Starting Chemo March 2015

so-she-did

With all this talk about cookies lately I would give anything for a homemade, right from the oven, chocolate chip cookie right now. Oh, who am I kidding! I wouldn't stop at just one.

Trvler - one to put the light bulb in and the others to support her?

Jackbirdie

IC- still have but the co helps

eheinrich

My finger tips are starting to prune. I remember other people saying theirs did a few back. Is that a precursor to anything or just another weird thing?

Italychick

mine did. Still prune but haven't blistered or anything. Somebody on here suggested monitoring heat contact and I have been trying to be more cautious. Meaning hot dishwater, cooking with heat, etc. my pruning seems to be primarily my thumb, index finger and the f*ck cancer finger. My ring finger and pinkie are okay. It happened after round 2 and I am now one week post round 3 and it hasn't escalated. The person who posted watch heat made sense to me because those are the fingers I use the most when cooking. Hopefully you can see it , particularly on my thumb. Oncologist said nothing, just asked about tingling or loss of sensation.

greenae

mine are prunu, too, and sensitive. Rubber gloves for cleaning and gardiening, and Aquaphor lotion whenever, helps

Jackbirdie

ok just got home and looky what was in my mailbox. I'm clueless. But laughing and grateful. There was a thank you note from the shop owner but I don't know why.

Anybody want to fess up anything?

so-she-did

That is uckingfay awesome!

Italychick

ootay oolcay!

Carrie37

Katy, that charm is fucking awesome! So, I am just going to be blunt here. Anyone else having issues in the nether region? I am going insane with what I guess is dryness? I am irritated, burning and painful. My MO said it probably dryness and suggested an over the counter med that I've tired but still hurts. Anyone else?

I am so emotional too! I tear up over everything. Not only do people telling me look great annoy the shit out of me but people telling me how brave and strong I am through all this. I want to scream WHAT CHOICE DO I HAVE?!?! For fuck sake!! I hate cancer.

DavisD

Katy, I wish I could take credit for this one but not me.  Love it though!

Thanks for all the sweet comments about my cat Rascal. I said he was dying but it will be up to me tomorrow. I have a vet that will come to the house and unless there's something we can do to improve his quality of life tomorrow will be the day. It breaks my heart but the poor thing can't run or climb the stairs and now is having trouble getting in his box. He came to us right after 9/11 and I always told my kids he came to us to help us get through such a terrible time. He did his job. I really appreciate those of you who shared your own losses because I know you do understand. A loss is a loss, dog or cat or friend, right?

I am so grateful for the women on this thread. It's one true blessing from this sucky disease.

DavisD

Carrie37-YES! I have the same burning pain. Some days worse than others but feels like I'm walking with razor blades between my legs. I found an ad for an oral med for dryness and pain from menopause and took it to my MO. He researched it and found it was contraindicated in women with BC. I asked is there ANYTHING I could try and he just shook his head and said he was sorry! I feel like if men were experiencing this they'd damn sure have a cure/fix! I hear and feel your pain sister cause it's mine too. It's not enough to have all this other crap, I quit trying to figure out why me. Hope you can find something that helps.

Italychick

I hate to bring up my standby again, but I use coconut oil there too. Sometimes after my bike rides I have chafing or soreness, and a long soak in the bath tub followed by some coconut oil seems to help.

Carrie, did you test for a yeast infection? Just a thought.

lemonadehk

Hi ladies, I just learned that Carly Fiorina is a breast cancer survivor too. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in Feb 2009, chemotherapy until October 2009. So I guess it's a pretty long/harsh regimen. One month after she finished chemotherapy, she started running for the Senate. I don't know how capable she is as a politician, but I gotta say she is one brave and strong woman!

wpmoon

Carrie - I'm noticing a slight burning sensation when urinating, and definitely having dryness. Not to an uncomfortable level, though. One thing I have noticed is a really strange smell - not the usual nether region smell. It's more potent. Doesn't really affect anything, just weird and something I noticed.

