Is There A September 2011 Chemo Group?

Thanks, Belle. Hope your labs come back good and you enjoy the nice day with your DIL.

NanaDeb, Maggie, and RJ - I feel like we should throw bon voyage parties before treatment.  Safe travels.  We will miss you.  Come back soon.  RJ, glad you have some subs trained to give you a little more wiggle room for taking off for treatment.

Belle - Fashion- challenged.  I love that description.  Me too.  I used to wear a dress every day to work.  Now that I work out of my home for the last few years, I haven't been out of my sweats or shorts except for a few occasions. Boobless, hairless, and wearing sweats is not a look anyone is going to want to copy any time soon.

CJRT - So sad to hear about your friend. Weird though, isn't it, two friends and both at such a young age.  The two of you are going to have a special bond now I would think.  I know I found it helpful to ask my sister a lot of things when I was diagnosed.  I'm sure you will be able to be a great help to her, being that little bit ahead of her on this journey.

SCPMadi - Congratulations on living in Canada.  There are times I get so disgusted with the way things are run living here that I think "That's it....I'm moving to Canada!"  On the subject of BRCA, I did not check into it because my sister had already tested negative, I have no kids, my uterus and ovaries were already out, and I was having both breasts taken off anyway.  Obviously, there was no need for me to check BRCA.  They used to suggest testing for people based on family history, age of onset, and other risk factors.  I think now they are seeing more of a connection between the triple negative cancers and it is becoming more routine to test that subset too.  I sure don't know what to make of "undeterminable" aspect of your pathology.  Maybe if you gave the whole statement surrounding that it would make more sense.

For me, tonight my sister is dragging me to some breast cancer financial planning seminar I guess you'd call it.  I guess it is her way of nagging me to make sure I have some funeral arrangements planned and paid for, will in order, POA, so on and so forth.  What fun this is going to be.  Can't freaking wait.

I was at the grocery store after labwork and the lady who was packing my groceries sneezed in her hand and then packed all my groceries.  Sigh.  Thank god my white count is back up per the labs.  Can't live in a bubble I guess.  I would like a t-shirt that says "I'm on chemo, don't sneeze on me"  "Keep your snot to yourself."  I don't know how people with kids or working with kids do it without being sick all the time.

Belle - About double mastectomy, the pain was not too bad.  Actually I think chemo has been  worse for knocking me down pain-wise and fatigue-wise, although I was napping a lot after surgery too.  I did have 4 drains that were in forever, 5+ weeks, and these limitations on activity that were hard to live with.  I sure hated those drains hanging off me.  At least it's cooler now and you can hide them under heavier clothing than I could.  BS kept telling me to limit my movement and activity because the drainage wasn't slowing down.  I was talking with my hands in their office and they were exasperated with me "See what you're doing? Don't do that."  Oy.  I should say that my drains were in for an unusually long time, way longer than most people.  Chances are good that you would not have the same problem.  I also did not have reconstruction, so had less pain than the ladies with flaps or tissue expanders, so your mileage may vary on the pain thing.

Maggie - Glad you're brother-in-law is OK.  It's OK to feel resentful at getting cancer when you have been taking care of yourself.  Although she never said it out loud, I'm sure it bothered my sister when she got breast cancer and I had way more risk factors than she did.  In the long run, despite my smoking, drinking, lack of children, I was diagnosed at the same age as her.  She also resented getting cancer before 50 when our parents smoked and drank heavily and lived to their late 60s and early 70s.  The way she said it was "I expected to get at least as much time as them, and probably more."  I sometimes wonder now if mom would have gotten cancer if she had been using the hormones around menopause that my sister and I did.  Well, not something we are ever going to know now is it?

Have a good day ladies

Good afternoon everyone hope you are all doing well today.

LWarstler- Thank-you for sharing the info about why they could not determine you Cancer type. It always helps to get a explaination. I am glad you came back negative, I am hoping I will be as well when I am tested in Nov. You are right it will give me an idea of what I would like to do in the future if I am positive. 

 I am still laying low fighting off a teribble sinus cold. I went to the Doc today just to make sure it was not more than a cold and he said it was not. Checked my chest said I had a red throat and told me to rest. The hard part is knowing that just as I start to fight it off I will be back in for round three. I did ask about supplements and he confirmed I should not take VIT C or any OTC supplements like Cold FX as they often thin blood. So I am on my own to fight it off. I can take the OTC cold meds at least they help me to sleep. 

