Illinois ladies facing bc

Mack  I will be thining of you all day.  I used to pack a bag with snacks and things to do and a cooler.  After today you can say one treatment down...

Thank you for all of your kind words.  I have still not heard any news.  I  am definitely gonna get the pain patch for the back.

MakMak3030 - My hair didn't all fall out during Ixempra or the TACE.  It might now with the CAF.  What I did was to cut it off to an inch last July in preparation so that it wouldn't be such a shock.  It is still short now, though.  And it did thin out a lot!

Ruth

Hello.. I"m back.. that was wild..  The biggest side effects came with Benadryl.. which I've had before and warned the nurse.. I was totally woozy and out for over an hr.. still feel it.. Julie from here emailed me and I had my blackberry and recommended I ask for something else.. so I'll be getting Claritin instead.. Thanks Julie..

Found a nanny yesterday and she starts on Sat.. because we live so far, she asked to work 7 days a week 2 out of 4 weeks.. asked for a bit more money, but so be it.. She'll be cooking/cleaning and doing the nights too.. so that will be a relief...

Off to feed the baby.. tonight may be very interesting with SE's... I read somewhere to rinse my mouth with soda and salt.. have to research that one too!!

Oh the nurse told me NOT to cancel my trip to Miami with baby in July or trip to Panama in November.. so that TOTALLY made my day!! Now if my Boss is as understanding.. but they have wi fi so I should be able to work during chemo and not take the time off..   will make the time go faster too!!

Thanks all for your support!! I used my phone to log in and read it during my 6.5 hrs of drips.. and it trully helps!!

Marina

WHOOO  HOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Scan is negative.  Thank you for all your support and kind words.  I still dont know why my xray is bad.  But right now I dont really care.  I am preping for a COLONOSCOPY tomorrow.  FUN FUN FUN!  I sure do love you girls/

Buddy, I'm SO happy for you!!!! Ugh to the colonoscopy, but don't worry the prep is the worst part. Hoping for great results on that too, and then you can maybe relax a little. Is your doc asking you to see an orthopedist for the bone?

Hi,

I am newly posting and sad to hear there are so many of us in Illinois.  My docs have been great my tumors just refuse to stay in remission.  Have congestive heart failure too so it is hard to take many of the drugs.  Herceptin lowered my heart rate, Avastin gave me nasty sores so I am trying Xeloda and Tykerb.  So far my cancer has not spread any further and that is a good thing to me.  Now I just need to zap these liver mets and go back into remission.  

As for the aspirin, due to my heart I have been taking one 81 mg of aspirin per day for the past 6 years, didn't help me any.

Sunny and high 30's here today, looking forward to the 40's they talk about.  Am going to start my seedlings in hopes of spring!

Buddy - Great news! Good luck w/the colonoscopy!

Marina - 6.5 hours- Wow! Hope you're doing well.  I thought of you when I was on the www.livestrong.org website. They have this great Get Organized section under Cancer Support.  I found a health diary, a healthcare team appointment note planner, a medication list with a section for side effects.  I really like the team appointment note because it has a section for questions, for notes and treatment plan.  I think you'd really like it.  Just a thought!

On an interesting note ever since I switched doctors and have a game plan I'm suddenly sleeping better.  Hmmm....wonder if there's any connection.  LOL.. 

Have a  wonderful, restful night everyone! 

Carolyn

Good morning!! Just a quick report so far... Zofran kicks my butt too.. but at least it wears off in an hr or so.. the nurse s having me take two of those and Decadrons today, one tomorrow and half on Sat... Didn't use a sleeping pill.. but the baby decided to wake up at 1:30 and then every hr until 4:45.. so I was up all night.. not sure if I want to take any more pills though... I'm also swishing different stuff like salt water and biotene.. I have a really sensitive tongue from being hypo-thyroid.. so I am really not too happy at potential of sores... I was warned the effects are cummulative... Oh and started tingling in my fingers already.. Always had bad hand/foot cirulation.. neuropathy??  Well... my attitude is that if I'm still alive as a result, I can deal with whatever else...

Did anyone lose their lashes? I bought fake ones but my girl recommended I find latex free glue.. Do I need that?

I keep chuckling when you all suggest the different organization sites.. like you know me already... I keep EVERYTHING IN MY HEAD... I don't make notes, or anything... so with chemo brain coming, I definitely need to at least get a note-book.  I did start a folder though..(which I forget to bring half the time)..

Oh.. one more thing to share about myself that I remembered when the nurse offered me hats.. One of my very very big hobbies is knitting... I've got a new victim, my baby.. but I may have to make a hat for myself or something...

Hope everyone has a great day as I enjoy my last 2 days of Maternity leave managing my new soon to be HEALTHY body..

Marina 

Buddy - glad to hear your news!!  Awesome!

