Starting Chemo March 2015

pboi

Congrats Sue on your last chemo!🎉 As tough as it all is, one by one we are crossing that finish line!

Good luck to all who may be starting rads!

I'm on day 6 of my radioactive iodine isolation for my thyroid. Just one day to go. For a person used to being around my family/kids, it's been hard to be alone. I appreciate the time to rest, but unfortunately sometimes too much time to think is not good! Thankful though for FaceTime so I can "see" my kids everyday. Can't wait to get out of here...I'm going stir crazy!

PB

Jackbirdie

PB- I've been thinking of you. It must be dreadfully lonely for you. Hopefully over soon. You also had an extra decker on your shit sandwich

Trvler

Aww…PB. I am sorry. That is good that you can FaceTime with your kids. Imagine not being able to do that. Hang in there.

slothabouttown

I used one of the plastic guards on the clippers and ran that over my head to get rid of the fine blonde ones. Mostly because several of them where quite a bit longer than the dark hair and so they bugged me. So I kept all the new hair and got rid of the long fine soldiers that hung on through chemo (aww, now I feel bad having done that.)

PB hang in there and remember we're here if you need to check in or chat to relieve the boredom or rescue you from too much time in your head! We're there any SEe associated with the radioactive iodine injection? We use that treatment on hyperthyroid cats too and they have to be kept segregated from their families for a week as well!

Jackbirdie

it's too bad one of those kitties that's alone too couldn't have kept

PB company. 😢

SpecialK

jackbirdie - someone needs to come up with a thyroid radioactive quarantine cat/person matching service so neither is alone! That is a fab idea!

shaz101

Pb I'm so happy to hear from you. I was wondering how your isolation was going. Is this a once off thing?

It's very exciting to be able to start planning our trip. I agree,a new thread for general chatter and emails with specifics! Best I get saving 😄

Chemo brain sucks! The worst of mine has lifted. I still have trouble finding words sometimes though. But at least my general thinking and comprehension is better.

Trvler

So what is up exactly with the 'fishing line' hairs as Theresa calls them? And why are they all white/blonde?

SpecialK

My understanding about the fine white hair is that the cells that provide pigment have been suppressed by chemo and have not caught up with the hair growth itself - and because chemo deprives the body of some nutrients the hair pigmentation can be affected as well - so two reasons. What you may find is that as the hair grows it will be white on the ends and then darker closer to the root - that means things are normalizing.

Meme117

Pb so sorry for your isolation. Were there SEs? FaceTime is amazing still don't understand the technology.

I'm ok with Facebook or new thread for communicating. If there is a stalker of BC chemo survivors who share stories such as ours, our world is a very scary place😱

I tend to rub my hair quite a bit and the longer white hairs fall out, not all. My eyebrows seem to disappear while I sleep. I think my chemobrain has tapered off, hopefully with time yours will also.

BS removed drain, thank goodness the stitches were irritating me. My report is good, clear margins and 1 positive node out of 13. Anything else on my pathology report I should question? Have follow-up next week and then will be able to meet with RO again.

Italychick

Allison, my fishing line hair was super crazy. It seriously looked like I frosted my hair. It was not an attractive look. Now I have a fuzz bump at the top of my head. Yeah, that's attractive. Kind of looks like a cone head. My husband said we should clip it and I said no way, I will get some hair gel or something. Not cutting it.

Maryellen, congratulations on getting the drain out!

shaz101

maryellen. What's next for you?when do you start radiation? How big was the tumour? Did the chemo shrink it?

shaz101

I think I see some fishing line hair ☺

slothabouttown

Yay Sharon! Hair!!! I actually had some water drip off my hair this morning when I got out of the shower! That was unexpected! Someday I may use the blow dryer again, but not for some time I'm afraid!

Italychick

Sharon, take another picture. I'm sure I saw hair on you on the left side, top of your head when I zoomed in.

Sloth, me too about the water. And the towel was really WET after I dried my head. Ah, the little things that give us pleasure now - how wet can I make my towel! That sounds pornographic haha

slothabouttown

I read somewhere to pack up all your hair products, blow dryers etc before chemo and use the free drawer and counter space for other stuff so you wouldn't have a daily reminder that you're bald ( of course there were all those countless other daily reminders that you're bald, but whatever) I packed up all my hair stuff and put it in the closet. it'll probably be a couple more months before I need to unpack anything and I've used the bathroom space for my arsenal of SE supplies-eye drops, nose drops, baking soda, baby wipes, etc etc etc. The day I pull out the blow dryer and hair products and march that other stuff out to the trash bin is gonna be monumental. Ill be washing down my tamoxifen with a glass of bubbly!

wpmoon

I'm starting to feel like my eyebrows and eyelashes are never going to make a comeback. Just found pictures from last summer where they were so full and awesome! This year, they're barely there. Really hoping that they grow in and don't stay this thin.

shaz101

Here it is Theresa. I'm sure there are some...please say there is 😉

Meme117

Theresa I'd like to have some of your eyebrows please? Your hair looks great. I think I need some dye I have lots of gray.

