Starting Chemo May 2008
Comments
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Okay, I had a soiling experience as well. Who knew my bc sisters ( a couple of them) did the same? I only did it once, but I, too said nothing. Okay...farting is funny but only for a few minuts. Then it gets old and stinkier. Men can't get over how funny it is so I think you are sunk, Ms. Noelle.
Cristine,
Hope the lumps are nothing.....make sure you CHECK IT OUT before your trip young lady. There...did that sound momtherly?
Kerry,
Leeches, peaches...anything would look good on my face at this point....any hair is welcome at this moment. Went to the cancer rehab program today. They checked me top to bottom. Follow up is next week to check all heart function then I get a personalized program for getting in post-cancer shape. I gained 5 (not 10) on chemo and my goal is to lose a TOTAL of 18...I give myself some six months to do it. Ciao lovely ladies.
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Ah, me too has soiled myself. I can't believe we're talking about this. Cris, it's definately from the taxol. I have a friend that constantly talks about his IBS and we all laugh about it. It doesn't seem to bother him Hmmm, 47 and never married, wonder why? Great conversationalist I guess.
Kerry, did you say the guy was in the stall next to you? We don't have unisex bathrooms in the midwest.
Angels, glad you doing okay with your new digs. It'll go quick.
Mary
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Cris,
Same problem all through 6 TCH treatments - never had constipation that plagued other people- I still dont trust a fart a month after chemo!
Rads #1 tomorrow at 2:50 PM -33 steps on the Yellow Brick Road to being finished, or 33 treatments of rads in the wall.....33 treatments of rads......you get my drift!
Kristy
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A good friend is contemplating a one-day surgery that would involve double prophylactic masectomies + reconstruction w/ silicone implants (+ ovary removal). I told her I would ask the best, smartest, strongest, most amazing women I know about their experiences. So here I am. Specifically, she would like to know
a) How much time off from work should she expect to take? Will she need help around the house? And if so, for how long?
b) How long before she can return to normal activities, which include not only desk work, but also swimming and running and biking?
c) what advice do you have for her?
Thanks heaps!
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Life is hardly worth barin'
In the absence of Karin.
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Rock.
Whow, I was just about to ask that same question. I have to see the surgeon on Thurs., I plan in the double mast, no recon and would like the ovaries out as well.
Any thought s from you guys would be great. Getting kind of nervous about surgery in 3 weeks....hell, can it be worse than chemo???????
randie
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oh! i don't want to be selfish with the info! go ahead and post it here so that randie can see it!
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New:
Karin is still in the neighborhood. (You can check someone's post history and most recent login by doing a search for their name, and then clicking on the name in one of the hits.) Karin last posted on Sept. 9th but logged in on the 12th. So, she's still around but being quiet I guess. I do miss her.
I don't want to talk about Taxotere. It's awful stuff. I never actually had a wet fart (?), but it was close. OTOH, Arimidex is doing the same thing, so watch out!
Rock & Randie, I can't answer your surgery question. My goodness: double prophylactic masectomies + reconstruction w/ silicone implants (+ ovary removal) .... Are you sure that surgery only takes one day???
Seriously, the best place to find out about timelines and limitations involving recon is over on the recon board, or maybe the surgery board. Mine was "just" a modified radical mast with SNB, so I was up and around in no time. There are rules about reaching too high or doing too much before the drains are out, though; and every surgeon has his/her own take on that. Sheesh. Makes me want to curl up in my recliner, just thinking about it. No, wait--I'm already in my recliner...
Hugs...
otter
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Well my experience on just having one side removed...... it took minimum 2 weeks before I could go without help. And I still wasn't doing housework. At that point I was JUST starting to get to a point where I could barely roll over in bed and lay on my side. I think your friend should expect min of 4-6 weeks.
drains~ *shutters* that was the worst part oye!
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At Rock's request for the lovely RanD.Copied from the PM to Rock earlier.
3-6 weeks recovery time minimum. The Ovary removal surgery type may change this.
Yes to help around the house for the first week to 10 days or until the drains are out.
Help with bathing, and almost anything needing arms(because of the breast surgeries) and no lifting for a few weeks (because of the Ovary removal) Bathing with drains is a total pain. I could not wash my own hair because of arm mobilty etc. ... ( added later, see RanD there is a plus to having no hair at this time ;p)
I was in bed for 2 full weeks with a single mast on massive pain killers with another week for an infection with pretty low energy for at least 5 -6 weeks post surgery. The ovary removal is a cake walk compared to the breast surgery from what I understand.
