April 2015 Chemo Crew... Starting in April? Please join us!

Jackbirdie

Steph- so very sorry for what you are going through, hope they get it sorted out, and you get some rest soon. Sending healing vibes.

Addie- I'm so sorry about your friend. Speechless, really. Just not fair. I'm glad you have each other

Stephmoen

well it's out and may I say I feel much better it's gross though that's for sure going to have to spend some time here getting iv antibiotics and last treatment will be a picline then just iv for the herceptins happy to get that thing out what a pain! Thanks for all the well wishes ladies much love to all of you!

ksusan

I'm glad it's out. Rest if you can.

SueH58

And have a cheeseburger!!!

mysunshine48

I have to say, in spite of all we all go through, we are tough......still can have a sense of humor! I could not do this without having these threads to read. Thank you all

KBeee

Mysunshine, Amen to that. These boards are one of my big sanity savers.

Stephmoen, So glad it's out. I hope the infection clears soon so you can get started again and closer to the finish line.

ksusan, awesome pictures!!!! That was funny!

Addie, So sorry to hear about your friend. How very sad. I have a friend with stage 4 kidney cancer which has metastasized to the lungs. He has been stage 4 all 10 years I've known him...and he's still doing great(he's my boss at work) His philosophy is that new drugs just have to stay one step ahead of his cancer. So far, they have.

SueH, I hope you can rest and that your energy recovers soon.

#8...........CHECK! 8 down 4 to go! Very excited about that! Now if my darn nose would just quit bleeding so I could type with 2 hands, all would be good with the world.

Rpayton

Addie: Love the shirt!

Kbeee: How inspiring to work with a boss at that stage for 10 years! Reminds us all that we need to make our own journey and course each day.

Yes, this discussion board is a life saver for sanity and for sharing!

littleblueflowers

Thanks for sharing that story, Kbee- a girl I work with just came to me and introduced her self. She was a wreck, and said her mom had just been diagnosed at stage 4 about the same time I was going through surgery. My heart just breaks for her, and I can't wait to tell her that survivor story. Yay for Taxol #8 being in the bag! Never trust a stuffy nose or a fart, I've learned...both could have unpleasant consequences.

Glad you are feeling better, Steph! You are one resilient human. You got this now!

SueH58- So, you are buying us all cheeseburgers???:)

Scarlett152

Sreph, so glad they got it out. Hopefully you can get some rest now!

ksusan

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

ksusan

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Jackbirdie

I'm guessing the shark, octopus and mermaid didn't show up for the photo op for good reason (as in, you should have seen the OTHER guy!

Positive_spirit

Steph - I hope your infection clears up quickly. Thinking of you and sending you super strength to get through this.

Addie - so sad to hear about your friend. I can't imagine how difficult it is for her and you.

Kbeee- inspirational story about your friend. 10 years at stage 4..wow

Littleblue- you just crack me up. What a fantastic personality!

Lynne - vacation pics were wonderful, Oh those toes have suffered, and wishing you minimal SE

Gosh, this discussion board has been amazing for me thanks to every one of you. So...I am still struggling with depression. I will see an oncologist and oncology social worker tomorrow. Yesterday, I dragged myself to a health and vitality support group for cancer folks. It was good. There was a woman in her late forties there that just sparkled. She reminded me of a 20year old...wonderful. And today I dragged myself to a breast cancer support group. I learned that I might be experiencing grief instead. WOW! It has been hard for me to comes to terms with the fact that some people that I have LOVED so much (my sister and one of my best friends) aren't able to be there for me in the way I am for them.

And I also learned that some of the other women finishing treatment (chemo or radiation) are finding that they need some alone time. I am feeling that too. My mum does a lot for us and I love her, bupt I need some space from her so that I can take on some of these responsibilities or let the house become messy. So I suggested that she take some time to travel to visit a good friend and then head to my brother's place to help with his son's bar mitzvah. She is delighted to travel and it will give me space to just have control over some simple things like Lego on the floor. I can step on it if I want!

littleblueflowers

so what you are saying, ksusan, is you had some pretty excellent shark swordfish sea urchin mermaid kebabs for dinner? Jeeze don't tell the Fish and Game...I think mermaids are endangered lol

Hi positive spirit! Sorry yoh are feeling down..I wish none of us had to ever be depressed or fearful. Big giant hugs, lady, and rememner, at least you don't have frogs in your underpants!

