Starting Chemo March 2015

Trvler

Aw..Eileen. I am sorry about your boob. Maybe good if that lady quits?

eheinrich

I think it would be good if she quit. Especially because I could lay out my program for the new person & make her get on board. She's so high strung. And I mean they are 2 year olds chill the f*ck out. She wants to do crafts with them - the kind you do with 4 year olds. They can't use the toilet or hold a crayon properly but you want them to make tiny flowers out of tissue paper? These guys just turned 2. I think she's going to keel over one day. A parent sent a letter to the administration saying they aren't sure their kids are safe with her (that happened today, I had been pulled from my room to sub next door. Not sure what went on in there, I hope it doesn't in the parents eyes reflect poorly on me...).

Lovemylab

Bekah

My PCP says UTIs are from herceptin. She looked it up. Urologist ordered Ct abd and pelvis today, changed antibiotic and said go on trip and she will see me when I get back. So happy!

rleepac

Hmmm...interesting. I'm going to see my gyn tomorrow for routine annual pap. She specializes in breast cancer patients and I am going to bring up the frequent UTIs to her and see what she says. I'll have to ask about Herceptin. I have 4 more treatments to go and I don't really like being on and off antibiotics so much. Of all the meds I've had to take, Herceptin seemed to be the most benign for me. I do experience puffiness in my hands and feet for a few days after infusion, runny nose, and flu-like achiness for a few days. But compared to chemo I figured those SEs were nothing! Maybe it's not as benign as I thought..

Meme117

i think I have 4 more herceptins also. How long after do they remove the port?

Wondering why eyelashes falling out again? Thought I was nuts but knew they were alottt thinner even bought new mascara.

SpecialK

meme - oncologists have a wide range of port removal recommendations with Her2+ breast cancer - some will let you remove it immediately, others want you to keep it for "a while" as it can't usually be placed in the same location should you need one again.  My MO wanted it to remain in place for two years, but I actually still have mine.  It will come out with exchange surgery this year.  Lashes can "cycle" after a taxane chemo - since lashes normally don't fall out all at once they often fall out and return a few times until they go back to occasional individual lash loss.  This is pretty common.

jackbirdie - glad your second cataract surgery is done and you are seeing better!

shaz - glad you have been reassured about the new findings!  I am sure you were scared!

molly1976

I had a UTI a few months ago but I theorized it was from using condoms. I had forgotten how terrible they are! (UTIs, not condoms. But condoms are pretty terrible too.)

I'm getting my port out the day after my last treatment. My MO seems absolutely positive I am not going to have a recurrence. I wish I could share that feeling.

eheinrich

Can I whine about hair for a second? Mine is at this stupidly awkward phase. When it was very short & spikey I liked it, but I want it to grow longer. It's very wavy but not curly. It sits in lumps and bumps on my head no matter what I do to it. I think tomorrow the curling iron is getting pulled out.

Trvler

Eileen, yours looks 1000 x better than mine. The longer mine gets, the more it curls. It is absolutely awful. I thought you looked very cute in your card picture.

eheinrich

Thanks Allison. Card picture is a month old. Bad things have happened since then

Trvler

Oh, noo….what bad thing? Did you get it cut?

eheinrich

No. As it's growing it's not straight enough to lay down or curly enough to be curly. It just looks lumpy. Not cute. I've tried a thousand ways to make it reasonable. Tomorrow I will try way 1001.

Italychick

I just look at it like we are flapper girls now. I have weird waviness too and in the morning when I get up, forget it. I can scare myself

shaz101

I try to avoid the mirror. It works better for me that way. If I look I get sad. I've started putting a little argon oil on it when I get out of the shower just to hold it all together a little

avmom

I had a trim today, and my hair stylist used scissors! It's almost long enough to look like a deliberate pixie cut. It isn't at all curly, and is soft, soft, soft. It was a treat to get a real haircut.

Things went downhill once I got home. DH left work early with a "stomach ache" but he was very flushed looking and uninterested in food. I suggested that he call our healthlink line, which is staffed by nurses, so now we are at the ER, and he is beingbeing evaluated for heart attack, or gall bladder or whatever. Waiting for bloodwork. Worried.

