Any May 2009 Chemo Starters?
Comments
-
lassie11, I am so glad that I still may get relieve from my blurry/watery eyes. I am only 4 weeks out and they are still driving me nuts. Hopefully it will only take a little bit longer and they will be better.
Texas Rose, I am glad it went okay for you, I am not looking forward to that day at all. As of right now because I get herceptin that is a long way off but so far for me mine has never bothered me at all since it was put in in April. I wonder if where they put it has something to do with if it is painful/bothersome.
-
Just wanted to say good night to all.............stressed, movers will be here at 9 am tomorrow. What was I thinking? I really thought by now I would be able to handle this! Mary- so glad you have been "deported" and hope you are recovering well from that. I am soooooooo exhausted from all the stupid packing, I have only been in this condo for 6 years and Skip has been here for 2 and it looks like we have lived here for 50 based on the amount of boxes we have packed! My mom will be here Friday to help us unpack and Skips Mom on Sunday and then both are leaving on Tuesday. I'm thinking at that point, I will be either on xanax overdose or heading to the liquor store! LOL. They are both awesome and I love them dearly and am very thankful for the help, it would be fantastic if all our boxes were unpacked by Tuesday! I am leaving on Thursday (a week from tomorrow) to go back to FL for an all girls trip with my besties.....looking forward to just sitting on the beach and watching the water..........I CAN'T WAIT TO JUST RELAX!
LOVE AND HUGS TO YOU ALL!
Becky -
hi all,
i don't post too much but i wanted to share a few things that helped me just incase it can help someone else.
with taxol, we're all done with it but wearing a clear or colored nail polish is supposed to help. with neuropathy, i found drinking a ton of water and keeping hydrated made a world of difference AND a fuzzy blanket, not your sheet for sleeping. i've been wearing only sneakers for the past two months. the podiatrist also ripped off my toe nail last night because it was half off/half on...
for the hair, there's a vitamin for hair and nails called Biotin. Cheaper than the name brand. my hair is coming back but it's salt and pepper. also more prominent in the back than the front. i also have peach fuzz on my eye lids this morning!
i also couldn't believe when i read about blurry vision...i thought it was just me!
texasrose, glad the port removal went well!!
i hope something i mentioned could help someone.
have as peaceful a day as possible!!! big hugs.
-
hey all - headed out on our "post cancer" cruise tomorrow morning to Bermuda and I am so looking forward to it. It has been a LONG 8 months since diagnosis - UGH! Still have to do herceptin until May but I don't really mind that too much and the SE are minimal... I wish I had more of a hair do for the trip and when I booked it I thought I would but I was a bit too optimistic with regards to the how fast it would come back/ Today is day 100 pfc and I still look like I have a crew cut but it is thick so I guess that is a good thing. Looking back it was most definately a long road to hoe and so so glad it is all behind me. Hope it is the end of BC for me but sometimes all I think about is worry that it will come back and that I will have to go thru all of this again! I hope I can enjoy the cruise without the worry - signing off for a week till I get back
take care
Lori
-
wow - that Bermuda cruise sounds excellent - well deserved too Lori!
-
Hi everyone
I've been so busy at work that I've not had time to post but I've been reading along and I am so glad to see that so many more of us are done with chemo and with radiation-- I am a month out from rads and all of a sudden, I feel my energy coming back. I've about 3/4 of an inch of very tight curls on my head. Hair was blonde and is now coming in darker and grey (last chemo 7/20)--feels like it is taking forever-- I can't wait to ditch the wig, but it has become such a crutch... a disguise. The mirror is a constant reminder of what we are going through--I still don't really recognize myself?. This month has been tough with all the advertising but a fellow BC friend sent me this link which I have to share with you all--it made me laugh out loud a couple of times..and I hope it does the same for you.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marika-holmgren/in-honor-of-breast-cancer_b_329091.html
Happy vacation to Lori, happy port removal to Mary, happy end of rads to Abuelabourica, happy florida to becky, congrats on promotion titch, congrats to zuzee for finishing-- big hugs to everyone
Helen
-
blondie- I do think the location of my port is what made it so uncomfortable. I was told that I have no fat on my chest (I have plenty in other places...maybe they should have put the port in my thighs!) and it was pressed up against the skin with no buffer. They said that is why it probably was so irritating. I just know that I hated it and I am so glad it's gone! I was sore for a couple of days but it's feeling much better now.
