Starting chemo January 2009?

ladyjane54

Pam -  I do not think it is crazy to be feeling like you want people to know what you have been through.  I have kept my treatment as quiet as possible too and I am not sure if I'll feel the need to let people know after it is over and done.  I just know I did not want everyone looking at me like a cancer patient while I was going through it.

Well I saw the nurse this afternoon and left with four or five prescriptions for my new SEs from the first taxotere.  See prior post.  My hands are still so sore I can barely type so won't repeat them.  As I suspected I got the blame it on the chemo answer and given meds.  Well at least I will get some relief soon I hope.  First time I was told to stay out of work...that's a bummer.  At least next three days she said.  I need to cover myself in steroid cream three times a day followed by a moisturizing cream 30 minutes later to prevent drying.  Seems like the cure may be worse than the condition again.  I hope not.

She also told me I have to go have CAT scan tomorrow a.m. I am not sure why.  And they scheduled me for redo on MUGA test because of heaviness in chest and shortwinded when I walk too far.  That has been going on all along but I never mentioned it before.  KMMD's post on the other thread has opened my eyes and I will be mentioning everything from here on.

Hope you all have a great day.  I am going to rest my poor aching hands now.  Patti

lisalisa

i take 2 pills the morning before chemo...and then 2 pills the night before.  the day of chemo, i don't take any pills....they give me more decadron in my IV beforee my taxotere/cytoxin.  the day after chemo, again i take 2 pills in the am and 2 pills in the pm.

i put miralax in a glass of juice every morning and have no constipation issues.

4 chemos down....2 to go. 

Hawaii808

Hi Jewels,

I see that many of you have moved on to your taxol/taxarene phase of your treatments.

I haven't posted for a while.  I been having some significant challenges and side effects that even my onc has not expereinced with her other patients.  I have recently developed 6th nerve palsy.  I have double vision especially when looking in the distance.  My opthalmologist thinks its the chemo.  I mentioned this to my onc and she ordered a brain MRI to see if there was an underlying cause, like a brain tumor.  Fortunately, the MRI came back normal so that was a huge relief.  She believes that it was a viral infection that damaged the nerve. I will probaly now have to wait because a lot of these cases resolve themselves in a few months.

Anyway, got to do my last treatment of Adriamycin today and then I start on 12 weekly placitxel,  I feel okay right now but usually the side effcts don't show until 6 hours or 2 days after treatment.  The last time I was fine for 2 days and then really sick for the next 3 days.  I'm hoping it will be better this time.  In any case, its the last of this!

I will be going to Los Angles in a few weeks for the World Figure Skating Championships and looking forward to it.  I just hope that I'll be feeling well enough for the trip.  I'm going to think positive although, I have to admit that I'm starting to get tired in the afternoons. 

BerkeleyKim

Ddlatt-I'm on weekly Taxol, and just get the steroid in the iv drip (thank goodness, after the benadryl wears off I'm wired the night of the chemo, and pretty energetic the next day, crashing-emotionally at least-the 2nd day).

Misty and Pam-You two are so great--so much confidence, and that's beautiful! I was about to take my wig off and put on my beanie before my last staff meeting, but one of my co-teachers asked to look under my wig, then almost passed out. Figured I head to the bathroom to do it after that. Of course, I still have the "condor chick" hair under there (still sticks out under my beanies so looks like I have some hair. It's weird--it's growing, but no new hair is coming in! I figure I'll probably lose it all since I've started the Taxol after AC.

Patti-Hope CAT goes well tomorrow. Have you had one before. I had a PET after surgery and before chemo. Wasn't bad. Hope your hands heal. Sounds painful.

