Starting Chemo in June 2005

Alrighty!

My long flowing locks of 3/4 inch long have been shaved from my head! I couldn't take the dog shedding look that I'm leaving everywhere. So I'm back to the fine grit sandpaper that I started out with.
It's easier the 2nd time around!

I hope you get your port out, too! I'm gonna ask my onc tomorrow when mine gets yanked.

Watson

The Cleveland Clinic was offering flu shots to walk-ins just down the hall from radiation. I wasn't sure if I needed to wait longer after chemo, so I called the nurse just to be sure. So, today after rads I got one. Free! I guess the Clinic figures it's cost effective to offer free prevention to offset a lot of the no-cost care they will give when the season really hits. Remember last year when there was a crisis and not enough vaccine? Then they ended up with a surplus in some areas because of poor distribution. Seems a looooonnnnngggg time ago, last November! Election Day was a year ago today!

Jen,
I think it means you really don't like Sandra Bullock very much!

Learned a lot at the onc today!
- RBC is a little low now so will bet bi-weekly Aransep? shot
- Will get flu shot tomorrow after chemo
- Have option to have port removed two days after last chemo or wait three weeks after when WBC are strongest. I think I'll choose 2 days, thank you very much!
- My last chemo will be Wednesday before turkey day!

Whew! There was other stuff, but those were my nagging questions I keep forgetting to ask!

I have the end of chemo now in sight! Whoopeeeeee!

Watson!

Liz,
I'd do the same thing. My port (which is internal but in my arm, not my chest) doesn not bother me in the least. I just want to get rid of all my 'sick' momentos! But don't you go asking for borrowed trouble by having the removal procedure done before your cruise!

You have a blast!

I'll have to settle for "cruising" through to the end of chemo and then docking at my "port", Tee hee, really bad attempt at a play on words.

Watson

Liz...for the rad sim, the only thing I would suggest is laying on your back with both arms above your head for about 15 minutes at a time. They actually recommended I do that before rads start to help build the muscle so it won't be as uncomfortable.

Brenda, I am getting ictchy too. My skin looks fine.
Today two gentlemen we have seen everyday in the waiting room finished their radiation. I felt sad saying goodbye to them. I wonder how they will do and I realize I will never see them again and will never know how things turned out for them.
Then in a heartbeat a new person came in and sat next to me. She was an older woman in her 80"s . She told me all about her colon cancer.
All this happens and I don't even know anyones name. I wonder if she is the new 10:30 person or was she just there at that time today.
The good news is I am going to have to shave my legs and I had to pluck some chin hairs!
I still just have a five O'clock shadow all over my head for hair but I guess the hair is starting to come back. My head is a "spring garden " of activity.
I have a few more sessions of radiation then you do Brenda. They are giving me some last "boosts" to the area where the tumor was.
I guess the last five treatments are what they call "boosts".
I sure hope this works.
Our hospital was all rennovated so the oncology dept. hadn't been moved in yet. They moved in this week so now I see all the people getting their chemotherapy .
I look at them...they look at me.......
The air is filled with instant communication ...non- verbal of course, but full non-the-less.

JoMac, I meant to tell you that I liked your mantra of "let go, let go." I started to tell myself that whenever I'd get hung up on the little things remaining from the treatment (like fatigue, the darn neuropathy, etc.) Finally my husband told me one day "just take baby steps, that's progress, too." So I started saying "baby steps, baby steps" when I needed a reminder, and it helps surprisingly well!

Here is the new and improved avatar. My son circa 1985. I have been missing him so much lately. Haven't been to see him since July. He's 26 now, but I'd give anything to go back in time to the day this photo was taken, just for a day, knowing what I know now about how fast time goes by. That's what is so great about being a grandma. You know it's wonderful to hug, squeeze and spoil them because they don't stay little for long!

I hope you all have a great weekend! Chemolicious babes and Radical ladies, we're almost there!

Nancy - what a cutie! My kids are still home with me - 13 and 11 - but I sometimes get so melancholy thinking about when they were younger. What fun they were and how cute, etc. Then again, they can be a lot of fun now, too. It kills me to think I probably only have another 5 years at home with my son and maybe 8 with my daughter. Where has the time gone??

