Anyone Starting Chemo Jan. 2010?

NKrun - my son is getting a team together for the Philadelphia Fall 3-day run.  He named the team "Nonna's NaNas"  because my grandkids call me Nonna (Italian grandmom).  Smart alec - but pretty funny.  I'll try to get in shape enought to participate.  The chemo and radiation should be all done by then.

 Grace - thanks for confirming you've got the gas, too.  My husband swears no one else on the planet getting chemo could be generating what I am. 

TerriJo - I think your sister is scared - don't blame her but so are the rest of us dealing with b/c.  Some people never get beyond the "self-centeredness" of childhood.  You don't need to deal with it.  It's her problem to deal with.

 Cal30 - I got the Neulasta shot last week - no pains.  Nada.  I imagine it's a person-by-person side effect.  When my blood counts were taken the next week, they were good - due to the shot, I'm sure.  Hopefully, they can help you control the side effects.  The Neulasta shrinks the window of time you are most susceptible to infection.  It's important to stay as healthy as possible through chemo and keep those white, red blood and platelet counts up!

One of the strange but positive side effects I'm seeing is that my blood pressure is way down.  I take a blood pressure med every morning and I was worried about it going haywire - but, it's lower daily than it has been in years.  Go figure!  In every cloud - a silver lining!

It's snowing pretty heavily in the southern part of New Jersey.  I'm looking out my windows loving the view!

Ciao,

Pat

I didn't get the Neulasta shot.  My doc wanted to wait and see how I did after the first treatment.  Well by day 6 I was back in his office and they did a blood test.  White cells were low.  I am thinking that for my 2nd treatment on Wednesday he may want to give it to me the next day.

Well after having the Taxotere on Thursday and not knowing what to expect given how I felt after last week with just the Carboplatin, I am happy to report that I had a great day yesterday and almost all of today. I had excess energy from the steroids(there's a little trade off to not sleeping well) and since I was feeling good I was able to actually do some cleaning,laundry and take care of my baby girl which made me very happy. Sucks having to rely on others to help take care of the kids now. My mom was here helping with the cleaning which was awesome and a friend dropped off dinner again so I was able to relax and just enjoy the moments. Actually hung out with friends last night and scrapbooked a little. Ahhh it was so nice to just feel like me. Today I felt pretty good for most of the day. Started feeling tired and a little nauseaus in the evening and couldn't wait for the baby to go to bed so I could hide out in my room while my hubby took care of the boys. Had a little mental breakdown because I misplaced a DVD and out of nowhere I just brokedown. Just when I think I am dealing well the littlest thing gets me upset. I immediatly felt it had to be my "chemo brain" which pissed me off. Bad enough it takes me forever to type correctly these days but to start forgetting things and misplacing things really irritated me. Feel better now and just couldn't wait to log on and read how my Jan girls were doing:)

geaorgiagirlbird: You are BEAUTIFUL!!! seriously you look amazing and your kids are too precious. Told my hubby your hubby cut your hair and he said he would do mine and told me he would shave his head too. Nice offer but the poor guy doesn't have much hair left on his head anyway so I told him to keep what he has for as long as he can. Oh how i love that man. My onc also told me a cup or 2 of coffee was fine and after going all last week without a drop of caffieine I happily had a cup yesterday and today and it tasted good. Oh what makes me happy these days.

Mslrg: so sorry to hear about your day yesterday. Don't you let those nasty nurses make this any harder on you. Hopefully you put your onc and the nurses on their toes and they were just reminded how you treat patients; with kindness and respect. You deserve it! As for the x-ray it is good that they are going to do follow-up tests and hopefully it turns out to be nothing. I was just thinking the other day about all of the crap that is going into my body now and that there isn't a whole lot I can do about it. Kind of scary but I guess the alternative is way scarier so I'll go with this option.

I also just ordered my free headscarf from franceluxe.com and hopefully it will arrive in 4-6 weeks. did get a few scarves from English traditions on ebay and they are really beautiful. I hope I feel as beautiful when i am wearing them. Should be happening by next weekend is my guess.

