Has anyone started a forum for Chemo in Dec 2008?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was looking at simvog's list of Dec. chemo ladies....I'm glad that I won't be only only bald one at Christmas!   My hair is normally short, I plan to have my head shaved on 12/9.  I have not felt in charge ever since I felt the dreaded lump, and this is something that I can control.  I can't stand the thought of of my hair coming out in hunks!

No Black Friday for me!  We are going to Milwaukee and going to the art museum.  Jim and I wanted to do something fun, as I won't know how I'll feel after 12/2.

I hope that everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.  I'll touch base after my treatment.  Hey 12/2 Ladies!  Let's compare notes sometime next week!

Stay strong!    Carol

Artsee I purchased a wig from a local salon. The American Cancer Society also has a free wig program in the area, but my daughter really liked the one at the salon. Since I am letting her be in charge of the Mom Makeover , I am letting her be involved in my beauty program! I was concerned about the quality of the Paula Young wigs....... I still haven't gotten a supply of caps yet; I need to get some ordered.

Sue I live near Richmond - not too far from your old Ft Wayne stomping ground. The UP is a special place (must be the iron in the water that we drank that keeps a magnetic hold on us). Do you eat at Borders in Marquette? Our favorite Mexican restaurant in the UP! 

Sherry I too am counting the days til the 2nd. But I am ready to get started - sooner to be done. With a house full of company, I'm too busy to think about Tuesday, I just hope I have everything done and prepared. (But I know I don't)

Lisa  You will have to give us tips on scarves! 

Mary 

Artsee Did you have an Oncotype score? My score is (31) which put me in the high risk of recurrence category, hence the chemo. I noticed you also post on the HT forum; I'm thinking chemo is a piece of cake compared to the AI SEs.

Thankful all of us are getting to know each other and will be traveling the same road at the same time; therefore, we can guide and encourage each other. Anyone feel like our chemo start dates are like different exits on an interstate highway going to the same town?

PS Friday Night Fish Fry is also in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Mary 

Mary...My Onco score was 35. My Drs. were very surprised, and gave me no choice. You are right the Ai's are gruesome!!! After six month I don't think there was much in my body that hasn't started to hurt. Can you imagine what happens in 5 years. My midriff can tell that my daily walks have been put on hold. It's tough when we get between a rock and a hard place. Maybe if I hadn't had osteoporosis to begin with it wouldn't be quite so bad. Having an ex-ray of my left knee on Mon. Artsee

Tonight it's Friday Night Fish Fry!

Hi my chemo sisters,

I have a problem.  My onc. called me tonight.  He said he had my oncotype results and wanted to let me know before the end of next week.  He said my score was in the high range so he wants to do dose dense TAC for 4 months every other week.  When I first saw him and based on my biopsy report he was talking Tamox. only.  So this is a big big change from that.  He said that when I go back to my surgeon to get my port placed, he's strongly urging me to have a full axillary dissection because there is a micro mets of .2cm. in one of my sentinel nodes.  When I saw my surgeon post surgery and on my second meeting with my onc. they both told me that the micro mets doesn't count because there are no stats indicating that there is any difference in recurrance with micro mets and not having micro mets. At that meeting my onc said I could probably get by with a light dose of chemo for 4 treatments mostly based on my age.  But now he wants standard chemo and a full axillary dissection.  He said the axillary dissection was up to me.  He can't really guide me one way or the other.  He said that because they don't really know if it makes a difference, oncs tend to over do treatment.  I'm terrified to have this done.  After doing some research I've found that over 1/3 of women having a full axilla done have sever SEs.   I already have some range of motion and grip issues in my right hand due to a screwed up trigger finger surgery.  I don't think I can deal with limitations on my left side too.  I just don't know what to do.  I sure would hate to think that my cancer came back because I didn't do this, but with dose dense chemo for 4 months, what could possibly be left????  If I don't do the full axillary dissection, he might want me to do rads after the chemo.  I also don't want to do that.  Onc. said that when they do the full ax. dissection, they will probably find no cancer because only one of the two lymph nodes has micro mets.  And he's fine with it if I decide not to do it.  Does any one have any thoughts on this?

I already don't want to do A.  I think I told cebula that I wouldn't do A.  So, now here I am looking at it anyway.  He reassured me that we would do the heart function tests and A doesn't affect vascular stuff. Only the pumping of the heart.  Nice.  I'm just sick over all of this tonight.  I feel like I'm going to just curl up in a ball and die.  I  can't think straight.  My DH, as helpful as he's been, said ," Well it isn't that much different than what we thought. It's just a month longer." It is very different!!  TAC every other week for 4 months is very different than TC for 4 treatments every three weeks.   Throw in a full axillary dis. or 6 weeks of rads and yes, virginia, it is very different!!

Than you know what really sucks even more than all of this?  I got fired from my job in mid. Aug.  Was diagnosed with BC the first week of Sept.  I've been trying to get back to work.  I knew I'd need time off for the bi mast.  Now I'm probably going to need some time off for chemo.  Who in the world is going to hire me?  My DH has a small cabinet shop that is now in that "no work coming in" time.  Besides all of this damn cancer crap, I'm afraid I'm going to lose my house before all of this is done.   

How in the hell am I going to make it thru all of this??????????????????? 

Firni, so sorry, I was under the impression that you were doing chemo, that's sure a lot to diggest in one day. I'm gald you found my other thread comparing both treatment. Hopefully that will be of some help for you.

Firni..I will pray that you make all the right decisions. With a 'Grade 2' your Onco score can't be that high? Boy, it sounds like you got the mother load dumped on you...Just remember everything happens for a reason and just because one door is closed, another will open for you.