PrincessKauai-Love the weeding analogy! Hope to see you soon!

jillyG

O.k. the more I read, the more worried I get, but I do think that knowledge is power.  I will be on Tamoxifen when my chemo ends, so I was reading up on it.  Apparently, about 5-10% of women are "poor metabolizers" and 30% are "intermediate" metabolizers.  I had just figured it worked for everyone.  There is a 4 fold increase in recurrence of cancer if you are a poor metabolizer.  So, 5-10% of people on Tamoxifen are not getting any beneift from the drug and are essentially taking it for nothing, even though they are ER+.  Here is a little bit of info off wikipedia about genetic testing you can have done to see if you are a poor metabolizer (it's a deficiency in a certain gene).   I am going to ask my onc about getting this done.  There was a study that showed if you are a poor metabolizer and are switched to aromatase inhibitor instead, you have a reduced recurrence, so it's important to know whether the drug is working for you.  Alas, another thing for me to worry about......whether I am a poor metabolizer lol.

• Tamoxifen is typically given to premenopausal women to inhibit the estrogen receptors. Women with an inherited deficiency in the CYP2D6 gene, which is important for the metabolism of tamoxifen, have a nearly fourfold higher risk of early breast cancer recurrence compared to women who have not inherited the deficiency. The drug is less effective in postmenopausal breast cancer patients who had a deficiency in the CYP2D6 gene, which is key for activating tamoxifen and many other drugs. However, until now, testing for the gene has not been done routinely at most medical centers.[2]

Genetic testing can tell whether tamoxifen is likely to be an effective treatment for you. This test looks at a specific gene, called 2D6, to determine whether your body can fully metabolize tamoxifen to its active form, endoxifen. If tamoxifen is not an effective treatment, your physician may recommend aromatase inhibitors.[3]

marymoir

Thanks for the head up, JillyG!  Yet another thing to add to my list to ask my onc at my next visit!! I'm sure he dreads walking into the room and seeing my long list of ?s every month (actually, he is amazingly patient & kind...never looks at his watch as I'm rolling out ? after ?).

 Had pain in my pelvis/lower back area for the last 2 nights.  Since I've never had the Neulasta/Taxotere bone pain past day 7 (I'm now at day 14), and since I was getting some stabbing pain which was different than what I'd experienced so far on this joy ride, I automatically started thinking "bone mets!!"  Although I'm still going to mention it at my next appt., my dad (retired oncologist LOL ) said it would be very unlikely to be a met.  That, coupled w/ the fact that I've had back pain in the same area occasionally for the past 10 years, leads my head to say "probably nothing," so why can't I stop worrying about it?  I've heard or read somewhere that everyone goes through this (thinking every little twinge is a met issue), but does  anyone know any good books for helping deal w/ this issue psychologically/spiritually/emotionally?  I should probably be consulting my therapist about this, but I feel like you all probably would be a better resource for me!  Plus, I like reading self-help books b/c I can go back & re-read...better for my not-so-good memory!!

rsben70

Hi all haven't posted in about a week, had TX # 3 and am just now feeling better, came home on thursday after tx crawled in bed and stayed there. I hope # 4 is better, at least i have this week off.

hope everyone is well,

shockedat39

Marymoir, you're in big trouble now that you mentioned your dad is a retired oncologist.  I will be pinging you incessantly with questions, LOL.

Your issue does sound like a "legacy" pain.  Or maybe it has something to do with the old standby...the "cumulative" effect (you can slap me).  Worth mentioning to your oncologist but I'd bet it's nothing too.

I freaked out when I first started chemo because I felt a bump up near my collar bone.  It turned out it was the edge of the tissue expander.  Since then, I've been working hard to suppress my mets/recurrence fears until I'm done with chemo.  After that I plan to go to therapy.  I just feel like if I start trying to process that now I won't get through treatment.  That's just me though.

I hope your back (and your stress level) gets some relief.  Take care!

Diane

kt57

LOL Moment:  TC #4 on Thursday - feeling "normal" enough today to go to work...yeah!  On my desk is a lovely package - inside is a Max Lucado daily inspiration book.   Open to March 10  "God is Crazy About You" - there is an excerpt from Mathew 10:30 -"God even knows how many hairs are on your head."    A short counting exercise these days .

