MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

Anonymous

Eli, can I share the photo of your chore boy on other threads? I'm sure it would brighten the day for others too

elimar86861

2TA,  Thanks for asking.  I don't own the photo so it's up for grabs.  Hehehe.  While you are at it, you should share the geese attack photo too, just for a public service announcement.  Just to warn people.

Footballnut

good morning all!!  Today is the day that I have my consult with the oncologist at 2:30. I must admit that I'm nervously calm and cautiously optimistic. While I'm 99.9% that I'll hear chemo I just hope that there is some good news. I already know that my bone and CT scans showed NED and that only 2 of 21 lymph nodes had cancer so not sure how much more positive things can get

And of course I get my period yesterday!!  4 weeks to the day. It was 3 months before that!!!

Good times!!  Lol

Have a good day everyone!

Footballnut

one more pic for u to start ur day

elimar86861

Good thing I went to the Osteoporosis clinic today, for gossip as well as the scan, otherwise it might have been months before I found out that my MO had been in a serious accident this Winter and may not be returning to his practice.  Wonder why the NP or anyone at the MO's office failed to mention it last week?  Maybe they thought I had heard, but since I am not a "regular" (read: chemo junkie) anymore, I didn't get the memo.  He was fairly rigid with the "standard of care" treatment plan and I marched to my own drummer a lot but we usually reached an accord most times, so I do dread having to "break in" one of the other docs in the practice.

barbe1958

e, wouldn't HIPPA disallow them from mentioning anything?

elimar86861

I really don't know, Barbe.  By strict interpretation of HIPAA, maybe the clinic worker, this morning, should not have mentioned that my doc went to neuro-ICU, but I would think anyone could refer to his accident in general terms.  Of course I Googled about it when I got home, and there was a news report so anything that was made public by a news report seems like it could freely be repeated.

luvmygoats

I agree Elimar. Sounds like public knowledge. What would they have done if you needed an appointment - nope haven't seen hide nor hair of him all winter. Hope you don't have to teach the ropes to a new one. Well, let's hope the new one - if it comes to that - won't be needed much to teach. How's about that???

I played that hiding game about 30 years ago with a doc in a group practice though I was affiliated with hospital and not practice. Couldn't say where/when/if he was gone - how many ways can you say he's not available - but he was fer darn sure gone for several months but he did return.

Well, the c**p continues at this house. Plumbing issues last month. My car windshield cracked by a rock today. Just replaced in December. Safelite auto glass loves us. Coming to house on Saturday.

barbe1958

Hmmm, goats, I'd wonder. Does Satellite Auto Glass do "drive-by's" once they know where you live? Aka, rock throwing!! Was your car in motion when it got hit by a rock or sitting in your driveway.

luvmygoats

You'd think so, right. No, unfortunately DH was driving it again (!!) when big truck threw a rock. Lots of gas fracking trucks around. The last time it cracked in Dec. I came in sheepishly and told him the windshield had a crack. He admitted something hit it and he had hoped it would not crack. He drives it only sporadically when I'm not going anywhere or bad weather since his vehicle is an F-150 truck, not the best in rainy conditions. Love my Equinox.

MinusTwo

Luv - I've decided cracks are part of living in Texas.  My son teases me about it.  Now if the crack doesn't cover my field of view, I just go to a windshield repair place and have them drill the little holes & stop the crack from going further.  Darned if I'm going to replaced the windshield every year since I have a high deductible.  By the time I got this latest windshield, I had cracks headed everywhere except in front of my eyes.

Eli - I just found out today from my BS that my MO will be retiring the end of the year.  Strange that I'd just asked him in January if he planned to stay around for awhile and he said yes.  Different mergers & ensuing politics probably changed his mind.  Boy will I give him h-e-dble'L' when I see him the end of the month.  Who will handle my next recurrence or my Mets in 5 years? (not to be negative, but really!!)

marlegal

luv, ask him if he by any chance remembers any logo on the truck that kicked up the rock. In two instances I know of personally, people contacted the company and they paid for repairs.

E, sucks about MO. Hope he comes back for both your sakes!

Footballnut

hello everyone! 

This is the update that I received from my MO yesterday:

I am HER2/ER/PGR positive. My tumour was 2.3cm, grade 3 with 2 nodes impacted.Thankfully the skeletel muscle is free of cancer as was the skin.

