**NEW** Starting Chemo March 2009

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  • ChrisC433
    ChrisC433 Member Posts: 553
    edited June 2009

    Congratulations to those finishing this week!

    Also....Mom of Boys on her negative results!!!

    Chris

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  • Dawnmrn1
    Dawnmrn1 Member Posts: 446
    edited June 2009

    MOB! I am happy for you!  This too shall pass! Dawn

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  • kduling
    kduling Member Posts: 26
    edited June 2009

    Hi everyone! 

    I miss talking to you all -- been so busy!  Had my anniversary last week (26 yrs!) and met with Plastic Surgeon.   Let me try to recap everything:

    Started Tamoxifen last week.  So far haven't really noticed any SE.

    I was really pretty depressed the week after my last chemo -- so worried about it coming back.   My onc also said no scans.  Freaked me out.  She said by time it shows up on a scan it's kind of big....that I would have a better chance of catching it earlier by just knowing my body.   UGH.  Not what I wanted to hear.   I've bounced back (mostly) now.  I'm not focusing on it coming back.

    Lady at church shaved her head for cancer  - it FINALLY looks like a really short cute hairstyle.  I asked her how long since she shaved her head....she said 3 months.  UGH.  THREE MONTHS!  I'm ready NOW for hair! 

    I hate "drawing on" my eyebrows.   I didn't lose lashes, but I was going to get fake ones if I did. (I'm vain!)

    Plastic Surgeon set my appt. for surgery for Aug. 6th.   Lift and slightly reduce real boob, do a slight reshaping (more cone-like and less round) of the fake boob.

    Congrats to Marlene, Dawn, Ricki and NYDeb on finishing chemo!  I hope it all goes well for you!

    My last chemo took me like 10 days to not be tired, nauseous etc.   (Usually it was only about 3-4 days).   Not sure if it's cuz it was my last one (accumulative effect) or if it's cuz they didn't give me neulasta last time.   I loved neulasta....my first one I had a bit of achey shoulders but after that no SE.

    My taste is probably 90% back to normal.  Some things still smell funny -- and a few things taste funny, but not too bad.   I'll be really glad to have taste and smells back to normal!

    I'm afraid to take anything for the baldness......are either of those the same as rogaine?   Someone once told me that once you start rogaine, you have to use it forever??

    Guess that's it for now.  I'll hopefully get on here a little more often!

    Hugs

    Karen

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  • Luv2sing
    Luv2sing Member Posts: 145
    edited June 2009

    Hello Everyone!

    ChrisC433 - I responded to your PM.

    As for the scans ... I'm hoping my onc will ask for one since she expressed concern about the knot at the end of my tubing.  I don't want to wait for "symptoms" and then find out something's wrong.  I want to know ASAP if all this junk I went thru did anything! 

    So now my toes are turning dark, my nails are turning dark and breaking more often.  They seem to be growing really fast and then they break, so I'm having to cut them every two weeks ...my hair is growing too, but of course I'm okay with that Kiss!  I'm on the steriod train as well and sleep whenever it hits me.  I'm loving the new swollen look on my feet .... just in time for summer ....

    Congratuations to all who are finishing up!!!

    I'm gettting anxious as it gets closer to the radiation part of my tx.  I'm not looking forward to the SEs I keep reading about.  My PT said my sleeve should protect me some, so that's a good thing.  Pickle maybe I can come help you pack to get my mind off of some of this stuff (LOL)!

    I'm thinking about trying the Nioxin as well ... anything that will speed up my hair coming back.  Still holding my breath that the Taxol won't take it out again. 

    Do we have a choice about keeping the port?  I want this thing removed as soon as they're done with it.  It is very irritating, I can't sleep with it, it hurts constantly and I have to always keep it covered because it's so sensitive that when my clothes rub against it I go crazy .... Never knew whining was an SE (LOL)!!!  I hate to complain so much, but lately that's all I seem to be doing.  I've been in a funky mood, extremely exhausted, can't walk without getting out of breath ... I'm just not a happy camper right now.  Been trying to do some light exercises in the bed and recliner though.  Using two pound weights to work my arms and doing leg lifts ... I feel like I have to do something to combat the weight gain and the lack of going to the gym.

