Is There A September 2011 Chemo Group?

-RC-

Hello ladies!  I did start a Sept 2011 Newbies thread but no one jumped in    I deleted my post and then found you here!  I hope you don't mind me joining a bit late.  I had a BMX in June (cancer was dx'd in right side only but surprize! there ended up being cancer in left side & in left node!!!!!) & cuz onco score is 20 I opted for 4 rounds of AC.  I do not have a port, MO didn't think I need one and my 1st tx was Sept. 19th which went just fine.  No SE's to speak of except for the perpetual "morning mouth".  No SE's from Neulasta either.  Flu shot scheduled for next Tuesday.  Plan on having my GF buzz my hair next Thursday.  I don't want to experience clumps coming out.  As I read most of the posts, I find we pretty much all have exactly the same concerns/fears/apprehension.  It's so nice to know we're not alone.  I will probably do more lurking here than posting.  I wish everyone well in their chemo journey!  Cheers!

Jerseylicious

Hey ladies, just finished catching up on all the posts, felt sooooo crappy all week, then today, miracle....I feel a bit human again!!! Cooka---seems like we're on the same SE schedule

Also, Sheypres, had the same stomach thing as you...alternating between severe constipation and then ...not, I know exactly what u meant and it suxxxxs, but it's a little better today and my appetite is back too. Although I have to say I was a little happy to lose those 5 lbs this week.

And, I am definately up for a meet up after this whole nightmare is over for us all! I don't care where...anywhere but Jersey Nah, I love it here.  Scared from that story about the bad reaction for round 2..I think we kind of all felt that we got thru the first one, we would be fine for the rest....but I guess not.  My hair is holding tight, but it's only day 8 for me....i figure me and this fake blonde have about 5 more days together! I kind of can';t wait to see real color next Friday! That's my head shaving night.  I'm sure betweeen this cancer stuff and a son serving in Afghanistan, it's probably allllll gray by now.  Well, glad to read all these posts and glad to feel back in the world of the living.

Also, for some laugh therapy--if you havent' seen Bridesmaids, the movie, you haaaaaave to rent it...so funny!

lwarstler

Hi Rhea: welcome to the thread and feel free to lurk, post or anything else you want. It really is amazing how similar all our fears and concerns are even though we are all I'm sure very different in other ways.

Maggie:  that you feel so crappy today. I sure hope it just goes up from here. I'm signed up for the class October 12th...if there isn't one close by, they will sometimes do a one on one as well.

Jerseylicious: so glad to hear you are feeling better...I have been thinking about renting that movie and now I think I will, thanks! 

rjbaby69

Welcome RC.  Glad you could join us, but I wish none of us belonged to this club! 

The hair coming out was pretty weird for me.  I am glad I went ahead and had my shaved today.  The wigs look great and they are not too bad to wear.  Fixing to take my off and get ready for bed.  My grandson is 4 and he is here tonight spending the night.  Can't wait to see what he is going to say.  I hope it doesn't scare him.  I don't think it will because he thinks because I can take my teeth out I'm pretty funny!  LOL!  Kids!  Gotta love em.

Jersey:  Glad you are feeling better.  Hope things go well in the hair department.  Lost mine today at day 15.  Just couldn't stand all the hair falling out anymore.  Pretty emotional for me but I am doing much better now.

Hugs!

-RC-

Thanks for the warm welcome - rjbaby - that teeth remark made me laugh!   Kids are so much more understanding and accepting than adults however.

Kimberly1961

Welcome RC.

RJ - You will not scare your grandson.  Kids are so adaptable he would probably draw on your head with magic markers if you let him and not think twice about it.

Cooka - I had to look up those yoga references.  This board is a learning experience.  Wow, yoga at 105 degrees?  I'm hot and running a fan any time temperature is above 65 degrees.

PinkShirt - Thanks for message.  I felt so guilty for joking after I realized you were in the midst of the fallout.  My friend since childhood called to check on me and I told her about it.  I said "OMG - I am just too insensitive to belong to a support group."

Jersey - Great news that you are able to take a break during chemo.  I just did my first week back since BMX.  Luckily, I didn't restart until day 6 post chemo.  I plan on taking off the days of work for next chemo, maybe days 2-5, just because I was not functional at all with the first round during those days.  I am lucky that I work at home, seated in front of computer, and am not exposed to a lot of germs because I am at home.  I still couldn't work days 2-5.

