December 2012 chemo group

powermom

Going in for TCH #5 tomorrow. Honestly can't believe I've already done four; it's all a blur.



Congrats to everyone finishing or near finishing a phase of treatment. And wishing the very best to everyone with chemo and side effects.



Been trying to eat a lot of tasty food since I know that soon my taste buds will be AOL in a few days.

FriendGwen

For what it's worth I asked the nurse today if most folks lose their nails and she said no, just some discoloring. So that's promising.



I came home tonight and cleaned intensely for an hour. Thank you steroids. Now I'm relaxing and having my second steroid hot flash. It's so weird! Hoping I won't have them during menopause but guessing I will. My MO said I am probably done with getting my pd since I haven't had it since starting chemo. Hmm any chance I can just bypass menopause symptoms altogether? I think that would be a fair trade off for losing my hair!

Powermom - me too! Then I'll go to eating anything I want just trying to find something that works. Then the routine starts during the good week of eating yummy food cause now I can enjoy it. And I wonder why I've gained five pounds!

MTJulie

I lost this thread for a couple days! It is exciting that the end is insight for some of us. I am day 10 of my 4th tx. Have actually felt pretty good this time but kind of hit bottom today. Must be my low day.

My taste buds are MIA. It is hard to eat when it tastes like cardboard. That week of eating yummy stuff while your tastebuds are working must be the reason I have gained 8 or 10 pounds Gwen and power mom! It will be nice when spring is here and I actually feel good enough to be active.

Sending encouragement to those with a ways to go. This too shall pass! ( my mantra)

donster

Way to go everyone!  We are all pushing through these final rounds of chemo.  I am one week past my last TC and my final round was not my worst.  It was different, but not my worst.  The eye twitching finally went away, but I got dehydrated and developed a sinus infection so am on antibiotics, probiotics and new anti nausea meds.  Heartburn was really terrible with this round and then there was the nail thing.  But today is 7 days later and last night I watched my daughters first Varsity Softball game of the season and today I am heading in to town to meet family for lunch!  I never thought March would get here.  I feel like time moved so slowly these past few months but March is here and Rads are around the corner  Moving forward ladies, always moving forward...

Dawn1008

I am so happy for all of you lucky ladies who are nearing the end of your chemo. I just started 12 weekly's of taxol, going for #2 today. Anyone out there still in the cave with me? AC is all done and I feel more like my old self this week. Almost "normal" is so wonderful!!!!



🍷Here's to a minimal SE weekend for all of us!



Dawn

Nicole503

It's so great to hear so many of you in the home stretch of chemo!!!  My last Taxol is April 4th and I am really looking forward to May, when I hope to feel almost "normal" again!

I had nail discoloration start on AC, which I think is a little unusual.  There is a black and blue hue at the bottom of all my fingertips (right above the cuticle) and on my thumbs the black and blue hue extends about halfway up the nail.  It doesn't seem to be changing with Taxol, although I did notice some nail sensitivity right after my first treatment.  I am wearing gloves while doing dishes and praying that my nails hang in there.  It would make me significantly sad to loose them.

This week I finally relented and ordered pants in a larger size to accomodate my chemo weight gain.  It felt nice this morning not to have to squeeeeeze into pants, but I am not thrilled about having a larger pant size than I've ever had in my life.  The weight gain is bumming me out.  I'm not expecting to be able to loose weight while on chemo (I don't think you can loose weight when you do the steroid rollercoaster every two weeks), but I'm going to make myself endure some hunger in the hopes of stopping the gain.  I think I started eating more because of the AC nausea (frequent meals seemed to help) but now it's just the comfort of feeding myself.   I hate to take a comfort away but I hate the weight gain even more.   Okay, enough whining!

Wishing FriendGwen, Sandra60, and anyone else who had treatment this week a lot of ease through your weekend.  Rest well and best wishes that you bounce back with ease.

kiwikid

Well done everyone, we are nearly there! I have my final ac on Monday and that's it! Then ill have surgery, don't want rads, and tamoxifen...
Nicole I'm sorry about your pants, but I'm glad the new ones are comfortable

I haven't gained any weight since ac 3 so that's a bonus, and I wore the same pants to see my surgeon yesterday that I was wearing at my first ultrasound on November 12, so I'm quite happy, though I have gained about 6 kg since surgery, I lost 3 of that in the week prior due to anxiety.
Actually I didn't do the top button up on my pants yesterday lol!

May chemo be kind to everyone this week.

Xx

Anonymous

Kiwi~I suffered horribly with AC 3, but AC 4 was so easy, I was amazed.



I hope you have an easy time as well.



Btw, what time is it in NZ as you're writing that? It's 3:37 am here in Ohio. I keep telling myself to go to bed, but here I sit, addicted to this iPad.



Blessings

Paula

beckstar18

just caught up on what's going on with everyone.  I'm so happy that most of us are nearing the end of the worst part of our treatments!  Prayers for strength and determination for all of you to get through the last treatments.  The end is near!!

