Sept 2012 chemo

Cherioo

Faithfortwo I second what Amy said . You will be cancer free . Hang in there

Waitingforthenextstep

Terri07-11

            I am half way done with 12 taxol treatments and soon will be referred for radiation therapy.  I too am not happy about the number of treatments, it seems to excessive.  I do know that Hayley Mills actually DID have surgery and chemotherapy.  There will be a story about her breast cancer journey in the February issue of Good Housekeeping.  

Waitingforthenextstep

Cherioo

           Did the TE's always hurt, or just since you started radiation?

Cherioo

Waiting I have not started rads yet. I just moved over a week ago and I think I did something then . It just feels like they are more in my armpit . I called my PS and have an appointment Monday . My last chemo was pushed back to Wed then Friday I get fitted at radiation

whenlifegivesyoulemons

Englishrose – Can't stand that hospital smell either, but I'd never connected it with boiled cabbage.  Hope that association doesn't stay with me the next time I'm eating boiled cabbage!

Amy – Hoping for great results from your ultrasound.

Jojo - Thinking about you today.  

Toastiecat and Mariposa- After about 10 Taxol treatments my nails started to darken about mid-way up the nail.  Now, about 6 weeks after my last Taxol that darkening has turned brownish- orange.  Pretty gross.  They're tender, and it seems like every little bump pulls the nail away from the nail bed so that the white tip of the nail extends well into the middle part of the nail - like the weirdest looking French manicure imaginable.  I've filed my nails so short in hopes they don't catch on anything and yet it keeps happening.  Anyone know if this means the nails are coming off?  Does tape really help? 

Hopex3

You know, this BC sucks! All the SE's we have to go though and then the loss of fingernails and toenails. It's not fair! After we all go through this, we should be awarded with beautiful thick hair, glowing skin, Healthy beautiful bodies, no bills, lots of money so we can travel to see all of our "new friends" and longevity of life.

jojo2373

Hi Ladies, all went well. Spending the night in hospital, will update you soon. Thanks for all the prayers and support, couldn't have done it without you all.

EnglishRose75

PatinMN: Interested to hear that you had some SEs crop up after finishing chemo.  I had no neuropathy during the Taxotere, and now two of my fingers on my non cancer side are numb.  Not sure if I should be worried about this.

fight4two: A comforting hug to you.  Hang in there.

EnglishRose75

Yay, jojo.  Glad all went well.  Must feel good to have the remnants of the little sucker out!

allurbaddayswillend

Terri, my oncotype score was 33 (or 32 or 34, I rounded it in my brain to "one-in-three-chance-of-recurrence") so even though I had no node involvement found, I got chemo and rads - the works. I've done 22 of 30 rads so far. Yes, the treatments are harsh and tough but so far, for me, the rads are not nearly as bad as the chemo.  I'm also on tamoxifen, have been since Nov 28th, 2012, and while I may not be feeling all the side effects yet, it is not as bad as chemo so far either. I feel like when I'm facing fear of treatments, the only thing I tell myself that works is, "I will try." There is no guarantee that any single one of us will be able to tolerate a particular treatment. Congratulate yourself that you made it through chemo! good job! that is not easy and not everyone can finish it either physically or mentally through no fault of their own. If you don't do rads, you have still done a HUGE thing to kick cancer's ass!

fight4two, mixed news though great! to hear that the lymph nodes are not showing anymore cancer.  As many said before, the MRIs aren't the be-all-and-end-all of determining tumor size. My tumor was a different size than was guessed at at my mammo and at my MRI. good luck with your decision.

My feet are killing me. It really seems like it's a latent SE from chemo to me because I wasn't really on my feet all that much the last couple of days. and even though I don't have the nail discoloration, a couple of my toenails - the big ones mostly - still ache sometimes. It seems weird since the nails were not my worst SE during chemo. I'm 7 weeks PFC...

Hopex3

JoJo....Good to hear from you and that everything went well!! Yay!!



Allurbadday...my feet were hurting a lot so I would soak them in Epsom salts and that felt good. Also, would make DH rub them! They feel ok now except my toes are numb. Fingernails seem to be good for now.

patriciahurtado

Jojo I'm so happy that everything went well..,

Dakota212

Allurbadays -

Question. I had an onco type of 32 and i am also doing chemo. R u doing rads cuz of the lumpectomy or cuz of the onco type. Just curious. I had BMX. I am not sure about rads yet.

whenlifegivesyoulemons

Like or not we are all in a unique position to connect to the notion of vulnerability. But have you given it much thought - what vulnerability is, how you feel about it, whether you try to control it, or embrace it?  I hadn't until I watched this TED Talk, by Brene Brown, on the Power of Vulnerability.  Really made me think.  It's about 15 minutes.  Give a listen, it's worth the time investment.

http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

damiana9

Jojo- glad things went well!