    Happy Anniversary kduling!!!

    I know I seem to jumping all over the place, but I'm trying to wind down from these darn steriods!!!!

    Everyone disregard every negative thing I posted and focus only on the fun or good stuff Laughing.  Have a wonderful rest of the week, try to stay cool and make someone laugh today! 

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  • Alyad
    Alyad Member Posts: 817
    edited June 2009

    Whoa Nadine, What's in that cocktail that it costs that much! Liquid gold?

     I'm on day 6 after LAST chemo! congrats to everyone finishing this week! I am finally past the worst of it- I have one more day off work and then I'm back full time.

     The rads onc I saw here is a general rads onc- not BC specialist- he thought I should have treatment which I agree with ( I want to feel like I've done everything I can), but he also suggested I see a dr 3.5 hours away in St. Louis. At first I agreed, then I thought maybe the trip was pointless and would be out of network costing money I don't have right now, but then I came back around and decided if it would somehow make me feel better that it's worth it. So I am going up there week after next and turns out she's in my network anyway so it won't cost that much.

    All through this process, I haven't really felt a lot of confidence in my onc. I went to one onc when I was first diagnosed who didn't even seem to bother to read my chart as she asked if one spot was the lump when she wasn't even close. And then asked me if they were going to be able to save the nipple when she did find it (no , they couldn't which hadn't occured to me at the time and was highly traumatic for me), so I ditched her and went with another guy reccommended by several people I knew.

    he's the head guy and very expereienced, but also very busy and I felt like as long as I knew the right questions to ask , he addressed my concerns, but I just felt no connection. I've just felt like I was on my own the whole time. I feel like its partially me- I'm not a squeaky wheel and I have a high pain/discomfort tolerance so I downplay problems, but I just kinda feel like I'm on my own.

    anyway- I do like my primary care doc a lot and I see her next week. And I'm going to go see this award winning bc specialist radiation onc in St. Louis.

    my med onc here wants me to have another set of scans before taking my port out. It seems like there is a lot of variety on this- I'd just as soon as skip them- if they were clear 3 months ago- WTF? The last couple times I've had blood drawn, they've had trouble finding the vein. On one of the scans before chemo the IV was horribly painful and wouldn't stop hurting, so I am dreading that whole part of it- they don't seem set up to use the port easily. I'm not even sure which scans I get to have again- the CT scan is the one where I have drink that chalky crap right? I hated that.

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  • malleme
    malleme Member Posts: 210
    edited June 2009

    HI to all,

    Today I finished chemo, I am so relieved ,

     but I am definitely going to get a pet scan in JUly to ease my mind.  actually I am going to ask ebfore they replace my Leaky TE to do the Pet scan to ensure before any surgery that I do not have any cancer and where else.  I wouldn't want a surgery to compromise my situation.   then I start hercepting on July 14th. 

     Please can I join that club too= herceptin.

    MY sister drove down and sat with me for the whole appointment- I was so thrilled. she is so postive.

    Sakura- toes did yo try the tea tree old on your nail?

    Effexor or tamox= My onoc mention these and I thought another on too. with an A- But I really start having to check the side effects.  My sister had to go off Tamox after 11 months if effect her immune system and she felt like massive arthritis/ fibramyalgic.

    Periods- During chemo I never got on.  Has anyone around age mid 40's gotten theri back or is it just gone.  I was pre menopaual before Chemo. and problem so I can have a heads up.

    For those of you ladies hoping the re turn to you normal periods and have kids I am really praying.  for you.  I know of several who have had children- this the years.  Friends of my sister who were pleasantly  surprise. One even had twins.  so all the best.

    WE the rest of the house needs to sleep, I am having a dificult time with sleeping.

    All the best congrads to those finished on chemo.

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  • jdeking
    jdeking Member Posts: 408
    edited June 2009

    Yay Malleme! Another cocktail for you, this one is a Godiva chocolate martini, yum!

    Congrats on finishing, and I hope your SE's are short and easy! This is the last time you will have to feel any of them!

    Congrats to you too Jan on the negative genetic testing! Woohoo, that is great news!