Becky- Are you all moved in? And when the heck are you just going to up and move to Florida anyway?
I hope you get all settled in soon and rested up for your trip!! cs34- Thanks for the good wishes. My port is gone. Yay!!
Lori- Hope you are having a blast on your cruise! We leave 12/4 for San Juan and the Southern Caribbean. I cannot wait!! I was hoping I would have more hair by then too, but I don't think so. I'm only almost 4 weeks PFC. It's coming but not fast enough. Oh well, I intend to have a great time no matter how much hair I have!!
Helen- Thanks for sharing that! Loved it! And yes, I did laugh out loud too!! My favorite part was knowing that I'm cured when I die of something else.
Hugs May Marvels!!
-
OK- that's twice now I have had dreams about my hair suddenly and within minutes growing out to post wig proportions - and in my dreams it comes out dark - like it was maybe thirty years ago! I think I am thin in these dreams too. Dreams are wish fulfillment.
-
Mary- If my son wasn't a Jr in HS we would have probably just gone ahead and moved to FL instead of into a house. Now, we will most likely be here for SEVERAL years, at least until the market rebounds anyway. We have all boxes moved but goooooood LORD, I can't even find my shorts to pack for the trip Thursday. WHAT WAS I THINKING planning a trip within a week of moving?! Oh yeah, and both my Mom and Skip's Mom are here to help us get unpacked.....again, what was i thinking?!
Hope everyone is doing great........my hair is doing the curl, YEAH I was afraid that I wasn't going to get my curls back, but looks like I am, right now it is a cross between some kind of spike and a super short afro...I am wigless as I have been thru the entire process, it is just not me to wear the wig. Sure wish I had the $1000+ I spent on it to decorate the new home instead of my head. LOL
Type to you all soon. Hugs!
Becky
-
$1000 on your wig, Becky ?!?!? Wow - that seems a lot. What did others spend?
-
Well, at least you can easily hop on a plane and fly to Florida when you need a fix! I absolutely detest moving, so I don't envy you there. We've been in our house 10 years and say this is the house we are going to die in. LOL Don't stress too much! It will all get done and if it doesn't....it will all be there when you get home from Florida!!
Leslie- I have three wigs and I paid $45 a piece for them from the ACS. I couldn't imagine spending a lot of money on them. I wanted variety. I change them out periodically. I am quite a ways from going without and thinking about ordering another one. I'll stick to cheap.
-
That makes more sense to me, Mary. I chose my wig at a wig shop - chose the colour and shape, and it was ordered. Then the nice woman styled it as I chose. She also cut my hair really short just before it was going anyway. The whole thing cost less than $300 Cdn - 80% of which was reimbursed by my extended health care. Good grief - that was six months ago and I think it is at least a month or two before I can toss the wig. For now I have enough hair that it is visible without my glasses on!
-
Hi everyone,Just popped in to tell you that I am done with rads as of today. It's a great feeling!!!! I don't have much hair yet either and what is coming in is white fuzzy stuff.Looks a little strange but hey it's hair and I can't wait till it fills in some more so I can go wigless. I am greatful to have had you all on my journey,not sure how I would have coped with everything without you. Take care all. Julie
-
Leslie- It was a RIDICULOUS amount of money for a stupid wig. Here is what happened, we went to the mall to a wig store, that was well, basically horsetails! I left the store crying. I could only find one other place that sold wigs here that did fittings, etc and that is where I went. My insurance didn't pay a penny and guess what? I wore the wig MAYBE 3 times. My husband insisted that we go ahead and order it the day we went in for the fitting. I wanted to wait and see if I really wanted one. I wore scarves and jersey knit caps the entire time! I have been about 2 weeks or so not wearing anything except for need....if I get cold!
