March 2012 chemo

MichelleMassey

My MO makes me take 3 different antibiotics every 2 weeks while I'm on A/C. He says it's protocol. I take cipro, diflucan, and valtrex. It sucks taking all these pills but I haven't had any issues with infection.

journey4life

I'm starting to wonder whose "protocol" it is. Seems like, while all of us have some similarities, the "protocols" vary by state and country. Hmmm...guess it doesn't really matter as long as we all survive this hateful disease!

Good thing for today: I have a little more energy today than yesterday, we got some much-needed rain last night and when I get home from work, I think I'll sit outside and enjoy the evening!

MichelleMassey

I would kill for some energy today! I don't know why but I feel guilty when I lay up in the bed all day. I don't have a fever but I've been cold to. Uugghhh! It's a gorgeous day I might just go sit in the sun. Sunscreen on the bald head of course...;)

kltb04

Lisa - hope that infection clears up in time for TX...that is what happened to me right before chemo with the SNB site infection.  I couldn't start until it cleared up. Glad that y'all got some rain -we got some last week and we needed it.

RE: Antibiotics - so weird how some prescribe them prophylactically.  My MO doesn't...she did have me take them a full week after my infection was gone and the blood culture was clear and wanted to make sure I had a prescription on hand (which happened to be doxyclycline) in case I were to be in a situation where she could consult about an infection over the phone and then start me on them immediately.

Michelle - so are you every 2 weeks - or 3 weeks for each cycle? (I get so confused, lol)  I'm A/C too but if you are every 2 weeks that might be the reason for the antibiotics.  Or it could just be that every MO does everything differently!!  And don't feel guilty - I do that too so I really can't talk but our bodies need the rest.  I would lie down for awhile and watch a show and get up for a minute and do something today but yesterday I just crashed and didn't move til bedtime.  The bad thing is that when I am tired like that, I don't feel like doing anything - watching TV/reading/sleeping, I am just tired and irritable.

Cucho

Not sure about Neulasta..I have had 2 treatments so far and am about to go for my 3rd and I have not used it yet. One MO I saw uses it from the get go, but the one I finally settled on doesnt use it unless it becomes necessary for the individual patient...which is apparently more likely on the Taxotere part of the treatment (the last 3) that on the first 3 of FEC. So far I have been very fortunate to be feeling very well (knock on wood). My WBCs fell to 3.1 but this was not considered low enough to use Neulasta and I did not develop fever or infection...  

Myleftboob

baldeagle12

Sending out healing vibes for you foot!!

tripleM

I like Y & R and Coronation Street.  Have watched these two for years.  You're right though you can be out of the loop for years and totally catch up!  Good news is I can catch them at night with time shifting so I'm not tied to time.

klt

I know sleep will elude me tonight too due to the pre TX steroids. Movie time tonight for sure.

Had my bloodwork done and meeting scheduled with my MO.  Had to see the more senior one today as mine was off.  I was looking forward to meeting him, have heard alot of good things about him not that I'm unhappy with mine though.

Anyway, long story short, he is very outspoken and has been there forever.  He's looking at my chart and after chatting I advise him that I have another meeting scheduled next week with the RO to discuss RADS. He asked who told me I need RADS.  I tell him the RO last January when I first came to oncology.   I did tell him that my research thus far with my pathology I can't see why its being recommended but I would meet with her out of courtesy. As it stands right now I am 95% not consenting to it unless she can give me compelling evidence why its even on the table. He totally agreed with me!!  He said he would NEVER recommend RADs in my case. EVER!!!

He seemed a little disappointed that my regular RO didn't say the same.  I told him he seemed a little more politically correct than him and basically it was between me and my RO.  He says "I don't do politically correct" LOL!!

Any keeping the meeting but as it stands after tommorow its just Herceptin and Taxoxifen.  I am beyond happy now.  I can also now start shopping plastic surgeons for recon.

I am however still going to be checking on all of you regularly even after I'm done chemo because I want to know how all of you are getting along.  Plus I just plain enjoy your cyber company!!

Masserz

Nice story for today...I wore my wig today for once to chemo and was chatting with the lady across from me. I told her I had breast cancer and was on my third treatment and she said, "wow! At least you haven't lost your hair!". Made my day.

Bev_22

Hey Marchers

I love trying to catch up on everyone. So many new people and i have been missing.  I have had 5 chemo treatments. blood tranfusions and iron infusion. I have a wig that I wore to a Easter egg hunt with my extended family .(about 60 people)  Several of my family asked when I would be starting chemo.  On actually said it would be a shame to lose my hair it was so pretty.  I loved that.  The bad part is I do not like to wear it longer than 3 or 4 hours. 

