Starting Chemo March 2015

Italychick

Allison, I am so skeptical of all the treatment except surgery, but did it anyways. If I knew the "real" percentage chemo gave me, I would probably get mad. But what can we do? Just swallow, take the poison, and hope for the best I guess

Trvler

A weird thing happened to me during/after my surgery. I have suffered from chronic constipation off and on my whole life. Because I was having a particularly bad run of it for about two years, I started taking a prescription med for it that worked great. I was constipated when I went to the hospital for my surgery, mostly because they had me come at the crack of dawn which is my time and if I miss the window, forget it. They also had me come early for my surgery. So after surgery, I took the med, prune juice, Miralax and stool softeners. It finally got things going and I have taken nothing at all since about 5 days post op. So I don't know if my doctor rearranged things or what but I am pretty happy.The other weird thing was right after surgery, I had to pee about every 5 minutes. I thought something was seriously wrong. Sometimes I would feel like I had to go but couldn't start. But I used to get up a whole bunch of times at night to pee and now I am only getting up maybe twice. I started doing Kegels because I thought my bladder floor was compromised. I used to go a bunch in the morning, too because I drank coffee and water. Now I am not going all morning anymore either. So maybe I finally found a plus in cancer.

DavisD

Allison-I'm glad something positive has come of all this! It's interesting, I also had improvements in my Sjogren's (autoimmune) symptoms...nerve pain in particular. I thought it would get worse since that can happen w/chemo but it didn't hardly bother me. Now it's all back and when I mentioned it to the MO he said people with autoimmune diseases often have relief of symptoms during chemo because some of the chemicals used are also used for the AI disease. I got the Sjogren's diagnosis from labwork a few days before starting chemo so it's kind of hard to sort it all out.

I am with you Theresa. I'm skeptical of it all except for surgery too but also too afraid to not go along with recommendations. It's so difficult to be sure you're doing the right thing.

Katy-I'm going to try the lavender mask and take some of your suggestions. I've had lifelong problems with sleep and I'd love to be able to not rely of medications.

Beautiful day here in Virginia. Took both dogs to the hiking trail at the park and walked 3.5 miles! Felt good except my radiated boob is pretty irritated this pm.

eheinrich

Off cancer topic. Tuesday is my 25th wedding anniversary. Alan & I are filing paperwork this fall for divorce. Very friendly - still best friends in so many ways. so many life changes in so short a period of time. Having a hard time today. Pet pics please.

Trvler

I am sorry, Eileen.

I don't have any pets. I know it must be hard. But I can tell you are incredibly amazing and I think there will be a lot of good things in your future. Hugs.

Italychick

my sweet boy Jack, 12 years old and been fighting skin cancer for two years, still going strong. Just got laser zaps again to keep him healthy. Love him to pieces! He cuddles mama every night

Trvler

Awww….he is so sweet.

Jackbirdie

E- from Jack and Tutti:

They are very sad that you are sad. Me too.

Italychick

So let me share a story about my Jack. He used to be skittish around kids before we had grandchildren. One day we were walking between the coffee house and Trader Joes grocery store. There was a dad there with a boy, about 5 or 6, and he was trying to get the boy to stand up and quit crawling on the sidewalk. The boy had on a large bib and we could tell he was autistic. Our sweet boy Jack went right up to the boy, put his face next to his and gave him a big kiss/lick. The boy stared right at Jack. The dad said what an amazing dog, my son never looks directly at anything, and then he started crying.

Whenever I feel sorry for myself and this stupid disease, I think about that incident, how wonderful animals are, and how lucky I have been to get 53 years of normal life while that little boy has to live in a world he can never get us to understand. I am not fatalistic, and hope I can live to 99 the same way my great-aunt with breast cancer did, but I am grateful for every year I have had so far.

Sappy me, I know. But here is to many more years for all of us

Italychick

Jack and Tutti are adorable, where is the damn like button

greenae

Eileen

Augie would like to cheer you up. He is getting ready for Fall. (He'll do anything for a piece of chicken!)

Hugs, arlene

Jackbirdie

T- love your sappiness. Hear hear!

Great story about your Jack. A natural therapy dog. He is amazing!

Jackbirdie

A Virginia Song for DianeD

It's a song for all of us really, but it's about the part of the country our Diane hails from. And I know she'll love this piece.

Diane, here is your song of the day. I'm so sorry for all you've been through, still going through, the return of the auto immune bullshit, and the uncertain road ahead. You are a lovely human being and there is no reason why one person should be singled out for so much shit. Huge hugs. K

Meme117

Theresa I love your story! What a wonderful dog you have!!

Arlene I love your dog photo, so adorable.

E I hope this one makes you happy.

I'm heading to bed early as I'm having much anxiety about rads tomorrow, first of 33. I know it'll be fine but I guess it's just the whole start of another treatment.

