Sept 2012 chemo

Amy4978

Chemo was packed today I have never seen it so busy! I have afeeling these last 3 treatments are gonna be hard ones... Im over it.

My MO says my tumor is not palpable so thats a plus.. I am going to see a PS tomorrow morning for a consult and I'm wondering if any of you have info on reconstruction before or after radiation. What are you doing and why? Still torn on a choice bmx or lumpectomy but I think after these consults it will become clear to me.

jojo2373

Wendy, thanks for that info. I was never told of that SE either.



Well after much thought and discussion today with my BS, I decided on the lumpectomy with SNB. My tumor did not show up on my MRI today and was very small on ultrasound. Amazing after measuring 6.7 at start of chemo. My nodes had shrunk but were still slightly swollen. My BS was very caring and with radiation being required for both bmx and lumpectomy, my choice came to me today. Long term, who knows as there are no guarantees for any of us. I also agreed to donate my tumor to research once removed, clearly I don't want to keep it. Surgery is Jan 7. Part 2 of this 3 part journey coming soon.

Hopex3

Jojo: That is great news about your tumor shrinking so much. I have an MRI in a week and hope I have such good results as you! And your surgery is right around the corner. I can't wait for all this to be behind us and we have hair!!

Hopex3

Any of you on Taxol ever get sharp pains right underneath your boobs? Feels almost like I'm getting a side ache.

Amy4978

Great News Jojo... I hope after I speak with a few PS and my BS my choice will comne to me as well... Keep us posted!

For those of you who are interested I found a blog from a woman who went thru dbl BMX and she has posted several videos to show the process and it gave me great insite and answered questions If you are interested it is..

CourageIsMyStrengthblog.com you can also find her on youtube...

Mariposa123

Congratulations Jojo!   Amazing how much it has shrunk.  It gives me lots of hope, since mine was also a big tumor.   So glad we both were given the option of neoadjuvant chemo.   I will be sending you lots of positive healing energy on January 7th.  Sounds like you have made a good decision for yourself.  I can't wait to talk with my surgeons and know more about what they are dealing with.

Amy: here is to no SE! I imagine that it would be busy after Christmas!  I almost considered doing it today rather than last Friday - just so I would feel good for Christmas.  (Kind of wish I had)

Hope everyone is doing well!

 

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Amy4978

Almost forgot I heard a song today that brought a tear to my eye sometimes a song just hits home... if your interested its sung by Racheal Cantu "Devils Thunder" You can find it on Youtube as well...

Amy4978

Thanks Mariposa I should be good till friday atleast thats when the body aches and vicodin kick in lol.... Oh the joys ; )

jojo2373

Hopex, Mariposa, and Amy - hope your choice comes clearly to you too. My biggest struggle was of course local recurrence and ongoing mamm's, but there is a equal chance it wont recur in the same breast and I get to keep my breast! With mamm's continuing, we all will have many tests routinely the rest of our lives so adding another was not a concern. Good luck with your appts.

whenlifegivesyoulemons

Amy,

Thanks for sharing the song, and the blog.  I was glad I scanned a few of her posts - who knew about all those potential surgical complications?  Clearly not me.  Groan.  I just want it to be over so the thought of dealing with surgical complications like she had leaves me thinking I need to spend a lot more time researching and talking with the plastics people.  

whenlifegivesyoulemons

Does anyone else feel like breast cancer is like having a second job?  A job whose qualifications you don't really come remotely close to meeting?  Stages and grades, ER, PR, Her2, scans, ports and chemo (neo-adjuvant or not), drugs and side effects, participating in studies, understanding options, knowing when to ask questions, knowing when to push back, recurrence, survival stats, nodes, surgical options, radiation, understanding the world of plastics, how to pick a doc, etc, etc, etc.  

Amy4978

Jojo..thanks I hope so to!

Whenlife...you are most welcome, I have spent countless hours

Researching surgery on top of it all so yes second job indeed!



Off to bed took 100mg benadryl MO approved in hopes of sleep since I took steroids today and have to get up at 6am for my appt..... He goes giving my best to rest!

Foreverchanged72612

Whenlife: omg! It's totally like a second job! When I was on weekly Taxol and Herceptin treatments I got a call from my health insurance questioning the doctor's recommendation that I go on long term disability. Couldn't I just go down to part-time hours? When I explained all the research, phone calls and driving I was doing (my treatment is two hours away from where I live) plus having three boys ages 7, 4 and 18 months she was like, "ok, you're approved!"

Amy: I am opting for bmx. My surgeon (plus original surgeon I met with) says I need a mx at minimum. He didn't think I needed a bmx but said you can't put a price on peace of mind. Then I met with a plastic surgeon and he said he wanted to put tissue expanders in right away on the right side (no cancer) but leave the left side alone because of radiation. Recon would be done at same time at least 6 months down the road. To be honest, I haven't made my final decision on recon yet. I don't have to finalize that until Jan 9, though. 

allurbaddayswillend

Amy and jojo, such awesome news!

lemons, oh god yes. I already have a 2nd job of eating glutenfree & celiac knowledge so I actually let myself chill out on this one a little bit for me. normally I would be totally obsessive (aspie) about the details about this but it was so overwhelming that I finally let myself accept the advice of Drs. Drs! for heaven's sake. When Drs had missed my celiac for years. it's complicated emotionally for me (as it is for most of us...)

