Starting Chemo March 2015

Trvler

I rarely wear nail polish on my hands because it turns my nails yellow and then I can't go without it.

eheinrich

I would on occasion remove & reapply. Maybe give a day of breathing in between.

Tutti is so naughty.

slothabouttown

Hi all, it's been a while since I've had anything to contribute. Last time I painted my toenails was, let's see....never, so I still cant be of much help but I read up daily on all your posts. I'm trying to stay ahead of the yard work and realizing how slow moving I was this time last year! I was so proud all through chemo that I could still mow the lawn but what takes me an hour this year took two days with a rest in between last year! I'm happy to be closer to my old self and trying to remind myself that the LE sleeves are my friend.

ksusan

Eileen, do you have a sense of the frequency? Normally I'd go about 1-2 weeks then remove it after vacation, but I'm also aware the polish remover is very drying.

phoebe58

hey ksusan - I know a thing or two about toenails I wear coloured toes most of the time.... especially in sandal weather. After you remove the polish, remove the polish remover so it won't be able to stay on and dry out your nails -- easy with water on a damp cotton pad. Then goop up your toenails [and rest of feet while you are at it if so inclined] with coconut oil so it can sink in and moisturize. After a day or so I put on fresh polish. I use coloured as my nails got tres ugly with chemo -- big toe esp. Once they finally they grew out ok, I managed to drop something heavy on the big toe so starting over, and colour [I've tried red/bronzes/peachy/ and even a cool denim blue] -- hides a multitude of sins. If only I could apply to my thighs.... sigh! I usually only put clear on hands as they are too busy and get chippy. I think the yellow, trvler, comes from a red colour staining yellow -- which has happened to toes -- never had problems with clear or pale nude/pink shades on fingers.

ksusan

Thanks! My hero!

Jackbirdie

I think we have a birthday girl this weekend???

Theresa- if I'm not mistaken tomorrow is the anniversary of the day we were graced with your beautiful and loving and fun self on this earth! Lucky us!

I hope you have a wonderful day and celebrate all that is you. Your life, your family, and that almost full glass you see life through. Your presence here has been a gift to all of us. For over a year now.

Bring on the cake !!! And celebrate

🎉🎉🎉🎈🎈✨✨🎉🎉🎉🎈🚲🚲🚲🚲🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂

Italychick

Aw thanks Katy! It will be my second birthday since breast cancer diagnosis, can't believe I'm saying that. But any birthday where I'm still here is a great one! Daughter and son are doing slow roasted brisket, Cole slaw, potato salad, deviled eggs, big green salad and fresh fruit with marshmallows for dessert. I asked for the marshmallows for the grandkids. And I got the grandbabies little presents to unwrap. And cheryl and I are doing a bike ride tomorrow morning, then eating CAKE!

Beach walk today, so beautiful out! And hike last night after work. My kind of birthday weekend!

Ksusan, I sometimes go through phases where I get my toes done and then I bag it for a long time as too much work, but they always put a clear base layer on underneath any polish and I think that might help with the yellowing. At least that's what I think it is for

KBeee

Happy Birthday T

pboi

Happy birthday T! Sounds like you have fantastic birthday weekend plans, enjoy!

PB

ThePrincess

A good nail polish base coat (they make a special bottle of "base coat") will keep polish from staining your nails!

Trvler

Happy Birthday, Theresa! Good to 'see' you. I have been thinking about you. Enjoy the day.

ksusan

Thank you, but to be clear, I'm not worried about staining, which came up in a comment from somebody else.

I'm asking about at what point I should remove clear polish that I have put on my toenails because they're still a bit cruddy from chemo, and how long I should wait after removing it to reapply. I'm not a regular nail polish user.

avmom

Happy Brithday, Theresa!

I was away to a post treatment retreat with DH last weekend. It was wonderful - a weekend in the mountains, with information sessions on nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress management. There was hiking, meditation, and yoga for the 20 of us - 10 survivors along with a support person. The hike was a bit limited as to routes- still lots of snow up in the mountains, but it has been warm enough that the snowpack isn't firm. As it turned out, all of the survivors were Breast cancer patients, and many of the support people were survivors also. We filled a retreat lodge - no other guests. It was great to be a whole weekend where you weren't the "cancer girl" - everyone could relate easily and naturally.

