Starting Chemo March 2015

Italychick

sorry, one more comment. Sharon, a woman on another forum said put a bed sheet on the recliner, makes it way more comfortable.

mysunshine48

Diane, So sorry. I have been through this 3 times with 3 cats. I have one fat girl left who is getting up in years. Her name is Happy. She was a feral 12 years ago, but she has no desire to go outside (I would not allow her out anyway). Another time to be strong

Jackbirdie

https://www.etsy.com/listing/173143429/bike-silver...

Theresa, as an example I had to filter out necklaces, bracelets complete Yada yada, to just get to one charm. But when I got there...I smiled and thought of you. I'll try to post a pic

Jackbirdie

I'm sorry, but is that a mfkn do rag under that charm?

BAAAAHAHAHA

eheinrich

Theresa, If you ever plan that trip the house is yours. We wouldn't charge you aside from paying for the cleaning lady afterwards.

Italychick

it is kind of a mfkn do rag. Damn girl, you are good! Now I am sitting here LMFAO!

E that is very sweet and generous, but I would expect to pay. I'm sure you have a mortgage on that place, and it would be a small contribution from me from one sister to another.

Mfkn do rag, seriously Katy! When we get together, the jokes are gonna roll

rleepac

DD is homeschooled so she took a few subjects with her but we have a lot of flexibility.

Already broke out the coconut oil

DavisD

that bike is definitively the BOMB Katy! Our bracelet is going to be so special we may find it impossible to throw in the river!

Woke early and can't go back to sleep. Read all the posts and it made me cry. Not sad just made me feel like you are all real and very special to share so much of your lives. I am dreaming of the healthy day we can all unite. Thank you all for the kind thoughts while I wallowed in self pity!

DavisD

I decided I could wear a red hat any damn time a few years ago. Too bad it's wool, ha!

Jackbirdie

well now here I am awake at 3:30!

I didn't actually order that bike charm. I was just showing Italychick where I bought charms and what sort of things could be found. Hint hint hint.

A bicycle complete with a do rag. I'm still cracking up! And the follow me sign! As she truly is the one who shows us where we can go during chemo. NinjaMary, on the other hand, shows everyone ELSE where THEY can go during chemo lol). I do hope she gets it, but it's her decision and there were LOTS of others to choose from.

And never fear. We will not be throwing it into the river. It's a big Lake.

But maybe alternative endings could be written. I'm open. It is already getting very exciting and I know when treatments slow down but other life challenges arise, "the river will run through it" so to speak.

It's so nice to know that I'm out here blabbing, now at 4 am, but due to the nature of this thing, I'm not prattering into thin air. Someone will be along soon to listen.

Hugs to all you east coast early birds! Happy Thursday

ninjamary

Katy,

Love the charm ideas! When I took the picture of my charm on my phone it somehow got automatically sent to my 14 yr old son. I heard him whoop it up in the other room and then run to find me. I'm so cool. lol.

I'm going to a meeting at my cancer center today. It's called Coping with Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I hope it's positive and gives me better information than what I received on the internet.

On the hair front. My head is losing it's nubs, my eyelashes are thinning and my eyebrows, though still there seem a bit sparser. I must say it takes me no time to get ready for work anymore.

Trvler

Aww…Diane…I am sorry about losing your kitty during this horrible time for you. Hugs.

Eileen: You are so sweet to let us use your house. I will go take a look.

Avmom: Nice to hear from you. Don't feel bad about not posting. If reading is all you can do, so be it. I hope taxol is much easier for you.

Trvler

I admit it. I LOVE not having to blow dry my hair. I think my wig looks better than my real hair. MY MO asked me how much it cost. Was that as inappropriate as I think it was? I don't really like her much. Can you tell?

molly1976

There are definitely nice things about not having hair! I can't believe how fast my showers are now, especially since I don't have to shave my legs, either.