I have to say that people are always telling me how positive and strong I am and some days I truly feel this way and other days I need to find that strength and positivity from someone or someplace else. Sometimes it is from my husband and children, from a email from a friend, from a dinner from a neighbor, and from reading and hearing from all of you. When I need to find it I know I can log on and look to all of you strong women and pick myself up again so thanks for being there for me. This is one hell of a journey but it is nice to know I am not alone.

Have you ladies seen the Pink Glove Dance on YouTube?  I watch it all the time, especially if I am feeling down. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw&feature=fvw

Enjoy!

paxton - ((hugs)) 

Had a melt down today!  First one since I found the lump.  Took it out on a loaf of bread!

paxton- let the meltdown happen.  I know I felt a lot better after just dwelling in my misery the other day.  I woke up the next day feeling lighter and ready to get back to fighting.  The emotional roller coaster will just keep on going and we have to learn to ride it out.  Hugs to you and your family. 

graceokinawa- it sounds like it was a well loved loaf of bread.  my remedy was chocolate and some more chocolate.   it always seems to do the trick!

mslrg- you are inspiring me to get off the couch and go for a walk today.  It might do my heart, head and my chemo side effects some good.  As for the pictures, it was a bit of a struggle but I finally used the previous advice of using photobucket.  Once it's loaded there, you can insert them using the picture insert tab above.  I copied and pasted the url link from photobucket there and it appeared.  I hope that helps.

VegasDiva-i love that video of the pink glove dance.  thanks for sharing.

Here is another site from Kelly Corrigan. It gives advice to friends and family about how to deal with a friend who has been diagnosed.  it has some passages from her book and some photos of her journey.  i think it's pretty good stuff:  www.circusofcancer.org .  It sounds like there are several folks on here who have insensitive family, co-workers and others who could use this.  It's amazing how differently people react to this kind of news.  Take care everyone.

UGH.. I think these last few days are my down days. sorry I am not very chatty but I, like the stubborn jack a$$ that I am I curled my hair on thursday for the program. sleeped in it. It knotted it. Tried to wash it and tehn couldn't comb it out. Put it up in a ponytail/bun to go get a massage. Came home, tried to take it down and it was a matted mess. My hair was knotted up to my scalp. I had a friend come over to try to comb it oout and it all just fall out. I have some but not much. I feel like I am in limbo right now besides that I can't make much sense!!

 I hope you all are having better days. Just think I think we all are almost halfway done:)

omg about the FiFi. Not fido. I love FiFi. I I am so glad I came here today ladies. I haven't been here in a couple days and glad I did.. I love the name idea. Kinda like Beyonnce and Sasha Fierece!! lol

Thank you, Michelle_nj. Did you notice your tumor shrinking?

mom2b - sorry about the hair, mine was so dry and nasty right before it started coming out in clumps, I can only imagine. Mine started coming out in handfuls right at day 14, just as I had read. I went ahead and had mine shaved as the big handfuls of hair were too hard to look at.

I only wish I were almost half-way done. I have been really up these last few weeks but knowing that I'm coming up on treatment #2 this week has put me in a funk again. I have 8 treatments, 4 of the FEC and then 4 of one of the "T"'s not sure which at the moment. I often wonder why I'm getting so many, it seems that most people here are doing 4 or maybe 6; but not 8. When I have researched the FEC-T treatment I've read that the standard it typically 3 and 3. I am not questioning my onco as I feel he knows what's best for me and I would rather kill those cancer cells good and dead then take chances.

So... I'm not even 1/4th of the way there yet and it will be June before I'm finished with the chemo, then on to 7 weeks of rads. Sometimes when I think about how long of a road this is going to be I get very depressed.

frisco: you really do have to break the time up into manageable milestones and not think about the total time until you're done.  It'll prob be summer before I'm done, too and then db mast surgery so I relate.  I could barely get out of bed this afternoon and starting to feel really bogged down knowing there is so much ahead.  So, we have to stop thinking about the ahead part. 

paxton - I know, it's best not to think of it as a whole and just break it down, one step at a time.  I need to think in terms of a three-step approach; FEC, then the T, then the rads; much more reasonable that way. So... after Thursday I'll be 1/2 way through with FEC!

