Has anyone started a forum for Chemo in Dec 2008?

Mandy1313

Zuffa, that is wonderful news. All the best.

havehope

Zuffa, that is such a great news! I wish you speedy recovery. Also, it gives me hope for my MIL who is also TN, stage 3 and doing neo.

Bold

Zuffa: Congrats!!!!!!! Dancing with NED must be so wonderful. I would like to invite you to a great group of woman in the May Rad group if you would like. Best of luck. (seems like you already have it)

lisasayers

Zuffa that is AWESOME news!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Doing a happy dance for you!

zuffa

Ladies - thank you all for your good wishes.  Bold, thanks for the invitation to join the May rads group -- I will know more in a few days about my start date.  Simvog -- I wish the best for your MIL - my chemo was "the dreaded" TAC - but it was well worth it in my case.  Lisa - thanks for the dance (I'll bet it includes some Zumba moves) -- and by the way, some of your recipes are excellent -- especially that tortilla soup you posted a long time ago.  No long-term SEs for me -- except wine does not taste quite right yet -- however champagne is just fine -- and we cracked a couple of excellent bottles at brunch today overlooking the ocean.  Cheers to everyone. 

(If this post shows up twice, it's because the board ate it the first time.)

swest

Congratulations Zuffa!  Great news coming for a fellow TN gal!! Yipeeee!!!!

BonnieK

Congratulations, Zuffa!!  This is such wonderful news.

I just started rads last week and it's SO much easier than chemo.  The first couple of appointments are long and a little uncomfortable, but after that it's 5-10 minutes and you're out the door! 

Take care.

Bonnie

EleanorJ

Zuffa - Congrats on your great results. That is an amazing news

Firni - Sorry about the docs. hope you can get a referral soon. The sooner you start treating it, the better it is. Believe me, mine went on for 3+ years before I even found out there was such thing as ttx for lymphedema! Good luck.

bobcat

Zuffa - that is wonderful news.  Good luck with rads.  You're on your way!!!

Firni

I have an appt. with onc on Tues. afternoon to check out my swollen limbs.  He wants to see what I'm complaining about but I think he's just going to prescribe more diuretics.  He'll also have a referral for me for a lymphedema therapist.  So I can get going on all that. Yea!!

Today DH dug out a patch of the yard so I can start a veggie garden this year.  I'm so excited.  My whole family are big gardeners but I haven't had one for a long time.  DH is out now buying fencing to keep the dog out.  I'll tell ya, that dog is crazy for tearing out plants.  I was kind of bummed (and I'm sure DH was too) that I couldn't really help him at all today since I just had my exchange on Wed.  I'm hoping I feel ok to plant stuff next weekend. 

colleen1960

Zuffa - What wonderful news.  You must be so thrilled.  Wishing you well with your rads.  Come back and let us know how you are doing.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!!  NY weather was rainy.  Hopefully better weather this week.

Colleen 

swest

How fun Firni!  What are you putting in your garden?

I'm so happy that Rads. are easier on you Bonnie!

Have a great week everyone!

Sonia

Firni

Sonia, I'm planning putting in tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, red and yellow peppers, carrots, lettuce, onions, peas, cukes, asparagus, borage, garlic, mint, rosemary, basil and perennial yarrow.  Mostly just what I like to eat and cook with.  The herbs are for cooking and they are natural insecticides.  Like Borage will keep tomato worms away, so you plant tomatoes and borage together.  Also veggies like growing near some veggies and not near others.  Like peas grow better near cukes, corn, beans and potatoes but don't do as well if near onions or garlic.  It's really going to be a experiment in companion gardening which I've never done before.  

lisasayers

I'm putting in a big veggie garden this year too!  Haven't had one since we moved here 8 years ago....but we always had a huge garden at our old house.  I'm looking forward to planting again this year and I'm doing the companion gardening as well!  Found a great link... http://www.organicgardentips.com/vegetable_gardening.html

LindaBusEd

Divas,

Haven't posted in awhile but have been reading your posts. I have been on Femara for about a month; doing okay with it; like others, I look like an old woman trying to get up. Question?

I still have my port. I had it flushed last week--about 6 weeks after my last chemo. I will have it flushed every 3 months. I have been reading on the internet that it should be flushed every month???? Also, I have noticed the last 2 or 3 days that is is very sore. I noticed the pain when the seat belt is over it. It is very sore when touched. Any comments? Linda

Firni

Lisa, thanks for the link.  There is some info in there that I didn't have.  Mostly the herbs being used as insecticide sprays and such.  What is going in your garden?

lisasayers

Pretty much everything you have listed, as well as green beans, eggplant, green peppers, and if I have room some broccoli.  Otherwise I'll buy that from the farmer down the road who grows organic.  I also get my cauliflower and squash from him! 

I need to map things out! 