    I am glad to hear you made it through Taxol #1 Rachel. I hope that it treats you kindly, and you have minimal SE's! Fingers crossed!

    Raymon - I think it is up to the onc when you have your port out. Mine said all along that he wanted me to leave it in a year 'just in case'. Well, I was having none of that, and I think he knew it. I asked again at my last tx, and he relented and said I just had to wait 2-3 weeks. So I am getting it out Friday. Yippee. I can't wait to have it gone! I also worry about rad SE's, especially on my 'bad' arm. I hope we sail through it and keep LE at bay!

    Dayla - that cocktail had some really rare, expensive rum. And my neulasta shots were $7500, who was getting theirs so cheaply? Thank God for insurance. My chemos ran about $20K each and I had 6. Good luck to you on going back to work, I hope you slide right back into the groove!

    Malleme- I think there is a 50/50 chance you will get your period back. If you don't, most onc's wait one year and keep you on Tamox, then do a blood test to make sure you're in menopause and switch you over to an AI. I hope the Tamox treats you well, sorry to hear it caused problems for your sis.

    Whew, I was long-winded this morning! Can't blame steroids anymore, think I will blame it on Starbucks instead. Coffee is finally starting to taste somewhat decent again. Small things to be grateful for!

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  • gymmom8
    gymmom8 Member Posts: 86
    edited June 2009

    Well, I FINALLY has my LAST chemo yesterday!!  I had to wait a week due to low WBC.  It was down to .88 and it went back up to 3.3.  I am so glad to have the part behind me.  Now I'll wait to get thru the SE's and hopefully recover more before rads start on July 20.  I go next week for a CT scan at the rad onc. 

    I am also going to have a CT scan with contrast this week or next.  Since I had some questionable spots show up on a previous scan (prior to chemo) they want to make sure all is clear now that chemo is complete.

    I signed up for a clinical trial (biophosperous, I think) about how the bones react and hopefully ward off future bone cancers.  I am considering another trial as well but I have to wait to see if I am still pre-menopausal.  I have not gotten my period during chemo (except for one in the beginning) but if it comes back then I will participate in that one as well).

    malleme - I am mid 40's and was also pre-menupausal prior to chemo.  I was told it may take 6 weeks before it comes back.  I am okay with it not coming back though.  It's one thing I don't miss.  I do know a few people who had bc at a younger age and after treatment have children.

    kduling - happy belated anniversary.  Mine was last Saturday (17 yrs).  We actually went out with some friends and had a grown up "date".  It was a lot of fun.

    sakura73- glad to hear taxol #1 is done.  The SE's were different for me than on AC.  Mostly bone/joint pain day 4-6.  My nails have become discolored a little but only have a couple black spots.  In fact my nails are growing more now and I actually have to cut them more often.  Not so lucky with the hair growth though.  My hands feel a little arthritic but I still do everything that is needed. 

    jdeking - don't mind if I enjoy the cocktail as well.  I finished chemo yesterday!!

    buddy1 - good luck on your last 2 tx's.  The time will go quickly and you'll be done before you know it!!

    Dawnmrn1 - congrats on finishing chemo.  I too start rads on July 20th.  Mine will be about 6 ½ weeks.  How long will yours be?  The rad onc said they will give me the creams if needed during radiation.  Since my port has not been bothering me too much, I think I am also going to hang on to it for awhile.  The onc nurse said they I just have to have it flushed once a month. 

    Mom_of_boys - wow...25 rads down already?  It seems to be going fast.  I'm glad for you that you have the end in sight!!  Please remind me how long ago you finished with chemo.  That way we can gauge how long it took for your have to be ¼ inch.  It is growing all over evenly?  I can't wait to have a least a little hair back!!  Congrats on the negative BRCA testing!!

    pickle141 - good luck with your move today (it is today right?) 

    MichelleinSJ - I'm glad to hear that things are looking a little brighter for you.  Getting back in shape is something I am hoping to do soon as well.   I know it'll help you emotional side as well as my physical side.  Now that chemo is done, I hope to get on that wagon (push it instead of ride on it LOL).  I hope things work out with your hubby.  And that your daughter is doing better.

