April 2011 chemo

Anonymous

With all the cr*p we've been through, I'm thinking "The Titicaca Troopers"

(Here's a photo of beautiful Lake Titicaca in the Bolivian Andes so you don't hit me.) 

Have fun, Pawprint, and race like you mean it!

artiecat

Like it!!  Love it! 

Merilee

I love water, wish I was there

Teckler2

I hope everyone feels better and has a great weekend!

geocachelinda

I am a little better today with taking the pain meds but now I am so constipated.  I have been taking Miralax but no results yet.  I might have to take some more and hope I don't start going too much!  I'm blown up like a balloon!  I just rocked my bald look and rode around on my John Deere mower for about 1/2 hr in the yard!  My gray fuzz is starting to fall out.  I wonder if I should try the bald look in public sometime!  I mean the real public.. LOL

Merilee

Geo

I found that Phazime helped a great deal with the bloating.  It is over the counter

axtella

I did my Taxol #3 of 4 yesterday and got the shot from hell today Neulasta. Linda are you getting the Neulasta shots? Taxol has given me the neuropathy pain in the bottom of my feet. It is more numb then anything. Just a weird feeling! Linda my pain from that shot did the same thing...rolling pain from my hips down my legs and around my ankles. This time I am taking Claritin and ALeve every eight hours and tylenol inbetween. I got terrible mouth sores last time but got some good stuff from the pharmacy if that happens again. I had my hair shaved only once and went thru AC and I didn't lose any additional hair. Granted it grew slow during AC but now it is about an inch long. Dr told that I won't lose anymore hair with Taxol. I did not have my period this month or since I have been on Taxol  yayaayayayay!!! I don't know if I have to have radiation yet.

About joining another board because you have to have more chemo...we all started together, I don't think anyone should have to go anywhere! We are all going to be going through more and different stages while we heal and get better! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

profbee

Yay, Carla!  I am sure you ROCKED it bald style!!  I took all of your advice and got another shave trim from the hubby tonight.  

Geo--glad to hear it's a little better.  And love the bald look on you too!    Have you tried prunes, dried apricots, and/or apple juice, etc.?  If you feel like you may have taken too much stuff and don't want to wind up on the porcelain throne too long--maybe some fruit rather than another dose?

Love to you all tonight.  I'm exhausted but so happy with the family all here for my boy's 5th birthday tomorrow--can't BELIEVE it!  

artiecat

Axtella - taxotere is part of my cocktail.  I do get the neulasta shot.  I havent had the bone pain, but the tips of my fingers feel a bit numb - and my toes and feet bother me some at night.

I have given up on the hat bandana thing...go bald unless it is chilly.  Figure everyone knows that the bandana means anyway - I am told I have a cute bald head!

Profbee - enjoy enjoy enjoy!!!!  And everyone else too!

artiecat

Oh - any my doc gave me something called Mugard for the mouth stuff - doc should be able to give you a free sample bottle.

Merilee

Articat, sounds like you are at lease feeling a little better. 

For constipation I found that Milk of Magnesia worked the best

For those having more chemo, I can only speak for myself, I am going to be here to support you until you are finished. You all supported me and I plan to pay it back and pay it forward.

I did start another thread called April chemo gals on the mend. My reason was, I did not want  those who still felt sick from chemo to get discouraged every time someone said, I have hair or, I feel great. Seemed kind of insensitive. I learned this the hard way after posting something that actually frightened another member heading into Taxol.

Love to all

Mer

Anonymous

Merilee:  Good thinking on the "on the mend" board, but I hope you don't all go over there and have a big kick-your-heels-up happy party and forget about us laggards us over here crying at the pity party.

Speaking of pity party, I got dressed really nicely for church for the first time in a few months today and put on earrings, a necklace, nice heels, a pretty hat, etc. After the service, a woman our age (early 40's) who was visiting our church introduced herself to my husband and me. She was very friendly and nice, and says she had heard of my cancer through a mutual friend and has been praying for us.

