2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

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  • marymelodi
    marymelodi Member Posts: 515
    edited April 2006
    Ravedeb, just so you don't have to be the only complainer just let me say that the skin under my arm is starting to breakdown because of the rads. My tumor was in the 10 o'clock position of the right breast, upper-outer edge, and so the regular rads and now the booster rads are going in basically through my armpit. Today the tech noticed that I am getting these little scabs, I think it must be blistering that is breaking and scabbing over. It hurts, hurts when I stretch the skin in that region too far. Tomorrow I will request to see the nurse and get it looked at before the weekend. Only 3 more boosters to go . . .

    There now, ravdeb (by the way does your screen name come from "Ravishing Debbie?") someone else is in the complaining boat with you and you are not alone. You're never alone in the "Rock-tober Gang" anyway!
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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited April 2006
    okay..thanks everybody. I spoke to a chemo buddy who is rads now and she said it's good to go very late in the afternoon or evening..like be the last one... or first one in the morning. I know that if I go first thing in the morning my morning will be shot.

    Anyway...I will try to have this changed. She told me they really are nice and try to accomodate, so...

    and the rads people told me THEY will push me in to see the professor in the skin clinic so I have a lot of support on THAT, too.

    Yes.. it would be best to get on the steroids and rid of the itching. The thing with the rash/itching is that I only have a rash because I've been scratching or rubbing...that is making the spots come out. It's not actually a rash first...

    I did hear about the baking soda trick. I think I'll do that. Thanks for reminding me.

    ravdeb
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  • maryannecb
    maryannecb Member Posts: 1,453
    edited April 2006
    Be careful Terynsmom. If he is at all violent, maybe you should go to a safe house...

    Marymelodi, I hope your burn doesn't get too bad. Ouch. They say your skin reacts until 2 weeks post treatment then gets better very fast. Hang in there! Take something for pain, especially t bedtime so you can sleep.

    Ravdeb, do you have the rash anywhere you can not reach, like your back? Have you tried Atarax for the itching, it is similar to Benadryl but is more potent. Hot baths and showers also make itching more intense. Your skin should be in good shape during rads or would be more likely to break down.

    Fists up!
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2006
    Mary-Anne, I don't think he will get violent but I don't really put anything beyond him now. He knows that I am supposed to be on my treatment still and not supposed to have stress. My mom is so angry, like a mother bear would be, that he is upsetting me and putting Teryn and me thru this.

    I forgot to say WELCOME BACK to Laura!!!!!! So glad you had a good time!
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  • TracySeattle
    TracySeattle Member Posts: 690
    edited April 2006
    Terynsmom - so sorry that you are having to deal with this. It is hard enough to deal with treatment without other issues too.

    Marymelodi - sorry about your burns, hope you can find some relief. You are almost done, aren't you? At least there is an end in sight for you....
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2006
    Thanks for all the welcome backs!

    Graycie-
    I just tied the bandana really tight so it wouldn't fall off. But then again I wasn't swimming laps, just dunking under water. Congrats on finishing rad. I am 4 down 24 to go. I got all my creams today from the doc.

    Sherryhaire -
    We went to the Riviera Maya - it's about 50 miles south of Cancun - near Playa Del Carmen. The resort is called Iberostar, Tucan.

    Laura
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  • debbie444
    debbie444 Member Posts: 847
    edited April 2006
    Kelly - was beginning to wonder if you had trouble happening when you werent around. Hope it all calms down for you soon.
    I am nearly back to normal now from rads - just a tanned rectangle from where i had my boosts and it is just over a fortnight from my last one.

    I am glad today is nearly over. After a week of refereeing my kids who have been stuck inside poorly with asthma and winding each other up, i wrappped everyone up and we finished weeding the veg patch. After a calm half hour it all started to go wrong. My son managed to run over his own hand on the skateboard ( dont ask how!) and hollered the place down as there was "REAL BLOOD!". The dog got stuck in the cat flap in the shed. This meant taking door off of hinges to get him out. My daughter sat sulking in the play shed ( not sure why) and then my DH came home and decided that today was the day we start digging up the patio for the conservatory foundations. AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
    Tomorrow is another day!
    Debbie
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  • TracyNY
    TracyNY Member Posts: 434
    edited April 2006
    Quote:

    Well, Easter Sunday arrived and so did my ex along with the police. He was arrested again for violating the restraining order, the police had been looking for him since the violation occurred last week at my daughter's pre school.