Radiation learning session tomorrow...need to go through these boards and make a list of questions. Or maybe I will just take in my spider meme and be like " light that shit up, bitches!"

lovlilynne

Lot's going on here today.

Steph - so glad it's out and you are on the way to recovery. Sounds like they have a good plan for getting you back on track. And, yes, I believe after all you've been through you totally deserve to have this in the rear view mirror when you are done. We all do!

ksusan - loved the picture! With all the shark attacks, you could totally get away with that story.

KB - even with you being able to run a 5k, I think you have gotten two of the shittiest SE - nose bleeds and cardboard taste buds! Maybe I'm a wimp, but that would make me cry.

Leigh - I feel the same way. I finally got on my Treadclimber today, and I could only do 1 mile at 2mph - it was killing me. I knew it would be more difficult than walking, but I figured I'd be able to manage at least 3mph. Every time I tried to increase the speed, my HR would start to climb - I needed to keep it around 160 to not be anaerobic.

Addie, great shirt. Sad about your friend. I watch a couple of her videos. I hope she can keep on fighting.

Katy, I love your new profile pic! So summery. How's the house plans going? Still on for the end of the month?

Lorraine, I could totally relate to everything in your post. You sound so in tune though! Like the plan with your mom, what a great idea and compromise. I forget, are you taking something for depression? Or just trying counseling for now?

Question for KB and Andrea and Gko who are going through this for 2nd time - did you feel that chemo aged you? I look in the mirror and feel like my face is completely covered with fine wrinkles that weren't there 6 weeks ago. My hands look like what my grandmother's looked like. I feel like that when this is done I'll have permanent reminders - every time I look in a mirror, of what this has done to me. i forget who called it a detour, but I was thinking - a detour implies that we get back on track and end up in the same place, but this is more like a wrong turn that you end up in a different location.

Lynne

ksusan

Stupid mermaid should know better than to come at me with a 2-pronged serving fork. Eat them all, I say. Littleblue, better cover up that butt and hide your frogs. I'm on a rampage and I'd hate for you to be caught in the fray!

GingerChi

Steph, glad you're feeling better already and they have a plan in place for you!! Hope you are back home soon!

Positive Spirit...hope are soon feeling better...I hope the support groups will be beneficial!! Interesting that you could be experiencing grief, but that makes a lot of sense! Big hugs to you!!

Addie, so sorry to hear about your friend. I watched a couple of her videos. Very interesting about the testing done on her tumors to determine which chemo would be effective. Thats so nice you have each other to turn to!

kbee, the nosebleeds have to be a total bummer! What do you do for them? Ditto to what Lynne said, your SE are the worst....the cardboard taste has to be so frustrating!!!!! Thanks for sharing about your friend...its very encouraging. He has a fantastic attitude!

ksusan, the captions on your picture are a hoot! You have healed up so nicely. Your surgeon did a great job!

Well Taxol #2/Hercptin #1 in the books. I feel relatively normal, I think the steroids are the worst of it. They are making my blood sugar go through the roof tho. They are saying I was probably pre diabetic, but now have drug induced diabetes, so they put me on medication. I just started it, so it hasnt had time to have much affect yet I guess. I honestly am afraid to ask what next.......

I hope everyone has a restful night!!

AndreaC

Good evening all...

Ksusan: I love the pics! The Pluto ones made me smile and I laughed at the scar one. I think I'll start thinking up creative causes for mine too. I also have a big-ass abdominal scar from my colon surgery.

Steph: so sorry to hear of the troubles with your port, glad it's out! You can haz cheezburger.

Addie: great shirt! So sorry about your friend. Wishing her the best.

Lynne: yes, I definitely think that the chemo has aged me. I can see all kinds of lines I didn't have before. People used to say I look too young to be a grandma but now I absolutely look the part. Once I get hair again and colour it, maybe I will look younger again but I will never look as I did pre-chemo. My profile pic was taken just under 2 years ago - I had colon cancer at the time but didn't know it yet.

Feeling good today. Tomorrow I see my RO and then have the CT mapping to prepare for rads. Then lunch with DH, my mom and sister in law. I think I will wear a wig for a change - it's cooled off lately, thank goodness!