    Luv2sing - I'd like to PM you about your garment sleeve.  I have one on order and should get it soon.

    I am sorry to all that I have missed posting to directly.  The kids schedules have me so busy I don't have much time to read and catch up.  Next week will be better.  Hubby and son go to Canada for a week of male bonding and fishing on Friday and oldest daughter goes to camp on Sunday for 2 weeks.  It'll be just me and my 7yr old for a week of mommy and daughter time.  It should be good for everyone.

    Sorry for the long post.  Hope everyone has a great day and those with SE's have minimal ones (me included!!)

    Cyndi

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  • Dawnmrn1
    Dawnmrn1 Member Posts: 446
    edited June 2009

    Cyndi!  You are so good at addressing everyone, I read alot but don't resond!  I second your comments to all!  What a great group we have here!  I feel like you are all my friends, and that we should all go out and have one of those $1200 drinks, we deserve it! You and I are on the same schedule, I will have 33 rads ending the 3rd of Sept. I am already mapped and had the CAT Scan, no problems just had to lay still for about 20 minutes with the arms over the head. Difficult for me because of bilateral mastectomies! But doable! I hope your scans come back good.

    Beth! Good luck on the move! Just think how great it will be to be near your kids!

    To all I hope your hair grows back!  To those still in treatment minimal SE! So far so good for me after yesterday!  Love, Dawn

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2009

    Congrats to everyone finishing up with chemo.  It won't be all that long until we are all done.  Hang in there!

    I'm on day 6 after my final chemo, whew!.  The cloud is lifting and so are my spirits.

    Dayla-   I hear you on the onco.  We have never been on the same page.  The last 2 visits, he was either on vacation or sick, so I saw other DRs.  They were great!  On my last visit I mentioned to one of the nusres how difficult my onco was to deal with.  She concurred that lots of patients have that issue with him, just his personality.  Glad to know it wasn't my imagination.  The last thing you want to be is a " problem patient".  These folks hold your life in their hands.  Anyhow, after my surgery I plan to switch oncos.

    MOB - Way to go on the BRAC test!!  The genetics lab called me last week and told me that my insurance would not cover my test after my Oncos office claimed they had approval....grrrrr   so frustrating.  Crazy that after forking out well over $100,000 that they would balk at a $3000 test that could help with so many decisions. 

    Marshall, Chris-  So, I suppose without my BRAC testing to give the final answer, I will go the lumpectomy route along with you girls.  I am done fretting over it and just need to move on!!  MRI next week and meet with the BS July 6.

    Pickle 141 - Is Edmonton as beautiful as Calgary?  Do you snow ski in those mountains?  I can't wait for next winter to get back to the slopes, took this year off.

    It's going to be high 80's today, so I am going to drag the kayak down to the lake and enjoy the day before I have to go back to work tomorrow. 

    Take care all!! 

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  • jdeking
    jdeking Member Posts: 408
    edited June 2009

    Yeah Cyndi! WTG on finishing chemo! Here is one just for you, named after you even (though it is spelled the Cindy Cocktail)

    We should start up a July Rads page since so many of us will be taking that journey soon!

    Deb, hope you have a fun day on the lake! Sounds like a great way to beat the heat. My genetic test was supposedly approved, but now my insurance is refusing to pay, so I may be out the $3000. I suppose it was worth it for peace of mind, but ouch! I have one more appeal to go before I know for sure if I have to pay.

    Have a wonderful day!

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  • Alyad
    Alyad Member Posts: 817
    edited June 2009

    Janine, wow that sucks about your insurance balking on the BRCA test! so they said they'd pay and then now they won't? Congrats to Gymmom ! its so great to have someone finishing almost every day! It's been a long haul for all of us.

     I am finding this stage of things hard mentally- what now? having rads actually delays this feeling some-I have appts in 2 weeks for the rads onc in STL and the next day a PET and CT scan here in town- ugh chalky crap!  I should call ahead and pitch a fit to see if they can use my port. at least I'm having them at the same time. I had a couple supicious lung spots on my first CT- so they  did the PET and all was well. It seems unecessary to me but at the same time I will feel better when the scan comes back clear.

    right after surgery in early Feb my DH was laid off his job - this has turned out to be a blessing since he's been around to take care of me and shuttle me around- I've never been alone. I've been spoiled.