Kimberly1961

I was surprised how many of you guys were not up to dealing with the Komen thing either.  I'm just barely holding it together getting through all the difficulties of treatment.  Yes, I feel guilty when I throw those pink lids (BC funding) off the yogurt in the garbage.  My excuse is that I cannot read the fine print what I am supposed to do with them.  About Komen, yes I can use fatigue or, I'm on chemo and I don't want to get sick in that cold rain tomorrow, as an excuse, but I have to laugh (quietly) when a couple of friends have used chemo as their excuse.  "I was going to come over but I wasn't sure if I was getting a cold and I didn't want to get you sick."  It works both ways.

I am really happy to see that some of you have interest in a meet-up, trip, getaway, after the treatment is over.  I like the idea of it a year out as it gives me time to tuck away a little money.  Anticipation of treatment will make you miserable but anticipation of a vacation will buoy your spirits.  I think of how they probably bribe little kids with cancer to get through treatment and they will get to go to Disneyland.  If that makes treatment easier, that's not a bad thing.  I'm already googling vacation spots and that's a good thing.  So far I have googled pictures of the grand canyon, mexico packages.  It's a good respite for me.  I hope you get this bonus from it too.

Kimberly1961

Jersey - I saw "Bridesmaids" at the budget theater with my aunt and cousin a few weeks ago.  It was my aunt's choice of movie.  So tacky but so funny.  The scene where they are at the fitting and everyone is getting sick, the one perched on the sink, the one in the designer gown melting on the street... You know the location was Milwaukee and Chicago.  If you are wondering which chick I am in that movie, I'm the one sitting in the sink, scooping up all the puppies, flopping on the couch, beating sense into Annie, and eating the sandwich.

Kimberly1961

For diversion, I also started watching "The Big C" online.  I don't have cable and don't watch more than a couple of hours of TV per week because what you can get for free over the airwaves isn't worth the time anymore.  Maybe the football game.  God I wish Blockbuster had not gone out of business.

Kimberly1961

I'm not in the Komen race.  I did not save the yogurt lids.  The one thing my sister asked of me when she got cancer was to participate in the Sister Study.  I did try.  I had a hard time with that.  The questions are very personal.  Of all the guilt of not participating, it was the only thing she asked of me when she got cancer.  I shaved my head bald when my sister went through chemo.  I was not able to continue with the Sister Study because....

shelley2011

I, too, am attempting to work.  Learned that the week after chemo is mostly half days, with days 5 and 6 being the worst.  I will prob just stay home those days for the next round rather than even attempt to go in.

Good news for me is that after round 3 of my TC x4 my husband and I are heading to the beach in Charleston, SC.  MO gave permission stating, "Ok, there are good hospitals in Charleston".  Ever the optimist, that one.  But I am a little concerned about the travel. We normally drive the 11 hrs in one day. This year we plan to take two.  That means I will be driving on round 3, day 7 which poses a problem with the gastro issues I have had first two rounds.  My plan right now is to buy some Depends and hope for the best.  Will prob even start the banana rice diet before the gastro issue hits to see if it helps.  But am looking forward to being fatigued on a beach in such a beautiful area!

Rockym

Kimberly1961, don't feel bad... you're not the only one throwing away the lids... I was just thinking about that this morning after just barely getting down one yogurt.  We are all way too fresh in this to be doing the "pink thing."  Perhaps when all treatments are done and we actually feel like survivors we can hop on the band wagon.  You never know... many of us just want some of our old lives back and it's not coming anytime soon.  One day at a time.

rjbaby69

Kimberly:  You were exactly right about the grandson.  Sat him down on the bed and told him I needed to show him something.  I took my wig off.  He looked at me, pulled his hair and said "mamaw, my hair doesn't come off".  I told him no, but my did.  He went about his business of playing and that was that.  This morning he asked if he could touch my bald head.  I took his little hand and rubbed it all over my head and he said it tickled!  We had a good laugh about that.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Hugs!

