Is There A September 2011 Chemo Group?
Comments
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No wonder they do this.
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Karen, I wish I could stick my head in the sand until it was all over. I think I can't stand another second of it. I get it. BIG HUGS.
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Hey ladies! Hope everyone is having a good evening. Had friends over tonight and had a good visit with lots of girl talk. Loved every minute of it. Dyed my friends hair for her and now she doesn't look like a skunk! LOL!
Thankful for the weekend. Have to get up early to open the store so I just wanted to pop in and say hello! Will post more soon.
HUGS!
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Okay, I logged in just a minute ago and clicked on this thread and the first thing I saw was that ostrich staring at me. I LOL'd for real.
*hugs for all and to all a good weekend*
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RJ - Love you girl. Could you do something with my hair? See picture above.
Jersey - I have been working with FMLA tiime off which was pretty liberal, although my hours to get paid for that were limited to what I had left, which was not so huge after the surgery which took me out for longer than expected. I have an hourly production quota to meet while I work and this week I am barely making it, like by the skin of my teeth, but there was a software change also and that did not help. No one doubts that kindergarten is a challenging job. Anyone who has ever dealt with a 5- or 6-year old already knows. 24 of them is extremely challenging. What can you do? Don't know. Oxygen tank?. Steal the kids ADD meds? Pay the kids off somehow? I suspect you are still going to need days off after your return date because you have not finished treatment and recovered from the side effects. My hemoglobin and hematocrit go down every weekly blood test. Last time they went down a full point. Yikes. I don't know, but you may need leave of absence, if that's available in your position.
Kate - I hope your gyn appointment went well. Before I had the uterus and ovaries yanked at age 45, I had a period for one year, sometimes heavy enough to make me feel faint, like a tampon an hour didn't cover it, but consistently bled for a year. Can you imagine a period for a year straight? Drugs that would normally shut down a bleed didn't work. I just imagine that the options are limited with the cancer diagnosis, what they can give to try to help. My hemoglobin and hematocrit are consistently dropping now without any menstrual bleed. Hugs sister.
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Oh ladies.... I am back from the dead. It is day 4 after round number 3 and I am finally feeling strong enough to get up out of bed. What a rough couple of days. YUCK. This round hit me harder than the first two for sure. I hope it's just the "hump" treatment and not indicative of how 4, 5, and 6 are going to be.
Kimberly: Thanks for the funny pictures. The ostrich looking straight at me gave me a good laugh. My OBGYN appointment went well. He did an exam and an ultrasound just to make sure all was well. Nothing looked abnormal. So he said there were two medications he was considering for me, one called Lysteda and another one is basically a monthly shot that puts you into menopause for a month (comes with the hot flashes and everything - a little drastic for me but an option if my oncologist did not want me on Lysteeda). He wanted to discuss both options with my oncologist to make sure. He is such a great doctor. He called me Thursday and last night to check in on me. When I talked to him last night he sais he was going to put me on Lysteda. The pharmacy just called to say my prescription was ready. If I could have a cocktail right now I would cheers no more menstrual bleeding in my immediate future. Cannot wait.
Michele: Welcome to the group. None of us are glad to be here but since we have all been dealt this card, this is a fantastic group of women to go through it with. You'll be amazed how much identifying with other women and not feeling alone can help. Keep your chin up girl.... the odds are in all of our favor. Put on a strong fight and show this disease who is in control. I am sorry you loss your mother and I can imagine how it seems like you are being dealt the same hand. But things are different now.... you can beat this.
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Hi Everyone!
Spent the day with a girlfriend catching up on trashy TV shows we missed this week and eating chips, and drinking gingerale for breakfast (I love the PVR). I have to say it is the girlfriends in my life who are getting me through. It is ladies like all of you who seem to have the most understanding.
Today was the first day in 7 that I was not nauseous and did not vomit. My girlfriends says to me, One more day complete means one day closer to the end, good or bad you still got through that day and you should be proud. In the moment it was what I needed to hear.
I love the pic of the ostrich. He is definatly my mascot sometimes. How did you post him I can't figure out how to get pics up. I was going to post a pick of my little trick-or-treaters.
I hope you are all having a minimal side effect weekend.
Enjoy your extra hours sleep tonight if you turn back your clocks.
Sarah
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Ladies ... YOU ARE ALL AMAZING, STRONG WOMEN!!