The lodge was beautiful. Here's a view off the deck:

This is a small (10 room) lodge, truly in the middle of nowhere, but it is accessible by car. Cross country skiers ski in for high tea on weekends. Because it is nearly an hour by car to the nearest place where you can buy anything, even a coffee, the lodge is all inclusive. The chef on site was amazing, with artistic meals and snacks throughout our stay. Not vegetarian, as I have been eating recently, but beautiful, colourful veg and lots of other sides, with smalll "chef-y" tempting desserts. As an example, our first dinner started with a squash soup, with an herb foam, followed by slow roasted steelhead trout, quinoa pilaf, roasted rainbow beets and fennel, with a homemade sponge topping a lavender panna cotta for dessert. Spoiled, spoiled, spoiled! I abandoned my iron diet discipline for the weekend, and just enjoyed it all.

The charitable organization that organizes these retreats is headed by a lovely young woman who is an exercise physiologist by training, and the retreats are her way to spread evidence based information and skills on making positive lifestyle changes after cancer diagnosis and treatment. If selected to participate, you and your support person attend at no charge, but you can "pay it forward" and sponsor participants for future retreats, and that is tax deductible here.

Since getting back, work has been crazy. I try to look in at this site, but am about ready to drop in a heap when I get home.

I did see my PS on Tuesday, and my weight loss campaign has been so successful that I'm no longer a candidate for DIEP flap surgery, so I will be getting tissue expanders inserted for implants, sometime in May. His May surgery schedule isn't set yet, but it is so close! I'm looking forward to the end of all this medical treatment, though I will be having more ultrasound on my thyroid in May, and the next oncology follow up and lymphedema evaluation follow up are in June.

My friend, diagnosed in February, has had a lumpectomy in late March. She will be having BMX with immediate reconstruction, but not until after chemo, if she has any. Right now, she is waiting on results from the Oncotype test. She gets those results a week from Wednesday. In order not to delay chemo, if required, her first chemo is scheduled for the 29th. TCx4, with no port recommended, so the show will be on the road pretty soon for her. The odds are that she will need chemo, with just a 5-10% chance that the Oncotype will come back with a score under 18, so she is making arrangements to go wig shopping next weekend.

Warmest wishes to all, with gentle hugs.

Jackbirdie

Avmom- that is wonderful. So glad you got to participate in this program and get some tools for living with this. The view is lovely! Glad you are well and congrats on the weight loss!!!!

Italychick

wow Avmom, I'm really impressed about the weight loss! I am still stuck at 10 pounds of chemo weight left to lose. Awesome job, and glad you had a peaceful trip.

Rode 45 miles today, beautiful in San Diego, and then dinner cooked by my kids, lovely day.

Thanks everybody for the birthday wishes!

avmom

Thanks, Theresa and Katy. My weight loss has been very successful so far. I'm down about 40 pounds, with 15 or so to go. Mostly, that's been diet, but I am more active as well. I still can't use my feet very much, but do resistance training at least twice a week, and both DH and I will be adding yoga. DH surprised himself with how much he enjoyed yoga. My friend starting chemo soon is a yoga instructor, and we are making a deal where she will do yoga with us. She has fallen away from her yoga practice lately, so it will increase her activity during chemo, which will benefit her, and learning to incorporate yoga will benefit us. My diet discipline needs to get whipped back into shape, though. More veggies! It's. Good thing it's spring, and I love the spring vegetables. Asparagus is everywhere right now, and it is one of my favourites. Shaved into salads raw, roasted, steamed..

ksusan

Avmom, that looks like a great time! Congratulations on your self-care!

Trvler

Avmom: Congrats on your weight loss. That's fantastic.

Jackbirdie

Allison- are you still having surgery Thursday? Are you traveling for that? Please keep us posted and of course you know the hugs and pocket parties will be 24/7!