April 22 - I go for a non invasive cardiology test referred to as a nuclear angiogram (SYMA). My nurse told me that then is no injection involved but I think that there is. Crap! I HATE needles!!!

At some point during the same week I will also have a PORT installed. Yippee!!!

April 29 - I have bloodwork and some other stuff - I believe that I also meet with my MO.

April 30 - Chemo. I will have 6 cycles - one week on, two weeks off. I can't even find some of the chemo meds listed on this website!!!! My regimen is called FEC-D Treatment. The first 3 cycles = 3 drug combo - Floirouracil (also known as Adrucil) + EPLrubicin (also known as Pharmorubicin) and Cyclophosphamide (also known as Procytox). The last 3 cycles = DOCEtaxel (also kmown as Taxotere). At some point Herceptin will be introduced which will last for approx 1 year. I will also get Tamoxifen for approx 5 years (if not more). During my chemo treatment, I will also have a shot called Neulasta after each chemo cycle.

I am actually scared of the treatment and even thought I know that too many women have gone through this I'm scared that I'll die from the chemo and all the other crap!!

My MO stressed that all treatment is precautionary and that he is confident that I will come through this okay and hae a very healthy life after treatment.

So - what can I do? I am petrified of having to take drugs when I feel healthy. I am petrified of becoming skin and bones. I am petrified of the side effects especially the severe ones which may cause DEATH such as heart damage etc when I am so healthy right now. Sometimes I think that I shouldn't read too much - it might be better NOT to know because then the mind can't play tricks on you.

Help!!

:-(

lisa137

As good a way to introduce myself to this thread as any: I'll be 50 in July (wow) so I reckon I belong here. Hi all.

Footballnut:

The pre-chemo tests are no big deal. Take some deep breaths (or some Ativan and if you don't have Ativan, get some) and relax, that part will be fine.

Port installation: My personal experience is that I was asleep so I guess it went okay. Haha. Afterwards it was REALLY sore---not like omg I'm in agony and shall die sore, but more like holy cow this really hurts sore. Make sure to get a prescription for pain pills. It gets less sore really quickly, like in a couple of days. It's fine.

I know what you mean about taking the chemo drugs when you feel healthy, but personally I'd do it anyway, if they recommend it. (Well, obviously I would, since I DID.) 

You most likely will not become skin and bones...err...I just got my last chemo treatment last Monday and I think I gained 5 pounds over the course of treatment. Bleh. Seriously.  I'd kinda hoped to lose a few pounds but sometimes food just tasted so GOOD, and the steroids made me HUNGRY, and my husband kept bringing me "whatever you want".... ah well.

Chemo is not fun, but most of it actually isn't THAT bad. Really. Read the threads here on these boards about what to get to prepare for chemo and read what other ladies have done to minimize the side effects and you'll be just fine.  Personally, going into chemo I expected to be living with my head in the toilet most of the time and being an utterly miserable invalid the rest of the time. In fact, I never threw up once (though I did have some hefty heartburn,) and although I'd have a few days per chemo cycle when I mostly stayed in bed and slept, I also did stuff like going shopping, going out to dinner, house cleaning....you know. Normal stuff. Mostly you will simply be tired, tired, tired, and then when you think you can't become more tired, you will become exhausted...but that's not til near the end, so by then, you get to look forward to bouncing back again.

Yes, these chemo drugs can cause some more nasty and serious side effects on down the road. You'll be monitored during chemo to make sure nothing especially bad is happening at the time though, if that makes you feel any better. They'll check all your blood levels and listen to your heart and lungs and poke at you pretty thoroughly before every infusion to make sure. No one can tell you which is the scarier risk for YOU; cancer or lasting effects from chemo drugs. Obviously for me it was the cancer, because I did the chemo, but that's a choice you have to make for yourself. That said.... the way I figured it, even Tylenol can wreck your liver, and I'm not seeing MOST of the women here on these boards that went through chemo years ago now saying they wished they hadn't because of the after-effects, so the choice was pretty easy.

elimar86861

F-nut,  You got just about one of everything off the treatment a la carte menu, didn't you?  No radiation tho', right?  I am not really up on all the chemo mixes out there and I have not read about your particular one.  It must be relatively new, so keep us informed on what it is like as you go thru' it.  (I did have the fluorouracil part myself for my CRC.)  The best part about triple positive is having all of the chemical weapons in your arsenal, so they say.

