The Chemosabe March Cruise
Comments
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When mine started coming back it was white also but it turned more brown. I just don't want to have it fall out again by dyeing it too soon. I read somewhere on here that you should wait 6 months after your last chemo but I don't know. I just got mine trimmed up cause the neck and hair above my ears grew faster then the rest. I look like I had bat wings..LOL rosebud
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jacque -- no, i'm not the t-shirt fairy, tho if i had yr address, i'd probably send you one that said, "Chemo. It's not just for breakfast."
I may wait till after Christmas to dye my hair.
i called my ins co and they said i had to have a predetermination for the BRCA, so i called and left a v/m for my onc, to tell him to write them a letter telling them the medical necessity. of course i haven't heard back from him...
good luck on the muga, melissa!
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Terri...loved the pictures...your daughter is precious. I'll be ordering of those calendars.
Melissa...prayers for good results on your MUGA.
Jacque...hope things continue to improve. Take care of yourself.
LisaSD....how you doing? Are you threatened by the fires? Prayers that you are safe.
No dye here...I've heard the wait six months although I've read of many people doing is sooner with no problems. Mine is white on the sides and salt and pepper on the top. It all started coming in white but has since changed....think I'll wait awhile and see in I turn into a gorgeous redhead
.Nancy
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My nails are all peeling really short. Is anyone else having nail issues? My hair is about 1/2" long and strait so far. Everyone tells me it is supposed to come in curly. No curls yet. How about everyone else?
all the best
melissa
Jacque good luck on the treatment I hope no bad side effects. Hugs*
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Melissa, I've had nail issues starting during chemo. I had a ridge on each finger nail going horizontal for each chemo. Both thumbs and large toenails started to lift. I've kept them cut short and they are now growing out. 3/4th of now nails now look normal as the ridges come to the top they break off. Hope this makes sense. As far as hair goes....mine is about an inch long and not a single curl. I've always had very straight hair and was hoping that I might get a few curls. I guess I'll just keep waiting and maybe some curls will show up.
Nancy
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Hi Melissa,
I ended up losing three toenails and I have one more that I can tell I will end up losing. My nails ended up breaking off just below the quick on almost every finger. I believe all this was caused by the Taxol. My fingernails became discolored and as the healthy part moved up, it was firmer to the nail bed. They will be all well in another couple of weeks, I think.
My hair is a couple of inches long and mostly straight, although I seem to have a lot of cowlicks.
Lisa, let us know if you are safe from the fires.
Jacque, I'm thinking of you and praying for you. Big hugs from Virginia!!
Nancy, sending some curls your way!
Thinking of all my sweet breast cancer sisters!!
Miss S
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I just came today after not being here for a while. It is good to catch up on what is happening with everyone. I am glad to read all the posts, even if they aren't all great news.
Jacque - I am so inspired by your attitude and your ability to be upbeat.
I just finished rads #19 today. 9 left to go!!!! I am taking Monday off because it's my birthday and I will be at the coast having a little vacation. I have been going in once a week to have fluid drained from my left breast (rt one is being radiated). I had to have my left expander deflated to get it out of the way of the radiation and have had nothing but problems since. As far as the rads themselves, I am only a little bit pink and have a slight rash on my collar bone. It itches but compared to what the chemo was, it is a piece of cake. My hair is about 1 1/2" long and I went this week to get my first haircut since my hair started coming back! I didn't realize how shaggy I was getting until it got cleaned up some! My hair has come back thick and even. I have no bald spots at all! Now how cool is that? My hair is darker than it was before but still as straight as straight can be. It likes to stand straight up if I don't comb it just the right way. But I can handle it. My 8 year old daughter told me that she can't remember what I looked like with hair and she thought I might look funny when it grows out! Give me funny any day!
I pray for everyone and my prayer is that all of our issues (physical or emotional) are minor and easily handled.
Patti
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Hi Everyone....so good to be back in touch. I've mostly been on the Triple Neg board. I'm doing well. Have a seroma in affected breast right above the incision site. Have had multiple aspirations but fluid keeps re-accumulating. I wait till it gets really painful and then go in again.
