Is There A September 2011 Chemo Group?

Kimberly1961

Cooka, I was getting my port out this morning and was telling the surgeon about your story, how you told her your symptoms and she suggested you go to Walgreen's and get your blood pressure checked.  They were rolling on that one, told me if I had any complications that I should go to Walgreen's and get my blood pressure checked. 

cooka

Haha, guess what is even better? I flippin' went to Walgreens and they no longer (as a chain) have health check stations! Triple ha:) 

cooka

Hey, congrats on the port. Can't wait! What was the procedure like?

belleeast

well, taxol se are right on schedule for me, day 3 exhaustion,joint pain,bone pain,headache, nails hurt,scalp pain-what's up with that? oh and let's not forget NAUSEA this go round. also have some numbness in my face, anyone else have this? cooka, is that what you have?

thank god, i have percocet this go round, took 1, i'll see if that works first before i take another.

hope everyone has a great weekend,kimberly, congrats on getting port out.

belleeast

mags, so happy for your niece!!!!

Anonymous

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site and want to thank you all for such good and helpful information! 

Khegidio,  I'm having my port out in january and as putting it in was fairly dreadful I'm a little nervous about getting it out.  I'd like to hear your experience too if you don't mind.

and Kimberly,  I hadn't even noticed that my nose hairs were gone!  Oh man... I've also had a constant bloody nose, has that happened to anyone else?

Thanks!

mags20487

KIM--no port would be heavenly for me as that stupid thing shoots horrible pain from it every day.  Doc says it just is sitting on a nerve so I asked her when it could come out and she said 2yrs and looked at her and said no way--I will take my chances and would rather have another one place if necessary.  She agreed that as soon as chemo is done we will do another pet scan and if all clear out it comes!

had a dexa scan today so should get the results soon on that.  Also today found out that hospital that I have been going to for infusions no longer does just infusions there and would not allow me in next week for #7.  Apparantly I flew under the radar un noticed until last time and somehow was able to get tx done so far but they would no longer be doing them.  So may have to pay out of pocket for the last 2 at docs office as I know that my insurance will not cover it at docs office.  The saga continues.  At least now I am on the "cheap" chemo and it was $615...the taxol was over $4000 each time so glad it got done.

Maggie

belleeast

maggie, what is a dexa scan? also, is there another hospital near you that you could get your treatments at? i'm going to ask mo about getting my port out as soon as chemo is done,too.

hi lucy, welcome! my first port got infected 2 days after putting it in, taking it out was a breeze!

khegidio

Maggie: congrats on the news for your niece. That's good to hear. I cannot believe the insurance drama sometimes. It's disgraceful.



Lucy: I still have two more treatments before my port comes out. I think you meant Kimberly. I would love to get mine out. Luckily mine will come out with my BMX. Since my surgery is after my chemotherapy they will just remove my port then.



Kate

CJRT

Yay, Kimberly! Great news!

Mags, That's great about your niece. Some positive news before the holidays!

Belle, hope the side effects don't last long.

cooka

Hi Mags, that sucks about your infusion switcheroo. I know for mine I had to walk in for every infusion and fork over an $850.00 co pay, except for number 4 where they hit me up for 1200.00  (Tricare) Its okay though, because the nurse is sooooo worth it...hehehe.

lwarstler

Hi guys, sorry I've been missing. I have enjoyed reading those of you who are post chemo and begining the healing journey. Mags..so glad your neice's test came back not cancer and your hair is coming in.

Kimberly: port out...awesome...can't wait

Bellle, so sorry to hear you are still struggling and can't wait for this to be over for you

Pinkshirt: I hope it goes well with your change and that you'll have little to no SE's.

CJRT: I was so glad to read your surgery went well.

Cooka: your nurse and stuff really suck! i think you should kick butt.

It's been a rough couple weeks with the last 2 treatments. I was excite this last week because the Marinol they gave was helping my stomach, bone pain, etc...but then I developed a GI bleed over the last weekend. It seems to have stpped in the last 2 days with the meds they gave me but they scoped me today anyway and didn't find the exact cause. The did however find 20 stomach polyps and an enlarged diafraticulum (whatever that is) Anyway, they have removed and are biopsying 4 of the polyps, a small piece part of the stomach to check for infectr-ion and diafraticulum to see why it is enlarged. So we'll just wait and see. The GI doc thinks my onc might want a colonoscopy based on the findings so we may need to do that next week.

