Any May 2009 Chemo Starters?

Texas Rose--Camping is just what you need right now!  It did me alot of good this summer.  We put our camper  5miles away from home at a state park.  I know you do the same thing to!  It was nice just to get away from the house and everyone who drops by (good intentions) .  I just am not in the mood to be socializing or doing the things I usually like to do with everybody.  Like today we have a family reunion and I just don't feel like going.  Don't know why, besides a little fatigue I feel ok but Iam still not in the mood yet.  Going camping was a great way to get away and relax (after your site is set up, you know how much work that is!).  My mistake was telling to many people to stop by.  I like company but I had way to much , day after day and it kept me busy so I couldn't relax the way I wanted to.  Iam putting my camper there again and leaving it there for 2 weeks.  I can come home when I want, keep my doctor and dd appts and still have a hide away.  This time I will be careful of who and when I invite someone.  I love when friends come and cook out with their kids but I will make sure they don't come all at once and day after day!!  Go ahead a look ahead and have somthing to look forward to!  You definately deserve it!!    It felt like summer camping and I didn't feel like summer was passing me by!  Glad your feeling better!!   Geri

Geri- Yes, we camp close to home too! Works for us!! Sometimes we go a little farther off, but mostly it's right here in our parks at home. Yesterday we stopped and looked at new fifth wheels. We have a travel trailer right now. We are thinking of buying a new fifth wheel sometime in the next few years and a lot down at the coast. Preparing for retirement I guess although it's a long ways off!! BC has changed the way we look at things. Years ago when my grandmother died, my sister and I met for lunch. They sat us at a table next to the fireplace and on the fireplace was a sign that said, "Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think.". For years, we have joked about this. Suddenly, it seems a little more truthful.

Viki- I'm sorry about the peach fuzz. I haven't heard of that, but I'm not to the peach fuzz phase yet. There is a great thread called Hair, Hair, Hair that I read all the time hoping someday soon mine will be coming back. Maybe you can ask there.  Actually mine has started to grow a little. I'm trying not to get too excited about it since I'm still on Taxol, but I have read that a lot of people start to get theirs back on Taxol. I have read that the lashes and brows fall out after chemo is done. I haven't lost mine yet, but wouldn't be surprised if I did later. I'm sending you lots of hair growing positive vibes!!

Viki- I am  pretty sure that the peach fuzz falling out is normal.  My hairdresser does lots of chemo patients and she told me that when mine does start to come back, not to get to excited because the fuzz would fall out before the "real" hair starts growing.  I, like TexasRose, have not come to that point yet because I am on taxol.  My onc said mine may start growing again around treatment number 8. 

I had treatment number 4 on Friday and this was is a little harder than the first 3.  I usually just feel tired on Mondays but I have felt bad all weekend this time.  Hubby and I went out to lunch today after church.  I thought I would be able to handle Mexican food, boy was I wrong.  I took 2 bites of food and my mouth was on fire and I had a very mild chimicanga.  It must have been the cheese sauce they put on top.  Anyway, I am sitting there with my eyes watering from the fire in my mouth and then my nose starts to run and it is bloody.  The waitress asked if I was okay and I said yes.  She said I didn't look okay.  Hubby told her that I have cancer and taking chemo and the food was too spicy for my mouth to handle.  She went and brought me, of all things, a glass of ice chips.  It was so sweet of her to do that, and of course she had no idea that I cannot think of ice chips in a good way anymore.  I told her thank you anyway.  It was really embarassing to sit there with tears running down my face and a bloody, snotty nose.  At least I had my wig on and nobody was talking about the poor bald lady that was crying. 

I'm not sure why we even went out to eat because I have NO tastebuds.  It feels like a dentist has numbed my mouth and I can't taste anything.  I did have some muscle pain with this treatment.  My back around my shoulder blades and in front around my ribs hurt yesterday and today.  Aleve helped some, but when the Aleve wears off, the pain is back.  I just have to remember that I am 1/3 of the way finished with taxol.  4 down and 8 to go.

Hope everyone else had a better weekend than I did.

{{{HUGS}}}

May Marvels -- I don't post often here but it's so nice to read what everyone's up to.  I have had 5 of 6 Taxotere and Cytoxan.  #5 was the hardest for some reason; #4 so easy I thought they forgot to give me the hard stuff!  Like Titch says, I hope people still continue to check in because it's helpful.  I have the wild white hairs already coming in -- my dr. said my hair would start to grow back even before my last chemo and she was right -- but perhaps like Viki mine will fall out!  Oh, well, it's good to know, thanks for sharing Viki.

Deb -- this all sounds like something that would happen to me.!  Hang in there.

I nearly lost my wig today when someone hugged me!  I guess I better use more tape.  Sigh.  Can't wait to have hair again and not the fuss of a wig.  I'll never take my hair for granted again!   Even on bad hair days, I will be happy!

Hi everyone -- I haven't posted in a long time, either, but I have been checking in with everyone.  It's so great to see how many of you are done with your chemo.  I have one TCH left.  I actually have noticed some of my peach fuzz falling out, too, but I'm wondering if it will all fall out after my last treatment.  I guess I shall see.  I had a horrible time after treatment #4, but I did lose 7 lbs, so I guess I can consider that my silver lining, ya?  #5 was better because we switched up some drugs.  Anyway, I wish you all the best.  Take care, everyone.

