2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

Our infusion room has a small fridge with a tiny freezer. I put a dozen popsicles in there and shared with the other patients. I had to ask the chemo nurse as to where it was. My infusion room happens to have a kitchen loaded with goodies for whoever wants them.
Take care you little pumpkins!

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This is Day 10 and I woke up and pulled on my hair - it is still there, but for how long is the question???????

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I was told the hair starts falling out between day 13 and 17. Mine started falling out around day 13 and was driving me crazy by day 15.
Jane

Had AC #3 yesterday. I threw up for the first time so far and generally feel semi-crappy. Nausea meds don't seem to work quite as well for me this time. I'll have to ask the doctor about that. Oh well, only two weeks and one more treatment to go until I'm done with AC and on to Taxol. Most people say the Taxol is a bit easier...sounds good to me!

Hang in there everyone. We're getting closer to the other side of the chemo journey.

Ruth
2cm, ER+PR-, HER/2 -,
13/18 pos nodes
4 AC, 4 T, started 9/30/05 I

I'm bald and it feels good!
[image]http://home-admin.rr.com/cgi-bin/twmain.cgi?where=V&goURL=http://home.san.rr.com/brendabaldie[/image]

Jaslin,



I believe it was NoSurrender who said to dab your mouth sores with q tip soaked milk of magnesia.



Good luck!

Well, I'm taking one step forward and two steps back. Every since I had my mastectomies (and expanders put in), I've been unable to master all the, um, "paperwork" when I go to the bathroom. At home, I'd have to call on DH to help. If we're out somewhere, I have to improvise and do the best I can. Won't go into detail. Would be TMI. Well, this morning when I went to the bathroom at home, I found that I could do the whole paper job by myself. I was elated. Then we went out this afternoon . . . all I can say is that public restrooms, even the handicapped stalls, pose a challenge to me. Unless it's configured EXCACTLY like our masterbath with a bar the same height as our towel rack to the left of the potty, I'm up you-know-what creek. It was pretty discouraging to have to go back to the "improv" thing today. But soon as I got back home and to my own bathroom, I could do it again. I guess that means I need to stay home more?

I'm also experiencing more bone pain today. I'm guessing maybe that means my counts are dropping and the Neulasta is working on my marrow and making me hurt all over. This is day 9 for me. No hair gone yet. Just "shedding" like I usually do. I did scratch my forehead and feel a little flutter of hair fall down, but when I tug on it, it stays put. For now, anyway, I still have a nice head of hair.

My wig that I ordered hasn't come in yet. I talked to the lady at the wig place, and she said they normally get orders from Florida but the warehouse is without electricity due to Wilma and they are routing everything through Kansas City. I guess they're just log-jammed or something. Hoping to have my new "do" sometime this week. I do have a wig and some hats I can use if I do lose my hair before this wig comes in, so I'm good there. The wig I have is almost shoulder-length; the one I ordered is a cute, short "do."

I'm also working on making myself a couple of fuzzy chemo caps from patterns I found on the chemo cap thread. They have some really pretty novelty yarns out now! One is going to be black with sparkly stuff in it - and "hairy." The other is hot pink "hairy" with splashes of other bright colors thrown in. These will be for my "no hair days" or when I simply rebel and go without hair or falsies.

Oh, and let me tell you this: I have a Softee Two. I loved that thing when I first got it because my drain sites were still healing. Well, they're healed now and I could wear a surgical bra. I started to today but decided to wear the Softee instead. Well, I have too much filler in the puffs, I guess. And I can't get them situated just right. And that camisole is loose enough on me that the puffs shift. I walk around looking like I have a couple of cats fighting on my chest. Sitting down to eat, and I have falsies in my face. Even my real breasts weren't like that. So we ate a late lunch, and as soon as we got back out to the truck, I yanked those puffs out. First store we went to, I took off the camisole and crammed it into my fanny pack and just went braless. I'm kind of a "large" woman (ahem, fat, in other words) and I have baby boobies, so I look a little strange without falsies. I did get some looks but I figured if they looked again and saw my BC bracelets, they'd understand. No one commented anyway.

So, I get rebellious. It occurred to me also that my finished new boobies with implants might be perky enough that I can go braless with them too. That is a most delicious thought! Hehehehehe!

