Anyone starting chemo in Aug. 08?

Well ladies tomorrow is the big day - LAST CHEMO - I am not sure I have ever been so excited for something!!!! LOL  Probably won't be on much after - I have a sports filled weekend ahead with volleyball tournaments and soccer tournaments!!!! Hopefully my body can keep up - if not my Mom will be there to help me (as usual!!!)  I don't know what I would do without her as the hubby works swing shift and can only help so much!!!!!  Hope everyone is feeling good and I will check in 1st thing Monday morning if not Sunday night!!!!!!!!  Loves to all!!!

Hey, Alibug ~  I'll be routing for you!  I finished up mine yesterday, and I can't tell you what a relief it was.  I was hugging every chemo nurse and tech in the place, and honestly shed a few tears of immense relief when I got to my car.  I'd also brought a cake and thank you card, and the chemo nurses seemed really touched and appreciative, immediately cutting it and offering it to all the patients, too, which I thought was very typical of their caring spirits. 

One funny (baffling) thing I overheard when I was there... A chemo nurse  was going over the usual 1st app't. post instructions with a very sweet, well-dressed, older black lady 2 chairs away.  Somewhere in the conversation, the woman (who was almost finished with her tx) actually responded to something the nurse said with, "Oh, is this chemo?"  Huh?????    

Joyce...  How'd you do?  My main SE today (woke up early with it) is terrible acid (chemo)reflux. Haven't had that one before.  Always something interesting! 

Stacy... Great news about your tumor shrinking so much!  I know you'll keep us posted on the app't. with your surgeon.      Deanna

I also had my last chemo on Tuesday.  I still need to do the Herceptin.  The last two tx I have had problems breathing.  Has anyone experienced this?  I am glad it is over and I do not have to worry about SE anymore.  Now I am waiting for the hair to start growing but told it might take 8 weeks.

I have been on Taxotere and Cytoxin.  The first time it happened he did a chest x-ray and they thought I had pneumonia and put on 2 cycles of antibiotics, had a followup x-ray that showed everything ok.  This last treatment it happened as before - tightness, wheezing and coughing.  When I reported it this time he seemed to think it was from the taxotere.  It was scary and I am finished with it now.

Congratulations to all who have finished chemo!

I am officially halfway through. AND today I put in a full day plus overtime without getting sick. I took myself out to dinner and now will relax with my feet up and some good music. Hopefully I will be able to work tomorrow. I have not made it through a post chemo Friday yet, but after today, I am hopeful. I have tons of people praying, and am confident that that has made a difference.

This week I got letters and cards from my Chemo Angels! What a nice thing to find in the mailbox along with the bills!

Bette 

My mom is 9 weeks post chemo and barely has a hair on her head.

Roya, I'm doing Adriamycin, Cytoxin and Taxotere all mixed into one lovely cocktail so I could get out of here as quickly as possible.  My new onc said I should have been doing it every 3 weeks.

This week kinda sucked.  After I posted, I ended up with a low-grade fever for five days.  I was so weak I could barely stand for more than about 20 seconds at a time.  I wanted a wheelchair sometimes!

Of course, now I'm getting strong again, just in time for my last tx on Tuesday.

I bought my ticket home!  Going on the 29th!

Lisa...  I also wanted to say, "Hi," and welcome you to the group - although we always say that with mixed emotions, since no one ever wants to welcome anyone to this "club."  But, there's a kind of support here you won't find anywhere else, and I know we're all grateful for it. 

MamaShift...  Glad you got a new onc, although ACT sounds terribly rough.  Good luck on Tuesday!  I'll be thinking about you.  And it's wonderful to know that you have a travel date set to return home.

I finished up chemo this past Wednesday.  Meeting w/my PS at UCLA on 10/16 to discuss 2^nd stage Diep flap surgery (scheduled for 11/24), which is for asymmetry and scar revision.  After that surgery + healing time, I have to do rads.   But, I feel like the worst is behind me.

Thinking of you all ~   Deanna

I spent Tom's birthday on the couch with chills and sweats and diarrhea. He took care of me all day and cooked us a lovely dinner. I was able to present him with his cake and a present after dinner, thanks to baking last Sunday. The cake turned out well after its week hiding in the freezer.

We cuddled on the couch and talked about wedding plans. I am so blessed to have this man in my life. 

Today I am still shaky, resting and hoping to make it to work tomorrow.