Hope you are all having a good day --  

Kathy 

ddlatt

berkeleykim - do you know how much taxol and decadron and benedryl you are getting? i start tomorrow and my doc ordered 265mg of taxol, 20mg of decadron (twice what i had in the AC drip), 1mg of kytril, 20mg of pepcid, 50mg of benadryl.  he said the infusion will take FIVE HOURS. do yours??? cruel punishment.  then the neulasta shot on thursday. 

 liver count question: has anyone had any "bad" liver count? i had a liver test (blood) 2 weeks ago and my doc told me today the numbers are "worrisome" and he wants the test done again before tomorrow's chemo. he said, "i don't think it's liver cancer."  jesus--another thing to worry about. i have a copy of the bloodwork - the alanine amino-trans is high at 75, and alkaline phosphatase is high at 141. i'm going to ask my doctor friend to translate for me.

best wishes to everyone this week!

ladyjane54

Marymoir - Have been experiencing the pelvic/lower back pain for a few days now.  I am on day 4 after my first taxotere and this the first time I have experienced any bone pain at all. It is not pleasant.  Glad to hear your dad said probably not mets.  I think it is only human that this the first thing that we all think.

 ddlatt - When my doctor was talking about maybe changing my second phase of treatment to taxol rather that taxotere he told me one of the downsides was the long infusion time it took.  He said three hours for the infusion, but of couse that would easily turn to five with blood counts and waiting before.  Seemed like areally long time to me.  My AC was about 2 and half hours.  The first taxotere a little long but she said they won't have to do it as slow next time.  Or perhaps they will now that I have had some pretty severe reactions to it.  Well anyway  on the live counts...I have had mine done twice since we began this journey.  My alkaline phosphatase was also listed as high both times at 141.  I can not seem to find the other number you mentioned on my results..Could it be call something else?  My dr. has not called any of it worrisome though.  Let me know what you dr. friend has to say.  thanks I Think I'll run my numbers by my sister the nurse now that you mention it.

Patti

BerkeleyKim

Ddlatt-Every week in IV: Taxol (x 12). I get 144 mg; decadron--20mg; dexamethasone--20; 1 mg. kytril; 300 mg Cimetidine; 50 mg. Diphenhydramine.

Looks like I'm getting 2 different steroids, but I don't think I am. I'll have to ask. I got the same amt of dexa...with AC, but no decadron. I'm going to ask about this. Thanks for bringing it up.

I look at my labs with a "microscope," which I think makes my onc a bit nutty (he says, we'll make sure you're ok--but I just want to know!!) I asked why my ALT (SGPT) doubled from 16 to 34 this last time. He says that number can vary by the day. Have you started the Taxol, DDlatt--I believe that the drug affects the liver more (and the C in AC, the kidneys), so I've been drinking wheat grass just to get clear out my liver. Also, my sister had her gall badder out and her liver counts vary alot.

BerkeleyKim

BAck Pain--I'm there with you!! I've had lower back pain since my first baby was born 21+ years ago, which I"ve pretty much fixed with ab strengthening. BUT I'm not doing any sit ups now--just walks, which doesn't really help my back.

I've been having different pains now, and I"m worried too. My pain feels more like disk issues than muscle. Also, after this 2nd taxol, had a burning sharp pain in my right hip joint off and on for a night and part of the next day, about 2 days after tx. Gone now, knock on wood. My onc said I'd have muscle pain, but I've just had weakness and the joint/bone pains.

Had a bone density scan today, and I wonder what it will show. The tech says they look at the femur, hips, and L1,2,3. Results in 7 days...(this is to check for osteoporosis since my vit D counts are low).

 Well, a week at work with my wonderful snotty students, and I've got a slight cough. Hope it stays slight..Feeling ok, feet sorta tingling. Daughter has asked me to get to library for some books, better go before I lie down and that's all she wrote.

PrincessKauai59

Hi, Received taxol count down number 2 today, only one more to go next week to complete the 12 doses.  My nurses had a more difficult time placing the IV again today; apparently my veins have decided that it's time for this to be all done and have gone into hiding...  4th try was the charm today; it really wasn't that bad.

