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

Alibeths

I'm going to sleep I it but I think I'm calling it a day. I've done 6/6 and I had ONE little nose. Not even. Tumor. My MO is ok with it.

Alibeths

Node,not nose.

littleblueflowers

Good for listening to your body, Allibeths! So...how ya feeling now? I hope better! Does this mean this is your last chemo??? IN THAT CASE...CONGRATULATIONS MY DARLING! Way to kick cancer in the nuts! You are a fighter, girl! So proud of you! Have a happy weekend and start feeling better soon!

Alibeths

I mean that would be 5/6!!!! Ugh. I am a mess !!!

littleblueflowers

Hey, who among us isnt? I've been reading about face fur in the March group...won't that be fun?;) if today was your last chemo, congrats are still in order in my book!

Alibeths

thank you!!!!!!!

ksusan

Yeah, face fuzz makes me more like a kitty, but not in a nice way. In an act of brain fuzz, I left my phone at the PT today; fortunately, I was able to get it before they closed for the weekend. No radiation for two days, yay!

Italychick

Alibeths, your stats are close to mine, ER and PR negative, my HER barely qualified as her positive, the decision was left up to me. Even the FISH, and I had to do three levels of testing, said conservatively recommend Herceptin, but monitor, whatever that means. My MO said 5 was enough, and I am going to look forward. I started feeling better after a few weeks, but now, 7 weeks out, I am starting to feel more like my old self, with some foot and leg pain still. Neuropathy stopped my last chemo infusion.

You did what you could, just look forward and heal.

I am one of the March fur faces, 200 face hairs plucked yesterday, and I am not kidding! And yesterday almost all my lower lashes on my right eye fell out. Oh, and I have Wolverine from the X Men sideburns

gkodad

Alibeths - you have to listen to your body, so congratulations on doing what you think is right. We all struggle with our treatment decisions, especially when the data is not clear cut and our MOs are ambivalent, but I do believe our "guts" let us know when enough is enough. Move forward, heal and get yourself back to a good physical and mental place.

littleblueflowers

ugh, bone pain. Thank you neulasta! Ugh. Nosebleeds and congestion. Thank you taxol!

lovlilynne

Ugh, Jen, you had to have Neulasta after last Taxol? My MO says I won't have to because it won't matter that my WBC is low in two weeks because it will start to come up on its own, and I don't need it to be up for another chemo. I really don't want to go through this again - bone pain has been the worst ever, even from AC. I lay in bed just feeling the pain ricochet around my body like a pin ball. It lingers in the joints. Ibu doesn't seem to be helping, but maybe it's actually taking the edge off, and it could be worse without it.

littleblueflowers

No one mentioned cutting out the last neulasta to me! I bitched mildly about it and my MO was just like...all your counts look great now, why put yourself in danger befor starting radiation. I really want to just stay in bed lol, but when my mom is here that can't happen...she's such a ball of energy! Lynne, you are allowed to take ibuprophen? Lucky! Nothing but tylenol for this girl. And the pain just comes from every bone, even my skull. So fun!

KBeee

Jen, Neulasta sucks, but you do not want to be neutropenic heading into rads. I hope the pain eases for you and Lynne soon,

Alibeths, do what you feel is best and don't look back.

Steph, how are you??????

ksusan

6 weeks PFC. Still better in the back than the front and top (but that was true even before chemo).

littleblueflowers

Full confessing time...I mooned a skateboarding college punk. I also flipped him off with both fingers. Then I noticed a lady out on her porch staring, so I whipped off my bandana and waved it in the air like a battle flag. Why? I blame the roid rage. He skateboarded up behind me and shoved me off the sidewalk without so much as an excuse me. This is so not like me! Cancer, man. What a trip.

ksusan

Alibeths

haha!!!

ksusan

#32: I am grateful to live in a community where people just think I have a daring haircut.

Rpayton

Everyone who had their last chemo this past week... Hooray!!! You have got to be feeling relief that this is the last round of crappy chemo symptoms.