Although I have not jumped in with you on this thread before (too tired to set up the damn profile!), I have been "lurking" and feeling the sisterhood, so to speak. I have my 4th treatment this coming Thursday. I am getting 6 TAC, every three weeks, with the Neulasta shot the day after each treatment. Then 5-7 wks of rads.
My oldest sister is a 31 year survivor, but her middle daughter, my niece, passed away 4 years ago in September. (She was Shelliks - you can still find her posts if you search her name. She was an amazing person.) She was BRCA1+. I still have to go get that bloodwork done to see if I am BRCA+, if so then the ovaries have to go too. I am 54, post menopausal. Had lumpectormy in July. I wish it were not so, but since I have family who have walked this walk, I have a great support network which may be why it took me so long to post. I just cannot use the word "lucky" to say I have an understanding network at home. It totally blows.
I am married (28 yrs), two sons age 24 & 19. I applaud those of you with small children. I do not know how you do it.
My SE are miserable but there is always somebody else with so much worse. I will whine about side effects later.
What finally made me get off my butt and post along with you, is the November 1 discussion about feeling GUILTY for feeling sorry for ourselves. If I had a nickel for every time somebody said to me "But your attitude is so great, I know you will get thru it." How are you feeling today? You look great! But you think to yourself, they really don't get it unless they have walked in your shoes. Let me see ... I miss my hair. I miss my normal digestive system. I would like to be able to drink ANYTHING that doesn't taste like ass. I would LOVE a pepsi but it is not worth the consequences. Beer, wine or Mexican food? Forget it! I would like to be able to sleep on my side. I have no muscle tone because I am too exhausted to walk up and down the stairs, let alone go for a walk or go to the gym. I would like to not have to sit down and rest after I take a shower. I feel unattractive and definitely not sexy.
And then you have a girlfriend whine to you about having a bad hair day. Really? You are coming to the bald chick with cancer to complain about your haircut?!? LMAO!
For the record, my first treatment was the absolute WORST. Even with the Claritin regimen, the bone pain from the Neulasta shot was dreadful. Then I got a life threatening sinus infection 4 days after treatment which put me in isolation in the hospital for 4 nights. UGH. I guess I picked up a bug between chemo and before the Neulasta shot built me back up. Two days after I got out of the hospital I went back in an ambulance with chest pains. Even with the clear MUGA scan prior to starting treatment I was terrified the Adriamycin had damaged my heart. After tests, etc. it was determined that my potassium was low and the chest pains were caused by stress (no shortage of that going around!). Now when I feel my chest tighten (usually when I am stressing about work) I pop 1/2 a Xanax and it fixes the problem. Better living thru pharmaceuticals!
Treatment 2 was a breeze compared to tx 1, but I was still dead on my feet the first week. then pretty good wks 2 & 3. Two days after tx 3 I felt the sinus infection start up like tx 1, got put on augmentin which killed the infection but wreaked havoc on my digestive track. Week 3, I felt terrific, the best since I started treatments - but of course still tired, hungry for REAL food & bevs, etc. I actually went clothes shopping today. I don't get out much, so afraid of catching something. I am lucky to be able to work from home. I have been in to my office about 4x. Everybody there goes in sick, it's like a frickin' petri dish - not someplace I want to be.
Ok, enough whining. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for the comraderie, advice, mutual support, the commiseration and the laughs. I wish for ALL OF US minimal SE, positive energy, and that we come out the other end of this cancer-free, healthy, happy and stronger for the battle. GIRL POWER!
Hugs to you all,
Debbie
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hi all, went out for breakfast with 2 of my sisters. had good visit and the food was so good, i was craving biscuits and gravy,eggs over easy,hash browns. i know,i know not low fat. i am not a good girl,sometimes!!! but later OMG stomach issues, i will never learn, so this evening it was back to the chicken noodle soup, oh well. at least it tasted good.
maggie, thanks for the insight on the taxol SE.i hope i have less nausea with it. did you take steroids at home day before,day of, day after? i hate the fact i have to take them.
kimberly, pics are hilarious,thanks for the laugh!
welcome, to the group debbie, you hang in there,girl, you are not alone. we're here for you and glad to know you're here for us. last wk, when i felt like crap,when people said you look good. i just looked at them and said i wish i felt as good as i look, cause i feel like crap. their mouths kinda dropped,this wk they are playing it safe and saying "i like your scarf,it's pretty etc. LOL
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kayrem, how are you feeling? hope you are doing better!
khegidio, welcome back,missed you.
sarah, i feel for you hopefully you have turned the corner! yeah for the nausea/vomit free day.
jersey, so happy for you- only i more- may your se be few on the last one. good luck on returning to work. i have such respect for those of you who work or have children going thru this chemo. my hat is off to you all, uh well maybe i'll just give you a hug, i don't want to blind you with my shiny head!!!!
