Is there a July 2011 group?

Hi love to run,



My experience parallels yours pretty closely.   First of 4 TC on July 20th, followed bu Neulasta shot the next day.  First three days I felt pretty normal, but on Saturday and Sunday I felt achy like I had the flu and spend most of the day In bed.  My oncologist said could be from the shot and might consider reducing the dose next time.  By Monday, back at work and aside from the horrible taste and the fact that NOTHING tasted good, I could almost forget I was on chemo.  I'm not a runner but have Been walking about a mile or so every day.  Hair is still there...

You've motivated me to try pushing myself more.  Will be thinking of you  on Aug 10th.

To everyone having chemo this week:  Good luck this week! I'll be in the big chair for #2 on Thursday and am hoping I have a good run this go around. I did well on #1 until i stopped taking the Zofran too early. I won't make that mistake again.   May we all have few SE, good sleep, good blood counts, and good nurses.

To everyone on a recovery week: Enjoy your time and may it be filled with restful and/or productive days.

Regarding exercise: Has anyone started a specific program? I'm getting sort of bored walking, but I've not found a swimsuit (or a waterproof foob) I like yet. Of course, I've stopped walking the last few days and opted to pack boxes instead. This week is moving week--thank goodness for awesome co-workers.

To those who have experienced loss or other stresses recently I recommend the book Peace is Every Step. One need not be Buddhist to enjoy the wisdom found within. My mantra for years has been "Breathing in I calm my body, breathing out I smile." Try it--can you do it without smiling!?!

KHS113- you inspired me. I had bought a couple of cotton caps but I can't imgine sleeping in them. They are just too snug. So after your post I went to joannes and bought some super soft fleece (I can't knit... Grandmother taught me when I was 10 but can't remember any of it). If I get lucky, I will have a hat. If I am really lucky, it won't make me laugh too hard LOL I'll let you know ... If it actually turns out good, I will have enough fabric to make more to share.



Ana, thanks for the suggestion for bentyl. I will definitely ask.



To all a good week!

To all of us courageous warriors, whether our SE's are mild or horrible, whether we exercise or not, we are all strong women that I am inspired by everyday.  We all cope and survive this fight in our own ways and it is wonderful to really share what we are all going through because no one really understands unless they have been there.  While I have had this burst of energy or normalcy and can get out there and run and bike, I know to be careful and not push myself to a setback.  I have always believed that any amount of exercise or movement can help physically and emotionally.  It is hard to stay strong all of the time not just for ourselves but for our families and it is ok to have days where we are not superwomen.  My husband tells me that my red cape is flying high with everything I am doing on top of fighting cancer.  My response is that cancer is not what I chose to do or fight, but since I have been called out to do so, it is going to get one heck of a fight.  We are all in the same boat and that is comforting.  We are not alone in our journeys and I really appreciate everyone's abiltiy to share the good and the bad of their experiences and how we can help eachother through it. Hugs and Love to all of you warriors!

lovetorun - Well put by both you and your husband.

About the exercise, I ordered an exercise bike yesterday. Kind of wish I had done that a month ago. There is a gym I have gone to, but I just have not wanted to do that. I used to go in the morning and then shower and get ready for work there. I'm now feeling shy about my new physical peculiarities, so that does not appeal. And walking? It is just toooooo darn hot here. So I am hoping this gives me a new option during the rest of chemo and the exchange surgery.

Random news fact below that I saw this morning - since we need to be careful when white counts are down. I ate some fruit last time - just thick skinned that I could wash and peel, but this makes me wonder about even that. My healthy brother got salmonella from eggs last summer and was in the hospital for four days. Scary stuff.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 23, 2011 - Agromod Produce, Inc. of McAllen, Texas is recalling all Papayas, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Best wishes to those having tx this week and those recovering. If you're on a "good" week, then get out there and live some life :-)

As for the exercise...I had a gym membership that I used 3-4 days a week for the last year + but after I started chemo they were nice enough to put it on hold for 6 months. I am glad now that I did that, I only feel like doing the gym after 10-12 days of chemo and that's when my counts are way down (day 14 was my lowest last time) so really shouldn't be at a gym til probably day 16 or so and that only gives me like 5 days to work out every 3 weeks which I would only do 2-3 days of that, not 5 straight. And........germs at the gym are probably pretty high to begin with, it sucks but I had to put that on hold. 

Hi Ladies- Scarlet is doing well and seems to be her old puppy self.  It made for a long weekend and a lot of stress but it helped me get trhough the SE's early, I'm feeling good and ready to fight the world.  For those of you who have heartburn, Prilosec has done wonders for me, taken 2 days before treatment and then for up to a week after.  My WBC was sure high so no neulasta, YEAH!  Now if I could just get rid of all the outside personal s**t! I might be able to get through this.  Just way to much stress in the house.  Does anyone with you had a place to runaway to? where we could sit and relax and not have to worry about anyone but ourselves?  Selfish I know but I can wish it sometimes right?

sending good wishes to all that have treatments this week, heres to kicking chemo and cancer!

Lovetorun:  Thanks for the great boost in that post!  Made my day.

Crazy busy day today.  My onc wanted to see me about the bruising that began to appear on Saturday night around my port.  Seems my warfarin is still doing weird things with my INR, which was 3.3, thus the bruising and hematoma and the pain that goes with that.  I was glad that nothing was infected. In my chart now a reminder that when they "unhook" me they should apply pressure for a while to ensure that the site doesn't start a bleed again.  Also spoke to my MD about the warfarin doses.  It was so much easier on Coumadin. The generic is a pain -- can't get it to the right spot.

