Starting chemo July 2014

Puffin2014

good to hear from you Mags and Pink.

I agree Pink, Facebook is not the place for a support group discussion - there's too many friends of friends that can read the posts,..unless it was a private closed group,

ladyb1234

I agree Pink FB is not the same structure or wealth of information. I attempted to join a FB support group and it just didn't work out.

Pink, awesome on the clear MRI.

Mags, looking good!

knmtwins

Mags - what did your cousin get from Sprouts. I always ate like a pig during chemo. Our place let you bring in snacks and waters. We all would hit Costco and get the 'crap' people put in their kids lunches. Individual chips, muffins, 'cheese crackers', cookies, etc. and our place ordered in sandwiches. Some people would bring in freshly baked cookies and bars. YUMMMM couldn't figure out why I ate so much, then talking to pink the other day, it hit me, steroids in my pre-cocktail drip. I also drank like a fish, probably all the salt from the chips that I wasn't used to. I was so glad we had a private bathroom in our infusion room, because during that 6 hours, I would drink at least 120 oz of water, so I needed it.

Mags - So glad to see that your spirits are rising. Sometimes I think we need to know ALL options and possible outcomes, then take a while to mull them over. It allows us to have more control.

Mags / Pink - keep up with the photos from the chairs and think that through posting them we are all there with you. So wish I could come to chemo with you Mags, I was honored to be able to come to Pink's the other day. I'll go again, if it is ok with her, for her next long one.

Pink - I can always come to you, well that is until I find a job. One is out there with my name on it, just have to find it.

Blownaway

Still lurking and praying for Mags and Pink.

magdalene51

Kay, this week it was clam chowder and some crackers made of almond flour and seasoned with I think rosemary and sundried tomatoes. Sprouts is just a couple miles away and their soups are always great.

Today hubby took me to get my Neulasta shot but had a meeting so couldn't wait around for me. Cousin works just a few blocks away and was getting off soon, so she picked me up and we went to my sister's place and brought her home with us for the weekend. Cousin cooked a pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes with apples, and fresh cauliflower for dinner.

Infusions are pretty short these days, once they access the port that is (twice in a row the first time!); it takes half an hour for the decadron/Zofran to drip, the halaven only takes 5 minutes.

Now I'm off for a week, yay. It'll take me that long to recover. Steroids still working tonight but I'll probably hibernate for a few days, so don't worry about me.

Love you all and special hugs for pink

pinkninja9560

prayeringfor you Mags!

Slappy-Squirrel

Looking great Mags!!

Thinking about you and praying for you (and all my ladies here) every day!

Shirley

PS: If any of my ladies here need a lightweight Spring chemo cap like Mags, lmk.

pinkninja9560

sloppy squirrel,

Even though I make them too I haven't been crocheting because my shoulders and neckhurt. I would love a hot pink one 😉

Nancy2581

pink just trying to make you laugh here but you wrote "sloppy" squirrel instead of "slappy" squirrel Sorry it made me laugh. Hope today went well for you

Slappy-Squirrel

A sewn one like Mags or a crocheted one? It's getting warm fast here so a sewn one might be more comfortable.

Shirley

Slappy-Squirrel

pinkninja9560

slappy,

bahahahahaha! I actually laughed out loud! A sewn one would be awesome

knmtwins

As to hats, I took an old 100% cotton undershirt of my husband's and used this style for my pattern. It was the BEST hat I had, comfy, never tight, I wore it folded up like this, unless I got colder, then would pull it down. I used the lower portion of the shirt as the main hat (hem is already there and cut a circle out of the middle to make the top. I think I measured my head and used that as what I wanted the 'hat' or 'around' portion to be. It was my 'at home' hat and my sleep cap and I still wear it when my bedroom is really cold (love cold rooms at night) as my hair is thinner than it used to be. I would also wear it under my knit hats sometimes.

Slappy-Squirrel

Knmtwins,

Love it! What a great idea

pinkninja9560

twins,

That's so cute!

ElaineTherese

Mags and Pinkninja,

Lit a candle for you guys at church today. Mags, I saw your post about the acid reflux. Ugh. Hope you're feeling better today.

I had a chemo brain moment yesterday. We recently had to switch drug stores due to insurance, and I was signing up for one of those rewards cards. I could not -- for the life of me -- remember my phone number! And I've had it for over 20 years! The clerk just looked at me as if I were crazy. (At least I hope it's chemo brain -- far better than early Alzheimer's.)

Wishing you healing and comfort!

magdalene51

Elaine, thank you for the candle! They are listening, I know

pinkninja9560

don't be jealous but look who came and hung out with me today while I was getting treatment! Knmtwins!!

