Anyone starting chemo in Aug. 08?

alibug05

bettelou68 - couldn't be happier for you!!!!!!  My eyebrows aren't totally gone BUT they are pretty thin - I can use some brow powder and get by with them looking ok.  My eyelashes have hung in there pretty good, the bottom got thin but the top still looks pretty good!  My hair is coming back in REALLY dark!!!! But I wouldn't care if it was purple - as long as it comes back and it keeps coming back QUICKLY!!!!!!  I am going on a cruise in February with my Mom and sister (my Dad's treat for "HIS GIRLS") and was really hoping I wouldn't have to mess with my wig but I guess I will wait to see.  I only have 14 more rads sessions left so they are moving right along.  Still aren't real tired but I am sure it is coming!!!! LOL   Loves to all...........

Roya

My eyebrows were gone before I realized it........lashes too .  Sure miss them.  I am using eyebrow powder to trace where they used to be.  Usually lose that too after a few hours.

 Thank goodness this is all temporary and will soon be behind us.

Misty1

Hey Girls,

Bettelou-Congrats on the date!!  That will be your light at the end of the tunnel!!  Of course,we will expect some pictures of the big day.

Alibug-your rads time is going so fast, just like Stacy's will go.  That is so funny about your cruise.  My DH and I are going on one at the end of January.  I am hoping to sport a cute, short look, but who knows.  I would love to be wigless during the day, and just wear the wig at night.

Roya, what is the next step for you? 

My brows have thinned greatly, but I am also filling in with dark powder.  there are some lashes there.  I can feel some chin hairs growing already.  I am taking a daily dose of Biotin, which is suppose to help hair and nails.  Still waiting for the dark patches to come in full force.

Have a good week, everyone!

~Misty

Anonymous

Roya - sorry, been feeling "yuck" since last tx, they get worse every time.  I ALMOST can't feel lumps!  Onco told me today that my tx was progressing "spectacular", my response is "phenomenal"... basically, I'm doing great.  I'm really stoked about it, just feeling exhausted!  The tumors are shrinking, chemo is not anywhere NEAR as bad as I expected, and my spirits are still great!  We actually started talking dates for final chemo, surgery, rads.  It was a HUGE relief to finally talk about a possible end to all of this, even though onco told me two weeks ago that I would be one of his "long term" patients.  I'm determined to go on a cruise Feb 7, and to enjoy Mardi Gras also, I advised them to "find a date that will work for it all".  Of course, I just need a surgery date... whenever that may be!  Hope everyone is doing well!  Happy, happy holidays.

Anonymous

OH - I wore the wig for the first time to a funeral last Thursday... I HATE IT.  It itched and moved and, oh well, I'm never wearing it again.  As far as I'm concerned, Sean would have understood and been just fine with me wearing a dana at his funeral, he probably would have bought me a very colorful, likely festive-print one!  Anyway... I like being bald!

Anonymous

Bette... there are false eyebrows and lashes that some women (who are not sick, just vain) wear EVERYDAY,  but you look beautiful without them, and Tom won't notice that at all!!!

Roya

Misty,  I go for my rads consult tomorrow.  I want to start before January.  I heard the sooner after chemo the better.  If there are any little C cells left, they are getting ready to be eradicated!!!.

Chelli, I'm soooooo glad that you are doing so well with those tumors shrinking.  Hurray!!!!!  Glad you are in good spirits and dealing with all the exhaustion.  Hang in there!  As for the moving about and itching of the wig, I  am using a wig cap which helps a lot.  I highly recommend a wg cap to help with these things.

Anonymous

Taxoter today. I woke up at 3:00 AM really anxious and fearful, but a some time with my God, including John:14:27 "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not you heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." I prayed about this, because my heart is troubled and afraid right now. It is now 4:15 AM, and I have found peace. 

I read over the side effects for Taxotere. I have taken my dexamethasone, and am as ready spiritually and physically as I can be.

Peace to all, and a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Bette 

Corinne6

oh Bette, It will be okay. I have had 5 doses so far of Taxotere. i have one left. You will make it thorugh just fine. You are going to be one of those conquerers that your Bible verse reads on the bottom. The dexamethasone is the hard thing for me. It gives me hot flashes and indegdstion. Take protonix and tums if you can . It helps some. Have not lost my eyebrows and eyelashes yet. They are a little thin and eyebrow pencil works great!!

alibug05

I just want to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING.  I have A LOT to be thankful for and I plan on celebrating all of it.   So everyone have a great Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!  Loves to all........... 

Misty1

Here, here, Alibug!!

Bettelou-hope you get through this next phase of Taxotere.  I think you will be just fine with it.  You're getting closer to the finish line!

Chelle-get a cotton wig head cover.  You will feel so much better when you put it on-not only more comfortable, but the wig will stay put.

I am thankful to have had the pleasure of getting to know some wonderful women here.  YOu will all be in my thoughts tomorrow.  I am thankful for getting through chemo, having a dark fur covering my head, having new foobies...  My how I am more thankful for things I used to take for granted!!

