Starting Chemo in December 2013

DJJ

From a party last night.  My sister sent me this shirt.

missy6758703

Jodi, I had mouth sores on AC one time, I instead of rinsing with baking soda, i would rinse with warm salt water.  Just gargle and swish as long as you can.  I also would use something the doctor gave me called Miracle Mouthwash.  All it really did was numb the mouth but it helped.  Don't ever think that mouth sores are just a minor SE....they are horrible! Makes it so you can't eat, or hardly even drink and we know you have to do both! Hang in there...they do get better once off the AC, at least for me they did.

Lisaj514

new avatar of me and my daughter at her swim meet and me in my scarf. I like this picture, of course because my beautiful daughter is with me.

missy6758703

Lisa, you are both so beautiful! Hope your daughter did well at her swim meet! I have embraced my baldness and usually do not wear anything, but keep in mind I work from home and seldom venture out of my house! But yesterday, a girlfriend and my daughter and I went shopping and some lady came up to me as I am of course bald and said...."oh you must be a balderdash!" I was like "uhhhhhh no, I don't think so, but i am going through chemo!"  She then proceeded to randomly hug me and wished me well! I still have no clue what a balderdash is!!! Anybody? 

Djj, best shirt ever!!

RHGSR

DJJ - I'm so sorry you are having to switch thought processes right in the middle of this. Love your shirt. Keep positive sister. 

Kim - glad your dad is home

Lisa- great pic of you and your daughter 

Jodi- I rinsed with a combo of salt and baking soda 3x a day. I also used biotene toothpaste and mouthwash. 

Forgive me if I've missed any posts. I've been really really down this time. I hate not having energy. So much I need/want to do. 

I haven't had the bone pain so far with DD Taxol #2 but the fatigue has been debilitating this go round. I'm wondering if the lack of bone pain is due to the massive doses of steroids they gave when I stopped breathing on Thursfay. 

My MIL has been here but she's leaving tomorrow. I'm hoping I'll have the energy to take care of the little ones once she leaves. 

Leealice

Love the pics

Djj-sorry for your setback

Love to see some finishing up

I have my last chemo tomorrow!!!! Had a busy, fun weekend, beautiful weather. I get port out next week then on to rads first of May. Seeing a light at the end of the tunnel!

Lisaj514

leealice- last chemo, beautiful fun weekend, port out soon, all great news. When will you start rads? And how are you feeling  with SE's etc. 

kimie06

DJJ - you look fantastic, another great shirt !!

leealice - WAHOOO last chemo ...................... big day ..

lisa - great pic

RHGSR - what !! you stopped breathing what did I miss.... I hope you doing ok

sidenote....I am trying to get Fleetwood mac tickets this morning,, wish me luck

RHGSR

kimie- I had a reaction to DD Taxol #2. Since I did so good with #1 infusion. She started #2 at a much faster rate. Had to have been less than a min or so when I started feeling hot, nauseated, then my head started to get stuffy and I couldn't hear. Then I couldn't catch my breath and my throat closed up. Scary stuff. 

RHGSR

leeAlice- congrats. Great news!! Love to hear of someone else getting this behind them. 

keepthefaith

leealice, congrats on your last chemo! I hope it goes well. Happy Dance for you!

kimie, good luck on gettting the tickets. Sounds like something fun to look forward to!

missy, Never heard of a balderdash either...hmmm. At least you got a hug out of it!

Holli, I hope your SE's subside soon and things settle down for you.

Happy Monday everyone~

 

kjfromca

Holli - What you went through mentally and physically having that reaction to the Taxol, no wonder you are exhausted.  Hoping your kids have a mellow week and you can get some rest.

Leealice - Congrats on your last chemo.  You did it....

Lisa & DJJ - Like the pictures.  You both rock the scarves... I don't look good in them.  Although as soon as my hair starts growing back, I am ditching the wig....maybe.

Kimie - Good luck with those tickets.  I have always wanted to see them.

Kim

joanmj58

I am  in the BGC getting my 6th AND last infusion of TC chemo!!! What do I expect after this last infusion? When will my hair etc. start to grow back? Have had very minimal side effects.

Joan

RobinLK

Lisa and DJ love the pics!

Holli, holy crap... I would think they have learned something and it won't happen again. 

LeeAlice, congrats! 

Kimie my DH and I were just discussing those tix. They will be coming to Phoenix late in the year. 

