Starting Chemo March 2015

ThePrincess

Katy! Congratulations!!!!!!! New homes are so exciting!!

eheinrich

I also use the day I got the phone call as my dx date. (f'ing horrible day)

Sharon - your deck is gorgeous. Katy - so excited for you!!

rleepac

I use the day of my biopsy because I knew it was cancer. It was confirmed by pathology within 2 days so I just use the biopsy date

shaz101

i hope youre right karen, but im the same, I'm not getting my hopes up just in case. Must be very bitter sweet for you. Knowing that you made it through one round only to start again. I cant comprehend how you must be feeling. You are one amazing woman. I usw my mamogram, ultrasound biopsy as my date. The unfeeling biopsy dr said to me ... why have you waited so long! Nice way to be told you have cancer. Such an unfeeling bitch.

Im sitting on the deck and its cold and raining, but i dont care! Im so happy right now. I've been doing some gardening. Feel good to move again.

ninjamary

Katy - CONGRATULATIONS! Yeah.

Sharon - wow, awesome and beautiful pictures. I love me a cloudy day!

Trvler

Katy: I am SOO happy for you!! You deserve all the good that comes your way and I hope a LOT of it does!!!

Sharon: That deck is awesome. I soo would love to have a place like that to sit out. We have a tiny lot and not much of a backyard and NO privacy back there. Enjoy it! BTW, do you have a magnifying mirror you can use to look at your scalp? I never would have seen the 'blackheads' had it not been for that.

Oh, and I checked and the pubes are coming back, just not on the top where I could see them. lol. Wow, did I ever think I would be discussing my pubic hair or lack thereof with strangers over the internet? That's a big fat NO.

DavisD

I use the day I got the call from my BS saying it was C.

Still no hair, I think I've even lost more since finishing chemo!

Katy-I can't say it too many times, I am SO happy for you!

Sharon-I love the porch, it's huge! So glad you're feeling a bit better. It's been a long road I know.

Jackbirdie

Allison- Hey! We are not just some strangers on the Internet, hear? What we have among us is REAL. Do you have to touch a star to know its real? So it is with us.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes. I slept a little better last night. It's been difficult with all of the excitement. Today a work party from Jack's therapy dog group are coming to help with the garden. We will dig up some more valuable items and tidy it up so my landlord is happy. He likes the idea of a garden and loves the fence, but doesn't want the garden to appear to be a liability.

Also, I really cannot delay any more, more than 5 weeks PFC now. How time does fly!!! I must start the Tamox. Really hoping I can tolerate it and that I'm a good metabolizer. There's no way to tell on count two. Nothing will happen. I guess that's what I want for point 1 also. For nothing to happen.

The big move is scheduled for next week. On Saturday, a week from today. More people will come to help pack this week. Deportation Wednesday. Gonna be a busy week.

No pics probably till later this week. The sellers have a few days before I take possession. But the deed is recorded in my name. Did I mention they left their outside dining table with 6 chairs and umbrella for me? A very thoughtful thing.

neverthought

Great to hear about your new house Katie. Lot of gardening going to be happening there soon or are you going to wait and see what pops up? I don't envy the moving and glad you have help.

Sharon, that patio/deck looks great. Does that mean headaches are better so you can go out in the sunlight?

I am being pressed by my MO and Internist to get a head MRI but am afraid it will pull out my post & temporary filling that is waiting to get a crown done. Will they get sucked up into my brain or fly across the room or something? Plus don't really want to find out one more thing is wrong. Eyes are all wonky and walking is difficult but hoping that can be resolved with new glasses and more potent allergy meds. I hate/fear going to the doctor and hate/fear having tests even more. Plus they just give you meds on top of meds to treat the side effects of your meds!

We are having a beautiful breezy day here. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Trvler

Only strangers in the sense that we have never met in person.

KBeee

So for those of you who are done with chemo, how long was it until you saw MO again after chemo? If you have to do rads and an AI, did you start the AI during rads, or after you were done? For those of you on an AI, which are you on, and what side effects have you had? Since I only see MO every other Taxol, Monday is the last time I see him before the end of chemo. I know he will order a dexa scan for bone density to get a baseline before AI. He told me he has no preference on an AI, but we will decide this week. I am leaning towards Femera, but have not decided for sure yet. I'm wondering if it's the norm to take it during rads or not. I'm hoping to wait until the end of rads to give my body a break, and hoping to see him again in 2-3 months since I am sure I will have questions, but I don't remember for sure what the time frame was last time.