Just popping in to say hi - gotta look up some info for DH - first rad tx is today.    Guess I will be starting a countdown of my own.  I'm already trying to decide how to celebrate when rads is done.

Sun is out - yay!!   Have a good one ladies - Juliet

Well, I see the long post I wrote last night is "Gone With The Wind".  Probably just as well.  That leaves me lots more to read and don't know where to start. 

Julie you are too funny with the kiddo's goings on.  Young love is wonderful isn't it?? So easy to turn off if a better prospect comes along tomorrow. 

Buddy -- thrilled for you.  Somehow I just could not conceive of its being anything too bad, but you hate to "cheer" too hard just in case and get everyone too high up -- too far to fall is  you are wrong.

So sorry Donna to hear about your friends little Yorkie.  I'm sure it's heartbreaking when you go to do something so good and have it go so wrong.  Just hope it all went fast with no pain or true distress. 

Marina yes the effects are cumulative but it takes a while to get to that point.  Generally the first couple chemo sessions are not too difficult -- then you sort of notice that it is a little longer to get through.  Bummer about the tongue.  I am hypo-thyroid but had few problems with my mouth -- only sore once the whole 6 mos. of chemo.  I lost at one time or other every hair on my body, including nasal hair.  I didn't bother with false eyelashes.  My eye-sight is not too good so figured one of them could end up in my nose, and I didn't feel as though I looked the worse for wear going without, but don't know what anyone else thought.  You are definitely taking charge and once you get set in "your pattern" I think you will do so well. 

Juliet -- now the boredom begins with those rads, just keep using the cream/lotion and hopefully all with go well with only the boredom to remember.

Carolyn...it is so nice of you to keep sharing your good sites.  Glad to hear your are sleeping better.  There is so much restoration in sleep as well as in the sun.  If you feel just general turmoil  go where there is water and waves.  Pretty soon all will ease up.  These are the no-cost remedies.

Rita, you just sound like your usual cheer everyone on self.  No wonder we miss you when you are gone.

Back later...hoping this post stays here.

Hugs, Jackie

Marina, I hope you are feeling olkay. Are you going to Highland Park?  If so, you may have my same chemo nurses.  I remember gettingthe kniw hat!  Theyw ere angels  They would never remember me as I was a very non-descript patient.  I only had four sessions and I had to easy as compared to most.

Julie, I hear you on the hip.  I have had so many false alarms.  I am settling down now, but I was chasing symptoms for about a year or more.

Buddy, good for you.  I too thought it would all turn out fine.

Julliet, I am thinking about you.  You have so much the right to be frustrated.  

I have the day off and I have been so lazy!  I wish I could be lazy and not feel guilty for being that way.

Rita, I think I would look classy too in the 1959 red Cadillac convertible.   I think Paul would rather saw the top off my SUV and make some fins out of two-by-fours than get that car for me at $175,000.  Maybe I am wrong.  I will have to ask.  Don't hold your breath, tho!

Have a nice evening.  I am making a Moroccan meal tonight.  I had no idea saffron was so expensive!  I went to a specialty store and got all excited when the owner told me she had it and then flipped when she said $12.00!  There are three tiny threads in there!  It better be good!

Susan

Hey Everyone!!!! Guess I will do a little check in.  Had my avastin, falosdex and zometa yesterday. Went to bed when we got home.  I was pretty tired.  I have been having a rough time lately with fatigue and depression.  My family doctor upped my lexapro, so we will see if that works.  It all just gets overwhelming.  Plus I feel like a bum.  I don't do much around the house and feel like I should do more but my dh says not to worry, your job is to get better.  But that is so hard as I am used to doing more than I do now.  Even if I do something I seem to be down for the next day.  Uggghhh...it just never ends.

Welcome to all the new people.....I read almost everyday but don't post much.  Here is a little bit of my story.  Was diagnosed in Dec of 2006 with IBC on my left side with 9 out of 17 nodes postive...Had a lumpectomy, chemo and rads.  A year later almost to the day, diagnosed with IBC on the right side..no nodes involved.  Had a bi-lateral mastectomy, no reconstruction. Put on Femara.  Got the diagnosis of Stage 4 April 2009.  I have mets to my bones,lymph nodes and liver.  Was on xeloda and nuvelbine...didn't work.  We moved for Illinois to South Carolina in August..I got a new onc and he put be on Abraxane, Avastin, zometa and falsodex.  Abraxane kicked my butt but it also knocked out alot of the cancer but I still have tumors.  He took me off Abraxane.  I will have a scan in March to back sure it isn't progressing.  Unfortunately, I will probably on something.  But stil I have tons of years yet to live but somedays it sure doesn't feel like it...I will quit now...

WE got snow last week almost 8 inches but it is all gone.  We are going to be sunny and in the 60's this weekend....

Ginny