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

Fran2014

Congratulations Positive Spirit on your last treatment tomorrow! Wahoo!!!!

As far as I told regarding OTC pain reliever, my MO recommended Tylenol as necessary (but not to excess) and to try to avoid using Advil.

Hope everyone has a good week ahead!

Fran

 

lovlilynne

Lorraine - *****************HUGS********************** I hope tomorrow is better! We know how you feel. The emotions that come on like someone turned on the faucet FULL FORCE!! Your daughter is so beautiful! I'm glad you got to make the cookies, I thought your son might want to help too - boys usually like to help when it's something to eat!

Regarding the picture - Gwen has a neon green wig that she insisted I buy her for St. Patrick's day, I could use that. It made me think - so many young kids with pink and purple hair and piercings all over their faces, I wonder if they will regret it when they look at that pictures when they are 27 vs. 17. KB, I did think that I could probably have it taken again in a year or so, not doubt at my own cost ($50!!), there's no damaging it because it's all electronic now, so they just send you out a new one with the same picture. I'd have to go back to DMV and specifically have them update my picture. Who knows, maybe they'll give me a pass due to the cancer, I'll certainly ask when I go, probably not until after my next treatment so I can be working from home.

I had a nice weekend, still very tired, but got my sheets changed and some laundry done. My toe and the area around/behind it is still funky, hurts as if it's bruised. It's keeping me from doing any walking for exercise. I feel like it will aggravate it.

Time for bed, back to work and the wig tomorrow.

Lynne

lovlilynne

Just remembered something else I wanted to ask (chemo brain!). You guys talk about icing hand/feet, or even that they give you the ice at infusion center. At my center, they seem so busy at just getting the meds on and keeping up on everyone getting infusions (I don't assume it's all chemo), that I doubt that they would have time to administer ice, etc. In fact, when I pulled out my frozen fruit bars to eat during my A push, my nurse didn't seem to know anything about icing mouth.

Mostly just curious. I doubt that I'd want my hands and feet in ice anyway - I am always freezing, and I would find that so uncomfortable that I would rather deal with neuropathy (I think).

KBeee

Lynne, I will bring ice packs and ice my hands and feet because sometimes the neuropathy is permanent. I used bags of peas last time and just brought the same ones each week (and labeled the for chemo). I bring a blanket thoug, because it does make me cold

swissrn2002

I go in Wednesday for my third AC infusion. What's frustrating is that I feel so good right now and by next weekend I'll be sick and tired.

Positive spirit, we all have days where everything seems to crash down on us, that's when you take a deep breath and reassure yourself you can do this, and must do this. Good days are ahead, hopefully soon for you. Stay strong

AnewBeginning

Kbeee

wishing you thebest with your taxol..hoping your side effects are few to none. I will be starting my taxol in 2 weeks...

mysunshine48

Hi, I am a May chemo girl....first one 2 weeks ago. This is no fun! Besides the normal (I guess they are normal) SE, like bone pain, hurting stomach, fatigue, etc, I got a blood clot and am dealing with that now. I am having to give myself a shot in my stomach every day - blood thinner. I thought Incould never do that, but I am. I feel like it is just one thing after another. I am already getting anxious about # 2 next week.and, Inwant to ask all of you.......how did you feel when your hair started to fall out? The top of my head is tender and sort of itchy. Last night, I ran my fingers through my hair and more than a few hairs came out. It was so creepy. I feel like I am afraid to brush or even touch my hair. I know this would happen, but it is so much more real and I am feeling scared. Is this normal? I guess I need to get it cut and shaved, but that is a big deal to me. I do have a wig and a couple cover ups, but this is such a blunt reality that I have Breast cancer. I keep telling myself that I had a BMX and am now getting all this medicine, so I like to think every possible little Cancer cell that could be somewhere in my body is gone or going away. BUT, it is still very difficult. I just start crying anytime over all sorts of stuff. My whole body seems like such a mess

Rpayton

Welcome my sunshine! You have put words to exactly how most, if not all, of us feel. And it is OK to feel what you are feeling. I took control over what I could and shaved my head before first treatment. I felt better and less trauma of having my hair fall out around me. But it is your choice to make. And remember it will come back. Cancer does not define us it makes us stronger to handle everything in our life. Take a moment to grieve and then fight with us. You can do this. I'm headed to #3 this coming Friday.

ksusan

It's a lot to manage, and it's normal to be scared or overwhelmed. The treatments are pretty heavy and we see this in our bodies.

