Starting chemo January 2009?

Pamela - We bought a home in Newton a year ago and moved in to it in April. It is about 150 years old and has the poor insulation to prove it.  Before that I was in Watertown.  Before that Brookline right on Beacon and before that in Brighton right on Comm Ave.  Before that I was a New Yorker (Long Island to be exact). 

I am feeling under the weather.  A bit of a stomach bug.  Not bad, I could go to work if I were working, but am feel icky and tired.  Its not fair.  I should not have to feel this way till treatments start.  No fair starting SE's before treatment. I had a good if short cry today over a sappy County song on the radio.  The theme was not even that meaningful to me. I think I just needed something to help me cry. I am not very good at it. 

Alo- I also start the 21st, I am not sure if it will be every 2 wks or every 3 wks.  I forgot to ask that question when I spoke to the nurse and we decided on a start date.  

In the consignment shop today trying on hats and scarfs a lady commented that I must be a hat lady. I said I was going to have to become one.  (I think given the way I was tucking my  hair into every hat my reason for trying them on was probably obvious. She told me about her cancer experience (different cancer and no  hair loss) and how the "forgot" to tell her she would need 10 more treatments after her radiation. Then the proprietor of the store came over to tell us about how she had to have infusions of all sorts of stuff for Lyme disease a few year back.  So many stories out there if you are open to hear them.  

Kim, I don't think you are a bit paranoid.  You have to be very careful with anything like that.  Don't feel bad.   My doc said call with anything that I feel is necessary.  24/7.   I intend to do that.  Four hours and still no bad feelings.   Sorry you are feeling down.  Take anything that will help you sleep.   Hope you WBC improves in the next day or two.  

Lisa, great quote.  WE WILL BEAT THIS MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leaving for my first round of TC in a few hours.  Just had to thank the people on this post.  It's made this SO much easier to get ready for.  Just want to get this started, the wait for the oncotype and then getting a plan has been very nerve wracking.

Stitches.. me too... as in ...I thought the bilat would be sufficient... this is my second go round with BC also.... it seems to never end... I'm thinking after the chemo... it's finally going to be over.  Welcome to the group... sorry you have to be here.

Kmmd:  good vibes coming your way.. I hope your day goes very smoothly.

Renrel...I have been staying up way too late, glued to the internet gathering all these BC facts, then sleeping late as well.  I start my chemo on the 20th... today I have the "chemo class"... I suggested my DH go too so he knows what to expect when I start complaining about SE's...(you know, just in case he thinks I'm making them up!) LOL

Lisa:  Great card!

Lisa, best of luck today.  I will be thinking of you.   So far, I have no visible effects from my treatment yesterday.   Feeling OK and working from home.  

Take care.  Positive thoughts coming your way.Brenda

Hi all:

Stiches--glad you found us, but sorry you had to..

Kmmd-hugs today for getting the 1st tx over--thinking of you., and

Lisa-THinking of you too. Waiting is so hard. I've read that PET scans give many false positives. Good luck.

Glad you're feeling well, Brenda. I'm doing ok. A bit of the "loose stools" and continuing paranoia. My N.P. told me to just keep on keeping my mouth clean. I hope I was at my lowest for WBC yesterday, and my bone marrow will start doing its job. I feel fine, though, just bummed that the Neulasta shot doesn't work for me. Don't want to delay next tx.

Renrel-I think I had more of those days of just wanting to hide out in bed before chemo than after. I think that the healing from surgery takes longer than we feel it should, especially when we went in feeling pretty good. Of course we're tired--the physical and emotional challenges we're facing are huge. I want to get on with my life, and try to normalize it as much as possible, and that's really hard

 I wanted to visit my students and show off my new hair cut, and maybe I will after I try to get a mid-morning nap. 

Take care all-kim

Stitches, sorry you're here, but welcome

Lisalisa, sorry to hear that, I hope everything is ok, the waiting is so hard, and I'm sure this just seems like one to many waits to be dealing with.  I've heard the PETS can have frequent false positives too

 I'll agree with surgery taking longer to heal from then we think is should.  I think when the pain and movement start getting beter I get impatient  and have to remind myself-major surgery--you will have good and bad days and get fatigued.

sweeeeetpam.  sorry to hear about the nodes, and what  let down it has been. I'm getting taxotere so can't answer to the drugs in the middle of the night thing with taxol.   Hadn't tried Ellen, I may have to try it.  Best wishes coming your way, I'll be thinking of you

Lisa--HURRAY!!! We are superwomen to cope with so many ups and downs. I wonder how a marguerita would taste?

Jess--I feel great despite the low WBC. I went for a walk today and if anything can jumpstart my immune system it's walking up the hill to see the Golden Gate across the bay on a crystal clear day. Oh...and they told me to eat protein, which I guess I don't eat much of.

kim

Woohoo! Lisa!  That sounds like the start of a GREAT weekend!  I was rootin for ya!  And excellent question Kim... wonder how a marguerita would taste?  Sounds good to me!