    And here I was wondering what had become of this character!! I was actually going to PM you for an update! Never a dull moment is there?! Do you have a Louisville Slugger under the bed?
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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited April 2006
    Terynsmom... I so feel for you. Must be totally frightening and frustrating at the same time. Please stay safe. worried about you!

    Maryanne..I was on Atarax. Didn't realize that was what it was til I searched on the internet because here it's called Otarex. Anyway, it is supposed to make you sleepy and it kept me awake and I would be itching all night so the doctor took me off of it, of course. She said sometimes these things work the opposite for some people. Seems I get the weirdest reactions to stuff. They say that 1% of those on Taxol get this intense itching like I have. ONE PERCENT!!!

    yes, I try to take luke warm, quick showers. I'm going to bathe in a lukewarm bath now with baking soda and see how that works for me.

    and sorry to all for complaining so much about this but I'm having a hard time with it. Never thought itching could take over one's life, but it has...believe me!

    I see that marymelodi wanted to join my Complainer's Corner! Hope your skin problem gets better!(and no, marymelodi.."rav" is the Hebrew word for "rabbi"...guess my dream was to go to rabbinical school, but I won't be doing that...may take some classes, though!).

    Be well everybody...must go bathe now.

    ravdeb
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  • debbie444
    debbie444 Member Posts: 847
    edited April 2006
    Rav deb - excuse the ignorance but what is a rabbinical school?
    Over here we get Baking Powder and Bicarbonate of Soda - two different things. It was the B of Soda i used on my son.
    Hope you stop itching soon - try and think of it as a gentle form of exercise! Either that or we could all knit you some mittens!
    Debbie
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  • RoseMarie
    RoseMarie Member Posts: 502
    edited April 2006
    Oh Ravdeb, I certainly hope you get some relief soon!!!
    Amy - happy to read your post!
    Kelly - I'm so sorry you're being put through all this by such a JERK!!! I'm glad you've got your mom there with you!!
    Debbie - your post always crack me up! Hope today is better for you!
    Tomorrow is the "Race for the Cure" in downtown Indianapolis. I plan on taking my daughter and leaving the "guys" at home. They are expecting over 50,000 people!!!
    Ok...I'm going to do a little complaining too...I feel like I'm 88 instead of 38! If I sit down for any period of time my joints ache and I hobble like my grandmother when I initially stand up. I have always been so active and this stinks! If I watch tv at night I have to stand up and walk around because my legs hurt so bad. I sleep with a pillow tucked under each leg. I hate to take meds but Tylenol or Advil does relieve the pain some...I've been like this since the first Taxol - just ready for some relief. Oh...and eyelashed would be nice too.
    Ok, no more complaining - have an appt. with the plastic surgeon today - soon I'll be joining Tda and shaking my boob thing! (Or at least not feeling like I'm walking around with rocks under my skin!)
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  • TracyNY
    TracyNY Member Posts: 434
    edited April 2006
    It's okay Rosemarie, grumble away. We've all had those days. Eventually they become further and further apart.

    My big toenail fell off today. Ungrateful thing. I know chemo had it black but I was still treating it like the star of my foot that it was. Now I have to pray real hard that it sprouts back before full blown sandal weather comes in!!

    Although, as good as my new t*tties look, aint nobody gonna be looking down at them alligators!! "Shake your boob thing..."!
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2006
    Rosemarie -
    I have felt the same since Taxol - like an 88 year old. Same complaints - if I get up from sitting or kneeling or whatever, I ache all over too. I hobble worse than my Mother! Are you taking Tamoxifen? Probably not if you're pre-menopause. I am not sure if I should place the blame for the joint aches on the Taxol or the Tamoxifen. Also, did you have expanders put in or are you starting w/reconstruc. "from scratch"?