Anyone else getting the tree ring like lines in their nails? I noticed them in mine yesterday. It really is like tree rings - being able to tell how old it is. I have 3 lines - one for every chemo. Time to paint my nails - so I'll probably be in the same boat as you, Katy, by the end of the night!

rleepac

Starting Taxol next Thur so I bought the UV light for gel nail polish. Then I bought some gel nail polish. Kinda a process but they aren't chipping or wearing like the regular polish does. I wear latex gloves about 20 pair a day so polish doesn't usually last. So far with the gel...I'm encouraged. I ordered a whole array of opaque colors on Amazon and they should be here next week. Right now I'm turquoise...

Bekah

rleepac

Gosh I didn't even notice if I have lines from chemo treatments. Probably because I need reading glasses just to SEE my fingernails hahahaha. Stupid eyes are f*ckd up now too. Ahhhh chemo - the gift that keeps on giving.

Bekah

Jackbirdie

I found my anonymous admirer. I put it around Jack's neck because I believe he has things to say about C too! Hah!

I thought this was another cute one I might get. For me or for Jack.

Carrie37

WPmoon, my MO just told me to expect the rings to develop near my cuticles during Taxol. I was asking her opinion about the dark nail polish. I like the gel idea too. Diane, interesting that your MO is male and kind of blew off your concern...my MO is female and she didn't seem concerned either. I should probably check for a yeast infection too but it comes and goes like Diane says. I do have some coconut oil now. Like Bekah said, the gift just keeps giving. I start my taxol next Thursday too. Gulp!

Katy, that dog tag is awesome!

Xrayalli

Hello, everyone. My name is Alli and I started the March Chemo 2014 forum. I haven't visited this site since September and was feeling nostalgic. Carrie, your last post cracked me up, how sick do I get when everybody and their brother asks how I'm feeling?? Since my last chemo was9 months ago, not too bad, thanks! Oh my surgeries? Well, I bounce back pretty well from those, since I ive had so many. So as you see that question will take a while to go away. I have not read many of your posts but my main reason for stopping by was to tell you how grateful I am for the friends I made in the forum I started so long ago, we branched off and have had our own private Facebook group, made it easier to support each other. A lot of us have even met in perso.

Best of luck to you all

ninjamary

Katy,

LOVE that charm! That's a good friend!!!

Jackbirdie

Mary- I love it too! It's actually more of a key fob/dog tag.

I discussed it with Jack and he said he'd like to add it to his collar in solidarity with our entire group.

SizzleStitch

Feeling a little less foggy brained this morning so hoping I can contribute something to the group. :-)

Carrie, I don't know if this will help your nether region problem but it might.

I come to all of this with several other issues already..type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism and a weird autoimmune lower region decease called lichen sclerosis. The skin gets very thin, turns white and rips easily. Doctors don't have much they can do for it that I have found.... Well, long story, not so short...I found on a forum a couple years ago, that Pure Emu Oil helped others the most so asked my doctors and started using it. It has definitely been my savior.

When I knew I was going to have TC chemo, I asked my MO what I should do about...down there...basically, the Emu Oil was the best I could do. I have been lucky, I had a bad time the 1st TC but have been actually better since...I don't know why.

Anyway, it is something you might ask about and try. It is a natural antiimflamitory.

Kathi

Trvler

Ok, I have a question. Are you guys just talking about feeling irritated or actually feeling dry or irritated attempting to have sex? I am clueless here.

neverthought

Happy Saturday everyone.  Sun is actually shining here in upstate NY, though temp has been going down below 30 each night with snow on the ground...  I just tell myself it means my hyacinths and daffodils will last that much longer. At least we are not having tornados/hail/thunderstorms/earthquakes or volcanoes.

What is it with the sweet tooth?  Water is awful but water with juicy juice apple, not so bad. Spring water a little better than tap.  But keep drinking in vain hope it will help the pruny, itchy hands and feet.  Using Aquafor on hands or Burts Bees hand salve, not sure if it helps. And love No-Crack lavender for the feet. Comes in lemon or unscented too. http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/product/no-crack-hand-cream-lavender-scented-35085.aspx or on Amazon.

