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

Stephmoen

and I liked your Facebook page Ali good idea! ❤️

littleblueflowers

Arlene, my triple negative sister, congrats on your graduation! I can't wait to get there. Let's all look eachother in the eye right now and know, really know, that we are cancer free and will remain so. No guessing, no hope, no faith, no positive thinking. Just know. We got this! They wouldn't put us through hell for nothing! Same goes for all my sisters here. I'm so excited to see everyone moving on to new phases in life and treatment! Can't even believe we got this far when I look back two months ago. It's so great to learn from each others experiences and know we are not alone in this weird plce. It is so good to see everyone lending a hand and leading eachother through toward the light.

As for me, at this time every cycle I'm questioning my will to go forward. Nausea and mouth sores are hitting hard and fast, and blood counts might be down (they don't check) making me depressed and weak. May take part of tomorrow off from work tomorrow and sulk. Or go for a jog. But what the heck, I'm alive and suffering from chemo, not cancer, so every day is one more putting that monster in the Ground for good! Yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! (Pirate battle cry)

gkodad

I don't quite understand the whole wbc swing, especially with the neulasta shot.   Mine has been all over the place, and I was confined to home with antibiotics this round with a .6 ANC.  I hope round 3 is better, but I'm already planning to just stay home with no people contact from day 7-11. 

Positive_spirit

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

MySunshine sorry about the blood clot. You express so much of what we all feel at times

Ksusan - I smile at your posts. I also have a few bruised, unhappy nails to share. You BMX looks like it is healing beautiful. I remark at the boldness and it give me a chance to roar!

AnewBeginni… - me, too with those damn nails.

Addie - your breasts are beautiful anyhow, and a good plastic surgeon will skillfully expand the skin. Remember that our skin is fairly elastic and stretchable.

GingerChi and Raisemeup- your last ACs today? Go girls...cheering you along. Last tango with the red devil. I almost took a pic of that pink pee in the toilet bowl at the infusion center.

swissrn2002… - needed that pep talk. It did feel like everything was crashing down and everyone I met was celebrating before me. But another breast survivor,who lives in Vermont, just offered to take my mum and I for a fantastic french onion soup next Wed. So a private celebration of sorts and it makes me happy.

Fran2014 and Stephmoen and everyone- thanks for the cheers.

Stephmoeon - You are a beauty!!

Littleblueflowers - You got this girl! Those wild flowers in your beautiful part of the country are waiting for us trek through them next year. You are stronger and more powerful than you think possible. That triple negative got to get it's tail whipped and head out of your body...remember the many examples of women that have beat this. I spoke to a woman who beat breast cancer 3 times, another who fought off pancreatic cancer, two who beat stage 4 cancer, and and several triple negative women who are thriving years later. I hope the SE subside for you. Wishing mightily from Massachusetts.

Everyone else, you are in my thoughts daily and I am hoping that treatments go as well as possible with manageable SE (wishing hard for this). I had my last chemo yesterday and I love my nurse more than my MO. My kids were super happy. I am not there yet...I wonder how effective it all was, but I feel the cancer cells being knocked dead! heh! And I am ready to tackle whatever comes next with fewer expectations that I had before BC but with a stronger determination, more balance, and some powerful feeling within me (I get that from your contagious posts). In the next post I will share my video about giving forward. My very good, talented friend managed to beat his alcoholism (sometimes I think he is worse off than I am; he is only 30; my husband rolls his eyes) and pull this video together before my last chemo.

hugs your way!

Positive_spirit

And here is my video, but I am NOT asking any of you to make a donation. I just want to share this with you. I want you to save your money to take good care of yourselves and to thrive. You have already given back multiple times over, as women, mothers, sisters, caretakers, caregivers, friends, grandmothers, professionals, homemakers, on this discussion board, as breast cancer fighters, and in ways that no one else may understand. I am proud to simply be among such an amazing group of women, who have transformed my experience with this cancer. The last little girl is my friend's kid...and he put this video together....i should tell you about him. When he was around 14, he left a good bye message on my voicemail (i ran a youth center for high risk kids) and I drove to his house, banged down his door and dragged him out of bed (on a school day). He had overdosed. He was okay. I reconnected with him right before being diagnosed and he has been wonderful to have in our lives. Yeah for friends that follow-through...new and old.

PLEASE WATCH this YouTube link about our family and SHARE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVNd3BpBxGo&app

May 26, 2015: I am at Massachusetts General hospital in Boston thinking that we have been through a lot as a family; especially in the last 18 months. We lost our store to a fire in Oct 2013 and in Dec 2014, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

Positive_spirit

Littleblue and other triple N sisters: Allibeth's FB site has some interesting stuff and it makes me so hopeful for all those with TripleN!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/...

greenae

littleblueflowers,

Thank you so much for your post. I love the attitude! We Got This! I will try so hard to live by your thoughts and words.

And you Will get through this. (Please swish that baking soda and saltwater everytime you hit the BR, and do you have rxs for zofran and compazine for the nausea. Even ativan helps with the nausea.) Eat and drink whatever works for you, and take any med offered. I wish you good days and decreased SEs, my sis! We Are Strong.

Hugs, minimal SEs and Better days for us All!

F that monster!