Sandra60

Hello Dear Chemo buddies !



Well i must say this last round of TC is a little easier to take - don't know if that is psychological or I am just used to that YUK feeling and know what to expect . I am day 3 so first day off steroids but not quite as irritable this time !! I did a lot of walking today in house and out on a nice trail and it is helping a lot ! I just feel so much better when I can keep moving .

Nicole i am sorry to hear about your nails ! Are u keeping polish on them ? I've used Sally Hansen in a light shade and it has helped but I am sure something could still happen .

Heartburn does not feel as bad this time either but have a ways to go !



Wishing all of you once ladies minimal se's this week !



Sandy

MTJulie

I am not absolutely sure, but I think that my hair may be growing! Seems like more whiskers up there than before, but maybe that is wishful thinking. I am/was blond so it will have to get fairly long before it shows up. I can't wait! My fingernails look pretty rough. They are peeling at the tips. I have been painting them with Sally Hansen hardener which helps.

Eyelashes and eyebrows are looking pretty skimpy. anybody else losing theirs? Have read about a few ladies using the lash stuff-is it Latisse? Something like that. I had skimpy lashes to start with so I wonder if they might grow back better than ever? That is probably wishful thinking too. I might ask the mo for a scrip anyway.

Bren58

Julie, I still have very sparse stubble on my head, but it is growing. Of course as little of it as there is I will be keeping it buzzed until it starts coming in thicker. My lashes and brows are still there but thinner. I read on one of the other boards that our lashes are the slowest growing hairs that we have and that is why some people go all through chemo keeping them only to have them come out afterwards. Something about their growth cycle. But then other women never lose them at all. I guess like everything else about chemo, each person is different.

Congrats to all of you who have finished treatment! Hopefully you will recover quickly from all the SE's and begin to have normal tastebuds and energy again!

Sandra60

Wow Julie that is exciting about your hair growth ! Does anyone know about restrictions on coloring your hair after chemo ? I just know mine will come in all gray and I will want to color it as soon as I can !

My lashes and brows are probably 75 % of what they were - hope they hang on .

Feeling really yukky today but sure is a lot easier to take knowing I don't have to go thru again .

Soon all of you will be at the finish line too and we will all feel normal again - oh to feel normal - such a delight !!!

FriendGwen

It's day three post chemo five so taste buds are gone and any SEs are rearing their not so pretty head today. I finally decided to use day two as a rest day so that perhaps I'll be better on day four to go to work. Last round I was really light headed day four. My thumb nails look like I banged them with a hammer! My eyebrows are there but not too pretty and losing hair on the end. After this week of SEs God willing I'll only have one more. I have very little energy but contemplating making a big crock pot of mashed potatoes as my go to food for the next few days. Wishing all of you a nice Sunday!

MTJulie

Hang in there FriendGwen! I am impressed that you have been able to work through all this. You are one tough cookie! Bren Is right. We have feeling normal to look forward to. Hope all your side effects are bearable.

kiwikid

Hi ladies

Paula we are 18 hours ahead of you, but the easier way to work it out is 6 hours behind then add a day! I'm sorry you're not sleeping well. I take a sleeping pill during the first few nights after chemo to balance out the steroids then I go back to melatonin after about 5 days. Melatonin does the trick usually.

It's day 3 today, I've thrown the emend box in the trash for good, I'm so glad chemo is over, now to start feeling well enough to do things. We are going to a medical counselling appointment this morning to make the final decision about surgery or radiation. It's nice to be moving into the next phase.

I hope you are all well.

Xx

Holly

Bren58

Holly, I am so glad for you that chemo is over! I hope your SE's are mild and you quickly start to feel like doing normal things again.

Make sure you let us know what your next phase is going to be.

FriendGwen

Congrats Holly! I'm looking forward to being done soon! I finally feel like myself today for the first time since Friday. Taste buds aren't quite as horrendous.



Latest side effect? Tintinitus! Did I spell that right? It's like there's a white noise machine in my head. I googled it. It's a chemo thing of course! These drugs have a mind of their own!

MTJulie

Oh Gwen, I didn't think we would find new SE's at this point in our treatments! I still have the twitchy eye thing going on. I hope That is a temporary thing. I assume it is related to neuropathy but that's just my guess. Very annoying!

Bren58

Gwen, I have had the ringing in the ears since the first tx. I thought it was just a Carboplatin thing. They keep lowering my dose, but it's still there. Make sure you tell your MO because it can become permanent (at least on Carbo). I need to talk to my MO again about it next week (along with a whole host of other things).

My latest side effect is that my fingers are peeling. Almost done and all these new SE's keep popping up. Gheesh!

jenjenl

Congrats Holly - what a milestone!

My skin has been very dry just flaking off - I feel like I'm a snake shedding my skin.  I also have the white noise and I am happy you described it that way bc the way I was describing it made me sound crazy:)

I have 30 days and then I am done with chemo...the countdown is on!