 BerkeleyKim, Look forward to seeing you.  Decadron is a brand name for the generic drug name dexamethasone, so these are the same medicine.  My onc warned me that the taxol muscle pain associated with taxol sometimes might feel like joint//bone pain.  I've used acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) and on a very few occasions, taken one of my left over Vicodin from surgery last August. 

Here's wishing everyone a good week

jrgolomb

I am 8 days away from the 1st taxotere.  My onc said the biggest se he has observed in people is fatigue.  Oh he also mentioned hands and feet pain and peeling.  hugs to all

ladyjane54

Hi all:  Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all the BS about taxotere being easier has not proven true for me.  Worked all though AC and now one taxotere has kept me out since treatment. I am on day 6 after first treatment and I am cover from head to toe in this god awful rash which burns like crazy.  I have to cover myself in steriod cream three times a day followed by moisturizer.  Hands are like claws.  They are rashy, red and very painful.  Feet are getting better.  Could barely walk on days 3,4 and 5 after treatment.  Can walk a little further today.

Well as bad as the SEs are the worse problem I have right now is my mood.  I am getting really depressed just sitting home doing nothing.  I drop my son off at school this  a.m.  First time out of house since dr. appt. and I have to drive by my school to get to his.  Saw all the kids out in the playgound on the way home and I just started crying.  I stopped in the grocery store for a few things and having been a teacher in this area for a long time now I always see a lot of people I know in the store.  I am usually very outgoing and go out of my way to speak with the parents of my students (past & Present)  I especially like to hear how my old students are doing.  Well anyway I found myself hiding from anyone I saw today..I just wanted to be invisible.  Wasn't looking my best of course - I am not sure when I'll be able to use my hands to put makeup on again!   Well made me sad to feel like I had to hide, but it made me sadder to feel like they also were going out of their way to avoid me.

 Only good thing I can think of right now is my taxotere tx are three weeks apart so I won't have another for a while.  I do not know how you ladies do taxol every week!! That's got to be hard.  Some of you have said 12 tx?  Is that right?  Wonder why so many.  I will only be having 4 taxotere.  At least I think I will after this reaction he may change his mind again.

Oh ya.  I also am having a horrible case of thrush with the first treatment.  Just when food and beverages were starting to taste good again. Darn it.  

Sorry to ramble.  not much else to do.  Hope you all are feeling better today.  Patti

caligrlof68

Hey ladies,

I am just chiming in with my 2 cents as I finished my chemo at the end of January. I had AC x 4, weekly taxol x5, then taxotere x 2. I must say that I thought the taxotere was the worst. First of all it's 10 x's the cost of taxol...which seems odd to me. Secondly, it was the only med that i took that caused horrible mouth sores. Luckily you can get "magic mouthwash" from your doc that will numb your mouth enough to eat a meal of soft bland food.

Ladyjane, make sure to tell your doc about the rashy redness...some people are allergic to the packaging of taxotere and would be better off using taxol. I had a friend who suffered that SE and her doc wouldn't use taxotere anymore.

Just remember it will soon be over...you can do it!! You will be surprised how soon after finishing that you start feeling so much better.

Stacy 

PLUTZ

Hi everyone. I am dreading  having my 1st taxotere. From what a lot of you are saying about the SEs. I'm not over my last A/C. I am exhausted. I'm so tired of having no energy. I can barely do a  load of laundry without having to sit down. Going to the store is very difficult. I went the other day and almost passed out. I was given some kind of shot to boost my energy, but it hasn't kicked in yet. I'm going on vacation in 3 weeks, but if I feel like I do now, I may just cancel. Theres no way I'm going to be able to walk around to see the sights. I'm praying for all of us as we get through these awful treatments. I know we're getting closer to the end. Can we just all start feeling better instead of all these other complications/

lisalisa

wow!  sorry so many are having trouble with taxotere.