Littleblue I laughed hysterically at the details of your skateboarding incident! Who says we can't act crazy and love it?! I'm sure he and the porch lady have quite the image and story to tell in their heads for a lifetime. LOL

Ksusan hair growth looks great!!! From what I can tell from the stubble on my head I believe mine will be coming in about this same way and color as yours. I've always had very fine wispy strands so I don't expect thick full-bodied but I do dream that it would be nice to get a major perk from this chemo stuff.

I am praying, Steph, doing well with those antibiotics? Infections of any kind are scary stuff.

I managed to walk a paltry mile on the treadmill with the bone pain from nulesta. I'm glad I pushed myself to do so as I do think it helps. I hope to do another mile tonight. My sister in CA sent me the most wonderful care package of goodies with organic, free trade dark chocolates, healing jewelry, healthy cooking and eating magazines, gentle yoga DVD and lavender bubble bath. Couldn't have come at a better time as this past week was pretty horrible. But it is over and each day getting better, except for the funny, tingling, numb feeling in my bottom right foot and sometimes pads of my fingers. Sounds like most of us having or have had that annoyance.

How are you who have moved on to rads doing?

Stephmoen

I'm finally home had my first at home infusion of antibiotics through my picc line today. Every 8 hours for 4 weeks I will be doing this myself at home with 2 kids it has me so upset there goes the rest of my summer. I have the same chemo regimen as alibeths tchp I have done 5 and I think I'm done. Sad thing is I can handle the side effects it's the allergic reactions and two 5 day hospital stays that has just gotten me mentally exhausted sepsis is deadly I could have died and I'm to the point I just want surgery and this f-ing thing out!

ksusan

Stephmoen, so glad to hear from you, and that sounds like a drag!

starrgirl

I need your help ladies! Finished my last dose dense taxol on Monday the 13th. The neuropathy is really bothering me in my fingers and toes. I know it was mentioned in earlier posts about B vitamins. Has this been helping anyone? If so which B vitamin and what dosage? Thanks!

Italychick

My Mo told me to take alpha lipoic acid and b6, whatever the recommended dosage is on the bottle. I also take b1 (benfotiamine). Other women take l-glutamine, but I found too much about it to be comfortable taking it.

GingerChi

Alibeths, so sorry you had such a rough time.....as others have said, don't look back, just focus on healing and feeling better now!!

Positive Spirit, love the picture of you and your friend!! You look beautiful....and soon your hair will catch up with your hers!!!

Kbee, how are you feeling since starting the antibiotics? Hope your crud is clearing up!

Stephmoen, glad you're home and improving! You must be exhausted....I feel for you having to administer your own infusions!!

littleblue, hahahaha, too funny!!! The punk and porch lady will never be the same I bet!

starrgirl, My MO didn't recommend B vitamins, but was not opposed to me taking them or L- Glutamine. I've been talking B6 100mg per day. My stomach is too messed up to even try the L Glutamine.

Its day 5 post Taxol #2 and I've had diarrhea for 3 days. I saw the MO yesterday, counts are all good and I can have treatment Tuesday as long as D has stopped by then. She gave me an rx for Lomotil which helps but has not stopped it. I've been pretty achy and tired today too.

Here's to a good Sunday for us all!

littleblueflowers

Hey Steph...glad to see you are home! But holy hell, that picc line scene sounds like a drag! So, so, so glad you are on the mend and got that nasty port out! Love and hugs sweetie, I'm praying for you! Also, you are going to be just fine. 😊

KBeee

Gingerchi, so glad you can resume treatment again this week. Big D be gone!!!!

Starr girl. B6 and B12 are the B vitamins I take. Just 1 pill per day; I think 100mg each... Whatever the lowest dose of the pills are that the store had at the time.

Steph, I think I would be done too! Sorry you have to do those stupid infusions. I am very glad you are home though. We all need to make next summer the best ever since this summer was so craptastic.

Renee, Yahoo for care packages. I do think I need to remember to send them to friends dealing with this in the future knowing how it lifts the spirits. Glad you were able to get in a walk.

