September 2013 Chemo Group

simplelife4real

Peacock, Thanks for posting the video.  Wow...Those first three months after chemo is not much hair.

I'm feeling like I'm "behind" all of you, but we are each on our own treatment plan.  I had AC #3 on New Years Eve.  One more to go on Jan. 14th and I'll be done with chemo.  I'm thinking my surgery will be around Valentine's day.  I found out on Tuesday that I'm BRCA negative, so I will be going with a lumpectomy and lymph node removal, then radiation.  

I still haven't shaved my head, but I have very little hair left.  A lot fell out after the first two AC treatments, but I haven't noticed losing any with #3 (yet).   My biggest issue seems to be nausea.  Even with meds, I still feel yucky.  No appetite, but I eat anyway.  This will be over soon.

This AC is really shrinking what is left of my tumor, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a pCR.  If I don't get one, my MO may give me more chemo afterward since triple negative is so agressive.    I'm happy about that.  I don't mind more chemo if it will kick cancer's butt!

PeacockGirl

simplelife, congrats on being BRCA negative. I was fairly certain I wasn't positive but getting the news that I was negative was such a relief. I qualified for the test easily because I was adopted and my birthmother won't disclose who my birth father is. Also congrats on making a surgery choice. No matter what the choice is, it's what we can live with and what we can sleep with at night. I swear making the decision is much harder than either surgery. One more chemo? Awesome! You can do it!

I'm on my way to get a blood draw for CBC today, have regular MO appointment tomorrow then he goes "into the shadows" as he said when RO takes over during radiation. I'm also going to stop by the health and wellness center and activate my free 3 month gym membership. Maybe get a little workout in on the recumbent bike. I did 108 sun salutations in my yoga studio yesterday for new years, it's a tradition. it took me MUCH longer to do than last year and boy I'm hella sore today. I'm so ready to repair my "city of destruction" as another BC forum girl coined it.

kjsimpson: yes I have titanium clips where the tumor was removed, on each edge so I think there are 4 of them. just like the kind they put in after biopsy.

Miss_Mama_Bear

Hello everyone! Happy New Year!  

KBee: you made me lol about the calendar. At the risk of sounding crazy, I will tell you all my BC superstision story. All summer long I was finding marbles popping up in my garden; nearly one every single day! Finally, I decided to start collecting them and took the one that I found that day inside; it was a solid black one. I put it in a jar and forgot about it. That night I found the lump... After I found out it was BC, I took that marble, ran outside with it and threw it across the street. Then I worried about it being out there for someone else to pick it up and get cancer from it. Every time I found another marble in my garden over the fence it went and I freaked out when my daughter came up to me with one. I made her go inside and wash her hands after I took it from her lol. Yeah, I was a bit crazy for awhile. 

So..surgeon decision time. UGH this is awful! There are not a lot of doctors that take my insurance, and the ones that I am finding are not the best. I am a bit reluctant to even schedule a consult when all the (few) pictures on their online before/after gallery are very terrible looking ones. So, now I am down to 3 and two of them are brand new. It is looking like I am going to have to go back to the surgeon that was a complete jerk to me and said that I should not have a BMX and just deal with it if I get cancer again, or take a chance on a brand new PS. What would you guys do?!

kjsimpson

Everyone,
Big prayers for LightHouseLady tomorrow.  She goes in for BMX surgery.  You got this, LHL!!

Peacock,
Thanks for posting that video!  It made me smile and I reposted it two places.  :-)  Really made me smile.  All I want for Christmas in 2014 is to be NED and NEED... No evidence of disease and need a haircut!!  ;-)

MamaStewart,
I am prejudiced because I have kids.  I would do whatever it takes to ensure that I have the best chance of the cancer not coming back.  If it developed in one breast, I have to think it is likely to develop in the other eventually.  My choice was BMX, even though there is no evidence of cancer in my right breast (yet).  I don't want to have deja-vu in a couple or even several years down the road.  I have a very aggressive form of breast cancer, though.  So I'm not willing to 'wait and see' about anything.  If I were you, I would find a doctor who treats you with respect, gives you all the information you need to make a qualified decision (statistics of recurrence with a single mastectomy, statistics on 10 year survival rates, statistics on quality of life).  You have young children.  You and they deserve to have you around to see them into adulthood and beyond!!

alfranco

MamaStewart, I agree with KJ. Find someone you feel can trust.