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Good morning all you awesome Ladies!
Debbie: Glad you decided to join us! This bunch of ladies are awesome! They have been so much help to me during all of this. I don't know what I would have done without all the information, support and strength of each one. We're here for you! Sounds like you were put through the wringer! Hope you are getting better every day.
Kimberly: I loved the picture! I'm not sure I can help with THAT hair, but I can certainly give it a shot! How about something in the red category? LOL!
Khegidio: So glad you are doing better. Tx #3 kicked my butt too. Felt really bad for about 4 or 5 days. I, too, hope this is no indication of what rounds 4, 5, 6 has in store for me! Round 4 is Thurday....and just when I am feeling like myself again! UGH!
Sarah: So glad you had a great day with your girlfriend. Sounds like it was a great pick-me-up!
Jersey: I feel for you girl! All those babies and they are so demanding! I have my grandson with me this weekend and it's all I can do to keep up with him, let alone 24 more! LOL! He's in pre-k and keeps his teachers on their toes too!
Kayrem: Hope you are feeling way better today.
Belleast: I'm tired of hearing how good I look when my hands feel like a snake shedding it's skin and I am tired beyond belief. They just don't get it! I may "look" good on the outside but feel so crappy on the inside!
I am so sorry for those of you that are having the nausea and vomiting. So far those have not been my issues and I am feeling so fortunate. One of my co-workers at the station told me that she was told (yeah, another hearsay story) that if chemo made you sick it was working. WTH? I'm not "sick" but I am having issues. My constant friends has been constipation and extreme fatigue. In addition, my hands peeled and now have a red rash on them and my ankles have begun to swell. I have no taste buds after chemo almost until time to do it again. Does that mean the chemo is not working for me? Gosh, I would hate that I'm going through this for no reason.
At any rate, I wish you all a wonderful SE free Sunday. Post later when I the little fellow has gone home!
HUGS!
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Hi Debbie and welcome to our beloved group.
Belle--I do take the steroids day b4 day of and day after. I am always hyper the day after chemo too. Get things done around the house before the crash begins that afternoon. This time the SE's seem less. Maybe I have just gotten used to the bone pain???
Maggie
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So it is the steroids that make you so "up"? I generally feel good the day after tx, so I schedule the Neulasta shot at the end of the next day (because it makes me feel like crap). My tx day is Thurs, so Fri & Sat I generally feel good and try & get stuff done. Ah, it is the steroids.
Thanks for the welcome. Sorry we are all here, but I feel connected to kindred spirits now.
Enjoy the day!
Debbie
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Debbie: I don't take the steriods before treatment. My steriods are included in the treatment itself. I have the neulasta shot the day after. My treatments are on Thursday and the shot on Friday, but Saturday I feel so good! I get all my work done around the house on Saturday and end up on the couch Sunday. Then fatigue and bone pain sets in for a few days. Around Wednesday or Thursday after treatment, I lose my voice and sound like a croaking frog. But by Sunday voice is back. And I continue to feel better until next treatment and then it all starts again!
Wishing you the best!
HUGS!
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Hello again Ladies. Just wanted to thank you for all the prayers for Colby. He woke up this morning about 10:00 a.m. My oldest just called me with the news. She said the first thing he did was hug his Mom, tell her he loved her and to get that diaper off him! Again, thank you for all the prayers. Prayer does work and I am thankful today. We are rejoicing in this little town!
HUGS! And big ones!
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rjbaby - That is the MOST AWESOME NEWS!!! I'm so happy for you and your family. Big hugs!
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rj that's great news!! So happy for you!!!
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rj, that's great news!!!
well, today is bone pain day, went for long walk didn't help the pain but felt good getting exercise. took 2 extra-strength tylenol didn't help either. might have to break out the tylenol #3.
hope everyone is having a good day.