Missy, no clue on the balderdash thing. 

Joan, I am still getting treatment, but a few ladies on this thread have finished. I am imagining hair growing back and SE's, if any, becoming a distant memory. However, that is only what I am imagining and have no real world experience on the other side of chemo yet. 

oranje_mama

Leealice & Joan, congrats for finishing!  My last one is Thursday.  So happy to be almost done.

Holli, do you have anyone who can help care for the little ones?  Mine are older (6 & 9) and I have so much help.  I don't know how I would manage if they were younger or without the help. 

DJJ, you look awesome and not like someone who just heard that she's got to finish chemo on a delayed schedule.  It will be hard but you have proven yourself so tough already.  I'm sure you will get through it.

I am feeling better but still dragging from TCH #5 which was 2.5 weeks ago.  Tremendous muscle pain which is not going away.  I didn't have this with the first 3, was milder with #4, but #5 really kicked my butt.  I'm afraid for how I will be feeling after #6.  But ready to get it over with nonetheless!  I will be traveling with my family on Day 14 down to the beach in SC where my parents live.  The weather had better be nice!  Yesterday it snowed here in DC which is just outrageous.  Enough with the winter weather already! 

Lisaj514

ok I got creative (and brave) here at home today with my photos. The first photo posted or shown to anyone (except my husband) of me bald. First photo is before, bc, then one of my scarf looks (I'm good with the scarves) then my curly wig, then bald. I've got naturally curly hair and finding a wig that looked right was hard. It's actually an "Oprah2"wig from Vivica Fox wigs so its an African American wig. The wig is annoying though and I don't really love wearing it but I do in certain situations so I don't feel so much like a cancer patient... but then I also think it looks like a wig up close (such perfect curls which mine were never! Lol). I go by how I feel each day and setting. Do other people switch back and forth in social or public situations?

People in the grocery store may wonder,"is that the same woman that was in here yesterday?" Haha kepp 'em guessing

RobinLK

All 4 photos are great!! The wig does look very similar to your natural hair! 

I like having options, but seem to always choose bald.

I am most comfortable without anything on my head, the rest of the world can deal with it. I have enough on my plate! I do hate the white fuzz that is covering my entire head. There is some "real hair" in patches which gives me spots that look dirty, because it is so much darker. LOL!! I am finding I can "Rock the Bald," but have no clue how to grow it all back in properly.   

Lisaj514

ya Im curious of how this whole growing back in thing is going to go. Especially with my curly hair. Ive got some sparse white stubble now. 2 more dd taxol treatments left so i know I've got a while. I've looked of lots of pictures posted on the hair forum but still can't guess how mine will look growing back in. You look great bald, such a nice round shaped head lol! And you live in Arizona where it's warm. This winter in ny has been awful. We are finally supposed to get 50's this week but it snowed last night! My head and ears get cold when I remove my hat or scarf. I think I'm getting so used to them I feel naked and cold without. It's like my security blanket now. Hope I have some hair by the middle of summer. I guess it depends on what I consider "hair" . Just let it come in fast..I don't care if its blue haha

KAT4856

MIkesgirl17

So glad to hear you say that the new hair is filling in more. I have the white fuzzy hair but I never completely shaved my head so I am not sure whether some is new hair or not. I can feel stubbles and everyone tells me it looks fuzzier so I do think I'm growing some new hair. Can you tell I'm anxious for my hair to grow in ? Finished my last chemo last Wednesday so I know I have to be patient. It really helps to know that everyone feels the same about getting back their hair.

WifeWBC

Hello everyone - my wife actually started chemo on in March 14, but thought I'd post here to see if her experience has been shared by anyone else.

She is on 6 rounds of TAC (DAC).  Just had round #2.  First round saw her basically nauseous for 6-7 days, by day 8 she started coming around.  She experienced neck and back pain plus bad headaches from the Neulasta for several days too . Day 9 she was back to her normal self.  

2nd round and she's spent first 3 days laid up in bed.  More nausea then the last round.  The meds (Zofran, Emend, Maxeran) just have not cut into the nausea at all.  She feels like crap.

Just wondering if this is typical.  Wife is 40 years old, and otherwise strong as an ox, very fit.  Did anyone else try other meds for nausea, with better results?

