Chemo May 2013

Pattysmiles

Annie,

Congrats on the final round. Ring that bell loud and proud!

Ukkate,

I don't know anything about Gabapentin, is it a pill you can cut in half to see if you still get relief but not too drowsy? And

Is it possible that it is PMS? I know when I am close to getting my period..usually the day or two before...I am unusually tired, to the point where when I do wake up I want a nap. (I can also be extremely touchy and bitchy but that's not a side effect you were talking about! Lol)

Did you try vitamin E before the Gabapentin? Here is a link saying it MIGHT help with hot flashes. http://www.livestrong.com/article/337453-is-vitamin-e-good-for-hot-flashes/

I see in this link it also mentions cohosh and some other things....if I recall correctly my oncologist said no cohosh while on tamoxifen. So, I give my usual warning, if you are going to take anything, check with your oncologist.



Pat

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Hey Annie....

Good luck today! We will finally be done! WooHoo!



Everyone have a good day!



Lorrie

lpc

Yay for last chemos Lorrie and Annie. I too will be off to radiation. Meet with her Monday to hear the plan.



Kate that sounds like a tiring day. I don't even run that many errands for myself in a day lol. Hope you get your surgery date today. I too weaned myself from meds. I haven't asked for anything for hot flashes but good to know I can. I don't like waking up drousy so not sure what I would do. Can you take it earlier in the evening so out of system before you wake?



I lost 2 more nails today only 7 more to go. Maybe hopefully they will grow back nicer.

Hutchins2

I am triple positive. My last of 6 rounds of TCH is Monday! I am very excited. The NP said I won't start tamoxifen until I am off Herceptin next May. (I started chemo on 5/13/13.). Is this normal? I thought I would start in September. Hugs and prayers to each of you!

Gully

Hello Everyone,

Sorry I have not posted in a while. I drove my daughter's car from Maine to Maryland on Tuesday. 12 Hours WoW that was fun. I made it though, although I was pretty tired when I got here. I am spending a few days with my dear daughter, now that she is back from boot camp and AIT. She is full of stories....I have been helping her set up her first appartment at college. I will return to Maine on Sunday and then I start school on Tuesday and then TE exchange on Thursday! Cannot wait.

OK Hair.....

Hair is starting to grow. I can see the outline of my darker hair from a distance, but still can see my scalp. I am lidless anyway in protest!

Leg Hair....sadly coming back.

Down there...also coming back

underarm hair....MIA

Eyelashes..upper still in tact, but only 5 or 6 on lower lids.

Toe hair....never left!!!!

Menstral cycle...also MIA...yea!

Tamoxifen, is going well. I get dizzing once in a while and have a few hot flashes during the night.. But nothing that is not tolerable...Guess its been 2 weeks already. So far so good.

Congrats to everyone finishing chemo...

ItIsWhatItIs2013

I have the most amazing girls.... Well.... Today anyway! Haha



I wanted to go it alone today as I'm a bit emotional about it being the last on & my oldest calls this morning & sort of bullied her way into coming. I find out when she gets there that the other girls with my grand babies were planning on showing up as well.. FOR 3 HOURS?

Our chemo lounge has a "one support person per patient policy" so I put a stop to it. & could you imagine a 4 year old, 3 month old & 3 week old in the lounge? Jeesh. The thought was nice tho.



So we (my oldest) and I leave and are in the elevator and she hands me a wrapped box... I open it and it's a small knife. I looked at her confused. We get to the car and my husband had tied balloons to it and Stephane walks over with 6 white balloons that she wrote chemo 1.... Chemo 2.... -6. I got to stab the balloons with the knife! It was awesome!!



Then the other girls met up with us for crapes... No wings ... It was really thoughtful of them.



And so.... No picc = 5 pokes before finding a vein.... Took 45 min just to get an IV. Ugh! But... I was watching Steph & she was watching the nurse... The looks on her face were a perfect distraction! Haha



I'm done!!!!!