I was kind of in the same boat as you. My tumor was 1.8, which put me in a "grey" area of might or might not need chemo. My onc. advised me to have it and then do tamoxifen after. My thought is that anything that gives me an edge over this disease is something that I need to do. I'm 50, by the way.

You might ask your oncologist about percentages. Meaning, what percentage of survival would you have with chemo and tamoxifen and what would it be with tamoxifen alone. It might only be 1 or 2%, but that DOES increase your odds of survival. That's how I looked at it.

Hope this helps.

Thanks MJ, Brenda and Gracie. I think I will call on Monday. My mom got me some Peroxyl mouthwash specifically formulated for mouth and canker sores which helps with the irritation, but I still don't want them to spread.
Gonzalesmem, my heart goes out to you. It is all so confusing and scary. My onc recommended that I have the Oncotype DX test done, which tests your tumor and can give you a recurrence percentage based on the genetic makeup of that tumor. But be aware that if you opt to have it done that alot of insurance companies will not pay for it and it is pricey. I did not care and wanted those results to help me in my decision. I did get denied by my insurance co. but wrote them a long letter of appeal and they did approve it then. Also the Genomic Health company that does the testing will appeal on your behalf up to three times. It showed I had an intermediate recurrence rate at 12% chance it would come back. The chemo offered bettered my chances by 4% which doesn't seem like a lot, but for me pesonally, I wanted to get that recurrence percantage below 10%. Everyone is different and the decision is difficult. I am getting ready to do round 2 and I am going to be ok. The women here are so supportive. Keep us posted and good luck to you.

Gonzalesmem: I think it would be a good idea to go for a second opinion. If two oncologists say the very same thing you will feel different. I was diagnosed with only DCIS (stage 0) in one breast, yet my surgeon recommended a mastectomy based on the fact that the cells were high grade and multifocal (scattered throughout the breast). A second breast surgeon recommended the same and hearing her explanation made everything quite clear to me. Then I had an MRI, followed by an MRI biopsy, of the other breast, and that showed the same problem there, so I had a bilateral mastectomy with sentinel node dissection. That in turn showed node involvement on one side, which means what looked like stage 0 was actually stage II, so I consider myself very lucky, because now I can throw chemo at this whereas I might never have known, maybe till too late.

Good luck,

Anna

(((Graycie)))

Today is day 11 for me and I keep checking it!!! The wig I bought is adjustable and cann be tightened up once the hair is gone.

I did have it cut short the week before I had my chemo to my earlobes but am thinking pixie-cut now and taking my wig with me to have that trimmed a little as well.

Guess I'm in the same boat as you. Not sure I want to have my head shaved...think I may just cut it again unless it really starts coming out rapidly!

lots of hugs girl!
kate

Kate, I think you have a good idea to cut the hair short....I know I am on borrowed time with the hair so I think I will do that tonight, I don't suppose it will matter if I screw it up..HA..... It is day 14 for me so you might keep your hair atleast a few more days. When is your next chemo? I go tomorrow....Hugs back to you, Grayce

(((Graycie)))

Tomorrow I go to have my bloodwork done. When the Onc. approves it, I'll be keeping my next chemo appointment on the 9th of Nov.

many hugs,
kate

I liked the idea of cutting it even shorter...but then, what if I was one of those one in a million cases who doesn't lose it???? ~YIKES!!!~ Talk about being cynical!!!

Good luck tomorrow hon..I'll be thinking about you!!

I don't know what the other ladies would say, but let me tell you about my bald head. The stubble that was left by my hairdresser seems to act like velcro. Also I ordered a gel headband for $30 from ACS and I am hoping that would help.
Gonzalesmem: 39 is young. You should opt for whatever raises your chances. Like you I was kind of given a choice. My onc said if you walk out of here without doing anything you have an 85% chance of survival. If you do chemo and radiation you add 7% which equals 92%. I am 51, but with a 10 year old boy I need to try everything I can to raise my survival chances.

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)I am developing canker sores and wonder what to do to stop them from getting worse. I sucked on ice cubes during chemo, I've been using Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash, but still got them. Maybe I'll gargle some salt water?

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I have used a 1/4 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt mixed into a 3 oz Dixie cup of water to rinse my mouth and it has seemed to help. The directions I have say to do this rinse after every meal and once before bed. Hope this helps,
Jane