Starting chemo January 2009?

Alo - I am jealous - DH and I attended one or two buffet concerts and the party before hand in the parking lot is amazing. I had never seen anything like it before or since.  All these elaborate bbq and drinking set ups.  Couches, tiki bars, men with coconut bras, inflatable palm trees, unbelievable.  Gotta love the creativity put into stuff like that just for the sake of doing it. 

Ddlatt- Sorry you are being beat up but the neulasta. I hope you feel better soon.

Real quiet day at home today. DH and I slept as late as college students and DS veged in front of the tv all morning.  We played some ball in the yard this afternoon to celebrate the snow all melting.   Then DH and I took turns doing some small chores around the house and playing individually with DS.  Stil have not baked the cookies but I did look up a recipe.  

Here's a new one......I am day 5 after AC #3 and by now I am usually just tired, but yesterday all of a sudden I felt like I had skin pain......I know I am not describing that very well, but it hurts to touch my skin....anywhere.....on my cheeks, arms, back, anywhere.  I feel bruised or sore or something when I touch my skin.....like a hug would hurt right now.  I also feel like I've been hit by a train.  the only thing different this time around was that I took Emend which I had never taken before.  I am wondering whether the Emend has something to do with it, or whether I am starting to feel the cumulative effect of the 3 AC tx's.   Anyone else have skin sensitivity or anything like that??  Hope everyone is having a great weekend, I took the kids to see Bolt which is a 3D kids movie about a little dog, it was cute.  Take care Jewels!

Jill

jillyG ~ I always have that effect but I take the TC then the nuelasta shot, it hurts all over and if you look at me too long it hurts even worse. The skin on my neck seemed to hurt the most this time and I cannot cross my legs (a habit) at all, any pressure hurts like hell, even the water from the shower but this time my nose has been bleeding also. So is chemo, I pray all of this means it's working very well.

Jilly - I know what you mean about skin pain.  I get that too for a day or two, especially on my neck and shoulders.. it's weird... I don't know which drug causes that...

Misty - I don't think you will regret that decision.  Yes, you will still be beautiful and you'll be smiling more because you'll have less anxiety about potential problems with that other side.  I had a bi-lat with no recon... I have no idea whether or not someday I will do reconstruction, right now peace of mind is more important to me. 

KM47 - good luck on your WBC... I hope you stay on schedule!

You know how sometimes there's a song that you never forget and it reminds you of a certain time in your life?  I am a big John Mayer fan and this song, Stop This Train, is it for me right now.  I play it all the time, especially when I feel overwelmed with all this cancer stuff and I can't "take the speed this (cancer) train is moving in".... for some reason it makes me feel better even if it makes me cry first... lol.......  I know John didn't write it about cancer but it just struck a chord with me....thought I'd share it...

http://www.ilike.com/artist/John+Mayer/track/Stop+This+Train

Treatment 3 is Tuesday for me.... for those of you with me next week... let's put our boxing gloves on and come out fighting... 

FEC buddy--so sorry you had to wait.  I have had  a tough time #3 -very sore. slight fever...better today, but tired as heck. 

<:AtomicElement>I wonder what my wbc will be next week.  Halfway there...taxotere next.  Very nervous about that, but I hope I don't have the nausea issue I had with the FEC.

<:AtomicElement>DDLatt--how do I find your photos?  Missed that somewhere.  Sorry. 

<:AtomicElement>Hugs to all.

Hello Jewels... March is "in like a lamb" in Northern WI.  Never thought I'd be happy to see time fly, but turning the calendar ahead another month is such a wonderful feeling-- we made it through the last many months, will will get through those ahead and continue to thrive for many, many, many more calendar turns...

Hope you are all well.

Hey crew,

I hope everyone is feeling ok today.  It rained all weekend and we took full advantage by basically doing NOTHING!!  It was wonderful.

So I know this is a chemo thread. but just wondering if any of the other Jan Jewels are having your tissue expanders...um...expanded at the moment?  Haven't seen much posted about it.  I'm in the middle of it and had 100 ccs in each one on Friday.  It was PAINFUL!!!  In fact, the last two have been.  I only have a couple more to go thank goodness.