All else is well. Celebrate my birthday this week with a huge surprise party at work. More than a 100 folks there and the room filled with pink roses, pink balloons and pink hearts everywhere...combination birthday and survivor celebration. Everyone stood up one at a time and said something about what I mean to them - talk about humbling!!
Still struggling with the boyfriend issue...life is so damn complicated.
Have short and very soft (kitten-like) salt and pepper hair about 1/2" all over. Waiting not so patiently for any sign of curls!! The only curly hair is "you know where"!
Love to all of you,
Holly
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Hi everyone,
That is such a cute picture. Family vacations sure help to take your mind off all this cancer stuff - at least for a little while.
I'm all set to start chemo again on Thursday and I am dreading it as I know what to expect. My surgeon drained me again this past Friday and I go back on Monday. The fluid seems to be subsiding, but it is still there.
Now I've got a mild case of lymphedema so I'm going to be consulting with a lymphadema specialist to find out how to treat and keep it under control.
I'ts always something, isn't it?
Take care everyone,
Lisa
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Hi ChemosabeCruiseSisters!
MissS - Hey, I have cowlicks, too! I am very fortunate that my home was not threatened by the fires this week. My little California Craftsman is in an old urban neighborhood and has stood through 90 years of Santa Ana winds. I felt blessed to be able to offer my teensy guest cottage (and fenced back yard!) to a friend of a friend from NE county who had to spend her first night of evacuation in her car because she would not turn over her dog to the 'shelter people' in order to get a cot for herself. She shows her dogs, as do I. Hers is a rare breed, and though microchipped, in disasters such as this, it is not uncommon for dogs to get mixed in with the stray/unidentified population and possibly neutered. Not a risk she could take. Instead, she had two nights here, my Pug, Dex, had two days with an 18 month old pup twice his size, and it all turned out well as she returned to her home safely.
Anyway - off that soapbox -
Lisa,3boys4me, I hope this means we'll be seeing you in the morning for our monthly San Diego Brunch bunch! One last hurrah before chemo gets going again? So sorry to hear about the lymphedema. It does seem to always be something cropping up, doesn't it? Are we done yet?!?
Holly - what a wonderful party your friends and coworkers gave you! 100 people each singing your praises - hope you sucked it up, girl - besides feeling humbled! Did the seroma start after your rads? Does your MD have a guess why it keeps coming back?
Patti - good to hear from you! Sorry you are having aspiration challenges, too. Wow - your hair sounds awesome - 1 1/2" , thick, with no bald spots! Glad to hear rads is so far, so good.
Nancy - My nails did much the same as yours - 6 horizontal defects for each of the 6 TAC treatments. But while they stayed crumbled down to the quick during chemo, from about six weeks out they have been growing decently. The Biotin I took daily during tx. may have helped, who knows. Now, my nails are always the thickness of tissue paper, so it's not much to write home about, but I have 10 nails above my fingertips. One of the reasons I do, though, is because my fingertips are still numb from the Taxotere and I find having nails helps me to pick up things I cannot feel with my fingers. Pretty sad, huh?
Melissa, I guess I've weighed in on the nail issue. Mine were constantly peeling and breaking during treatment, less so now. My hair is not curls and ringlets either. I have always had this major cowlick on the right front. I look a lot like my dad's pictures from when he entered the Academy.
I saw the same cowlick swirl on my daughter on the day she was born - very dominant gene! My hair was thick and wavy before chemo and seems to be coming back that way. What it is doing is coming in a new color! It's this deep chestnut brown - and before it was light brown with blonde through it. But, as my daughter pointed out, when I used to put my hair up in a French twist, the underneath was always darker. So I guess this color maybe was there after all, just under umpteen layers of sun-bleached California living. And, uhm, it's going to be a good while before I put my hair up in a twist again. :::sigh:::Some sunny day I may put some lemon juice in it to bring out the blonde highlights that I know are lurking, but I don't think I'll dye it.
