Starting Chemo March 2015

Meme117

Sharon sorry about your new dx and ur visitors comment. Surprised she didn't ask her doctor for official testing. My sis was just dx with ra, I believe they put her on a med, do you take anything for it. I'm going to have to tell her about the lemon water. Your view is spectacular, maybe we should all visit you😉

E my BS told me to use vit e oil for scars and take vit c for healing. R u feeling better?

Theresa OMG I'd have gone off to. It stinks when the staff are not up to par with the doctor. How many herceptins have you had?so far so good for me, I'm so surprised. They have not done that bloodwork just the norm. I also had argument with a staff person, mine was over the phone, she didn't want to hear anything about them making a mistake. Where do you find all ur info on supplements and such? I'd like to read from a trusted site😉 in particular about vit d and breast cancer. I came across a cool shirt for you though it's a bit pricey http://www.southmoonunder.com/chaser-whiskey-loves...

I'm curious how far everyone drives - my BS 20 min, my MO 35 min, my RO 5 min

Had my rad sim yesterday. Cancer sucks!! When I was lying on the table for mapping I just wanted to cry, I didn't want to be there. I'm having 33 with 3 maybe 4 fields. The staff were extremely nice and professional but wtf when will I wake from this nightmare.

KBeee

Maryrllen, My BS, MO and RO are in the same building, 20-25 minutes away. My PS is 25 minutes in a different direction. I have to really distract myself to not to totally want to cry at rads. So far I have been successful.

Sharon, That was really rude of your visitor to be so dismissive. It so badly sucks that you have to deal with this.

slothabouttown

Mary Ellen,

Rads mess with your mind, I had major anxiety around the machines and the sounds and being left alone with all that .... radiation going into me. The only thing I can say, and it seems to be a common thread with radiation centers, the technicians are amazing and sweet and welcoming and really do make a difference. I hope that is true for your experience too. After the first week I accepted the treatments as a daily routine, I'd treat myself to some fruit infused water in the hospital cafe on my way out and mark another day off the calendar. the time flew by and when it was over I was hit with that post treatment "now what?" anxiety because, you know, it's always something. Radiation was another reminder that this shitstorm is real and a look into a world I'd been lucky to be spared from till now. I hope your techs and staff make you feel better and that all your parts hold up. I had minimal burning and moderate fatigue.

Meme117

Ok thanks Karen, I feel better knowing it is not just me. Ok Sloth what sounds??? will it be like that damn MRI machine? what do you do know to keep yourself sane????and yes so far the staff have been wonderful probably the best out of all the doctors' offices. The treatments are at the top hospital in my immediate area, I wish I had chemo there but its for "special insurance" I asked and that is what I was told whatever that meant.

I'm researching the use of vitamins and radiation therapy and found this from the journal of nutrition - can anyone interpret?

itamin E.

Similar to selenium, with which it can act in synergistic fashion in protecting cells against radiogenic transformation (5), vitamin E has been shown to decrease radiation-induced chromosome damage in human tumor cells but not in normal cells and has an inhibitory effect on a variety of cancer cells (10). A combined treatment with vitamins E and C inhibits apoptosis in human endothelial cells more effectively than each alone, while increasing Bcl-2 and downregulating the pro-apoptotic Bax (11). By contrast, vitamin E induces apoptosis in human breast and prostate cancer cells as well as leukemia (12) and glioblastoma cells (13). Pretreatment of cells with vitamin E and selenium increases the levels of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, while doubling the breakdown of toxic peroxide and reducing transformation (5).

littleblueflowers

I read it as- don't take vit. E during radiation because tumor cells won't respond as well to radiation damage? My RO said no vit. E during trearment...you want that chromosomal damage!

pboi

Maryellen,

My MO RO and BS are all in the same location about 20 min away from me.

I tried not to, but I did cry during my sim appointment. It was my first time seeing everything and it all just overwhelmed me. The techs were awesome and explaining everything and easing my fears. The techs really made the experience bearable for me, they were awesome!

I agree with what Sloth posted and felt much the same way, though she said it better than I could.

The sounds from rads were not like those annoying sounds from an MRI, for me they were a series of beeps. Not the MRI sounds which sound like a jackhammer to me! And unlike the MRI, my rads treatments were pretty quick, 10-15 minutes maybe most days, and a little longer once a week when they needed to do some X-rays.

PB

Trvler

It might just be me, but rads seem like they would be much easier than chemo and BMX/recon. I was petrified of both of those. Now watch, as sure I as say that, rads will be my worst thing.

wpmoon

Sharon your deck looks lovely!

slothabouttown

Rads were definitely easier than surgery and chemo for me. The sounds are just high tech whirring and beeping, nothing so jarring as an MRI. Eat your protein and grease up multiple times a day with your emollient regimen of choice and you should be good to go. The burning and peeling usually doesn't start until close to the end and in my case I was all healed up by two weeks after my last treatment. I am now having some tightness again on the radiation side and I'm about 6 weeks post but I've heard tissues continue to be affected for up to several months after rads. I've started working with the resistance band and doing the PT exercises again hoping to loosen things back up.

Italychick

my hair will lady down now with gel and I can part it - so excited!

pboi

I agree with Sloth. Rads was much easier for me than surgery and chemo. I think for me when I started rads my emotions were all over the place. I had surgery first, then chemo. By the time my taxol was over, i felt worn out and just wanted this all to be over, was not happy about the thought of rads everyday. But the side effects were manageable, lots of creams/lotions, protein, water, and exercise. After I got started, the treatments did seem to go by quickly.

Love the hair Theresa...looks great!