I probably should take this to the recon board but I'm just wondering if I'm the only nutter who is doing this and chemo at the same time

Everyone feel good and take care of yourselves!

Diane 

KM47- I am on a every three week cycle and did not automaticaly get Neulasta but after ending up in the hospital with extreme low WBC cycle one it was added to my regiment. My onc seems to be of the minimalist persuation.  The only things that are automatic are decoton or whatever the steroid name is and some zofran pills before infusion and infusion is just the cytoxan, taxotere and saline.  I have other pills I can take at home as needed for nausea and heartburn but nothing else is required only as needed.

lisalisa - Your news is exiting.  Sounds great.  What kind of stuff do they want you to do? 

Shocked - I finished my expansion just before starting Chemo.  They could have overlapped if I had not taken so long to decided on treatment or if I wanted to be bigger.  The only one that really hurt me was the first one.  That one I got after pains that were worse then any I had with the surgury.  I found that taking some motrin before the injection helped.  

 This morning I took my son to a Purim event and then in the afternoon DH took him to the aqurium with friends.  One friend going had a bug so we decided that I would stay home.  I was feeling a bit tired and laid down with my guided imagary playlist on my Ipod around 1:30 and did not wake up till 5pm.  I remember none of the guide imagary.  I guess I am more fatigued than I realize.  

It is snowing here. I was supposed to take DS for kIndergarden registration tomorrow but school has been closed.  Looks like the whole family may be home tomorrow.  DH plans to work from home, I am still on leave and I don't think I will want to drive DS into preschool in the city and then pick him up again in the evening if the roads are a mess.  Wish I had gone food shopping instead of napping this afternoon.  My menu for the week is going to be mess up if I don't shop tomorrow. 

Good morning Jewels!  It is a gorgeous day in Lethbridge, Alberta!  We're going to run out and do errands and get groceries and my hubby said he is going to wear shorts, it's so warm right now.  March in Canada is usually not shorts weather, but it's been so mild lately.  A lot of people wear shorts when we get a blast of mild weather, just for the fun of it....

I have never been offered Neulasta, it's never even come up in conversation, but my counts are often low, so I wish it had been mentioned.  I am on AC every 3 weeks.  Also, it seems that dependent on the Country you live, WBC counts have to be a certain amount to get chemo, but they differ.  My cancer centre called me when my WBC was 3.2 and said that they liked them to be 3.5 to get chemo, thankfully they came up that weekened.  In New Zealand, you can get chemo with a WBC of 2.7?  It's interesting to get info on other countries, it's neat to see the variations in treatment. 

In exactly 2 more weeks I will be having my last chemo !!!!!!  I am so pumped about that, I know that walking into that chemo room will be easier knowing I am not going back there ever again.  I never want to see another red syringe for the rest of my life!  At my next appt I am going to ask my oncologist to refer me to a surgeon to get my ovaries and uterus out. 

Have a great SE free day everyone!

Jill

   Oh how I wish it was 88 and sunny here! Instead it's 15 and snowy!

   Has anyone's eyebrows thinned out or fell out yet? Mine didn't and I was wondering if the eyebrows and lashes won't be affected like the rest of the hair was.

   It's so nice to see how far we progressed with our treatments. I go for TC #3 on Thursday. Only 1 more after that. So today I was very energetic and decided to clean out the kitchen cabinets. Next week I won't feel like doing anything so I'm trying to spring clean when I feel good. I go back to work in the beginning of April and start radiation then so I know I won't have any energy for anything else.

  Someone else posted that they love watching LOST. Well so do I. I watch last weeks episode again to try to figure things out before I watch the new episode. It is so addictive (and confusing)!

  Congratulations to you talented women with your photography and articles. What a great inspiring way to reach out to other women.

  Good night and I hope you all have a good week.

Lisalisa--good luck with the caringbridge PR. I've look at your site and you have so many friends and visitors! It's great! After you meet with the rad oncs., I'd be interested in hearing what they have to say about timeline for rads after chemo. My rad onc. said it reduces chances of local recurrence but doesn't extend survival. Part of me thinks why bother? I need to talk with my onc.