I had a love/hate relationship with my port.  It's an additional surgery, so boo.  Mine hurt for some weeks til it settled down enough to ignore but it remained right under my bra strap the entire time, so hiss.  Now that it is out, I can wear a tank top without anyone even seeing it, so yay   It sure did beat giving up an arm vein for every round of chemo, double yay.  (Ask for the numbing spray before they stab at your port.  That helps.)  

Chemo is scary but, by the second round, the procedure itself is long and boring.   A lot of people doze off during their chemo.  Half of it might be fatigue, but the other half is the sheer boredom.  (I cruised around with my chemo pole talking with people, did Sodoku, listened to MP3, ate a sandwich, queried the nurses, used the toilet a half dozen times (they hung a big saline bag!), and texted my kids, and still was as bored as a hippo in the 'potamus pool, only too lucky to sleep off 30-40 minutes of the day's sentence.

They really can tell how you are tolerating it from your bloodwork, which you will get each time before a round of chemo, and from what you yourself report so don't hold back.  If you really feel like crap, they need to know.

elimar86861

Welcome, lisa137!   I was busy typing, so did not see your post which covered some of the main points I wrote about and it sounds like our experiences were uncannily similar!  My pre-meds worked and I never got nauseated, but the fluorouracil really churns the stomach and I did drop the pounds.  I liked to say, Cancer Supermodel. 

lisa137

Thanks for the welcome.

I did get the nauseous *feeling* once or twice--in fact, I may NEVER eat at Subway again-- but the anti-nausea meds I had did their thing and took care of it pretty fast. I never felt like a quick trip to the bathroom was imminent...well, not because of nausea, anyway.  I wish I had lost some weight--you know, just incidentally as a sort of bonus side effect lol--but when I consider all that I ate, combined with my decreased activity level, it's really a wonder I can still fit through my bedroom door, much less fit into my pre-chemo jeans. So I suppose I should be grateful for that.

MameMe

Hi to all the ladies here, I was participating last year at this time, but when I went back to work, dropped out. All I did was work and recover from work, pretty much. I missed the scathing wit here, and the general attitude, irreverent and totally respectful all at the same time, it seems.

So I found out on 4/4/14 that I have a bc met behind my left eye. The Onc team is conducting a major search to find the origin, I have been in tests every day minus weekend since the DX, and one more tomorrow. She started me on Taxol today as they want to save vision if possible and whack that sucker down ASAP. I am in shock, but gradually getting the hang of this leap from two episodes of low grade, early stage bc and an Oncotype of 16, to mets. It's still possible something else accounts for the choroid tumor, but not likely. Just want to get back where the jokes are flying and the wisdom about managing this stuff is strong. Thanks for keeping up with this sight Elimar and company. Big hugs, Mame

macatacmv

Welcome Lisa and welcome back mame! 

I am posting from my kindle so no funny pictures.

Mame, yikes about the eye. How did you find it? Eye doc? I hate this sneaky disease!

Football, I can only say that I am glad you are feeling healthy now. Much better to start tx from a strong place. It is all scary but we tackle it a day at a time. Come here and vent anytime. As eli said, someone is always home.

I too had blood work this week. Seems like all is well. Even bringing my vit d level up. I see my RO and PCP next week. I was struggling with my diet for a short time, but am back on track and have broken the 140 barrier. I can see people trying to figure out, if it's me. Someone last week said they thought I was maybe a relative of mine. lol

Anonymous

FBN, so sorry to hear all that. Here's a chemo thread you can check out (or not):

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/...

Welcome Lisa and MameMe, great group of ladies here and wonderful support. 

Momine

Football, I had the exact same chemo, except I had 4 cycles each of FEC and Taxotere. 

It is scary, no question, but I found that my fear was much worse than the reality. 

For the FEC part, you may have a problem with nausea. My onc put me on a strict schedule of 4 different anti-emetics. I got Emend during the infusion and for 2 days following, along with an intricate dance of others. The meds can make you constipated and give you a mild headache, but it beats puking. For the first adriamycin infusion, my onc sat behind me the whole time with a stethoscope on my heart. I am 2.5 years out and my heart is holding up fine. Being healthy (apart from the stupid cancer) WILL help you.