I was wondering if anyone had had any pains in thier lumpectomy surical site. I have been experencing some sharp pains or sometimes a throbing around my SNB scar and up into my armpit. I am super paraniod right now that it is more than just post surical pain. Onc. checked the breast at last appoint. and said she felt no lumps and was confident it was proably nerve pain I was feeling. I do have numbness in my bicep which has been there since the surgery.  I have such high anxiety about it and wonder if I will ever be able to not worry about every ache and pain. 

RJ - I think you have a better day on chemo day than most of us have on regular days.  Rock on sister.

Any advice on dealing with the heartburn?  Not enjoying this part at all!

UGH!  third time is not the charm for me.  Wed was my third taxol tx and today I have numbness in my hands and feet   I also got a call from the radiation onc to let me know that now my insurance may not cover the radiation because they consider the treatment at the cancer center as being done in a doc's office and my ins does not cover it there.  The problem is that none of the hospitals in the area do radiation treatments and it is only done at the few cancer centers in town so I am going to have to call them on Monday to find out if there is a hospital nearby that does the rad tx's  May be having to travel a little to get it covered.  Such a pain in the butt.  Tucking myself in for the weekend of SE's and can't wait til Monday the turn around day!

Have a great weekend all

Maggie

PinkShirtNow, I use Walmart's version of Zantac.  It was way cheep and I think it lasted me about 12 hours like it says.  I also gargle with a mixture of baking soda and salt.  Anything icy and cold feels great since my esophagus must be raw too.  The heartburn and mouth situation has been the worst of this whole situation.  I'm now on day 12 of tx #2 and I think I am finally getting some of my taste buds back.

CJRT - My sister at one point also had to have a change in treatment because of side effects.  She is HER2+ and they wanted her to be on 12 months of Herceptin but she could only tolerate 7 months because she developed cardiac side effects (which thankfully corrected once she was off). I think she was very disappointed at that time, but here she is 6 years later and still NED.  Whoohoo!!!  I should mention that she started at IIIA.

Maggie - I hate your insurance, whoever they are.

CJRT - Sorry.  I know nobody wants their chemo interrupted.  No one wants their cheese moved.  No one wants any of this, period. 

Sorry I  haven't been posting but I have been so dowwwwnnnnn lately, since my 2nd infusion on Oct 7th.  I actually felt better physically after this one, but not mentally.  I don't know if it's the bald thing sinking in...the reality of it, or if I'm having some kind of invisible PMS.  I was due a few days ago, and although I never got it, i did get cramps and FEEL like I was gonna get it. Does anyone know if thats normal? My onc did tell me it would stop but I didn;t expect to have symptoms.

And the hair thing, I can barely look in the mirror. I feel like, why bother to put makeup on when no matter what I do I will still look awful.  The wig is hot and itchy and I hate the feeling of hats and scarves (I know I am a Negative Nellie and I'm sorry).  Luckily, I'm not working right now...but I have to go back after Thanksgiving (no more sick days) and I know I will still look be bald by then and will have to wear the wig every day. And who even knows if I will feel better by then.

All I really wanna do is hide out in my house.....anyone else feel like that? I just wish I could blink and have this whole thing over with.  Also, I've gained about 5 lbs since I started, I guess it's alll the comfort food after losing a bit of weight after first round.  But the weight is just making me feel worse. I need help to try and stay positive.  

oh and Jersey...I got my period just after my last treatment.  I was shocked because I thought it would be gone.  It was a bad one too!

Maggie

jersey, i'm sorry you are so down, we understand. the physical se have been milder for me too,this go round but have dragged on longer. 1st treatment wk.  i was sicker than a dog 1st wk, felt better the 2nd wk. this time i am still having bad days esp today so tired of it already.

now about the headcovering, have you been to the tlc website,they have kerchiefs i got a black on white falling leaves/leaf one so comfy and looks good. i just ordered more a camel one, wh on black,and another design paisley. they have a lightly padded headband so no gaps, have ties sort like an apron, very easy to put on. you can turn them so the knot/tail is the side. you can also get a halo to wear under it so it looks like u have hair. i didn't but i don't work. they have several different kerchiefs to choose from, $16 apiece if you buy 2or more $ 15. do u have an exercise dvd,maybe doing it will or walking will help stave off the lbs and improve your mood of course this comes from someone who has hardly moved off the couch, no energy this go round.

khegidio, are you getting a double masectomy?

khegidio, are u doing reconstruction or have u decided yet,just curious because if my brca comes back positive, i'll be getting double masectomy,too. trying to think ahead so i'm more prepared this time. even if i have to go that route i'm pretty sure i will have to do radiation because of my chest wall that might limit or eliminate me getting reconstruction.

khegidio, i think you are making the right decision. if you don't mind ,let us/me know what the ps say.