i have ONLY done taxotere/cytoxin.  i've done 4 cycles and have 2 to go. its all i know and therefore nothing to compare to.  my 4th cycle was tougher than cycles 1-3.  but, i usually only have 1 or 2 bad days.  i'm still able to function for the most part.

 i just wanted to post this so that others aren't terrified.  not everyone has a horrible reaction to taxotere....guess i'm lucky.  i wish everyone was lucky.  i'm so sorry!  hang in there!

ddlatt

ladyjane54 and berkeleykim - thank you for the info.  my doctor buddy said not to even think about liver cancer; he said the liver enzymes are always off during chemo. whew.

have lost my lower eyelashes. top ones are thinning out and i have a sty and watery eyes. the doc told me to use a warm compress. my fingertips are very sore, i have super dry hands (neutrogena hand cream is really hard-core, works well).

i'll start taxol #1 in two hours at the chemo spa. wheeeeeeeeeeee, five hours of infusion.  what a weird life this has turned out to be!

good wishes for everyone 

kt57

Hi All - sorry about the taxotere SEs and fears...  Like lisalisa I just finished the 4th of 6.  My SEs have been managable --- sure, they are unpleasant, but each day gets better the further out from treatment.    The one thing I have learned is to write down every odd sensation / experience / SE and review them with my oncologist -- most can be pre-empted the next time around -- by changing pre-meds, or infusing more slowly, or just mentally preparing... and using more ativan around treatment time -- staying calmer seems to lessen the effects of the SEs - and I'm still able to function.     So far, I've had the rash (steroid cream is the ticket there), numbness/tingling in fingers/toes, constipation, GI upset, mouth weirdness, and the Neulasta "hit by a bus" experience. We have made modifications along the way - consult with a gastroenterologist / so GI stuff is under control, changed to Neupogen / way better and keeps WBCs up.   The  SEs pretty much go away before the next round, and so far have not gotten "cumulatively" worse.  I think it's all a mind game sometimes --- remember you will not get every SE and if you get some, they may not be severe. 

Stay Hopeful -- Hope is all we really have.

Kathy

ddlatt

just finished taxol #1 (265mg) - my son and i went to the chemo spa this morning at 10:30. i was filled with dread about a possible allergic reaction to taxol. i cried. matt held my hand. (tomorrow is his 29th birthday. i never dreamed 29 years ago that this is what we'd be doing--sitting in a chemo infusion room, him holding my hand when i cried. i think i'm a VERY lucky mom.)

the nurse gave me 1 mg of kytril, 20mg of decadron, then said she didn't agree with my doctor that i should be given 50mg of benadryl because of my small size (5'1" and 114). she said i'd feel like i had had a martini if i had 50mg, and not in a good way and it would last two hours. so she called him and asked if she could give me 25mg in pill form. he said yes. THANK YOU, NURSE. that cut down on IV time too. then the taxol. she went very slowly with it, took my blood pressure every 15 minutes, and after a while assumed i'd be fine.

we were two hours into the spa treatment by then, so matt went home while i reclined in the recliner, pulled my hat over my eyes, put on a fabulous lavender eyeshade that a friend gave me years ago for naps, and i listened to music on my iPod for the next 3 hours and slept. matt had downloaded tons of music that was new for me, and i drifted away for 3 hours, and i think that's the most relaxed i've been since my diagnosis in september.

i'd trade even 10 hours of taxol for 5 minutes of AC. i feel really good. i'm not dreading the next three treatments, which is an enormous, mind-blowing relief. i'm waiting for side effects to kick in, and then i'll be grumpy and bitchy again, but for right now, i feel huge waves of relief and hope. after AC #3 and #4, i always felt like i just wanted to die.

i get the neulasta shot (boo, hiss) tomorrow morning.

i keep forgetting to mention that there is a prisoner who is on the same schedule as i at the chemo spa. he is an old guy, probably in his 80s, wears a bright orange jumpsuit, and has two cops with him at all times. his feet are chained all during chemo, and he shuffles to the bathroom every couple of hours, with the cops next to him, and one follows him into the bathroom. when he leaves, i watch him shuffling slowly, with both cops holding his arms. so i have to remember how much worse it could be. much, much worse.