A story I am sure you will all appreciate-I was in a store today and there was a pink BC candle display by the register.  The younger female worker was explaining their purpose.  I just smiled and said "I understand-I am a recent survivor."  She smiled warmly and said "Wow-Way to go!"  This is the first time I have said this out loud to someone.  So, it really meant a lot to me.

Happy Thanksgiving, girls!!

~misty

Anonymous

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

First Taxotere went OK this morning, no reactions or anything. Right now I am feeling totally yucky: achy and slightly sick to the stomach. I'm hoping I don't feel this way tomorrow as I have a 45 minute drive to Thanksgiving dinner. The whole family will be there, and I don't want to miss it. I have made plans to stay overnight and come home on Friday in time for my Neulasta shot.

Tom has to work Thursday and Friday, so we won't be roasting turkey together as planned.  

I am going to try and eat a light supper and see if it stays down. This is the first time I have felt nauseous the day of chemo. With the body aches as well, I have been staying pretty much horizontal.

On the bright side: 12/17 is my last chemo, and my tumor is almost impalpable.

Love to all.  

DesertRider

HAPPY THANKGIVING to Everyone - I am thankful for so many things - even after the horrible last 6 months. And thankful very much for all of you!!

Hugs,

Gail

Anonymous

I realize that there are things I am thankful for that I didn't mention in my post.

Tom in my life and our upcoming wedding

The love and support of my family: daughter, SIL, brothers 

The support of my church: visits, prayers, dinners, rent money, and above all, love

The rest and improved health since I took disability from work 

The fact that my tumor has shrunk to almost nothing and the inflammation from my IBC has greatly improved.

Surgery set for 1/20/2009. The end in sight!

This group of sisters in the victorious fight against BC!

Love to all!

Bette 

dlb823

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  We share a sense of sisterhood here for which I am truly grateful. I can't imagine going through bc without the support, friendship, advice, laughs, and sharing I've experienced here.  I am truly grateful for all of you!  

Thanksgiving blessings....  Deanna

Tonya36

Happy Thanksgiving Ladies!!!!  I have so much to be thankful for today and everyday.  God has been so good to me and to all of us.  I hope you all enjoy your day and your families.  Have a wonderful day!!!!!

God Bless,

Tonya

mommy3abm

Happy Thanksgiving to my wonderful and supportive group of friends!  We do have a lot to be thankful for this year!

Misty-  I know how hard it must have been to "say it out loud"...that is awesome!  A huge hug to you!

Well, got a call from my mom's cousin last weekend and she unfortunately is joining our ranks.  Her mother died of bc and she has had multiple biopsies throughout her life.  This one was begnin from needle biopsy.  She wasn't happy with that so had lumpectomy and sure enough she was right!  Please say an extra prayer for her as she begins this crazy ride!

Hugs!

Stacy

Roya

Stacy, the latest technology has come just in time for my rads.   I went for my consult yesterday.  They are now using s sort of invisible tatoo which is called a 'black light tatoo' ( in English).  It is invisible to the naked eye but somehow shows up under a certain light for the techs to do the radiation therapy.   I will go for my contrast scan on the 5th and I will get my 2 invisible freckles at that time. 

Wishing everyone a fabulous Thanksgiving!                     

Anonymous

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!  I had the best Thanksgiving I have ever known today, and that gave me one more thing to be thankful for... today.  I hope everyone had a good one, and if you didn't - take a chance tomorrow to make it a day you will be thankful for!

mommy3abm

Wow Roya!  You are lucky...seems like the European countries are more willing to try new technology before the US.  I had asked about the 3 week rads and was told it was approved in Europe and Canada, but the US still had to do its own studies!

Hope everyone had a great day!

Stacy

TXBadboob

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Roya

I like what you wrote, Chelli.........being thankful for 'today.' 

Thanks for writing that.  Sometimes I need reminding.

Anonymous

I am thankful for today. It is day 4 after Taxotere, and I don not have a fever like I did with Taxol!

I am waiting for friends to pick me up to go to a party. It is the 60th wedding anniversary of some dear friends from church. Tom and I will not have 60 years, but I am thankful for each day he is in my life. It is exciting to be planning our lives together.

My hands and feet are painful today. That is the only SE I've really noticed so far. But I am going to the party and have fun!

Thank you, God, for today.

Love to all,

Bette 

Anonymous

I turned out to be a party pooper. Got sick at my stomach and started running a temp half-way through, so my friends had to take be home. Now am running low-grade fever, nauseous. Totally miserable.

I am thankful for the nice ride in the country, and the friends I got to talk with at the beginning. The SE's rule again.

Bette 

Anonymous

Hi everyone! This is  BUMP for our thread.

I am still feverish and achy. Called my onc, and she said it was probably the Neulasta. Taking it easy on this very rainy PA day.

Bette 

DFOnt

Bette, sorry you had to leave your party.  Have you been drinking a lot of fluids?  My nurse said that can cause the temp to go up, if you're not getting enough.  Hope you feel better.