I had my LAST T/C treatment yesterday! So far I am doing OK. My main SE so far are swollen feet and ankles. This started before I got the chemo and was told that is from the taxotere and that it would get worse before it gets better. Anyone experience this SE?

I hope everyone is doing well! Lots of HUGS , Diana.

Diana, I keep looking down at my swollen feet wondering who they belong to....those are just not mine! The swelling started with #4 for me. They gave me a diuretic that seemed to help for the first few days but now, 12 days past #5 and I'm puffed up like a souffle'.

I go in on the 17th to get the CTscan and body mapping for rads. All the docs agree that me and my husband who has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer, should take a break for a couple of weeks from treatment. My last chemo is the 20th, then 7 weeks of rads, then his surgery. I will be so glad to see the door close on 2009.

Hugs to all! 

Hi Marvels

Just been told that rads start on the 25th August , yippeee. so I am off to Hamilton for 5 weeks. Decided that I will treat it as a 5 week holiday !! but oh I am going to miss my dogs, friends and family . I hope you are all on the mend. I am so happy that I can finally see the rainbow at the end of this trip. All over by 1st October and I am going to celebrate.

Lots of pink hugs to all Susie

Diana - I think we have shown (once again) that we all react differently with the same drugs. There's probably a reason for that. I don't know what it is.

Hemen- I believe the humidity is what made my feet swell up! Yesterday, Low humidity and no swelling! Go figure!

I hope everyone is doing well! Lots of HUGS  Diana

My hair is also growing in with taxal!  It's actually about an inch long in spots, pretty silly looking!  I was told it would fall out, but that's not happening yet.  I have 5 more treatments left.

Hi May Marvels,

I'm going tomorrow for taxol treatment # 5.  This last treatment (#4) was a little worse than the rest of them.  I got the trial drug/placebo and with all the different SE's I am having, I am convinced that I am getting the Avastin instead of the placebo.

CHEERS to everyone who is experiencing hair growth.  I get up every morning and look in the mirror to see if mine is coming back yet, but so far, nothing.

Everyone that is starting Rads, keep us updated.  I don't start rads until late October or early November. It is going to be interesting to see what the SE's of that is.

Camping?  On chemo?  I don't even camp off of chemo.  My idea of camping is a full service hotel/motel with the beach right outside my door.  Give me air conditioning and restaurants any day over a tent and a campfire.

{{{HUGS}}}

I had Taxol #3 yesterday.  I'm okay today.  I get muscle/bone aches on days 4-6 after treatment and a sinus-like headache on day 6 and 7.  I can't sleep on Day 1 or 2...even with 1/2 and ambien last night.  My husband is away and so I have to be up at 6 am tomorrow so can't take an ambien tonight.  Yesterday I had swollen feet for the first time.  My hands and face are a bit swollen too.  I was breaking up a physical fight between my sons tonight and one of them punched me directly in my port.  It usually is sore for a day or two after treatment but this caused it to be downright painful.

TexasRose- Me too on the spicy food. I eat asian/mexican every day.  The spicier the better.  Great news that you'll be finished Oct 6!!!!  I had the genetic testing and I was negative even though I have a strong family history including male bc.  I hope you are negative!!!

Great to hear from so many may marvels today!  Best luck for all starting rads and still on chemo!!!!

Hi May Marvels-- Happy Friday!

I've finished my first 3 days of RADS!!  Unlike Becky, I have the tatoos and the whole proceedure literally takes 10 minutes.  I am scheduled for 1:15 everyday (so I can go at lunch time when I start back to work on the 24th) .  The machine is on for maybe a minute total-- it moves around me and does 2 long zaps (around 25 seconds) and 2 very short zaps--around 2 secs.  I asked the Rads nurse and she said it is not done by time, but rather by dose of radiation so time varies.  I got 2 bras and one camisole (I would call it a sports bra) for free with the prescription from the Rads doctor so be sure to ask!  No S/Es yet...but evidently the burn comes after 1.5 to 2 weeks...

I am using ucky greasy Aquaphor at night and 100% pure aloe in the morning on the treated area--which is my whole upper left quadrant.  I really recommend a quick lurk on the radiation threads for those of you starting up rads as I ended up learning more there than from the nurses!  I felt very well-prepared with questions.  For example the nurse said <no deodorant> which is not what I had read. So I asked <not even Toms of Maine> and she replied that Tom's was fine??  So she was not going to volunteer that information?  Knowledge is power-- and like we need to smell on top of everything we are going through??

Geri-- it is definitely the humidity causing the swollen heat-- you are right! 

Becky--my eyebrows are almost all gone too.  Eyeleashes are very blonde anyway so it's hard to tell, but there maybe a few suckers hanging in there still!!  My leg hair was the only hair to grow throughout chemo!!  SO not fair:)

 Hope everyone is doing well--we are all another week closer to being done with chemo/rads etc.

Big hugs

Helen