I have ordered several caps, turbans and picked up some scarves at a local discount store for 3.99.  I change out my scarves to match my cap and cloths.  The girls I work with are loving it.

I went into a local cafe with my cap and scarf on and the lady at the cafe asked me ifI was riding a motorcycle. I looked at her confused and said nooooo my car is outside. She said she thought I might be riding since I had on a cap and scarf. I am a 56 year old mother of 4 and grandmother of 4, We have had a big laugh over this.

My 22 year old said Go MOM!

We are not always seen as victims but as rebels.

I may not show up very often but I am reading and loving the updates.

Adjusting to my new normal. I can do this.

Bev 

MichelleMassey

Kilt - I'm every 2 weeks for 2 more tx then start taxol weekly x 12 weeks.



Thought I would fill you guys in on what was supposed to be a day of being in bed. Went downstairs to get a drink and the back door was open which the dogs can get in the house if it's left open. They saw me and came barreling in. Mom, dad, and 2 pups. Needless to say the stench of skunk filled the house immediately! So picture my bald a@$ running around, trying not to vomit, screaming for my brother, all while trying to chase 4 skunk infested dogs out. Then I ran around and sprayed febreeze for 30 minutes. So much for rest!

onvacation

MLB - wow how cool would it be if you were done!  I will be doing a happy dance for you!  I hope people still come back to this thread after they finish!  I still have a long way to go since I'm doing 6 treatments, but hope to visit here for a while!

Hope everyone has a wonderful restful evening! 

Masserz

MLB that will be SO awesome if you don't have to do rads! I will be keeping my fingers crossed!

kltb04

MLB that would be great!



Masserz and Bev - nice stories on the wigs! And too funny Bev about the motorcycle or lack thereof. My dad enjoys going places in his full riding leathers just to see how people react.



Michelle - o.m.g. You are apparently being punished with bad skunk karma from us all mocking my dead skunk yesterday.

Myleftboob

Skunks are quite the theme this week!  Tis the season though isn't it.

I'm definaltey not doing RADS.  I was already 95% there on my own prior to today as it was through the reasearch I've been doing with my pathology.  I've had a MX, no node involvment, super duper margins.  There's nothing left to radiate.  In the end the benefit had to outweigh the risks.  It doesn't.  Having this Sr. MO vocalize it without me saying a word was the nail in the coffin as far as the decision goes.   

MichelleMassey

Yah kilt - I was blaming you when it happened! Although it was hard to cuss or anything with my eyes watering and nose running!

CAYH

Congratulations MLB - hope all goes super today!  Glad to hear you'll be sticking around some, in this short time I've been hanging around here, I feel "close" to you already.

For those of you who've been put on antibiotics:  ask you docs about taking probiotics in conjunction with them.  Do some research on that, too...

Am reading daily to try to keep up here, just nuthin' much to say 'cause things are going well with moi - love to laugh along with you gals! 

maginutah

Going in for round #2 of TCH today, and can't sleep (perhaps the pre-tx steroid?).  Round #1 was okay for a couple days and then the bone pain kicked in.  Ouch!!  Had the Neulasta shot about 12 hours after bone pain kicked in.  Tx was on a Friday, thus the Neulasta shot on Monday.  This time I've been given an Rx narcotic to assist, as OTC was doing nothing.  Note:  I am not on any prophylactic antibiotic for any chemo tx.  My counts were great at last Friday's draw.  I think that I'm liking my port, which was placed immediately prior to my first tx (otherwise I would have had to wait for site to heal).  I'm liking the wig stories.  I ordered one from a catalog, but am sending it back.  Ugh.  I went to a wig store early week and should have my wig here today!!  Hopefully it will work for me...should, as it cost much more.  I plan to wear it only occasionally, otherwise I'm GI Jane around the house (still sporting some little stubbles after cut from my 16-year-old son and clip from sweet hubby a few days ago).  My scalp was sore prior to the cut (I have long, thick hair), so now am feeling rather comfortable, but look scary. 

onvacation

Good morning ladies!  Happy Friday!  Good luck to all having treatment today!