Italychick

Maryellen one day at a time, and soon it will be over. Hugs, and hope everything goes well for you

Meme117

thanks Theresa😘

E I found another dog that will make you smile, wish he was mine.

slothabouttown

Eileen, my dumb phone won't upload adorable pics of Helen and Savvy. They wanted to send you some doggy love! Dangit.

Jackbirdie

Maryellen- in your pocket tomorrow.

SueH58

Well, back to work tomorrow after being off for the last 6 months. Time is such a warp for me -- sometimes it seems fast and other times like I can't remember life without cancer. Also starting rads tomorrow. And, getting ready for my daughter's Oct 3 wedding. Hoping to settle back into the work world, and through everything that needs to be done for the wedding. 

Thanks to you all for getting me through the last 6 months. I couldn't have done it w/o you (or if I did, it would have been do much more miserable). Isn't it wierd what brings us together in life???

Jackbirdie

Bon voyage Sue! Good luck with all this excitement. I hope rads treats you well and you time warp yourself through it in asnap!

Jackbirdie

More cute animal pics for E:

Tutti's tail is bigger than her body. She's very proud of it. Jack is jealous.

Trvler

That IS a big tail.

Best of luck to you Sue and Maryellen today. I will be right there with you in a couple of weeks.

Theresa: That's a nice story. Thanks for sharing. I was watching the local news the other day and they had a little 5 year old bald girl. It puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Love all the animal photos. I hope they are making your day a little better, too, Eileen.

Leighrh

I am 2 weeks PFC and today is the first day that I feel pretty GREAT!! Swelling is no longer... at least I think, we will see at the end of the day... lol!! My coach at my gym wrapped my ankles with a band thingy and we stretched and did a lot of strength work... and voilla the swelling did not return!!! Thanks for your medical advice nurse... my coach knows more than you Getting back to my gym and doing some re building has really helped me I think, even though its really hard and I get so mad that I can't do the things I used to! I still have nasty nails and they are really grossing me out but I just smell like I tree with all the tea tree oil I am using Have an appointment with MO Friday and he will send me off to RO so I can get my schedule. I am so hoping to breeze through Rads!

Now...... If I can just haz some hairz.................... PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

eheinrich

Sue & Maryellen - thinking of you today.

Thanks for the pet pics - definitely made me smile Did you ever just google puppy or kitten images when you feel crappy? Or laughing babies on youtube? The laughing babies crack me up. This is my favorite: Ugh the link won't post - google haha baby

BBwithBC45

Leighrh, that kitty put a smile on my face.

Actually, all the pets' photos here did. Thank you, Ladies.

In a few hours I'm going to the hospital for my colonoscopy and upper GI endoscopy. I'm very nervous, not as much because of the test, as I will be asleep, but worried about the results. I have been prepping for the test last night and this morning. By now I must have reached the daily goal of 10,000 steps by trotting to the bathroom every few minutes.

eheinrich

Oh BB I did that last year. The prep is the worst. Good luck.

molly1976

I love all the animal pictures! Aw, buddies. And thinking of you Eileen, divorce is hard even under the best of circumstances.

I got back from a week in Denmark yesterday and it was so nice to just be a normal person. We did meet several new people (had dinner with a Danish family, and met up with some strangers to share a dinner reservation at a nice restaurant) and I can't help but wonder what they're thinking in that situation about my weird looking hair... but nobody said anything and I didn't offer up any information.

I did have one day of period-like bleeding and then it stopped. My MO had told me "irregular bleeding" would be a concern on Tamoxifen but when I told him about this he said to just let him know if it happens again. Maybe this is just my body still being confused post-chemo. I find it hard to believe that the Tamox has actually done any damage in there in the less than two months I've been taking it, anyway.

Italychick

Awesome quote somebody sent me, I shared it on Facebook, but I'm sharing it here for those who aren't on Facebook with us. I can think of no way to improve on this quote.

DavisD

Thank you for the song Katy, I've always loved it! You're my rock.

Theresa-Your story really puts things in perspective. I work with people experiencing mental illness and homelessness. I think about that every day...what would it be like if I had nowhere to go, no purpose in my life? I'm working with a gentleman with Lymphoma going through chemo now. He is living in a tent in the woods....keeps me very humble.

Eileen-doesn't matter the circumstances, divorce is painful. I've been through it once when I was 21 and almost again a couple years ago. It will get better. Big hug

Good luck tomorrow Maryellen.

BB-Ugh...I swore I'd never do that prep again! The rest is a piece of cake. I'll be thinking of you.

I had my best day in months today. Not as much pain and actually accomplished a lot at work today. I felt a bit more connected to the world. I'm trying not to think of the 25th and the possibility my husband may not have a job after that day. As Sharon posted early on, I will not live an unlived life.

Jackbirdie

Diane- glad you had a better day

T- Awesome quote. It does about cover it. I'm so stealing it for my face book page. Unless I find it already there in which case I'll share with the implied FB permission that nobody owns anything. Except FB.