Anyone starting chemo in Aug. 08?

Thank you Bette, Tonya & Misty. Yes what a relief it was. God is great!

I hope you're feeling better Bette. When is your surgery? I'm glad to hear you'll be staying with your daughter for recovery. Praying your appt. w/ PS and Dr. go well. 

It's nice to be off chemo for 3 more weeks. Then it's Taxotere or Taxol. Now I'm getting worried about those SE's.

Prayers to all,

Jeannine

Well, I don't think I have a cold after all.  My eyes continue to pour... makeup is a thing of my past, and this is HORRIBLE as I have terrible skin.  My nose bleeds every day, and some days it seems to bleed all day long.  I've wiped/blotted my eyes so much that they are raw like your nose gets when you have to wipe constantly.

The watering, streaming eyes is driving me insane.  I actually believe it's a SE of the Taxotere.  I'm still tired and achey-like, too.  I'm so glad to only have ONE MORE Taxotere treatment!!!  Please, please tell me that my eyes will be normal again once I'm finished!!  I'm so ready to be normal (okay, I've never been normal, but you know what I mean )!

Temp is till elevated. Tylenol helps alot. Took some and ventured out to church today. It was good just to be with other people as I am very isolated except for medical appointments and Tom's visits. Got home and went to bed and heard a knock on the door. A man from church had brought me the flowers from church! So I have this lovely big flower arrangement in my living room now. It was a nice surprise.

Tomorrow will be quiet, but on Tuesday I am going to get fitted for a post-surgical bra and after that to the baker to look at wedding cakes (and taste samples, YUM) 

Wednesday is Chemo # 7, Taxol again. I am really apprehensive about this stuff. I do not want to go to the hospital again. If I get a fever, it will mess up Thanksgiving week. I am tired of this. I want my life back! Does anyone else fell like BC has just taken over? I guess I must be depressed today.

Stacy, good luck with the rads onco tomorrow.

Happy Sunday to all

Bette 

Bette, I felt much the same way as you in that I continually had to plan my life and activities around chemo.  I found my friends were even asking me if it was my 'chemo weekend' before wanting to make plans with me. 

This will not go on forever.  Chemo is only for so long and then it is over and you will lbe free again.  How many Taxols are you going to receive?  I had to do 4. 

You are not in this alone!  Your BC sisters are here with you sending you so many positive thoughts and prayers.

Stacy, does it hurt to get the tatoos?

Good evening,

Had to visit the BS today. My arm swelled up like a ball. BS squeezed out 300 cc of fluid. Yuk. The nurse tried to convince me (over the phone) it was normal to swell up. I was like "No, not like a balloon". Boy did it feel better to have it drained.  DH got mad because I've been on the pc too much. (Hello, need to KIT w/my people!)

Hope you're feeling better Bette. Happy cake sampling.

I had one of those temp tatoos. They do hurt.  Rock on Stace!

Wishing everyone well.

Jeannine

I have a surgery date: December 23. I am losing my breast for Christmas. I hung up from talking to the surgical coordinator and promptly had a panic attack. I am not mentally ready to look down at my chest for the first time since puberty and be able to see my feet.

Tom and I have decided to move the wedding up to March, since I need his both his health insurance and also his companionship and love on a full-time basis. We are in love, and every other weekend does not seem to be enough. I was able to get the minister, organist and caterer for the new date. Now I have only 4 months to get ready. AARGH.

Tomorrow I learn whether I am continuing with my last 2 Taxol treatments . If so, I must prepare myself for the possibility of another fever. On a practical basis, if I go to the ER again, I must remember my cell-phone charger, journal, and some other creature comforts.

Today I get fitted for a post-surgical bra. Anyone who has had surgery, did you get one of these? What are they like?

Roya, thanks for your encouragement. It does help to know that my BC sisters are behind me.

At least after the fitting I get to go look at and taste cakes! 

Hey Girls,

Congrats SheRee!!  It's so nice to cross another girl who has finished off the list.  We'll keep cheering everyone until the last chemo is done by all of us.

Bette-tough decision, but I am sure you will deal with it.  I had mine in July and didn't look back after making that decision.  Have a piece of cake for me-I LOVE cake!!

Jeannine, glad you had the fluid drained.  I know that feels so much better.  I had the same situation as you.  I did not get drains at surgery because I bled very little, but something sure did collect in the following days after surgery.

I am off to the exchange surgery tomorrow morning.  Believe it or not, I am actually excited for this surgery.  I hope it closes another chapter of this book.  I'll let everyone know how it goes if i am not too drugged when I get home!! 

hood, you are up for your expander surgery tomorrow-good luck!  We'll be in la-la land at the same time.