It was a great day and can't believe how good I feel. I had Taxol, Herceptin and perjeta today. I've started to go to a place that has a far infrared sauna and last week I went after chemo and I went today after Chemo and I swear it helps! I also drank about 100 oz of water.

Here's a link to the sauna info. My integrative dr actually just back from a seminar on this and cancer and she told me to go!

https://www.cancercenterforhealing.com/cancer-trea...

ElaineTherese

Awesome, pinkninja! That is way cool that kmntwins was there. I'm only about 45 minutes away from Mags, but I work full time and then I have the "autism twins" to deal with.

I don't think we have an infrared sauna in central OK, but I could be wrong. I'll be seeing MO today; maybe I'll ask her.

Glad to hear you're feeling good, pinkninja!

knmtwins

I am the lucky one Pink. Maybe I should schedule my filling for your next long one. I like discussing with you what options are out there and of course your prayers and insight are very helpful to me.

Elaine There... (I love calling you that, so funny that in the beginning I didn't click on it to see it was Therese). I think I liked, 'there', as it represented you were there for all of us. Does your school system offer a 'time out' for parents or do one of the Mega Churches, so that you could go visit Mags? I know our department of special ed coordinates things like that, as caregivers need a break. Could you schedule a doctors apt on the same day she has treatments, therefore being able to pop over and say hi? My godfather lives in Rush Springs, so I know how an hours drive is just a hop skip and a jump to you crazy Oklahomans. I must tell you, meeting Pink did me a world of good!

ElaineTherese

kmntwins,

There is indeed a respite program at one of our local churches. However, since one of my sons is aggressive and occasionally violent, I wouldn't seek a place for him there (for the safety of the staff and other kids).

I'm so glad that you and pink have met!

knmtwins

Mags - Pink - How are you guys doing???

I know you are doing chemo at a different time than July 2016, but we all love you guys and are praying and we may remember the 'secrets' we had back then to combat some of the symptoms.

BTW - I just remembered, bite on a small thin peice of ginger. It is suposed to help with nausea. I'd grate it on my microplane, then put it into my mortar with sugar and use the pestle to make a paste. I'd use that in my green tea. I don't like my tea sweetened, but the MO said don't loose weight, so it added some calories. I'd also add frozen cranberry juice concentrate, as cranberries are supposed to have something good in them. Pink probably knows a whole lot more about these things.

Love to all my July sisters this Monday morning

magdalene51

Kay and all

Just taking it easy these last few days. Thursday will be the last chemo (hopefully), then I will have to wait a few weeks for scan. MO wants a PET scan, but insurance probably won't pay for one this soon after the last one. They've tentatively scheduled one for the first week of April, but if insurance denies it we will do a CT of chest & abdomen and a bone scan. PET scans show bone mets so much more clearly though.

In the meantime we have a weekend away with friends scheduled for the last weekend in March, at Branson. We will take it easy, I'll have my transport chair so I won't have to walk if I'm tired.

I saw that pink is having chemo today instead of tomorrow with the blizzard expected. Hugs pink.

(By the way, I made myself sick on ginger during first chemo, now I can't stand the taste of it!)

knmtwins

Thanks for the update Mags. Not sure if you remember, but I couldn't do the computer at all for a few days after chemo, so I get 'being off'. Glad to hear from you and thrilled you are going to Branson. Have a wonderful time!

Slappy-Squirrel

Looking great Pink! Love those smiles!

Shirley

ElaineTherese

Mags,

Happy to hear that you are on your last chemo for awhile. And a trip to Branson! That sounds like fun. My daughter went last year with her youth group.

Pink,

Hope that your most recent chemo infusion went well.

pinkninja9560

I did have chemo Monday! I'm doing great, although I have had 💩 Issues 🙈
Mags, glad you're gonna get away and have fun with friends. Are you going to Sights and Sounds while you're in Branson?
I'm so excited cause I just found out I got approved for social security disability! It only took a month!

ElaineTherese

Congrats on SSD, pink!

Is it the "Big D"? Taxol did that to me, too. However, I now know the location of every restroom in every grocery store in town. Knowledge is power!

pinkninja9560

Elaine,

Yep! I was at the mall today and my hubby just waited patiently outside the restroom! It went away after about 30 minutes and I'm glad I didn't take immodium. I try to only take it if i go more than like 6 or 7 times because I'm sick of going from diarrhea to constipation. I got mineral water and I'm doing great now

ElaineTherese

Yes, Pink, too much Imodium gave me the Big C, too! I would only take the Imodium on the days I taught. Then, I would work at home without Imodium. I used to call them "cleansing days."