What I did to get through the chemo was, 1. take probiotics (cleared by onc, and it helps both with stomach issues and with thrush). 2. take all the anti-puke meds as directed. 3. Eat on a schedule and make sure to get plenty of fibre, liquids and protein (egg whites are helpful in this regard). 4. Get some exercise. Some days "exercise" was a slow shuffle around the block, but most days I took my dogs out in the morning for a nice walk, and usually got in a second or even a third walk later in the day. It helps to get dressed, get some daylight, some fresh air etc. There is also research that exercise helps against the SEs of the chemo. 5. Treats! I bought myself something nice after each chemo, made sure to see friends, go out etc.

Momine

Eli, you crack me up! I can't fathom how people move with an IV in their hand or port. I sat stock still for the whole infusion, the hand with the needle resting on a pillow. It was very uncomfortable thanks to the saline you mention.

Footballnut

thanks to all for sharing!!!!!  Hubby and I are going to a black sabbath concert tomorrow night. Ugh!  It's for him!  Im a rocker too but never got into sabbath.  Funny thing is that their guitarist tony iommi also has cancer and tours in between treatments. It's everywhere!  There's no forgetting it. I guess that we all live with cancer but in different ways!

Either we have it or have had it or know someone or someone who knows someone. It's just my turn right now!

The plan is to then go to Montreal sat am which is my old home. I was born there 50 years ago. We are going to a hockey game to see my ny rangers beat the Canadians!!  Lol

Monday we got to Nyc hopefully for more hockey!!  I'll take my hubby to a Janis Joplin show. He loves her. Not me but we have to balance things out somehow because he's not a ranger fan! Lol

Maybe catch a Yankee game to see my precious jeter in his last season

Then we come home the following Sunday

We plan to eat all of the wrong foods and drink too much. Then back to reality!

You have all been such a comfort to me and I promise that I will always cry whine and laugh with  you!

One question:  did u go to your chemo treatments alone?  Did someone need to be home with you?

Have a great day all!!

Momine

Football, I went to my first chemo alone, but it was depressing, dreary and boring. After that I brought dh each time, so he could keep me company. I did not need someone for any physical reason, nor when I got home etc. 

elimar86861

MameMe,  As another with a similar Dx, I don't like your recent news one bit.  So sorry it has returned.  Mets behind an eye seems so unusual.  I mean without it being anywhere else (not that I want you to have it anywhere else or anything!)  You did say they are looking for the origin, so that must mean scans galore.  Your 2012 BC was a new primary, right?  I wonder if the mets are from that or if they go all the way back to 2003?  How did they know it was a BC met?  If this lesion is NOT from BC, will that be better or worse?  I'm sure you will fill us in as you discover more.  Of all of the phrases that come flying from my fingertips, I really hate typing Welcome Back (when it means a return of cancer,) but you know we will do what we can to support you through a new ordeal.

F-nut,  Well, you've illuminated what a football nut does in the off season,, and it's the farthest thing from taking a sports break.  Spectate away!  "We plan to eat all of the wrong foods and drink too much."  Leaving no mystery to how you found your way to this thread.  Incidently, Black Sabbath was my first rock concert.  Black Sabbath, before Geezer Butler was a geezer.  Black Sabbath and Yes on the same bill.  Good times.  We are all geezers now.

Momine,  

p.s.  F-nut, My husband drove me to my first chemo, stayed til they hooked me up, then went to work; brought me back a sandwich at noon and stayed a few more hours to drive me home.  It was mainly for moral support.  Once I saw how tedious it was, I didn't want him to have to miss an exciting day at work for my boring deal.  On many of the future visits, I planned for a son or a friend to stop by for a chat-n-chew at lunchtime.  Driving home was never a problem.  I only live ten minutes away, however.

MakeLemonade

This is something that I have also been wondering about ... So in general, it is possible to drive oneself to and from chemo?  I live about 10-15 minutes away.  Hubby isn't always home and he has taken the last three weeks from traveling to take care of me. 

Again, in general, because I KNOW everyone is different :-), when did the side effects start? If the day you got chemo was day one, was there a day when you really needed to stay home, say day 2, 3 etc?  

I haven't met with the MO yet, that is next week, so don't know what I will be getting or how often, but just trying to think ahead. Again, in general, do you get you get to pick the day you have treatments? Trying to think which days would cause less days missed at work and also for my own business which is running dog agility trials which are on weekends. Some are Fri, Sat, others just Sat, Sun.  Work isn't really a problem as others can cover for me, but MY business, well, I don't want to give that up!

