Starting Chemo March 2015

ksusan

Agreed. I recently read a book about the development of sulfa drugs; a big issue was that they wouldn't make money for the company because they couldn't be patented. This stalls R&D. You'd think there could be a balance between profit and science for the public good.

Jackbirdie

KSusan- You'd think.

Special- Thanks for talking me down from the ledge haha.

Had a nice dinner event for myself, Jack and HRT (Her Royal Tuttiness). With some nice veg and herbs from the garden and some imported* . Paired with an Oregon Pinot Gris. Tutti prefers her fish without the wine.

* from Safeway

ksusan

If only we could all move to Safeway!

eheinrich

More wine for you!

Italychick

SpecialK, I can totally relate. My breast surgeon, who has now become my primary doctor for scanning, follow up and everything, is a very warm, non-alarmist woman who also hugs and is very caring. I love her to pieces. We had a long discussion where she said physicians need to look at the person, not at the disease. I so appreciated that conversation

Mammo results 8:00 am tomorrow, hope nothing comes up.

SpecialK

jackbirdie - if I have ledge avoiding info I will always provide it!

Italy - I feel so fortunate to have had the docs I do though this experience - it has to make a difference when you feel cared for, listened to, and collaborated with. Good luck with the mammo tomorrow - I am sure you are feeling a bit edgy going in, but I am sure you will do fine and have a good report. I will be in MOHS surgery while you are mammo-ing, so I will send you good vibes while reclining and waiting for pathology. I have a recurrent spot on my leg that was previously treated a week or two prior to chemo. I am hoping the derm will revise the scar and make it linear while he does this - chemo made it heal like a crater, and it is low on my leg so slow to heal under the best of circumstances.

Italychick

thanks SpecialK. I've been scanned, MRI, PET, bone scan, two mammograms, two ultrasounds, so if something new comes up, I will be shocked. But the possibility always exists I guess. So I'm trying not to be too positive, because that seems to be when fate comes in with a bitch slap upside the head.

Best of luck tomorrow!

SpecialK

Italy - I know that bitch-slap feeling well, lol! Tomorrow is a non-event for me, should go smoothly, just a long day since after every shave they do pathology and it takes an hour each time. At least you get semi-instant gratification. So, I will hang out with the old men in the waiting room who have bandages on their faces, ears and necks. Mine will be hidden under my maxi-dress, so they will all wonder why I am there and speculate I am trolling the waiting room for a new husband. Last time I had this surgery done I got a flat tire on the way there, and a police officer took me to the hospital in the back of his police car so I wouldn't be late - I made quite an entrance.

Meme117

Good wishes for tomorrow Theresa!

Congrats Lee!

Way to go Katie, can't wait to see the meme. And what a great dinner!

I went to a PA breast cancer conference on Monday, talked about triple negative and 3d mammos. Had a workshop on mindfulness. Stayed at a beautiful Hilton. Met a bunch of survivors. Sat at lunch with 2 women who are both getting herceptin now, one had lumpectomy and one mastectomy both stage 2 and chemo first. Both had full response to chemo, both women in their 30s. I can't stop thinking about them since my report said no response to treatment, though MO said there was a bit. I've reviewed my reports and now I'm worried there was no response and they just said there was to make me feel good. There's really nothing I can do about it but for 2 days now I'm obsessing about it. Suggestions?

Italychick

Maryellen, I am so sorry you are unsettled. Since I had chemo after surgery, I will never know if chemo worked for me. I don't have any words of wisdom, just want you to know you are not alone.

The way I look at it, surgery is 70-75% curative, and I hold onto that and remind myself everyday. Breast doctor said to be diligent with follow up testing and she can get anything that comes back quick.

Gentle hugs - all we can do is move forward.

Jackbirdie

T and Special- sending my best for both of you tomorrow.

Leighrh

I need to ask a sexytime question....

Anyone worried about birth control? My hubs is super concerned! I AM NOT! LOL I figure since I haven't had a period since May that we should be good! Right??? I mean I might start being concerned when or if I get it back but right now I think there is no need to worry. I am 42, chemo surely has killed all my eggs, when I start tamox there will be no estrogen so am I just being stupid or is my no worries attitude justified?

eheinrich

I was wondering the same thing. Doc says I'm in full on menopause.....

SpecialK

Leigh - tamoxifen is prescribed to premenopausal women so that it does NOT disrupt circulating estrogen. I would use a barrier method of birth control if I were you, I wouldn't assume anything

Trvler

I had my tubes tied during second C-section so I haven't thought much about it.