 The nurses at the cancer center were on it all like lightening when I called with my symptoms I'd been struggling with on WEdnesday. Unfortunately i waited til Wednesday when the issue started Sat. so my RBC and hematocrit were low...but it could have just been from the bleed. Anyway, I've just been sleeping a lot and resting but hopefully I'll get better in the next couple days and get back to being able to visit with you all more soon. 

Hugs and thanks to all of you for your love and care.

Lee Ann

cooka

Hi Lee Ann, sorry you had such a rough run the last couple of weeks.  Hope the results are good from your biopsy and you are feeling like yourself again soon:) Keep us posted how it is going please!

belleeast

lee ann, omg you have been thru the wringer, i am so sorry you are having such a rough time. ((((((HUGS)))))) and prayers you get some answers and feeling better soon. rest up and take care of yourself!!!!!!

percocet is helping with the joint and pain bone! thank you,lord!

Kimberly1961

Cooka - Port removal goes really fast, maybe 15 minutes, and I found it pretty easy but my BS is a really nice guy so conversation was a distraction from the procedure itself.  No sedation, just Lidocaine, but that was fine. I wish all of you could have had my breast surgeon, excellent at his profession, but the human element is what sets him much higher than his peers, the exact opposite of Cooka's nurse.

 It's 5 hours later and I'm pretty sure the Lidocaine has worn off.  I haven't needed a pain pill or anything but I did take a nap about an hour after I got home and slept (only got 4 hours last night, was up late baking carrot cake).  Well, maybe I will take something (cheers) for a light sanding off the discomfort, but compared to chemo, you would laugh at the discomfort.  Nothing in comparison.

I got home this morning and very good friend called me drunk and said "Guess who's got the big C?"  He said that the biopsy he had on a lesion on his wrist had come back melanoma 6 months ago and he hadn't told anyone, even his partner, until last night.  He was telling me how he didn't want treatment because he saw what his previous partner had gone through during a battle with esophageal cancer.  His present partner also lost his last partner to cancer, so he didn't want to bring it up with him.  He kept saying that he didn't want to go through treatment, "I can't do that.  I just want to enjoy what time I have until I die."  Well then he was maudlin, wondering if it was his last Thanksgiving and Christmas.  He was so drunk, I wasn't sure if what he was saying was the truth or drunken delirium.  He has history of BAL up above 4.0 and 5.0 and did almost die a few years back when he passed the 5.0 mark and spent a good 10 days in a coma on a respirator.  This happened a few months after his last partner died.  Oh, dear.  I don't know really know much more about melanoma than I did about breast cancer before I got it.  I know he did have a lesion.  I know he did have a biopsy back then.  I am not sure that he got the diagnosis right.  Right now I am hoping he is an idiot and he had some more benign type of skin cancer and is calling it the wrong word.  I did ask him if he had the whole thing excised or just had the biopsy.  He said he just had the biopsy.  Part of me thinks he is too much of an acoholic to not have spilled this kind of news a long time ago during one of his drinking episodes, but then thinking back, I have seen a fair-sized lesion for a few years.  They kept removing it.  It kept coming back.  Right now, I just don't know.

Selfishly, I can count my close friends on 1 hand, the ones I can say anything to.  The idea of him dying is like thinking about my foot getting chopped off or something.  Now I know how my friends feel after I told them I had cancer.  I think it's different when you worry about losing a mother, or a lover, or a child, or a friend, or pet.  They are all different losses, all horrible.  Well, I now have a reminder what it feels like for our friends and family going through this with us, what it feels like for them, their fears and the losses they face thinking that they may lose us.

mags20487

ugh!!! my sister just called and said that my neice's PCP wants to biposy the lump just to be on the safe side.

Belle--dexa scan checks your bone density to see how you are holding up to the chemo is what they explained to me.  That way doc can give you something if necessary to build up my bones.

