November 2009-Starting Chemo

SherriV: Thanks for that - I'll check into it. I did buy one so I can look at it's contents. I don'tcare if I stink I'm not going anywhere while I do it anyway.

Sue

Good morning all!  I have been out of it for the last few weeks as I've been very sick.  I feel a little better today, not great but good enough to come to work

Good luck Alicia! 

I use Crystal deodorant per my radiologist and it contains no aluminum or at least it doesn't list it in the ingredients on the package.  I also use Purpose soap which you can get from Walgreens or CVS while I'm going through radiation.  

Great news Alicia!!! (((HUGS)))

Alicia - SO glad everything went well today, that is the best news I've had all day!  Still praying for a speedy recovery!  

Brenda ~ so sorry about your long ride each day.    Hang in there sister !!! 

Sherri ~ get drinking some water, but hey 11 pounds sounds nice but a heck of a way to do it.  Hope you feel better!!!!!!

Thank you everyone for your well wishes.  I am doing pretty good.  A bit of pain where they stitch the pocket shut at the bottom of the implant "internally"   Hard to get up when laying down, so I have resorted to an old recliner we had in a spare room propped in my bedroom. 

Hugs and wishing everyone a good day!

Alicia

Hello Ladies!  I have to share something with you, since I feel so brave and hardly anyone in the non-cancer world seems to think its a big deal.....I have started going hat-less! And scarf-less!  it's been not quite 3 months since my last chemo, and yesterday I just decided I would try going 'topless' at work.  Today I just left the house bareheaded....see what you think....byebye hats!

Pam ~ love it.  I don't have quite as much hair and I went to my mailbox and was sitting on my porch topless as it is a beautiful day.  MY UPS MAN came ~ I said sorry to scare you with the bald head, he said no problem I did battle with cancer last year.  He left me with a smile and said stay strong !

You look great Pam ~ soon as I have that much I am going TOPLESS too ~

My head now looks like legs that haven't been shaved in a while - very thin and fuzzy in places. I'm still sporting hats and scarves and my head itches a lot. Had my second radiation today. I'll be glad when I adjust to the new recurring morning appointment. 

I'm enjoying the new energy - almost like old times before chemo. My swollen leggs aren't AS bad as they had been - when that goes away that'll be the last of those icky side effects. 

 Sorry I couldn't make it yesterday - I hope those that went had a great time. Still have to catch up on my reading of the lastest posts.

Pam, you look great! Is it growing back evenly? Do you have the top layer of duck fuzz?

Maybe I am just a freak, I have so much less hair than any of you and I am pretty much "naked" 99% of the time. The only time I scarf up is when I am dressed up a bit and choose to accessorize (which isn't often).

Out of curiousity the other day, I took mascara and colored all my duck fuzz. It really made the hair show up, but it also highlighted how much scalp is in between those hairs. Maybe I will buy some hot pink or orange mascara wand temporary color.

Linda: Way to go on shrinking those SOB's !!!!

Nice 5 o'clock shadow Melinda ~ it is coming in nicely.  You are looking good girl !

Hugs ~

Alicia

SherriV:  I'm still dealing with the thrush, for 2 months now (not to be discouraging). I'm on my 4th round of medication:  2 of oral pill called Diflucan and 2 of dissolving tabs called Mycelex. I found that when it was at its worse, I could eat tomato-based foods and chicken noodle soup.  The only drink I could tolerate were the sparkling waters, some flavors were good, some horrible.  It was pretty much hit and miss.  Sorry you have to deal with it, too.

Alicia:  keep resting up and thinking about how nice it will be when those new boobies heal!!!!

My hair is now long enough to pinch between my fingers.  DH says it's coming in fast, though it doesn't seem fast to me.  Mine looks to be about 1/2 white and 1/2 brown.  Did someone say you can't color hair for a year?!  Gad zooks!  But guess that will be a small price to pay to at least have hair.  (I'd post a pic, but it took me a long time to figure out how to put the wigged one on here.)  I think my length is somewhere in between Pam's and Melinda's.  And last night, I lost the last of my eyelashes with the exception of one, and am still slowly losing eyebrows.  (And I'm 4 weeks past chem and in my 2nd week of rad.)  go figure.

Linda:  great news on the tumor sizes!!!  Wonder if going from 11 to 1.5 is a record?!  That's incredible!

My rad session yesterday was almost canceled due to machine problems.  Tech called to tell me and said I'd have to add a day on to the end of my rad treatments.  I was really upset but didn't tell her.  I just hung up the phone really quickly.  I was in tears then because not only did I not want to extend this crap, but it would actually have added 3 days, since my last day is on a Friday and that would add Monday. Well, she called back later and said they could work me in at the end of the day if I could come in.  DH volunteered to take my son to his bi-annual physical so I could go to the session.  Was very glad to get it that day after all.  Still can't seem to make a routine out of these trips there yet, though.  Still get very nervous before going and the only reason I can figure is that it's the whole hospital thing and the getting undressed and being exposed.  You'd think I would just compare it to the chemo and be grateful.  Oh well.

Happy Thursday (if it's Thursday where you live. )

Nette: I can completely understand about adding that weekend to the rad schedule, something like that would have set me off. If you were planning on being done on a Friday, you probably had a big mental party planned. I am glad they got you in.

Sherri: the lowest my WBC's got was 2.3 and I never got the shot. I stayed in the 3s during AC. Get some rest and let the meds do their job. Sorry you are in a rough spot, but this too shall pass.