Andrea

Addie29

okay quick question. I had taxol recently and woke up to notice some weird tingling in both legs right on the outside of my knees- no pain or numbness just like a weird buzzing tingling sensation. Neuropathy possibly? This is taxol #5 and if it is do I call my doc in the morning?

Stephmoen

one of my blood cultures came back positive for bacteria they are doing more tests hoping it was just a false positive they are doing more tests..still stuck here getting high fevers controlled by tylenol praying I'm not septic

KBeee

Addie, Any new symptoms like that warrant a call if concerning.

Andrea, hope mapping goes well.

Gingerchi, there is one diabetic drug that is being studied in clinical trials to help decrease BC recurrence. Maybe you will get a double bonus.

Lynne, I just assumed everyone list taste with Taxol! I guess I am wrong. I'll take taste and nosebleeds over neuropathy and lack of energy. Most of my bone pain is in my upper jaw too. I guess the Taxol likes to hang out in my face. I definitely think chemo aged me about 5 years last time. And it is aging me again. At the rate my cancer seems to like to grow, I may never reach old age, but I'll look like I did!

Littleblue, I always have had a ton if questions for MO, but I found it harder to come up with a list for RO. I don't trust many of my bodily functions these days!!!!!

Ksusan, I love your sense of humor!

Positive spirit, it sound like the support groups were great. I agree on the alone time. Last time around, my mom came out for a couple weeks, and literally the only alone time I could get was if I locked myself in my room. I about lost my mind. Alone time is important.

Who else is in the chair this week? What day????

I can't sleep thanks to the steroids, soan early walk is in my agenda.

GingerChi

Wow kbee, thanks for the heads up on the diabetes med/BC. I just googled it and its Metformin, the drug I'm on! I hope I can stay on that rather than going to insulin.

GingerChi

Thanks for the birthday wishes! So far so good… Just took the doggies for a walk. Hopefully no big D today! lol

KBeee

Gingerchi, I hope your birthday is fabulous!!!

I think I get the best comeback of the day award. I posted a picture on Facebook of my wedding since today is our 20th anniversary. A friend said , "wow, Frank had a lot more hair back then." I replied, "no, we BOTH had a lot more hair back then!!!!" I was with coworkers who all shaved with me so I can joke about it there. We were at training and were at the pool so I was bald and in the water at the time, but with a group of guys who don't think twice about it. So NOT funny, but really was funny!!!!!😁

ksusan

Lovely thoughts to all.

The weather here is getting hotter again. After 40 minutes on the treadmill and successful purchase of an Amazon Fire Stick so we can watch streaming TV, my goals for the day, in order, are

• breakfast (currently in front of me)
• shower, moisturize, and apply hydrocortisone (on the radiation sticker dermatitis that's now roughening with radiation)
• read for an hour
• radiation #4
• perhaps get tea, perhaps browse at REI
• meet my wife for lunch
• take in some jewelry for repair or get a few watch batteries replaced
• follow up with a reviewer who has a deadline today for returning a set of reviews to me
• nap
• treadmill another 80 minutes and do my stretches
• figure out what's for dinner besides watermelon

littleblueflowers

Good luck ladies going to the chair today! Won't be long now!

Ksusan, jeeze, I'd think you' d have enough seafood left over for dinner to feed an army!

Happy Anniversary KBee! Here's to many more!

Hitting the chair myself tomorrow for LAST FUCHING Chemo!

Addie29

anyone come home from chemo being super super hungry? I think the steroids give me a hunger that I can't satisfy for the first day. This is only been with taxol tho. I come home and eat everything in sight.

ksusan

Yes, totally, suddenly hungry in the 10 days after chemo, though my blood sugar stayed pretty stable.

For radiation, I drink at least 24 oz of fluids at breakfast, then 10 oz + an 11 oz whey protein shake on the drive over, then after I immediately drink another 10 oz of water and eat a protein bar. After that, I get serious about hydrating

That said, I hope my protein bars and protein shakes show up today from Amazon and CostCo respectively.

lovlilynne

KB - LOL, that's a good one. My anniversary is tomorrow (27 yrs), so I may borrow that line if it comes up. Not feeling much like celebratng . . .

SueH58

ksusan - so you still need so much protein and hydration with radiation? I thought I was almost through with daily 12-paks of Dasani....