Starting Chemo March 2015

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  • pboi
    pboi Member Posts: 663
    edited July 2015

    Theresa...now I'm feeling guilty! Was going to skip my walk today, has not been a good day today. But a walk will probably make me feel better...off to get my shoes...better hurry before I change my mind......and I'd rather join you to eat too! 😊...will post in the exercise forum later

    PB

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  • rleepac
    rleepac Member Posts: 755
    edited July 2015

    PB - I'm having BMX with TE placement on Aug 18. Since the first surgeon who did my excisional biopsy (local guy who I fired in a hot second) did NOT check for sentinel node, we have to do that too. Even though he found an adjacent node with a micro-met by chance, we don't know if that was the extent of it. Although after chemo, I'm not really sure what they expect to find but I understand the need to try.

    Poke me, prod me...whatever...at this point I feel like my body is the temporary property of UCSF. I know I still call the shots but they have a plan and it makes good clinical sense so I go with it.

    Bekah

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  • Italychick
    Italychick Member Posts: 2,343
    edited July 2015

    Anybody else's head starting to feel like teddy bear fur? Whenever I rub my hand over my head, that's what it feels like.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited July 2015

    Yes! Like a teddy-belly.

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  • IndyGal35
    IndyGal35 Member Posts: 340
    edited July 2015

    Yes!!! My head is sooo soft!

    At this point, my foobs look like a science experiment, so I'll show them to anyone that asks. Ha!

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  • slothabouttown
    slothabouttown Member Posts: 449
    edited July 2015

    I've got the teddy head too. Took the day off work to have a little "me time" and so I put a some product on my fuzz just for fun. It didn't change a thing. Now that I have something growing up there im starting to appreciate the fact that it's so low maintenance. Actually it's zero maintenance. Leaves more time to address these new chin hairs.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited July 2015

    Sloth, it's good to have a hobby!

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  • Jackbirdie
    Jackbirdie Member Posts: 4,693
    edited July 2015

    Very fuzzy wuzzy here too. I like rubbing my head these days

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  • Italychick
    Italychick Member Posts: 2,343
    edited July 2015

    Sloth, you and I must be sisters of the make lots of f*#king stupid hair. Every day, and I mean every day, I am in there plucking face hair everywhere, chin, cheeks, you name it. I hate the little hairs growing right under my nose. Those suckers sting like crazy pulling them out.

    I've used the same bottle of shampoo for 7 months, and it looks unused lol!

    indyGal, I could care less who sees my boobs. Last oncologist visit, she said can I bring an intern in, I said sure. She said do you want to change? I said nah, did the unsnap the bra, pull straps through my armpit holes, fling the bra off, then lifted my shirt and started pointing out details regarding my scars and dimple and healing process. Neither one of them said a word haha

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited July 2015

    When I had to go in with an abscess, the doc had a medical student. I think I unnerved her: "Go ahead, touch this here. Feel how that gives? It's not supposed to do that. Now squeeze this here...."

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited July 2015

    Sorry to have been MIA but I have been running around all day. Jackbirdie is correct about the difference between Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitor drugs (Arimidex, Femara and Aromasin) - Tamoxifen works by blocking the estrogen receptor on the breast cell, while the AI drugs suppress estrogen, but there is some fine tuning regarding these explanations. First, women taking Tamoxifen metabolize it through a pathway (CYP2D6) and there are varying degrees of effectiveness depending on how well the drug is metabolized - there are poor, intermediate, extensive, and ultra-rapid metabolizers. Tamoxifen allows estrogen to circulate so is prescribed to premenopausal women because they benefit (heart and bones) from that circulating estrogen. What type of metabolizer you are determines how well Tamoxifen may work for you - as well as a host of other drugs that also use this pathway including a number of anti-depressants, allergy meds, some GI and pain meds etc. I believe that the fact that Tamoxifen does not work for everyone may have been what prompted the SOFT trial comparing it to OS plus AI - namely Aromasin, in the study. Aromatase inhibitors work by suppressing estrogen, but not estrogen that comes from your ovaries. Rather, the rationale behind using it for post-menopausal women is that you are no longer making estrogen in your ovaries and these drugs inhibit the enzyme aromatase which converts androgens from your adrenal glands into estrogen. So, taking an AI drug if you are premenopausal would negate the estrogen converted from androgens but would not suppress the estrogen made in the ovaries, and therefore offer no protection.

    On the subject of scans - remember that for scans to work any remote cancer needs to be sizable - usually at least .5cm or larger.

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  • Trvler
    Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
    edited July 2015

    I have the fuzzy bear hair, too. Not completely covering my head but it does seem to be coming in fast. Yeah!

    Thanks for the explanation, K. How are you doing with the Femara? Were you already in menopause?

