November 2009-Starting Chemo

Re: hair regrowth - I was told  by my onc PA prior to Taxol TX's  that if my hair hadn't all fallen out with the A/C, it would with the Taxol.  (Not encouraging.)  It did not fall out with the Taxol, though.  It did start growing as fuzz about 2 weeks after Taxol was done.  I thought it was all going to come in white because that's all I saw at first, but now there is dark hair showing, so we'll see.  The hairs are just now long enough to pinch between my fingers. 

Up until now, I hadn't understood why some Warriors have been nervous about rad; however, mine starts tomorrow and I have the jitters.  Don't know if it's just the idea of the next phase starting or what.  Maybe it's that I know I'll get the 3 tattoos before the session.  My rad dr. said she understood my fear of needles and that the techs will work with me with the EMLA cream.  At least the final countdown will begin.  Thanks to Michele for the heads-up on the male rad tech vs female and the compassionate perception of the females to cover her up when possible...I know I'll have some male techs and now, I'll be prepared to ask them to cover me up if necessary.

Had the port removed last Weds and the incision is still uncomfortable. Took a ton of Ativan before going and had my music and earphones, which helped. Told the dr. I didn't want to know what she was doing, ie don't narrate as she went.  Found out afterwords that she had to give me a 2nd shot of novac. because scar tissue had started forming around the port and it was harder for her to get the port out.  Guess having it out will be more "real" when it stops hurting and the band-aid and steristrip are gone.

BrendaShar:  I almost cried when I read your post.  Don't we all feel that way??!!  I have read that the rad. can cause a deep fatigue that is not the tired-type, but a "depression-type" fatigue.  After 3 rads, that might be compounding what you were already feeling. You're still our Warrior Leader and we're there for you. 

Wishing no lymphedema on any body parts, to include butts, today.   Nette

Well girls - I'm done!!! Can't say I'm over the moon owing to the next week or so of SE's but as the nurse unhooked the taxtotere I said hooray that's over - did the same when she unhooked the carboplatin.

I was putting on the emla cream this morning thinking it's the last time I'll use it but chemo brain suddenly realised I have the rest of the year to go with the herceptin. What a dolt.

I hope all of you ladies who are still having chemo make it through ok. I'll keep a watch on this thread anyway. I feel like I know you all even though we are on opposite sides of the world. Thankyou for your support and friendship.

I started an April Rads thread the other day even though it's a bit early. Hope to see some of you there.

Sue

Sue - Congratulations!

Just dropping in this morning to say hello to my fellow warriors, I hope you are all doing well.  I had strep throat and an ear infection last week and have been on antibiotics for seven days.  I am much worse now that I was last week and now its moved down into my chest so I'm headed back to my dumb ass primary care doc today to see what brilliant ideas he has now.

Brenda- You don't think the magic marker all over your boob looks pretty?  LOL, I'm so sick of them drawing on me.  Friday, I get my markings redone in order to start my 8 boost on Monday.  10 more tx and I'm done with rads...not looking forward to starting Tamoxifen.

Hope you all have a good SE free day!

SUE. YAHOO...one more step done..like Alicia said this will be your last time to go through the SEs...my last was easier than the two before it..go figure.  MY doc said it would be the worst.

Brenda, I like the idea of it being the road to recovery...Sounds quit fast for you.  mine is fast but they are often running late.  It is a busy place. I take a good magazine selection with me and a snack if I get hungry.  I have so many magazines that I have kept for the past two years, so I reread them and leave them there for others to read..It is like I am doing my spring cleaning, getting rid of them..So in fact I am busy, right?

Still not much hair.  Just little chick fuzz.  At least I don't have to shave my pits, like I am allowed.  The down-there-hair is not there as well.  Can't say I miss it.

gotta go and get ready to be fried.

HI Suepen!   And all you other lovely, couragious warriors!

I'm still alive and kickin!.....and living at the no-tell motel!  Long story short my adult son got chickenpox, and I had to move out so that i don't get the shingles....egads!  Of course my son was already to move out himself but the doc said no, our place was already contaminated so I ended up here in room 201, right across from some serial killer who goes out all night and stays in all day.  (I have nicknames for all the guests on my floor.....the serial killer, the prostitute, the Amway salesman and the Cougar ...to name just a few.) 

 So, if I am holed up in a lonely motel, why aren't I down in the dumps you ask????  Because my Taxol is DONE and my tumor has vanished!  Disappeared!  Ka-putt!   I swept the floor with that sucker and he ain't comin' back, I can assure you that!  Woo-Hoo!   I'm headed for lumpectomy now instead of mastectomy and I ain't cryin' about it, either.