Texas357

Linda, have you called your oncologist's office? I got my port removed 2 weeks after I finished chemo so received no flushing instructions. Hope it's nothing serious.

Firni

Linda why does your onc want to leave that port in?  I know there are some people here whose oncs want them to leave the port in for a year or more "just in case".  That doesn't sound very positive.  I was allowed to get mine out at 2 weeks after chemo but it ended up 3 weeks coz of scheduling.  Both onc and surgeon said the port shouldn't be in longer than needed.  I have read also that if the port is left and not used, it should be flushed monthly or it can clog up.

Lisa, my garden is all mapped out and we're putting the fence up tonight.  Friday I'll get my plants and get started.  I'm a little concerned about doing that much work a week after my exchange, but if it gets to be too much, DH will finish planting while I supervise.  

lisasayers

We still have a few weeks before our garden will go in...you never know around her...we could still get a frost!  Gotta love it!

Firni

It's usually pretty safe to plant by Mother's Day here.  If we have any frost it will just hit the low areas and be mild enough that if I cover the plants, it will be fine.

Off to the onc to see why my feet are still so swollen 6 weeks after chemo ended.  I sure hope they can do something.  I'm tired of wearing crocs. 

swest

Firni and Lisa, your gardens sound wonderful!  Living in the city a garden is nearly impossible.  Plus, it gets hot here very early.  Today we are expected to be up to 89 degrees.  Summer is on its way!

Lindabused - I had my port removed last week.  Prior to that my onc told me to have it flushed every 4-6 weeks.  I would check with the surgeon to see if you can have it removed.  It really feels nice to have it out.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Texas357

Just got the call. I start rads tomorrow. 33 weekdays -- but after the long process of chemo I'm expecting this to go quickly.

But I'm worried about the water weight that hasn't subsided. Some of it is now settling in my surgery arm, and I know rads can aggravate that. I've got a call into my oncology nurses for their suggestions.

swest

Good Luck Texas!  I'll be thinking of you tomorrow!

Firni

Hi Texas,  I too am having problems with water weight that hasn't gone away.  It's mostly in my feet and ankles but I can feel it everywhere.  I went to Onc yesterday and he changed my diuretic.  I took it yesterday and today and haven't noticed any difference.  I'm not sure how long it's supposed to take to see results.  I have an appt on Tues to see a lymphedema specialist about my hand.  I'm going to have her look at my feet to.  Maybe that's what that swelling is all about.  If she says the swelling in my feet is indeed just water, I'll go back to Onc and see what plan B is.  Let your radiologist know about the swelling in your surgery arm and talk to your onc about it too.  Good luck.  Let me know how it all turns out for you. 

EleanorJ

Linda, like everyone else, I was allowed to get my port out 2 weeks after last chemo and flushing should be done every month. They can't force you to keep it in, if they don't want to take it out, I'm sure you could find someone who would.

Ah gardens... we're in a townhouse this year so we can't have much of a garden here, last year was a bust! But my MIL is letting us put a LARGE garden at her house so DH tilled it last weekend and we should plant this saturday. We're planting about same as both of you, but TONS of roma tomatoes so that I can make sauce.

Texas357

Firni, I called my oncologist and was basically given the brush off. They said it was probably caused by the steroids, and would just take time to get out of my system. I told them after 3 weeks, I was tired of feeling like a human water balloon.

I had to ask about using diuretics, they didn't even suggest them! So I doubt I'll get anywhere asking for prescription strength.

Firni

Well that just bites.  Try drinking more water and walking more.  There are also some OTC diuretics but I don't know how well they work.  I don't know that my onc would have done much after 3 weeks either.  I'm 6 weeks out now and when I talked to the nurse she said, oh that's not normal after 6 weeks.  You may have to suffer a couple more weeks.  But then they'll tell you it's from the rads.  I really hate the medical community some times.  

I asked about the tamoxefin metabolizing test I had done a couple weeks ago.  They said I'm a mega metabolizer so I guess I'll start taking that sometime soon.  I don't mind the tamox so much since it just blocks the estrogen from binding to tumor sites.  Well that and increases the chances for stokes and cancer.  Other than that, the estrogen can continue to do the good work it does.  I doubt I'll ever go to an AI as it inhibits all the estrogen production from your body.  I just don't think I want to go there.   Hopefully I won't have too much for SEs.  I'd really kind of like to get the chemo SEs resolved before I start on a new batch of them.

MMM, I love homemade sauce.  That is so nice that your MIL is letting you garden at her place, Caroline.  Do you live real close?

havehope

Good luck Texas357! Take care and rest.

Texas357

Thanks ladies!

Firni, I prefer the way the SERMS work too but I'm going to push for another SERM, Evista, since I've got osteopenia issues and it's approved as a bone-building drug. Not sure what the steroids and chemo have done to my bones but I'm also going to insist on a bone density test before I start on anything.