Berry.....Isin't the Pabst Mansion beautiful? So many things have changed in Milwaukee..at least you got to experience the new 'Marquette Interchange' Yeah, we are happy for that change!

Have a great weekend, Artsee

Fimi, What a burden to bear; I too wish I could comfort you, but you are in my thoughts and prayers. You are right - a month longer and more treatments are a huge deal! I'm sure you are finding out more about treatments and will be able to work with your onc for the best treatment

Don't be too hard on DH, I suspect he is stressing as well and is just trying to be encouraging. Unfortunately this BC just doesn't affect us...... it affects the whole family.

Mary 

Hey All - Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving.  Getting a little scared because Dec is fast approaching.  As much as I wanted to start the treatments to get it over with now I can't believe it will happen in 3 days.  I got to see my Mom, but she is not really doing that well.  We will get all the reports back sometime on Monday.  They released her from hosp. on Thurs. but she is still having such are hard time breathing.  She basically goes from the bed to the chair.  I am just praying for the best.  I don't think I can handle anymore bad news. 

Firni:  I am sorry to hear about all that you are going through.  Can you get another onco to read your reports and get a different opinion.  When my ocno asked me to do the dense dosage trial I did not know what to do.  But I had three diffent onco tell me that I should do it.  It made me feel better.  They were completely different onco that were not from the same hosp.  Regarding your job and house, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers and hope that you get good news.

Colleen 

Wow Sherry, You're fast with the Christmas tree.  I barely have thanksgiving dishes done.  LOL.  We usually do our tree mid Dec.  My DH doesn't like Christmas to last too long.  

Thanks again everyone for all your warm thoughts and prayers.  It all helps.  I know things will work out.  They always do.  For the life of me tho, I can't see how this time. 

I'm almost jealous of all of you who know what you're doing with chemo and are actually starting next week.

Mary, my DH has been great.  Sometimes he just doesn't understand.  I don't complain much so he naturally thinks everything is fine.   He does know how stressed I am about all these decisions and he is trying to be helpful and encouraging.  Sometimes he just misses the mark.

Sherry - If they don't call with a reminder, can I claim I just forgot that Wed is my first appointment????  *smile*

I also got my tree up and the outside wreaths out.  Shopping is mostly done, just wrapping to be done.  But I had to because I will be leaving town on next Monday and not back until Dec 22nd.  Between that and not knowing how I am going to feel, I figured that I better do it now or Christmas just might not come to my house this year.

Firni - any one of us working women could be in your shoes at any time with the way the economy is going.  Don't hesitate to check out every financial resource available, including the American Cancer Society and Susan Komen Foundation -- and the ACS has a program for free wigs for those who can't afford them.  Go to the Look Good Feel Better program and get a wonderful kit of (free) makeup.  At our meeting they also brought a whole basket of hats/scarves that had been donated by survivors (and washed and pressed) -- again at no cost  If you haven't, call your bank and see about refinancing your home for a longer term.  But above all, you have to concentrate on you and getting through your treatments and getting well.

For those starting this week, I am sure you are as nervous as I am -- together we can do this!

Brenda

Well, ladies, I have my 1st TAC Tuesday morning. The port goes in Monday morning. Had a wonderful Thanksgiving however, did not get the decorations up as it RAINED RAINED RAINED!!! But we need it. I will eventually get it up. Daughter and I went wig shopping on Wed. This is the one side effect I will have problems with.

Will be thinking of all of you. Linda

Firni - Glad to hear you're feeling better about the situation.

We got our Christmas tree up last night. What a pain!!!! We usually get it a week after Thanksgiving, but knowing I might start chemo next week, I wanted to be able to enjoy our yearly tradition which includes drinking Bailey's & milk while putting up the tree, wouldn't have happened with nausea! LOL! I was so looking forward to getting the tree, well, couldn't find one on Friday night, got one last night, hubby had to mess with the Christmas lights for more than an hour to try to find the burned one, couldn't find it. The whole process took more than 4 hours, never had such a hard time putting up a tree, of all years! But now it's all nice & pretty.

Tonight, we'll be having a really nice dinner with wine, this might be our last one until chemo is done. I don't know how I'll be feeling and what kind of food I'll be able to eat, so I wanted to make sure that we'd have a nice night before this all start.

Dreading tomorrow, I'm suppose to tell onc which chemo I want to do and I'm still not sure! I had decided on TC, but after a few things people have said, I might actually benefit more from AC+T....

Hope y'all have a good week even if your treatment starts

Hello Everyone -

Firni - I'm so glad that you have a plan!  I know that the ACS will have some resources for you and your DH.  You are not alone!  Please come here and Biotch as often as you need to!  We're all in this together.

47 hours and counting!  You know, I am dreading this whole chemo business even more than the surgery.  I'd had surgery before, so I know what was coming, but this chemo is the unknown.  You read about all of these SE's, you wonder about the holidays and how you're going to get through it all, especially when your 2nd treatment is 12/23! (and you're bald too!) NICE!!!  All these drugs I have, and could possibly have for SE's....I used to be a healthy person,  I only took Excedrin for headaches!  But if I guess if I didn't have all this crap to look forward to, there possibly wouldn't be a Christmas for next year for me.  OK!  enough of that!

Tree is going up today.  House will be cleaned as Jim's mom is coming to help out next week.  Grocery shopping was wierd...what will I eat?  I did get some popscicles, but otherwise, I'll just have to play it by ear.  Oh guess what I did yesterday!?  I went ice skating for the first time in probably 35 years!  Haha!  It's NOT like riding a bike...you DO forget how to skate!  I was a wall-hugger for the first 4 or 5 rounds!  And definately could not skate like I used to!

Thanks for listening to me whine.  I'll check in on Monday night to hear about how things went for our Monday Ladies!  Good Luck Girls!!!!

Carol