Whenlife- your nails don't look terrible.  I have seen some that are VERY dark red at the base- I imagine those will have more problems than nails that look like yours.    I have a few lines on mine that look about like yours do- I am hoping they are okay!

Tomorrow I go in for my herceptin infusion.  I am actually EXCITED about it.  First of all- no crazy steroids! wooohooo!  Plus the day will be much shorter, and I am really curious to see the difference of just herceptin (and also my study drug)  vs. the chemo. 

PatinMN

EnglishRose, me too on the numbness, but just one big toe.  It cropped up about 15 days PFC, so now I am back taking glutamine and B6.  It seems to be getting better.  Also - I have arthritic knees and hands, and while getting chemo the steroids actually helped with that.  Now that the steroids have left my system, the arthritis is back - worse than before chemo and not as well controlled with the tylenol and glucosamine/chondroitin that I've been taking for years.  I have problems getting up from a chair and getting going...and it sounds like once I start on tamoxifen these issues will get worse!  Ugh.

Jojo -  Hooray for being done with surgery!  Hope all is well and you get out of the hospital asap.

Mariposa123

Jojo:  I am so glad that you are done with surgery!!!  Hope you are getting lots of rest and love:-)

I got this today from the appleseed project- it is an online conference about  thriving after cancer and it is free.  So, I thought I would pass it on to you!

http://cancertelesummit.com/

Hope everyone is having a great day

 

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jojo2373

Home from the hospital. Feeling good considering. I am going to try sleep some since none was gotten in the hospital. Then I will milk my drain,,yuck.

Amy4978

Jojo so glad u are home!



Went to see my BS today and the ultra sound was good she only sees a tiny tumor she said she isn't sure if its dead tumor but all looks great! I discussed with her my deciding to have a dbl mx and asked if I would be a good candidate for skin and nipple sparing. She said yes on skin sparing but wants me to understand that we wont know if she can save my nipples until I am in surgery. During they will biopsy the back of them and if it comes back cancer free I can keep them... If not bye bye nipples!

On top of this she has to make sure I have enough space from my nipple to the cancer 2cm so I have an MRI on the 23rd to have better imaging.

Its looking like my surgery will be the first week of Feb. Its coming fast! Excited but scared at the same time.... Betting this is a very normal reaction but gonna try and not stress.

Faith-Focus-Finish

Cheerio - I have tissue expanders too.  They have not moved (and they should not move).  You should call your PS right away to have him/her check it out. 

whenlifegivesyoulemons

Amy - Good news about your ultrasound.  And it sounds like you've got a plan, and the possibility that you can save those nipples.  The breast tissue I can live without, but it's the nipples I'll miss the most.  

I should be right behind you with surgery, mid-Feb I'm guessing, and I don't yet have my plan nailed down completely so I'm starting to stress about that.  

Faith-Focus-Finish

Cheerio - PS:  my PS also stopped 'fills' because of chemo.  They are very uncomfortable and annoying, but not painful anymore.  I had my original surgery July 19.

Amy4978

Whenlife... It will be strange if they take mine but from what I see they can make some pretty nice fips lol

I was a lil frazzled to but after today I do feel better I'm def a organized kinda woman! Are you getting TEs

patriciahurtado

Jo I'm so happy your home ... Get some rest.....



Amy I'm glad you that you made up your mind about surgery ....



I remembered that you and Jo were just starting your chemo and I was so scared when I joined ... I was getting my port and u guys guys walked me through everything and remembering cherioo doing her list that no one wanted to join ... Lol... And now you guys are talking about surgeries....... I'm si happy this will be behind us... I'll be there soon to scary but it's gone so fast...,





All my ladies that have joined here are so brave and strong im so happy I have you all to chat to....,



I will have my 7 taxol on Friday getting closer ....

whenlifegivesyoulemons

Amy - Sounds like you're on top of things.  More so than me.  Might need to send a question or two your way.  My first and only meeting with the surgeon and PS was before chemo so I think I'm still leaning towards TE.  Before chemo my options were pretty limited so we'll see whether things have changed when I meet with the surgeon next week.   

Faith-Focus-Finish

Congrats Jojo – you’re done with surgery!!  Still sending prayers your way.  : )

I’d like to share on the Taxol/nail issue. The last few weeks that I was receiving Taxol, my finger and toe nails started to hurt.  Even just resting a sheet on my toes is painful.  I have difficulty opening things, buttoning my blouse. Since first starting treatment in Sept., I cut my nails short and have kept them short.  This seems to have helped.  I asked my MO about preventive measures and she said there was none.  I am just about 3 weeks PFC and I have the same issue with my nails.  There is one exception.  My thumb nail now feels like a car door shut on it.  It is very painful.  I asked about taking vitamin B6 and she said it was okay (to take it).  I am also adding the Juven powder to my drinks and a few days ago started taking Biotin.  So far, no nail separation.

