Starting Chemo March 2015

so-she-did

How cool! You'll have to remind us when it gets near to the air date!

wpmoon

Bekah - I live in the East Bay (Hayward to be exact). So it's about an hour drive to Half Moon Bay or Santa Cruz. My friend and I went on a drive last week and made an unplanned pit stop at Stinson Beach, which was maybe an hour and a half away. We didn't stay long though, it was cold that day!

The friend I went on the drive with is actually one of my best friends. She kind of disappear on me during my chemo, and now that it's over, she's back around. I finally decided I was going to say something about how it bothered me that she did that, but it took about a week to actually get it off my chest. Last night, we had dinner together, and I told her how hurt I was by it and that I had needed her and missed her. I started crying at the table, and so did she. She apologized and said she just didn't know what to say or how to be there for me, which I understand, but I wish she'd at least told me that much. Hopefully things get better with us moving forward.

shaz101

nope...still no hair. When do I start to worry? And don't ya just love crease lines on your face in the morning. They seem to take longer to go. I'm sure one day they will be permanent.

shaz101

Whitney. I'm so proud of you.

KBeee

Sharon, last time around it was 6 weeks post chemo before I had any fuzz after Taxotere. And then I had a pretty bad male pattern baldness thing going on for a while.

Whitney, it's good you talked to your friend. Maybe in a future conversation, mention some things that would have been helpful since this may have been the first time she has known anyone going through something. Sometime she'll likely have someone else go through it and will benefit from the info

Trvler

Yes, and since you are young, Whitney, I am assuming your friend is, too, so she probably doesn't have much experience with this kind of thing. I remember when my father died and some people just don't mention it at all. They think if they do, it will remind you. But I learned that if a person just said something simple like I am sorry to hear about your dad, it made me feel better. But I wouldn't have known that had it not happened to me. But I am glad you reconnected with her. I think a lot of friendships are lost over misunderstanding/miscommunication.

Bekah: I think you mentioned it on the Taxol board but I hope you are experiencing residual taxol issues and it lets up soon before your surgery.

ksusan

Eileen, fun!

Sharon, if you take a digital photo and zoom in on it on a computer, are your follicles dark?

Trvler

Eileen, I was wondering about Deal. I meant to ask. Congrats! I can't wait to see you.

SueH58

Eileen - this is so wierd. I just turned on the TV and Let's Make a Deal is on. I will mark my calendar for 12/10 so I can see you!!!!!

rleepac

Whitney, you're not that far from me! I'm in Manteca and I go to UCSF for my care. I did my chemo locally though but surgery is in SF. Traffic is always so bad getting through Livermore/Pleasanton/Dublin that it takes forever to get to the beach

I usually ride BART to my appointments.

Glad you talked to your friend. I have one that I'll be needing to talk to soon too. It makes me very sad.

Bekah

Trvler

Sharon: I get those funky crease lines, too! Had one on my neck the other day. I guess having them last longer is a SE of my 'less plump skin'.

IndyGal35

Molly, very sad to hear about your baby. I am an avid animal lover, and losing a pet is overwhelming. Prayers for peace.

Eileen, you're on my calendar!

After 3 weeks and 2 days, I finally got my drain tubes out. I did NOT enjoy the 7 second tug on each side, but I feel better already.

My PS added another 50mL to my TE's yesterday. 3 weeks post-surgery, and I'm already at 400mL. My word, the spasms I've had in the past 2 days have hurt about as bad as if I'd just had another bmx. I'm back on regular pain medicine dosing. It helps, but I'm a bit discouraged since I had weaned off of them almost completely. Now, I need them to keep the Charlie horses at a minimum.

The PS is talking about adding 100mL/side next week on Thursday. I think that may actually kill me. I see the RO on Wednesday. I'm hoping her timeline lets us slow down the inflations just a bit. Even an extra week or two may save me a lot of pain.

Glad the drains are out though.

Ah....I'm going to be showering like the chick in the old Herbal Essence video tonight.

rleepac

Enjoy your shower!!!

SpecialK

indy - are you taking simultaneous muscle relaxers? You may get more relief, particularly from the spasms, from Valium, Skelaxin, Soma, or Flexiril than you will from pain meds, but a combo of the two could be even better. Speaking of showers, I often get more pain relief from heat than I do from meds, which actually make me twitch. I took a lot of showers and baths during chemo, post-surgically and during fills.

IndyGal35

I have scripts for 1-2 Percocet every 4 hours and 1 Valium every 8 hours.

I've found that taking 1/2 a Percocet with an Ibuprofen every 2 hours and 1/2 a Valium every 4 hours has helped keep the pain at a 2-3/10. I was trying to be a pain warrior on Tuesday after the fill, and it was a horrible decision. The pain got up to a 7.5/10, and I was up groaning almost all night. Playing catch-up is no fun. I'm going to start swallowing my pride and the pills when I need them from now on

I've never hurt this bad after a fill, but I was told that it'll get worse each time. That poor muscle is just stretched so hard right now.

shaz101

lee , enjoy your shower! I'm glad your drains are finally out.

My last chemo was on June 16 that's 6 1/2 weeks ago and still no hair. I took a close up photo and zoomed in. I can't see anything. I'm not stressing yet but I will if it doesn't come in the next week.

I'm going home today for the weekend. So looking forward to it. Mums been great but it's nice to be in your own space. Week 3 rads finished in a few hours. So far so good,skin is holding up well. The nipple is a little tender but quite bearable.

Eileen I wish I could watch you. Can it be taped and the part put on utube? Love to see you and especially winning money. Well done.

