Starting Chemo October 2009

Luah

CAtharsis:  Just wanted to say that the cancermath link you posted is far better, in my opinion, than adjuvent online.  You can link to the tools section and see the effects of various therapies. The survival outcomes are more meaningfully presented than on adjuvent -- for one thing, adjuvent doesn`t distinguish mortality risk between cancer and other causes, so it can really scare the crap out of you.  I really think adjuvent is geared to show the potential impact of a particular treatment, nothing else.

Enjoyful

Holly - Thanks for the water tip!  I have issues with my veins so maybe that will help. 

Hopbird

Hey all.........

I hadn't been on here for days so I can't even remember all that was said.

I know our scholar Onty asked the question several of us were thinking, and that now someone is going to get better information on that recurrence risk.  Yea Onty!

 I know people are battling blues/depression.  Count me as one of those.  I've been "on the edge" of that as well, several crying fits in the last couple of weeks.  I think the holidays have kept me just a bit more busy than I would like to be.  I don't want to let anyone down, so I just keep pushing.  Glad Thanksgiving week is over and my kids are going back to school.  Of course, that means it's Monday and I go for #3 weekly treatment.  I think I'm also bothered because although I have reached the halfway point for my chemo, it means I have 10 more weekly visits.  Ugh.  I just feel like I've already done so much, how can I have 10 more?  They say weekly is easier on you, and the first week it was.  Last week was bad, but that may have just been because I got too busy.  I don't know.........what I do know is that it is not exciting to be halfway when I think about 10 more rounds........and that doesn't count the rest of it.......... 

CAtharsis

JOJO: Under FEC, I lost my hair but not all of them. As to my eyelashes and eyebrows, there thinned but are still ok (after 3 Tx).

Now I am wondering what to expect from Taxotere, eyebrows, nausea and vomitting, pain, rash, etc.

Hugs

one-L

debbi, I have never heard of the port flipping.  Boy I hope mine never does that.  At least there was someone there who could think out of the box and flip it back the right way.

valerie, I don't think of it as stamina, I just think I am crazy and don't know when to say no or give up.  I really do enjoy the company, but I was really tired.  I would do it again though, they all pitched in and brought most of the food and cleaned up before they left.

piffken, I hope you tolerate the Taxotere as well as I do.   So far so good, but we will see after my tx this coming Friday.  Even though I have had a pretty easy time of it, I still dread having the tx.  I guess I would really be crazy if I looked forward to it.

CAtharsis, I hope you also do well on the Taxotere.  I know lots of women have trouble with it, but my body handles it very well.  Good luck to you this week.  Also, thanks for the link to the life math site.

hollycan, sorry you got a cold, here is wishing it will go away and you feel better soon.

jJOJO,I have been thinking lots of what I am thankful for these days myself.  I think when you have been diagnosed with a cancer, doesn't have to be bc, that you reevaluate life in general and you realize how precious life is and how fast it can be taken away.  Good luck this week with your tx, I will be right there with you.

I can't believe that the weekend is over and tomorrow is another work day.  I have only worked one day in the last two weeks, so it just may be more than I can do to go and stay all day.

Hope everyone has a good week and good luck to all that are getting a tx this week.  May we all have mild SEs.

Juannelle

jeanl151

Hi all,

  Glad to hear most of us were able to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving weekend with few SE. For those with bad SE's, hope they are gone soon.  This is my good week, no chemo till the 9th.  I took advantage of feeling well and had the family help me decorate the Christmas Tree.  The good thing about having a fake one is it can stay up after Christmas till I am strong enough to take it down...no fire risk : )

  enjoyful - I just wanted to mention to be careful with the cellulitis.  My son had it once on his hand. They put him on an oral antibiotic but they told me if the redness increased to bring him in for IV's....be careful, it is a bad infection to have.  good luck with it

  Jean

Sido

Onty, not 70% with stage 1, 70% with triple negative (i.e. non-hormone receptive cancer).  My stats are correct on my profile and I have my biopsy report, so I know my diagnosis.  Being triple negative right now has a not-so-great prognosis, though there is research going on.  I honestly would not scare myself with statistics like that without doing research at sites like the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation.  My cancer was grade III and was so aggressive that the doctors think that the tumor got to 1.9 cm in less than 6 months.

Sido

I replied too soon.  I guess everyone seocnd guesses other peoples diagnoses.  Look up triple negative bc and see the stats.  Those of you with hormone-receptive cancers have much lower percentages of recurrance than those of us who are triple-negative (non-hormone recpetive).  