Bev56

  I had tx #3 TC last Thursday. Well this one hit me the hardest so far. By Sunday I was on the couch. I couldn't eat or drink. Monday I was able to eat some fruit and sips of water. Yesterday was better but still had intermittent severe abdominal cramping. Today it was like an emotional rollercoaster. I went outside because it was warm and sunny and I got short of breath just walking around. I really wanted to clean up some leaves but couldn't do it. That started the tears. My insurance man called and I started crying. I'm sure he wishes he never would have called me! When my husband came home all he had to do was look at me. I haven't cried in front of him like that in a long time. But it was such a relief. I just needed a hug and a kiss from him.

  I know I am very lucky with my problems compared to many of you and I don't like to get down but today I just couldn't help it. I do feel very sorry for all of you going through difficult times. I know when we are all through with this it will be worth it.

  Tomorrow I am determined to get out of the house and go to the casino. I found a penny fish game I liked and want to get there early before all the senior citizens!!

  Hang in there everyone and I will too!!

jillyG

Bev56, lol, funny about the casino, I used to play all the time before I had kids and I had my favorite machines where I would just be so mad if they were full and I couldn't get on one.  Good luck with your fish game! 

I think sometimes it's good to have a big cry.  We need to get those emotions out.  I had a day like that the other day.  I was assigned to be helper/snack mom at my daughters preschool and I know I shouldn't be around a bunch of kids since this is the point my counts are low, but I went anyway and half the kids had runny noses and were sneezing everywhere and then I went back later in the day to pick up my son in grade 1 and he had a note saying someone in his class has scabies and I have to check him every week just to be sure....last week it was a kid in his class who had lice......sheesh.  So, he passes me the letter and I got in my car and just bawled because I am so sick of being sick and vulnerable to illness, and worried about every little thing.  On top of this, my husband is away for work and my kids are fighting like cats and dogs every night.  I had a good cry and it felt better. 

sweeeeetpam

Hi There,

                    All of you that are on taxotere, you should ask your doctor about taxol, it does take over 4 hours, the only small s/e I have is jumping legs, so I lay down in the lazy boy chair and let my legs jump.................for 4 hours is a little insane then I go treat myself to something greasy to eat!!!

                    I have always gone alone to my treatments, which is ok by me. number 3 taxol tomorrow then 2 weeks and I am FREE!!!!!!!!!!

                cna't wait for my hair to grow back, I don't know if any of you are preschool teachers, but with all of the DES cuts............we are loosing 15 children on Monday what does not make any sense is how do they expect these people to work if they don't have care for their children,

    What it ends up doing is making more people on unempolyment!!!!!!  What sense is that???

Who knows what is going to happen to our teachers hours too!!

                   For those of you loolking so closly at your heath information, That can be a good thing but it can also make you crazy, I have asked a lot of questions, but for what they give me in my port, I have no idea what it is expect it is called a/c and taxol, I guess I fiqure it is called cancer and research and lets hope they are living up to their name, with all the stuff we need to worry about sometimes not knowing might be better?????: I may be totally wrong!!!

       When I first found out I spent days on the internet, honestly almost all of what I read did not come true, and listening to stories from other people is another thing, one very nice lady doing my MRI went on and on how her sister had such a hard time, she scared the SHIT out of me, and I never forgot what she told me and it never happened for me! 