Jackbirdie

Neverthought- I am a very lucky girl, as there is a lot of established planting already at the new house.

And just today, friends of Jack's Furry Friend ladies,8 strong) came with shovels and smiles and pillaged my garden of my favorite plants, weeded, and covered the holes with mulch! I feel very blessed to have such generous friends. It was hard work. They potted up about 75 plants!

Trvler

I would be interested in knowing that, too. I am not sure yet if I need rads though.

BBwithBC45

KBeee, I'm PFC, but I still have Herceptin till next year, so I'm at the cancer center every three weeks. I see my MO or his PA every time

Italychick

ok I cheated and put on some hair dye. Got tired of my friend Cheryl saying it looked like I frosted my hair. And I hated the fishing line hairs. Hope it doesn't fall out!

molly1976

Looks awesome, Theresa!

I see my MO every third Herceptin, so that means every 9 weeks. I didn't start Tamoxifen until after rads but he said that is due to the RO's preference, not his.

so-she-did

I saw my MO once a month for the first 2 visits PFC and have now graduated to every 3 months. I started Tamoxifen along with rads. For me, I don't think it has made much of a difference. I think I would be just as tired if I was just doing rads.

Theresa - go for the maroon! Why not? I'd dye mine if it wasn't so patchy. I have a very sudden stop to hair growth from the middle of the back of my head, down. Looks really weird - like I have a bowl cut back there - hahaha! I can just now feel the stubble of new hairs coming in lower and closer to my neck. I love the color purple and might go that route as long as I don't have to bleach it white first. Don't want to damage these new little friends.

My eyelashes have finally gotten long enough to put on a little mascara. I had to shave my leg hair once I could start feeling them blowing in the breeze. They were freakishly long and clear!

BeatIt2015

I had a follow up with my MO one month after final chemo. I had already started RADS. At this appointment we discussed AI options and she wrote a prescription (Femara) but told me not to start until after I finish Rads. So I'll start taking mid August. My next appt is for bone density test, then see MO again in October and then every 3 months.

Jackbirdie

gots more hairs this week!

pboi

Wow, Katy look at all that hair, nice! Like your hair too Theresa!

KBee and Allison... saw MO last week of chemo, and won't again until 3 months after that.

I had surgery after chemo and started rads 3 wks after chemo. Hormonals during rads seem to be a preference thing of MO and/or RO. Most people it seems don't start until after rads, reason being to keep the rads SE separate from the hormonal SE, I think. My MO said I could start during rads, and his colleague an MO in the same office, likes to start after, so I think it just varies on the person. My main rads side effect is fatigue and the skin issues vary person to person probably based on their skin and how long and what kind of treatment they are getting.

I have thyroid issues so was starting other medication at the beginning of rads, otherwise I would have started earlier. I am one week post-Lupron shot, and other than my usual few hot flashes and night sweats, which seem the same as before and not any different after the shot, I'm hopeful I will continue tolerate the shot well. I was told this week I can start my Arimidex, which I am so nervous about! If I can work up the nerves, I think I will try tostart Tuesday. Will let you know how it goes.

PB

ksusan

I saw my MO at my last TC infusion and will see her again in mid-August (~12 weeks after) to check in and get Tamoxifen to start after radiation finishes. I'll then see her again in ~3 month intervals for 2 years, I think. No scans or follow-up testing scheduled. Surgical folloe-up at about 6 mo. after port removal.

so-she-did

If any of the rest of you have been having trouble with depression, read this journal article. I've given it a try and it seems to be working. Just watch out, though. When I finally started seeing an effect on mood I also ran into the big D. I think I was so low on magnesium that it didn't have any effect on me for the first 2 weeks, but when my magnesium levels finally came up then it became an issue. I just cut back and all is good.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16542786

wpmoon

I'll be seeing my MO once every 9 weeks or so while I finish up Herceptin. Tamoxifen after radiation. Not entirely sure yet if I'll be continuing the Lupron - a question I'll be asking at my next appointment, in addition to the risks of a CT scan.