My 4th tx will be on December 14th.  Maybe I'll post again then to get my last smiley face, but I'll discuss my fears somewhere else.

unklezwifeonty

Dear Sido,



I'm also triple negative. Can you send me some links for the stats you are quoting?



Maybe I'm wrong but what I have heard is that the main thing negative about triple negative is that we have much higher mets chances than other gals in the first 3-4 years. After that our risks almost levels off and the risks of other gals keep steadily increasing.



My husband researches these kinds of articles a lot and I shall pass along your links to him to look deeper.

unklezwifeonty

Dear Sido,



I'm also triple negative. Can you send me some links for the stats you are quoting?



Maybe I'm wrong but what I have heard is that the main thing negative about triple negative is that we have much higher mets chances than other gals in the first 3-4 years. After that our risks almost levels off and the risks of other gals keep steadily increasing.



My husband researches these kinds of articles a lot and I shall pass along your links to him to look deeper.

azdiva

Hi Everyone!

I'm back!  Really great long weekend at the dunes.  I bought 2 fully cooked turkey dinners at the grocery so I would only have to heat things up for the Thanksgiving meal.  (Thought being that who will notice if its homemade when we are eating outside in sand?!)

I only stayed out late with the crowd on one night (Yay Karaoke!!).  I was pretty tired in the evenings from our rides during the day.  I managed to break my rail on the first ride on Thanksgiving Day, so I was a passenger for the rest of the weekend.

No real issues.  I felt pretty good.  I ate everything in sight.  Went to Algodones, Mexico on one of the days, and didn't have any problems there.  That was probably the cleanest border town I have ever been in (it is right next to Yuma, Arizona).

I hope all of you are doing well.  This is such a busy time of year.  I think we should all remember to rest when we need to.  I am a big fan of naps!!

Will write more tomorrow.  I am really looking forward to sleeping in my own bed!!

Laura 

micheleboots

Laura, glad you had a great time...I am also glad you opted for the ready made turk...who needs the pressure of doing everything..It is the getting together that really counts..Don't you just love getting back into your won bed...aaahhh.

Sido,  Don't be afraid to post your fears here...We ALL have fears.  Not one of us is not afraid of something...every day it is a different thing. That is what makes us such a great group of ladies and friends..Really who else can you really open up to and get so much support and advice..I know we also have families and Dr.s for that but, in some way it is easier to feel normal here.  We are all in one boat trying to paddle our way to shore..

Jojo,  On fec I also lost most of my hair up there..I still have a bit of stubble.  I have mange bush down there... the hair on my legs is still growing, go figure, but I don't have to shave the pits anymore...yah.. I only hope I keep my brows and lashes...

We spent most of the evening at the hospital last evening, but not for me...My DH wasn't feeling well and was worried it was his heart..he has high blood pressure.  Thank goodness the H1N1 rush is over here, so it was a quiet ER...I think I used every drop of hand sanitizer in the place..The nurse was great to me as well...making sure I was comfy, how sweet..All was well and we were home by 2:00am.  Thank goodness for the steroids as they kept me awake..I think I'll have a nap today though.

Later..

JustmeAlicia

Michele ~ sorry to hear you had to take DH to the ER.  I am glad all is well and he is ok.  What did they end up saying it was?  Take a nap you deserve it.

Laura ~ glad you had a nice Thanksgiving. 

And yes if we can't post our fears here where can we???  I have never been so scared in my life.  Afraid with each chemo, afraid of recurrance afraid of my own shadow... lol

Good day all.  I have to get cleaning this house before I head to the center for chemo later.

Enjoyful

Jean - Thanks for the advice on the cellulitis.  I ended up in the emergency room last night but there wasn't much they could for me other than prescribe an additional antibiotic and around-the-clock motrin.  They did an ultrasound vein study that showed a blood clot and they drew blood for a culture, but that won't be available for a few days.  The on-call oncologist freaked me out a little when he suggested that surgery to remove the vein might be a possibility.  (Remove my vein??!)  I'm going to watch it verrrry carefully.

Laura - your post made me smile.  So glad you had a great time!

Michele - sorry for your late-night visit to the ER, but glad that everything is ok!

Good luck to everyone having chemo today and this week! 

E

txstardust

Hopbird,Alicia, and others having chemo today (I couldn't go to the last page and look, sorry!) - have an event-free day, and feel well!

Sido, please don't stay away!  I think we are all afraid, and we are searching for answers.  It's so important for us to stick together to get us through this!

enjoyful and Michele, going to the ER stinks! Sorry about the problems, hopefully everything is clearing up as it should.

Laura, sounds like you had a great time at the dunes!  Having fun and spending time with family is much more important than whether the turkey is home-cooked or not in my opinion.

