March 2010 Chemo Start

Here's a picture of my team in the RFTC

Finally figured out how to post a photo from the Komen Race for the Cure!

 

Frosty - You make me laugh!  Are you sure you are off the cranky truck? Please don't let them starve! I think mine would if they didn't have popcorn or cereal. Don't even talk about actual cooking ...  I mean it IS a gas stove. Geez!

Hey all - this is so cool...yesterday a co-worker offered to organize a work team for RFC June 5.  I was so touched!  First inspiring mammograms (I know 'cuz they tell me) now this!  So I said yes.

I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.  Has anyone done these events - RFC or Relay for Life etc - and NOT burst into tears?

The run is out for me but there's a 3k which is just under 2 miles.  Tx #5 is on 5/25 so I s/b OK by 6/5.

Have a good day everyone, {{hugs}} all around.

I feel like I jinxed myself.  I was half-way through and feeling good, but now I have a blod clot in my port vein (non-occlusive thrombosis, subclavian vein).  It is not supposed to interfere with my treatment (#4 on Monday), but I am now taking blood thinners including 2 injections each day.  It has taken an emotional toll.  I feel like screaming - IT"S NOT FAIR!!!!!!!  But then again what is?

Charley - glad you've turned the corner.

Lilly C - great photo - Our Race in June 5th in DC.

It is so great to hear that some folks are done! Wow, what a feeling that must be.  I am on a 3-week cycle, which has been great to have some recovery time, but it does prolong the process.  I won't be done until June 28th. 

I am off to my last AC!!!  Then I will be starting 12 rounds of taxol....sandie how many rounds are you doing?  Wish me luck

Hi All,  I've been away for awhile, so much happened while I was in the HOSPITAL!!!  A week after my second treatment feeling so, so lousy, started to run a fever,  Went to a hospital in town for blood work, wbc was .07, put into isolation.  Looked for source on infection, transported by ambulance, (against my will) to Cooper Univ Hosp. where all my Docs are.  They were afraid my left incision was infected, Yes I still am not healed from my Feb 12 surgery.  So far so good, we are on a wait and see plan.  It is possible my left tissue expander is or could get infected and need to be removed!!!  This is my non-cancer side that I chose to have removed!!  If it does, my ps can put a new TE in in about 4 months.  Don't know if I can go through that pain again.  Just from being in bed for so long my chest muscles are tight and the TE are digging into me again.  PS was away while i was in the hospital.  Saw her associates.  Went for chemo #3 this past Mon.  but onc held off due to possible infection.  Sent me to my PS, she cleaned out the incision, now have an inch and a half crater on my left breast.  Hoping it will heal.  Go again today to have it checked.  Will possibly find out about chemo for Mon.  I have not had one treatment as planned.  I feel like I will never be done with this journey.  Felt so bad while in the hospital was ready to throw in the towel.  I couldn't imagine having chemo on top of it.  Thank goodness I feel better.  Gives you a different perspective.  Almost did my husband in -- he was so worried, poor thing.  It's taking him a long time to recover.

Enough about me, so happy to hear about all the strides made!!  Many treatments finished, way to go. I love all the pics, so nice to put a face to a name.  As for the smell thing, it drives me crazy.  One night I got out of bed and came downstairs to put out the kitchen garbage.  I could smell it all the way up in my bedroom.  My husband thought I was crazy, it was 3:00am.  But it was keeping me from sleeping!!  Hang in there everyone.  Hope for a great day with minimum side effects.  Hugs those not feeling well.

Michelle

I thought this time around I was doing great...not so. Mother's Day the SE's hit hard and I thought I was dying. Wednesday brought some relief and today I feel as if nothing bad has happened to me! I actually feel great! Except my feet feel weird. I can't explain it. Just the bottoms of my feet. Oh and my mouth feels like it's scalded inside. Can't taste a thing. Even with these lingering SE's I can still say I FEEL GREAT today! Not looking forward to going back into the torture chair on May 24th. I think it's unfair I have to do this TWICE this month. But on the bright side, it will be my last A/C thank God. Then next month I start 4 treatments of taxotere which makes me a bit nervous. Wondering how that stuff will hit me. Hopefully I tolerate it better than Adriamycin and Cytoxan.

Oh, I just started taking violin lessons. Yeah, I'm old (47) but I do weird things to keep my mind active and alert. Never played a musical instrument in my life!

Walked my son out to his car the other day around 5:30 in the evening (California) and couldn't understand why all my neighbors were staring at me. Then it hit...I forgot to cover my head! At home I always go bald and completely forgot I was "naked" in public. Guess I gave them something to talk about.