Amy4978

Dr Ford the PS I chatted with says As long as I get the okay from my BS I am a good.candidate for NS/SKIN sparing! I am thinking this is the route I will take using a product called alloderm which when you look it up is kinda crazy cause its from cadavers... But The choice is becoming more clear to me, still not sure which PS I will use. I have another appt on Jan 8th.

Hope all of you are well and relaxing!

jojo2373

Lemons, i research each day so totally agree. Had my pre-surgery bloodwork and they are doing the CA27-29 tumor marker test. More now to add to my homework!



Amy - knew you would know! hugs!

bearcub

JoJo that I great news about the shrinkage...healing time for the lumpectomy will be probably much quicker and easier. Good luck on the 7th.

whenlifegivesyoulemons

Jojo - My MO hasn't mentioned anything about a CA27-29 tumor marker test.  Can I ask how you/your MO came to the decision to run this test, what information you hope it will provide and whether you had reservations about the test?    

Hopex3

I'm in the big girl chair having my last chemo today!

jojo2373

Lemons I believe he added to my blood work since I am donating tumor to research. However it will be my baseline for future blood work to monitor for elevations

Timbek2

Way to go Hope! Ring that bell!!!

bearcub

Yes, Hope....ring that bell loud!...congrats!

Amy4978

So happy for you hopex! You made it.... Congrats



Someone on here mentioned a great lotion to use during radiaton I was hoping you could tell me again what it is so I wont have to scroll thru all the posts.... Thanks

Melrosemelrose

Amy4978- You might try Miaderm radiation relief ointment--- http://miaderm.com/.  Although I did not have rads, this was recommended to me by several people who used it and by a radiology nurse.  You can get it on the internet--http://www.amazon.com/Miaderm-Cancer-Radiation-Treatment-Protects/dp/B004TB9SFE .  it was also suggested to use Aquafor ointment that you can buy at Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc.    Good luck with the rads!!!

Mariposa123

Yipppee Hopex!!!   Big Congratulations and super big hugs:-)  You did it!

Amy:  The women in my support group swear by biofine... but they also say that anything with calendula is super good as well.  My parents sent me some miaderm for Christmas (which is made for use during radiation) .  It has some pretty good reviews on Amazon. 

Funny story- I have a very sweet old student who sent me a care package a month ago.  It was full of cookies and treats and a small bag full of lollipops.  She told me to make sure that I kept the lollipops away from the kids because they were specifically for me.  I thanked her for everything and put the lollipops in the cupboard.  She mentioned the lollipops several times - but I was too dense to understand what she was talking about.  Yesterday I figured it out.  The are "high mountain" lollipops.  I tried one out yesterday when I was feeling super nauseous us.  They worked great!  They didn't make me feel loopy or anything.  It just took away the nausea and took the edge off a bit.  Glad I didn't share them with my children! 

I am thinking about leaving the house today.  My son has croup- so whether  I stay home or go out, my immune system will be tested.   Hope everyone has a great day today with some energy and no SE!

 

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Amy4978

Mariposa glad you brought up calendula cream I contacted a old school friend of mine who is a radiologist and he recommended calendula cream and wanted all the girls to know about it!

Its actually made from the marigold flower.

Foreverchanged72612

Mariposa: OMG!! Laughing about the lollipops!! Wish I could have one right now. Nausea is still with me and the fatigue...ugh.

Toastiecat

Hello beautiful ladies,

Congrats to the gals finishing chemo! It's a big step.

Mariposa, that story is too funny!

I've been a little down in the dumps lately...and by a little, I mean a lot. I keep having all these dreams that my hair has grown back! Seems very cruel of my brain. Does anyone else feel like it's never coming back? I know it will...but I am just SO bald, it seems like all that scalp could never get filled in no matter what.

With no hair, no period, and mishapen boobs, my shopping trips have changed a lot. No more clothes, I've officially become a shoe girl! I gasp over them like I never did before. Shoes are pretty incredible. They can make you feel sexy. They don't make you feel fat. Love it.

jojo2373

Hopex, big hug! Congrats.



I met with my anesthesiologist today. He said breast surgery is a low risk surgery. Finally something that is low risk!



It was funny though - he said he had some great new med to help with the nausea I always get after but was very expensive. I said, oh you mean Emend? he said yes you heard of it? I took off my hat and showed him my head and said yes, neoadjuvant chemo duh!

Mariposa123

Love that story JoJo!  I have lots of fantasies about showing people my bald head - like this guy at the mall who kept wanting to help "do my hair"... I had this fantasy of me handing him my wig and saying I will be back in ten minutes to pick it up:-)  Of course,  I didn't do it.  I just smiled and said no thank you.

Toastiecat:  Shoes are great:-)  Only for me, I love boots but my legs are so swollen- I am too fat for nice boots!  This is all temporary.  We will all get past this, have beautiful hair, start having the energy necessary to work out, and feel more "normal".   It is so hard though- I have periods of some super depression too.  I go back and forth about this year.  Was it the most unlucky year in the world?  Or was it the luckiest- because they found this tumor in time for me to get rid of it?   I guess it is all a matter of perspective. 

My hair looks silly.  I have some long gray hairs popping up everywhere and then lots of little black hairs.  It definitely is growing, but not sure if it will fall out again next week since I restarted chemotherapy.  Hoping it sticks around.  It feels really good when I rub my head though:-) 

Wish I could send all of you a lollipop! 

 

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