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Hi Belleeast. I'm rockin' the bone pain today too. Tylenol took care of my Zofran headache, but dilaudid is the only thing that touches this stupid bone pain. I hope your T#3 helps and that you wake up SE free
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Not sure why but I am not getting near as much pain in the bones this time..kinda weird. I have been taking Aleve every 6 hrs til I go to bed and it is very tolerable today. The lack of taste has been the worst of it for #4 taxol for me. I hope I do as well on the AC
Even took my daughter shopping and to lunch and had fun with her today. Belle--I hope the taxol is friendlier to you than the Ac has been!Maggie
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Hi everyone
I am doing better today but this was definitely a more challenging treatment for me on many different levels. Hoping #4 on the 21st is better.
RJ - Glad to hear that Colby is getting better. I hope he continues getting better and is able to be home with his family as soon as possible!
Today we celebrated my mom's 81st birthday. Not bad eh!
I hope everyone had a good weekend. Take care.
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RJ - That's such good news news about Colby, not just awake but talking. I hope he has a speedy recovery from here on out.
Hope the rest of you ladies will be on upswing soon from last week's treatment. I am just working on some desperately overdue housecleaning and chores, very slowly mind you. My house is having chemo SE too. Once during chemo I washed half my kitchen floor and left the other half dirty because I was too tired to finish. I really had to laugh that there was someone else out there besides me who was happy to get out of the shower so they could sit down!! Welcome Debbie.
I do wish NanaDeb would resurface soon.
Belle - Good for you with the walking. I envy you, need to work my endurance back up so that I can do the same. This is perfect walking weather too, isn't it? I was googling hormonal therapies this weekend (more cancer college), which is my next step after chemo, and found that Arimidex efficacy is not as good for overweight women. I guess I have to get walking soon. Hopefully the leg swelling will be better after chemo. Right now my feet are like risen bread dough, ankles are thick, and calves are hard as rocks. Guess I'll be sleeping with calves up on 3 pillows tonight. I get mad if I wake up and find that I have kicked away the pillows during sleep but half the time I do.
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kimberly, what's up with the swollen feet and ankles? that doesn't sound good to me,my mo always checks my ankles and calves, don't know why. you should call your dr and tell them about your swelling.
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Belle, Today I am taking the water pill the MO gave me at last visit to use if (and only if) the fluid retention got really bad. I hope I get to piss the day away. Makes me think of that song, can you hear me humming? "I get knocked down BUT I GET UP AGAIN, you're never going to keep me down.....Pissing the night away, pissing the night away..." I think I am going to use that as my signature line, I like it.
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kimberly, aaaaah another marvelous se from chemo! take care of yourself. i liked the video, i just hope that song doesn't run thru my head all day,it's catchy!!! LOL
tomorrow is chemo day,the last A/C then on to dd taxol. just as i am getting used to A/C, NOT !!!!!
hope everyone has a good day, raining here,hope it clears up.
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RJ awesome news about Colby!! Sounds like he is on the road to recovery
.I am also "returning from the dead". Seems like the bone/body aches were worse tx #3 for some reason. I felt very flu like symptoms. Seems like after that the nausea starts up, then the headache from anti-nausea meds. So its like headache or nausea? Everyone keeps saying "you're halfway done". That doesn't really feel very reassuring! I also loved the comment about resting after a shower! That is so true, get something accomplished, then time for a nap!!! Hope everyone has better week with few SE!!
Sara ♥
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I'm off to weekly taxol #10 today. This is also the week (every 3rd) that I get carboplatin which really knocked me on my butt last time so I am a bit apprehensive. My newest SE is a rash all over my hands and forearms. Anyone else get this one?
Hugs to everyone. Here's hoping all our SEs are as mild as possible.
Kimberly - I have that song stuck in my mind now. I guess there are worse songs I could hum during my infusion today.
My new mantra is weebles wobble but they don't fall down!
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PinkShirt - Hand-foot syndrome? Reaction to the Cremophor solvent for Taxol? What does doctor say it is?
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Kimberly - my MO thinks it is some type of rash caused by a reaction to a lotion. I did try a new lotion about the same time that it appears so he might be right. He doesn't think it is connected to the chemo except that my skin is so dry from the drugs and all the handwashing. I am going to try just using Dove bar soap on my hands and no new lotions (no matter how good they smell). Just another annoyance at this point but I'm glad it wasn't a symptom of something greater. I'll keep my eyes on it for a few days (not like I won't notice a rash all over my hands!). Sigh.
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That's great news. Yay. I was afraid for you that it might be more serious.
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