RaeBob

Hey everyone I am on day 5 of my second chemo and since I took preventative action this time nausea medication, prisolec, Claritin my SE were bearable other than a little nausea and no energy.



I would not worry about what we can or can't do to help Komen we are in the thick of it right now kind of like we are the party guest. Like the song, it's my party and I will cry if I want to or in my case sleep if I want to!

When we are all healthy and well which we will be then we can give and help and do which I am sure most of us do all the time. I have 8 wonderful kids 26-15 and for the first time I am learning to let someone else take care of me and actually enjoying it a little bit just don't tell them hee hee

They were all here for dinner last night I sat on the couch and played Diva first time in 27 years I wasn't doing and directing for my large family.

Sheypres

I am so with you on the Komen and Awareness thing. I am even annoyed at some TV movies and things I saw a commercial for.  Everyone wants to do the walk with me and I can't bring myself to buy "pink" stuff at the market and everything is pink right now. I used to love the color pink.  I am not sure how I will feel about it on the other side of treatment.

findingsolace

Hey Ladies- I am back with the living! Day 7 and 8 were unbelieveable rough for me, constant vomiting. We were packing up to go to the ER but the pharmacy delivered a nausea patch that I slapped on. It worked and today I am able to eat and drink. What a relief!  I feel like the last one out of the woods from treatment #1! Like you Shelley2011 I had planned to work a bit the week after chemo but now that I know when my bad days will be, I am planning to take off. 

My work is doing the Walk for the Cure for me. I know what you gals mean, I just don't want to participate in it right now.

It is nice reading everyone's progress. Onward! 

Dana25

Hi Everyone - I'm on day 7 round 2 and feeling better. Day 5 & 6 were hard with fatigue and nausea. One more round to go. Lost hair again on day 16 and went back to the wig.



Findingsolace-sorry to hear about the vomiting, glad the patch is working!



I agree...I can't participate in anything right now. I just want to focus on treatment. My head isn't there yet.

Suz39

Hi All,

I'm day 2 after round 2.  Just feeling generally crappy.  I started my neupogen shots today.  A little nausea, muscle aches, no taste buds.  Sometimes I wonder if the chemo is really even working.  And it bothers me that I will only know if it doesn't work. 

Kimberly1961

Suz - Is this chemo really working? How's this for backward thinking - I pull on my hair in front of the mirror and worry they didn't give me enough chemo because it's not starting to fall out yet (day 11). I stopped shaving my armpits for the last 2 weeks because it's numb there and I figured it would fall out on its own. No such luck so far.



Rae - 8 kids in 11 years? That's pretty impressive.



Rockym - I put my glasses on and still couldn't read the directions on that yogurt. However, on the computer they have a site where you can just type in the code from the lid and that's worth 10 cents. That's not too bad. I thought I would have to save them and mail them.



Shelley - Charleston sounds wonderful. I am so glad you have something coming up soon to look forward too.



I called my sister this afternoon to see if she actually went to the Komen walk this year. It's been raining here pretty heavily this weekend. I figured she might have stayed home. Poor thing went by herself this year, figured she might run into someone she knew there but did not see anyone she knew. Guilt, guilt, guilt.

Rockym

Kimberly1961, Thought I was the only one with numb armpits.  What a weird sensation.  I kept watching those few hairs on my legs thinking... any day, any day, but everything is still in tack.  I wonder if the hair on the head goes before the rest.  Haven't even bothered to look that one up.

Waiting for the dx was nerve wracking, waiting for the surgery also scary,  first chemo... same thing, but waiting on the hair is just a SOB.  I keep thinking maybe it won't happen.  I had so many things that were 1/100 and 1/1000, etc. that maybe I'd be the 1 that didn't lose the hair.  Of course right now my tongue looks like a lawn mower cruised down it.  Yuk!!  Otter Pops here I come!

daintyBamf

Sitting here eating my lunch and catching up on the board. This weekend my mom and oldest daughter did the Komen RFTC in Frankfurt along with all my gal pals. I actually loved seeing all the pics and it made my 9 year oldhappy to feel like she was doing 'something' in support. One of my friends wore a sign with my name, and that sort of hit hard because it made it 'real' for me, but I felt good about it and will join them next year! I've been really tired but trying to make myself do a little each day. It feels like a bad sinus headache, but I know it isn't much to complain about compared to what it could be, so I drive on    I keep wondering how the rest of this will go. Is this the 'best' it is gonna get? Will I have a few better/normal days before round 2? It's all a mystery. Right now I am just hoping that things will work out so I have energy to get my head shaved Thursday. Worst case scenario, I will have my friends come to my house and do it here instead! Stay strong ladies!!!!

