Starting Chemo Feb 2010?

CinD - thanks so much for the welcome and the info.  I think I will ask for a "baseline" to be done of the markers. Getting an MRI Wednesday - have a little scan anxiety - just want to be sure the breast left is "clean".

Hello girls!  It's great to hear from some of you!  Seems like we've abandoned our group, so it's nice to see that everyone is doing ok.

I recovered well from the ovary removal surgery, and now am just dealing with the side effects of Arimidex.  More hot flashes, more joint pain, and for some reason...severe dry skin.  My fingertips and feet are peeling.  And I mean the tips of my toes down to my heels.  Very strange.  My oncologist said to use more lotion.  Duh.  Not that it's helping anyway.

I'm scheduled for a color on April 14th, so after that, I won't be able to wear my wig (my sideburns stick out).  I'm really nervous!  I know I'm going to be really self-concious at first.  It will be a very short pixie cut because the sides and back have grown in thick and wavy, and the top has grown in thin and straight.  Weird and frustrating.

I'm finally getting my nipples done next Tuesday-I'm very excited.  Although I'm not excited about wearing plastic nipple shields for 2 weeks...should be interesting finding shirts that don't show them.  I'll probably be wearing mostly black for the entire time.

The weather has been awesome here, and I hope all of you are enjoying some lovely Spring weather.  Take care!

Alright girls, everyone has disappeared!  I'm bummed.

Well, here goes...I posted an avatar.  This is me.  I got my hair cut and colored last night-It's super short, but really cute.  This is as much as the hair on top of my head has grown.  She didn't cut that at all except to shape it.  Weird.  We've shaved the back and sides probably 5 times...if I had let it grow I could have had an awesome mullet with a combover!

Oh I still have to mess with product!  It came back curly in the back and sides, so I have to slick it down...which means I have to put product in the top to match the shiny look.  It looks cute that way though.  I seriously want my "bangs" to grow more...just an inch or so.  I feel like I have a really big forehead right now!

Your pic is gorgeous!  Nice to put a face with a name : )

Karen - you are so right... being a part of this board helped keep me sane too and everyone on it has been awesome support.

I'm on Tamoxifen - only 4-1/2 more years to go!  My hair has grown back in thick, and I like the low maintenance of short hair so much, I think I'll keep it this way. Because I haven't cared for "natural" hair in so many years it's been a challenge - but it's all good since I have a great barber! My eyebrows never did return to normal. They're pretty skimpy but I had lots of practice drawing them in during chemo, so I'm ok with it.

Unfortunately, I picked up weight during chemo and not only didn't lose it - I've added to it. My onc says between the chemo, Tamoxifen, and just getting older my metabolism has taken a hit, so I'll have to work harder to get the weight off and keep it off.

Other than the weight, I'd have to say things are looking good.

It's so good that this board is still active because even though the chemo may be over, we still need to support each other in the aftermath.

Love all of you wonderful ladies!!! 

Beth I have also been doing exercises and the movement has improved but more importantly the pain has eased. It has been awful and really dragged me down over the months. I still get the numbness in my arms and fingers first thing in the morning. I have been exercising a lot and have managed to get the weight off. It has made me feel so much more positive. I haven't had reconstruction and where the weight has gone form the remaining boob I think I look lop sided. I find the prosthesis quite uncomfortable as well but just can't face reconstruction. Anyone else feel the same ?

I am also so grateful for this site and really love hearing about you all. 

ado--i'm just beginning the process of reconstruction.  after getting so burned from rt, must admit to some fears about what kind of results i will end up with.  but finally decided anything will be better than the nothing i have now.  hoping just having something in there will eliminate the discomfort of the pressure of the bra on my poor chest.  i can't believe how tender that area still is after all this time.

still whining about the aching.  is it just me or do others have that 'i feel like i'm 100' when they first get out of bed, or out of a chair after sitting.  once i manage to stumble a few feet it gets better, but there is no grace there at all.  the hurting is bad enough, but my wounded pride may never recover.  and the eyelashes are almost gone again..what's with that??  i always had lush long eyelashes, and these short fine whispy almost clear things are not cutting it.  not even enough there to glob mascara on.  i guess i was so sure by now things would be back to normal that it is scaring me.  find myself becoming a bit of a hermit.  my dd lovingly informed me when i finally saw her after snowbirding that i look 20 years older.  maybe i'm just depressed.

kim, i do think you look wonderful.  should have tried to track you down this winter.