Italychick

Avmom, the shit sandwich just keeps getting bigger! I hope he is okay and he's just getting the flu or something. my husband got it and he never gets anything, and he has been really sick. And grandkids too, one wiped herself out with poop three times today, and there is a gastrointestinal component. Fingers crossed and hoping for the best!

avmom

bloodwork complete. Not a heart attack, but probably gall bladder. Sent home, but ultrasound scheduled. DH was given option to have ultrasound tomorrow at a clinic in the city, or Monday morning locally. He chose Monday, but will get the results immediately once it is done. Gall bladder trouble is manageable, at least more than a heart attack. My sister's husband had a mild heart attack last spring. Luckily, it was very, very mild, and he has fully recovered and changed his lifestyle, including losing quite a lot of weight. He feels great, so that ended well. My sister has had a rough year.

I'm dizzy with relief. When we got to the hospital his blood pressure was 175/95 - pretty high, but it came down as his discomfort started to resolve. When we were driving home, we were able to joke about our Thursday night "date night". Next time, we will have to choose a better venue

Jackbirdie

Avmom- so glad this date night turned out better than it started! I had my gallbladder out in 2013 (that was the first of many layers of the shit sandwich casserole for me). If they need to do it, it can usually be done laparospically. I was in quite a bit of pain and had pancreatitis associated, so I didn't get to go home.

Wishing a good outcome Monday and a general improvement in your affairs ASAP!!!

ksusan

Much better news, avmom!

shaz101

oh geeze avmom. I'm so sorry. What a date! Hopefully he'll pick a better destination next time.

KBeee

AVmom, good news; gall bladder is more manageable.

With the hair in the in-between phase, what I have found helps a little (since mine gets crazy curly too) is either putting a little mousse or gel on and then throwing a ball cap on for a half hour. It gets it to sit down but does not give complete hat head... or using a flat iron on the super curly spots. I bought a 1/2" travel flat iron which works on this short hair. Whoever thought I'd be "styling" my hair with a ball cap???!!!

Trvler

Avmom: I am glad it wasn't it a heart attack.

I promise you mine hair looks worse than all of you. It just curls up even as it gets longer. I would post a picture but I am too lazy. It would make you all feel better about your hair though. I SO wish my hair was straight.

ksusan

As a formerly straight-haired gal, I'm digging the curls. They're pretty wild, but I'm happy I have hair.

pboi

Avmom...glad for no heart attack. Hope the gallbladder issues aren't too serious.

I don't have any tips, but this in-between hair is frustrating me too! I have this mullet going on in the back that curls up...ugh! Tried straight iron but it's hard to do since the hair is short. Should probably trim my hair, but trying to grow it out...will just have to deal with it for now and be patient. Allison have you always had curly/wavy hair or is this new for you? Doubt your hair is the worst of us 😊 My hair has come back so much thinner now, but thankful it came back without any bald spots which I heard can sometimes happen

PB

slothabouttown

I have bumpy hair too. I've been getting it cut every three weeks or I start to look like my high school gym teacher. I like the curls a lot as long as I keep it short which suits me fine. I've always heard that the curls are temporary- up to a year or more but eventually the straight haired girls get their straight hair back. Is that what you've heard? I haven't gotten my blow dryer out of the closet since I put it away in March but I've spent quite a bit on different styling goops and straightening serums. I landed on the Argan oil too as my favorite way to keep things tame.. like Susan said, I'm mostly just happy to have hair!

I still want to go to lake arrowhead, maybe those with kids should throw out some possible dates? I'm pretty flexible.

KBeee

I agree about just being grateful to have hair! I just want to keep mine this time!!! The curls did relax after a year last time.

Trvler

I have always had curly hair but I straightened it. It's just extra curly because it is short.

I can't really commit to anything because I am waiting for my Stage 2 date.

Jackbirdie

I assure you all I look like a poodle. It's not getting longer, just keeps curling in in itself. Some growth at the front would help a lot, but no bangs in sight.

Maybe we could have a contest. Like the ugly sweater contest.

Haha. There would be no winner because we would all vote for ourselves!

I still want to do Arrowhead, but I signed up for a cancer retreat end of April. Otherwise, I'm pretty flexible too.

Trvler

I like the bad hair contest idea!!! Sounds like we are hair twins, Katy!

Jackbirdie

Haha- yes it does, Allison! I hate to sound ungrateful, but....