I started walking for exercise at 4 weeks.There was no way I could run -not at all.
Swimming is safe after drains are out and surgeon post surgery check up (for me it was 2 weeks after)and wounds are well healed. Arm mobility is very compromised. I still cannot quite swim with full arm mobility after surgery on Feb 15, but your friend will not have lymph removal like many mast women do.
By 7-8 weeks I was feeling almost normal... but that is when chemo had just begun...
I learned a lot from the boards about other peoples exp. with masts and recon
Added later. From what I was told/ have heard about on these boards: combining masts and recon may be normal in some places but my surgeon said no way. The risks of complications having both surgeries done at once go up quite a bit. Not to say it is unsafe, but the risk of infections etc is upped.
RanD, by comparison.. the surgery was a breeze compared to the chemo. I was in pain, I was tired, and had a few weepy moments from feeling useless and in pain (and losing a breast of course) but all in all it was ok. I slept and watched movies for 2 weeks. I could not read anything longer than a paragragh for almost 3 weeks, so I read mags and email and watched HGTV( yes, totally addicted) all day long. I finally read a book in week 3.My BF had a little flat screen put on my bedroom wall even though I protested... but I could not have lived without it.
I hope this helps anyone who needs it.
N
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Hey RanD et al,
I had my mastectomy BEFORE chemo which was probably a great thing. My surgeon said 4 - 6 weeks off work and I went back in two. (My family are very matter-of-fact in the recovery dept!) It really does depend on what you do for a job.
Looking back I don't think a double would be harder to manage than a single..but my surgeon does not send patients home with drains attached. I went back to her rooms and had the seroma aspirated about twice a week. The two MOST important things are not overstretching in any way, and yet keeping the shoulder etc mobile. The healing only happens ONCE and you want to have full mobility in that whole area for your good long life! You stretch things as you can manage. Forget obvious things, like hanging washing and lifting babies/bags of shopping. But you can still cook and fiddle about in the kitchen. Once the wound heals, massage it with something plain..maybe a pierced vitamin E capsule.
My surgeon, who is a brilliant little girl thing, was quite definite when I talked about immediate re-con. (I had read that masses of girls do it at the same time). She told me to wait 12 months for a myriad of reasons, not least of which is: exactly how much physical and mental trauma can we take exactly? I now know she was right. I'm going to feel like a rich (older) Hollywood starlet fronting up next May (emotionally healed, fit and on fire) , rather than a scared, scarred freaked-out amputee who wants her 'femininity' back.
I am planning on the recon signalling my two-fingered farewell to the fecker caller Cancer.
XXXKerry
PS Y'all don't tell other people about the soiling, do you? What gets said here stays here, right?
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Kerry - I really hope so!! There's not too many other people I would mention this to. Probably wouldn't have even told dh if he hadn't been home!! However, I freely told the 9 y.o., probably because she's had the same experience and can't tease me too much!
And thanks, everyone, for "normalizing" it for me - I was really starting to wonder and just really, really glad I chose not to go to work today!!
Eddie - Thanks for the prompting, mom. But I'm still in Kindergarten because when you wrote "leeches, peaches", I thought "what rhymes with leeches...peaches!" Can you tell what we're working on?!
Rock - I'm not much help to your friend as, like you, I had a lumpectomy. Hope she gets the answers she's looking for...and you, too, Randie!!
How about "Zaaaaap!" for our rads saying/replacement for chemo? Well, here's a shout out to all starting/continuing with rads this week!
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I, too have had a wet fart.
For a morning, not a good start.
Chemo is a bugger, this we all know,
Sorry ladies, to the bathroom I go.
Burma Shave.
Radical Sue
(9 down, 21 to go)
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I had a left mast and I was back to work (in th eoffice) in 3 weeks, working from home after 10 days -I did all the exercises they prescribed and played the piano a lot which I found to be really helpful in regaining arm and finger mobility. I returned to walking in about a week--- HOWEVER, let me say I have a high pain tolerance and was determined to get up and going. I did not have recon with the mast and had one drain for about 9 days.
Help with the housework, hubby had to shampoo my hair and do most things around the house- including lifting my computer if I moved it from its spot on the dining table- it was hard to remember not to lift anything with that arm!
Kristy-starting rads this afternoon
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For what it's worth, I had a right bilateral with recon (just an expander insertion for now) and a breast and nipple reduction on the left. I agree with all. I took about 10 days before I felt normal but was out and about in the first week. I needed 4 solid weeks of heal time. Don't press it. You only have one body and it takes time to heal. My next surgery (trans flap) won't be until June and I'm expecting 4-6 weeks off again.