Mariposa – Glad to hear you and DH had some good, quality time together.  Maybe this is a chance for a new beginning?

Fight4two – That is good news about the node and it’s a good thought about any floaters.  Prepare as much as you can prior to surgery; it will be here before you know it and then it will all be behind you.  Please talk with your BS about the removal of (many) lymph nodes and lymphedema.  If you have not already talked about this with your BS, now is the time to and what it may mean for you. 

PatinMN – What else has cropped us since you stopped chemo?

Terri07-11 – Hang in there!  You are not alone with this.  Know you are doing whatever you can to beat this.  Please don’t read about every side effect.  It will cause you to second guess yourself and we should not do that.  It is not healthy.  My DH also asks me not to read too much – he thinks it’s too upsetting to me.  I view it as an opportunity for me to gain as much knowledge as I can.  It helps me formulate the questions for my doctors, prepares me on what I may experience, etc.  I too know about Robin Roberts and have wondered what damage AC has done to my body … take things one at a time.  Have Faith.  : )

Damiana9 – Good luck tomorrow.  I hope all goes well.

Amy – Great news about your ultrasound! 

Amy & Lifegivesyou – I had a double MX and had the expanders placed at the same time.  I received PS referrals from my BS. I spoke with two of them prior to surgery and discussed all options.  You may want to do the same.    I asked my BS who she would choose if she were going to have this procedure done.  She told me her thoughts.  It was the PS I had chosen.  You have a lot of follow-up with your PS.  You need to be comfortable with them and their office staff.  I meet with my PS at the end of this month to re-start the ‘fills’ again.  He stopped doing this during chemo. 

Hugs : )))

Amy4978

Whenlife... I will be doings TEs also... I was lost with my choices so I asked my BS to set me up with a cpl of PS she works closely with. I then did lots of research and went in with a load of questions. After these appts my choice was clear to me. I feel better now that the game plan is drawn out. One thing I heard to ask was if I could be fully expanded before rads since it is so hard on your skin and they gave me the go!



Patricia... Yea time is flying cant believe I've had my dx since Aug 22! We are on the fast track to being healthy happier woman... Feel free to shoot me any questions Thats what we are here for to hold each others hands, lend shoulders, and give pep talks when needed. : )

cgesq

Cheerio,

I had a bmx with reconstruction at the same time. I had TEs put in and was filled to 540 cc during the procedure, and have chosen not to have any more fills. Sometimes, at night, if I lie flat on my back, it feels like the TEs move upwards on my chest and when I sit up, it takes them a few seconds to readjust to their correct position. I think its just that gravity isn't forcing them into position when I'm lying flat.

If yours don't move back to where you think they should be, call your PS. Something may not be right.

Good luck!

Foreverchanged72612

Oh my goodness! You leave the boards for one small minute then suddenly you're behind 6 pages!! LOL! Actually, on January 1 ("yay" 2013...dripping with sarcasm) I had a fever come on. I went into the ER and after waiting interminably they sent me home just telling me to take tylenol. Umm, ok. The doctor said it was likely viral. Two days later (Jan 3) fever was still there so my DH and I went back to the hospital ER. They admitted me to an isolation unit, took a flu swab (did anyone else know that to do a flu swab they literally stick a stick up your nose so far they hit the tear ducts?!?), did an x-ray and found that I don't have the flu but I do have pneumonia. So iv antibiotics were started. I thought I would be in overnight and that's all. But then my WBC started dropping...and dropping. I was kept overnight and then again the next night. So on Jan. 6 I was given a shot of neupogen - first one I've had since starting chemo. Holy, man! Bone pain. I think that was worse than the chills, fever and cough from the pneumonia!! But, it certainly did the trick. My WBC went from 1.8 to 6 literally overnight. I was discharged yesterday (7th). Oh, and the other thing that started happening on Jan. 3? My hair finally started to come out. I've been so lucky to have kept my hair since September but with this new treatment (FEC) my hair finally gave up. And it started coming out. In chunks. While I was in my isolation unit. I was like a shedding dog. The only thing I had with me was a buff to cover my head but it was no match for a head that didn't want to keep its hair. There was hair everywhere. My pillow was covered with it, the sheets, my blankets, the floor. First thing I did when I got home yesterday was shave what was left off. It was a relief!! My oncologist moved up my appointment with him to this week and so we will evaluate if I am ok to go for chemo as planned next Monday.

Foreverchanged72612

Also, Amy4978: great photo!