Sandra60

Holly - so happy for you to be done with the chemo - Woo Hoo !!

I too have the eye twitching again - but no tinititus. The skin on my hands is dry but not peeling and my nails seem OK. The only other SE that seems worse is the bad taste and white coated tougue - YUK.  Heart burn is a kind of bad too this time so in addition to the daily morning prevacid I am taking Gaviscan .  Just want these chemicals to move through my body - do thier job - and be GONE !!

Wishing all of you an easy week !!

Sandy 

kiwikid

Thanks everyone

It feels good but I feel terrible too, just through the wringer you know. I have had dry skin, lol snakey, and yucky mouth. Oil pulling with coconut oil has done wonders for my mouth, google it, I think I'll do it forever now.

I'm going to have surgery where the surgeon goes in through my areola edge scar, removes breast tissue, cuts muscle and places a permanent silicone implant with a permanent saline expander under that. The saline amounts can be changed over time.

Exciting times! Wishing you all the best weeks.

Xx

Nicole503

kiwikid ~ Super big congrats on being done with treatment!!  

Wishing you the best with your surgery and recovery.  When will you be doing it?  It must be so exciting to be close to "done" with your breast cancer chapter.

I opted for delayed reconstruction so I have been advised to wait 6 months after finishing chemo before considering reconstruction surgery.  That will be October/November.   I'm hoping to be done by the end of 2013!

kiwikid

Hi Nicole

I'm only having to wait 5 weeks till my surgery, I guess because it is relatively simple, only one small incision and no moving around other tissue. What kind of recon are you having?

Thanks for the congrats, I'm looking forward to emerging from this journey for spring time, around September, as a new flower

Xx holly

FriendGwen

A new flower indeed Holly! I spent my snow day cleaning out my closet. I tried on a bunch of things and stared at my bald self in the mirror and decided I'm going to look and feel fabulous in no time. I put on a sweet Laura Ashley sundress I had bought when DD1 was six. She's now 21 and although the dress is a hair snug it still works. Fifteen years and BC treatment and I'm still the same person pretty much with the same body. I'm just happy that so far this damn cancer has not taken that from me. I'm excited to get moving again and will wear that dress once the sun finally comes out!

Nicole503

FriendGwen ~ your post made me smile!

Holly ~  I'm not sure what kind of reconstruction I will have.  I haven't even met with a plastic surgeon.  When I decided to delay, I just put it out of my mind.  Initially I'm hoping for reconstruction using belly fat  (which I am sadly gaining by the week) because I hear that implants are only good for 10 years and while the reconstruction using your own body resources is more intensive, I'd rather do one big surgery when I'm 46 rather than a smaller surgery at 46, again at 56, and then what happens at 66?  76??  (I'm optimistically thinking I will still care about breasts at 76!).   I really haven't looked into it extensively so who knows......

Enjoy your next 5 weeks of healing and restoraton before your surgery.   Wishing you all the best! 

Nicole503

I spent the day at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Oregon & SW Washington Breast Cancer Issues Conference, and it was such a gift!  I know people have different feelings about Komen, but this conference was perfect information for me at the perfect time. 

The keynote was a pathologist and 5 year survivor from Stanford ~ she did such a great job explaining how increased understanding in pathology leads to better targeted treatment options, all while weaving in her own BC story.  I attended breakouts on chemo brain, impact of breast cancer on kids, and sexuality & breast cancer.  The last session was both terrifying (chemo side effects on the vagina are just the beginning so it seems for those of us who will graduate onto Tamoxifen) but also totally hopeful as the panelists talked about treatment options and painted a great picture of how breast cancer survivors can have full and fulfilling sex lives. 

I met many women who have been attending this conference for years ~ women who were going through treatment now (we were the easy-to-spot "newbies") and women who went through treatment 5, 10, 26 years ago.  All of them had strength and grace and smiles!  I highly recommend this kind of conference if it is held in your community.

Angel84

Hello.

Can you tell me if you know would UTI delay receving chemotherapy? My mother was supposed to get her 4th chemotherapy tomorrow on her 25th day, her blood work was excellent but, she found little blood in urine so she did the test and found that she has UTI. she won't know which one until tomorrow.

She's being very upset, crying all day, since she thinks that it will delay her therapy for at least 7 days. Do you know if there is a possibility that she receives chemo with UTI, and if they delay her chemo past 28 days, will any of this have effect or she would have to begin new cycles?

FriendGwen

Wow Nicole the conference sounds amazing! I went to a conference on breast feeding 18 years ago with DD2 on my back and got so much out of it. There's nothing like being with lots of other women going through the same situation to really feel empowered. It sounds like the mood of your conference was upbeat and encouraging even in the face of something so annoying as cancer. As you remember more tidbits over the next few days be sure to share. There's only so much I can read online. It's much nicer having it filtered through a sister survivor.