    Terynsmom -
    Wow! I am so sorry you have to deal w/that jerk! He needs to be locked up! I will keep my fingers crossed that he stops harassing you. You don't deserve or need this!

    Everyone -
    I just cld. my Onc. (waiting for him to return call) about possibly switching to Raloxofene.
    Is anyone else considering this? My Mom has Osteoporosis - so I think as a preventative measure it might be better for me than Tamoxifen.
    Also, as of today...5 rads down - 23 to go. Have some fluid building up under my armpit on my torso. Rad. Onc. says it's Lymphodema! I'm trying not to get too upset about this. I just feel that I don't need another "issue". I have a Physical Ther. appt. next week to talk about it and find out what my treatment will be. Arghhhh.

    Laura
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2006
    One more thing...
    Here's my current hair do - definately salt and pepper!

    image
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  • maryannecb
    maryannecb Member Posts: 1,453
    edited April 2006
    Laura, your hair is beautiful, mine is still scraggly looking. That is a nice pic too. You look happy. All tht sun did you good.Your hair looks kind of blonde. LE can be pretty nasty, hope it is just a mild case Laura.

    It has been raining here for 10 days, I have not seen the sun. Today when I woke there was snow on the ground.Enough already I am so sick of winter.

    Rosemarie I am not on Tamox but have sore hands and feet. Joints feel stiff, especially when driving. I am pushing myself to exercise every day or two as otherwise I am going to be two ton Mary-Anne...I feel less stiff after exercising. My other complaint is sleep. No trouble getting there but I wake 3-4 times/ night with hotflashes. I know there are medications for this but I am not interested at the moment as have to go back to work and won't be able to take them and work. I just hope the extra work will make me sleep better. And I hope I stop the chemopause and go back to periods.

    Ravdeb, you are so "special" getting the one percent side effect! 8/25 rads done-skin OK so far and no LE.

    tda your perfect boobs are now alligators! What happened?

    Fists up!
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2006
    Mary Anne -
    Thanks for the compliment! I have the hot flashes at night too! It's awful! I truly hope the sun comes your way real soon! Congrats - you are 8 down with rads!
    Laura
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  • TracyNY
    TracyNY Member Posts: 434
    edited April 2006
    Quote:

    tda your perfect boobs are now alligators! What happened?



    The boobs aren't alligators, I was referring to the feet! No-one will be paying my ugly feet with the missing toenail any mind because they'll be staring at my bazooms!
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  • ake
    ake Member Posts: 684
    edited April 2006

    laura...you look absolutely beautiful. i would never ever think you had been through chemo...you look fantastic!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2006
    Kelly, your ex IS a jerk. Hope you resolve this problem somehow...

    Marymelodi, are you very fair-skinned? You need to be extra careful if you are. Have you heard of emu oil? I used it every day during rads. In fact I am still using it. My entire area that “burned” is slowly peeling off now. For some reason I thought it was going to stay dark brown forever. I was so happy to see the “sunburn” peeling away.

    Ravdeb, have you tried Cortaid or something with hydrocortisone in it? How about oatmeal? I know emu oil works on itches too (here I go again). Hope you feel better soon.

    Mary-Anne and Tracy, your thoughtful words are very helpful. Keep them coming!

    Debbie, did you take the door off its hinges yourself? I admire you for being such a handywoman!

    Laura: Great “do”. You look very relaxed and happy.

    tda: Does the toe hurt? If it doesn’t maybe you don’t need a toe nail (just in case it does not come back?!).

    My brain has not been functioning very well. I am so glad I am not working at the moment. I have been “losing time”. It’s kind of like waking up at 6:00 AM then dozing off for 3 seconds and waking up to see it’s already 7:00 AM... only this happens to me while I’m awake. Very weird, huh?

    Take care.
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  • TracySeattle
    TracySeattle Member Posts: 690
    edited April 2006
    Laura! Love the hair, it looks wonderful!

    Have a good weekend everyone!
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2006

    Laura, the Roctober Hottie!

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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited April 2006
    Wow Laura...you are a beauty! You look gorgeous with that tan and your hair growing in so nicely. Just beautiful.