From the oncologist's office I went to my Look Good Feel Better seminar at  the local hospital and got a huge bag of free makeup two hours of consultations with a cosmotologist.  Very helpful, and a lot of fun.  I'm going to start playing around with makeup more since I'll have less to do with my hair.  Also learned how to do some interesting things with scarves and how to make a turban with a T-shirt.  Fun stuff on a hot humid day.

From the workshop I went to my hairdresser's house and she gave me my pixie haircut. Haven't had one of those since I was a little girl (ages and ages and ages ago. LOL) and I really like it.  It's very liberating.  If it sheds more, I'll go back and she'll buzz it for me.  And she wouldn't take a penny from me either.  I'm going to have to knit her something special for Christmas.  She's a doll.

The weather turned as I left to go home and what I first thought was just a nasty thunderstorm was a hailstorm - it sounded like my car was being hit by machine gun fire.  And since my A/C is on the fritz and I had the windows opened, my driving arm was getting pelted by hail the size of dimes too. Strange weather.

Anyone here develop an acne-like facial rash on Taxol, or herceptin? Or maybe it's the dexamethasone. We're working to cut that last one down as low as we can--cutting it in half eliminated the bad headaches and body aches I had after the first chemo.  I was assured the breakout would be temporary.   I managed to get through adolescence without acne, it would suck to have to deal with it now.    But this too shall pass.

I hope everyone had or is having a good day with minimal SE and lots of good thoughts.

Valbee and dexxy AMEN to that! My lord, I am so sick of hearing of such trivial crap right now like I don't have enough on my plate...... and the journey continues!! 

Valbee, dexxy, rabbit: I actually had a previous co-worker write to me this week and tell me that she was so glad that I am not publicizing this to the work world because she is very conservative with sharing this kind of info. She said that she had a sister-in-law who went through this with "no side-effects". That was the kicker! I have never heard anyone say that someone could go through chemo with no side effects. I have not managed to answer that note yet. 

I do understand keeping the drama of it to myself as I have seen some of the repercussions of sharing too much, but I am glad that my boss knows. I have not said anything else about it since I told her, but at least she knows what I am working through.

J Bug-thank you for your input about soy. I completely forgot about soy protein and estrogen relationship. Just before I was diagnosed I was had changed to a high protein/ carb moderate diet. I lost 25 pounds and felt pretty good. But on a lazy day or busy day, I would replace a meal with a protein bar. I have Adkins and Special K... All soy protein. Another question for the doctor Wednesday



I am a little more disturbed about the hair loss than I thought I would be. I cut it shorter than it has been since I was an infant. I thought that would get me in the right frame of mind to let it go. I guess with the other SE, we can suffer in "silence" but the hair issue we have to share with the world. I am a loner at heart. I went to the hospital by myself, sat in the waiting room before surgery by my self, i went home to an empty house (more or less) after surgery, I go to and from chemotherapy by my self, and later feel kind of crappy by myself. I do have a sister and mother locally and my kids live with me (i send them to their dads) but prefer being alone when I am going through stuff. I don't think I can be bald by myself. Now that it is starting to shed pretty good, I am forced to face this personality defect... Oh well sharing and thinking out loud.


Paintingmywaythru- wow, how stressful! Hugs to you and wishing you a peaceful SE free week!

Cheers to strong women who manage to rise above the challenges.

Paintingmywaythru so glad you caught them before they started infusing you! At least the onco got right back to you and handled it properly, what a nightmare! Hopefully it all goes smoothly from here on out. 

J-Bug, that's BS, no side effects, NONE? NO WAY I don't believe it....I have never heard of that and actually would of found that pretty insulting if someone had said that to me. How dare anyone think they "know" how I should or do feel during this, the SEs, emotions or any of that. You are handling it much better than I would, but I understand you have to do what you have to do. 

Izzy, you may find that having someone with you is comforting.  I've never been much of a loner so I can't really understand it that well, I do know when I'm really not feeling well I like to be alone, but surgery, chemo, times like that, I like to have someone with me.  I am very much like you about the hair, I've posted this many times in this thread, but my hair was to my waist most of my life, I found cutting to to the shoulders for a few weeks, then a pixie, then the big shave, was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be, hopefully you find the same! 

I did a low carb low sugar diet for 6+ months before dx and lost about the same, felt much better, kept it off, but my cholesterol went haywire and I got off it. I still try to eat low sugar and carbs but not to that extreme, I was a fan of the Adkins bars and stuff too at that time.

khs113, good luck tomorrow with the port, it's pretty quick and easy just soreness for a while after, I'll be thinking of you

hugs to all! 

Izy325; The hair has been one of the hardest parts for me too. I have a wig that looks very much like my old hair which helps. I know that people know something is different though when I stop into work because they always do a double take and some have not quite recognized me at first glance.

I, too, find that I gain my energy from rest and alone time. And, as much as I thrive on that, I have had to watch doing too much of that so that I don't get totally sucked into my sad little world. I have always enjoyed my time alone or just with my husband or children. It takes so much more energy to have too much social going on. But, my son's psychiatrist told me one time that that is the classic definition of someone who is introverted. The extroverted personality thrives and finds their energy within more of a social world. Finding a balance and watching for what you need is key.

I meant to say 7 more days of feeling good hopefully, not sure if it came across the right way

Jaime - sorry to hear you feel down sometimes and that you are having trouble sleeping.  Try some herb tea - like camomille or verveine (verbena) for getting into a restful mood.  Try not to talk about BC or the treatments in the evening.  Watch a silly movie, or part of one, before bed.  I made the mistake several times of ruminating about the treatment and SEs while in bed, and ended up crying myself to sleep - bad idea.  Don't forget to breathe deeply when you feel panicky or scared.  My heart races a lot, so I close my eyes and breathe in on two; out on four to calm down.