Starting chemo January 2009?

Holtbolt:  Max has my vote !!!   Hope he wins!! 

Jess: Have you tried chondroitn /glucosamine for joint pain?   I've used it for years and it really works for me.  If you try it, be aware, it taked several weeks to feel a difference.

Renrel:  Me too on the nails -- figure I have another month til they are all attached again and several months till the ridges are gone and the lovely yellow/green color is gone.  On the up side, I'm getting more proficient with nail polish.   Sorry that lady shared her news -- we have to believe that will not be us!!!

BevR:  I am 8+ weeks out and have only a little hair.  So send the Hair Fairy my way when she's done at your house..

KM47:  I am in and out of HOT FLASH HE## too....mostly at night.  Have to order one ( or six) of those chillows. They should make them mattress sized!

Yearof theHat:   Neuropathy Sucks!!   and from what my onc says, it takes a long time to go away.  My fingertips hurt sometimes and my toes too.   Finally got out to the golf course and my golf shoes really hurt my toes.   Probably time for a new pair.....

It was great to get out and swing the clubs...no problems at all with my surgical sites or radiated skin.   Wed night I get back to couples league with my DH --- he's had a fill-in while I've been driving to and from rads.    This will be another whole crowd of well-wishers who just recently found out about my bc --- I've grown accustomed to kind words of support and hugs----some day they will go away, so best enjoy them while I can,,,,,,as hard as it is sometimes.  

Hope you are all enjoying your summer through the residual SEs...

hotbolt: I voted and so did my family and some friends

KM: hair on legs grew back first and fastest.  Hair on head would be down to my feet if it grew as well as the hair on my legs.  As far as the question of other areas..... That fell out last and is the last to return, about 4 months before it started trying to come in

Alo: OMG was my chemo brain bad yesterday.  

Year of the hat: never heard of it either. I finally went on neurontin for the neuropathy it seems to be helping a little bit.  Its really limiting what I can do at work, have to watch how many times I walk long distances for meetings in a day too

Good morning ladies. I'm finally feeling better after my last chemo. I was very fatigued this past week and weekend. Yesterday went in for my MRI and mammogram. I just hope everything is clear. I still have neuropathy. Does anyone know how long this will last?  I'm glad to hear some of you are getting hair. I'm getting a couple of wisps in the front and like most of you,my hair is coming in salt and pepper.

jrgoglomb-sorry you had that experience with a rude person. I had to laugh at your remark to him. I haven't noticed anybody looking at me oddly lately, except last week I was at Walmart with my daughters eating at Subway and this woman was sitting at a table and kept looking at me. Everytime i looked back at her, she would turn her head. She did that a couple of times. I felt like going up to her and say something but I think she caught on that I knew she was staring at me. People can be so rude. At least people haven't come up to me and ask me whats wrong. If they did, I would ask them what is wrong with you? That would be a face to see!

Holtbolt- I will be voting later! Love Aerosmith. My DH is a huge fan and seen them many times.

Holtbolt---Voted! Good luck....

It's on my facebook to!!!  Go MAX!!

I was at the mall last week and they have those kiosks with people hawing products as you walk by....you know what I mean.  So this girls hollars at me "can I straighten your hair".....I yelled back at her...."are you kidding me"......it was funny!

Holbolt -  I voted just now.  Good Luck.  You guys certainly deserve it.  Let us know how it comes out.  

Kim - So glad to hear about the job offer.  I love 5 year olds. 

Everyone: Thanks for all the cheers.  SEs this week are bad more pain, neuropathy and fatigue than last week, but guess what NO CHEMO ON THURSDAY SO I CAN DEAL!!!  

Moving on to the next stage of tx and I am now realizing I do not have all the information I need to make decisions about what's next.  Saw Rads dr. and she sent me to see PS who said I should talk to my surgeon again before making any decisions.  Rads  . said there will be at least a 20% reduction in the left breast, which btw was smaller all my life and got even smaller when I had lumpectomy so would have to do reduction on right side to even things out in the end.  So I thought maybe should just remove breast and skip radiation.  Even though radiation does not sound like it is a big deal I still hate the idea of doing it.  Didn't some of you have radiation after mast?   My doctor said it is an either or decision.  Well anyway comes down to the genetic testing again which I should have had done before now but didn't.  It is all soooo confusing.