~Misty

Hi

    I started my round of FEC today.  I have a pump that I have to wear around for 48 hours while it pumps the chemo.  A little tired, don't know if it's the chemo or the Benedryl.  Have cottonmouth, too.(Decadron, maybe?).

   Sheree- congrats

   Jeanine- sorry to hear about your arm.  Hope it gets all better:)

    Bette- I'm praying good things for you.  My heart goes out to you with all that you have been through.  Getting ready for a wedding is a real chore,(except for the cake sampling), and I hope it goes as you have dreamed of.

Wishing good things for everyone!  Deen

Monique

Sometimes we dont know exactly how this is affecting our children. It sounds like counseling is a good idea. I'm praying for you and your family

Roya

Usually you have an option as to whether you want the permanant tatoo dots, I opted not to get them. I think they used some kind of permanant marker that eventually faded away.

Monique - I'm praying for you.  I know it's hard... I struggle with depression, too, and this journey has been a total emotional roller coaster for me.  I'm here and if you want or need to talk, feel free to PM me.  ((Hugs))

Bettelou, my prayers are with you. You have really been a trooper throughout all of this. i am so happy that Tom has just stuck by you so. my heart aches for each and everyone of us going through all of this. i did my 5th treatment on Monday and have been so tired that I fell asleep face down on the table. I was sick all night and today I am up -just barely. tomorrow I am getting rehydration. Hopefully that will help some. Only one more of this cocktail mixture and I move on to surgery. I keep reciting verses over and over so that I can be strong. SheRee, I am so happy for you being done. You are right it is a roller coaster emotional ride. I talked with my onc. who said between the chemo and the menapause to expect depression. I am struggling. A friend of mine just wrote me this verse and I hope it is okay to share it with you all.

Isaiah 40 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding, He givieth power to the faint: and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: BUT they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;  they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Please Lord let me find in you my strength that I need for today. Amen

Monique, there is a special thread for moms with young children.  Many of the issues regarding young children are shared there.  Here is where you will find it.

Day to Day Matters + Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer

Caring for young children while going through treatment

Hey ladies

5 days after my taxotere, still waiting for side effects to set in!  Maybe I did have a virus last time, or maybe the extra drugs I got with this infusion are helping. My temp has still been bouncing up and down a bit though, that drives me crazy.  Bette, I hope it works better for you than Taxol, maybe the extra little break in between will help too.  About the mastectomy, I didn't have much of a problem with it, thought of it more as losing a cancerous tumour than losing a breast!  Recovery wasn't bad either.  Sounds like you have a lot to look forward to this spring!!!  I also just booked a trip to Florida for my sister and I at the end of March.  Taking advantage of the great deal Disney World has on, by 4 nights, get 3 free!  

Deen, that's different having a pump for the FEC, although that's what my homecare nurse expected me to have here, maybe it depends on the treatment centre. I've had cottonmouth with both the FEC and Taxotere.  Biotene mouthwash and toothpaste helps, and I find chewing gum helps too.

Lisahugs, sounds like things are moving in the right direction for you and hubby.

I think I'm going to call about getting a proper prosthesis.  I went to one local place a couple of months ago and they never called me back.  I've heard about a place near where I get my chemo that is supposed to be wonderful so I'm going to go there and get some good bras too.  I've just been using cheap fake boobs that I ordered from Sears, and Wonderbra mastectomy bras, which are not very nice.

Nice to hear from everybody.

Sheree... Have you reported the nosebleeds to your onc?  That's a fairly unusual SE, and makes me wonder if there might be something going on with your blood counts?  And for the watery eyes, someone on the TC board recently suggested that soothing eye drops help.

Jeannine... How's your arm?  Did it swell anymore after it was drained?  Hope not!

Bette... That's wonderful news about your March wedding.  Boy, love must be giving you superwoman energy, to be able to plan a wedding while on chemo!  And happy to hear that your surgery has been postponed until after the holidays.

Monique...  Hope you've been able to talk to your daughter and assure her that you're not going to die anytime soon.  What a burden for a 6 year old to handle.  You know there was another thread here recently about a school counselor who had pulled a child your daughter's age out of class to talk to him or her about their Mom's bs.  Totally inappropriate, and, of course, the Mom was furious.  I hope something like that didn't happen to your daughter.

Lisa... So good to hear that you and our DH are both doing better. You have a great attitude, and I agree with you that there are gifts to be found in the most unwelcome events, like bc.  I also believe that God is in control, and that things are unfolding exactly as they should, and that sometimes we don't see the blessings in trials until much later, when we realize how they kept us from a wrong path, or opened a door, or propelled us towards something or someone we would not have found without it.

For Corinne (and everyone else)... Don't forget Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."