And all I want is icecream or a cupcake or a big cookie, though afraid to go there today.

Cheese - forget about it, ugh! 

So tired yesterday that am absolutely grateful today that slightly less so.  Temp was down this am and pulse less than 100.  Last night all I could think is that I'm not going to go for 4th TC but hopefully will get over that.  But seriously thinking that prophylactic mastectomy on the other side may be necessary because I don't ever want to do this again.  I don't want to have to worry about self exams or mammograms or MRIs or biopsies.  Is that stupid to have elective surgery for something that hasn't happened yet?

So grateful to read everyone's postings here and know I'm not alone.

Jackbirdie

Neverthought- it is not a stupid question. Instead a hotly debated one. B Surgeons and others claim to be mystified by the dramatic rise in prophylactic bmx in recent years, given that the data does not show significant improved/different morbidity rates. I thought and thought about this and here's how I explained it to myself. You do improve your chances of bs not coming back if you take the other breast. But the survival rates are the same because after your first occurrence you are watched so much more carefully. More mammos. More MRIs. More biopsies more scares. More waiting. But they catch it (usually) and you don't die more often than if you'd had it bmxd to begin with. And it doesn't always come back and not everybody has to face all that.

Then there is the weight/balance issue for heavy breasted women with pre-existing back and neck issues. I was one of those.

It was a very individual, very personal decision, but I wasn't willing to trade off the higher monitoring to save the breast and I didn't want to be lopsided. I didn't add any time to my life according to the experts. But I think I added some peace of mind to it.

I want a cookie!

This is what Jack thinks we should do about it:

Or

Italychick

lol. I just got back from picking up my cookie that was MIA. I told them I have been shopping there for about 15 years and never went back for anything before, but I wanted that cookie so bad that this time I went back. So it is sitting in my table in its safe little bag to have later with a cup of coffee.

If my husband touches it he is toast. But I think he knows that haha.

The lumpectomy vs. mastectomy decision is so tough. Since my lumpectomy was my first biopsy and it came back with wide margins, no other traces, and I have been through an MRI, PET scan and a bone scan, at the moment they can find no reason to pursue further surgery. I told my breast surgeon initially that if results came back badly I was going for the double mastectomy and Barbie boobs. But now I am in a weird zone. No traces of cancer anywhere, but feeling unsettled. So I guess I just monitor with an MRI every six months and a mammogram/ultrasound the other six months. And pray.

The one unpopular decision I have made is I am not doing radiation unless they can do a second surgery and do the IORT procedure. I'm sure my MO is going to go off the charts with that decision. But she also told me that with the chemo I am getting that I don't need to worry about a recurrence while undergoing chemo. So that gave me a mixed message. Does chemo prevent recurrence or not? I have researched the issue until I am sick of researching. I did find one study with opinions from MOs saying that with small tumor and no other indicators radiation might be overkill. But it was one voice in thousands

Jackbirdie

Theresa- I'm so glad you got your cookie. I want one now too!

As a substitute, i grabbed the coconut oil, slathered it all over pretty much every place I could reach, turned on the heating pad and got back in to bed. Today is much better, and enjoyed my time with Jack in the garden, but I think I could do with a nap now. A little lavender infused co on my head should soon go to work.

Btw, I cleaned up the mess I made of my nails with tea tree oil! Who knew. I left all toes and 4/10 fingernails undone. I think I'll run my own small clinical trial.

Italychick

Mmmm, having a fresh cup of coffee and my oatmeal walnut chocolate chip cookie. And my taste buds are back. Life is good!

SoccerMom20

I just finished my 4th round of chemo and now I'm moving on to my 12 weeks of Taxol. The ladies in the office told me I would feel better on the Taxol compared to the 'devil juice', as they call it. None of the nausea meds have worked for me plus taking Nuepogen shots haven't helped. Anyone on Taxol that felt better? I need some hope!!!

Trvler

Theresa: ENJOY the hell out of that cookie!