Chemo June 2010

ok, i colored my hair with excellence hair color, nothing natural, and i still have my hair, it did not seem to harm it, i could not stand it any more!!! i still wear my wig but at least i can run errands without it if i want.. what a big chance i took!!!.. November 1 was my last chemo... but i was in the shower and my sis was waiting, sitting on pins and needles to see if i would start screaming cause it was too harsh and what hair i had would fall out, lol she was so nervous so of coarse i started screaming, hahaha. and she freaked for a minute.. it covered all grey and white hairs but sucked up fast so its pretty dark for me... but it did work, its only been a day so ill u know..

love chey

Warm post-Thanksgiving greeting to all. 

I have been reading and not posting for awhile. Just couldn't seem to relax enough to compose a note. I have been a true Nervous Nellie, waiting to hear from Sherry and to know that she and Chey were doing OK again. (So glad to hear that you're on the mend, Sherry. You have been though so much. I hope it's smooth sailing for you from now on. And, Chey it's great that you are staying positive and having some laughs with your sister.)  I felt like the Mom who can't go to bed unless all the kids are home for the night. I'm pretty bonded to you all and take to heart each of your successes and set backs. So I'm happy that we all seem to be doing well today and that we're on the far side of this tx journey.

I love Ginny's stories of Julia's antics and am so glad that she shares them with us. To face the situation with love and humor is heartwarming.  And all your tales of hair dying makes me smile, too.  Joan is going in public without her scarf. Tina's finished at least 21 rads tx by now and Kitty should have started hers. So should Liz.  Mimi should be done any day now. Jackie survived the TSA. We're moving on. How great is that?!

I hosted Thanksgiving Day dinner and went without a wig the whole day. Then yesterday I traveled to a friend's post-Thanksgiving family gathering and took the wig off after an hour. So today I braved it to the grocery store without any headcover and it was fine. My super-short white and black fuzz is OK for now.

I had a stress echo-cardiogram about 10 days ago and thought everything must have been OK since they didn't cart me off in a hearse or ambulance. But they found 'something' and want to talk with me on Tuesday. I figure it can't be anything too awful or they wouldn't have waited until then. I'm just so tired of medical appointments. This week on Tuesday I had to get to the ophthalmologist because somehow I scratched my right cornea. Yes, as Rosanne Rosannadanna would say "I'ts always something".

So, my dear friends, I wish you the best and hope that we'll all continue to do well. We've come a long way...and I think you're all 'brilliant'. (That's for you, DMom. Now you've been called brilliant more than once!)

Hugs all around. Bon

Bon-  You always make me smile.  So glad to hear life is moving along relatively uneventfully.  I'm praying for good news with your echo cardiogram.  Dang!  How did you scratch your cornea?  That can be painful.  It's aaaaaalways something!

chey- You mischievous little trickster scaring your sister like that!  I bet you have been doing it to each other all your lives.  I have two brothers and we are still at it!  Glad you are keeping your chin up.  

My SIL told me if she ever lost her hair, she would look forward to never dyeing it again, says it is hard to stop.  Maybe this is my sign to just go with the grays.  DH keeps telling me to leave it alone.  I do think a lot of older people (like everyone in Congress) look silly with that dark, shoe polish-like hair.

I should finish rads Friday.  That can't come soon enough, I feel like a roast turkey.  Skin is now very red, raw and tender.

Sherry,  I am so glad to hear from you but am so sorry you have been through so much.   I don't know what we could do for you but I am going to think on that.  It is so unfair to have so much going on and no one can give you answers.  Try to rest and take care of yourself because it sounds like you are really tired and weak.  I will be lifting you up in my prayers..

DMom,  I am disappointed about the henna but not surprised that it would take strong cancer causing chemicals to dye our gray hair.  I am like you---- thinking I may rival Jamie Lee also.

Julia2- I had to keep using the steroid cream mixed with my rads cream throughout rads because every time I stopped it would rash up again and then itch like crazy.  I hated to use that cream but I know that it got me through rads without a total skin breakdown.  I finished rads 10 days ago and so far my skin is doing okay.  It still looks like a bad burn and I know it will always be darker that the other side but I still have my skin and it is a lot less tender now.  I used the pillows I got after surgery under my arm and across the lateral side of my chest to cushion the skin at night so I could sleep better.  It really did help.  It also helps to use them with any seatbelts that go across that side of your chest.

DH and I decorated for Christmas today.  It took a long time but we are almost finished and are now settling down to watch The Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey.  So take that cancer!!!! You can't keep a good woman down!!!!  HA-HA

Happy weekend to all of you wonderful ladies,  GInny

Sherry-  As I was awake last night, I had a thought about you.  As you say the doctors don't know what this fluid is, I was wondering...Do you remember when you first took chemo and it kicked your butt so badly?  I was recalling that there was some concern that they gave you a dose for a very large person?  Didn't check your weight?  Now I know your Oncologist wouldn't want to admit something like that, but it could have caused some damage if the wrong dose was given. If you haven't already, I would get copies of ALL your records to review.  They would have to list dosages given etc... I am assuming you are being seen by a different doctor now, perhaps a Pulmonology specialist?  It might be worth mentioning it to him.  This could definitely be chemo related.  Keeping you in my prayers, little lady!