    Ok I am talking toooooooo much!!! Have a great night ladys you are truly all jewels in my eyes!!!!! Pamela 

Renrel

Hi all.  Congrats to all you who are done and big hugs to you going on to a new phase with the normal fear and terpidation of the unknown.  My taxotere has not been bad.  All the side effects have been managable, even the low blood counts that put me in the hospital were not painful, just inconvenient and mostly for DH at that.  I just had to sit in a nice room with a view of the charles, a flat screen tv, and keep myself busy for a few days.  The fatigue is the worst part I think and it does seem to get a bit worse with each, but I have still be able to do most of what I have to do, including getting DS to and from school each day even if I don't get him in till lunch time some days (thank goodness it is preschool and academicly he is way beyond anything he is missing so not a bad as it sounds.  Just not good to not have a predictable schedule)

Today I returned that wig that was not working for me at all and exchanged it for a fun red one.  It is intersting to know that apparently with my coloring I can wear red, blond or brunetted convincingly. My dark brown eyebrows my be a give away to those who are looking for clues but otherwise I seem able to pass.  People are always genuninely suprised when the find out it is a wig.  Today I passed a wig store with silly colored wigs in the window.  I had thought I would get some kind of silly wig for total fun when I started this so I stopped in and asked what the pink one cost.  $28.  He asked if I wanted to try it on.  I said sure.  He indicated surprised when I pulled off my red hair.  He  aid he can usually tell if its a wig.  He ended up selling the pink one to me for $20.  Very silly and I need to pale out my make up alot to make it work but I think I will wear it to my next infusion.  

I am also thinking of buzzing my  hair on March 20th for the first day of spring. I never did  cut it and it is not all falling out.  I don't feel going hat/wigless works with the weird bit of hair I have left and when new hair grow in it will be different so it will be better if this is all gone by then. Spring seems like a good reason to trim back.  

I tried Reiki last night. I am not sure if it did anything or not. I had a rotten cold. I still have it but it does seem to be going through it stages faster than I would have expected.  Who knows.  I decided to try it weeks ago when I woman whose liver pretty much shut down from chemo told a group of us how she let her mother and a church lady due reiki on her just to humor them since nothing else was working and when she saw the doctor again her liver function had jumped like 50% after doing nothing for weeks.  

I have been running all day, when I should have been resting. So I am going to have some herbal tea a little snack and hit the sak.  

Keep sparkling my fellow jewels.  The sun shines though us and delights the world. 

PrincessKauai59

You'll have fun with the pink wig Renrel  - - I got one early on and wore it in the "How Berkeley Can you Be?" parade here in town with my friend and her Lady Bug art car.  My little boy would only be a bumble bee, Not a Lady Bug

holtbolt

ok, Caution, rant coming up....

 

Okay, speaking of side effects.... there are some that are really not very well documented.... listed on the chemo drug list should be the side effect.. "you may get an allergic reaction to people who whine and complain, people who are phony, people who cry victim all the time, people who are ungrateful, people who are negative, people who speak without first seeing who is in the room ......and you may have a severe allergic reaction to Hypochondriacs".

 

I swear the above people are more obvious to me and irritate the hell out of me.  I'm trying here but when people complain about their problems.. they seem so insignificant and it seems almost disrespectful for them to mention them to me right now.... okay I'm done....

 

Otherwise having a pretty good SE-free day...! LOL hope you are doing the same!

 

PrincessKauai59

Slight rant continuation here,

I agree Holtbolt, but don't always feel irritated by it.  My sister and I went to a "chick flick" together recently, I in my eyelash-less/eyebrow-less bald state with a ski cap.  For her, she was just having a no make-up day and hadn't really fixed her thick shoulder-length hair.  She caught a glimpse of herself in the theater mirror as we left and said something about her appearance that had a bit of self-pity in it.  I just looked at her, pointed to myself, said, "excuse me?" and laughed.  Later she apologized. 

But, even facing breast cancer and the side effects of treatment is dwarfed by things that others are facing.  A little 5-year-old boy from my son's school was killed recently when he was hit by a work-truck in a busy intersection here in Berkeley; a lovely young family has to grieve the loss of their beautiful little boy, now gone.  Life is so precious.

holtbolt

Oh I know breast cancer pales in comparison to a lot of things others are facing (and losing a child is the worst thing I can think of)..... I'm just talking about the really negative people out there who don't have anything to complain about, yet they do.... or invent problems just for the drama of it... I'm done with them.  I don't think those folks are going to get any more of my time... even after I'm done with this venture....