I had a recent scare, finding a lymph node-like lump, but I went and vented about it on the recurrence/mets board (thanks, Jacque) because it woulda been bad, bad news. Fortunately my surgeon (who came in on a Saturday to have a look) feels 99% sure it is fat necrosis, but because of my history, wants to look again in 30 days. My PS will see it on 11/5, too.
Love you guys! Be strong!
Lisa
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Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Holly!
Happy Birthday to you!
And MANY mooorrrre!
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Patti...Happy Birthday tomorrow. Glad your taking the day off to enjoy. Good news on the rads, soon this will be behind you.
Happy Birthday Holly....sounds like a wonderful party!
Lisa with 3 boys, sorry to hear that you are still having to be aspirated but good news that things are slowing down. Sorry to hear about the lympo and it's good that you are going to see the specialist. I also have a mild case and the specialist has helped tremendously. Prayers for smooth sailing at the bar on Thursday.
LisaSD...so nice to hear that you are okay and that the fires didn't threaten you. What a wonderful soul you are to allow someone to stay with you that had no place to go. Is your pug missing his new playmate? What a scare about your bump....happy to hear your surgeon thinks it is nothing but will follow-up on it.
Jacque...good to see you. How are you doing? Is this regiment being kinder to you?
We have a beautiful day here...low 70's with bright blue sky. We just had a real delight....a fox came through the back yard. We feed the deer so we see them often and we always enjoy the fawns in the spring and summer but getting to see the fox was a first. There are so many things to be thankful for.
Love to all,
Nancy
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Hi Everyone!
Nice to hear from so many of you this weekend. It must be fox season, cos my DH had to slam on the brakes last night to miss one on the highway!
I had a nice time in Seattle but I think I've pulled my pectoral muscles carrying all my loot home! I'm stiff and sore on my bc side, so I'm going to watch it for the next few days. Every little ache does make me a bit worried.
My hair is super curly and I'm trying to straighten some teeny tiny bangs over my forehead. My DD is worried about me scorching my head, cos there's not really that much hair there! And man, do I have cowlicks. Interesting that Lisa looks like her dad, cos I look like mine too. Oh well, glad to have hair.
Here's a heartwarmer for you . . . three Grade 6 girls at my school made pink ribbon cookies and raised $632 last week at our school's Think Pink Week! Amazing! And then they made me a giant pink cake and gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. What a wonderful way to celebrate bc awareness month.
Hope everyone has a great week - thinking of Lisa who'll be starting her chemo - prayers for a smooth sail - and so nice to hear from Jacque, too.
Christine -
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Patti!
Happy Birthday to you!
And MANY mooorrrre!
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Lisa3boys -- how did it go Monday?
Happy birthday to holly and patty!
i have horizontal ridges on my nails, too -- which i hadn't even noticed till y'all started talking about them....
LisaSDCA -- glad you weren't affected by the fire.
Keenie -- bangs! yay for bangs!
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Morning ladies,
Ya'll are looking so cute with the short hair. I had to joy of seeing LisaSDCA at our monthly San Diego bc.org luncheon and she looked fabulous with the new girls and a ribbon in her hair
You know I'm never good with the call outs, but know I think of all of you each day. Everyone is in such different places both personally and in the course of treatment and I love reading this thread to catch up with the goings on and to get a glimpse of what might be next for me.
Though, Keenie, the cookie story was great.
I continue being aspirated - went Mon and will go again Wed for my last (hopefully) one before starting chemo on Thurs. So far that chemo date is sticking.
I've also developed a case of lymphedema. Anyone else having experiences with this? It's mild and early days, but I want to make sure I stay on top of it so I don't get elephant arms....
love to all of you,
Lisa (with 3 boys)
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Happy Birthday Holly and Patti! Holly, sounds like yours was one to remember! Patti.... I love birthday vacations! Especially at the beach!
Keenie, your little girls with their breast cancer tribute had to bring you to tears! you are very blessed, indeed!
LisaSD, so glad you're okay. Sounds like we all have a bunch of cowlicks. Maybe we should make a calendar.