Then she hit me with the zinger. She smiled at my husband and me standing there next to each other and said, "So, are you two mother and son?" I kid you not. It was beyond awkward and humiliating and horrifying. I wanted to cry the whole way home in the car.

I just keep thinking do I *really* look 20+ years older than my husband?? Has chemo and cancer really aged me that much? I used to *model* for heaven's sake, and be on TV, and get catcalls from strangers, and that was just recently! Then the other day my daughter says to me, "Mommy, your tummy is all pooched out like you're going to have a baby, isn't that funny?"

Ha ha. Ha. Ha.
Cry. Sniff. Sob.

Merilee

Oh windlass so sorry for that ignorant woman saying something like that. I will tell you though that I have run into people who did not recognise me. Very unsettling to say the least. Also, my son who has Down's came back from his paternal grandmother's funeral  and very innocently asked me asked me if I was going to be the next one in the grave. It was all I could do to keep from bursting into tears in front of him. I was on the edge of tears for about a week after that. How I have come to grips with such things is to just be all the more determined to come out on the other side of this better and stronger. I do know all ready that I am forever changed by this experience.

It is good to see you here by the way I have been wondering about you.

Hugs Merilee

jackifp

Windlass - a ten-wheeler, babe, I'm tellin' ya...

jackifp

Windlass - a ten-wheeler, babe, I'm tellin' ya...

pawprintgirl24

poor dears windless and merilee!! if it makes you feel anybetter my freinds both workout and thats all i here about is how they ran this or lost 5 more pounds.. they mean well but i really wish i could do what they are doing.

on a postitive note!! one of my clients came by to show me her hair!!! see i have never know her with her real hair! when i was dx she told me she had just finished her chemo and she wore a wig the entire time. i thought it was really sweet because one day that will be us wanting to show off our hair.

artiecat

Girls, a lot of people are just plain stupid!!!!!!

Pamela

pawprintgirl24

so proud of the ones that can rock the bald look!! my head is messed up or i might! i will go to the mailbox with my baseball cap on but i just wear my scarves everywhere! my daughters boyfreind comes over and i'll at least put on my cap. i didn't realize he was here one day and i came walking in and turned around to find my hat. just not comfortable without my coverings. its fine around my husband and daughter but can't do it

profbee

pawprint--go easy on yourself, and do what's most comfy for you.

 Windlass--I'm so sorry.  What an ass that woman is!  

Merilee--my son's wish for his 5th birthday?  "I wish that my mommy and daddy never leave me."  sniffle, sniffle, I'll be alright.  sigh.  

Okay, women.  I have an important question.  My tumor is on my left side.  Neo-adjuvant chemo, so no surgery yet.  So far, scans of my nodes have all been negative, but still going to do the SNB at my mastectomy next month.  So, tonight, I get out of the shower--small, pea-sized lump under my RIGHT arm.  So, the other arm.  And, it hurts.  I'm wishing it's an ingrown hair or something.  Thoughts?  I'm freaking myself right out.  Would a positive node hurt??? 

KiwiMum

Windlass - agree with Profbee, that woman is an ass!!



Profbee - I had lots of positive nodes (12) and didn't have any external obvious lump or sign. Even when the doc felt under my arm with her fingers she didn't feel anything. Definitely ask your onc but hoping it's nothing.



Any of you other ladies with positive nodes have the same as me?



Me, I'm in the chair tomorrow for Taxol #2. I've been feeling good since my first Taxol last week. It's nothing like AC was for me. So glad to be past that. AC was hideous!



Wednesday we are off on holiday for a few days. It will be nice to get away. I've got my compression sleeve all ready for the plane trip. Here's hoping my second Taxol is also good!

Anonymous

I had 12 positive nodes, too, and you couldn't feel a thing. No pain, tenderness, lumpiness, nothing.