Peacockgirl, thanks for the video.

Art123

happy belated New Years ladies. Hope you are all well.

KJ: natalie bought refresh plus lubricant eye drops. Those seemed to have helped.

One more AC left.

BRCA test came back: neither neg or +, there was a variation of uncertain significance. Genetic counselor told us it is likely benign and not to change treatment plan.

We stArted off the new year with a bang: the stone fell out of Nat's Tiffany engagement ring some time today. She couldn't find it. She was upset, I told her not to worry about it, well replace it at some point.

Can't believe that, I'm going to call them up tomorrow and complain!

kjsimpson

Thanks, Art.  I might give them a try.  Glad it helped your wife.  Sorry about the stone in her ring.  I hope they make it right.

KBeee

Michelle (LHL), Thoughts and prayers that all goes smoothly and your recovery rapidly with minimal pain.

Art, sorry about that stone.  I hope you find it.  Glad that AC is about done!

Peacock, Great video!

KJ, Hoping for a true crew cut soon!

Mamastewart, Go with a doctor you trust.  Soooo important!

Simplelife, Hooray for negative BRCA!

Warrior, Last month...wish I could fast forward time for you!

srmill, It sounds like you made a very wise choice.  It amazes me that some family members are not supportive of decisions.  People say really dumb things out of fear though...hopefully that is it.  Good for you for taking charge of your health.  I would have made the same decision you did.

warrior70

Thank you KBeee!  Would love to move time, but it will move on its own!

simplelife4real

Lighthouse....I hope all goes well with your surgery and recovery.

lighthouselady

Thank you!!

Heading to the hospital in a few minutes. Ready to get this show on the road!!

VintageGal1111

Happy Trails!!!!

mercedes60

lighthousel speedy recovery! Hope all goes well. Rest and more rest

Peacock love the vudeo, course i cried must be the song! My hair is growing pretty fast black and white and fluffy like. Lol.  Strange

Warrior yahoo for you, im right behind you did #5 yesterday feel good today although i was up at 3am couldn't get back to sleep, so i will probably crash later. Good news fir me also my bloods were good and finallymy hemo count up from 93 to 105. ,min is 120.   Slow climb

Anyone have problems with their  eyesight on taxol, i seem to have focusing issues especially at nite its not that bad it started couple of day ago not getting worse though,  

Cheers.  Cheryl

Art123

the cleaning lady at her job found the stone !

kjsimpson

Art,
That is wonderful news!

Everyone,
Got a report that LHL is in surgery now.  Will post updates as I get them.

Art123

positive vibes to lhl!

josgirl

LHL - thinking of you and a wonderful path report!

Art - It is wonderful your wife has you and the cleaning lady! 

hockeymommy

lhl- thinking of you today!!!

Art- that is wonderful news!!!!

Hope everyone is doing well!!

KBeee

Michelle (LHL), Thinking of you!  

Art, Wonderful news!!!!!

Today would have been my final chemo, had they gone ahead with their initial planned number of rounds.  I'd be in that chair right now!  Instead, I am washing my uniform, and getting ready to go into work tonight.   Still not 100%, but I feel tousands of times better than I ever thought i sould at this point.  I can also taste chocolate again.  I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing!

kjsimpson

Just got an update on Michelle (LightHouseLady)...

"She is headed to recovery. Doctors said everything went well and she did really well. She will be in recovery for 1 to 2 hours then taken to her room."  

 

kjsimpson

Yeah, KBee!!  Much rather be at work than in a chemo chair!!

KBeee

Great news!  Thanks for the update KJ!

alfranco

Thanks for the info KJ.

Art good thing you found it.

Hoping everyone is doing well.

PeacockGirl

it's official. My oncologist is worthless...."had" to see him today for regular follow up and he didn't even know I had called in last week about having a cold, let alone being admitted to the ER with a 102 fever on Saturday night. And when he learned my husband and I both had been ill he literally said "well I will make this quick I don't want to catch what you have". And proceeded to just rush thru everything and then say well you can have a CT in 3 months or you can say you don't want it. And we will need a CBC in 6 weeks. Huh? What a jerk. I've had to see him every two weeks throughout this whole chemo process and basically he could have phoned it in. Really. Or I could have looked it up on the internet. Well I did by finding you amazing ladies here. I learned more about what to expect and what was going on than I ever did talking to him. All he could say was you're doing well, this side effect or that side effect is normal. All normal. Gah, he sucks. I've just been through the worst time in my life and he treats me like that? Thank god my breast surgeon was awesome and so far my RO guy seems cool. Oh and he needs to see me in three months. Why? Because I have good insurance. Grrrr. 

simplelife4real

Peacock....that's terrible about your MO.  What a jerk.