This whole thing has been a series of unknowns, but the chemo is really a huge unknown. It seems that 5 different women can be on the same chemo treatment but have 5 different effects ranging from close to mild up to almost debilitating!  

staynsane

Mameme- I can't imagine what being told doctors suspect a third round of cancer feels like.  Hugs to you as you fight it, yet again.

Footballnut- Wow, you are an active little thing, aren't you?!  Diversions are good.  Party like there's no tomorrow, because it may be a bit before you feel up to it again.  I know I can speak for many when I say we will all be here, supporting you through the days ahead.

Footballnut

now I sit here crying because ur all so wonderful!  Being born with one boob and a partial arm always made me different than everyone else. But I didn't care. I was raised to be strong and to do whatever I wanted. 

I once told my mom when I was a little girl that I would never dye my hair have pain or forget anything!  Mom is now 91 and we laugh about this now!  What a smart ass I was. Still am I think!!

No one would pick me for sports in gym at school because they didn't think I could catch. So I started playing baseball and became a catcher. I played hockey as a goalie. I played football as a running back wide receiver or quarterback.

I was pointed at laughed at and teased. I didn't care. I never went home and cried. It only motivated me to do more

I had juvenile epilepsy which passed once I was in my late teens. I had to take depakane for many years but this never worried me. I was a kid. I'll live forever!

It was hard to get my first job after school finished. No one wanted to hire me. So I eventually became a national credit manager and have been doing that for nearly 20 years

I've played guitar since I was 12 using a prosthetic device to play. Hubby and I formed a band in 2001 which I used as a vehicle to motivate people not to judge people by how they look. It was an ac/dc trib band. I was angus. Lead guitar. 

We have had several bands after that playing classic rock and roll. I started to sing. 

Angus young from ac/dc taught me how to play thunderstruck in 2001. I was on stage with The stone temple pilots twice and sang with my idol Scott Weiland. Once was at jones beach in ny the second time in Hamilton Ontario

We are now trying to get another band going. I would like to try to rehearse as I work through treatments. I can practice guitar and be motivated. I want to get into public speaking to share my story especially with children.  I do think that I have something to offer!

I've never seen things as difficult. Everyone tells me that I'm strong and an jnspiration but I've never felt that way. 

I love meeting people and enjoying life. I love laughing and talking!  All the more reason that I freaked when I couldn't talk when I was starting to go under as a result if the anaesthesia before my mx

I have a wonderful loving husband of 30 years. I've cried when he got so sick and was diagnosed with colitis over 10 years ago but this is now under control. I fell apart last year when he got a severe case of shingles. To this day he still has intense pain

But we are still together and find that all of these experiences have brought us even closer together

He's been there for me when I've cried screamed and laughed. He's held me and kissed my scars. He went wig shopping with me and has been to each of my appts. He's told me that he won't let anyone take me from him

And now I have you wonderful friends with me too. So I cry tears of thanks and gratitude. I am very fortunate and lucky!

Thank you all!

I hope we can all be life long friends. The best thing that cancer could give me. All of you!!!!

elimar86861

Welcome, MakeLemonade!   If you spend a little more time here, you will not only be making lemonade, but chasing an occasional tequila shot as well.  I found that day 3-5 were when it hit me.  My chemo day was Monday.  After a half dozen rounds or so, I remember having a Friday where I just lied on the couch.  The further you get into chemo, that badness can linger on for more days.  In general, though, you do get back to feeling decently for several days before getting your next round.  You already know my take on driving yourself...highly doable.

A word about fatigue.  Someone else said it best when they wrote that radiation makes you sleepy-fatigued, while chemo makes you weak-fatigued.  It really saps the energy.  Do have to second what Momine wrote about trying to get some fresh air and walking in.  That helps the fatigue.  I rode a bike a little bit too.  (I'm no superwoman...in fact, on some of those youngster threads, they do 5K runs on chemo!!!  For real.)  I was told to move about as much as I could, but not really exert myself.

elimar86861

Real women, real stories.  That's why I love this thread.

F-nut, Way to step up and LIVE.  I wish everyone had that power within, but because they don't you can, indeed, be an inspiration and role model.

Also, here's a hanky for ya, ANGUS!   

Ahahahaha! Rock on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!