That is terrible about your scare! I hate all this crapola that just keeps on coming. We'll never be finished.... oh well. The best part is having each other and knowing we have friends who understand and care!Four Months of Growth
Lisa boy, hope your chemo goes well. It seems like forever ago when I was getting it now. I have lymphedema, too. Not fun, but so far I've been able to keep it under control and have a minimum of pain (only when I don't wear my sleeves like a good little girl).
The weather here is finally turning a little cooler and of course, my heater is broken.
I need to call about that...I haven't heard anything about my Cardiac MR. I think I have another appointment with the doc in about three weeks. Guess he'll wait til then to discuss things.
I'm still loving being at work and I'm feeling good, just tired.
I love you all and think of you and pray for you. I am rooting for all of us!!!!
Always,
Miss S
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Here's the new hair pic. My last chemo was July 3rd so it's been growing since then. Happy Birthday Holly and Patty...sorry I wasn't more prompt but it since like there's not enough time in the day now since I'm feeling better. I became allergic to Tamox so I've been switched to Femera since I am now in that twilight time of my years..Menopause..Yeah..oh joy..LOL..I'll keep ya all a breasted (pun) to what happens with this new drug..Hugs to all and Happy Halloween...rosebud
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Happy Halloween, everyone!
You look great, Rosebud! Hey thanks for the greeting card message - it was perfect!
Wow Miss S - you have a lot of hair for four months out! My hair is coming in, inspite of chemo, but so far it reminds me of Gallum from the Lord of the Rings. Pretty sparse. I was thinking I could tape my nose flat, go bald and answer the door tonight as Lord Voltamort, but I am afraid I would scare the little ones (maybe the adults, too).
Weather here is going to be perfect for the trick or treaters. When my kids were younger we would get gobs of kids - in fact groups would bus kids in! Now our street has dwindled down to just a few. I blame it on the crazy group of people at the bottom of our hill who really go all out (spook houses, ghouls, coffins). When they look up our normal looking street of jack o lanterns they decide we are boring and head off. Maybe the good weather will bring more out.
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MissS....wow looks like you've got alot of hair. So nice to hear that you are enjoying being back at work and feeling well....but remember TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
Rosebud....you look great...I finished chemo on June 26 and I'd say my hair is about the same lenght as yours, although mine is very grey.
Jacque...good to hear from you. Happy to hear your hair is coming in.
Lisa 3 boys....my LPT has me doing alot of upper body exercises to help strengthen my core and stretching exercises. I am also suppose to wrap my arm every night and wear that wrap when I'm exercising (I only do this about half the time....know I should do it more). This seems to work...I really don't notice any swelling unless I've used the arm alot with things like vaccuming (she also told to wrap my arm if I doing things like that but it is just to cumbersome). I'm right handed and had a right masectomy so I think this will always be a challenge. My prayers will be with you tomorrow as you set sail.
Happy Halloween all...we will probably have 50/60 little gobblins stopping by tonight (it's going to drive my dog crazy but I love it)
Nancy
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I've got a question, reason Ports. I've read alot lately that most people receive a prescription for a blood thinner when they have their port put in. I didn't....how many of you did? They can only get blood from my port about half the time and this is only after I've danced all over the place and done all other kinds of girations.
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Nancy,
I want to see you dance and girate.
I didn't receive a blood thinner, but they had trouble a couple of times drawing from my port.
I am scheduled to get my port removed next Friday. I am ambivalent because on the one hand, of course it's annoying and I want it out! On the other, it symbolizes the fact that I can't receive the medicine I thought might save my life.
My onc said I was only the second person she had to take off Herceptin!
Anyway, I'm glad you guys are impressed with my hair. I take biotin daily. However, it seems really short to me. I do appreciate the fact that it looks like it will be thick.
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Grammy..when they are about to draw blood, does the nurse get the Cd player out and put on.."Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight, get down tonight?" Sorry but for some reason that song just came into my head when you wrote about your gyrations. Never had a blood thiner with my port but then again I have parted ways with it and now have a hugs scar that still hurts cause it rubs on my pectoral muscle. Funny thing, my pectoral muscle is way up there but my breast is waaaaayyyy down there..go figure... I hope they figure your port out..HUGS.....rosebud
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LOL Rosebud...no cd player but one of the nurses suggested some tassels
!Thanks to you and MissS for your responses....puts my mind at ease.