    He just got a short term offer on a job about an hour away-long days and they are staying down there- so now all of a sudden he's off doing that- which is great, cause we can really use the $ and I;ve always been a really independent person- having someone there all the time was nice but in a way kept me from having to really think about anything. So today is my last chemo induced  day off work and he's gone for at least 2, maybe 3 nights. It's just kinda like a bandaid being ripped off. Sometimes I wish that I'd had more time alone during this- time for reflection I guess.

    Time to get some stuff done too- somehow I get alot more done when he's gone- which lately has been never- even when we were both working, I leave before him and come home after so I am almost never home by myself!

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  • crusader1
    crusader1 Member Posts: 1,222
    edited June 2009

    Hi all,

    Glad to see so many are finishing chemo.

    MOB- congrats on failing...

    My hair is also about a quarter of an inch. Nothing to write home about but it sure makes me feel good running my fingers thru it.

    My doctor was paid for my chemo visits as well as for my Neulasta shot 3200 dollars each. Not bad . Some drug company is making much money.

    My doctor thought I did not need the pet scan as I was node negative. She is quite and aggressive women so I confident about what she says.

    I had the Zometa infusion last week. My insurance paid for it. All went well.

    I also starting taking Arimidex two weeks ago. No effects at this point. Keeping my fingers crossed.

    Yes ladies we are moving on.

    Before we all know it this journey will be near the end for all of us. I don't like when people say we are battling cancer I like to call it my journey.

    It had rained in NY for days and days .They say tomorrow these two weeks of rain will end.

    Stay strong..

    Hugs ,

    Francine

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  • holtbolt
    holtbolt Member Posts: 625
    edited June 2009

    Calling all breast cancer sisters... can you do me a favor?  I know this is off the topic and I hope it's okay to post this but...I am trying to win a contest for my son (to meet his idol - Joe Perry, Aerosmith)... all you have to do is click on this link and click on the thumbs up icon to vote for our entry (legit site, legit contest, MOST deserving young man!)... can you please help me?  Just trying to bring a little joy into my son's life after all this depressing /chemo stuff... voting is only June 23-26... please vote?  It'll only take a second... help me bring joy to this boy! :)  Thank you so much!  P.S.  It says you can only vote once, but if you have more than one computer I think you can vote twice.. lol  We are only in second place by about 30 votes and voting ends Friday!!!

    http://www.aeroforceone.com/index.cfm/pk/view/cd/NAA/cdid/1177058/pid/1175576

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited June 2009
    Yeah Dayla, I wonder why here at our hospital  they won't access our port for scans? And I ask every time they draw blood and they say no. I have read on these boards that many of the women here get their port accessed for a lot of different reasons besides just for the chemo.  If we have it, it might as well be used instead of getting poked all of the time!
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  • Alyad
    Alyad Member Posts: 817
    edited June 2009

    I was told you had to be an RN to do it- and there's the special needle they use. maybe those cost more. i'm sure paying an RN costs more than a tech.

    I might call up to the scanning dept and ask- what do I have to do to get you guys to use my port for this!  A friend of mind who has Cystic Fibrosis has a port just for tests and draws and stuff-

     I  think his veins are shot from a lifetime of getting poked- so they must have someone there who can use the port for these things.

    My last two blood draws they had trouble- the last one I made sure to chug a ton of water well before so I wasn't dehydrated- they couldn't find the one in my elbow- then tried my hand- they knew right away it wasn't drawing and would bruise if they left- it was only in a few seconds and it did bruise- finally another tech was able to find the one in my elbow area. I never had trouble before chemo- except for the PET scan- whoever did it just hit a nerve or something - it was immediately excruciating- they tried to back it out some, gave me a shot of lidocaine- nothing worked- I just endured it for the hour or so it was in.

