Is There A September 2011 Chemo Group?

You ladies all look fantastic!! Rockym - That's so cool that you were able to donate your hair. Mine is...er...was really thin and overprocessed. Not good for donation. Rae - You crack me up!!

I'm so glad we have this thread to laugh and cry together!! 

Has anyone discovered using on of those sticky-paper lint rollers on your head? My hair started falling out like gangbusters this morning and was making me crazy. I found a lint roller in my linen closet and went to town removing loose hair. I went through about 10 sheets this morning and another 6 this afternoon. It was a relief to not have them stuck to my shirt! 

Ah Kimberly, your story of dropping the hair on the collies noses was the best!  Now I can truly picture it in my head with the picture you've added of you and your pups!  That one keeps me smiling whenever I think of it.   

All of you look great in your pics...maybe someday I'll get a better self image....doubtful, but a girl can hope lol. 

Hope you all are having a great day.  Try to rest whenever you can, we obviously need it.  I've started taking catnaps whenever I get the chance since I don't sleep worth a damn at night. 

Hugs to all!

had a good day today,bought a new area rug for my living room,so i cleaned my living rm. it feels good getting something accomplished.

hopefully the worst is behind me until next treatment, if tomorrow is a good day maybe i'll clean my bedroom. it surely needs cleaning.

hey cjrt,where did you get the skullcap/hair combo, your daughter is so cute!

Okay ladies.... after an emotional day.... here are my after pics.

With the wig....

And without....

Kimberly1961: Love the pic.  I love your dogs.  I am a dog (animal period) lover.  I only have one cat but we just moved from a condo to a house so a dog is in our near future.  You look great.  I wish I could say go green bay but I I love I am a UGA and Falcons fan.  Nonetheless... love ya sista!!

Khedigio- your wig is adorable and you look great even without it!  Looking good!  Regarding the Ambien - I had a conversation with my nurse about my insomnia.  I explained that I prior to my diagnosis, I never took anything.  She gently told me that I was just going to have to get over that and accept that drugs could help me get through this.  It was a bit of a turning point for me.  Not sleeping really affects my outlook so I agreed to take Lorazepam.  It had helped me a bit, much as I hate to admit it.  Hang in there.

 Kimberly - you always make me smile.  Thanks for that.

 RC - I just discovered halos.  They really are more comfortable than my wig and I just might switch full time.

 My hair is buzzed but I am still shedding.  I keep thinking that there is a shorthaired white dog loose in my house and he sure sheds a lot. But I don't have a dog...

Take care.  Taxol #5 tomorrow for me.

Chemo grocery shopping before treatment tomorrow.  As I am standing there in all my bald glory, pondering the overhead signs, the stock boy decides to be helpful.  Can I help you?  "Why yes, I am looking for Milk of Magnesia".  He cocks his head like he's never heard of it.  "It's a laxative, or some people use it as an antacid."  What I should have said is that I plan to mix it with 6 ounces of prune juice little boy.  Care to come over for a drink some time?  I could have made him faint. See, you can have fun with this too, if you want.  Clean up in aisle 4.

Then I am at the checkout and I am acquainted with the checkout girl as she if a friend of the kids next door.  I said (girl's name), I saw a dent in your car.  Did you have an accident?  She says "No, that's the family car.  My dad drove his car into my mom's, so technically it's his fault."  Me and the guy behind me in line died laughing.  By the way, it was no small dent in the side. It was a good size T-bone.. How do they explain that to their insurance company?  Dad was pissed.

Going in for second chemo treatment tomorrow and a visit with MO.  I have to remember to ask him what the tumor marker numbers are.  I guess it slipped my mind when I was talking to the chemo nurses because maybe on some level I'm afraid to hear the number.  I hope the tumor marker goes down with chemo like it is supposed to..

Going for chemo tomorrow and if that same Indian lady is there that snubbed me in the elevator, I am going to pick a chair next to hers and sit in it just for fun to see if she gets up and runs away.  Hah.

Cooka - What are the plans for the RV trip?  Share please. 

RC - I loved your response to the bald pics.  Empowerment, strength, courage.  Yes indeed.  Don't be in such a rush for chemopause.  Fast menopause can be a big shocker with the hot flashes.  I had hysterectomy and oophorectomy at 45 due to excessive bleeding.  The hot flashes are not so sweet from hormone withdrawal.  It's a tradeoff of sort.  Still I am glad I had that 5 years ago because my cancer is highly estrogen positive per pathology.  I figure that was 5 years my cancer was not being fed by my ovaries and gave me 5 years of slowed growth of this.  I remember telling the OB/GYN, take the ovaries too, I'm probably close to menopause, one less cancer risk.  Hah again.  Wish I had known it was the breasts that needed taking off.  My sister achieved chemopause with her chemo more than 6 years ago.  She's still hot flashing and with her family or me will just pull her shirt up and stand in front of the fan. Be careful what you ask for, for you will surely get it. (Big Chill)

I CANNOT SLEEP - AGAIN - UGH.  I see an ambien in my future tonight. 

chris187: Yes I absolutely recommend this. Most of the women on here have either cut their hair very short in preparation for losing it or have buzzed it as soon as it started falling out.  I started losing my hair Monday night so it was shaved yesterday.  I literally gagged when my hair started falling out. It's kind of sickening to pull wads of ling strands out.  By buzzing it - at least I will hopefully hardly notice when the stubble falls out.  A much better alternative that the clumps of long strands.  I actually had it shaved at the hospital (at the wig place) but they did such a shotty job that my husband had to redo it when we got home.  He just used clippers - with no guard - and just buzzed my whole head.  If you don't have a pair you can get one at target or walmart for fairly cheap.  If your wife's hair has been falling out for a few days - chances are it will be done in a day or two. But there is also a chance that it might not all go. Go ahead and buzz it - it will make the next few days less traumatizing.  Good luck and good for you being there to read the blogs and do what you can to suppport her.  Let here know there are some great women on here who are are going through the same thing.  She can find lots of support and comfort here.  I know it has helped me to talk to people that can relate. 