Mary- You are absolutely right, it will be here when I get back and I will be rested and destressed from the hell that we went thru selling our condo and buying this house! Since it is an all girls trip I am thinking that I will have no worries, just beach, ocean and sunshine. Looks like the 80's in FL. I am really lucky to have friends down there. It would be outrageous to go otherwise and we could never afford it! The more I think about the wig the madder it makes me. Having just moved into our house, that would have been a really nice stove and dishwasher!!!!!!
Hope everyone is doing well. Recall how we were talking several weeks ago about always wondering if something else was wrong or if it was back somewhere? I definately have felt that way lately. I went to the dermotologist (sp?) today and had EVERY mole on my body checked. I noticed a couple that looked different after radiation so I had them checked. Do you suppose that we are going to run to the dr every time something looks or feels a little off? I am hoping that with time this too will pass.
Well, I'm sooo tired from unpacking crap all day, I'm gonna lay down. I hope everyone has a great night!
-
Julie- Yeah!!! Congratulations!!!!! I live for the day I can leave the house without a wig or a hat.
I hear ya Becky. I wonder when this fear will go away or does it ever? If I have a headache, I'm afraid it's brain mets. If I have a pain, I think it must be bone mets. Every little thing makes me nervous and scared. My mental state has been a lot worse since I finished chemo. Sure didn't see that coming!! I started the bisphosphonates trial last Friday and I was achy and flu-ish feeling over the weekend. They told me to expect that, but man I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I am told these side effects only happen for the first treatment, maybe the second. I go back the day after Thanksgiving for the next one. The fun never stops.
Hugs to all!
-
Just thought I'd check in before my trip. We land in Tampa at noon tomorrow! Here's hoping for good weather and destressing. I really hope I don't have any weird aches or pains while I'm there, I may loose it! I took a break from the unpacking boxes today and went and had a pedicure and my nails done. I can't tell you how awesome that was! I forgot how fabulous a pedicure is!! It was the most relaxed I have been in longer than I can remember. Marvels, treat yourself to one if you are at a point in treatment where you are allowed. I almost didn't go because I didn't want to spend the money. It was about 30 and was the best 30 I can say I have spent in months!!!
I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and I will check back in on Tuesday.
Becky
-
I miss pedicures!! That was a sad day back before I started chemo when they told me that I couldn't have pedicures. I still haven't had one. I'm a little nervous to because my nails still feel a bit odd. Soon. I will definitely get one before the cruise. I will get a little pampering on Monday though. My mom has found a PT at our hospital who does massages and she has made me an appt with her.
Have a great time Becky!
I am so angry today. I saw a story on the news earlier about a lady here that had a lump in February. She had an US and mammo at my hospital around the same time that I did, but hers was benign. So this lady decides to tell everybody- including her husband- that she has breast cancer and has to do chemo. She went so far as to shave her head even to convince them. Her friends and family did benefits for her and raised like $10,000 which she used to get breast implants! Somehow the plastic surgeon figured out she had scammed everybody. They arrested her today. The whole thing just really pissed me off. There I was in February getting the same tests at the same hospital that led to the news that I had breast cancer and this woman who was lucky enough to get a benign diagnosis uses the situation to get breast implants and scam people! I can't even put into words how it made me feel to hear what she had done. When I think about what I've been through in the last 8 months...what we have all been through...it makes me furious that someone could use this to scam people. Disgusting.
Anyway, hope everybody is doing well. Hugs!
Mary
-
Hey all - back from Bermuda and it was great! absolutely loved it and was the celebration I needed! I saw at least 4 othe chemo do's while onboard so I knew others were there to celebrate to. Funny how easy it is now to pick out the chemo "do". I am however, like all of you feeling the emotional turmoil of every time a have an ache or pain being worried that it is bone mets or some new cancer popping up in my liver or ankle or were ever. I try so hard to not have negative thoughts but they just pop in my head.
Mary - Enjoy your cruise! It was my first one - have you ever been on one before - if not you will love it.
Becky - hope your trip to Florida was destressing for you! and yes the boxes will wait.
Julie - Congrats on finishing rad - one more "step" in this journey is behind you now. Hope your skin is holding up.
