August 2011 chemo, anyone w/ me?!

Welcome Amy, TSB and michelle13!!!

TSB, wow you had a ton of lymph nodes removed, was it some from both sides??? I'm putting my order together for headcovers now....



Amy, your baby in your avatar is adorable!!!! Sometimes I wish my daughter (she's 8) was too young to understand this whole thing.....I still haven't told her about chemo and losing my hair....it's so hard to find the words and not show fear!!!



Michelle.... Check with your insurance for sure on any allowance for a wig.... really allows us to get a nicer one with less out of pocket. And than the scarves on headcovers.com are very reasonably priced too!!

Hi girls,

May I join as well? 'll be starting on August 24th - 4 DD of AC then 4 DD of Taxol. I was supposed to start beginning of June but plans have changed and I had the MX first.Leaving on a 2-week vacation next Saturday, so chemo is being delayed till the 24th which is not too bad as I still have some fluid around the scar. Can't say that I'm really exited, but glad to have such a great company on the journey.Good luck to everybody!

AJTaylor my heart goes out to you with a little one at home. I am thankful my kids are teenagers though my son has autism. Delighted you have an awesome hub and other supportive people. But you are right no one quite knows what it feels like to actually have to go through all of this. I am thankful for this forum.



Have all of your heard about CARINGBRIDGE.ORG? It is a website that allows people in your life to see how you are doing without bothering you and gives you a way of keeping people updated through the convenience of posting updates. They in turn can write you notes of encouragement. You can make it as private as you want. You can check me out at www.caringbridge.org/visit/sharonevans. You will have to register an e-mail and password for security to see my site. If you don't want to do that you can just visit caringbridge.org to see if it is right for you.



Someone also told me the American Cancer Society in some areas has connections to people who will clean your house, help with transportation, one on one mentoring with a cancer survivor etc. while you are going through treatment. Contact your local American Cancer Society to see what resources they have available. They also have a free workshop called Looking Good..it gives all kinds of beauty tips and free goodie bag for participants.



Thanks for listening.

Welcome to all of you who just joined our August group.  Michelle, thank you for stopping by with your words of encouragement.  That was very kind.  It's so wonderful to know that a year from now, we'll be ourselves again.

My first chemo is August 1st.  I wish I could postpone it for a couple more weeks so I could enjoy the summer a bit longer with my kids. But I am afraid that is not an option.  Anyone else on Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin this month? 

I will definitely check out caringbridge.org! Thank you musicalmom!

Ellen,

If I had a horse, I'd gallop away with you!  I have that same fight/flight feeling as well!  Ativan helps when it gets really bad.  My onc told me to do whatever I want, i.e. workout in the gym, however I'm kinda phobic about germs as well, especially in light of the chemo.  Who knows who sneezed or sweated on that cycle before I get on it?  I would ask your onc about the swimming.  I've read the lists on preparing for chemo, will have to reread cause I was not wholeheartedly sold on chemo at the time.  I'm definitely looking into the wigs, night caps, false eyelashes and eyebrows on headcovers.com.  Not sure what I'll need, but have my shopping cart full and ready to order when I do.

Edoyrest,

Wow you have been through so much all ready. It is no wonder you are tired. Barbara Delinsky the fiction writer and fellow BC survivor wrote a nice book called Uplift with oodles of advice from BC survivors on every relevant topic we face. Women sent her their tips and she put it all together in this book. If you have a kindle you can try a sample. I still have several weeks to go but I am feeling like I want to taste all my favorite foods, take walks on the beach, clean my house, try to get sleep (which is hard) and spend quality time with my family. Gosh that list makes me tired. Have a peaceful weekend and know we are rooting for all of you starting this coming week. If you have prayer requests send them my way. We love to pray.

Hi All, I have my next dr.s appt. Aug. 3rd I'm just waiting for the onco report to determine chemo, if the numbers are high aparently I will be starting in August then sometime in late feb or early Mar. I will be having a double mastecomy and then 5 years of tomoxifin... please excuse my spelling (it's never been a strong point for me) Anyway I am terrified of chemo I don't know exactly why but that not more surgery scares me... I'm 43 yrs of age very happily married with 3 beautiful daughters (16, 13 and 10) and my little sister has been proceedure partner is going to be away for the next oncology appt. so for 1st time I have to head in alone for results (I'm terrified of that too the last appt I went to alone the told me I had cancer) I was out of work when I was diagnosed and still am now and so my hubby has to work (we need the money too much for him to miss even 1 day of work at the moment - wow I guess thats enough of my life story but it feels good to write it out

Leighsa



I found the Uplift book worked well on Kindle. Another BC survivor gave me several of her favorite books. I was reading Suzanne Sommers and a new nutrition book highly recommended called Anti Cancer on the Kindle as well. I think if I am going back and forth and want to put sticky notes in and find stuff fast I might stick with a regular book which you can pass on to another sister in the future.



After onc meeting I think you have about 3 weeks before chemo can start, In my case I had to have a pre-port appt then have the port put in another day and also arrange for an heart test because the Herceptin can cause heart issues (Oh joy!). I also had something I really wanted to attend in Sept so they arranged the date knowing that I would be feeling better by the time the event came around. So there could be different factors. I was told it is better to wait a week after the port is put in because the area is tender.

Musicalmom & Madismommy - thanks for the worm welcome

leighsa - my onc. said up to 12 weeks after the surgery is still fine for the chemo waiting, but it depends on the actual characteristics of your cancer, my co-worker had to start 5 weeks after surgery because hers was spreading really fast and 15 of 17 nodes were positive. 

Madismommy - I would ask your onc. why he chose exactly that combination/duration of chemo, he/she should be able to give you the clear explanation. This is what I did with mine anyway... I'm kinda person who asks a lot and I really don't like doing something I don't understand. My onc. even said that after my appointment his tongue was hurting

I had my lumpectomy and SNB (left side) on July 13th and I'm still quite sore. The incisions themselves don't bother me at all, but areas to the left of each incision do. I also have a lot of discomfort along the ribs right were a bra hits. I have small dense breasts and the mass and therefore incision was below the nipple. The breast itself is still swollen (fullest it's been in years after BFing 5 kids) and the nipple is inverted a lot more then before the surgery. I also have the numbness in the back of my arm and axillary area- nervous to shave! The back of the arm also feels painful if it's touched, like TSB1, it feels sunburned. Another strange sensation I have is when I drink something cold. It feels like the ice cold fluid is filling my breast-it is so cold! It goes away after a few sips. I realize that nerves were cut and are regenerating, but it's such a weird sensation. Anyone else experience this?

I also get sharp/burning shooting sensations randomly that take breath away and make me cup my breast.