I don't fancy the big operation involved in the reconstruction. A friend had it and it went wrong so I have been put off. I know there are fantastic success stories so maybe once Herceptin finished I might go for it. Had number 15 on Thursday and so far so good. Not at all like last time apart from the tiredness on Thursday night and Friday. Fingers crossed no black eyes this time. 

On another note we are having to make a decision about our 12 year old Golden Retriever as he has a large and fast growing tumour on his lip which cannot be removed plus doggy dementia.I  just hope we know when the time is right. He is still eating and walking a little. I just keep hugging him. 

Ado-I'm so sorry to hear about your pup.  I'm sure that's an extremely hard decision to make. m My thoughts are with you.

(((((((ado)))))))  enjoy italy & your time together.  so sorry about your boy.

We had a great few days in Italy, lovely sun and simple food with great coffee. Thanks for your words about Jack. This is the first time in 20 years we've  not had a dog to come home to.He went peacefully though and had a great life. His ashes are going in the gaden under a new rose bush as did the other three. We feel free to get out and about now and plan more trips. Had 16th Herceptin last Thursday usual runny nose and tiredness. Over did it at a BBQ last night with fizzy wine, can't drink ordinary wine since chemo. Am suffering today with lightheadedness. Serves me right but it was good fun. I felt almost normal again .

faithful my periods have disappeared as well. I am really pleased about it. I just wish it meant I could do without the tamoxifen. Like all of us I would love to get away from all drugs now.  My hot flashes are controlled by a drug called venlafaxine which strangely enough is an anti depressant. It works though.

I wil finish Herceptin in July and then see the Oncologist every 6 months. No scans or tests it is up to me to report any symptoms. By not scanning everyone it allows her to promise to see the patient within 24 hours of any reported symptom. I don't know how I feel about that. Any views or different regimes out there ? I am worried that I will miss a symptom or on the other hand become a pain myself by reporting everything. For example my worry about my shoulder last December turned out to be  frozen shoulder as opposed to the life threatening  return of BC which I was sure it was and  caused me to cry my eyes out. I feel silly about it now but I know we all understand the worry and stress this disease has brought in to our lives.

Thanks Burley. Jack didn't have any pain at all on the lip and I was able to wash it and inspect it as much as I wanted but as the vet said it was likely to bleed out and that would have been awful The only consolation we have is that he went before he suffered and his rose at the front gate where he lies with Henry who we lost 6 months ago is a welcome sight when we come home and is blooming well.

Have number 17 Herceptin next week. Can't believe how far we have all come. Just think where we were this time last year......or rather let's not and just enjoy this moment. 

Thanks Grdnsive I will look it up. Number 18 Herceptin soon, can't believe it has been 12 months. In all of course it has been 18 months and how different I feel now. I still have the odd panic about whether the cancer is somewhere in my body but not so often and I really do live for the day. I reminded my husband yesterday that we had to enjoy it whatever happened and we did. I went to a works do last week after 18 months of not seeing most of my colleagues and they didn't recognise me. The majority were so welcoming and happy to see me. Two of them who had not been in touch at all seemed to want to avoid me . I was upset at first but then realised that they probably felt a bit guilty as they had not been in touch. I didn't mind at all and would much rather they had been more friendly. Anyway overall a very positive experience and friends thought I looked better than I did before ! I feel much more relaxed these days even with some ongoing family problems. I just wish it hadn't taken cancer to make me wake up and enjoy each day. I tend to support my family now rather than try and take a lead role and refuse to be drawn in to petty squabbles. I feel better for it.

Time for my fizzy wine treat followed by pasta and then coffee ice cream. Have a great sunny weekend. 

Number 18 Herceptin was cancelled as 17 is the protocol and they made a mistake. Having psyched myself up for 18 I was at a bit of a loose end so instead of feeling the usual tiredness after H we went out for a meal and drank champagne. We always toast our good health now and I really couldn't have got through this without my husband. My family problems are also resolving themselves and I feel glad to be alive. I wish you all good health and will be staying with this site which has been so brilliant.