April 2011 chemo

KiwiMum

Rangermom - delete that text! I agree with everyone else ... but only you can find the answer and make the right decision for you.



Taxol #8 done. Only 4 to go. I can't believe how fast this time has flown. I started out with 6 months of chemo ahead of me, to be down to 4 weeks is awesome.



Best wishes for Wednesday Windlass. What drug are you starting?



Thinking of you Artiecat.

Merilee

Articat, Good morning warrior! Hope you feel well enough to post a few words today/

-Windlass, what time is your treatment on Wed and how many will you do? Weekly?

Ranger mom how are you feeling? Are you up and about for the most part?

Who's next for surgery?

Anyone using laughter as a healing  therapy?

Kiwi mom- only 4 weeks to go, time does fly (except directly after a treatment)LOL

scc218

Merilee -- Not sure of the end date yet.  If I don't have any more delays, I should finish Taxotere on 9/28.  Then I will have a month "off" and then start 6 weeks of rads, which should be finished sometime in December.

Windlass -- I think I've been on the same roller coaster -- totally up or totally down.  This past week has been totally down, and I just can't seem to get myself out of the "funk" I'm in.  Really tired all the time, slightly nauseous, and absolutely no motivation.  My husband and I went to the beach yesterday afternoon, and that was nice, so maybe I can turn things around now and start moving to the upside of things.

Hang in there everybody.

sarahlou1967

Hi Ladies,

Articat - Good luck with your surgery sending you healing vibes.

Rangermom - Congrats on your successful surgery again sending healing vibes.

Not sure If I am the next to have surgery but I have mine on the 12th September at 11am in the morning I am having a MX with lymph node clearance, no recon straight away as I have secondaries on my lungs and my BS does not want to stress my body out anymore than it needs to be at the moment. Not even sure if I want recon anyway.

Merilee - They do say laughter is the best medicine dont they LOL I have been watching funny comedy's and trying to laugh but it is hard especially when you dont feel much like laughing.

Sarah Sweety xxx 

Merilee

I have a network of ladies who I have asked to send me jokes and cute stuff. There is a very cute thread on here called Awe..now that's  cute

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/84/topic/728355?page=223#idx_6683

RangerMom

Merilee - yes, I'm actually doing Leslie Sansone's walk a mile at home and doing sit ups on my exercise ball. Each day I'm feeling better and better and am actually very proud of these two scars across my chest! 

Sarahsweety - I will keep your Sept. 12th date on my radar screen. In the meantime, I found listening to a cd at night on having a successful surgery really helped me prepare. Let me know if you want the name of it.

Thanks everyone for your input. I've held strong and not responded because you're right, I deserve more than a text. and even then, not sure this is someone I could let back into my life. I have put this at God's feet to let it go and let God. 

Anonymous

Artiecat and Profbee: We are sending love and healing your way. You WILL get through this.

Rangermom: If he is the man for you, time alone will show it - and I mean a whole lot of time (months, if not years). He would have a lot of overcoming to do to regain your trust, which at this time should be at a very negative level.

Even if you did take him back, you would be forever waiting for the other shoe to drop and for something to happen that would push his buttons and cause him to leave again. If you are not deeply in love with him, you may want to look elsewhere for a life partner who does not have such a bad track record of hurting you. If you are truly in love with him, then let go and give the situation to God.

artiecat

Just got home - feeling good.  The wire insertion was easy - didnt feel a thing!  Surgery went well, minimal pain.  Now waitiing for path reports.  And removal of the drains!  Thanks for the good wishes.

pawprintgirl24

great to hear from you articat!!!

Merilee

Articat you are up and about, great!

RangerMom

Wow, Articat, you are amazing! Now go lay down and rest!

scc218

Way to go, Artiecat!  More good wishes heading your way.  Hoping for good news on the path reports.  And I hope you don't have to keep the drains too long (I had mine for 10 days.....and it was TOOOOO long!).

Anonymous

Congrats, Artiecat! Now you're one step closer to total healing. Yay!!

Profbee: We are still sending love and goodness your way. I hope you are resting and recuperating beautifully.

ginger_mea

Artiecat - you sound strong, great news for you, and good wishes on the Path reports...

artiecat

Here is my dtr's take on how thing went - she has been sending updates to family and friends at each stepof the journey:

Hello everyone!  I bring you greetings from Tri-City Hospital in Vista.   All is good and mom is resting comfortably in her hospital room. 

Today's events were relatively uneventful.  Katie took her to the hospital about 8 am to begin her adventure.  She began in the Women's Center, where they harpooned a wire to her marker from her biospy.  (I wish I would have been there to see that!)  Katie was there the whole time and praised the staff in the Women's Center for being awesome!  They called me about 10 am and Mom sounded fantastic and was even joking and carrying on with the nurses. 

Next, they moved up her surgery an hour... so she went in about 11 am.  (I panicked because I didn't finish school until 11:45 and I wanted to be there when she came out.  So I rushed over asap!)  I arrived about 12:15 and waited, and waited, and waited.  Needless to say, Katie and I caught up in the main lobby, laughed and joked to pass the time.  FINALLY, Dr. Kroener came out to tell us she did great.  In fact, the preliminary results taken during the surgery indicated NO cancerous cells!  WOo hoo.  He did remind us that her samples would be send to pathology for a microscopic view.  But, he felt things went very well.  They ended up performing a lumpectomy and lymph node dissection.  He said he took about a golf ball size area from her left breast. 