Sharon I'll start radiation prob early September and back on herceptin. My tumor was 2cm in greatest dimension. My ultrasound had said it was 2.2 at greatest point, it was not round but irregular. I'm not sure chemo did anything as the report says "No definitive response to presurgical therapy in the invasive carcinoma." I'll be asking my BS what exactly that means but sounds like chemo didn't shrink it. Totally sucks if I went thru all this crap with no benefits.

Going to grange fair today to enjoy some farm animals and fair food. Enjoy your day ladies!

KBeee

Maryellen, So glad you got your drain out!!! I love the Grange fair! I went to PSU and volunteered for the ambancevservics. I did a few EMS shifts at Grange Fair too!!!

Sharon, Yay for hair!

Whitney, My brows have been totally gone since June with no growth in sight. If they are not back by October, I may have to see about tattoos :

Trvler

Sharon: I think I see some fuzz on top? Can you take biotin? I take it. NOt sure if it is working or not but my hair is growing.

molly1976

My head looks kind of bizarrely shaped here but you can see my brows and lashes! I think they are almost back to normal. Theresa, I still have the little bald spot right in the front so we are still twins there.

Leighrh

Look at all of you showing off with your hair and eyelashes...... LOL!! I WANT SOME!!!!

Looking great ladies!!! I still LOVE YA! Even if you have tons more hair than me....:(

Trvler

Wow, Molly. YOur lashes and brows are amazing!

Italychick

Molly, I want your eyelashes - mine are short 1/8" little stubs right now. I just do tons of eyeliner, and layer as much mascara on there as I can. And yep, we have the same damn bald spot! And I see you have that cute little cowlick in the back in the middle, I have that too haha!

Sharon, I see the little hairs poking up!

eheinrich

It just occurred to me that I have no idea how they fill the tissue expanders. Is it just a needle through the skin? Is there a little port-like thing? I tried googling but got lots of gross surgery pics that I don't want to see.

Msmath

eheinrich the TE's are filled using a needle through the skin. It is a little weird at first seeing your chest grow. I can't remember what pills I took but my PS prescribed something to take for muscle spasms that would occur after the fills.

I went to my PS today to talk about reconstruction. I am overwhelmed! I am a little over 2 weeks done with chemo and I want to see changes and feel better. When does that happen? I have seen some pictures of hair regrowth when does that happen? Has anyone else talked about reconstruction yet? I had a BMX and had no idea that I was looking at multiple surgeries for reconstruction. The first surgery will hopefully take place in about a month. I am still anemic from the chemo and I want to fly out to my sons graduation from basic training before I go under the knife again. My PS said that the fat grafting would probably need to be done 2 to 3 times. I just want to get better and be past all of this.

SueH58

PBOI - Can't wait for you to be back with the kids tomorrow. Will this pretty much get rid of the thyroid cancer? What a bummer to have a double decker shit sandwich.

Jackbirdie

Sue- How are you feeling?

Molly- your lashes are LOVELY!

pboi

Thanks everyone! Last day alone here thankfully. It would have been great to have a kitty here to keep me company.

I had my thyroid removed, and in the process a nerve was nicked a tiny bit, so I still have trouble swallowing water too fast and my voice is soft and hoarse 5 weeks later, hope in time it will heal.

The radioactive iodine is suppose kill any remaining thyroid/cancer cells left. I will be monitored but I think it won't be known for over 6 or more months if all the thyroid cells are gone. Unfortunately for a few people one dose is not enough and they have to do it more than once.

I did the iodine as soon as radiation was over, on the last day of my radiation. So I think I got a double dose of fatigue from radiation and the iodine. My throat and salivary glands are swollen and a little painful, and my GI tract was affected a little. I've heard more side effects could keep coming so we'll see.

Looking forward to being home tomorrow, but as a precaution my radiologist asked me to stay away from the kids for an additional week. I can see them, but need to keep my distance.

Thanks for being here for me everyone, it helps!

PB