April 2010 starting chemo

Glad to hear so many of you ladies are finished, or almost done.  I am with the group tagging along at the end.  I have 8 more weeks to finish off my weekly Taxol. If things stay on track Chemo should be done by the end of August with rads to follow.  My surgery was also done in February so at least that is one thing out of the way. I have a nasty chest cold and some sinus issues but other than that doing fine.  I hope everyone is enjoying the great weather.  It is hot here with beautiful sunshine.  Looking forward to supper on the patio and perhaps a campfire in the backyard to finish up.  Summer is wonderful!

well it looks like I may be that last to finish up - I will end Taxol the end of Sept. - Yuck!

I had surgery first - no lymph nodes and clear margins - which means no rads for me - thank the lord! Sometimes I just think I may not be strong enough for this then I think of all the little children dealing with cancer and know I can do it.

shygal - I too am sooo over this bald thing. So today I am wearing to the park my shirt that says "Cute bald chick Kickin' Cancer's butt" and wearing a baseball cap!

My eyebrows are almost gone with my eyelashes I too was hoping to not lose them.

Well tomorrow is the first of my Taxol's - thanks for the encouragement! I will hopefully be back telling you all it was a breeze!

Happy 4th Sisters!

Good Luck tomorrow Kad!  I hope everything goes well for you and you have NO SE.

I am with you too on the baldness...My Nephew stopped by  Friday and called me Uncle Fester...I was laughing...the wigs are too hot in the summer and when I get a hot flash...watch out I want my head in the wind...Do any of you go bald in public?  I wish I was ballsy enough to do that!

Good luck to all of you having tx this week...my prayers are with you.

Em

About the bad thing - this weekend has been a hard one with that.  It's been cray hot here in Michigan, and we have had a few events at our pool club, fireworks, etc.  I have been slow to tell all about the cancer - mostly just friends and family still.  And I've been wearing the wig in public in most cases.  At home  I wear a scarf but my kids have been pretty clear that they prefer that I have hair in public.  I feel bad for them so I've complied.  There is a woman at our pool club who is in treatment too - I don't know her and haven't talked to her but she is one of the brave ones who wears a scarf, a hat, or just goes bald all the time.  I'm so envious of her courage to do that.  I feel like I'm weak and self conscious for putting on fake hair.  So Saturday I wore a print scarf AND a big sun hat out, and it was fine.  I'm trying to be more brave about it.  But yes, I am so over having to deal with all that.

Sara and Char, I'm with you.  I don't even want to go in the backyard because I feel self conscious.   We aren't close to our neigbours, I have only told one of them about my cancer.  I am quite comfortable not covering up in the house, my family and dog don't mind, but I won't leave the house without covering up.  Even though it's hot, I find that wearing my wig draws less attention than a hat or scarf does.  I want to feel as normal as possible with how I look.  I don't think that it's a sign of weakness, we all have our own level of comfort.  I admire those women who can go bald in public, but I don't think that I will ever be one of them.  

OK day #5 after treatment #5 and I'm thinking I don't know if I can do this one more time.  This was by far the worst I've ever felt, day #4 being the absolute worst.  I hurt all over and fingertips are getting sore, nothing terrible, just have trouble opening jars and bags.  VERY tired, slept alot Sat, Sun and this morning.  I am really sick of hot flashes, especially since the the temp was 95 today, have been putting ice packs on my neck and head to cool down. 

I wish I could go out with a bald head but like most of you I just can't bring myself to do it.  I just want my hair back and I will NEVER complain about a bad hair day again as long as I live.  I had very long thick hair and I used to complain that it was hot but what I wouldn't give to have it all back right now.

Best of luck to everyone with treatments this week!!!  {{{HUGS}}}

Jennifer

Toughmom and SGJ05, hang in there, you ae so close to the finish line!  YOU CAN DO IT!!!!  And just think, you will have a smiley face next to your names.

I had taxotere last Tuesday (#1 of 3) and this past weekend was awful.  There was not one part of me that wasn't achy, between the muscle aches from the T and the bone pain from the Neupogen.  I woke up crying on Sunday morning, and I usually have a pretty high pain threshold.  I can't imagine it getting worse, I hope it doesn't.  I had some T3's left over from my surgery, and I took them, which helped, especially at bedtime.  Thank goodness.  Next cycle I am just going to start taking something before the aches kick in.

Have a good week everyone.

Hi all,

Well yesterday the Taxol went great. I went to a new hospital to get away from those old feelings and the smell! I had only two sticks, one for blood and the other to get my IV in! Yeah! The Benadryl knocked me out - WOW! I was just sitting there and then all of a sudden I was down for the count! It was good though because I slept the whole treatment! Today I am fine but worry about day 3 and 4 hopefully everything will go ok.

Toughmom and SGJ05 - YOU CAN DO IT! Just one more!!  You are both strong women and will conquer this! One more and you are done - YEAH!