I'm still dealing with intermittent dizziness.  Asked the onc nurse about it today when I went for my Neulasta shot, and she didn't seem to know what was causing it, just told me to be sure to keep drinking lots of fluids.  So I guess that's what I'll do!  And in the meantime, finish up the last-minute wedding stuff, as well as writing a paper for class.  Only two weeks of class left, whew!

Peace to all....

~Shelby 

micheleboots

Alicia, Good luck...

Hopbird, Good luck as well

Shelby, take it easy.  Don't try to do to much...These next few weeks will get crazy..try to take time to relax...But if you do have  a Bridezilla, moment we want to hear about it...I could use a good bridezilla story.  Love those things.

Good day to all.. 

micheleboots

Mary, thanks for updating my .  It looks a lot better now...Like being half done.

Michele

valeriekd

Dear Sido I am with everyone else- Please post your feelings - I'll certainly post mine. I have had a resurgence of fear with an anxiety attack this am - don't know where it came from-just mortality and being alone w/ no one in the house and fear slipped in and was overwhelming. I couldn't think of anyone to call b/c everyone was at work and if I wait til they get home then I think I am overwhelming them after their long day. Writing is good, this is good. Its not always easy to find a place- I am still very anxious today (it'll pass) but I got it down on cyber paper to share w/ others who know what I mean . love, Valerie

GOOD LUCK SHELBY! 

unklezwifeonty

Dear Sido, please do continue to share your fears with us. I wasn't second guessing your stats. Just surprised to hear that the prognosis is so bad for us TN gals. Hubby and I frequent tnbcfoundation.org also and from what we had heard till now, we believe the chances of recurrence are worse but not hugely worse than others.



Michele and E, I hope after going to the ER, things are better for you and hubby now.



Shelby, I hope the wedding plans are moving along fine. Remember, if you feel like runaway bride, you can always blame it on chemo brain :-)



Laura, smart to use precooked turkey. I bought turkey slices and did turkey sandwiches for the kids. The adults did not particularly care for the turkey anyways. So mine was as easy as yours!



Love to all.

JustmeAlicia

Hi girls, just checking in.  Had TX #3 of AC today.  All went smoothly.  Other than a splitting headache I feel ok.  Just that dizzy weird feeling.  Going to lay down.

Hope everyone is good.  AND yes, SHELBY do share any good stories !

HUGS !!!!

Alicia

unklezwifeonty

Dear Alicia,

Congratulations on completing AC #3. When you get a moment, send a PM to MaryNY who will update the OP with your start date and your complete chemo plan and check off the chemos as they occur.

joanneasiata

HI BEAUTIES

SIDO Don't go any where i love reading your posts and you will be missed , things are all good .

I went to my look good feel better  program today it was fun got lots of great stuff AND GUESS WHAT ------ I WAS THEIR MODEL  YEEEEH  i did feel very special like a princess, and had lots of wonderful coments  which has made my ego explode ,there was about 35 women there  I'm on a real high now , don't worry Friday will bring me back to reality ,so in the mean time I'm staying on this high cause i like it

VALERIE That must have been horrible to go through are you staying at home a lot ? i get a bit yucky in the head when i stay at home for to long , so on my good days i do like to go out and have some nice time to myself , shopping or to a friends place, makes me feel normal again .

Hope your all right there is always some one here to have a chat with.

thanks ladies on replying about my eyebrow question it helped .

LOVE FROM YOUR PRINCES JOJO haha

txstardust

I have a question for y'all...I was chatting with my photographer today, and he said I might want to take some photos without my wig (which I have decided to wear instead of a scarf), as a way to show my journey.  Actually he said "I think photographs without your wig would be appropriate to tell your story, but of course that is entirely up to you."

I hadn't thought of this, but am now considering it.  What do you think? 

JustmeAlicia

TX/Linda ~ Go for it I say.  You are a beautiful woman.  I think the bald head speaks volumes. 

I am actually on the November Chemo list but started on here with Juanelle and a few others so I check in on both boards.

Hugs ~

Awake on Steroids in NY

Alicia

Anonymous

Hi girls:

I am thrilled to say that yesterday I had successfully had my first of twelve Taxol infusions - and it was a breeze!  I took 25 mg decadon the night before, 25 mg the morning of and then was infused with 20 mg decadron, together with benedryl and tazamet with the Taxol.  The total infusion from bp, blood draw to completion of meds took 2 hours.  The only se was a bit of dizzyness that the onc nurse attributed to the benedryl.  I took an ativan with three 200 mg of ibuprophen last night and slept well for 7 hours so this seemingly has gone much easier than the AC.  Of course I do realize with all of the steriods in me I will have a crash today and so we will keep our fingers crossed!

