Has anyone started a forum for Chemo in Dec 2008?

swest

Good Luck Texas and Simvog!  My exchange is on Wednesday.  I am getting anxious to be soft again.  These turtle shells have got to go! 

Firni - I have about 2 inches.  Too short to have a style.  It is so curly I have to use gel to control the curls.  I tried to straighten with the hair dryer and chi but my chi is too big.  I'm too cheep to by a smaller chi.  I had curly hair before but these are as tight as a cork screw.  I'm really not complaining just ready to look like I have a style and more put together.

Have a good week!

Sonia

Texas357

I still only have about an inch, few eyebrows and about half my eyelashes. My leg hair has come back but not my underarm hair.

Has anyone else gotten tingling sensations on their skin? It feels like tiny stings up and down my arms and sometimes my legs. I think it's probably nerve endings regenerating. It never lasts long, and it's only once in a while.

lovemyfamilysomuch

Sonia ,  I will join you with the curls.  Unmanagable and not attractive.  (on me) Oh well, at least it's hair!  In sisterhood xo

EleanorJ

Firni, I'm at about 2 inches too. I just changed my pic from one I just took minutes ago.

I think I finally put my finger on my new natural color, it's been 2 weeks since my last dye and can't see a difference in the root color. I'm sorry it's taken so long for yours to grow, I would go nuts, but I'm sure it's still growing.

Texas, will it ever stop... ?

My armpit is quite sensitive these days, I think I might have a bit of cording in there. I can't wait for the kids to start school next week so that I can start my full blown LE treatment for a month!

lovemyfamilysomuch

OMG, Cebula, you are beautiful!!  Those eyes!!   xo

Ellen

Firni

Look at you, Caroline!  Hair that looks "on purpose" and darling, lashes, brows.  Wow.  I don't feel like I'll ever get there.  I do still look like my balding uncle with a butch cut.  Stunted, invisible lashes and brows.        I feel da@# good tho.  That means more to me than the hair.  Altho the hair is frustrating me.

swest

I love your picture Caroline!  Is you hair curly at all?  If so how do you get the straight look with such short hair?  I thought you were beautiful with no hair, now WOW with hair!

lovemyfamily - I said during chemo that when I finally got hair back I'd never complain about it again.  There will never be a bad hair day again!

Bold

Texas and simvog, I just wanted you to know that I am thinking about you. I pray for a quick recovery.

Firni it has only been 3 months since I have finished. I too have only about 1/2 inch of hair. Which is a golden blond . I used natural instinct temporary color on it a month ago. I kind of like it. I miss my bangs. But am rocking the whole Buddhist look. It is very uncomplicated. I have to use special waterproof brow mascara, as my eyebrows are thin and very blond. I look scary with out eyebrows. Kinda like an owl. I am still getting herceptin infusions every three weeks and will till December, I guess. I have SE from that. But it is all I have to hopefully thwart a recurrence. That and loosing weight which I have lost 16 pounds. I have a lot more to loose and am motivated.

Yesterday I threw my back out!!! OUCH!!!!!!! It will take about a week to heal. Damn!!!! I have been exercising but now I have to struggle to answer the phone.  I am so bummed about that and so is my DH as he had to once more wait on me. But this to shall pass right?

I hope everyone is well and thinking less and less about cancer and cherishing love and life.

Bold

Cebula: Dang girl you look wonderful!!!! I missed a whole page when I wrote this morning. Sorry. Maybe because you are so young that your hair has recovered faster. Whatever I am thrilled for you.

Swest you have joined my prayers for success and speedy recovery.

swest

Thank you Bold!  Sorry to hear about your back. Don't feel guilty about your DH having to wait on you.  I bet you've waited on him a lot more! Enjoy it while you can!

Texas357

Bold, you're not supposed to get injured! You're supposed to be leaping around like a youngster? I'm sure that's in the rule book someplace.

Caroline, I'll agree with everyone else: You look Beautiful!!!!

Thanks for the well wishes and prayers everyone.

bobcat

Good luck Swest!  Caroline - you look beautiful and look at those brows!!  I would kill for those.  Mine are still coming and going and I draw them on each day.  Lashes come and go too - right now they are in.   Still getting buzzed and groomed at the barber each week because chia pet is not a good look on me no matter how much product I use.  I am salt and pepper and always wore my hair short so it does not look too much different that it used to - just way shorter on the top.  Good wishes to all this week with exchanges and decisions... Stay strong ladies.

Bobbi

Bold

Bobcat you look stunning with real short hair. Very chic.

swest

Thank you Bobbi!  I'll get with you all tomorrow afternoon!