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23 rads down 5 to go. My underarm has started to get really red. I also have radiation rash on my collar bone but I think I can live with it. I will be so glad to be able to say, "I AM DONE!!!"
They had trouble getting blood out of my port pretty much every time they tried. I didn't take blood thinners. It was suggested but I said that I wasn't going to take them unless it was absolutely positively necessary. So they tried again, I threw my shoulders back, put my feet up and my head down, and I stuck my chest out as far as I could and voila, it worked!!!!
My boyfriend and I had a major falling out. He decided that he would rather have a beer than me. He was alcohol free for 3 1/2 years and then something happened. I think it was a month or two ago but I am not sure because he was hiding it pretty well. I had suspicions but nothing concrete until the day before I was supposed to go to the beach for my birthday. Needless to say, I didn't go on that birthday vacation. I hate that I had to let him go but then again, I need positive people in my life. Since I am so close to finishing radiation, I will do something special to celebrate soon.
Patti
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Patti - I'm so sorry to hear about your boyfriend, but alcohol can be one of those "deal-breakers" as Dr. Phil puts it. You are right, you need positive people in your life - especially right now. Be strong.
I just started chemo again yesterday. So far so good. They did use my port with no problems. I got my neulasta injection today. I'm feeling fine but wondering when I'm going to fall apart - though maybe I won't. Guess I'll assume I'm going to be okay - the power of postive thinking and all that... My surgeon said if the fluid continues to build in my chest, I can be aspirated right before each chemo if needed. Hopefully it will subside and won't be an issue. I'm still waiting for a referral for LE treatment. It's early days and the swelling isn't bad, but I don't want an elephant arm - I want my compression sleeve.
The woman next to me was having problems with her port. They tried laying her down, but nothing worked. They did give her something to open up the port - maybe blood thinners, and whatever they used did work. I had mine flushed a week or so ago since it hadn't been used since it was put in back on 9/6 and all went well.
love to all,
Lisa
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Oh Patti, so sorry about you bf troubles. I admire you for being such a strong person to know that you didn't need him in your life. Looks like you'll finish your rads next week. Congratulations...do plan something great for yourself.
Lisa 3boys, happy to hear that you are feeling well after your trip to the bar. One down, how many tx are you having? Prayers for smooth sailing. One suggestion on your arm....keep it elevated when possible.
Hope everyone enjoys the weekend,
Nancy
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Patti, sorry about yr BF! good 4 u that u were strong enuf to get rid of him.
things are fine here -- i still get a bit tired out, but don't know if that's due to my age or post-rads condition. my skin is back to normal, and i don't miss going every day to rads at all!!
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Just checking in....miss hearing from everyone...guess everyone is getting back to life.
Jacque and Lisa 3 boys, hope that the chemo is treating you kindly.
LisaSD...saw your picture on the get together boards and you are looking great. Hope your healing is almost complete.
Patti...I think you might have finished rads today? Hooray for you, another chapter behind you.
MissS...how's the heart doing?
Rosebud, Terri and Christine, hope all is well with each of you.
Hope everyone has a great weekend...I think of you all often and wonder how I would have made it through these past 10 months without the friendship of each of you. You have been a true blessing to me.
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Things are good here in Mich. We just got done with Halloween and we had over 400 kids at the church for trunk or treat. The kids loved the hearse all decked out with the skeletons and lights. I had such a great time! In the past two weeks now I have seen all my Doctors and two don't want to see me for a year..yeah!!!!
After my allergic reaction to Tamox, my onc put me on Femara and so far so good. I just have joint stiffness and I'm tired. Oh, and the blood test showed that I am in the twilight years..menopause..yippee Skippy!!!! Life goes on. I agree with Grammy..I don't know how I would have gotten this far without you ladies. I tell all my Doctors that is site is a god sent and they should tell other breasts cancer patients about it.
Hugs all over...rosebud
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