SC_Coqui

Theresa-- thanks for the info. on HER2. I've gone on-line and done some research. If the doctor leaves it up to me, I'll probably opt for it but my fear is heart damage due to the fact that I've already been put through Adriamycin.

molly1976

Eileen - I used to live in Santa Clarita and drove through Granada Hills to my job in the Valley every day. Have you ever been up to the Odyssey on the hill? We used to go there for happy hour on the patio all the time. Such a beautiful view!

ninjamary

Trvler - my "JackAY!" (you have to say it like that) wig is my favorite and everyone loves it. It's all short, sassy and straight. The hair I always wanted to have. I don't know how I would react to my MO asking how much my wig cost. Probably be pissed, because shouldn't my doctor be thinking of other things to ask me? No one has asked me how much my wigs cost...they ask "how are you doing?". I think I mentioned this, but the nurse practitioner refused to write me a prescription for a head prosthesis until I showed her my wig bill. Maybe that's her way of finding out how much I paid. I tell everyone that story too. I even told the ladies at the front desk and they told me that wasn't right. I meet with my MO next week and I plan to show her my bill and explain this is what your employee told me to do before writing me a prescription and it's wrong!

slothabouttown

Yeah that was inappropriate to ask about the wig. I bought a pricey wig early on that makes me look like a televangelist. The two times I wore it I felt like it was just creeping up my scalp a centimeter at a time until it might pop off and fly across the room. So then I wore it a couple of times with a baseball cap over it. Ridiculous. Made me look like a televangelist at church camp. And hotter than hell under there. Never wear it any more. I have a big conference next week and one of our speakers can't make it so guess what, I have to present. So I got online and bought another wig. It was cheap but the style is a lot less preacher-y than number one. I have an appointment tonight to get it cut and styled. I guess they do that while it's on your head? If it's a success ill post a pic. Getting my henna tattoo this weekend, that's the part I'm really looking forward to!

I'm so sorry about your cat, Diane. They are such loving family members and even when they're with us to a ripe old age, always go too soon.

BeatIt2015

I've been having a really hard time getting to sleep lately, my mind racing and my legs feeling like they want to burst out of their skin then last night I tried a free app called Sleep Well. And tho I didn't fall asleep by the end of the relaxation technique, I must have fallen asleep about 5-10 minutes later and got the best nights sleep I've gotten in months and feel so much better than I did yesterday!!

App: Sleep Well, if anyone else is interested.

Jackbirdie

I think the bruise/swelling on my arm is turning the corner. my knee is still a mess. Left ankle still swollen but I feel pretty good today!

Have bloodwork this afternoon and plan to PowWow over falls, fevers, and slow healing. In a way I like this safety net of care where they understand and practice as if everything is related. Which it is.

Anyone in the chair today? Thoughts going out...sorry my note-taking has been slipping.

I am so addicted to coconut oil. In the category of "things I thought would never happen to me". Lol

slothabouttown

I think I need a sleep app although I'm not really struggling to fall asleep like I was early on during the stress of the diagnosis and that shitstorm. Now I go to bed earlier than I used to because I'm exhausted, then I wake up, like clockwork at midnight, 3 am and 530 am. When I wake up at those times I mean wide awake. Usually at 530 I just get up and start the coffee.

I don't feel like I'm getting bad sleep, it just feels like something ,hmm chemo maybe?, is breaking up my sleep cycle.

Also, we started talking about nails the other day, and I think this is mostly a taxotere thing but is anybody feeling or seeing strange things with their nails yet? It's hard to explain but I feel like I'm "aware" of my fingernails, like the way they feel slightly different when they have polish on them vs. when they don't. That's all I can compare it to, they don't have polish on but it kind of feels like they do. And I feel like there's a visible "bruised" line under each nail, two actually, I'm thinking one for each taxotere infusion and probably a third line to show up soon. I don't really want to research what might happen, I remember some of you talking about taking frozen peas to spa day and I wasn't really sure why but now it's coming together.... peas save nails! Who'd have ever thought!

I saved Eileens air bnb listing for this morning over coffee. When I saw the poker table I pictured us playing a cutthroat game and betting piles of do rags, foobs, and cheetos.

SpecialK

sloth - some people see Mees Lines - those white lines or ridges - for each session of chemo.

Molly - I went to the Odyssey for pre-prom dinner in 1973 - it has been there a long time! I lived in Northridge, but attended GHHS

Jackbirdie

Eileen's house is a wonderland! Sloth- the image of the center of the table filled with foobs, do rags and Cheetos had me doubled over.

Meme117

Sharon such a wonderful and generous act of love, please post photos of your recliner when delivered. Your doctor sounds so nice! Hope your getting thru the day headache free.