Leighrh

Special you are always the voice of wisdom...... but.. I am trying to avoid that barrier method!! Guess I'll need to talk to the doc

SpecialK

Leigh - yes, no fun, right? That is the dilemma for premenopausal ER+ patients. Hopefully either your MO or GYN will have a better idea for you

molly1976

Leigh, my doc has been really serious that no periods does not equal no pregnancy! We used condoms for a few months and then my husband got a vasectomy. Condoms are the pits! The vasectomy was super easy and he wishes he'd done it years ago now - he only had to take a couple of Tylenol the day after.

IndyGal35

I was wondering the same thing, Leigh. I think that Lupron/Arimidex may be my best option to prevent ER+ recurrence and avoid pregnancy. My fertility panel came back low, but they said it could go up as I get further PFC. My MO doesn't recommend pregnancy for at least 2-3 years, and that'll put me at 38. If I can't use my ovaries, I really don't want periods for now

Italychick

So normal mammogram results, woohoo! Doctor said try to lose some more weight, but then said when you figure out how to do it, please let me know.

Next testing end of January, so I get to enjoy the holidays!

molly1976

Yay, Theresa!

ksusan

Good news, Theresa!

My ND suggested heavy adherence to an anabolic/catabolic food cycle (i.e., don't eat for 12 straight hours--limit yourself to, say, 7:00 AM-7:00 PM). I haven't found this to do anything, but then nothing else is, either, so I'm sticking to it until I find an alternative. I'm interested to know if I'm gaining muscle mass at least (though my clothing fit hasn't changed).

Leighrh

So do ya'll think that eggs survive chemo???? Esp when at 42 there prob were not too many to begin with?? Guess I need to do some research instead of just wishing it was what I wanted it to be .... lol

pboi

Yay, Theresa!

I think I mentioned to you before Lee, but I'm on Lupron/Arimidex. I've been on it almost 2 1/2 months. So far tolerable, though it might be too soon to tell. I have hot flashes, insomnia, just noticing a little joint pain in my hands, hoping, really hoping itdoesn't get worse.

If you do go with AI, be sure to get a baseline dexa bone scan. I'm 43 and can't believe I already have osteoporosis, not sure if that is from my genetics or chemo or what. Now to stay on the AI I will do Zometa infusions to strengthen my bones. I was so upset at having to go back to the chemo center for those, but they tell me a benefit of these infusions is that the Zometa also helps to keep bone mets at bay, which I hope it does.

PB

Jackbirdie

T- Great news! Glad you're cleared for take-off to one of your best holiday seasons EVER. With those grandkids as your happy place (and your bike) I know you will be breathing life in at maximum capacity!

molly1976

Has anyone noticed your port sort of moving around over time? Mine has always had a pretty thick layer of tissue over it - it was hard to feel those three little dots sticking up - but in the past week it's like it's moved closer to the surface of my skin. ??? I did start jogging a little bit and I wonder if it's gotten jostled around? It's still in the same location on my body, but it's just like something has happened to the layer of fat that used to be between it and my skin.

BBwithBC45

Molly, my port's 3 dots are more visible recently than they were originally. I'm not sure if it moved for me (I did some golfing and maybe all that swinging caused it to move?), I always thought that at the beginning that area was just swollen after inserting the port.

molly1976

It's been six months, though! You'd think if it was swelling it would have gone down sooner. Glad to hear you have noticed the same thing, though!

SpecialK

For those who have noticed their port being more pronounced, it is likely a combination of reduced swelling, both from original insertion and from no longer taking steroids and having chemo.

Italy - yay on the clear mammo! Excellent!

I am laying on my bed post-skin cancer removal. This was a recurrence, so had to do MOHS. It took two rounds, with an hour for pathology for each round. I got there at 7:30, out at 1:00. The good news - he was able to stitch the wound closed in a straight line, this area had previously been a crater.

Chemo can definitely accelerate bone density issues. I had a DEXA same day as the imaging that led to diagnosis, so I had an excellent pre-diagnosis baseline. I had a repeat one done six months after chemo ended and I had been on AI drugs, progressed from osteopenia to the brink of osteoporosis. Prolia injections reversed that.

I had trouble losing chemo and AI weight and had joint pain. Started the Virgin diet and joint pain decreased and lost weight, when nothing else worked. It's a hard plan - not for everyone, but it worked for me

Jackbirdie

Special- so glad to hear you are done and the Mohs was successful. I had that done on my face once. The other dozen or so sc were burned or cut. The biggest one on my face was 5" long and I can barely see the scar. The derm is a wacky hoot, reads his own slides, (he also sends them out for second opinion- but he likes to see for himself), dictates funnies into your chart about you while you are sitting there. It's almost worth the copay just to go in and get cheered up.

All of my family, both sides, have sc, and my younger brother died of metastatic melanoma 5 years ago.

Can't stress enough the importance of going for a proper checkover. The frequency depends on your own skin type, experience, medical history and family history. I now go every 6 mos.

Small price to pay