Starting Chemo February 2009?

apple

just sometime..

i'll see the onc. in a couple weeks and talk. 

KerryMac

Is it normal to have post chemo scans....I don't think they do them here.

Jaimie - great photo. I have more hair than you (ha ha!), I will try and photograph it -  the last photos didn't show much!!

Apple - I think all of us with kids have the same concerns and fears. I can't even write about it, the thought of what could happen just upsets me too much. All I can do is enjoy them now, and hope for the best. As everyone says, we are doing everything we can to stop the beast, and then some. And keep remembering all the inspiring stories of others that are doing well. BTW, I love your new avatar!

apple

i've used that APPLE avatar for years on a pianist'sforum.  decorate it for the holidays.. (note the musical notes that are eyes,  (a bit of a triplet thing going on there).

here's a couple  pics of my baby   - stuffing her face,  and her wild haircut.    I love how she's putting on weight and muscle.. she's got a bit of impressive, solid, heft about her now... she's always been kind of thin..  she's 9 and I'm 53.

we have a meet this morning.. (good thing the boys are gone and not home to make a big mess)

Jaimieh

I wanta see your hair Kerry

Apple she is a cutie.  Have fun at her meet. 

KerryMac

Apple she is so cute!

jaimie - you ask, I deliver!!

Jaimieh

Alright you win   I am thinking of using some organic hair dye because my color is coming in blonde so I maybe still looking bald at Christmas.  BTW, you know I am jealous of your hair...lol... I thought my DH was going to pee himself when I told him I am going to get a hair cut at the end of the month.  He goes yeah you literally mean hair (meaning one).  It is a good thing that I love the man. 

I went and gave blood this morning and managed to piss off the tech in the blood lab.  I was given a butterfly needle by my infusion nurse because the lab I use refuses to one and they move the needle around while changing tubes.  So I go in this morning at 7:30 wait 1/2 an hour and I ask her to use a butterfly and I get a lecture from the nurse about how I don't need one.  I finally tell her that I want one used and she gets all pissed off....TOO BAD....she did use a butterfly but when I asked her not to tape around my arm she did it anyway.  Now I just need to hope my bloodwork comes back good on Monday. 

MicheleS

Kerry~  I have more hair than you do!!!

Apple~ She's a cutie!

Jaimie~ How did your transfusion go?

Jaimieh

Hi Michele~ My transfusion went well, I was there all day.  My pulse only went down to 92 this time and it is right back up so I am hoping that it worked.  I will find out on Monday or I guess I will find out only if they call to cancel me.  How close are you to finishing ?? 

KerryMac

OK, Michelle, I need a close up head shot! And Judy, any fluff photos from you???

apple

i love the hair coming back in time.. (can't believe i'm going to do it again.. (altho i have a head start with some hairs that have been growing for a few months now))

bought an organ.. so so cheap.  unbelievable.  (it will have the pedalboard)

 

MicheleS

Kerry~  Here ya go! Although it is sooooo grey, I love it!

living4today

Michele,

You have got to be kidding me....I hardly have any hair growth, but am losing my finger nails:(...how exciting to you all with hair growth.  Wouldn't that be a bummer, if mine doesn't grow back?  How did this treatment go for you?  Only two more to go...yipee!!!  Here's a pic of my grandson!

living4today

and another......

Yup, he even has more hair than his grandma

KerryMac

Ooooh, he is gorgeous, and yes, more hair than me!

Michele - gosh darn it, you DO have more hair than me!! If I had that much I would be thinking about going topless - are you yet?

MicheleS

I go topless at home (but I always have) and in the yard.  I still wear scarves out (and to work) or my wig if I have a meeting at work.

xpectmiracles

I am so jealous of all you womens hair. Mine is still barely visible; mostly fluff.

Apple, your daughter and organ are beautiful!

Living4, that baby is adorable!

gcpommom

Hi guys!  Been busy this weekend....garage sale got rained out yesterday, but we were swamped today....made over $500!  Best sale ever!  We need the money to make the house and insurance payments this month, so thank goodness it is going so well.  A gold-buyer showed up at my sale, so I sold my old wedding bands, necklaces, etc.  Gotta do what you've gotta do, with DH still unemployed.  I still have 1 wedding band left, it's white gold, which I prefer.

Since it rained, I spent 6 hours yesterday cleaning and decluttering my DD's room while she was in the hospital....she was sooo happy when she got home last night!  It was a lot of work, but so worth it to see her face....she is too sick most of the time to keep her room very clean.

Wow Michele, what the heck do you do to get your hair to grow like that?? We are in about the exact same place in tx, but I don't have that kind of scalp coverage yet!

I will post some head pics when my DD gets up and takes some pics of my head. 

My friend, who has advanced lung cancer, showed up at my sale today......she is doing well, but still, it is so sad....I stupidly asked her if she was done with chemo yet, she said "I'll never be done, there is no finishing chemo for me", I felt so dumb....I will have more tolerance for people who don't know what to say to us...*sigh*

Hugs

Judy

MicheleS

I think I have a dental abcess... ouch!

living4today

Oh Michele, So sorry to hear that...definately do not need one more thing, do you?  Have you found the se's getting a bit worse with each taxol? or have your se's stayed about the same?  It seems as if my body is just one big ache right now....Keep us posted on tooth!

apple

Judy... i have the worst foot in mouth disease - glad things went excellent with the sale. - i have nothing of value to sale.. we use everything up.

about teeth.. i have read several articles on  osteocranosis of the jaw.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteonecrosis_of_the_jaw

people in long term cancer treatment are particularly vulnerable.. i think because so many of the chemo drugs after cells in the digestive tract and respiratory system.. and the 5 year drugs contribute to the deterioration as well.  i guess the best we can do is stay vigilent, hydrated and be proactive in oral health and hygiene.

i got drunk last nite (didn't take too many drinks at all- i think i had 3 beers) and had a couple cigarettes.. went to a big party looking might cute.

so much fun.. i miss smoking big time

gcpommom

Apple:  lol, I've been dying for a vodka tonic, but haven't had the energy to have one....haven't had a drink since January....plan on having a few myself when tx is over in a couple of weeks!