I'm done!!!!!



Congrats Annie on your last one too!



Gully, good to hear about the lack of bad SEs on Tam so far!!



Lisa, I have an idea... Wrap the tip of your fingers with a bandaid and put a "press-on" nail on it? Okay .... I didn't say it was a "good" idea! I'm sorry your having to deal with that!



I hope everyone is doing as well as possible tonight!



Lorrie

Pattysmiles

Lorrie, aside from that darn IV sounds like a great day!



Annie, hope your final chemo was dull!

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Yeah... The hubby and I had a fight last night, so we aren't speaking.... It's weird cuz I have so much to say about today and have no one to tell.... He tells me this morning "have a good treatment" & heads off to work...tonight He sits on the couch watching tv.....

It'll be fine like always, but kind of a damper on MY thing today... Maybe he's just as sick of my treatments as I am.... Ah well! I'd be sick of me too!

ItIsWhatItIs2013

I've taken 1 1/2 Ativan and still completely jacked up.... I think I'll just lay in the spare room and just chill... Hopefully I find sleep as I promised my boss I'd be in for sure tomorrow....

carla53

Lorrie and Annie - Congratulations. You are done. It is over. Yay. Hope your s.e,'s aren't too bad. Lorrie love that your girls wanted to be with you and the stabbing of the balloons. Good luck on sleeping tonight.



Gully-sound like a wonderful time with your daughter. That is very special. Glad you are doing o.k. with tamoxifen.



Teresa-Hope each day you are getting more comfortable with the expanders. I know how uncomfortable they can be and how difficult it can be to sleep on it.



Ipc-good luck with your radiation.



Well my hubby went in for a mammogram and ultrasound today. Yes..my husband. Ends up the results show a lump in his right breast. He was told there is this fibrous thing that men get and it mimics cancer on mammagrams and ultrasounds. But they won't know until he has a biopsy whether it is that or cancer. So, while I have my last chemo next Wednesday, my husband will be getting his biopsy. Is that crazy or what?



Blessings to all - Carla

Ukkate

Oh Carla - I really hope it's nothing - how scary for you guys.  Crossing my fingers for B9....

Lorie - congrats on being done and you really do have the best girls.  I hope you got some sleep last night.

Annie54

Hi Everyone,

Yes I am done with chemo! Except for eight more months of Herceptin every three weeks.....which is OK because I have 0 SE's with Herceptin and my hair will grow back. I love the stuff and think it will contribute to me having a long life - so I'm OK with that. The nurses absolutely let me ring the bell anyway to recognize my finishing the 6 rounds of TCH!

The last treatment was uneventful - but there were 4 of us finishing treatment that day so 4 times the bell was rung. Party atmosphere. One women decked herself out in a sparkling plastic scarf and hat and held a bouquet of ballons as she rang the bell. One older man rang it and thanked the nurses for their kind care and said he hoped he never saw them again! Unfortunately, due to my doctor running late (as usual) my infusion ran late and I was the last one in the chemo room at 5:00 - so I didn't have much of an audience for my ringing....but all the nurses gathered around and gave me a big round of applause...so it was spectacular!

Now waiting for the truck to hit...but am not really too upset about that because it won't have me in it's path ever again if all goes well! 

Lorrie - Congrats to both of us and anyone else finishing chemo.

Carla - praying for good results for you and your husband.

Hugs to every

Annie

Annie54

Oh, one more thing. After the nurse unhooked my port and I was done...i jumped out of the recliner and she said she had never seen anyone shoot out of the chair so fast! I was on my way out of there!

Annie

Pattysmiles

Annie, great! Up and out too...you go girl! I'm glad the herceptin will be side effect free AND your hair can grow back too, double thumbs up!



Carla...my prayers for your husband. I've been asking mine if he is doing his own breast checks and I get "um, yeah, sure". I will now be reminding him again!