 Hope everyone is well. Today I am putting on my red, kick cancer's butt cowboy boots and going shopping! I just gave chemo the last 10 days~the next 10 days are mine!

toni, I love your profile pic, now you do good scarf. I tried but just couldn't do it well, so I'm a hat girl. I will try to figure out how to post a picture, any hints?

Kayne, you are not alone with the boob wound drama. Mine has only just healed, (10 weeks post-op) but it went back and forward, and I was on antibiotics for 6 weeks, and I've been doing daily dressings. I had a skin sparing mastectomy, and they make the flaps thin with sometimes a problem with how much blood supply they have. So I had a moderate flap necrosis - needed 2 further small excisions of the dead tissue, and each time I've had chemo, it sets it back a little, but as I said, the wound is finally limping towards healed. In the middle of it, I felt low about it, until I realised that it was nothing that I was doing to make it worse, it wasn't my fault, and I started doing more with my arm and shoulder, and just made sure my nutrition was ace, as if we're not anyway.  There was a large study out of memorial sloan kettering that reported an incidence of around 4.5% of flap necrosis after mastectomy with TE placement - they range in severity, and do set things back a bit. I hope yours settles soon for you without any involvement of the TE. I took photos every day to chart the progress of the wound - hope no one ever opens that file accidentally

Yeshua, I love that you have taken up Violin after never having a musical instrument background. The woman really loves a challenge, nice to do lovely challenge though. You should wear your red cowboy boots while you're going through the scales - now that would be a sight.

I've been having the same eating issues too... I have some things that I just can't stand to think about eating, but then cravings for weird things, and it actually makes me feel better after eating.  Like macaroni and cheese, the orange cheese crackers, french fries, ice cream, ice cream sandwiches,  etc.  After my 2nd treatment I was wanting potatoes, and pasta with pasta sauce (not the mac/cheese like now.)   I am so frustrated because the healthier stuff I used to eat just seems gross to me.  And I really do feel better after eating this fattening stuff.  Maybe it's psychological.  All I know is that I'm gaining weight, and I'm so tired after working all day it's impossible to exercise.   The good thing is that I'm almost done; one more treatment to go, and after I recover from that I'm going to have to really work hard and start eating right and exercising again.  Once my stupid taste buds and smell gets back to normal!

I'm sorry to say that I am so happy it's not just me with these crazy food craving. My hubby laughs at me because I have always been a healthy eater and exercised 5 days a week and now I'm so tried from chemo and eat nothing but junk...it's a whole new side of me. I'm relieved to know I'll be able to get back to my old ways in a few short weeks. Although it's my understanding I have to be careful about working out and the risk of Lymphedema.

Charley- It will be a happy day for the 3 of us, I'll be thinking of you both I'll also be thinking of all the Marchers to finish after us...hang in there ladies. I know, easier said then done, but I am sending warm hugs and lots of strength to you all.

On Monday I am going to the Look Good, Feel Better class. Has anyone else gone? Is it fun?

Have a great, SE free evening to all.

Ana

I signed up for the Look Good Feel Better, but ironically didn't feel well enough to go.  I'm hoping to go in June. It's a pain to get to during rush hour and its at the secured NIH facility so security is a hassle, but I'll try again.  I hear it's lots of fun.

I had double chemo in April, so just one session in May - Monday.  Then I'm 4 down / 2 to go.

As for food, I don't have cravings per se, but I find myself eating a lot of junk food that I normally wouldn't eat - potato chips,nachos, Taco Bell??  I think it's weird psychology that I have lost so much of my normal life, that I'm not going to deprive myself of potato chips for gosh sakes!  totally illogical I know, but I've spent the past 20 years of eating healthy and it didn't protect me from cancer, so what's the use.  I'm hoping / assuming I will get back to may healthy habits, but right now I'm either cutting myself some slack or throwing a bit of a tantrum - most likely both.

Blod Clot doing OK.  Arm swelling went down a bit, but I've got some weird spider veins - I actually look like Iron Man (2).

Congrats to those who are finishing.

Ok, so I don't know if I need my head examined, but I have a job interview this afternoon. I have been in sales for the last 5 years and I have had it with the stress of the job. So, today I am interviewing for a supervisor position. I have my suit all ready to go, just can't seem to find suitable head wear! Baseball hat...no, beanie...no, scarf...just doesn't look right, and I am not a wig girl. I have to wear something on my head due to the fact I look like a baby orangutan with fluffy tufts of hair, so au natural is not an option either. I guess, I'll figure it out...I am totally qualified for this job, I just hope they can look past my current "situation" to see all of my attributes. So, wish me luck!

Thanks for the info on the LGFG class. Did you take a friend or family member with you? Can you? I soooooo love free stuff, now I'm excited about going

Hugs to you all, my March sisters!