Don' t know what my first Taxol will bring in the way of SE's. Trusting God to make it through 4 more treatments.

Bette 

Wondering if anyone is getting frequent headaches? I don't want to go thru another MRI until end of chemo,,,so maybe hearing this is part of it ????

Good Morning,

Stacy-Good luck on the last day today!!  You are almost there.  Glad to hear you are ready to sub.  that will get your mind on something else.

Lisa-welcome!

Bettelou-sorry to hear about the headaches-didn't experience them so I have no advice but others may.

Lashon-the end of Nov. will be here before you know it!!

Hood-So sorry to hear that you are down.  My onc told me that women go through a down period at the end of this TX.  he said it is because you feel like you are no longer fighting with something.  Are you on an anti-depressant?  Ask your onc about this.  I am on Zoloft (since DX in June)  I wanted to go off of it this month, and he told me to wait a few months to get over the "after" period.I hope you start feeling better soon. 

Everyone else-have a great day!!  It is the middle of Oct. already, so hopefully time will keep flying for you.

~Misty

Wow, it's so great to read about a lot of you being done with chemo!  I can't wait!  I think it's pretty normal to be depressed at the end, even Robin Roberts talked about that on Nightline the other day.

I had a headache for a couple of days with the first treatment.

 Lisa, I have an 11 year old "baby" girl.  She has severe cp and still needs to be carried around, cuddled.  I had a left side mastectomy at the end of June, my husband had to do all the lifting and cuddling for a month, I have gradually been doing it, it's a little difficult now because I also have a Picc line in my right arm and can't lift above that shoulder.  Some days I can hold her no problem, sometimes I have a bit of pain in the shoulder or incision area and have to take it easy.  I also had lymph nodes taken out.

Still thinking about Taxotere coming up, has anyone not had neulasta?!  If I need it I think it will cost me $2700 per shot, so I'm hoping I don't!

My sister and family are now in Florida.  We were supposed to go with them.  I decided to take my sister back to Disney world for a few days after I'm all done radiation so I'm looking forward to that now.  She's gone to all my chemo's with me and went with me when I had the mastectomy.

 We had a nice quiet Thanksgiving weekend here, avoided the big family get together because I don't want to get sick, but we had our own turkey feast.

H, Bette ... First, try not to panic.  Have a good cry if you need to, to release some of the stress.  Then, if you haven't already, be sure that you document every conversation -- as specifically and detailed as you can.  Go back and write down any other comments that may have been made prior to this.  Next, speak to an attorney who specializes in employment issues.  In many states, it is illegal to fire an employee due to health reasons, and you need to know PA law and what rights you have.  My next thought is, since chemo is temporary, are you possibly eligible for a paid medical leave until you're feeling better?  You could use the time to check out other job possibilities.  Mostly, as upsetting as today's encounter was, you need to gather a lot more information about any legal rights you have and not let them take advantage of the situation.  Is picking up your production at all realistic within the next month?  Could you possibly work from home so that you wouldn't be limited to a 9 to 5 routine, and able to work at whatever hours you felt most up to it?   Please let me know if I can help you in any way.  I feel so bad for you.  

Joyce ...  I PM'd you after seeing you post this a.m., but had an additional thought.  Although I haven't had a one-on-one app't. with a clinical psychologist, UCLA works mini-consults into followup appointments there, and each time, I've been so relieved to be able to share a concern --and sometimes they just flood out w/tears when you're sitting there with a counselor who truly understands what you're going through.  Anyway, their counselors have been great at giving me actual coping skills to head off negative thinking -- so much so, that I always look forward to seeing them and know I will learn something helpful.  Anyway, just thought you might want to look into this.  Just be sure that you find someone who deals specifically with breast cancer because they know and understand what you're going through, which is very different from other life experiences for which people seek counseling.

(((Hugs to you both)))   Deanna

Boy, if that (making you sign something about improvement) doesn't sound like harrassment when you're as sick as you are, I don't know what does!!!  It's not like your work suddenly slacked off and you don't want to keep up. I hope that PA has laws to protect you.  You don't need any employer putting more stress on you when you're already stressed and should be able to have the space to get well without worrying about your job.  Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!     

P.S.  Bette, here's a list I'd come across recently that's been put together by another boardie.  It's full of resources for women with bc.  Maybe there's an agency here that can help you with your situation.

http://bb67.wikispaces.com/