SheRee

Bette - Hope you are feeling better.

Roya - I know that I too sometimes need reminded to be thankful for today, each and every day.

I don't know how I'm feeling.  I had my last chemo two weeks ago, today, and although I thought there's no way I'll get depressed after chemo is over, I've been struggling with crazy thoughts.  Can't say I'm depressed... but, I've been sick for FOUR WEEKS now, and it's really wearing me down.  I caught a cold or something after my next to last taxotere with sneezing, coughing, runny nose, and that's actually when my eyes started tearing.  Stayed sick the entire "good" week I usually have... then had my last taxotere, and the cold has gotten worse.  The cough went down in my chest, but at least it's productive, my eyes are still driving me nuts, and my nose can't decide if it wants to be stuffy or runny. 

But worse than all that, I can't do hardly anything physical without my legs aching incredibly bad, and feeling like I'm out of breath.  I do believe the cough is better, but I'm getting concerned with the fact that two weeks out from chemo I still feel as if I've been hit by a freight train. 

I think I overdid it the other day pulling out Christmas decorations and my underarm that the lymph nodes were removed from was aching... my thought, "oh no, the cancer".  I had a headache the other day, and my left eye was twitching and blurry... I thought, "oh no, the cancer has spread".  Every ache, every pain, my mind goes to mets.  I got on the boards the other night, and ending up reading some off the mets forums, and got really down.  I know that some people live with mets for years, but I don't think I'm strong enough to do that if it happened.  I can't imagine being in some kind of treatment for the rest of my life, and it scares me sooo bad.  Hopefully I'm only freaking out because I'm currently inactive in my treatment, but haven't finished it.  I should start radiation this week.  I had my CT and simualtion last Wednesday.  So, maybe once that's in progress, I'll start feeling better.

alibug05

10 rads sessions left!!! WHAAAYOOOOOO - I can't wait for this to be all over.  I am defeinetly celebrating on December 15th (my last day)!!!!  I don't go back to the doctor then till February so I will have alittle over a WHOLE month to not have to go ANYWHERE FOR CANCER!!!!!! I just can't wait!!!! Hope everyone is doing good.  Loves to all................

dlb823

Alibug... Can't believe that you're so far along with your rads!  Good for you!  I am going to get things set up this month to do rads, but won't actually start them until January due to being away the 2nd week of December, then my rad onc being away for 2 weeks during the holidays.  I envy you getting your tx's finished before Christmas!  

SheRee... I think the thoughts and feelings you're having are perfectly normal and will ease as soon as you can get back into a busy, normal routine again, where thoughts of bc aren't on your mind 24/7.  As wonderful as it is to be done with chemo, there is something strange about letting go of that security we have when we're doing something extremely aggressive to fight bc. I also felt really bad for about 6 weeks after my last chemo.  This Wednesday will be 8 weeks, and I think I'm just beginning to turn the normal corner.  You have to remember that the effects of the chemo were cumulative, and getting sick (as I did, too), really sets you back.  I am still suffering from pain in my right leg and a stiff left thumb, probably lingering Neulasta SE's, even though my local onc doesn't think so.  There's just no other logical explanation.

I had an interesting encounter over the weekend with a man who had come to our door to ask if his grandsons could play on our property.  Long-story short, when he saw my chemo head, he started telling me that he lectures on nutrition, and told me to get a book entitled, The China Study by an author named Campbell.  He said the way to prevent a recurrence is to eliminate ALL animal products (incuding eggs and dairy) from your diet, and that this book would explain more.  Obviously I've heard of vegetarian or macrobiotic or vegan diets being good for preventing cancer, and I've already cut way back on red meat and butter and all the other bad things.  But, it was just strange -- almost mystical -- the way this total stranger showed up at my door with this message!

Hope everyone has a week of continued healing ~    Deanna

Misty1

Hey Girls,

She-Ree-congratulations!!  So glad to hear you are done.  Hang in there with your feelings-give your body and mind time to recuperate!

Alibug-OMG-where does the time go?!  I am so glad the rads have gone so fast for you.  Sounds like you'll be celebrating after the 15th and you deserve it.

Hope everyone had a nice T'Giving.  I think it hit me hard, because after the dinner prayer, my SIL looked at me with tears and said how thankful she was to have me here.  My cousin proposed a separate toast and cheered me for being such a strong woman.  Of course, I was thinking about all of you as well, and all we have gone through unexpectedly.

Went to the PS today, 12 days after the exchange surgery.  He pulled the stitches through the two incisions and the port removal incision.  I won't go back for another month.  But get this-I have to massage the foobies every night until he tells me to stop.  Where is my DH?!  He'll love this job.  Ha-ha...  I go back for Herceptin only on Thursday. I plan to take the nurses a holiday treat because I won't see them again until after Xmas on the 26th. These treatments are certainly flying by and not bad at all.

Hope everyone is well-I know I look at each of these holidays with a totally different perspective.

~Misty