    Debbie...here it's called bicarbonate of soda but it's baking soda as opposed to baking powder..actually the direct English translation from the Hebrew would be..drinking soda..but in English that would get confused with the bottled stuff!. So, yea.. the bath was with b of soda and it was nice but I still itch. Need some more of that stuff to keep doing it every few days maybe.

    I'm seeing the head of the skin clinic in the hospital where my cancer center is and hopefully he will decide just what I need. They think I need steroids.

    oh and Debbie...rabbinical school is where people go to study to become rabbis. But, you can take courses and not become a rabbi, too. At this point I won't be doing either as the school is in Jerusalem and I am about 3 hours from there and my brain is not on a functional mode at the moment.

    ravdeb
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  • TracyNY
    TracyNY Member Posts: 434
    edited April 2006
    Quote:

    tda: Does the toe hurt? If it doesn’t maybe you don’t need a toe nail (just in case it does not come back?!).



    The toe doesn't hurt, the taxol took most of the feeling out of it!! About half of the nail is gone, it came away from the skin and broke. Unfortunately the part left behind is just a black nub!!

    I think I'm going to get an acrylic put on it!! I always thought acrylic toe nails were kinda ghetto but nothing is going to spoil my summer!!

    Laura you look spectacular!! Can you PM me and tell me how you insert pictures? I was trying to PM you but I can't figure out how to do that even!
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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited April 2006
    tda..just click on the name of the person and you can pm that person!

    sorry about your toe nail. I just took a look at mine today since it's warm out here and I don't need socks and hmmmmmmmm...looks like some are deciding to change colors on me. My fingernails did that while I was on the Taxol and now I guess the toes forgot about the Taxol party and are doing an After-Taxol celebration Maybe they will forget and stop!

    ravdeb
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  • TracySeattle
    TracySeattle Member Posts: 690
    edited April 2006

    My finger nails all turned brown/black when I was finished with chemo. Being an ex-nail biter, I just gnawed them all of so that the black part was gone. Now they are short and stubby, but not black! Wonder if they will grow back as slow as my hair is growing!!!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2006
    Everyone -
    Thanks so much for the compliments re: my ner "hairdo".

    TracySeattle -
    Good to finally Have a face to think of you as.
    Laura
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  • TracySeattle
    TracySeattle Member Posts: 690
    edited April 2006

    I need a hug from my rocktober ladies. Just want you all to know that I appreciate every one of you. You are all very special.

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  • debbie444
    debbie444 Member Posts: 847
    edited April 2006
    Ravedeb - i had to bathe my sone in the stuff every couple of hours or so!
    Tracey (((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))) any particular reason or just feel like a hug?
    image
    Hope that helps!! Your new pic is so different!! ( are you in disguise now??)
    Well, had a great weekend. We went out with friends for a meal then on to a club. Put on the makeup and high heeled boots and danced away. Noone gave my short hair a second glance ( not even when i gave everything an extra shake in Tdas honour!!) Felt nice to be me again.
    Sunday was St Georges day so we had the parade in town. My son was flag bearer for his cub pack so that was nice to watch.
    My nails went black stripey - like a tiger. My neice who had gothic tendancies thought they were 'way cool'! I have one that has a shadow on it but they are virtually back to normal - never affected ny toenails. My nails are about back to normal strength so am going to book my manicure soon.
    I am going into work for the first time without anything on my head today. Should be interesting ! I have seen one of the children i work with over the holidays and he has seen my short hair. We are having a hair growing competition!!

    Take Care
    Debbie
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  • debbie444
    debbie444 Member Posts: 847
    edited April 2006
    Forgot to say
    I have my 'look good feel better ' app tomorrow ( yes finally - even tho i now have eyebrows and hair of my own again!).
    If they make me look like one of those scarey makeup counter women , i may be gone some time!!
    Debbie
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  • TracySeattle
    TracySeattle Member Posts: 690
    edited April 2006
    Debbie! I like your new pic! Glad you had fun out and about this weekend. I went topless for a bit on Saturday, I felt so much like a boy. Yesterday I wore my pink bc ballcap that was a little better.

    There is a reason for needing hugs, but let me just say that I love this place because you are all so nice and we get along so well together. Don't know what I would do without all of you!
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