My scalp felt (and feels) tender/achy at times. The same amount of hair doesn't fall every day--it shifts through my chemo cycle. I'm not bothered by the hair loss, which I think puts me in a small minority. When I was pretty sure chemo was likely, I had my hair buzzed because people told me that my head wouldn't look as clumpy as the hair came out, and I wouldn't risk clogging my drains and having to call a plumber (which happened to several of my mother's friends). I've had 3 rounds of TC and though my hair is very short and sparser, it's still there, and still evenly distributed, with no bald spots. Other people's experience varies, of course.

Addie29

Someone please tell me my boob won't be all wrinkly like this once I have my foobs in. This is a little over 7 weeks after bilateral mastectomy. This is the left side. The side my cancer was on.

ksusan

I'm hoping the left flattens out more. There's more tissue, and the port is still causing swelling (note the bruise 12 days after use, and the tape dermatiris from the installation 8 weeks ago).

Addie29

ksusan you're looking good:)

ThePrincess

Good luck ladies getting meds this week!!! I hope everyone had a good long-weekend!

mysunshine48

Addie, I also had expanders placed. I am wondering how many fills you have had and at what cc level you are at? I am not wrinkled, but I had several fills before I started chemo. I am around 500cc's. No, You will not be like this forever!!!!

ankledolphin

Addie29

I haven't had any fills yet. At surgery my ps managed to get 200ccs In and I'm only going to 400ccs (c cup)

KBeee

Addie, the PS should fix the wrinkles when the final implants go in.

ksusan, looking good.

mysunshine, it will get better

swissrn, hoping #3 will treat you ok.

My counts were not too bad; lower than last time, but okay. In the chair gettingpremeds before Taxol

Alibeths

YOU LOOK GORGEOUS!

ksusan

Kbeee, hope your day goes smoothly.

Addie29, thanks for posting!

gkodad

mysunshine48  I thought my hair would just "fall out" suddenly in the shower and I would be left with a smooth beautiful scalp [that's television for you].   Instead it started falling out slowly in strange patches and after 4 weeks and 2 treatments it was still hanging on.   No one has really talked about scalp pain, but my hair actually hurt falling out and I didn't want to touch my head.  Yesterday I decided my head looked like Michael Keeton's in Beetlejuice, so I just buzzed the rest off.  Not to mention I was finding hair in strange places, like the refrigerator.  It is much more comfortable now and less painful.  But weird...

As for my bmx, I'm not planning reconstruction and I'm not at all bothered about the appearance of my scars.  I had pretty large breasts and they were an annoyance even before b/c.   My back is definitely very happy to not be lugging them around any more.  However, I do find it ironic that I'm more troubled by the loss of my hair than the loss of my breasts.  

GingerChi

Positive Spirit: CONGRATULATIONS on finishing Chemo! WHOOT WHOOT...I'm so happy for you!! And your daughter is adorable!!

kbee, hope all goes well today, with few SE!!!!!!!

Welcome MySunshine! My scalp got sore after my first treatment, but not much. After about 2 weeks, I started to get more than a little hair on my fingers anytime I touched my head too. I started to see stray hair all over the sink, on my Laptop keyboard, etc, it seemed like it was everywhere...so I got it buzzed. I didn't want to deal with large clumps coming out at once. It is hard to lose your hair, no way around it...I expected to have a melt down when mine was buzzed, but I didn't. I understand about the tears too, I sobbed one day because my son drank a bottle of water I was saving to take with me to treatment!! I also had a BMX....that along with chemo is alot to take both physically and emotionally. We all get scared. But we are fighters....and you can do this!!

Ksusan, you have healed up very well from your BMX!! When did you get your port placed? Your port incision has healed well too, mine still has some redness...and I think it should be cleared up by now.