IndigoMont11

Oh, no, triplem!!!! We tend to have a skunk problem in our area too - actually we have all kinds of urban wildlife around here including raccoons and coyotes, too, but while I'm not crazy about them at least they don't smell.  Years ago, not long after we got our older dog, she tangled with a skunk twice one summer in the back yard, got both barrels in the face both times.  The first time we managed to clean her up and figured out how to get rid of the smell (hint: do not do tomato juice on long-haired dogs! We used dish soap and a teeny bit of peroxide - it didn't bleach her fur but did get the smell out), but the second time she ended up with an eye infection and we had to take her to the vet.  Poor thing - she learned not to mess with them ever again after that.

So far this spring, I haven't noticed any  skunks yet - hoping with our dry winter they've taken off somewhere else.  I feel your pain though, that smell is so awful you can even taste it! - did the Febreeze work??? Omg.

You all might be on top of this already but in case not - Walmart has Hanes T-shirts for 4.99 apiece in all kinds of really pretty colors - both primary type colors and earthier ones.  I picked up four of them to make T-shirt head wraps with.  They are the fitted kind so I'm hoping a large size will work.  

I'm off shortly to treatment #1.  Drinking water so I hopefully get a good stick (not like the day of my surgery!) Thanks to all your input and answers to my questions, I'm as ready as I can be.  Taking my goodie bag, DS#1 and laptop (we're going to watch Bridesmaids).  Love to all and hoping for minimal SEs for us all.

Msbelle

How do you make a head wrap out of a t-shirt? Sounds like it would be so comfortable.

KCB

I just googled t-shiirt headwraps and found some tutorials on YouTube. Cool. Easy. If I knew how to post a link I would./p>

kltb04

DH has tons of tshirts so I want to try that too.  There were instructions in a booklet I got from LGFB but good to know its on youtube KCB, hadn't even thought of that.  Helps to see it being done.

Indigo - good luck!  Love Bridesmaids - it's hilarious...so are you not going to have a port?  I can't recall how many treatments you are getting.  Keep us posted.

maginutah - yeah, my wigs look real pretty - on the wig stands in the closet where they stay!  My halo should be here today and if that doesn't work out, then I am going to resign myself to scarves and hats for the summer.  Good luck on round #2.

One more skunk story, not me, but my BFF in high school - they lived in town but one night her dad came out and confronted one in the yard - he freaked out and banged it over the head and it went under their house and DIED!  They had to have an exterminator come out to remove it and their entire house fumigated - her clothes smelled for months.  Not like skunk but just a perfumey/disinfectant smell.  It was ironic because she and her mom were always very prim and proper, had to have the best furniture, clothes, etc and that skunk just screwed their world up!

Just another day of same old, same old here.  Going to do some ironing and then if I get really industrious, at least wipe down the bathrooms.  I really need to CLEAN clean - like windows, sills, baseboards, but I just can't see myself doing that anytime soon.  Have youngest DD home - I heard a scream last night and flew out the door to the back yard as oldest DD was running in.  She was jumping on the trampoline on one leg??? and twisted her knee somehow.  DH was going to take her to the dr but it isn't swollen or anything so we just wrapped it and are going to keep an eye on it this weekend and then reevaluate. So she is laid up on the couch with her leg propped up.

kltb04

I posted this on another separate thread but thought I would share here too...the following link is to a site with a story that is applicable and was shared with me by a friend who has a daughter with profound disabilities but by tweaking it, I think it is very applicable to our lives now.  Things are different. Whether we are stage I or IV, regardless of the type of surgery, chemo, rads, whatever, I think we can all agree that our lives are changed.  And it is hard to accept that change and the fact that life may not be what we thought it would be...just read...it should open as a link.

Welcome to Holland

Sissydi

Wow, that was beautifully written ktlb! It certainly makes me reflect; good comes from all circumstances, even if we have to strain our eyes a while to find it!

MichelleMassey

That was awesome klt! Very fitting.  I'm going to have to get me a sign for the door that says Welcome to Holland.  (might explain all the crazy people in here

kltb04

I especially like the line "And you meet a whole new group of people you never would have met."

MichelleMassey

Exactly! Amen to that!

onvacation

Klt04- great story, thanks for posting!

MichelleMassey

Indigo - good luck with tx 1. It's not as scary as we all thought it would originally be. If you have any questions afterwards were all here to help you.

MichelleMassey

A quick funny for you guys. I was explaining to my daughter how quick it is to bathe now without having to shave or wash hair anymore. She said " geez mom, why even waste the water. Just have dad squirt some dish soap on you and hose you off!". LMAO!

Masserz

Kltb, thank you for posting that! I was fully prepared to cry, but instead I feel really uplifted! Thank you!