Have a good weekend all...sorry Lee Ann for the rough time you are dealing with.  Must be terrible.  It is horrible enough without all those SE's

maggie

Kimberly1961

Bad nurse stories.... continued,... because we all have at leat one it seems.  I have to say kudos to the 90-95% that are not idiots. I have passed through a ton of nurses in this journey.  Of course the idiots stick out.

I had one nurse during chemo that loudly told another patient how lucky he was to have family support, that some people had no one,  It was like she was trying to give a dig on me, that I considered chemo like a dentist appoinment and brought no one, did not think I needed supoort during chemo infusion . She said this SO loud.  She was not the best or brighest nurse on the block....the other 90% were good and sometimes deserved higher scores than that.  Like Frank Burns, you wonder how some people pass. God bless, everyone who passes is not at the top of their class, you know.  Someone is at the bottom and sometimes you get them.

PinkShirtNow

LucyL - Welcome!  I am with you about the nosebleeds.  So far, mine have been minor but they are definitely annoying.  Who knew that nose hairs were so important!

Maggie - I think your niece's doctor is being very thorough and I hope she gets good news after the biopsy.  I can't believe all you have had to go through with the hospital and your insurance.  You are handling it well.

Kimberly - Hooray for getting your port out!  Another milestone.  I'm sorry about your friend.  I know you must be very worried about him.  You are right about how our friends and family worry about us.  They all deal with the stress so differently.  You just never know how you will react until you are actually in the situation, I guess.

Belleast - Glad to hear that your medications are helping with your pain.  

Lee Ann - Sorry to hear about your gastro issues.  I hope you get good news from the biopsies. Get some rest and keep us informed because we are pulling for you.

SCPMadi

Good Morning Everyone.Yesterday went really well with the exception of my stupidity and forgetting to take my Decadron properly so they had to run the Taxotere over a longer period. Came home feeling great no SE's yet. I took the kids to see Santa and the Muppets last night sort of a last Hoorah before the body ache, sore nails and dry mouth set in. So happy I am done until after Christmas now. These next three weeks will fly by I am sure. Only one more to go!!

Got my appointment for my Breast MRI, why is it that even though they know they are giving my an infusion of a drug that is going to make me sore they have to schedule a Breast MRI where I have to lay still, flat on my stomach for a good half an hour right smack dab in the middle of my worst SE days. I swear they don't see anything but a number on a file sometimes.

Anyways not looking forward to the coming week but I am looking forward to a good Christmas. Hope all of you are going to also have a minimal SE Christmas season. 

Sarah

 

Jerseylicious

LeeAnn...hugs to you and hope u are feeling better...how bad does alll of this stuff suck! Keep us all posted we're all wishing the best for u!

cooka

Yikes Sarah, what timing. Is this your first MRI?  Can you request a pre-op (valium) ? My pcm offered me one before my MRI (I didn't take it but I might if it was during my bad SE week). Good to hear you will be feeling pretty good for Christmas though!

Anonymous

Good morning, 

belle, that is interesting you mentioned scalp pain.  I have had it really bad this time (#4),  The top/back part feels really sensitive and hurts,   Glad to know I am not the only one!  Is that what yours feels like?

Kimberly, is getting port out done in the drs office?  I cannot wait to get mine out!

CJRT, I think I had 50cc each fill, usually once a week,  Pretty much painless at the time, then just uncomfortable after.  I was told they will overfill one side before radiation and maybe even deflate onr side to get good angle.  That will be a very interesting sight!

I have infusion #5 on Monday and my son is graduating from ASU on Friday so I asked if I could move infusion date up a couple days because day 5 I am usually in bed and really sick.  They said no but would put off Nuelasta shot.  It will be interesting to see if that changes much.  So I will take drugs and do my best to make ceremony!

Anyhow, hope everyone has nice weekend,

Sara ♥

belleeast

sarah,hope you have no se this effects this time. i would make sure to take pain meds before the mri just in case. are the texotere se like taxol se?

sara, yes that's exactly like mine plus headache in front of forehead and fogginess, i swear i can't even remember what day it is- chemo brain!!!!  enjoy your son's graduation!!!

lee ann, hope you are feeling better.