RobinLK

I used those meds and did well, but there are other med options out there if those are not working. Make sure she/you discuss this with the oncologist. You can call them with issues/concerns. They don't want you sick....that being said, there are down days and up days with the treatments. Especially when dealing with fatigue. 

The neulasta shot can be a bear. Some people have had relief with Claritin. Hopefully one of them will jump in to discuss. 

oranje_mama

So happy to see hair postings . . . slow progress is still progress, right?  I never lost all of my hair, and never shaved my head, only cut it very short (my picture is after cutting it very short).  Actually, it probably would look a lot better if shaved - I look like a 100 year old man with very sparse wispy fuzz hair.  My kids say it's like baby hair.  Soft light brown mostly, with a few random white hairs.  But no stubble.  So I think no new hair has grown since I started chemo.

Although I'd kept my eyebrows till now, I've recently lost half an eyebrow on one eye.  I think it gives me a little bit of an evil look.  My alter ego or something. LOL!  I hope I hang on to the rest of my eyebrows.  My eyelashes are very sparse, and to add insult to injury, I can't wear any eye makeup at the moment because of the endless dripping Taxotears. 

WifeWBC, you or your wife should call the oncologist.  I know my MO says in bold, all caps on her info sheet to call if ever nausea or vomiting keeps you from drinking or eating.  There may be something else that will work for your wife.

I will say that I feel pretty crap for 8-12 days after chemo and spend quite a lot of time in bed during that period.  I'm 42 and also (formerly) very strong/healthy.

WifeWBC

Thanks for those replies - will keep checking back here.  

As for hair loss.....  My wife looks great with her skin head, if you ask me.  In fact, the more women I see with bald heads, the more I like it.

Lisaj514

wifeWBC- compazine is also a nausea med that worked for me. Some work better for immediate nausea like up to 2 after and then others for delayed nausea, ie beyond that Yea, make sure you ask. And thanks for the positive comment about us bald women. You don't know how much that realy means to all of us coming from a husband. You rock DH (dear husband).

kimie06

here is an interesting little link on TNBC, from the Canadian breast cancer foundation

http://www.cbcf.org/central/YourDollarAtWork/Resea...

DJJ

Took the dogs for a walk today.  I could only make it 1/2 mile because of the neuropathy pain.  I usually do 3-5 miles a day and 5-10 hiking on the weekends.  Having a rough day because of it.  Freaking out,  I keep repeating in my head "What's if it's permanent, what if it's permanent?"  How bad is it that? I find that I'm more scared of never being able to hike again then I was about battling breast cancer?  Probably because Hiking is what I do and have done for my whole life.  When I'm happy I walk and when I'm sad or stressed out I walk even more or run.  I travel a lot and all my travels include lots of walking and of course, hiking.  So scared today.

I needed some inspiration so I found the below  

keepthefaith

Starting rads tomorrow!!!

Cut the pre-chemo hair that lasted thru chemo, to match my new hair..stubbles. Was surprised that I kind of like it! I found that I had more new growth than I expected.

Maybe I will be sporting a short cut when it gets back to "normal."

DJJ, keep it up!

 

Jodi040812

good luck tomorrow with rads!!!

Jealous!  Wish I could snap my fingers and be at the rads moment.  But...I had a lot of cancer in me, so I need this.  At least that is what I keep telling myself lol!  I am heading back tomorrow, but chemo is Wednesday.  Hitting AC #2!!   

As for hair, I guess I will have my head covered my Christmas.  I still have hair in some places, arms and legs still growing but slowly.  I didn't know that people lost the hair on their arms too.   I put pic in black and white because ugh color lol!  This is me today.  I thought I was going to lose all of this when I made the switch to AC.  My eyebrows are thinning fast though.

Mikesgirl17

congratulations Leelace!  Woohoo to your last chemo.  I start rads Friday.

jackieak

DJJ, your stamina will return, walking has always been my best mental health cure as well.  Proud of myself, 3 days in a row walking outside in our beautiful 40 degree weather for two miles.  I forgot how much I loved it, hoping to keep it going daily after work.  Anxious for our summer where we have daylight non stop.  I sure feel it at night though, my back and legs ache, no pain no gain.  I have 5 weekly taxol to go so I'm hoping no neuropathy comes yet, that sounds very painful.

I was talking today about AC to a friend, and I can honestly say I don't remember allot for those two months I had it.  I know I was in a fog and felt like crap but really don't remember how I got through each day...odd.