Sherry-  You sound a bit better.  With all the SE you have been through dodn't you know that you are the only patient your Onc has time to take care of???  Just kidding.  I do think it would be worth mentioning.  Perhaps it would help them zero in on the right treatment plan.  Stay strong, sweet lady!

Bon, I know that news was hard to absorb on so many levels.  I venture to say it would have been hard even if you weren't doing your own battle.  I too lost a friend from BC late last year before I was diagnosed.  I beat myself up for not getting home to see her before the end.  Ultimately, I decided to celebrate the good times we had together and remember those as precious as they all were.  Friends we have with us are precious but ones we lose are treasures.  Carolyn is truly a treasure!  Please hang in there and know that we are all thinking of you and sending love your way! 

Bon-  As always, so perfectly said.  I'm so sorry for your loss.  Since this darn diagnosis, I try really hard not to put off till tomorrow what I can do or say today.  I try extra hard to spend sweet moments with my son.  Memories are all we have left when loved ones leave us.  I know how much I treasure the memories I have of my own sweet parents and friends who have gone before me. I believe your Carolyn is in some very good company now, including some of my own wild friends and family. Sending you huge hugs, my friend.

Jackie, Tina, DMom and Kittycat...Thank you for your understanding. Tonight the memorial service for Carolyn is probably just about ending. It's just a terrible shock.

Today I got confirmation that the cardiologist also believes I have an occluded right artery and need to have a heart cath and most probably a stint sometime in December.  They all believe that some of my tiredness, dizziness, and odd pains are from this heart issue and not just the chemo and radiation tx.

What a year this has been!  I will keep you posted.

Hope each of you made a wonderful memory today.  Be well.

Bon, love the quote.  Hold on girlfriend!!!!  Hope the heart cath isn't necessary and they just read it wrong.  Either way we are pulling for you.  Hugs!!!

Bon: {{{Love You}}}

I am doing some better - but VERY weak.  I am to start back with radiation today.  I've only had 5 tx so far because of my delay. I'm hoping I can get the rest in before the end of the year.

Bon and Sharry:

Best wishes to both of you.  This year, we have all found how strong we really are - don't forget that! Toni

Bon--So sorry to hear that you have more trouble.  Dang!  None of it is related to Herceptin and heart function issues?  Keep holding on!  You'll get through this too!

Sherry--I hope you are resting and taking it easy.  Thinking of you.

Found out today my heart function (from the MUGA scan) is down from the Herceptin. It went from 65 to 59 after AC to 51 now (for those of you who know what the numbers mean).  Onc is going to put me on some blood pressure medicine, at a very low dose, and that is supposed to help.  If it doesn't, he said there are other things to try before we stop the Herceptin.  Now I have to watch for shortness of breath (seriously?  Does he know how out of shape I am now?), swelling ankles, and from the medicine I have to watch for light-headedness.  My Potassium is already a little high and the med can make it worse, so I have to have that tested weekly.  I somehow knew this wouldn't go smoothly for me. Oh well, it's not that bad.

Also, because my clavicle area is so fried from rads we are going to do the 5 boosts now, and finish the rest after the boosts are done.  That will give that area time to heal.  The rest of the chest/armpit area is bright pink, but is holding up pretty well.

Hope everyone is having a peaceful evening.  I'm very tired from a long day, and will be off to bed soon!

Sherry-  Sweet lady, hope you are getting stronger.  Did you get a chance to check your records for that initial chemo dose that blew your socks off?  If you don't have the energy to investigate this, maybe give this task to DH?  I find that my DH loves being protective and safeguarding me.

Tina-  Hoping your heart issues are just fleeting.  "Watch for shortness of breath".  RIGHT!  You are in rads!  I can just about guarantee you will be huffing and puffing soon, which is a normal SE of fatigue, so don't get too alarmed.  Just make sure he keeps an eye on your heart.

kitty-  Nice new photo.  You sure do keep us on our toes with your many, gorgeous looks.  Bet your DH never gets bored!

Chey - what a cute new pic!  It really saddened me to hear about your loss.  It seems like anyone's loss seems to hit me a little harder than it used to now that my own mortality is fragile now.  You and Bon are still in my thoughts and prayers.

I must admit I'm a little confused about the MUGA tests and heart problems that some of you are experiencing.  Do you have to have the test because you are negative?  My onc hasn't said anything about a MUGA test, but I'm wondering if it's because I'm triple positive.

Kitty - you are going to be ahead of my now in rads.  I did not get to start yesterday.  RO said I was still too sick and she thought I might need a transfusion.  Did blood work and I guess I barely passed because I don't have to have a transfusion.  Although at this point, I think it might help me get some of my strength back.  We are going to try to start again on Monday.

DMom - I was so sick Monday when I went to onc I didn't think to ask.  I do know that they all have asked me if I have Lupus.  I think they even checked me for that while in the hospital.  I find that curious, but maybe fluid accumulation is a by product of Lupus.  I don't know.