Ksusan, I sure wish I lived in an anything goes community; I would ditch the wig for good if I did! Your hair is coming in nicely.

Littleblue, the skateboarder got what he deserved.

I am feeling decent; just wishing I could ditch the cough and send the bloody nose packing. This week MO is not in on Tuesday, so I will see him and have chemo on Monday instead. Looking forward to the countdown bring at 3

georgie61

Did anyone else in the group have Neo-Adjuvant Chemo (chemo before surgery)? I feel like I'm now in a different phase than most of you and I'm still dealing with the lumpectomy / mastectomy decision and not getting the information I need to make it. I'm very frustrated. Either way, my MO said I am getting radiation. I just can't get anyone to admit to me that I would have a decreased risk of local occurrence with BMX than with lumpectomy. I have an appt with BS Wednesday and I'm hoping she will be more helpful. She did a breast MRI pre-chemo and maybe with a repeat one we can see how much things have shrunk, etc..

ankledolphin

georgie61 - i just finished 6 rounds of chemo.....and will be doing a lumpectomy in august along with more rounds of just Herceptin since im her2+ and at least 6 rounds of radiation. Between my family and docs, we thought this was the best option due to all my genetic testing being negative. And they have said that either type of surgery, doesn't really change my risk of re-occurrence

I have decided not to take part in a surgery study regarding lymph nodes since I want my suregon to just go get anything she doesn't like and she even pulled her husband out of a study last year because she said you are a patient first, research last...

lovlilynne

Marcy, I know it's so hard to decide what to do. My BS said there was no difference in outcome (but, I am no TN, so could be different for me). And I was like, "how do I decide?" and she said if I wasn't "heck yeah, cut them off" she recommended the lumpectomy. The BMX is major surgery, drains, healing, PT, and then reconstruction if you are considering that - it's a huge difference from a lumpectomy - even though I had to go in for re-excision, which was my worst outcome of the lumpectomy - but honestly it was easier than 1st surgery, and they got it all 2nd time. I may be reconsidering if I had to have the MX after the 2 surgeries, but you just have to go with what you know at the time - I cannot predict the future, nor can they.

Steph, so glad to hear that you are home, even if you have to administer meds, at least you are well enough to be home. Hospitals can be the worst place, especially for infections!

Cherie, thanks for the reminder, I just started taking B6 (100mg 2x a day) per MO's recommendation, but I hadn't taken any yet today.

Renee, I am impressed that you walked. I could not do it - although yesterday I did start power-washing my deck. I borrowed my brother's power washer, and I thought it wouldn't be that physical, but I was beat in 30 minutes. The thing kept shutting off - I'm not very mechanical, and my brother texted me that it might need oil. I added the oil, but it kept shutting off. My back was killing me and my arm is sore from pulling the start. Turns out I put the oil in the pump motor, not the engine! I thought I had ruined the thing, but I was fortunate that it takes 30 weight oil in the pump also. Whew!

KB, I also wish you could ditch the cough and the nosebleeds. Have you tried coconut oil in your nasal passages?

Lorraine, loved the picture - you two could be sisters. Yes on the lunch - I could meet you somewhere halfway if that helps.

Lynne

littleblueflowers

Hey, can anyone give me more detailed info on port removal? I'm kind of freaking out. I wast expecting to get it out only 6 days PFC. My MO said my blood work looks good, and since it was cantankerous on my last dosing, he just scheduled me. Yikes! I was expecting 3 weeks to get my body's healing up to speed. I know how the little beggar went in, but I'm afraid of having the vein damaged when they remove it and bleeding out, or having an open wound in my chest where they cut it out. Has anyone else had theirs removed so soon? If so, how long did it take to heal? How long befor the hole in the vein healed up, not just clotted? I'm paranoid because during my mx, they nicked a vein and a week later the clot blew off and I lost 3 units of blood. Of course, I had also been prescribed waaaaay to much ibuprophen by my discharge nurse, so that was part of it, but I'm still scared because I'm guessing chemo inhibits clotting in a similar way? And I know it slows healing...