BevR-I love LOST! Last week's has me totally confused now as to who is who. I don't watch all that carefully, so I don't notice all the hints and different allusions.

And I've been cleared to work T, W, Th, so I'll have to watch on the internet now. I visted today for just 3 hours and was so tired. I hope I can do it. I'm pretty nervous.

My onc just checked my vit D again--it's lower than in Sept. when I started all this and I've been taking Vit D, which I never had done before. Anyone else have this checked?

Day 6 after 3rd treatment and I'm finally feeling like a human again! This treatment was by far the worst so far. Usually, day 7 my WBC will be low and I'll feel very tired. But at least I won't be in pain! (I hope.)

My eyelashes and brows have thinned a little but are still there. That is good for my eyebrows as they were very thick before. Now they have a nice shape! One positive to result from this awful experience!

I worked 6 hours yesterday, and hope to do the same today.....tomorrow I don't know with the blood counts down I might work at home....the "Cleaning for a Reason" will be doing my house, what a blessing!

Have a great day everyone!

Hi everyone:  Been awhile since I have logged on.  Will go back to read and catch up with you all after I post.  Just really feel the need to say I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!!!  I am really on the pity pot today so if you are in a good mood and really don't want to bring yourself down you might want to skip this posting.

I just spent another 3 days in the hospital after my 4th Ac treatment.  WBC were 0 again and started running fever.  They are now talking about having to change/delay treatment because this is my 2nd hospitalization.  That is my biggest downer right now.  I really just want this over.  I am starting to feel like this will never end.  And there is no guarantee I won't get cancer again.... My left breast which is the one I had a lumpectomy on has been painful around the nipple and just feels weird. Could the cancer come back even while I am in treatment?  I did not think so but I am beginning to worry.  Of course I am in the worrying frame of mind right now.

Have a nice rash under my right breast right now that is painful and itchy.  Guess I shouldn't complain too much as most of you had mastectomy and don't have breast anymore.  I am beginning to wish I was born a man...because on top of everything else I have a good yeast infection going on and that also is itchy and painful.

The bald thing is getting to me again.  Was hard to become bald..then I accepted it and it wasn't so bad...now I am really sick of feeling like a freak of nature everywhere I go.

Got off school yesterday because of snow.  Took today because I just don't feel like doing it.  That scares me.  My job has kept me sane and now I find no pleasure in it.  I just want to sit and cry.

Well better go now.  I warned you not to read this. Hope I didn't ruin anyones day. Patti

patty i am right there with you, just sick and tired of it all. 

the bald thing gets to me too, i can understand kids being curious and asking questions but adults making comments and remarks that i think is meant to hurt, i overheard a man where i work say that bald women were just freaky.

hugs to all

princess - thanks for the prayers.  We all need them

  ddlatt - Your pictures are great.  I really admire those of you who are actively doing something to help others with bc.  I personally feel too tired to think about helping anyone and that makes me feel selfish which I am not usually.  I feel very self-consumed lately.

Should have logged on sooner as I went back to read the  postings I have missed I realized that we have all been having a hard time this past week or two.  I don't know why, maybe because they say misery loves company, but knowing I am not the only one feeling like I want to quit and have had enough makes me feel alittle better.  Gives me hope. I wonder if being halfway through, which should make me happy has had the opposite effect on me and I am feeling I can't believe I am ONLY halfway through.  I do feel like this has been going on forever.

Been reading all along about the neulasta shot and the SEs people have gotten from it and I was grateful I haven't had any.  Now I am wondering if it is because the shot is not working for me. I have had it after every treatment and my WBCs have been low all along.  Hitting 0 after the first and fourth AC.

Are people still getting the shot after taxotere too?  My dr. hasn't mentioned whether I will or not.

First taxotere is scheduled for thurs. the dr. who came to see me in the hospital over the weekend indicated my dr. may want to rethink my treatment and I am not sure if I really want it to happen as scheduled or not.  I am very nervous about changing drugs. At least with the AC I was kind of figuring out what to expect and when.  Whole new ballgame starting this week.  

Patti