Lorrie...hope you eventually got some sleep. Maybe your hubby needs some recognition for all he's done for you.....well, for all he has done for you within his ability? (I know I wish mine did more! Lol). My hubby usually finds a way to bust my bubble. I don't think it's intentional but it sure irritates the hell out of me EVERY time, you would think I would have learned to expect it by now!



Just returned from the acupuncture lady. Was there Wednesday and now today.

She had so many needles and cups on my I must have been quite the sight! Thankfully no on in the room with a camera! Between her and my GP having me on a muscle relaxant and double dose Aleve the tightness of that hip is lessening.

Has anybody seen the following videos? This is how I feel about my hip hurting, and the damn cancer! Watch in order.



http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zGxwbhkDjZM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DzGxwbhkDjZM





http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bFEoMO0pc7k&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbFEoMO0pc7k



Pat

Teresa_G

Congrats to more finishing chemo, yay!  Hopefully the SE will be minimal.

Tissue expander is doing ok.....weird, sometimes it is just hard and uncomfortable.  I get the drain out on Monday.

Pattysmiles

Has anyone ever seen those stretchy book covers!

I was eyeballing my daughters the other day, thinking it might work like a buff.....

Today I put it on! It had "devils ears" but I just tucked them down, the back hung flat, so I put it in A "ponytail". Looked pretty darn good! Lol. I walked downstairs and asked my daughter if she recognized anything..she did. I told her she better keep an eye on all her book covers!

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Pat,

You crack me up!



Carla, I hope everything is okay with your husband....

carla53

Annie-cheers to no TCH and to herceptin, hair and a long life.



Patty- so glad your tightness in your hip is lessening....Would have watched the videos but it won't let me click on the http......Very ingenious with the book cover. You still have time to enjoy your new discovery before your hair grows back.



Teresa- it is weird that some days it gets harder than other days. It'll be a lot more comfy after the drain comes out. After I healed from the surgery I was able to make my boob move and twitch. Think I need to get a tassle and see what I can get it to do. Oh, that won't work. I don't uave a nipple. Haha.



Thank you for the good wishes and prayers for my hubby.



Carla

Pattysmiles

Was in the BJ's store on line today when a man and a woman struck up a conversation concerning cancer (she was wearing a "walk" shirt. Anyhow , she says to him...."you know they don't have it so bad because they are going through it, it is their helpers that have it worse".



So what does that really mean!

did my hubby get the scans,biopsies, surgery, needle sticks, more tests, additional scans, chemo, chemo side effects, weight gain, hair loss, stares and so on? Oh, and the 10 years of a daily pill that says "you are still battling cancer" along with whatever side effects that might bring?



I know my husband went through emotional turmoil, and I'm sure he still is, but PLEASE don't tell me he has it worse!



These people didn't see me when they were speaking, though I know she saw me when she was done speaking. Funny how she didn't strike up a conversation with me!



Pat

carla53

Pat-My little angry bird came out in me when I read that. Ignorance. It can not be irradicated. Deep breathes. I'm o.k. now.



Carla

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Omg... Pure ignorance!

I hope she never has to eat her words! I'm not sure I would have been able to resist giving her an education!



The truth is... Only we, who go through the torture, know what it's like for us... Just like we won't know what it's like for our loved ones - but I can say with certainty, we've got the worse end of it!



Well,

Celebration of last treatment is over!! The mouth is going bonkers & the aches have begun. Last one.... I just keep telling myself.... Last time for this crap.....

lpc

So I thought I would try for normal weekend 2 weeks after last chemo. Dh and I went to our state fair which we never miss and I was excited to go. Well...the sun made me sick and I lasted only 1.5 hours. Not much shade to be found. Cried all the way home cuz felt like I ruined our day. Dh was comforting but I just want old me back.



Lisa

Pattysmiles

Lisa, so sorry to hear that. Please take it slow. Sun is still our enemy.

I'm glad you were able to make it to the fair! 1.5 hrs is a long time!, especially after chemo.