Good luck to everyone hitting the bar this week!!!!

swissrn2002

I too had the sore, reddened scalp before my hair fell out, 2 weeks and 2 days from my first chemo. When I tested a clump and pulled and it just came off, my husband said lets go, he shaved it for me. It didn't look as bad as I thought it would, but now I'm balding on top like an old man with stub around the lower half. Some days I look in the mirror and think "what is happening to my body"?, yet other days it doesn't bother me the least, I still feel like ME. Takes alittle time to get used to it, but you will. good luck to all.

Alicethecat

Hello MySunshine

Sorry you're going through all this.

Well done for giving yourself the injections!

In case this helps...Three years ago, I was sitting where you're sitting. I had a blood clot while on chemo - lots of tiny pulmonary emboli - and had to have the daily Tinzaparin injections and then went on to warfarin. I was too scared and a district nurse came in every day to do mine. Had lost hair too.

Three years on - no spread, at work, enjoying life.

Why not you?

Best wishes

Alice

ksusan

My port was placed 8 weeks ago. Still uncomfortable, but better than using my arm. My surgeon does a good job with his stitches.

AndreaC

Mysunshine: sorry you had to join our club, but it's a wonderful, supportive group. It is not fun losing your hair. I started noticing more hair than usual coming out on my hairbrush day 12 after my first chemo...it was coming out in fistfuls 4 days later when I finally got around to getting my head shaved. At that point it was really sparse and I looked like a sick old woman. I definitely like the Telly Savalas look better! I never had any scalp sensitivity. One advantage to going bald now is that it's cooler for the summer. I do have wigs and wear them out but they are hot. I think I may invest in some pretty scarves and learn how to tie them properly.

Sorry about the blood clots...way to go, giving yourself the shots! I am an RN so have given lots of needles, and I give myself the Neulasta...but it is different when you are doing it to yourself! It was a bit nerve-wracking the first time.

ksusan: great photos, I look a lot like that too although my scar goes right across my chest. You are so brave to post the photos, I don't have the guts. Same goes for you Addie, I am sure that your reconstruction will be great. I want reconstruction but was not given the option at the time of surgery. My surgeon said "in two years". Not sure why...maybe because I had bilateral breast cancer? Or because after chemo I am having radiation?

I am feeling better today - wow, it is amazing just how much life chemo sucks out of you!

Andrea

lovlilynne

KB - thinking of you - waiting to hear how the Taxol went.

ksusan and Addie29, very brave of you to share your pictures. It's a good thing to share - I wonder if any of us could imagine how we would look without breasts or with scared breasts.

Andrea, I am feeling like you do about chemo sucking the life out of you.

You guys are confusing me by welcoming mysunshine, or maybe she is confusing us because she has been posting since April - I had not added her to our list because it turned out she was starting treatments in May, but she posts her and on the May list too.

Anyone else have any experience with icing hands/feet during chemo? My infusion center doesn't even have a freezer available for us. I bring my popsicles in an insulated bag with ice packs. I put it in the dorm fridge that they have, but it's melting by the time I get the Adriamycin.

littleblueflowers

Addie and ksusan, so awesome of you to post your pix. Ksusan, are your incisions diagonal? Is that usual? Mine are straight across..

I think my nails are starting to die, they are all black and bruisy looking...barf.

kbeeee, allow me to add my voice to the crowd wondering how taxol went??

Ugh...so. barfy. Ugh. Anyone have a magic wand to fix it? I think it's mostly psychosomatic now but no less real...

ksusan

There are two main incision types for MX, horizontal and diagonal. One factor is surgeon preference. I wouldn't be surprised if intent to reconstruct is another. I have a coworker with the same surgeon. She did a skin-sparing mastectomy, thinking she'd reconstruct. Her scar is more horizontal than mine (though still not entirely). My scars are pretty darned tight at the armpit ends--very little tissue underneath.

AnewBeginning

littlebluef

My nails are turning black/blueish at the beginning of the nailbed. All nails on the right hand and the thumb on the left. I thought we only had to worry about the nails with the Taxol which I have not started yet.

ksusan

I have one bruised nail and several that are thinking about it.