February 2011 chemo pals

Hi ladies,

Sorry to hear some sisters are still struggling so much after the chemo. I haven't been posting much because I really can't complain, but do want to let you know that I read all your updates and am thinking of you and counting down with you.

 Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since my last chemo, and my energy is back although I can't say the same for my hair, eyelashes or eyebrows.

I also can't complain much about what people are saying, mostly because by now, rarely anyone calls anymore to inquire about me..(the novelty has worn off I guess), one of my friends still does regularly - but being a BC survivor herself she knows it all... my sister is recovering from breast reconstruction surgery so it is me supporting and calling her, coworkers never did call or acknowledge my diagnosis (and I work from home anyway) so its pretty boring and nothing to report here...

Wishing you all the very best, fast recovery and good energy...

 Emily, did you end up going to Nashville at all?

Radiation simulation today.  And the first mammo. since this all began.

I'm a nervous wreck!  I don't know why the rads part of treatment is bothering me so much.  I'm having this intense emotional reaction to it.  I feel violated or something...

pejkug - I think TonLee on triple pos and TCH felt the same way.  After a little while I think she was better with it.

Just saying hello, enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on post-chemo and so forth.  The "fever" broke today, Wednesday, yet still feel weary and hurty.  One day I'll think about my "good" days and wonder how in the world I put up with it.  I have already begun thinking about my surgery sometime in July, rads in August.  Am trying to fit in a housekeeper visit to do something with my mess.  Figured I'd do it for after surgery, but wanting her now.  Still need to make it down to the gazebo, I think I will today, gotta keep up with exercise.  Anybody else having surgery in July?  Only thing about rads I worry about it actually getting there on a daily basis.  Definitely am going to ask my cancer surgeon if I can double up and do it in three weeks.  MamaV and Emily, it seems that once cancer comes into the picture, THAT becomes your life event for however many months, it was hard for me to deal with spring and summer being lost to treatment, but I got used to it, of course.  Bye bye for now!  GG

dogeyed and divine - I will be having surgery to replace my left TE sometime in July as well - will find out the date next week.  Dogeyed, on the housekeeper front - there is a program called "Cleaning for a Cause" that does free housekeeping for patients in need of it.  I don't know if any participating people are near where you live.  I haven't used the service but I am aware of it.

 Divine....I found the lumpectomy was so much easier than I expected..I didn't even have pain meds once  I was home ( day surgery too) I was home in time for lunch actually. The allergic reaction I have to the tape was another story.

For me Rads has not bothered me at all...chemo disturbed me far worse....aside from the nuisance of going every day rads has been pretty easy...and over in 15 minutes.I have figured out what to take for the pain in my back from lying on the hard table and done arm stretches to lessen the discomfort from having my arms above my head for that long.

Oh Michelle - I am sorry first, that you have to have more chemo - what a PITA, and second, that you are having pain.  The taxanes are a beast!  How many do you have left?  Aren't you doing 4?  Today was my first Herceptin without chemo - felt weird to be hooked up to a bag receiving drugs through the port but still feeling happy!  I have been very fortunate with the fair-weather friend thing.  I don't have a lot of local friends because I have not lived here very long, but my long distance friends have been so supportive and so have my co-workers.  I have not been at work since Nov. 1, 2010 - still on a leave of absence, but they are always happy to see me even though since I have been gone it has been harder on them.  I know what you mean about having to pretend to be handling things well - a few of my friends have been having crises (crisises?) of their own and I have been trying to cheer them up - sometimes I am thinking geez, what is up with that?  But to each his own in terms of inner fortitude!  I am attending a family b-day party this weekend, out of town, and will be seeing all the in-laws for the first time since before diagnosis - I don't want to talk about BC all weekend either!  Let's send each other positive thoughts for people to just shut-up about it, ok?  Just know I will be thinking about you...

Hope you feel better soon Michelle, hope your weekend goes okay.

Special K, hope you have a nice weekend too.

I'm feeling ok, just still really exhausted. It's been almost one month since my last chemo, do you think thats normal I'm still exhausted? I know my 3 year old keeps me busy but I'm surprised I'm still so weak and tired. Surgery coming up soon so they'll check my bloodwork then. In the meantime I'm doing vitamins and walking.

Hope everyone is hanging in there

I hope this will encourage all of you just finishing chemo or getting close. Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since my last chemo.( I have just finished round 9 of rads.) I had taxotere for my last 3 rounds of chemo. I have found recovery from round 3 has been very slow and I was beginning to feel such despair after several weeks had gone by and I still could hardly walk or eat. I could hardly get from room to room as my legs were so weak  and really needed help but my primary helper...my mother ..fell and popped her artifical joint out and now could hardly walk herself. I told all my siblings and daughter to get over and help her these past few weeks...but oh how desperate and miserable I was trying to do anything on my own with little help. HOWEVER...this week I am starting to feel so much better and although legs and taste are only back about 80%, mentally I feel as though this misery is almost behind me. So, I understand how all of you are feeling...and hang in there a little longer as it will get better.

I'm glad to hear you are feeling better, Emily.  I just had my last TAC 6/13 and still have the weak lower legs and lots of numbness in my left hand. Those symptoms seem to increase on days 5-14 though, and it has only been 10 days.  I'm looking forward to seeing how I feel six weeks out. 

Charlottesmama- hang in there!  You'll get through it. I understand what you mean about having to put on the face so others can deal with it. I've had my husband cry on my shoulder about the possibility of being a widower - I try my best to get him to go talk to someone ELSE but he won't.  I don't want to hear that stuff while I'm trying to fight this!!!

 I do blame taxotere for most of my symptoms during chemo - I think it was the one that caused the muscle pain for me.  I relied a lot on oxycodone - I was just careful to try to limit it to about a week because I didn't want to get dependent. I was worried during chemo after about round 3 that my taxotere numbness and symptoms were going to get much worse but they hit a plateau through the rest of my treatment.

 Are you in upper state New York?  I've never heard of the town - but it is a really interesting name.  I visited the Adirondacks many years ago and just loved the area.

MAMAV, ONLY TWO MORE TO GO!!   

RUFFALO and others, yesterday the doc assistant asked me to continue taking my Vitamin D she gave me becuz I'm still very low, I had stopped for a while, and also to take B6, and some other concoction I'm less inclined to get.  Anyhow, she said these would reduce my pains and exhaustion.  I'm only to take the D once a week until I finish the bottle, which there's maybe 7 or 8 pills left in there, I think, so I'll also take the B with the D.  So, I suppose you, even tho you take vits, and others with similar lingering trouble could try to increase foods with those in them, or when your regular family doc or the onc doc draw blood and see what your vits and mineral levels look like, they can suggest what to do.

I have to go to the grocery store today, I think I can do it.  Store opens in two hours, so if I'm not well, husband said he would go.  But he will be taking over everything entirely in July, including bills, so I feel like I should push this one more time (we shop every two weeks), and also clear out the bills.  Legs hurt a lot today, probably from wandering all over that clinic for pre-chemo exams, gotta keep up wtih walking better. Until next time, love to all, GG

Dogeyed - sorry to see you were up in the middle of the night too!  Hate that!  I can't wait to be done!  2 more weeks!  God help me to make it through!