Heman - loved the link to the huffingtonpost - and I agree with ALL of them! made me laugh too thx
lassie and everyone - hope your hair is coming in - I can't stand how slow it is and hate that it is taking soooooo long! I keep thinkging omg I am going to be one of those people where the hair "malfunctions" and this is all I am going to get. It feels like it hasn't grown a micromilmeter for the last month - and yet the hair on my d&%( face and neck is coming in JUST fine - makes me feel real pretty. I just keep wondering how much more my self esteem and handle. and it wasn't great to begin with. The herceptin is causing swollen ankles and acne and a dripping nose and crappy nails and the tamox - weight gain. Put that on being "bald" and the pretty factor SUCKS. If one more person tells me that I can "pull off this hair do" I WILL punch them - sometimes I do feel a bit of a rage tendency...LOL
Really Bermuda was very relaxing but after reading what I jsut wrote I guess I still needed to vent...
-
Hey May Marvels! We have gotten too quiet!!
Lori- Glad you enjoyed your cruise. We leave in 16 days or something like that. Soon anyway!! We love to cruise. This will be our 7th I think. Or 8th. I don't remember. Our first was to Alaska and we have been hooked ever since. We did one Princess and the rest have been Royal Caribbean. I am starting to gather clothes together. Of course none of the clothes that I used to take work anymore now that I'm a unaboober. I did get some mastectomy swimsuits from Land's End and I bought a swimform during the summer. Mostly I am worried about my bald head. I wear a wig when I leave the house here at home, but no way in hell am I wearing one in the Caribbean or to the beach. I guess it will be hats for me. What did you wear on your head? Just hats? I am taking my wig for dinners in the main dining room. I bought us new snorkle equipment this week because our old was getting worn out. Then I realized that to snorkle, I will have to take my hat off! Oh well. I don't know anybody on this cruise except my DH, my mom and our friend so I don't care. I'll never see anybody on that ship again! The hair is beginning to come in but I still have a lot of bare scalp.
I am 6 weeks PFC today. I feel great. I am doing the bisphosphonates trial. I'm on the Zometa arm and have had one infusion. My next one is the day after Thanksgiving. I get them once a month to start. I still get tired sometimes. Not nearly as often as before. My big toes are sometimes a little numb but not always. My taste buds are back and my bloody nose is gone. My body aches are pretty much gone too except for rainy days. I still feel bloated and want to diet and lose weight, but I'm not doing very well at it. I don't want to give up food now that I can taste it again!!
How is everybody doing? Very well I hope!
Hugs to all!
-
Hey Mary - good to hear from you and so glad you are starting to feel better once again - the hair growth is so painfully slow - I don't understand how it can come out all at once but take FOREVER to come back. I was on Royal carribean for my cruise too - and we loved it! It was my first one so I am hoping there will be more in our future! My daughter is on the swim team at school so I used her swim cap - you could do that for snorkeling! they are only about $10 - I have enough hair to "cover" my head (looks like a crew cut) so I didn't even take my wigs - I wore hats around the ship and ship went commando at the dinners - I even bought one of the pictures! I would just wear hats - you will never see anyone from there again and I am sure you will see other "chemo" dos on the boat - like I said they are easy to pick out when you are sporting one yourself. It is something I haven't quite figured out how to handle even around town here! When I see another bald or "wig" ed women - we always look at each other and kinda nod as if to say - I am right there with ya!
I am still doing herceptin infusions every 3 weeks until May but other than tha I am pretty much done with treatment. My last IV was the 6th and I have apparently developed phlebitis in my arm. I have had upwards of 12+ needle sticks in my left arm since Feb since I didn't get a port so I guess my arm is started to give way! UGH. my next one is the day before thanksgiving so I am not looking forward to that or feeling the steroid bloat the day before turkey day. Have a great time on your cruise! You deserve it!
hope evryone else is doing well! were have all the May marvels gone!
-
Where have we all gone? I think many of us are just about to reclaim our lives! I too am done chemo and radiation. Still on Herceptin til June or July and Femara for five years.
My hair is growing enough to encourage me that maybe in a few weeks I will go wigless. It sure won't have to be very long before I do that - just enought to fully cover my scalp. Last night it came to me that it has been 7 months already without hair - maybe one more month. That's enough!!I love to hear about your cruises - they sound wonderful but I would be seasick. Instead, a day trip on train with my five year old grandson to the Big City was a great delight. Isn't it great that we can think about something besides our pillows now?!