CJRT

Lee Ann- So sorry to hear what you have been through. I hope you are feeling better and you get good news soon. Sending you positive thoughts.

Sara- Thanks for the info. Congrats to your son! You must be so proud.

Kimberly- I'm so sorry to hear about your friend.

CJRT

Kimberly- Forgot to share my latest. Apparently, my hair, or lack thereof, is a great source of conversation for random strangers. I finally went hatless/wigless outside of my hosue the morning after my BMX. I have about a 1/4 inch stubble since I have had the chemo break. So the PA for the on-call GS (since mine was off on that Saturday) walks in and says, "Oh wow, you have no hair." To which I say, "Yes, I did half my chemo first." Then, not sure if she caught herself and tried to sound friendly or something, but literally says, "It just makes me want to rub your head." My husband, who tends to be outspoken and sarcastic, luckily did not say anything right then because I would've gotten stressed out thinking about conflict. Maybe I could've told her about that great pixie style I was working on. I really couldn't make this crap up.

Kayrem

Hi everyone

Been off the radar lately as I have been feeling better and getting all my christmas stuff done pre chemo (which is tomorrow). 

Kimberly - Yah!!! You got your port removed!  I am SO living vicariously through you.  I have not even broached the topic with the oncologist yet because it still seems so far away.  Are you doing radiation to or are you all done?  I am glad you liked the Tumeric - liked your idea on how to get it in me (a veggie dip).  Right now I am not eating a ton of raw veggies but once treatment is done it will be back to before treatment levels (probably 6-7 servings fruit and veggies a day).  

Maggie - sorry to hear about your niece - hope it proves to be nothing serious.  Glad to hear your hair is coming back!

LeeAnn - Yikes! I can't believe that you have had to go through so much.  I hope that the GI issues turn out to be nothing too serious.  Yeah ...like you do not have enough on your plate...

SPCMadi - That is actually great that they are giving you an MRI.  I would love one on my breast but no one seems very interested in humoring me.  It does suck that you have to get it done at this point in your treatment but I agree with the other ladies - take a couple of Tylenol 3 and you hopefully you should be okay.  And at the end of the day you will have some good info on how you are doing!

It is funny but all of the triple negative ladies from the US (and now your radiation onc too!) seem to have oncs that appreciate that this type of cancer may be a bit aggressive.  My oncologist, breast surgeon and radiation onc seem to think that it is no biggie and downplay any concerns of mine.  In fact the radiation onc told me I was lucky because it was her2 negative (and as a consequence slower growing).  What a relief! (HIGHLY SARCASTIC!!).  I have been told no further scans or tests going forward as they took the cancer out therefore I am cancer free - the chemo/radiation is simply insurance to pick up any stray cells "that may have gotten through."   I am getting 25 radiation treatments with 5 boosts to the site (so 30 treatments) starting the first week in February.  I suppose the good thing about getting treatment done in January and February is I probably won't care about going out when the weather is so crappy (- 35 with windchill - Yeehaaa).

Cooka - Your chin hair is growing back. Well thats a start!  I finally got fed up yesterday and yanked my one solitary chin hair out! It had grown roughy 1/4 inch while on chemo - I refused to pull it (out of protest) because I was sure I was going to lose it - who knew!  Liked your christmas carol - very appropriate and spoke to me as I also (as of last few weeks) have developed a left twitchy eye - very annoying.

Pinkshirt - Good luck with the new Chemo - I am sure you will do fine.  The unknown is often the worst part and you do have a lot of ladies who can support you through side effects.

I love how people tell me that I am brave and have such a good attitude.  I had one friend tell me that she did not know how I do it and she started to say "I would not be able to do it"  and I cut her off.  I said oh yes you would and you would do whatever they told you you had to do.  And you would do it with a smile on your face so that you would not worry other people that you care about or so that healthcare professionals would be nicer to you, or just because it is hard on your quailty of life to be miserable and scared all the time.  I wonder if I was a bit hard on her I haven't heard from her for a while!

Anyways it is 10:00 AM and I better get dressed and start the day.  We have sugar cookies to bake and gingerbread cookies to decorate.  Hope eveyone has a good week.