Again, we waited, and waited, and waited... several coffee and diet cokes later, she was finally out of recovery and in her room.  She looked fantastic!  The funniest thing was that the radiation team wrote in sharpie on her good breast "NO!"  just in case the doc got confused!  hahaha!  Such a great spirit and sense of humor from Mom.  They are keeping her tonight to make sure she has no reactions or infections.  Katie will pick her up in the morning and she will be resting at home in her own bed.  The nurses on her floor were fantastic, very caring, and ready to help her.  She is in good hands. 
 

artiecat

BTW Rangermom - I didnt get to put in my 2 cents:   NO WAY!!!!!

Merilee

Articat that is a wonderful initial report from the doc. Dang, I feel like some of you gals are just miracles before my eyes. Am I the only one who tears up reading this stuff?

It has occurred to me that I am just nuts. I burst into tears driving the other day when  car like the one my daughter drove as a teen went by me. Did not realize how sad it makes me to be away from her until then.

pawprintgirl24

that is a great letter articat! thanks for sharing! and yes merilee i have to go check my make up before i leave for work now!! LOL. my emotions are all overe place..hateful one minute then crying the next!

4 rads down 28 to go!!

have a great day! HUGS to all and wishing for a speedy recovery!!

ginger_mea

Artiecat - great writting on your daughter's part, how nice to have daughters so caring and to see the humor in things as well.  God bless.

I too cry, well lately I cry over everything....

Merilee

Ok glad everyone is crying....wait that sounds bad LOL

Sometimes I wonder if the stress of my life over the past few years has made me nuts!

Anonymous

At least I'm not the only one feeling like an emotional yoyo - thanks for sharing your own emotional struggles.

I cried all night over possible Taxotere side effects and refused treatment today. Going to try again next week, with my ducks more in a row.

profbee

Hi friends!  I just wanted to pop on and say hi and I'm doing well--we were without internet for a few due to Irene.  Thinking of you all--hoping Artiecat is well.  RangerMom--I'm sorry that he's pulling at your heart even now.  Men!  It really does sound like he's just feeling guilty and wanted to pose an explanation to feel better.  Focus on YOU.  You deserve it.  

Love to you all tonight!

C 

profbee

Oh, and I have to tell you all that I looked back and saw your support on my surgery day--it means so much to me.  I honestly envisioned my support systems helping me along before my surgery, and you all were in my thoughts.  Thank you!!!

YaYa5

windless, i know exactly how you feel.  damn.  this whole thing is so frickin' hard.  my thoughts of support are with you.

Anonymous

Glad to see you, Profbee! And you're sounding so chipper! How are the drains? And what happened to you during Irene?

Yaya: I did not get my chemo today. Had a meltdown and just said no. They're starting me next Wednesday, when I should have my head on straight again. Did you know there is a risk of permanent baldness from Taxotere? Finding that out at 9 pm last night, the night before my first dose, just pushed me over the edge into uncrontrollable sobbing. For like two hours.

I am ordering cold caps (again! painful and expensive as they are) for next week, and taking Acetyl L Carnitine, Glutamine, Vitamin B6, and melatonin, all of which have been shown to reduce neuropathy from the taxanes. I was mortified reading all the stories of women on crutches from this stuff! So I'm doing my homework and preparing to avoid those awful (rare, but real) side effects.

I know, that's more than you wanted to know! *laugh*

Merilee

Windlass I understand your anxiety. I have a son with total alopicia so the whole time I was on Taxetere I  would look at him and think, I sure hope my hair grows back. But I am happy to say that I have hair and yesterday hung up the scarves and went  out. People made very positive comments about my"haircut" and said things like "I've been thinking about getting mine cut that short LOL, and also that they had never noticed how blue my eyes were before. I think the short hair brings out facial features. I am about 9 weeks post Taxetere.

I just smiled

Merilee

Prof b and Arti can, good to see that you are up  and about.

Those of you who are having complications, just know that you have a lot of healing thoughts and energy coming your way from this group.

Yesterday when I was having a moment, I just closed my eyes and pictured all the people who love me and wish me well all standing in a circle around me holding hands and directing healing at me. It was very powerful for me.

ginger_mea

Merilee - your post about your hair and hanging up your scarves and going out with your own hair made me  really BIG....  you sound great, and I am looking forward to saying that myself in a few weeks.

artiecat

Merilee, what a great image!!!!!  Thanks!

RangerMom

I've been going a naturale since the surgery no wigs or scarves. i love it. My hair is maybe 1/4 inch if that but at least its thick now, mostly white but who cares! I put my face on and layer some tops and I feel almost as good as new! I'm just so happy to be alive. and yes, i cry at the drop of a commercial, a verse in a song, how beautiful the flowers are, etc. etc. In fact I'm crying now just talking about it, but they are happy tears. We are all such an amazing bunch of women.