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  • Alyad
    Alyad Member Posts: 817
    edited June 2009

    A few weeks back I told you all about my friend Mary Ann who recently had to join our club. She has had a rough road- it started with finding a lump- she abandoned her hiking plans for the summer and went back east to northern GA. After her biopsy, she had an MRI which found another lump in the other breast. She had a double lumpectomy and SNB, she also had a false negative SNB- (maybe hiking the Applachian Trail makes you have false negatives?? Wink

    she got the all clear even a few days after surgery and then a couple weeks later was told there was cancer there after all. Then her surgery site got infected and she was in the hospital for several days. She was all set to start chemo june 18 and then it got infected again and once that clears up  they want to go in and re-excise one of the lumpectomies. And her two lumps have different pathology! - both ER +, but one is HER2+ so she will be on the Tax, Carboplatin, herceptin Chemo train.

    Its hard to believe howlong this journey has been going on. Right after my dx, my best friend went to get a benign lump/cyst she'd had for 20 years checked- she just called me on the way to her 6 month follow up m-gram.

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  • Dawnmrn1
    Dawnmrn1 Member Posts: 446
    edited June 2009

    Alyad!  There are too many members of this club!  Sorry to hear about your friend!  It is like a tree with way too many branches!  I live on a street with 15 houses, 3 of us have BC, and one of the trees sister was just DX!  I hope they find a cure !  The next generation deserves better than we have! 

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  • WLL
    WLL Member Posts: 96
    edited June 2009

    Hello all, Congrats on everyone that has finished chemo. I finished AC three weeks ago and started Taxol/Herceptin last Friday--SOOOO MUCH better than AC.  I cant believe my hair is growing back--just three weeks after stopping AC. Hope everyone is doing great.

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  • didle20Diane
    didle20Diane Member Posts: 404
    edited June 2009

    Malleme I only missed one period since my DX.  During my 4 TC treatments I got my period a few weeks late, then had hot flashes for a couple of weeks and after my final treatment it only took 4 weeks to get a period again.  I asked my onc if this was a bad thing due to the estrogen and he said my ovaries are strong and that my body is trying to get back to its pre chemo state. I don't know if that is a good thing or not.....  My girlfriend who is on Tamox for one year now gets her period regularly just not as heavy. 

    Congrats to all who are finishing their chemo treatments!  Wishing everyone minimal SE's.

    hugs

    Diane

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  • didle20Diane
    didle20Diane Member Posts: 404
    edited June 2009

    Dayla, sorry to hear about your friends latest setback......one of my friends had a mammo and ultrasound today because of a huge lymph node under her arm that was getting bigger and bigger over the past 3 months.  I thought I would have heard from her but haven't yet.  I am crossing my fingers that we don't have to add another one to the BC journey.  It is her birthday tomorrow, too so I hope it is good news.

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  • moborn63
    moborn63 Member Posts: 70
    edited June 2009

    Toxel #8 tomorrow. Hey when do they usually unblind you anyway.

    Chemo has caused my blood pressure to stay in the hypertension level so last week they put me on blood pressure medicine (mild) to see if it helps.

    Did have one question. I don't know if this is result of Toxel or blood pressure medicine or just the heat (and boy has it been hot in mid missouri this week) anyway. the pointing finger on my left hand and the thumb on my left hand as well as the area between all the way to my wrist has been swollen and tight and painful. As well I have felt the area between my arm pit and my elbow feeling tight as well. I will talk to dr about it tomorrow but wanted to know if this has happened to any of you. The left side is also the side where I had the nodes removed and I have been very careful on that side because I did not want to develop lymphoma.

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  • bethr
    bethr Member Posts: 259
    edited June 2009

    Hi All,

    moborn - I'm no doctor, but I did have about 20 lymph nodes removed as part of my surgerys and get therapy for lymphodema.  The swelling you're talking about sounds a little like lymph fluids not moving around the way they should and I would definitely check into it just to be sure.  My therapy consists of learning how to move the fluids in the direction they should be going with massages and rubbing.  Good Luck and I do hope I'm wrong.  This lymphodema thing is annoying ot me...

    mob - happy to hear about your negative results.

    alyad - so sorry to hear about your friend.  I truly hope everything works out for her.  And I agree with you on the time that's gone by.  Lately, I get so frustrated because Summer's slipping away before my eyes...