PinkShirtNow: You're right.  I am going to have to give in and take the ambien.  I am up again and it SUCKS!!! GRRR... i don't know which one I would trade first - the heartburn or the insomnia.  Here I am yawning as I am typing this and I cannot sleep.  Your comment about the dog is hilarious. 
 

kimberly1961: You are so funny.  I would love to come over for a softening cocktail!! LOL.  Good luck tomorrow (errrr today rather) with your treatment. 

To all: Thanks for the nice comments about the pics.  I know it shouldn't matter what people think - but it does to me. I think it is a natural human instinct to care what you look like to others.  Knowing that other people think you look okay really does help.  I had my hair shaving party tonight - just my closest friends and family and they lifted me up so much.  I needed them around so I could get over the emotions faster - and it worked.  Friends, family, laughter, and wine are really where it's at!!

Rockym: I learned my lesson about spicy foods last night with buffalo wings. I won't be doing that again!

CJTR: She is too adorable!

Kate: I have to ditto what others have said about how great you look with and without your hair. The wig is really amazing too, it looks totally natural.

Kimberly: you look great too and you totally crack me up.

I wanted to share some good news. I still feel like crap but yesterday I went from having only my husband for support to it pooring out of the woodwork from people I don't even know! Through some issues with the kids (not too serious but they both struggled with the head shave and me finally looking sick) others who have had this rotten disease heard and came rallying. Food and cleaning help is on the way and they are forming a team for me. It is overwhelming but really so nice to feel that everthing isn't going to be all on my husband and kids.  

Kelliregi and Rockym - My doctor prescribed the Ativan to help me sleep and to deal with the anxiety.  I was waking up with my mind racing and couldn't get back to sleep.   I only take it at night because it makes me dizzy (and sleepy).  The added benefit is that it is also for nausea.  My doctor said that most of his patients are on it during chemo and they worry about weaning them off later.  If my insomnia gets worse, I will see about the Lunesta but I am "happy" with sleeping 5 hours a night plus a 2-hr nap in the afternoons.  It's more than I was sleeping before chemo due to menopause.  Cause I didn't take drugs and all....

 Well, I'm off to eat my breakfast before chemo.  I just wish everything didn't taste like cardboard.

OMG ladies, you are all rocking the bald!!!!  I will try to get some pics this weekend...granddaughter's birthday so there will be lots of cameras hanging around.  I have not been brave enough, and it has not been warm enough, to go out topless but temps are heating up and maybe I can try this weekend. 

Third of four tx's this Friday.  Rounding third, heading for home.  Think I will steal home, sliding head first, arm outstretched to tag the bag, charging the catcher. 

What an amazing group of brave women.  I am humbled by your courage.

lwarstler: That's awesome about your support. It feels really good to know that people are willing to rally behind you. 

Raebob:I tried from my desktop and it didn't work.  The 'before' picture that I posted was on facebook.  But - I didn't want to post my wig and "after" photo on facebook.  I uploaded them to kodak gallery (which is private - www.kodakgallery.com) and I got the URL from there using the same right click/properties method.  That worked too.  

I will talk to my onc next week at my second chemo treatment about lunesta.  I have taken the ambien 3 times and I do fall asleep easily but I am up at midnight, 3 am, etc.  Maybe the time released ones or lunesta will do better.  I am so exhausted today and I will take a nap... I just worry more so that with me not getting enough sleep it will enhance my SEs and the healing process.  I want to rest my body as much as it needs so its strong to fight. We shall see what the drs. say.  So far they have been willing to prescribe anything that makes my SEs better. 

Talk to you later....Kate

Rockym and Pinkshirt- It seems some places just give you an Ambien script as soon as they hear “cancer” while a nurse friend mentioned Ativan might also be helpful for me. I was planning to discuss it with my MO at my next appointment and now feel more armed with knowledge. Thanks for sharing what you have learned.

Shelley- Good luck today! Love your metaphor. I’m going to use it myself!

Kimberly- You totally crack me up! Hope today goes smoothly and uneventfully but that you still have some funny stories for us tonight.

Rae- Thanks about my daughter. She keeps me laughing. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the movie “What About Bob?” but I always think of that part “Take a vacation from your problems.” Hope your weekend away with your husband is wonderful and that you aren’t thinking about the “torture drip” (a description that I might have to steal too!).

lwarstler- Thank you, and awesome news about the outpouring of support. It’ll make your husband and kids feel so great too, not just in terms of the actual concrete stuff that they will get help with but the comfort in knowing how many people care.

Good luck to everyone going for treatments this week.