 DonaP - I'm sorry about the reoccurance; you are a strong woman! I am not always in a funk, I just guess this coming treatment #2 is bringing it on. I've had a few really good weeks; and you are so right this too shall pass, 

Courageous Ladies, please could anyone let me know how long after the Neulasta shot do I continue to take Claritin? It has worked well for me so far. I had my 2nd chemo on Friday and Neulasta yesterday. I took Claritin 1/2 hour before my shot and another this evening. No bone pain so far, at all!

I made it to the yoga class this morning, but the new instructor was a little too tough for me. She announced at the beginning that we would REALLY stretch our chest areas. Given the fact that I've got those brutal tissue expanders in that have hurt since the day they were put in on October 21st, along with 6-day old surgical wounds in my neck and chest from my port placement, I probably should have left. But I soldiered on and regretted it later because I felt like I pulled on sutures and they ached all day.

I also got DH to help me get my winter garden started: brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, parsley, and raspberries,bluberries, and blackberries. He did all the heavylifting of planting mix and 20 more cinder blocks that I use for  extending the size of my raised beds.

Frscomom: sorry you're having a tough time. They're really slamming you with the chemo, no wonder you feel down. So sorry. Hugs coming your way!

DonaP: You are so strong. An inspiration. I wish and everyone well!

Momofb2negtive: I feel your pain, girl. This hair thing has got me all bent out of shape!  Even today, I was out at Target, the first time I'd been anywhere bald, except for the wig shop, the doctor, or the gym. I wore a scarf, with a "halo", but I felt like everyone was staring at me; I was so self-conscious, I could barely concentrate on why I was in the store. I either look like a woman with CANCER, or I'm being hypersensitive and my imagination is playing tricks on me.

Vegasgirl - A very funny YouTube - thanks for pointing it out.  A hospital with imagination!

Paddlegirl - I hope your onc has a change of heart and provides you the Neulasta - it works in protecting us from what you've experienced.  Maybe a new oncologist? Or at least a second opinion? I'd be kinda p-o'd once I recovered enough to have the energy to be mad.  I'm stunned that the onc wanted to see what your body does?  Cripes - years and years of chemo without Neulasta showed that. Maybe I'm out of place here (and could be totally wrong), but I'm pretty shocked at the possibly unnecessary infections (MRSA! Staff!)) you've suffered.  That stuff is life-threatening. I'm sending you all my healthy vibes and best wishes that you get well very fast.

Friscomom - I hear you!  I was supposed to get 4 rounds every 3 weeks and it's turned into 4 rounds AC every two weeks and then 12 weeks weekly of the Taxol - not the 4 cycles I thought originally.  All this followed by 6 weeks daily radiation (I'm not a candidate for the internal radioisotopes that's only one week).  I did tell my oncologist to throw her best concoction at me - I can take it!  I want the cancer banished forever (or at least a couple decades). I think she believed me and is throwing it.  There's a lot of research going on that is consistently moving the regimens to different places.  Ask your oncologist what it means - don't just assume it's a bad thing.  I'm figuring 2010 is going to be my year to concentrate on me - one day, one week at a time.  Before I know it, I'll be celebrating the arrival of 2011. And, it's already February - yea!  I'll have a toast with you on Dec 31st!

paddlegirl - I'm so sorry about what you have been through and I'm very angry at your onco for letting this happen! I will admit that I was scared of the Neulasta shots and even asked my onco if he would give them only as needed and he said no, he does them after every treatment. I was a bit unhappy about that for fear of the bone pain but thank goodness he was looking out for my best interests. For sure demand you get the Neulasta going forward, nobody should have to go through that when there is a drug available to prevent it!!! Take care and feel better soon.

 pagowens - you poor thing; bi-weekly x 4 then the weekly x 12; I have no room to complain! Well, at least will still have each other on into June. I will toast you on Dec 31st for sure; I'm so looking forward to 2011 getting here.