Went to Disneyland with a friend for the weekend, it was a nice trip. But my boob is sore from radiation, and my armpit was chafing. Oh, and my port got more tender the more rides I went on, and I started getting worried about it moving or dislodging. Seems to be fine now, just a little sore.

CONGRATULATIONS Katy!!! I'm so happy for you!!!

SueH58

pboi - how fatigued do you find yourself getting from the radiation. I will be back to work for rads and wonder how draining it will be.

I, too, was told I will not start on an AI til after radiation is over so the SE's can be distinct.

I have been using the dirty dozen list and trying to buy organic when possible. We like to eat a lot of peppers, so this weekend I bought regular peppers, scrubbed them with soapy water, and blanched them. I wondered if that would remove the pesticides. See the article below. I think I will shop for produce wash to use vs. dish soap.

Can't wait til next Wednesday--my final chemo.

Katy and Sharon - congrats on your new digs and upgrades. Great new beginning for you!!!

pboi

Sue - The first 2 weeks the fatigue wasn't bad, and I was even recovering from surgery at that point. Gradually the fatigue increased, but it's manageable I think. I have been very good about exercising just about daily and I think that helps a lot. On week 4, I found the need to take a nap about 2 days out of the week, and I'm not usually one who takes naps. Some I think find scheduling rads after work helpful so they can go home and rest after. Fatigue will also depend on your particular treatment too. I will do 25, so if you have more, you might be more fatigued.

Congrats on last chemo coming up!

PB

shaz101

sloth, yes headaches are decreasing in number and intensity every week!

Thanks everybody for your nice comments about my deck. I feel so very fortunate. I can't wait for warmer weather s o I can enjoy being out there more.

Katy how did your working bee go ( maybe I should read to the end before asking). My sister helped me yesterday to plant 21 lavender plants.

Alli, I've tried everything Barr cutting my scalp to see if there is anything there. I do love seeing everyone else's growth though. I know mine will come.

shaz101

Karen my first mo visit after my final chemo will be 8 weeks. He told me that he will order a bone density scan at that appointment. He also gave me a script for tamoxifen but then told me not to start until after rads! So I don't know why he gave it to me, I'll see him again before rads finish and he didn't give me any information on how to take it or SE to look out for! He's been very flustered with me since my Dr wrote the letter of complaint. I'll double check everything with my GP as well. I also see my BS 10 weeks from last chemo. I think he will order a mamogram then and give me the all clear! At this stage I'm planning to go back to work on the 14 of Sept.

Sue, I've just started week 4. I'm tired, but less than I was during chemo.I'm managing to walk most days and haven't napped as yet, although I'm tempted. I try to log on to work for a few hours each day too. I can see that I may need to have naps by week 6. My skin is holding up well. It just looks and feels a bit sunburnt.

Jackbirdie

Sharon, the work party to dig up my garden was just perfect. Seven people came with their own gloves and spades. I had 75 2 gallon nursery pots, and good potting soil ready. They made an an assembly line that reminded me of something in between putting out a fire the old fashioned way and a barn raising! They weeded and tidied along the way and finished by putting some nice bark mulch down. I left enough plants and edgings that creep so that the garden looks like something still, but not a huge complicated burden.

I'm really grateful for the help. In 2 1/2 hrs they finished what I never could have even started. I've always heard that saying that you find out who your real friends are on moving day!

Tuesday evening there is an inside lacking party, mostly all that's left is kitchen and laundry, from plates, pots and pans and food, to supplies and junk that collects under sinks and on shelves in misc places.

Then Saturday is the big move!

Jackbirdie

Sue- I wanted to say congratulations now, before things get too crazy. Preparing to move and deportation on Wednesday (with local anasthesia only, thank you very much) will be keeping me hopping.

But I want you to know I'm so happy for you and proud at how brave you've been. It will take a little time before you feel better, but at least you can keep telling yourself you won't have to go back there again after Wednesday.

I hear bells ringing and a crowd cheering in the distance. Can you? Also a warm hug coming your way.

🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔😎😎😎😎😎😎🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎈🎈🎈👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

shaz101

Katy,why are you up so early? And why am I up so late! 💩

I'm so happy and pleased that you have had so much help. I couldn't even think about packing up and moving through all this. But I am so happy and excited for you. You deserve so much happiness from here on.

Hmm. Just read that. Can you tell I've had a couple of wines with mum?