    All - I'm so happy for all who've finished chemo.  And I love hearing about hair coming back!  lol... and getting back to feeling normal!!!  It gives me something to look forward to.  I'm going through my 2nd to last meltdown with one more treatment to go on July 10th.  I find that mentally/emotionally it's been so much more difficult...  I guess that's because the actual end seems so near.   I just want to get it overwith.  I'm so tired of it. 

    Thanks to you all just for being on this thread...  It's helped me so much...

    My best and have a great day!

     Beth

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited June 2009

    Dayla...Your poor friend is going thru a lot. It is bad enough that we have to deal with having BC, but to have complications like that makes it even worse.

    Congrats to all that have finished with chemo. I will be done in a week and a half. What a long haul this is! I am about half-way finished with all of this, because I still have possible rads, 2 more surgeries to finish reconstruction, and will continue with Herceptin till March. I can't wait for March to get here!

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  • kduling
    kduling Member Posts: 26
    edited June 2009

    Hi everyone!

    I'm really depressed at the death of Dr. Jerri Nielsen (the doctor who 10 years ago had breast cancer in Antarctica).    Her cancer came back, spread to the liver, bones and then the brain.  She just passed away -- 10 years after her original diagnosis.

    UGH!!!

    I had JUST gotten "over" the worrying about cancer coming back -- plus many people say if you make it 5 years then you have a much better chance of "surviving"....hers didn't come back until about 6 years after her original diagnosis.

     I'm not trying to depress you all -- I'm so sorry!   But, I'm sitting here at work, so sad.  I can't really share this with anyone -- no one wants to hear what I'm worrying about.   I can't seem to shake it!

    Thanks for listening!
    :-(  Karen

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  • bwbly
    bwbly Member Posts: 82
    edited June 2009

    Hi all. Been away for a while since I had a break last week between finishing Taxol and starting AC.

    Got my first AC on Tuesday and Neulasta yesterday. So far, so good. No bone pain. Very minor queasiness which I'm controlling with food. Fingertips all still numb from the Taxol, but no nail problems. Tip of my tongue is numb. Skin really dry (very unusual for me).

    Steroids got to me yesterday afternoon .... had a major shouting match/breakdown at the gasterenterologist's office LOL. I KNOW the wait there is always long, but it got to me yesterday. After waiting 2 hours, everybody in the building knew I was unhappy! And, guess what .... they took me in right away LOL.

    My mom is here with me this week, but I think she's going home tomorrow since I'm doing so well so far.

    Only 3 more tx to go, then on to just Herceptin.

    Bunny

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  • Alyad
    Alyad Member Posts: 817
    edited June 2009

    kduhling- so sorry to hear about Dr. Jerri- I remember hearing about that on the news when it happened.  The thought of recurrence weighs on all of us- I think this is an especially hard time for us as we finish chemo- while you are getting treatment you are focused on that and don't worry about it as much- but as the treatment ends- now what? What can you do to keep it from coming back? I'm going to make major changes in my diet and habits, it does help some. But you can eat perfect and be fit and active and yes it can still come back. BC SUCKS. That's all there is to it.

    I guess I amd going to try to be content with doing everything I can to keep it from coming back and try to live my life with no regrets.

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  • Alyad
    Alyad Member Posts: 817
    edited June 2009

    I had a crazy day today- had a near fainting episode at work- had blood work done-no real cause- onc said I was maybe dehydrated- I have been drinking alot, but not enough I guess.

    to top it off- my DH is out of town- so I ended up having my step FIL take me to the onc's- when he came back he had got confused and thought I was at a diff hospital in town- I'm sitting there for 2 hours plus- also had forgotten my phone today- ugh- chaos craziness of a day.   gradually felt better over a few hours, taking a couple more days off work.

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  • ann-idiot
    ann-idiot Member Posts: 128
    edited June 2009

    raise your glass to farrah fawcett. she's one brave woman who fought the impossible fight to beat anal cancer. i hope her case will help spring board the much needed funding and research needed to beat the terrible disease that took her from this world far too soon

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited June 2009

    Dayla....It has been so hot and humid here this week and maybe that is why you're dehydrated. I have felt kind of faint and weak this past week too from the heat.

    I am so sad for Farrah and her family. She fought so hard.

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