Molly I'm so sorry for your loss. It has upset me. The feeling of losing my own beloved animal comes straight back. Gentle hugs to you

Italychick

Sharon, any black dots on your head? My hair growth started out looking like blackheads on my scalp, although it can grow in clear, like fishing line, according to SpecialK.

Molly, so sorry for your loss. I lost my beloved lab, Buddy, probably about the time this tumor started growing, about 7 or 8 years ago. I still cry whenever I think about him, he was the most wonderful dog I have ever known. It was definitely the most traumatic loss in my entire life.

Just had the most nervous point to date in my chemo journey. My husbands long time friend came over to go to a Rush concert with my hubby, and I just rocked the bald look, was shaking as I sat there. Coward! Then he told me he just helped his mother go through a year of treatment for ovarian cancer, which helped me relax. But man, the first time with no head cover around a non-family member was traumatic! I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, but it was.

And my 35 year class reunion in Illinois is Labor Day weekend, and my brother talked me into going because I will be there to see my new nephew. So I am definitely thinking hard that I am gonna dye this short hair maroon red. Then people might just think I am a California weirdo. I swear, my Chicago family thinks we all the land of fruits and nuts out here anyways, so I would hate to disappoint them.

Jackbirdie

T- just like a bowl of granola..... If you're not a fruit or a nut- you're a flake!

Brava being so brave and rockin it. I don't even think about it anymore. I walk around bald everywhere. I don't know why this hasn't traumatized me. I worry about my nails and the anal waxing a LOT more

Italychick

my nails held up surprisingly well, and my lashes and brows didn't come out until 6 weeks after chemo, WTF? But they have already mostly grown back. Now if I could just transplant my leg hair to my head. Or probably the hair that I am sure is growing like crazy in my butt crack, not even gonna look!

shaz101

Unfortunately no black dots yet. I trust it will come. I just need to be patient. My eyebrows and eyelashes are still falling out. The lower lashes are all gone now and the top are very sparse. Just as well I have an eyebrow template. It makes it so much easier to paint them on.

IndyGal35

I was going to take DH to Rush, but it sold out so fast! A friend saw them in Toronto and said they were incredible. Hope your hubby has an awesome night!

I need to shave my pits, but my range of motion/flexibility aren't that great yet, and my right pit is numb from the snlb incision. I'm afraid I'll slice myself and not even feel it.

Aren't hairy pits making a comeback right now? If so, I'm an unfortunate fashion queen

ksusan

Me, I've got scalp and chin hair but my lower lashes and pubic hair are mostly gone, baby, gone at 8 weeks PFC.

Italychick

Isn't this hair thing bizarre? I have more body hair than anything else, although my husband assures me my head hair is looking thicker and longer. Where is the rhyme or reason behind the process? Lower lashes just fell out in past few weeks, but the good thing is they are growing back, just little short stubs right now.

Sue, we only got tickets by being on three computers the minute ticket sales opened. My hubby is a die hard Rush fan, and every time they come to Southern California he goes with his grown kids and his guy friend. It is a ritual. They love it. Me, I am a Kid Rock kind of gal. Or give me a good country singer. Or disco, or 80s Rock, or some of the more modern stuff

ksusan

Hair in different locations grows at different rates, so it falls out at different rates, too.

wpmoon

My pubic hair has made a comeback this week. Eyebrows and eyelashes are filling in. Realized when I wore shorts the other day that I actually have to start shaving again.

Lee, I hope the underarm hair thing is making a comeback.. I can't shave my left pit because of radiation. Some of the hairs are black, some are that baby fine blonde. So strange.

Jackbirdie

No underarm, pubic, arm or leg hair here. Seems like my head hair isn't growing either, but a friend stopped by yesterday, and said she thought it looked like it had grown a lot.

T- you might like this song, LittleBlue's brother dedicated it to the April Chemo Group yesterday, and I am appropriating it for our very worthy cause.

A great workout/fight song!

Bamboo Bones (Don't Let Them Break You/Push Back)

ninjamary

I have soft longish leg hair. I didn't even notice/feel it until my lower leg was caught in the sunlight...hair on leg was longer than hair on head. It is now gone.

Leighrh

http://theheartysoul.com/holistic-doctor-deaths-may-be-a-government-conspiracy-to-kill-the-cure-for-cancer/?t=TSOE

Just a little conspiracy for ya this morning... LOL I def am not a conspiracy gal and take every thing with a grain of salt but after seeing the most fabulous facilities at MD Anderson in Houston.... I am not gonna lie, my first thought was they will NEVER find a cure for Cancer.... it makes WAY too much $$$!!!!

molly1976

Thank you, everyone, for the nice words about my kitty! It has been a hard few months for him (and us) and although it was awful I feel like we did the right thing for him in the end. A chronically ill pet is just the saddest thing.

Italy, I am going to my class reunion next week! I said to my friend Mike, "I never thought I'd be bald at my 20th reunion," and he said, "that's funny, because I did but I'm not yet!" Ha. My hair is really growing noticeably in the past week so I'm hoping with another week of growth I at least will not have straight up bald patches anymore.

KBeee

I first noticed my arm hair returning, then a few leg hairs, then about a week later, my head itched and then soon it didn't feel perfectly smooth anymore, but felt a little "rough". Then the white duck fuzz came. I still mostly have that, though it is getting longer and some darker hairs are coming in. The duck fuzz does make it interesting to see what I'd look like as a platinum blond since my hair has always been brown as an adult! Perhaps it's really white, but platinum blond sounds much more chic!