-
Hi girls! I kinda peek in every now and again.....
Today I AM INFURIATED!!! This whole bull &^@! about not needing a mamo until 50 has me so angry I can't even think straight. I think becoz I am 41!!!
Sorry, thought I was gonna be able to pop in and contribute but I am madder than I thought as I begin to type. I don't want to bring us all down.
I hope everyone has a fantastic night and glad cruises have been/will be enjoyed!!
Becky
-
Becky, I agree with you there about the mammograms until 50.That's just not right,how many women are going to die with breast cancer at an early age because of this.I heard on the news that since this new report that many women have canceled their mamms. It breaks my heart to hear this. Hi everyone, yes it has gotten really quiet here,but that is a good thing.We are stronger and getting on with our lives,at least I hope we are.I still come on this site to see how you are all doing. I am doing really well, just doing herceptin until May. Trying to lead a normal life is a little tricky these day's ,but I'm going to give it a shot.You all take care.Glad everyone is doing well. Julie
-
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Lots of HUG! Diana
-
Happy Thanksgiving to you too Diana and to everybody else who is celebrating!!
-
Just wanted to say to everyone:
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!
-
Happy thanksgiving everyone - this year of Hell is nearly over for us and have much to be thankful for - just sad when I see all the "newly diagnosed" It never ends.
-
I agree with you all about the new mammogram guidelines. Even though mine was not caught on a mammogram the great majority of yours were caught early with mammograms and so I so agree that the new guidelines are _)&^*(&^)(*)(&*(&(*&(!!!
I have done it all chemo, currently have 6 rads left, then herceptin until next summer or so and tamoxifen in January. I am so close to only having to go every 3 weeks for herceptin except for followup MRI of the remaining breast next January or so. My hair is coming in darker and I am getting my lashes back, so that is helping the mood big time. I will take any hair back at this point. Still probably about 2 to 3 months away from going wigless I believe but getting closer. The hot flashes suck but still starting to feel better.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
-
It has gone quiet here - is it because most of us are starting to feel like people again? The other day I noticed that tv is much more boring than it has been for months - then it occured to me that is because my energy is returning.
I hope the rest of you are growing your hair, regaining energy and rightfully feeling pleased with yourselves for having made it til now.
-
I posted this on the June Chemo page but wanted to also post here since most of you are further down the road. As for my Di, she is no longer a cancer patient and is now considered a cancer survivor. That is cool! Chemo is done; rads are done; doctor visits, at least the daily/weekly ones, are done. Hair is coming in so nicely (beautifully dark and light gray; who knew!?) Now, we go back to our normal lives. However, we're struggling finding normal again.
My question to all of you: do any of you still struggle with "chemo brain" effects? While Diane is able to read, comprehend, and carry on conversations nearly as easily as before, she is having a terrible time getting her brain to turn off. She is spending hours worrying about every little thing in life: each individual child, their respective families, her husband, our finances, life in general, etc. She's near the point that she just wants to curl up in bed and never leave. She says she doesn't feel depressed, just anxious about EVERYTHING. Says her head is spinning constantly, going over each issue she's facing - will the youngest pass algebra and graduate from high school; will the addict son stay clean, will he find a job, a place to live; will the daughter jump back into marriage too soon; will her Tucson son find a better job now that he's officially a certified EMT and fire fighter; will her oldest control his diabetes? All of these and more continue to keep her awake at night and in a constant state of anxiety.
As for the cancer and her physical health, everything appears to be doing quite well. She's back to walking, working, doing things she did before the cancer. She's talked to her onc about the anxiety and spinning brain but he just referred her to her primary care doc; doesn't believe it's cancer-related.
Hence, my question to you, the experts. You've each lived through this. Is any one of you having similar anxiety issues? Diane's on Tamoxifin and a few things to help her sleep (none work too well), but no other drugs. As the holidays approach, the pressure and anxiety only increase. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks to you all and, congrats on your progress. I'd go to war with any of you. You are all survivors!
Tom (n Di)
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team