Pam... I'm sorry you have to be here ;(... and yeah, for some reason Ellen cheers me up too....

Had my "chemo class" today and made the mistake of taking my husband... who said stupid stuff that was supposed to be funny but wasn't .... lol.  He later said it was wiggin him out.. the thought of all of it and he was trying to ease the tension... (except now the nurses there think I'm married to this unfunny jackass)...lol.  Poor guy... he passes out at the sight of needles so just even talking about it was making him queasy...

The "chemo class" just covered all the stuff I learned on this site.... but at the end she very nonchalantly asked me if I have a Living Will.  OMG!  How morbid... and I said "ok, that's disturbing" and she mumbled something about having to suggest it to anyone going thru chemo.  ok, what? LOL 

lol webwriter... that is my fat cat Dubbus who is closing in on 20 lbs and is the sweetest thing ever... that's her normal spot on the couch, she likes to watch Animal Planet.

I'm sorry you had a bad day with your little girl.... this can be all very confusing to them... sounds like you are doing an excellent job though.... getting haircuts together, etc... hang in there..

hotbolt--Okay, now my Boyo, Page, who lived to be a fat and cantakerous 19 years old, LOVED Animal Planet. Or just static. We went on vacation once and had a friend check on the house and feed him daily. When we came home the TV was on. We smiled, realizing that Keith had taken a liberty or two during his busy day. (It was appreciated that he was comfortable enough to do that.) Then we went to get the key from Keith. Who told us it was a quiet week except the ODDEST thing kept happening. Everytime he went in to feed Page, he found the TV on. He turned it off, came back the next day and WHAMMO!

Long story short--3 repairmen and several confused days later, all three of us hid outside my big bay window and watched to see what happened. In saunters Page. He swats the power button and sits back on his hind legs, like a little old man, utterly entranced.

There's another we have in common. That took place up in Fowler!

Sweetpam, I had fluid drained 3x after the drains came out.  Really didn't feel anything.  Still numb from the surgery and the BS puts something else to further numb before doing the aspiration.   Don't worry.   It isn't bad at all. 

I am now 27 hours since my 1st A/C, with or without Avastin,(test drug).  I am feeling fine.  I keep waiting for something to happen.  I am sure it will eventually.  Can't be so lucky to come out of this with no SE's.  

Take care.  Hope everything goes well.  

Lisa, wonderful news on your test.   

Brenda

Pam - Me too on the tears and general down feeling. I have been soaring though most of this with an amazing attitude but since I got a treatment schedule I have been feeling much more depressed.  So sorry about the nodes. I am so nervous that my scans next week will change my diagnosis. 

Lisa - Yeah on the apparent good news.  Enjoy your weekend!

Webwriter - I loved your cat story. I will share it with DH. He had a friend when he was in grad school with a cat who hated the ring of the telephone and would knock it off its base if it rang.  When she was interviewing for jobs she had to leave her phone off the hook so the cat would not hang up on prospective employers.  Once she realized during class that she had forgotten to take it off the hook and ran out of class to call her own number so the cat would hang up on her.

I had two activies today.  I attended a BC support group and met a new member today  We have to respect privacy during these meetings so I will not share much of her story, but she has it way  worse then me and I felt very bad for her.  One of her organs was not handling the chemo well and she had to stop.  Improvement was minimal for weeks and then she allowed to people close to her to try some Reiki on her.  The sudden improvement shocked her onc and his nurse.  I think I am going to up the priority of trying some reiki.  Now that her organ is a bit better she can go forward with chemo, but no antinausea drugs.  She is one strong lady, send a good thought her way if you can.

My second activity was meeting with human resource to discuss my best leave option.  I had thought I would go back part time sometime this month and save some of my earned time.  But I also have long term disability which kicks in after 90 days, which is 3-4 weeks away.  I should be able to cover that time with accummulated leave.  LTD pays 50% of salary and is not tax able and my insurance would continued to be covered at the same rate for as long as I am on LTD.  My Family Medical Leave protection will last till around the start of May.  If I go back to work at all the 90 days for LTD starts over again.  I am also signing up for the Extended Leave Bank at work which, for the donation of at least one day of leave to the bank allows me to deduct my full pay after 20 days of absence if I exhaust all my  leave and am not eligible for LTD.  I am lucky to have these options of leave time but it is a bit confusing figuring out what the best thing to do is.  

Tomorrow I am going to a BC networking meeting at a local Wellness Community location. I have been reading about their offerings but this will be the first I attend.

eta- Webwriter - DH was reading over my shoulder and reminded me that the police also once showed up at this womans house because a friend called and the cat knocked the phone off the hook causing the friend to fear for the owners well being.