on your special day & shave your head. Well done!
It IS serendipity indeed that you have joined us. You’ll be interested to know that my father, many many years ago, was the guy who put together the investors to build the Sheraton Sand Key in Clearwater! As a perk, my family got to stay at the hotel whenever we wanted (we were living in Pittsburgh) so Clearwater is like a second home to me. My mother later moved to Naples before passing away last year.
Ugh about the port! Mine is actually itching now & has a bit of a rash around it. Oh what a pain.Bird: good luck with the party & your trip. I love your scarves & “looks”- let’s keep trying to be our best selves inside & out, even when we feel stinky!
Njdogmom- hope your treatment today went well & fingers crossed that insurance (dog) won’t give you hassles about paying.
I think that’s it for now. Oh, saw the radiologist today. He is 💯on radiation down the road because of the “c” in my lymph node & pectoral muscle. So there’s that.
Sending hugs,
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Good evening ladies and happiest of birthdays to you Mouse!
Mouse: Sorry your port placement was more than you bargained for but glad it's placed and that you had a fantastic team who kept you in la-la land for the duration! So many thing to be thankful for! Port placement box checked! Hopefully some good pain management if you need it for the roadside assault! A student learning to do an echo cardiogram is a blessing! There's birthday and family gratitude. Moving forward in the process gratitude. So many steps closer to beating the monster! You've got this! Were you able to solve your hearing amplifier issue?
Bird: Chemo was uneventful. Oncologist said I go straight from this round to the AC round of chemo - no break. A three to six week break after AC to get my numbers back up before surgery.
Cat: Let us know how your dinner goes. I hope you have a blast and I'm still thinking about shrimp. Maybe I'll get some this weekend! My port scar got itchy a couple of weeks ago. It was dry along the cut line and a bit flakey. I put some moisturizer on it for a couple of days and it self resolved. I was thinking it was the glue they used being pushed out of the incision or that chemo may be impacting cell division and the healing process.
So here we are: Dog chasing a Cat who can't decide between the bird or the mouse. :) Too funny! Mouse was meant to be with us!
I'm steroid buzzed and grilling some burgers. I need the red meat for iron per the oncologist and the dogs will be thrilled. While I'm enjoying this buzz, I need to clean up the basement this week. Radon remediation on the 26th so there will be some construction down in the pit of unnecessary things. I need to Swedish Death Clean that stuff while I'm at it. Have you guys watched that show on Peacock? I didn't enjoy the first episode but the rest were good. Favorite was episode 3 - the woman who inherits a bunch of stuff that means things to other people. I am that woman. 🤣 I have a quilt in the works for grand-niece to be, due in August, but I don't work on it for the 72 hours post chemo. Too afraid I'll sneeze or something.
Chemo buddy brought me two giant strawberries and a friendship bracelet at chemo today. I was touched beyond words. She is so lovely.
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NJ: That is the sweetest!♥️♥️. Really touching that y’all have bonded like that. And I think that means you will start AC before me! I am a bit jealous that you can move on. I know they feel this is the best for me, but I hate to drag this stuff out. Plus, my nurse is retiring and I had hoped she would be able to be there when I start the AC. But not with the schedule that has a break. I don’t know anything about Swedish Death Clean, but this is fascinating. I’ll have to see if I can catch a YouTube clip. Enjoy your burgers and your quilting!
Cat: Yeah. I’m absolutely having radiation as well. So yay for us. My MIL had DCIS and did radiation and said it was like maybe a mild sunburn. She said the worst part was getting there every day for a 10 minute blast. Enjoy your dinner. Now I am thinking about eating gulf shrimp as well 🤣.And yes, I love that we have ended up with these perfect nicknames. It’s actually warm here in Finland. 76 today which has an extreme heat advisory. My kid went to the beach by the house with a friend yesterday and reports that the water is still plenty cold🤣. But the house is warming up. We bought a little unit for the bedroom so I need my husband to try to hook it up. I get not having ac here, but I have never understand why Europeans don’t use ceiling fans and window screens. It makes it really hard to open up the house and we constantly have some flying critter or another in it.
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Iamnobird:
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning is a book about decluttering. I haven't read or listened to the book yet. It's on my summer reading list. The general gist of the show is that we should live a less cluttered life so that in the event that the cartoon anvil falls on our head, we leave behind as little work for our family and friends as possible. During the show they mention that Swedish people speak more openly about death than Americans do and have an easier time accounting for it in they way they live.
When I look at my stuff, I have a house full of things that reflect who I used to be and things that mattered to other people that were handed off to me to lug around and pass on to other generations. I thought it might be nice given that I am off from work for a bit to get rid of things I no longer use or want. I offer them up to people who may want them and if they don't, I donate or toss them. It hasn't been upsetting at all. It feels empowering. It's been an opportunity to reflect on the cool life I've lead thus far and to make room for new cool chapters.
I think with moving long distance so often, you probably don't have 40 years of stuff filling a basement. I'm guessing you got rid of your tennis racket and text books from college. AmIright? 😄
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