Good luck all you ladies with rads today. I have my dry run tomorrow. Have a lovely day.
Karin, miss you.
Mary
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Hmmm.... ok other taxol ladies.... have a question. Did your fingertips ever slightly swell up? The past few days mine have just ever so slightly swelled up almost like there is a blister right on the pad of my fingers. I have to compare fingertips to even notice.
And..... does anyone remember what normal feels like?
Most of the county here is still without power today. Few my gf and her dd last nite and tonight looks like we are feeding them again and my hubs sister and her family. I guess they declared the entire county in an emergency state. Schools are still out today because of downed trees and such. At least the weather is nice and cool for those without power.
Good luck to the "rad"ical ladies today!!!!!!
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p.s. for those who have had the rads already.... what does it feel like? is there any se's????
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Jen,
I had my 18th rad tx today - out of 33. You just lay on the table and I keep my right arm up holding onto a bar to keep it in the same place. I've never felt anything at the time of the treatment - just like an X-ray. My should gets a little crampy, but no sensations in my breast. Last week, the radiated sided started to get a little pink, but I've been using Miaderm 3x a day and the doctor said everything looks good. My blood tests have been improving so I won't have to have that done anymore. I'm a little tired, but still trying to keep up with everything going on (2 dd's 12 and 9). The doctor did mention that the skin issues might get worse 1-2 weeks after the last treatment. That's good to know.
When do you start yours?
Roxi - good luck tomorrow!
Radicalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Julie
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I'm not a rads chick, I'm just nosey LOL. I start herceptin and tamoxifin in 2 weeks. The "h" part for a year and the "t" part for 5. It'll be nice to get beyond all of this :O)
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Normal?
Nope, still not sure.
Fingers and Toes... see above( from a day or two ago) about the state of my digits... one thing I know for sure my feet and hands are NOT normal.
Today sucks, not from BC, just sucks. More later on that.
Blach! I hate grown up/ real life sometimes almost as much as I hated chemo.
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M-o-o-o-o-r-r-r-r-n-n-i-i-n-n-n-g-g-g!!! (a la Hyacinth Bouquet aka Bucket).
Kristy good luck with Deadly Rays Man today! The thought strikes horror into my heart..I managed to avoid Him by having an axillial resection and calling in a Big Gun's second opinion. I'm on the Batphone to Rick de Boer (Australia's..southern hemisphere's?..Mr.Big in modern chemotherapy) (my husband is Rick's bro's best mate, and family is..well, it EXTENDS, especially if you're Dutch).
Rick, with his dismissive and yet emphatic intonation, which I can't duplicate in print, said, "What are they saying RADIO for?? The CHEMO is going to KILL everything ANYWAY. TELL that PATHOLOGIST to RESLICE and have a MUCH better LOOK!".
I've practised 'Normal' so hard in my head for the last few months..I don't want to forget it. I'm REALLY tired of small things knocking me over. That shit has got to stop. Ellenoire, I'm taking your advice on the neulasta..for feck's sake! It's my last go! Surely I can LIFT for one crappy week. What I am going to do, though, is really stagger the dex. I've got plenty of tablets left over so I'm going to wind it down really slowly.
The skin on my fingers is fine but my nails look as though they have swelled up a little from underneath..I used to have distinct ridges running from top to bottom. These are gone..kind of 'stretched' away. And the nails themselves are really pale. Does this mean they are going to come off at some stage?
Ellenoire..hope your day is improving XX
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I'm going to take the fifth amendment on the wet fart question - except to mention that a runner friend of mine uses the term "shart." As in, "I thought I was just going to fart, but damn it, I sharted instead."
(Runners, by the way, are the only people I know who talk about bodily functions as freely and comfortably as cancer patients.)
Swollen fingers . . . mine aren't swollen all the time, but like Noelle, I've noticed some swelling when I run post-Taxotere. Especially if it's hot. The first time it happened, it freaked me out - all I could think of was lymphedema - until I realized that the swelling affected both hands, not just the surgery side. (How's that for another of those weird cancer-mediated reactions, where swelling on both sides comes as a relief?)
I still have a few eyebrow hairs left, but they're getting tired of waiting for reenforcements in the form of new stubble. And my bottom lashes are still AWOL. Meanwhile, the other day I discovered -- to my horror -- a single nose hair that had kept growing and growing until it escaped my nostril and was waving gaily in the breeze. (Plucked that baby right away.) What's up with those hair follicles of mine? Do they think this is funny? 'Cause I'm not laughing!