Renrel - So sorry to hear about the reoccurrence.  That of course is now one of the biggest questions...How will what I do now effect what has to be done in the future if reoccurrence happens.  From what I understand can only radiate once.  I am so busy doing what needs to be done now that I don't spend a lot of time thinking about reoccurrence and I refuse to let that possibility to really take hold in my little brain.  I have to believe it is gone and not coming back.  Some people may call that denial but I call it maintaining my sanity.  It is what I need to believe right now.

Well gotta run.  DS has swim meet tonight and I have to take him as DH is doing his last concert of the season.  Triathlon was a success for him.  He finished 11th in his age group and was quite happy with his time.  DS and I toured the museums in D.C. while he did his thing.  It was fun but I was wiped out after spending hours on my feet walking around.  Last two days I have been trying to recover from it.

Say a prayer or two for my two DD's, one DD's husband and my new grandbaby as they travel across from Texas to Maryland.  Spent the night in MIssissippi last night and the goal is Cleveland, Tenn. tonight.  I am a wreck having them on the road.  They pulled in for the nigth at 2 a.m. after the first day on the road and I did not sleep until I got the call that they were at the hotel.  Hoping they pull in a little earlier tonight.  I need my rest.  Anyway I am praying for their safe trip and hope that those of you who bellieve in the power of pray will help me out.

Love to all.  Patti

OK guys I am so freakin out tonight.  Did the monthly breast exam I'm supposed to be doing in my one remaining breast and found nipple discharge.  I want to blame it on the tamox but I am so panicking.

KMMD....hang in there....I know it stinks when this kind of stuff happens at night.

Thanks guys, I did get some sleep. Luckily the neurontin for the neuropathy and hot flashes makes me sleepy.  I'm calling as soon as the office opens.  I scoured the internet last night.  The same nipple discharge associated with cancer less then 1-10% of the time depending on who you read.  But, didn't find anything associating it with tamox or neurontin which was what would have reassured me more. It is a mirror image of the cancer on the other side which kind of freaks me out.  Ugghh, back on the waiting, imaging, testing, waiting merry go round.  I hate it.

Cil, about the nails.  I had 2 toenails do that really soon after starting the taxotere, but no more after that so I'm not sure what to tell you. 

kmmd:  So sorry you are having to go through this again!  I am praying that it will be nothing.  I hope you get to see dr. today and you get answers quickly.

CIL  I am having same nail problems.  I have lost both thumb nails, a pinky nail and the tops of most the others.  I have been keeping them cut short.  It is really a pain as having no nails make buttons, putting on necklaces, tying shoes, etc. hard to do.  By the way,  lost two baby toenails and looks like I might lose big toe nail on left foot.  I just finished up chemo on 6/18 so not happy to hear you are still having problems I thought my nails would start healing now that I was done.  

 Almost a week since last chemo and SEs are still bad.  I have to get somethings done around the house today.  It is 10 a.m. I have been up  for about an hour and I am falling asleep on the  couch as I read the posts.  Not a good sign.  I am also in a lot of pain from the waist down so I will probably need pain killer in order to to anything. Problem with that pain killer puts me to sleep. I am so done with all this crap.  I need my life back.  Frustrated is the word of the week.  Or maybe it is impatience. Even though I have read all your posts about the lingering SEs when chemo was done, I guess part of me was still hoping the SEs would immediately go away.

Well I am going to attempt to get off my big butt and get somethings done.  Wish me luck.

Patti

kmmd: Prayers your way -- sorry for the stress this causes.

Lisa has a good idea - keep ativan on hand, we will all go through panicky moment no doubt.

Patti: Take care of yourself.   Everyday will get better.

HoltBolt:  I've voted every time I log to the computer.  Have everyone I know voting.   The number is climbing since yesterday...hope MAx wins!!  

kmmd, let us know what your onc says.....sending positive vibes your way

I had nipple discharge in my healthy breast before, it came out of nowhere.  It was before I was diagnosed with BC and it made me start checking myself because I was worried and lo and behold, it saved my life because 6 months later I found the lump in the other breast.  All tests show that my healthy side is still healthy, so hang in there, nipple discharge can be from hormonal stuff going on with Tamox. 

Jilly G, thanks that is so sweet, I think our postings just crossed each other.  What a story though, you're right, I'll just think of this as the reminder to watch carefully,