Like others, I am taking 100 mg once per day of B-6 to hopefully help ward off neuropathy, and a ginger root (nausea prevention) and 10mg tegretol (for migranes) daily.  I have yet to find L-glutamine but understand that I can get it at GNC so I will get to one hopefully today or tomorrow.  

I never really bounced back completely from the final ddAC two and half weeks ago...so this was quite a refreshing change that so far I am not additionally hit with new or more extreme se's. But since I am at the front end of the Taxol stage - I hope that I can be encouraging to those getting ready to start that path.

As for the two masses in my "good breast", the surgeon sees them on the studies, feels them in his exam but wants to wait until late December with the hope that my blood counts will raise before additional invasive surgery.  As I had completed the ddAC and am doing Taxol, it would be the same protocol anyway for neoadjuvant chemo so he feels there is no harm in waiting the addtional few weeks to boost up my counts.  I agree.  In fact I am planning a trip out to Keystone, CO for 6 days next Tuesday (between Taxol tx) because I need to for preperation of some investment properties but mainly becaue I need to for my sanity!!!!  I have my fitted lymphodema sleeve and fortunately do not have to pack or take luggage as we also have a home out there so everything I need to wear is already there.  Sadly I can not risk skiing this trip...but maybe in April when I should be finished with rads.  In the interim, I will enjoy the fireplace and looking out at the snow!!!  In fact, the weekend I am there there is a ski for breast cancer so there will be numerous 3-girl teams competing to raise money for research;  so there will be booths, tents, and entertainment all for the cause.

Shelby - you look beautiful sans hair.  Of course you do not have to purchase any shots without you scarve/wig/headpeice - but you may find down the road to have one or two photos will in fact tell your story and will be a reminder of the deep love you and your finace had shared at the start of your lives together.

Minimal se's to all and to all a great day....

love and peace...

joanneasiata

JACKIE ___Sounds like your doing great ,and your very busy , hope you have a great time away ,its sounds so nice but i hate the snow I'm a woos in cold weather give me the  tropics.

TXSTARDUST ___ Ive got a lot of photos with my bald head ,i want to look back at this time to remind my self how brave i am, and that if we can get through this we can get through anything ,I'm going to do up an album and put it in with a diary . I think its a good idea that you get some shots of yourself go for it .

JOJO

JustmeAlicia

Jacklyn ~ thank you for your post sharing your first Taxol TX.  I have 1 more round of AC and then TAXOL.  I am afraid of the Taxol SE's.  I hear many people have problems during infusion.  That scares me.....  But you seemed to do just fine.  YEA I am glad !!  I hope your SE's stay to a minium. 

JOJO you are inspiring me to take a few pics of my bald head ~ it is true we are brave.  I have a journal and was only able to right on it one day and it surely wasn't a positive writing.  I will have to get busy and write about the great ladies here that support one another, my family and friends who have been amazing. And so on.

Have a good day girls.  I'm feeling a bit queasy but ok.

Off to take my little man to school.

alicia

micheleboots

Princess JOJO, I like that.  Isn't it great to feel and be treated like a princess..I think that should be your new name.

TX, I agree you should.  This who you are right now at this stage of your life...A few pictures wouldn't hurt. I think a  woman without hair just shows how much confidence she has.  I think some times women hide behind their hair.  Our hair is not what makes us beautiful. It is your eyes and smile. Without hair your beautiful face can be seen.

Jaclyn, glad to see you again.  I was wondering where you were.  I am jealous of your trip to Keystone.  We had season passes there when we lived in Colorado..We didn't get to ski as often as we would have liked...I found that I got headaches every time we went into the mountains..It kind of took away from the enjoyment a bit.

Had an early night last night.  I was up late the night before and it caught up to me..I think it was the best sleep in weeks..amazing what exhaustion can to for you.

Later, Michele

Hollycan

Princess JOJO (I think this should be your new name too ), I am so glad that you had fun at the look good feel better party.  I am going to one tomorrow night in San Diego and I am really looking forward to it.  

Scoobydoo

Alicia - I have completed my second round of taxol and both times it was a breeze.  So I hope that gives you some comfort. 

My issues are with the bone pain.  Wow.  I am taking percocet again to help with that but man is it painful.  However, I do know that in a couple of days I will be off the percocet and this bone pain will be a distant memory.  A little numbness in fingers and heels, but I think like last time it will go away.

Still drugged up on percocet so I will sign off for now.