Merilee

I found all 3 of my B-Bs. The docs all missed them, did not show up on mamo, thermograms or  even on cat scans. Had to insist on a biopsy for this last one. Finally went to the surgeon who  agreed to do a ultrasound, and then agreed to take out what they saw. Sure enough it was more cancer trying to hide in my arm pit. Sneaky little bastard! Interestingly, I was having nightmares and one of them showed me where to feel. I woke up and found the lump.

profbee

Merilee--was it sore at all?  Is it weird that it's on the OTHER side?? 

Merilee

Only if I pushed on it,If I were you I would get an ultra sound to rule out another cancer so that your mind can rest

scc218

Windlass -- I agree -- that woman was an insensitive ass.  So sorry you had to hear her comments.  Just when we're all trying to be upbeat and positive and get through this whole mess, somebody has to "burst the bubble."  A few weeks ago, an elderly man camped in the RV next to us came over to our picnic table and looked at me and said, "You have cancer, don't you?"  I guess he astutely figured that out by my bald head (although I had a bandana on) and my lack of boobs.  He proceeded to tell me that his wife died of breast cancer in October and was in the hospital for 5 months before she died, etc. etc.  These people just don't realize that these are NOT the things we want to hear -- it does NOT help at all.  As somebody posted awhile back, I only want to hear the stories with happy endings.  If it doesn't have a happy ending, don't tell me the story.

On another note, I had Taxotere #2 on Wednesday.  My onco assured me that this would be much easier and milder than A/C, so I was ready for a walk in the park.  HOWEVER, I have been miserable since Friday night with excruciating abdominal pain, nausea, weakness, and just feeling like crap.  I spent most of Saturday in bed.  I was able to get up some on Sunday, and today I'm feeling a bit better but still not great.  And to think I have to do #3 on Wednesday.  I sure hope it's not like this every time.  It will be a very long 12 weeks, and all my weekends will suck. 

Hope everybody is doing okay.

Merilee

Hugs to you Windlass, I hope it is smooth sailing from here out.

As for the dumb asses...there is a thread on here that is actually titled" the dumbest things people have said to me" .  I think we have all had the experience of some ignorant insensitive fool venting their own needs at us. Makes me want to carry a tazer LOL

CarlaB76

Oh Merilee, if only I had a tazer!

Profbee, I can't comment on what you feel being on the opposite arm.  But I was very nervous going into my surgery because I thought my nodes felt inflamed, and were sore/painful.  Turns out there were negative when the SNB was done.  I just don't know how to trust what I feel when it comes to lymph nodes.

Windlass, that lady was a total jackwagon.  Sorry you had to hear that.  She's an idiot.

Pawprint ~ rock whatever look you want, girlie.  As long as we're vertical (some days!) and doing what we can, we get the points.  That's what I tell myself anyway.  And on the days I'm not vertical, and I'm too tired to do what I need to, I get naps and ice-cream.

Question:  Seriously, what is with the period business, yo?  I feel like I'm perpetually getting my period.  Had one pretty much after every AC, and one now after the 2nd Taxol.  Not a fan of this at all.

Merilee

How is everybody doing? Heat wave has got me feeling a bit slow.

pawprintgirl24

the heat is killing me!!we have lower 90's this week with heat index in the 100's!! last week about killed me when it was like 99 all week! the heat killls me in at work, my air will not get any lower than 78 when its that hot outside so last weeek i had to go home early so no hours . but my health is more important!

my lymp nodes would swell up like that and be sore before all this cancer and mine were neg so not sure why they did???? but they would go down after a few days

had 3 periods but so far nothing....thank god!!! sorry to those that still do i have my last treatment in a week and i have some questions for the old doc. but every time i think of them i don't write them down and then i forget them... i really hope this chemo brain goes away!!

hope everyone is doing well or as well as can be expected!!

hang in there!!

Merilee

You too Jodie, it is hotter than billyH here in Michigan. Heat indexes over 100 and they say it will get hotter as the week progresses.

You are almost done yippy!