Lighthouse, we are all pulling for you and hope you have a speedy recovery and an pCR.

I slept most of yesterday....this AC makes me really sleepy.  Just one more infusion to go on Jan 14.  Then it's off to surgery and rads for me.  I have an appointment with the breast surgeon on Jan 15th.  I'm just ready to be done with this chemo!

BabyRuth

Happy New Year everyone!  I have not been on in a while and have been slowly catching up!.

LHL- you are in my prayers as you recover from your surgery.  Just think how far you have come!  You will continue to get stronger and stronger everyday. 

Art-so glad you all found the stone!

Simplelife4real--so happy that you just have one more to go!  I see you are from Tennessee, I was born in East Tennessee and was lucky enough to go home for Christmas!  I love visiting there.

mamaStewert- you want the best results possible-go with the one you believe in the most! 

I have been having some shortness of breath lately and it has me a little worried.  I never had any heart issues until I did herceptin years ago.  I had a echo on Thursday and will find out the results on Monday when I go for my herceptin.  I am really thinking that I will be pulled again from the herceptin.  It sucks that the things that can help prevent this disease  from returning can also cause us to  have new health problems. 

kjsimpson

Peacock,
Can you change doctors?  If I had choices, I would drop that jerk like a hot potato-head.

All,
LightHouseLady was up and about early this morning in her room at the hospital, post-surgery.  I think she is going home later today.  Here is what she said about six hours ago...:

"Good morning! They sure don't let you rest much around here!! Making me get up to pee, checking my vitals, emptying drains.... sheesh. Slave drivers!  I'm in quite a bit of pain but the morphine pump helps. Doc says surgery went well and there were no surprises. I would kill to brush my teeth and put some underwear on, although I'm sure I rock this hospital gown!   I'll write more later. Thanks for praying for us."

I'm off to run some errands.  It feels so good to feel so good!!  Trying to get everything in place and ready for surgery on the 16th.  Have two pre-surgery appointments next week.  After fretting about it over the holidays, I called the surgeon's office and asked for an appointment to walk me through the surgery.  IBC doesn't allow 'skin-sparing' (since the skin is involved), so they will be making some pretty wide cuts and I want to be mentally prepared for the end result and understand the post-op plans for restoring muscle action and getting back to 'normal'.  Yes, I'm a control freak.  Since I can't be awake during surgery, I want clear communication before.  ;-)

kjsimpson

Oops.  LighthouseLady (Michelle) just said it looks like she will be released tomorrow.  :-)

alfranco

Good news on Lhl. Thanks KJ.

I will have my port out on Monday. Having an empty feeling in my stomach. I am probably nervous.

knightzoo

Great news on LHL!  Keep being tough Michelle!

Mercedes-yes my eyesight was affected by the taxol.  Hoping it'll return to normal but no change on AC.

Mamastewart - My opinion, given your parameters of insurance and staying local (which I totally get having kids and possible complications) - I would go with the jerk if you don't find any other results that you are satisfied with.  Yeah, it sucks that his bedside manner sucks, but you will deal with the results much longer than him.  If your BS trusts him, that's a plus too. 

Trying to catch up, got a lot done in my 'good' week, had AC3 on Friday.  ONE more to go - Jan. 17.  Right behind simplelife.  I'm having appetite loss/blah feeling this time compared to nothing from AC 1&2.  Will see what Monday brings, that's usually my tired day.  I'm so ready to move on past chemo!  I already told my RO I want to start rads Feb. 24, 3 weeks post op.  He said he would as long as I was healed and could raise my arm into position.  I have April 1 in my sights to be done with active treatment!

peacockgirl, love the hair video, I was thinking the 12 week pic looked presentable...I imagine my standards are much lower than they were prior to hair loss!  Hopefully you can do follow up care through your BS or find a new MO?  My MO answered a lot of my follow up question last week, was good to have an idea of what to expect down the road (he said they watch bloodwork for liver and bone enzyme levels and plan for scans as needed).

Happy new year to all, let this be the year we all return to a sense of normalcy, although our lives will be forever changed.  Hugs.