Take care

Karen

belleeast

karen, glad you have been feeling good,hope you have a se free chemo tomorrow.

i am impressed with what you told your friend, it is exactly what we all probably  would like to say. you said it so well a lot better than i could, i'll have to remember your words.

belleeast

kimberly, i am so sorry about your friend, hopefully he will rethink about getting treatment.

pain pills helping pain takes edge off but doesn't help scalp pain WTH! nauseated, threw up this morning.

SCPMadi

Kayrem: Thank-you for sharing about your upcoming RADS. It is settling to hear that your Radiation will also be the 3O treatments and not just me getting more than the 25. I am scheduled for 33 starting in Feb. My RAD Onc also said he is being per-cautious due to Triple neg. I am grateful they are taking it into consideration.

This is not my first MRI just my first Breast MRI. I had a full abdominal MRI before Chemo after my CT showed a lesion on my liver which turned out to be caused by years of birth control. I was just caught off guard to hear they wanted the MRI now before radiation and before my Chemo is complete. I don't know about the rest of you but the end of Chemo has brought back some real heightened anxiety for me. I have been feeling tearful and scared again sort of the way I felt prior to starting. My rational brain seems to be taking a rel break, maybe it is the holidays 

So far I am a little tired and having to eat everything in site to stay feeling okay but the muscle and bone ache have not set in. Also my mouth seems to be better this time around with the use of the prescription mouth wash. Hopefully I can avoid the thrush this week. I am still hopeful this round will be better than last I should start to find out tomorrow. 

Hope you are all having a good weekend. 

Sarah

rjbaby69

Hello all.  Hope everyone is doing well tonight.  I have been busy with doing my Christmas shopping that I haven't been on in a little while.

I am having an issue that I wonder if anyone else has had.  Had chemo on December 1 followed by my fluids and neulasta shot on December 2.  Got a really nasty sinus cold and at my onc's visit this last Thursday they prescribed antibiotics.  Okay.  On the Thursday of my onc's visit, I began to itch a little.  Thought very little of it.  Thought maybe my sweatshirt was irritating my skin or something.  Nothing has changed.  Nothing has been out of the ordinary except for the sinus cold.  Left onc's appointment.  By the time I got home, I was so itchy and had red blotches all over my body.  I don't know what is causing this but I am still itching today and it is Sunday!  I have been taking benadryl and I know it was not the antibiotics because I didn't get them and start taking them until Friday.  Has anyone else had this experience?  What else can I do except call the onc's office tomorrow?  Help! 

Karen:  I loved what you told your friend.  That is how I feel sometimes and sometimes I just get tired of hearing how good I look and how well I'm doing (really?).  Was talking to a friend the other day at Wal-Mart and she told me that if she ever found out she had cancer, she wouldn't want to know.  She went on to tell me that she knew she wouldn't want treatment and would just want to go on.  She told me that she didn't really have a reason to try to live because she didn't have Randy anymore (her husband died of a heart attack a few years back) and her son didn't care whether she was here or not.  She told me she admired me and my strength because I had my grandbabies and my girls to live for and she had nothing.  I just thought and still think to myself how sad for this person and how very blessed that I have such a wonderful network of friends and what little family I have left that love me and want me to pull through.  I really and truly hope nothing like this ever happens to her because to me she is worthy and cared about whether she thinks so or not.

Kimberly:  You may have already answered this but how long after chemo did you get your port taken out?  I know that I had my annual mammogram scheduled for January but my BS didn't want me to keep it.  He said his office would take care of making my appointment when the time came.  Then it dawned on me that I can't have a mammogram with a port still in me!  Duh!  My last chemo is December 22 so I was just wondering how long you had to wait.  I don't know if they will do radiation with a port still in me or not.  If not, then I am assuming I will have the port out sometime in January.

I am getting so excited! I just love this time of year. My grandson and I have all our decorations done inside and out and we are anxiously anticipating Santa Claus' arrival. Oh how I love the look in those precious children's eyes on Christmas morning. 

Hope you all have a wonderful SE-free week!

HUGS!