Sonia

Firni

Good luck and fast healing tomorrow, Sonia.  I hope your exchange turns out just the way you want it.

 Bold, December will be here before you know it and you'll be so happy to be done and so happy that you did it.  How is your back?  After all you've been thru, injury should not be allowed.

Bobbi, I'm still drawing on my face every day too.  You'd think I'd be better at it by now! 

EleanorJ

Thanks Divas, you're all so sweet  Bobbi, I have VERY thick eyebrows. When I was complaining that they were thining, nobody believed me, it looked like I was finally plucking them! LOL! Now my lashes are present, but none of the same lenght and fullness as it was before. Those keep falling as they grow but there's enough that again nobody would believe me. I don't know if it would be because of my age, I always had very thick hair. And they didn't ALL fell and keep growing through chemo. I kept shaving, I think the very thin hair would have made me look more sickly than I looked bald. I know some of you were smooth bald.

Bobbi, you look great with your short hair. I always had long hair before, maybe that's why I'm having a harder time with the short short cut. I decided not to get a hair cut until Christmas. I kept debating and finally decided not to cut until it's long. Will get it shaped for pretty Christmas pix Then no cut for another year!

Sonia, I didn't do anything to my hair except comb a little. A little wavy in the back but no tight curls or anything. Good luck today. Wishing for a quick recovery

Bold, I hope your back feels better soon.

So, I wasn't thinking much about cancer until my MIL called last night. Her girlfriend who has been so good to me through chemo was diagnosed with Lymphoma yesterday. We don't know all the details yet, she does have a huge tumor on her lungs and still loads of test to go through. Cancer sucks. I don't want to be negative around them, but she looks like she's in bad shape. She has trouble, eating, breathing. I just hate this, I was so upset over it last night. Hopefully I'll no more later today.

Firni

Caroline, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom's friend.  I think it's almost harder when the people we love are diagnosed than when we were.  Lymphoma is pretty scary but I hope some of the tests show some kind of good news.  My prayers are with her.

Bold

She has my prayers too. Cancer sooo sucks.

My back is getting better already. I was proud of myself for not thinking that it was mets. I knew that it happens to me every few years and I just have to wait it out.

 I go to the onc tomorrow.I have not seen her in a few months.(this is unusual as I am still on herceptin). I have my list of questions for her.

I have reached my out of pocket for the year so I want to have my varicose veins done as well as a trip to the dermatologist in November. Colonoscopy and endoscopy as I have never had them done. (gulp and yuck). Jealous?

Thanks everyone for always being there for me you all rock!!! You are all in my prayers and thoughts.

Texas357

I'm baaaack! I had to be rushed back into the OR shortly after I got to my room after surgery. The 2nd time they removed about 400 ccs of blood. I'm pretty weak after the blood loss but otherwise doing great. The nurses and doctors were awesome.

Just one hiccup in the care: as I was waking up the 2nd time, the recovery nurses were discussing (in detail) someone who had died of cancer. I motioned for a nurse and demanded to be taken back into my room immediately and told her that the conversation was completely inappropriate for the recovery room. I said "I've been through too much,and been trying too hard to keep a positive attitude for me to hear all of you talking like that!"

She apologized profusely. Some people just don't think before they open their mouths.

swest

Thanks for the prayers and well wishes!  I am doing great.  Just minimal discomfort.  Nothing Tylenol can't handle.

Texas - What hospital are you at?  That is horrible.  I want to stay clear of that hospital.  I hope you are resting well and get to go home soon.  I will sending you healing feelings! 

((((((Hugs))))))

EleanorJ

Texas - Good for you saying something to the nurse. Wow! But glad to hear you're doing fine.

Swest - Glad to hear everything is good with you too.

Bold, glad to hear you're back is better. You're a lot better than I am not thinking about mets! LOL! I woke up last Monday with my coccyx (tailbone, hubby didn't know what a coccyx was!) being in excrutiating pain, I could barely sit down of all day. After a week and a half, it still hurts, not as bad, but still. My first thought was to check online for a link with cancer! This is a slight possibility that could be rulled out with an MRI. The kids have been through enough, that I'm not talking about it, but they start school next Monday, so I'll be going to my PCP next week & demand an MRI. I'm not that scared about it, but it's still in the back of my mind. NOTHING happened to have caused that pain and I've never had that before. That was my onc. told me on my last visit, use your common sense, if you do gardening at the beginning of the season than, yes, you;re back will hurt, but if pain happens with no cause, get it checked. I have so many doctors appt to make that I'm waiting to make them "in secret" as to not worry the kids and go during school hours.