💗💗🙏🏻💗💗

Trvler

Yes, Katy! So sweet of you to remember. Leaving for NOLA tomorrow.

Jackbirdie

okay then!!!'

All aboard! Get your tickets right here for Allison's pocket party!!!!

🎈🎈🎈🙏🏻💗💗🎈🙏🏻🎈💞💞🎈🎈

Italychick

I'm in the pocket! Best of luck, Allison.

Trvler

I need one of those Katy no pocket aprons. Does ANYONE remember those?

molly1976

Thinking of you this week, Allison!

I don't know if this is a problem, exactly, but I am starting to not think about cancer much anymore, and when I realize I haven't thought of it for a while it makes me nervous! I really don't want to get complacent. But with this port finally out of me and not going back for Herceptin anymore it is weirdly easy at times to forget it ever happened. And then I remember and have little waves of panic again. Anyone else feeling this way? I've been under an insane amount of job stress recently so I wonder if part of it is just that I'm distracted.

KBeee

Molly, distraction does help to decrease the constant thoughts of cancer. I do not think you're complacent.

Allison, hope the surgery goes well and that your recovery is quick.

AVmom, great job with weight loss

avmom

I'll be thinking of you this week, Allison.


The weight loss has become a fairly major "thing" for me. I had gained a bunch of weight in the four years or so before diagnosis, and I had pretty much given up on getting back to being lean. Thankfully, I didn't get rid of my small clothes. Lying around after chemo, still incredibly fatigued and with useless feet, I started reading about the beneficial survival effects of being lean, particularly for triple negative disease. Along with exercise, being really lean (BMI under 23) seems to be associated with a survival benefit almost as good as chemo, so given that there are no targeted therapies available, I decided to really give it a try. Hence, much more activity, with resistance training on on a regular basis, and significant diet changes. Between "The Pink Ribbon Diet" by Mary Flynn, PhD, RD, and Nancy Verde Barr, "How Not to Die" by Gene Stone and Michael Greger, the foodforbreastcancer website, and others, I have basically eliminated most processed foods, all processed meat and most animal products from my diet. While losing weight, I'm limiting starchy stuff too, so not much in the way of wheat products. My digestive system is feeling well, and I've been losing weight steadily, if not super fast. There is a thrift sale this week in town, so I'm packing the big clothes off to that. Goodbye to the size 14 stuff, hello to the small things from the back of my closet, in sizes mostly between 4 and 6, with some size 8 things still hanging on. The next 15 pounds should get rid of those. Everything feels better, even my feet, although that may be more wishful thinking than reality. Certainly my knees and hips are better. The real test comes when I have to be less active after reconstruction surgery, and maintaining this weight loss over the long term. Here's hoping I can do it.

Trvler

That's really great, Avmom! Get rid of those big clothes!

Mollie: I feel the same way. I can forget for a few minutes or maybe even a few hours. Then I get a zap in my breast and start worrying again. Or I read that some 49 year old judge dies of BC in the paper. (I have noticed that pretty much anyone who dies before the age of 80 is almost always some form of cancer).

pboi

Allison...hoping the surgery goes well.

Avmom...nice job with the weight loss

I'm having trouble with the constant thoughts of cancer in my head, like Allison said sometimes I forget for a few minutes or a few hours then it's back. Taking pills/supplements throughout the day now and the assortment of se those bring doesn't help. I'm trying my best to distract myself which helps. I've heard people say it just takes time, which makes sense...but I'm getting impatient! I'm seeing a new psychologist tomorrow who works with cancer patients, hopefully that will help.

PB

ksusan

I have found quick meditation and breathing useful. A common cognitive-behavioral intervention is to picture a stop sign and say "STOP!" to yourself. This has always pissed me off, so I've made my own imagery. You know how dogs sometimes grab your pants cuff in their teeth and get all growly when you try to pull away? I imagine that that's what's happening--my inner doggie won't let go and wants to become more entrenched in the behavior. So I picture my inner doggie and in my best dog-command voice, calm and with falling intonation, "Ksusan, drop it. Drop it." If nothing else, it makes me laugh.