Pat

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Lisa,

I was so excited for you when I started to read your post & it broke my heart that you felt bad that you had to go home...... It made me cry for all of us that we cant live normally yet......Pats right... We all need to give it time....



I hope you are feeling better....



Lorrie

ItIsWhatItIs2013

We are missing our annual sand dune camping trip.... We take our quads and buggie out to the dunes with a large group of folks for 5-6 days of fun. They are all out there now posting pics on FB....

We've missed all of our summer fun this year.... Ugh! I sure hope 2014 is better for all of us!

Gnite ladies!

Lorrie

lpc

Oh ladies so nice to have a venting place. Lorrie sorry you are missing your camping trip. I was really hoping to fit in a little summer fun yesterday before radiation takes over my life 5 days a week. I stay off facebook as I have hard time seeing all the vacation pics or reading the petty (in my mind) complaints. Have never been big on fb but have become even less tolerant of some posts this summer.



Hope all are enjoying their weekend.



Lisa

Pattysmiles

Lisa,

I am guilty of putting up a picture here and there on facebook and "showing off" the good in my life. However,I don't think anyone wants to see "the ugly"...my 2 car garage that won't fit a car, even those little "clown cars", my Unstained deck, the plaster patch that was professionally fixed but has remained unpainted-right in my living room next to the TV! My closets that need doors put on....

Remember, behind all those "good" things you see and hear on facebook are the "ugly" things that no one shows.

And I should just shut up....because YOU ARE right too. You have been robbed of your summer and what you wanted it to be. I pray that you will find a way to make it up.

Start those "when I feel better" plans. I think it will help to get you through rads.

Pat

Ukkate

Yes - FB has become a sourse of distress for me too  We did miss our summer  We usually have a week at the beach which we didn't have, and usually lots of weekend time at our neighborhood pool - to which I went once all summer long...

And part of that has been working - well, I guess if I hadn't had so much sick time due to cancer then I would've had some vacation time to take...

So last night was my first DJ gig since May - and my first one SOLO since my Mastectomy in April.  I was so proud of myself for getting through it.  Of course, I was an absolute sweaty mess once I had carried all that equipment in and set it up (With the wig and the mennopause) and about 2.5 hours into the night, my legs and feet hurt so much....My legs still hurt now  But they had a great time and no one could've guessed I was/am sick...I don't have another gig til Sept 21 now and it's in the afternoon so should be easier as I'll be even further away from chemo then (but hopefully will have had my exchange surgery)

I "came out" to the new class at my training school yesterday.  It was the first day of class for the new students (average age = 40) and I had to get up and tell them my role in the company and why they would come to me for things they might need.  And then I had to share my IT experience and "something interesting" and I told them that this year I beat breast cancer so they may see me with different hairstyles over the next few months as I don't have any hair"  They all applauded me which felt really nice....

Hope you guys have a nice Sunday. It's my one and only day off this week and I have to spend it getting school supplies for my kids who go back tomorrow - nothing like leaving it to the last minute right???

Ukkate

Oh - another thing... I talked to a "cancer coach" on Thursday.  She's trying to put together a free group for cancer coaching but gave me an "individual session" on the phone.  She suggested replacing negative thoughts with positive ones - even writing them down...

So when I'm disgusted with myself for looking to overweight, she said I can instead say "How amazing am I, I have come through all these cancer treatments and I"m still smiling"

Pattysmiles

Hubby owns a timeshare which gives us the ability to buy a week here or there, sometimes at outrageous prices (which I won't pay) or for a really good deal.

I found a 2 bedroom, full kitchen unit near Disney for $199 for a week. I had to book 2 weeks so I could play with the airfare to make it affordable for a family of 5.

I was able to use my credit card points for 5 free airline tickets. (Jetblue was down to$114 one way)

I found my old disney passes from 5 years ago (that still have days we can use on them!).

Yes, I will be cooking and cleaning in the timeshare but I will also be making some memories for the kids.

FU chemo and cancer....I'm going to Disney World!

Pat