Now if I am so high on life right now, why have I not been here to support you all, you ask??? Well, complications are keeping me busy.   I am on some heart medications and my cardiologist won't let me stop all of them for surgery.  I must at least keep taking aspirin to keep my blood thin.  But the surgeon disagrees and dammit they are at a standstill.   So now I have to knock down doors at other hospitals and try to find a surgeon who will agree to my cardiologists demands.  At the same time I am about to start Herceptin which can be tough on the ol' ticker.  So, lots of research, lots of phone calls, and lots of trips to the motel front desk to chat with the manager because he is SUCH a hunk. Cutie Patootie.     I am trying to figure out which one of my scarves he likes the best and I am shaking my maraccas for him while I still got two to shake.  Kinda hard to flaunt my cleavage with this damn port still making life miserable but you can't blame a girl for trying! 

Hoping for Grandma Mickey to have as great a result from the Taxol as Shara did, and hoping for everyone else going through this hell to soon see a big bright light at the end of your rainbows as well. 

SharaD !  so glad to hear from you and glad to see you in such good spirits.  Enjoy the hunky cutie at the motel front desk.  So glad to hear your tumor is next to gone.  WOO HOO.

Michele ~ too funny about your pendulum.  Where my boobs used to be is like 2 turtle shells under my skin.  Hoping for softer foobies next week.

HUGS !

Met with the Breast Cancer chick at the YMCA. She will help me coordinate with a nutritionist and start me on an exercise program. She said I appear to have truncal lymphedema but my arm looks OK. She referred me to a specialist and I will try to get something started with her. So my "fat back" on the mastectomy side is lymphemdema, not just fat. Sadly, she did not diagnose me with ass lymphedema.

4 T/H down, 8 to go. Right eye is swollen shut and right nostril keeps dripping, I look mahhh-voulous.

Sue ~ hope you are feeling okay.  Glad you are going to the beach when you feel good !! 

Melinda ~ sorry to hear about your eye and nose.  Hope that gets better real soon for you.  Trunk lymphedema huh?!  I think I have whole body lymphedema.  Although at my onco appt yesterday I did lose 3 lbs.  Not much when I have about 30 to go off of ME !

Nettie ~  take good care of that skin.  Although a burn may be inevitable hopefully it won't happen to you.  I am with you on all of the appts to do and I am dragging my feet on all of them.  I have my surgery next week after that I'll get going when I feel better 'again'.  I have to see the gyno, dentist and start tamoxifen 2 weeks after surgery.  My big pendulums are gone, and I will be getting SHAM-ROCKS next week.  LOL  (Micheleboots line) 

Good day to all you lovelies.

Alicia

Mabell.  Good to see ou again..

Just doing a drive by today...just got back from my 16/25 rads...9 more to go..it is just a little pink, and not giving me any trouble.  Knocking on wood as I type.

Just dropping by to provide an information page about truncal lymphedema here:

http://www.stepup-speakout.org/breast_chest_trunckal_lymphedema.htm

Truncal lymphedema can affect the chest, breast, reconstructed breast, side, or back -- on the side of the body where surgery and/or radiation was performed. Like arm lymphedema, it is caused by damage to the lymph nodes in the axilla, or by damage to the lymph vessels in the area and blockage of lymph flow by scar tissue or fibrosis. It's actually fairly common, especially in the breast following lumpectomy with SNB and rads, but doctors are slow to recognize or diagnose it, and often they don't know it can be treated by well-qualified lymphedema therapists. The reason it can occur in the chest/breast as well as the arm is because the lymph vessels of that entire quadrant of our bodies drains into the nodes in the axilla, so when the nodes there are disturbed it can affect the entire quadrant. 

Bummer!

At any rate, it really can be reduced and controlled, but the sooner it's treated the easier it is to do that. Here's a page about finding a well-trained lymphedema therapist near you:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Finding_a_Qualified_Lymphedema_Therapist.htm

That was probably more than you wanted to know, Nette -- sorry!

Be well, all!
Binney

Nausea, vomiting and my eyeball hurts! I did call the Onc nurse and she said I could take the pain pills for my eye along with the nausea pills. I was worried about taking to many things that cause drowsiness at the same time. It would suck to have cancer but die from overmedicating for a stomach virus and cornea scratch.

I am pitiful...

Melinda: Hope your eye gets better - ouch!!! and your tummy. HUGS!!!!

I am so glad that last chemo is over but am suffering right now - really bad wind pain!!! I took heaps of sennacot but to no avail so far - ouch!!!

 Bought the new dining chairs (red leather) on Thursday and found a new lounge suite. Poor DH has been badgered ever since. He said 'Wait until the steroids wear off'. But they have a buy 2 get one free deal, so if I buy a 3 seater and 2 single arm chairs, I get a $600 arm chair for free!!! How could anyone pass that up. But no, our lounge is 34 years old and still good according to him even though the vinyl is cracked all over. Maybe I should get SharaD to call him and tell him how to behave.

On another note, I weighed myself yesterday and have succeeded in keeping off 10lbs that I lost over the shock of this whole crazy thing. WOW. I think it's because I've gone off chocolate lately.

Sue