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  • Leighrh
    Leighrh Member Posts: 317
    edited July 2015

    No hair for me..... I mean it's there.. kinda.... but I can't really see it with out a magnifying mirror..........feels like it's NEVER coming back!

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  • Trvler
    Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
    edited July 2015

    Leigh: I saw you are on #6. I just had 9 on Tuesday and my hair has literally starting growing like crazy in the last week so you will get there.

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  • shaz101
    shaz101 Member Posts: 718
    edited July 2015

    no tedyy bear hair here either. Although i look on the mirror and try to see some.

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  • molly1976
    molly1976 Member Posts: 403
    edited July 2015

    So jealous of those of you who started growing again during Taxol! I only got Taxol, no AC, and it's taking a longass time for the hair to come back. Eight weeks out and it's just now starting to be visible from a distance.

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  • Lovemylab
    Lovemylab Member Posts: 80
    edited July 2015

    I'm jealous too. Have had 7 of 12 taxol and have NO eyelashes, eyebrows but seem to be growing teddy bear hair on head and hands.

    My MO held chemo time before last due to the big d and headaches. Got a brain MRI and no mets there so that was good news! He said HER2 likes to go to the brain even w neg nodes. Great that scan is neg but now I will forever worry about headaches.

    Hoping to get through the next 5 without interruption. Hang in there all. I'm keeping up on everyone but mostly too tired to respond .

    Maureen

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  • wpmoon
    wpmoon Member Posts: 270
    edited July 2015

    I forgot to mention, yesterday the ultrasound tech asked how I found my cancer (myself). Then she goes, "oh I had a lump one time too, but luckily it wasn't cancer."

    Well, good for you!

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  • molly1976
    molly1976 Member Posts: 403
    edited July 2015

    Ha, Whitney! Seriously.

    Maureen, why did you get a brain MRI? Were you having symptoms or did your MO just offer for peace of mind?

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited July 2015

    Maureen, good news on no mets!

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  • Lovemylab
    Lovemylab Member Posts: 80
    edited July 2015

    Molly

    He ordered brain MRI because of headaches. I told him the headaches were related to taxol ( worse days 1-3 after infusion). He said he has a low threshold for ordering brain MRI in HER2 pts even though he doesn't order the screening scans for stage one.

    Maureen

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited July 2015

    teddy bear hair here too and no brows or lashes growing back. They've been gone for 2 months and I wonder if they are coming back since they came in sparse last time

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  • eheinrich
    eheinrich Member Posts: 792
    edited July 2015

    I love rubbing my teddy hairs! I didn't realize quite how thinned out my eyebrows got until the hairs started growing back. I have some reg hairs and then 5 o'clock shadow. Eyelashes are still really thin.

    Totally unmotivated this week. Blech

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  • IndyGal35
    IndyGal35 Member Posts: 340
    edited July 2015

    Whitney, I have a friend that got drunk and started clutching me crying, "I've never been sick in my whole life. I've never had an operation or anything! It's not fair!" I knew what she meant. She's significantly older than me and hates to see me struggling through this, but I didn't know how to respond.

    "Uh..I'm sorry for your good luck...?"

    Bless her. She's been such a champ for me, but that moment still makes me laugh. People say the most inappropriate well-intentioned stuff.

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  • ThePrincess
    ThePrincess Member Posts: 424
    edited July 2015

    Herceptin gives me headaches when it's that week!

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  • Trvler
    Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
    edited July 2015

    Maureen: That's great news!

    Indy: I know on the comments! I told my husband I had a lot of tingling yesterday and he said he has that effect on people. OMFG! From my husband. Ok, my husband is clueless but seriously?

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  • Leighrh
    Leighrh Member Posts: 317
    edited July 2015

    Allison, my hubby routinely tells me "aren't we taking this "Chemo" thing a little far" LOL jokingly of course.... he's such a comedian!

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  • Jackbirdie
    Jackbirdie Member Posts: 4,693
    edited July 2015

    Maurren- such a relief. Very happy for you

    Lee- people do say the stupidest things, even when they mean well. It tells me a lot about you that you took it with class and humor.

    Leigh- even though joking, I'm not as classy as Lee and I might have to junk punch him for that. Minimum- bitch slap

    Feeling sore and lazy today

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  • Leighrh
    Leighrh Member Posts: 317
    edited July 2015

    Katy.. It's all said in jest...lol.. just like when I tell him he better shape up or I'll hook him up to some poison and see how he likes it! :)

    He also routinely tells me he would take my place if he could :)

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  • Jackbirdie
    Jackbirdie Member Posts: 4,693
    edited July 2015

    oh that makes me feel better. I'm very defensive on behalf of all of you. In case you hadn't noticed

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