Exchange City

Kittycat--I am 3 months out fo chemo and the fatigue is still there. I really can't functio  without a long nap in the afternoon, and I'm an elementary school principal.I did not/could not work through chemo. I have been back a bit and it kill me. If you saw this week's Parade magazine in the Sunday paper, they have articles onbeig a cancer survivor. They talk about the ftaigue and that it canlast way longer than they used to think. MY onc told me at least a yera before I start to feel "normal" and I may have to settle for a new normal. Take lots of supplements, eat a healthy, organic, mostly plant-based diet. Good Luck. Off to the hospital for my exchange surgery.

mslrg:  Good luck today with your exchange!  I am there with you on the fatigue lasting longer then we anticipate.  I have done every type of supplement and complementary therapy I can afford and still I haven't bounced back. 

estepp:   I forgot about how you really shouldn't be out working with the public!  I took getting cancer as a way to get out of an abusive job situation--but my whole job was to deal with the public, go into peoples homes, go to construction sites, meet with groups of people.  There was no way I could do chemo and work.  The good news is I decided to start my own business that way, I can turn down work and pace myself.   In a way it's the best thing that ever happened to me--if I take a couple of jobs a month instead of having to sell a few a week, I will make the same amount of money or more and without an abuxive boss.

Kay:  I am so sorry--I had no idea that was why you had to have a mastectomy.  I had a delay between my two last chemo sessions and I had an allergic reaction on the last one and only made it 3/4 of the way through.  I was lucky that when they did surgery, all I had left was a dead, shrunken mass--no alive cancer cells left.  The good news for us is that we will finally get that visit from the boob fairy

Kittycat -- I found that I needed two days of complete rest (Tuesday and Wednesday following my Monday infusions) and that by Thursday I was usually good, though certainly not my usual high energy.  So maybe if you give yourself two days to really rest (and do nothing BUT rest) you can shore up and find more energy by end of the week.  The good news is the week off  

I agree that it took several weeks for me to get back to feeling normal, fatigue wise, after I finished chemo.  Maybe I was lucky in that I did not get THAT tired... it was cumulative for me though.  By the time I was done with Taxol I was more tired than when I did the AC.  I overall found the AC easier than the Taxol though, and as I understand it most women find the AC more difficult.

Re: Vitamins -- yeah my ONC said no Vitamin C and actually said NO VITAMINS at all -- since multivitamins contain Vitamin C.  You should show the multivitamin you're taking to your ONC, Kittycat, just in case. 

Kay- After all you have been through you are an incredibly positive person!  What a great role model for your daughter!  I think considering what you've been through you should get as many visits from the Boob Fairy as you want.  You deserve it!

On the subject of boobs, I have decided I am no longer allowed out in public.  With a week from my exchange I have become boob obsessed and check out every women I see.  I'm starting to creep myself out!  Now I've got my DH doing it, too.  (He was always more of a butt man.)  With two of us doing it it's amazing no one has slapped us!  So I think I should stay safely shuttered in my house for the next week and just check them out on the t.v.!  

Kittycat, chemo really does take a lot out of you.  I worked the whole time at a pretty demanding job, but had supportive bosses that told me to go home early whenever I needed to.  I hung in for most work days, but did nothing in the evenings or weekends during "chemo week".  Since my hair was gone, I slept as late as I could since it didn't take me long to get ready.  Eating and food textures were a problem for me so I just ate really weird--whatever calories I could get down.

The most important thing I wanted to tell you is there's is an excellent bco forum on chemo that has many threads.  I found the one that had women on my type chemo and followed along throughout my 4 mos. of chemo.  This was REALLY helpful in terms of what to expect next, tips, and support for getting through it. Check it out.

Get lots of rest.  I became "one" with my couch and HGTV during those months.  I considered it my incubating time!  deekaay

Aw so sorry Jennifer.  That said, everyone who has had autologous reconstruction is so happy -- I am thinking you will be too!

Darn rads! My prayer is that SOMEDAY they can learn to heal our rads skin so that all these troubles DO NOT HAPPEN. I am sorry Jennifer.

Linda54 had the latflap... and so did Facecrafter.... PM them.. they are wonderful to talk to. The will help you with questions.

xxxooo

deekay - thanks.  I'm  on the chemo forum, too.  Just thought I'd ask some vets on the chemo stuff! 

Thanks everyone for the helpful tips.  I called my onco's office today.  They said my fatigue was normal. They were happy that I was eating well and drinking lots of fluids! 

KATE~ ha ha! I have not got QUITE that bad yet,but im almost there! Its worse with it being summer too as women are walking around with strappy tops on and with their boobs on display! I fly out to Portugal on Thursday and i daren't even go to the beach incase their are topless sunbathers!! LOL i will keep a pair of very dark sunglasses on all holiday i think!

MBJ~Well that boob fairy had BETTER be good to me! Or she's in the boot of my car along with my PS and BS!

Just checking in after a busy week.  So many things have happened over the last few days...just want to say that you are all in my thoughts,   Congratulations on the recent exchanges, best wishes on you lat flap Jennifer, I hope your energy returns soom Kittycat....sounds like your doing all the right things.  I know I've missed so many of you and hope you are all doing well and recovering easily.

Anybody heard from Shybird....I have been reading about her surgery and hope everything turns out for the best.

I want to start to do some upper body work.  I understand that this has to be done carefully and not overdone because we don't want to mess with the pecks and our implants....that said, I have found that I need to find a way to even up the way I use my body.  My right peck has been tighter than my left peck from the beginning.  I am right handed and do housework, gardening etc with the right hand and arm. I am going to start trying to do some free weights and yoga (something I always did in the past). I know I need to go carefully but I also need to give my left peck a chance to catch up with my right  I found a good link about free weights after mastectomy that others may enjoy http://cchealth.clevelandclinic.org/be-well-enews/lifting-weights-after-mastectomy-now-encouraged  I also know that I must be careful doing any weight bearing on my arms in yoga poses...like down dog, which I love =(, plank pose etc.  If anyone has any information on yoga or free weights after DMX I would love to see it.

Wishing everyone strength and healing,

Laura2 

Jenjo- feel free to PM me if you have any questions. My pics are posted as well.

Laura2, Re yoga, a nice description of how to start up again after MX (and recon) is here:  http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/952.  This jibes with what my own yoga teacher instructed me so there are at least 2 senior teachers who agree on this, if that gives you confidence.  A second take on the question is here: http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/2015.  Its not so specific but suggests time frames.  Hope those are of some use.

I hope everyone with recent exchanges/surgeries is recovering well and got the desired results.  Best wishes to upcoming surg gals - yippee-squishee!!

CS

I found out at my last PS visit that after exchange I would be going home with drains, again, because she is going to be using more Alloderm.  She said if I didn't have the Alloderm, no drains, but didn't say why and I forgot to ask.  She did say the younger you are (and the longer you are likely to have your implants) the more she likes to use Alloderm to support the implant.  Did anyone else's PS use it as well for exchange?  

I had drains for the exchange and PS didn't used Alloderm. Maybe I'm too old? (47) Anyway I was glad to have the drains... I healed quickly and no infection so it was worth it.