Well, I'm suppose to go visit my MIL's friend tonight, she's still in the hospital. She has word of lung cancer now, so who knows what is going on, but definately cancer

Bold

Cebula: It could be a pilonidial cyst on the tail bone. It can happen if you are riding in a jeep or boat even horseback riding. It can and most often stems from a hair follicle or skin debris. The Latin for hair is pilus. I know who cares. It is a dead language. I am guessing that you have never had this pain before? Mets would not have the nerve to show up on the tip of you spine!!!!! I would bet the farm that it is a temporary pain. Did you feel for a bump of any kind? Is the area hot to the touch? Try a heating pad or a hot bath it should help. I would also recommend Advil for inflammation.

Congrats to Swest and Tex. You are strong!!! I am glad the worst is behind you both. I pray for a quick and uneventful recovery. Please keep us posted.

Texas357

Good morning ladies. Feeling stronger today. I am concerned however that one of my drains is plugged. Yesterday morning I dumped about 40 ccs out of it. Today it was just 5. My PS manually drained about 2 cups of fluid out the day of surgery, so that may be why things are drying up quickly but I'm going to watch it closely.

Firni

Hey, Texas.  Glad to hear you're feeling better today.  Are you stripping the tubes?  You might try that to see if it opens up or you just might not be draining much any more.  Hope it isn't clogged.

Sonia, good to hear your surgery went well and that it looks like you will be happy!! 

swest

Thanks Firni, Bold and Caroline!

I am feeling much more normal today.  I did not realize what a fog I was in yesterday.  I could only sleep 1 hour at a time. 

Texas - When do you see your PS/BS again? Is the area swollen or retaining fluids?  You might want to call your Dr if you don't see them today. Like Firni said, try stripping the tubes. Maybe there is not enough suction.  Better yet, maybe you don't need the drain anymore!!!! Yea!

Texas357

Yeah, I'm stripping the tubes -- which I think is the worst part of the process even though I try not to tug. I'm very hopeful that the fluid really is slowing down fast this time around.

Texas357

Not sure if I should celebrate or be worried. I just got my pathology report back from the prophylactic mastectomy and it showed multiple spots of Atypical Lobular Hyperplasia. As my surgeon explained: noncancerous but very active cells that would very likely have become more lobular cancer.

So okay, I'm thrilled to have taken a preemptive strike. But now I'm concerned that the chemo didn't stop the activity entirely.

EleanorJ

Bold, how interesting. Never heard of such thing before but it could be it. I'll have hubby take a look at my butt tonight, I'm sure he won't mind  Now they say, it affects men more than woman, but that's something to bring up at the doc next week. I'm really not worried about mets, but if I sit for too long, I get this burning feeling which after almost 2 weeks, it's getting old fast! The link to cancer is VERY RARE, what I read is that a tumor on the spine could be pushing and causing the pain. I highly doubt it but what ever this is needs to be fixed.

EleanorJ

Oh and swest, glad you're feeling better today

havehope

Texas and swest I wish you speedy recovery! Texas you should definitely celebrate. This is exactly the reason why I chose to have prohy, too.

cebula take care and go check it out. You look so beautiful!

Talking about hair I never lost it all, but what came back is all curly like a lamb fur. My daughter calls me Fuzzie. Go figure. Before chemo  it was thick and a little wavy, now is thinner and curly. It is still salt and pepper ( I got my first gray hair in 8th grade - cool in high school, not so cool after that - I used to color it up until I got my dx). For now I keep it short and natural.

Today I had my first colonscopy. It came clear and the next one is in 5 years. Next week my first app with my gyno since dx. I am not taking any supplements yet but I eat my daily nuts cocktail - walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews and dark chocolate ( 70% cocoa). I don't have any white flour products in my house only whole grains. I eat a lot of avocado, olive oil, fruits, veggies, etc. Don't  like sweets too much and I use sugar only in my coffee ( unbleached, unrefined, organic). I still have my glass of red wine ( most of the time organic and/or French).  

My love life had improved after chemo but I am very dry. I am curios if I am meno now. My last period was in sept 08. ( Interesting enough I was supposed to have it the day I was scheduled for the mastectomy, but it never came). So after some research I start using  Intimate Organics and it works for me. The product is free of PARABAN, GLYCERINE, DEA and is PURE VEGAN: http://www.intimateorganics.com/

Also, I  found today this article:

Tamoxifen Reported to Cause Aggressive Cancer Tumors

http://www.naturalnews.com/026931_cancer_Tamoxifen_brst_cancer.html