E your lake house is amazing so looking forward to being there in person and meeting everyone. I don't even know where Lake Arrowhead is but I'm sure I'll love it💖

Diane - so sorry about your kitty, hugs💓

Bekah you homeschool too? You are truly amazing! My son is 14 and I couldn't imagine. And 10 days wow, they do grow up so fast.

What day after first chemo do you find your lashes and brows thinning? I'm still good but know it's coming 😓 I only have worn my wig with a hat, I'm terrified it's going to fly off, I also have some baby hair. Actually it's more like something from One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest😜

Does anyone find their emotions are on the edge? I feel as though I could burst into tears sometimes which is totally not me.

MIL taking me to movies and lunch. Hope all you wonderful women have an awesome day!

Jackbirdie

Maryellen- yes emotions are always on the precipice. I seem to have no way of knowing what will provoke a meltdown. Sometimes just if someone is nice to me. sometimes hearing a certain song. Sometimes letting mymind go where it should not. When it happens, I don't make the slightest attempt to stem the flow. It's happening because it needs to.

TerryMarie

I was lucky enough to have Cleaning for a Reason in my area, they've been once and will do 3 more months. They showed up did a whirlwind of cleaning through my neglected 2nd floor, they did a great job. Next visit will focus on my living area and kitchen. What a load off my mind to have a clean home through this , mainly because I feel like I have zero energy, I don't even feel like going out. Sleeping is still elusive for me.

Davis, im so sorry about your kitty, I lost mine a couple mths ago, sometime after surgery, it breaks my heart still today. He was 19 yrs old and I miss him like crazy.

molly1976

Cleaning for a Reason was all booked up in my area, such a bummer. They said "try back in a few months." In a few months I hope the worst of this will be over already!

Here is my kitty Banana. He is epileptic and has to be given meds 3 times a day and still has seizures sometimes anyway. It's a good thing he's so cute!

SC_Coqui

I have my AC session today at noon. Hopefully it won't drag on too long. I'm "working" from home today but it's been hard to focus. I have a lot on my mind.

For those wondering regarding eyelashes / eyebrows, mine didn't start thinning until last week or so, which would be about 6 weeks after my first treatment.

This is a close up of me the other day trying out new eye make-up for the eyebrows and eyes. I had to fill in my eyebrows a little bit since they're thinning, and I used powder "eyeliner" to make up for those lost lashes. The wig helps cover a little as well. Target carries a really great priced makeup line called E.L.F. that's like make-up for dummies and everything is put together easy to use:

SizzleStitch

Hi Everyone. I hope you all do not mind me joining in. I joined the TN group recently and have tried to read most of your posts as I started my treatments in March. You all are supportive.

I had my 3rd of 4 chemos Tuesday. My biggest SE from steroids and TC is brain jumble. I have a really hard time writing and posting (have to go over and correct a lot of times) but I also can't remember well enough to answer everyone. Maybe if I could write stuff down as I read the posts..?? I don't know how you all do as much as you do!! You are amazing,

I just wanted to tell sloth that I ice my hands and feet (I assume that is what the bag of peas would be for). I use neat ice packs that curl around my feet that I have peds on and put other small one overs my toes. I put my hands with thin rubber gloves from Spa in bowls with ice. I also use ice face masks for my lashes and brows.

I am dtype 2 diabetic so the hands and feet are mostly for neuropothy but also for not losing my nails. So far so good. Only one more to go.

I hope I have helped a little. Even if I do not post often please know how nice it is to know you are all here. ❤️

Jackbirdie

TerryMarie- he was beautiful. I'm so sorry. I know he had a wonderful long life with you and he's waiting at the Rainbow Bridge. A long wait.

Molly, Banana is adorable too. Does he get mad when people say "he doesn't look sick!" You must be taking excellent card of him.

Joanna you look great. I've never been much good at make-up, even when I had something to work with! I'm waiting for the paint by numbers edition to come out. YOU....LOOK GREAT!!! Best of luck today at your 4 th and I am doing the 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 dance with you. Check! 💫

Sizzlestitch- you are very welcome here. Thanks for making your presence known. It is a lonely road without the proper support. Don't worry about posting. Just enjoy the thread and if we can help, reach out. I started the same week as you but I'm doing 6 TC. The wrong words or no words are always coming out. Or not. I'm sure the diabetes makes things a bit more dicey. Thanks again for stepping into the circle. The very best of luck to you.