Karin, hope you're doing OK! Noelle, sorry your day has been sucky. Hi to all.
Linda
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Hey BC babes, after chemo & other surgeries.... I successfully had a uni-mastx,same time as DIEP reconstruction and THEN radiation. Many surgeons don't want to do it in that order, but we pushed for it et voila - it turned out great.
I was up & doing light housework after 2 weeks. 3 drains out after 1 week, I'm now 3 months out and doing great - just started Tamoxifen & we'll see what that does. I do want to encourage everyone of you to get the reconstruction you want, when you want it, after considering info gathering of course. I figure I shortened the process by about 9 months for my family & I.
sending you all light, health & humor
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Will read more later about y'all...
Kerry, this is how my day went....
read the blog it will fill you in. I am off for a much needed cocktail after a day from hell.
http://noellesbloggybits.blogspot.com/
Love to everyone
N
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Greetings Ladies - I have sure missed all of you!!! First, thank you all for your prayers and support. Mom's services were last Friday & Saturday - they were beautiful - she would have loved them. My brother and his family stayed with me during the week and we all had a great time together. They flew home Sunday and I started work on Monday (half days) after nearly five months on STD. I am exhausted from it all.
Had my tattoos last Wednesday, rads start on 10/1 - face up. My post chemo echo came back different, more testing to follow.
Catching up on posts! More to follow. Chemoooooooooooooooo!!
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Gonna be brief - at my mom's. Dh is really sick and I'm not going anywhere near him only 6 days after chemo. He'll either live or get himself to the doc's. Sounds bad, but true. Anyhoo, we're "camping" at mom's and the computer's in the middle of where the bedrooms are so too much tap, tapping will keep kiddos awake.
Chemooooo to anyone who needs it and a Zaaaap for those who have moved on!
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Oh Ellenoire. I checked out the story and was getting creeped out just reading it. This political thing is so huge in your part of the world..it's like a drug or something. I haven't watched TV since March last year so I can't comment on what's happening there ( I don't know....) but in the past I have found it fascinating in a bizarre kind of way. Is Canada like the US on this stuff?
I don't know how you deal with this kind of aggression. Was the email legit? You need a very clear sign on your shopfront detailing your (complete absence of) political affiliation. Hopefully your customers will show them the disdain they deserve.
I can fully understand your reaction. In our world, where a lot of power and dignity has been stripped from us, our self-made worlds...our REAL worlds... are so precious. Untouchable. They're OURS. Much love and strong cocktails. XX
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A quick post! I had a rush of (post nadir) blood and decided to create a Facebook page for us so that we can keep in touch in our world WITHOUT cancer. My vision is that the page is full of life, plans and joy..not the other shite. It's my strategy to beat the 'what if' that comes with the end of treatment.Am I imagining things, or are we a pretty cohesive lots of gals? If you want 'in' PM me and I'll give you the info. XX
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Shart! That's too funny. My teenage daughter uses that term as well as many others I care not to repeat. I have my dry run today. Basically, they'll line me up and make sure all the tattoos match up to their calibration last week. Here's the scary part. I get a call from the radiation nurse requesting the types of implants I have and to call them back with model no.s So I did, come to find out my expnader is the only model that Mentor makes that's not MRI compatable....WTF! I had a MRI last week to line me up for the tattoos. Okay, now what. Is this thing gonna blow? Is this causing any extensive damage internally to me? Well my plastic surgeon send over the specs on the model and I'm bringing them with today. The radiation technologist says not to worry, the titanium in the expander just causes the area around it to scatter on screen. Okay, aren't they suppose to be pinpointing where the tumor was or are they blasting the entire breast. I've never doubted any of my decisions but this one worries me. I see them at noon today and will keep you all abreast (lol). Wish me luck.
Swollen hands, had to pry off off the wedding ring this past weekend. Not sure if I can ever get it back on. Lost 3 pounds though. Yeah!
CHEMMMOOOOO......RADS.......to all. Good luck ladies.
Jean, jump over to the Sept. rads board. Many of us have banded together there. Glad to hear your Mom's service went well. I lost my Mom 7 years ago and my sisters and I have become closer since.
Love you all....Mary
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3 days ago I woke up with a sore throat, thought it was the chemo. Yesterday I started coughing and running a low fever (100.7). I was up most of the night coughing and the fever is back. I am going to have Bob taka me into Marshall this morning after we call and have them prepare a clean room for me, your prayers would be appreciated, on top of all of this, I stilhave the crappiest iof bone pian....will let you allknow later..randie
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