Liz - I know you're going to have a great time on your cruise. What a great post-chemo present!!

I saw my onc yesterday. I have my last chemo scheduled for November 22nd. I told her I wanted to feel really good the weekend before that for my weekend getaway and she thought that sounded like a great idea. I'm also scheduled for my scans in December.

She also wants me to get fitted for a sleeve in December so I can fly to Pennsylvania in January to start house shopping.

I've been feeling so out of control lately. Not really able to plan on much of anything because I don't know what's going on. Talking with my oncologist yesterday helped me feel a little more in control and we're supposed to have a Realtor come over in the next couple of weeks so we can start getting the house ready to list. That helped quite a bit, too. I'm not feeling quite as chaotic or helpless.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Jen

A neoprene compression sleeve to help prevent lymphedema. I don't have a problem with that (as of this moment) but the change in air pressure in a plane can sometimes cause it. It's a preventative measure.

Jen

Hi Junesterettes!
Just wanted to say HELLO...
I haven't abandonded ship! My computer decided to be the first on the block to get Bird Flu.
How are the end of Chemo girls doing???
And Brenda - you are starting to get a little rash from the rads?

BIAFINE RE! The BEST cream for rads!

I see you all are a veritable commercial for Miracle Grow! Junies are busting out all over?! YAY!

I am so happy... it is blessedly NOVEMBER.

THAT MEANS IT IS THE END OF BC AWARENESS MONTH....

Thank the lord!

Dana,
That is great that you will be done.
I have two more weeks and yes, I am itchy.
I also feel very very tired. Although when I say that aloud I follow it up by saying any day that is not a chemo therapy day is a
"swell" day.
I signed up for genetic testing and now I can't remember why.
I don't want to go and I know the information will just make me either crazy or crazier.
I would rather not know. all my treatment decisions have been made and execpt fot the last surgery acted on. So what will this information give me as far as information I can use?
Oh....on the hair front, I know have "Ken" hair. Remember Barbie and Ken circa 1964. Ken had painted on hair that conformed to his head ......That is what I have ....
"The Ken Head" is not dead.

Dana....WAY TO GO!! Doing the happy dance for you!!
Rads went really fast for you. I have my first tx today, and you're already done.. I guess you could call it rad envy...

My eyelashes and eyebrows are slowly falling out....just as the hair on my head is sprouting. Go figure!

Hey Ladies,
I just made my six month follow up appt with surgeon. It will be on the 23rd, the same day as last chemo. This makes me sooo nervous! I still think I feel something in BC breast. Two different oncs have told me they don't feel what I'm describing, but I"m not crazy! (okay, I am, but I don't imagine breast stuff!)

The lady who made my appt said the only problem with having this mammogram the day before Thanksgiving is that if it shows something, you'll have to wait until the next week to come back. So now I'm all nervous again. I guess I'll get over it.

Have I mentioned that I hate Taxotere? lol. Just one more to go, so I'll just Cowgirl up and get through it.

Oh, husband went to airport yesterday, checked onto flight to China, then his boss calls him and tells him not to get on the plane until this report was done. Husband gets luggage off flight, takes $120.00 taxi home, emails report to boss and then was told to go to China on Saturday. Is that a waste of time and energy or what? It actually worked out well for me, though. I wasn't feeling too good yesterday and having him back really helped.

Ta Ta!

Watson

Rebecca, my brows and lashes also fell out just as hair was barely starting to come in! I guess that's fairly typical. After the first flush of totally white hair, a lot of dark stuff is coming in below. I gave up the hat on Monday and wore makeup and dangly earrings to treatment and to the grocery store. I'm tired of covering my head, and I'm not nearly so self-conscious now that I have a good quantity of fuzz all over, and brows and lashes. Plus, I just love to rub it! I wonder what all the other drivers think about the mostly bald lady driving down the road rubbing her head! I'm going to teach my pottery class uncovered today, as well. It's very liberating!