Ok...just noticed it's my second time today saying I agree with Sloth....she must be very wise 😊.I shouldn't have posted...but I did cuz I wanted you to know I too had a similar experience.

PB

shaz101

Theresa, your hair is amazing and wow I want your eyebrows badly! My eyelashes look to be a similar length.

Thankyou for your support everyone.

My BS, MO and RO are all in the same place. About 1.5 hours drive.

Rads for me were so much easier. Once you get in the routine it's not as scary. I did get quite burnt from week 5.

slothabouttown

Sharon, wish I could donate some eyebrows to you. I have way too many.

Just keep repeating "i agree with Sloth, I agree with Sloth, I agree with Sloth...." Ill just be over here thinking of how this might work in my favor down the road.....hmm.

Jackbirdie

I agree with Sloth. Like that?

T- you're looking great!

IndyGal35

The bracelet has arrived safely in the Circle City! I just opened it up and held it against my heart for the longest time as my eyes started to well up. It's such a comfort already to feel the love and know that it has passed through so many caring hands. Bless your wonderful, beautiful hearts. How could I have survived the past 6 long months without you? ❤️❤️

Jackbirdie

A

I'm so glad you have it Lee! I teared up too over what you wrote.

The quality of my life, despite bc, has been greatly impacted in a positive way by all of you over these last months. We are all so different, have all brought something different and important to the "unparty".

I was reminded of this collection of agates, sitting in my kitchen window. Each with a different surface, different size, reflecting its surroundings uniquely.

shaz101

Lee. I'm so happy you have it. We are with you. Now stop making me cry!lol.

shaz101

Andrew had a go at me this morning about housework. 😢 it was a little messy last night because I was watching the footy with a friend and we had snacks. But he acted like it was a pig sty. My joints hurt and I can't scrub anything. I can only tidy and wipe. I'm angry and sad at the same time. Now I've cancelled having lunch with a girlfriend so I can clean. I feel like every time I start to feel good, someone wants to kick me in the guts.

slothabouttown

Sharon that is NOT okay. What makes men think they can't clean?

Also what's a footy?

Katy that's a beautiful collection of agates. Did you have some of them polished or is that how you found them?

I'm all packed to head to the coast tomorrow. It's 90 today in Portland so the sea air is going to feel amazing. Can't wait!

Italychick

Lee, sniff sniff, cry. I felt the same way when I got it. Can you post a picture so we can see all the new charms? I feel like it carries a little good luck from everybody who has contributed.m all the memories and emotion going into that thing is incredible.

Sharon, tell Andrew to get off his ass and do some cleaning. Or better yet, give him a good swift kick in the ass. What is it with some men? I have a sweet deal. I cook, Roger cleans up the mess. Doesn't get any better than that.

jumbledbamboo

Sharon, no! You need the comfort of friends and I am betting his frustration was misdirected. not okay.Cleaning is not a priority. Emotional and physical health are. I am sure we all overdo it as it is. How can we not at times? Just to feel normal I will do things I shouldn't. Argh! I hope you rescheduled your lunch and next time he needs to do that shit himself. Just to be nice.

Jackbirdie

Sharon - ditto in he above re Andrew and the cleaning. Though I know he does a lot of other work around there. If not clean it himself then at least SHUT IT.

Footy= Aussie rules football?

Sloth- about half (and the small ones at that) I found on the beaches around Port Orford. Then seeing my homely little collection, a friend who has a polisher offered me a big handful. I just love them.

ksusan

Sloth, where are you heading on the coast?

Italychick

found out one of my daughters college swim team friends, 37 years old, has metastatic melanoma. I thought my chemo was brutal. He has to do 13 rounds every three weeks over six months for a total of 104 chemo treatments. I can't even imagine

Jackbirdie

T- that is very sad, especially so young. My brother fell from that..just had surgery and no follow up tx. Told him they'd got it all. Apparently melanoma is so aggressive it only takes one itc. I wish your friend all the best. 😢

shaz101

Thankyou you all again I think Andrew and I are both a little stressed.

Theresa, that's terrible news and a horrid chemo routine. I'm sending some healing his way xxx

slothabouttown

Susan,

I'm camping at cape lookout for a couple of nights. Possibly the last tent camping of the summer, sigh. Rads kept me close to home through July but I've been trying to get out of town as often as I can since then.

KBeee

Allison, Rads has been pretty easy so far, but I am only 1/3 done and the worst part is yet to come. Driving there, rads, and getting home take up over 90 minutes of my day though, so that's annoying. I think it bothers me more than I admit though because each week during my check up, my blood pressure is quite high. That did not even happen during chemo. I try to distract myself during the treatment, but mostly I know how many seconds each of the 7 zaps lasts, and I just count them. Everyone tells me to just "picture the radiation melting those cancer cells away". My hope though is that there are no cancer cells left to melt away. I don't want to envision any left. So.... I just count

Trvler

How long does it take, Karen? I thought it was like 5 min? That sucks that you have to drive that much every day.

wpmoon

Hi ladies! Checking in. I'm exhausted this week. My body is all funky from adjusting back to my work schedule. But I'm feeling really good with the working out and eating healthy. Some of my pants fit better!

For those of you not on FB, I'm doing a fundraising event with my new gym in partnership with a nonprofit called Barbells for Boobs. They raise money for screenings for young women under 40 and men for early detection. I don't know if BCO has any rules about posting stuff like this, so the link will be in my bio below should you like to donate. I know a lot of us have struggled with bills over the last year, so please don't feel obligated! I just wanted to let you all know I'm trying to do some good with the bad situation I was handed.

Feel free to share the link and send it to other people who might be willing to help out!