Love, arlene

Positive_spirit

Arlene - happy dance for you!

greenae

Thank you, Pos!

Wishing you few SEs and stay strong!

Love,

Arlene

GingerChi

Arlene, that's great news!! Congrats! I appreciate the insight you've given us. I made a screen shot of your list of tips and refer to it often!

GingerChi

positive spirit, love your video! You have a beautiful family! And what sweet friends you have. I wish you much success with the projects you're supporting!

greenae

Thank you, Ginger!

The March grp, my MO and Onco RN gave me most of the tips, and they (as well as the meds!) really helped me, and I am so glad they helped you. It's a long, tough road, but we will make it! Stay strong, and when we feel weak or tired and beat up, we can come here, (and of course come here when we feel good, too!).

Wide Awake on Decadron, hoping for few SEs for all,

Love, arlene

Stephmoen

gingerchi I did not realize you were her2 positive you are on a different chemo regimen than I am I thought andriamycin and herceptin were not to be given together? How are your side effects I go back for my 3 tchp today I can't sleep partly steroid partly nerves I just want everything to go smoothly seems like I have a little bump with each cycle so far being neutropenic and having an allergic reaction to taxatere ugh I am having my baby girl baptized next weekend and I am hoping I won't be having any issues I have waited to long to do it

Alibeths

good luck today STEPH!!💕😊

Fran2014

greenae- so psyched ur almost done...wahoo!!

Dizzparkmom- I did some  neo-adjuvant treatments Dec thru Feb prior to my BMX. My MO showed me 2 studies that are showed better results with neo-adjuvant treatment, esp. for a local reoccurrence. As you can see, everyone is different but I know what you mean about feeling weird. Back in the winter everyone was asking why I wasn't going right for the surgery-it was really annoying (how the hell to do I know...the MO told me to!!). I really trust my MO so I went with her recommendation, particularly b/c she had the research to support the plan.

I'm headed out today to a Merle Norman cosmetic studio (about 40 min.) from my home to check out something called a Cobi Scarf (something like that???). My wonderful onc. nurse recommended it b/c the summer in NJ is so hot and sticky and apparently these scarves are silky and lightweight but are easy to put on (I can't tie all the fancy crap). Figured I give it a try-will let you all know how it works out.

Stephmoen- forgot to mention earlier- loved the pic with your wig!!!

Addie29

got my wig yesterday and I love it, I feel like myself again. Not 100% like myself but somewhat normal.

lovlilynne

Addie, you wig looks so much like your profile picture with your real hair! It's great.

Addie29

Thank you:)I know I just love it! Its been such a good week. I've felt wonderful and have gotten so much stuff done at home:) I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. I will have my last ac on Tuesday and then will move into weekly taxol. (12)

lovlilynne

Fran, I wonder if it's a Johnny Was Kobi scarf? http://www.johnnywas.com/scarves.html

They look beautiful, but expensive.

ThePrincess

Addie, that looks GREAT!! I am also getting AC #4 Tuesday - I was dreading #3 but I am practically RUNNING to the chair for #4! LET'S GET THIS DONE!! :-)

Stephmoen

thanks Ali 😊 in the chair now they are giving me Benadryl and increasing my steroids hoping for no reaction this time!! Almost halfway there woohoo

Addie29

ThePrincess I am ready to get this last one done also. i feel nervous about it because the last one made me very nauseous but Im absolutely ready to be done riding that red devil. Im thinking I will do something nice for all my nurses and bake something yummy to bring in. We can have our cocktails together....I will be thinking of you and sending postive vibes while im having it done:)

Stephmoen

throat is itchy so they stopped the taxotere blah

Addie29

oh no I'm sorry. Feel better.

Addie29

if you can't take that what will you end up taking instead?

GingerChi

Sorry to hear that Steph!! Keep us posted!! Yup, I'm Triple +. I haven't started on Herceptin yet....will start it with Taxol in a couple of weeks.

Addie, your wig is perfect, it looks so natural!! Glad you're feeling so well!!!! That's a neat idea to do something for your nurses...they'll love it!

Fran, I am just like you, cant tie the fancy scarves. Let us know about the Cobi's...I googled them and they do look lightweight. The Chemo Beanies that RockerWife wears are nice...I ordered one but returned it..my head is larger and the elastic in back made if feel a little tight for me since I have alot of headaches, I really liked it tho, you only pop it on, no tying involved. The one I got was very lightweight.

Addie29

I also can't tie the scarves. I gave up.

ksusan

Lovely, Addie!

Stephmoen, did they wait and restart?

KBeee

Steph, Sorry they had to stop the Taxotere. Most people are allergic to the ingredients it's mixed with. You may be switched to Abraxane, which is a taxane which does not have the allergic tendencies that Taxol and Taxotere do. Sorry you had another reaction.

Addie, That wig looks fabulous. I was looking closely at it because it does look just like your profile picture!!!!! Happy you and the princess will be done with the red devil in less than a week.

gkodad

Just finished up 3rd A/C although WBC was only 3.9.  ANC was 2.1 and that apparently is the deciding factor.  I feel good that 75% has been completed and just one more to go.  Hopefully, I'll have fewer SEs this time, but that may be optimistic.  I envy all you ladies ready to go with #4.  Good luck and I'll be right behind you!