mags20487

I am 5 days out from first round.  Pain in my legs was unbearable all weekend but today feels better.  Went shopping with my DD yesterday and bought some adorable hats.  Still wondering when the hair is gonna go. Wanting to get out and about today.  Miss working regularly but my job is an on your feet 10 hrs straight lifting tubs of clothes and toys.  I own a Once Upon A Child and go go go go all day when working.  Some of the stuff people bring in is just downright nasty and I do not want to risk getting sick off it.  My son is managing the store for me and I pop in from time to time for a short stint.  I am so grateful for my kids and husband right now--they have been awesome.  Set for round 2 next week--looking for wigs tomorrow with a great friend who will be honest about what looks good.

Maggie

mags20487

Olgah...miss you hope you are well..have not seen you in a bit

Maggie

Kimberly1961

Dainty - I noticed that you like to sew.  I think I am going to have to pull out the sewing machine and fashion some soft forms for myself as I only have one pair.  Apparently you can buy microbeads for a fairly natural and comfortable fill material. I am wondering if that is the same stuff as bean bag chairs.  I would like to have a drawer full of boobs just like socks and underwear.  Just another thing on my "to do" list.  For anyone else interested in sewing forms, there were pretty good instructions here: 

http://breastfree.blogspot.com/

Kimberly1961

RJ - After you said your grandson calls you "mamaw" I wondered if you are Cajun, like the German lady who lived across the street was always "oma" to her grandkids.

Kimberly1961

Maggie - I don't know if you already know this or not, but you can see other member's recent  postings when you click on their name.  I wondered about how some September ladies were doing and did just that a few times. 

Suz39

Hi All,

Just sitting here eating my red dates, and reading your posts :-)  I'm day 3 round 2.  Still feeling okay, but not sleeping well, due to the steroids.  Also, am constipated, and drinking lots of prune juice because I do not want to take the laxitive again this time around.  That was really nasty.

WRT hair loss, I think it might be a good idea not to shave it for a while because it will come out easier.  I was noticing that my underarm hair wasn't really falling out, so I took a tweezer to it, and it just fell out without any resistance.  The same thing happened on my legs.  The thing is that the hair is so short, it is hard to grab it.  I asked my onc about eyebrow loss, and she said it takes longer because that hair, the cells are not replicating as fast, so the chemo doesn't impact it as quickly. She said that they will definitely thin out, but that they might not completely fall out, or at least not until your treatments are done.

Good luck to everybody today!  Stay strong :-) 

Kimberly1961

Prune juice?  LOL.  I have my leftover prune juice in freezer for round 2.  I felt like such an OLD person when I bought that at the store for the last round.  Same thing with looking at all these med bottles.  I am normally on 4 and a couple supplements but right around chemo there are all these extras, the steroid, the Claritin, Senna, Tylenol, pain pills.  I get this flashback of my grandma and her huge tray of meds. I have $30,000 worth of Neulasta in the fridge while the car in the drive has plastic taped on the window because I can't afford to get it fixed right now. 

Shawna77

Shaved my head last night.  Everytime I moved, hair was falling out and I couldn't take it anymore.  I am definitely not starting a barber career anytime soon...it's pretty bad lol.  Put on one of my wigs and thought "wow, looks like I'm wearing a wig." Not good...thinking I'll save that for later and just avoid mirrors this morning.  I've had a really sore throat the last 2 days, but I've been taking my temp and it's fine, so hopefully it's nothing.  Have a pretty bad headache too, but I'm thinking it's my head trying to get rid of the duck fuzz that's left. 

Rockym

I have to buy shampoo and conditioner today :-(.  My hair isn't falling out yet, but I have no shampoo in the house.  Each time I wash my hair, I blow dry, smile and wonder if this is it.  The waiting for this is worse then the waiting for the dx 3 months ago.

Happy Monday!