I do go out more and more with just a scarf or hat on - it is too hot to wear my wig. People stare but o-well. As long as my husband and 15 yr. old daughter are fine with it then I do it.

Jenc - good luck starting Taxol. Too bad we are the few to finish up last. We can do it!

Hi all,Just finished 2nd Taxol.  Had lots of pain with the first one.  Joints...mostly hip and knees, some shoulders and elbows too.  I am hoping it isn't as bad this time.  I am trying stronger pain meds this time.  AC was a breeze compared to this.  I haven't missed any work all along, but I stayed home one morning 1/2 day just to because of the pain.  Anyone done accupuncture for pain?  Other suggestions for pain meds?I do go totally bald all the time.  I thought having no hair would really bother me, but it doesn't at all.  Sometimes the stairs get a little annoying, but most of the time I don't even think about.  It is second nature anymore.  I did wear a hat to my 10 yr college reunion (mostly to avoid lots of questions, most people know from pictures posted on FB) and I have a wedding coming up that I might wear a scarf too.  I don't own a wig, so we'll see what I decide.Congrats to those of you who are done.  I am counting the days at this point.  Only two more rounds left!  Last chemo Aug. 2 then surgery likely Aug 23 or 24.  I meet with the surgeon in two weeks.  To get through each one, we try to make chemo fun each time..."Club Chemo" as my friend calls.  My best girlfriend and sister come each time (my husband comes to the doctors appts but goes back to work) and we have "guest appearances" from our other friends!  Never a dull moment.  I also wear a new outfit each time.  I figure if I have to be bald, I may as well be cute doing it...and a little retail therapy never hurts!!   Someone commented about me being young and I can't remember...to answer, I am 31.  I was actually still breastfeeding my son when I found the lump.  I thought it was a clogged milk duct...boy was I wrong!!  Anyway, I happen to be a pediatric onc nurse, so unfortunately I know more than I would ever like to about this stuff.  But for whoever commented about kids going through this, you are right.  They are such an inspiration to me.  I figure if they can do this and even worse, I can do it too.  I see them go on with their normal lives every day, so that is what I do.  Try to live life as normal as possible and deal with SEs on the side.  Sorry for the rambling post...not much time to write at home when I am usually chasing a 13 month old around!!  I do read all of the posts though and appreciate everyones comments and stories.  I find it therapeutic!Meredith 

Marcy, you certainly are in it for the long haul!  I hope that the new cocktail that your onc has devised finally does what it needs to do.  You will deserve a medal at the end of it all, or maybe just a nice Christmas with your family, and all the treatment madness behind you!  Hang in there. 

Toughmom and SGJ05~Hang in there, before you know it the Chemo will be over.  You can do this!  Take it one day at a time...one foot infront of the other...you will be there before you know it.

I had taxol in January and February.  I had leg acheson my 3-5th days...my thighs hurt like crazy. I took darvocet.  It seemed to help make the pain managable.  I have problems with so many pain meds...if i could have had something stronger I would have gone for it.  Don't be afraid to ask your onc for something for the pain.

I have a muga scan today to check out how my heart faired thru the adrymycin.  See if I can withstand the herceptin. 

Have a gred day everyone.  Try to stay cool.

Em

Question on TE's.  I had my implant removed because of thin skin and a TE is now being used.  Only filled to 100cc's for now until chemo is done to make sure no further problems.  is is normal to have tightness with the TE and a wierd shape when it is not filled much?  I had tightness with the implant but that was at 450cc so this is alot less but still some tightening.  Does it get tight ever time it is filled to?  Just wanted some imput so I know what to expect.  Hope everyone had a good day.

Jen

Jenc 

I had TE put in at the time of my BMX,  They were filled to 300 cc at the time of surgery.  They felt tight...and feel tight after each fill...for a day or two.  The are so damn hard...I am at 700cc. now.  Fill next week, and hopefully the PS is going to answer all of my questions!

Em

Dancer- I'm three weeks post chemo...i'm still really tired.  I have been napping in the afternoons.  It just takes time. It is so good not to have any nausea!

I saw my Onc on Friday.  I will be starting Herceptin in two weeks.  I will be having 13 treatments over the next 39 weeks.

Monday I am having another fill.  So much going on.

Have a good weekend...I hope everyone is feeling good.

Em

kad22 i was told i was triple neg then when they did my port i was 37 % er so i dont know were i fall i did not have a gen. i have no females with cancer in my family. my grand father on moms side had prostate and his brother had liver.i have heard that tripple neg have high chance of coming back thier are people that dont though. my dr said i had high chances of it coming back was border line stage 4 because they did not find any thing any were elce amen. i  have had 4 round of Cytoxan and red devil and 3 Taxotere and one more wen then done cant wate! then surgery on august 6th double mastectomy then 35 rads.my tumer has shrunk to almost nothing dock says that good sing.

for the wig they have head caps that help with absorbing sweet and help keep the head from itching got the catalog from my chemo dr. they really help but i like my scarfs and hats best.i will look for that catalog see if its got a web sight.