Michele:  sorry about the tooth, I hate dentists but need some work done myself.  I've noticed that my teeth ache - the whole mouth- for a day or two each tx.  Wonder what that's about?

Garage sale is slow today, had a bit more rain this morning.  Need to sell alot more stuff to make the house payment, which I mailed out yesterday.  Figure I have a couple of days before the check clears...

Hugs

Judy

Jaimieh

You go Apple   Glad to hear that you had a blast.  Congratulations on your organ also. 

Judy~ I hope you garage sale picks up.  Do you have them during the week where you live ?

Michele~ I hope you don't have an absess.

I had a tick bite 2 weeks ago and then 3 days ago I developed a rash so yesterday I had to go to my PC doctor.  I am now being treated for lymes disease (does the bad luck ever end) even though it doesn't look like a lymes rash he would rather be safe than sorry.  So I am now on 3 weeks of antibiotic which isn't so bad after enduring chemo.  I am now hoping that my PS doesn't cancel my surgery on Wednesday.  I put a call into her yesterday at 1 and I never heard back so I am hopeful that if I get canceled it will not be because of being treated for potential lymes disease.  My doctor decided that we will do the lymes test in a couple of weeks but he said it can give false negatives. 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.  We are going out on our boat tomorrow for the first time this year.  I told my DH that we need to go out before my exchange surgery because I am not sure how long it will be after surgery that I am not going to be able to handle the bouncing. 

Gramof3

Living4today  Beautiful baby--you look so happy!

Jaimieh  Your hair looks just like mine. Sounds like ExpectMiracles is at about our stage, too.  Fluff is good!  I think mine going to come in very gray.  Oh well..Looks like Kerry and Michele have beaten us on the length.

 Apple  Great pics  so nice to have a daughter to do "girl stuff" with--I missed out on that part!

I went in for Taxol # 6 yesterday--once again my port didn't work properly with out the enzyme injection to open it up.  One of the chemo nurses suggested a chest x-ray to see what the problem was.  The x-ray shows that I have a severe crimp in the catheter.  So, after infusing through a hand vein, I went to see the surgeon.  He says it looks like the cath has pulled back in one spot, causing it to bunch up, therefore creating a spot where clots form on the other side and it won't work until the "clot buster enzyme" frees it up.  Short version--I'm scheduled for surgery Thursday for "revision" and since the scheduler booked me for 4 hours, I figure it means "replacement."   Rats...I just want to get through the last of these tx so I can get to radiation, so I can start worrying about recurance.  Geez....My 3 month mammo is scheduled for Wednesday, so this week should really keep me occupied!  

Hope you all have a good evening.  I'm about to enter the steroid twilight zone crash--must quit now.  Take care.  Helen

KerryMac

Everyones pretty quiet - hope that is good news. We are off to the Zoo today.

Jaimieh

Have fun at the zoo Kerry.  We are going tomorrow and I'm excited about going. 

We are supposed to be going out in our boat today which I am thrilled about.  I hope after my exchange surgery it will not be a long time until we can get back out in it. 

I decided after my picture last week I was not going to look at my hair in the mirror for a week.  I know it sounds crazy but I would spend at least 5-10 min. investigating any new hair growth everyday.  So it has been a couple days with scarfs on in the house so I will not sit and look for new hair growth (not that I think any has grown).  It sounds goofy but at least I don't have to look for new hair growth everytime I pass any mirror in my house.  I figured I would try it for a week and see if it helps me obsess less   I don't think it's gonna work but it is worth a try. 

KerryMac

Jaimie - OMG, I do the same thing!!

MicheleS

Me too! LOL!

My mouth is KILLING me.  I managed to stay off tylox until this... uggghhhh.  The oncologist tells me that no dentist will pull it because I'm on avastin and bisphosphates.  I jut have to hope that the antibiotics reduce the inflammation enough to help...

xpectmiracles

Jaimieh, I do the same thing every day in the mirror. Maybe there is a 12-tep program for those addicted to looking at their hair (or lack of)!

((Michelle)))

Jaimieh

Wow you ladies make me feel like I am normal.  My DH yells everytime that he sees me in the mirror investigating  "are you looking at your hair " and I tell him that he has to sleep at some point...hehe... 

Michele I sure hope you mouth gets better soon. 

Cheryl how are you doing after your exchange ??  Are they better than the TE ?? 

gcpommom

Wow, I slept in.....

Michele:  antibiotics have always helped me in your situation, so hopefully they'll kick in soon.  What is tylox?

Girls, I look at my "hair" constantly.  I also brush or comb it (even though it hurts my scalp a little).  I call it "self follicle stimulation", lol, what the heck....stimulation is stimulation, right?  Why pay for a bottle of the stuff when you can stimulate your own follicles!  (did I use the word 'stimulation' enough?)

It's going to be nice today....might do some garden work, I've neglected it.  We need to open our pool soon, find the leak, patch it, refill it.  I'm pretty sure it's about empty under that cover.  Stupid leak, if we can't locate it, we'll need a new liner, definitely not in the budget.

The zoo sounds nice....haven't been in a few years.  Have fun!

Judy