August 2011 chemo, anyone w/ me?!

I was suppose to be starting chemo this coming week. But unfortunately I need another surgery as I have some dead tissue around my mastectomy which my ps has to cut out. He may also have to take out my expander but Monday will tell all. So now my chemo a/c every other week for 4 times followed by neulasta then taxol every week for 12 times is suppose to start the first week in August. Providing that I heal well. My recovery from my mastectomy has gone well except for this bumb of needing another surgery. I had my port put in and have even used it because I needed to have a bone scan which thank g-d was clear. Using the port was so much better than having another IV. I really hate IV's this was just a little prick (so to speak) instead of the IV!

Hi Ellen,

I never thought I was less than healthy, but that I had been invaded.  Major difference in perspective.  Great perspective on chemo BTW.  Just so many options now and major help with side effects.

You will be just fine and should expect to kick BC's butt to the curb once and for all.  Just go for it.

Will be thinking of you as you go down this path.  BTW - I have a picture of me and one of my friends at the end of Month 4.  We were doing the Chilly Hilly, a late-winter cycling event.  True, it was a fair-weather undertaking, and I did the short course.  But I did it!!!

But I did it!!!!!

I do think that exercising throughtout treatment made a major difference.  I took the view that I might as well be dragging and exercised as opposed to just dragging.  I had six months, so was a long slog.  I did not miss one day of exercising in some form.  Some days, it took everything I had to do this, but I did it.

Anyway, good luck.  I am sure you will be just fine, and that BC will be no worse than one of life's major "o shit's".  That is my story, and almost 2 years later, I am still sticking to it.

Now, to find others to help you in this journey. - Claire

To all the ladies beginning this journey--I have finished chemo and radiation.  It is do-able and in my opinion worth every minute of it.  Here's wishing you all the best,

Judy

Ooh, ooh, can I join? I start on August 4th. Yep, I too was also "invaded."  I am doing 4 DD AC and 4 DD Taxol. Yippee! Oh, and radiation after that and then Tamox for 5 years. Right there with ya vtEllen!

Hello Ladies,

I had four cycles of chemo back from april thru june every three weeks, doc informed me i have to take four more i'm also taking rads... i start my chemo thursday again so not looking forward to it.

Mary hope you are feeling well for your daughter's wedding..

I will love to also hang with ya! lol. Together we will win the battle.

Damaris 

Hi ladies...I originally thought I was going to fall into July but my axillary node dissection set me back some....met with my onc. Today and looks like I'm starting mid-august.... 6 x either TAC, TC or a new clinical trial involving alvastin (IF I accept the trial and fall down that road, I'd fall under either of the 3 paths in the trial) so, here I am...



My port's already in...been almost 2 weeks with it. Now I need to complete my Muga scan and my chemo training AND read all about this clinical trial to decide if I'm going to go for it....I like the idea of possibly helping research and treatment for the future??? So, shooting for the week starting Aug.15 or Aug. 22....depends on my healing release from the BS....

Hi Madismommy! I also my chemo training last week and I felt like I already knew everything from all the research I had been doing. It was kind of a general class and I was the youngest one there and the only one with breast cancer. I asked the nurse who taught the class some specific questions after it was over but she couldn't really answer them fully because she doesn't typically work with breast cancer patients in her rotation and referred me to my MO's nurse. I mean, it was a decent class but I didn't feel like I learned anything. 

Good luck on deciding on the clinical trial! I hope you're healing welling from the AND and have a great day! 

Hi Kasi! I feel the same way when I sit with the doctors and nurses about stuff, I know the side effects already, the risks, the names, the benefits.....so I have a feeling my "training" won't do a whole lot. The good news is I met the main infusion nurse in passing yesterday and she was wonderful. That will help a lot!!! My hospital for treatment kind of segregates the different cancers by infusion stations.... So I'll have a good chance of having the same nurses, etc each time. That makes me happy!!!



The clinical trial, yes...I need to really read up on that drug avastin, there's a 33.33% I'll end up on that path and I'll get avastin every 3 weeks for a whole year in between the chemo and the tamoxifen .....that's a pretty big extra commitment. BUT, if it's really helpful for future women to maybe have it easier or not at all?

I am having my port placed on August 9, and start chemotherapy on August 10 at Dana Farber. I am doing 4 rounds of dense dose AC, then 4 of dense dose Taxol. Then Tamoxifen. I found out the day after my lumpectomy that I am BRCA1 positive, so will follow this up with prophylactic bilateral mastectomies and prophylactic hyst and oophrectomy. I am 43 and have two sons (10 and 12) and am blessed with a great husband, so I am throwing everything I can at this cancer to crush it!

Kasi, thank you for the welcome happy to join you guys.

Justina, My port is on my left side above my left breast and it does show, i have to watch what i wear because it shows the bump and the incission,  i don't heal that well..

Modismommy, I'm 41 diagnosed with tripple Negative and also no history of cancer in my family..

Ladies now i'm concern about my daughter she's 6 years old now. also have a son who's 12. Had to explain it to my son, my daughter asks questions, says she hates chemo because it maks Mommy sick.

xplain it to my son,

Hi Madismommy,

that's exactly why i had to explain it to my son/daughter hair loss and the  misinterpretation of what cancer is.  Lucky I spoke to them because at exactly two weeks my hair started falling out then i had to shave it all off.  My daughter now knows all about wigs and what chemo does to youi.  Explain it to her she will understand and things will be easier.

Good Luck,

Damaris

VtEllen, I'm sure you've seen this website but headcovers.com has a ton of scarves on there, and pretty reasonably priced??? I'm going to order a couple soon, I'm waiting until I know my true wig size b/c I'm going to order a second wig off there too....something FUN!!



And yes, that's how we are going to approach our daughter.... "yes, mommy HAD cancer but the surgeries got rid of it.....and now the medicine is going to make sure it doesn't come back" and reassure her that she'll always be fine, no matter what.....I was told that it is really important to reassure young kids that THEY will be ok.

I think I have heard that, taxol is given alone..... My "T" is the other one, taxotere I think??? And no one has said I have to have it separately???? I was told TAC or TC x 6..... I hope it's not 6 plus another 6?? Mine will be every 3 weeks....I'm banking on the 18 weeks....not 36, that would suck!!



Dense dose I think refers to the potency or strength of the drugs??? It seems like a lot of women that are doing 4 treatments are getting a dense dose? Although, I'm still learning so maybe I'm wrong?

All,

Just wanted to pop in and wish you all good luck.  I was an August 2010 chemo girl.  The ladies on the thread were the main reason I was able to get through it.  There were 3 other women who started the same day as me.  We still write and it was wonderful knowing that they knew exactly what I was going through.  The chemo (TCH) was easier than I thought.  Very little side effects for me other than some fatigue on the third/fourth day after chemo.  My hair is growing back now too.  It is kindof fun having short hair after years of very long hair.  I can get ready almost as quickly as my husband! 

If you have kids, know they are resilient.  Mine were 3 and 5 when I was diagnosed (at the age of 36) and they handled everything very well.  Lean on family and friends, have doctors you trust that you can ask questions, and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Before I started going through my 6 treatments (the fourth was the hardest for a few of us on the boards - I think because we were tired of it and it wasn't close enough to the last one) it felt like the end would never come.  However, the weeks flew by, there was a new routine, and when my last treatment came, I was so happy. 

Hang in there.  If anyone has questions, please feel free to PM me or ask here.  Count on each other, be there for each other, and you will all get through this and this time will soon be a small blip on the radar of your life 

Hugs,

Michelle

P.S. - check out the thread called "sucess stories" it helped me a lot on some of my down days!