Is There A September 2011 Chemo Group?

Karen, I wish I could stick my head in the sand until it was all over.  I think I can't stand another second of it.  I get it.  BIG HUGS.

Okay, I logged in just a minute ago and clicked on this thread and the first thing I saw was that ostrich staring at me.  I LOL'd for real. 

*hugs for all and to all a good weekend*

Oh ladies.... I am back from the dead.  It is day 4 after round number 3 and I am finally feeling strong enough to get up out of bed.  What a rough couple of days.  YUCK.  This round hit me harder than the first two for sure.  I hope it's just the "hump" treatment and not indicative of how 4, 5, and 6 are going to be. 

Kimberly: Thanks for the funny pictures.  The ostrich looking straight at me gave me a good laugh.  My OBGYN appointment went well.  He did an exam and an ultrasound just to make sure all was well.  Nothing looked abnormal.  So he said there were two medications he was considering for me, one called Lysteda and another one is basically a monthly shot that puts you into menopause for a month (comes with the hot flashes and everything - a little drastic for me but an option if my oncologist did not want me on Lysteeda).  He wanted to discuss both options with my oncologist to make sure.  He is such a great doctor.  He called me Thursday and last night to check in on me.  When I talked to him last night he sais he was going to put me on Lysteda.  The pharmacy just called to say my prescription was ready.  If I could have a cocktail right now I would cheers no more menstrual bleeding in my immediate future. Cannot wait. 

Michele: Welcome to the group.  None of us are glad to be here but since we have all been dealt this card, this is a fantastic group of women to go through it with.  You'll be amazed how much identifying with other women and not feeling alone can help.  Keep your chin up girl.... the odds are in all of our favor. Put on a strong fight and show this disease who is in control.  I am sorry you loss your mother and I can imagine how it seems like you are being dealt the same hand.  But things are different now.... you can beat this. 

Ladies ... YOU ARE ALL AMAZING, STRONG WOMEN!!

Although I have not jumped in with you on this thread before (too tired to set up the damn profile!), I have been "lurking" and feeling the sisterhood, so to speak.  I have my 4th treatment this coming Thursday.  I am getting 6 TAC, every three weeks, with the Neulasta shot the day after each treatment.  Then 5-7 wks of rads. 

My oldest sister is a 31 year survivor, but her middle daughter, my niece, passed away 4 years ago in September.  (She was Shelliks - you can still find her posts if you search her name.  She was an amazing person.)  She was BRCA1+.  I still have to go get that bloodwork done to see if I am BRCA+, if so then the ovaries have to go too.  I am 54, post menopausal. Had lumpectormy in July.  I wish it were not so, but since I have family who have walked this walk, I have a great support network which may be why it took me so long to post.  I just cannot use the word "lucky" to say I have an understanding network at home.   It totally blows. 

I am married (28 yrs), two sons age 24 & 19.  I applaud those of you with small children.  I do not know how you do it.   

My SE are miserable but there is always somebody else with so much worse.  I will whine about side effects later. 

What finally made me get off my butt and post along with you, is the November 1 discussion about feeling GUILTY for feeling sorry for ourselves.  If I had a nickel for every time somebody said to me "But your attitude is so great, I know you will get thru it."  How are you feeling today?  You look great!  But you think to yourself, they really don't get it unless they have walked in your shoes.  Let me see ... I miss my hair.  I miss my normal digestive system.  I would like to be able to drink ANYTHING that doesn't taste like ass.  I would LOVE a pepsi but it is not worth the consequences.  Beer, wine or Mexican food?  Forget it!  I would like to be able to sleep on my side.  I have no muscle tone because I am too exhausted to walk up and down the stairs, let alone go for a walk or go to the gym.  I would like to not have to sit down and rest after I take a shower.  I feel unattractive and definitely not sexy.   

And then you have a girlfriend whine to you about having a bad hair day.  Really?  You are coming to the bald chick with cancer to complain about your haircut?!?  LMAO!

For the record, my first treatment was the absolute WORST.  Even with the Claritin regimen, the bone pain from the Neulasta shot was dreadful.  Then I got a life threatening sinus infection 4 days after treatment which put me in isolation in the hospital for 4 nights. UGH.  I guess I picked up a bug between chemo and before the Neulasta shot built me back up.  Two days after I got out of the hospital I went back in an ambulance with chest pains.  Even with the clear MUGA scan prior to starting treatment I was terrified the Adriamycin had damaged my heart.  After tests, etc. it was determined that my potassium was low and the chest pains were caused by stress (no shortage of that going around!).  Now when I feel my chest tighten (usually when I am stressing about work) I pop 1/2 a Xanax and it fixes the problem.  Better living thru pharmaceuticals! 

Treatment 2 was a breeze compared to tx 1, but I was still dead on my feet the first week. then pretty good wks 2 & 3.  Two days after tx 3 I felt the sinus infection start up like tx 1, got put on augmentin which killed the infection  but wreaked havoc on my digestive track.  Week 3, I felt terrific, the best since I started treatments - but of course still tired, hungry for REAL food & bevs, etc.  I actually went clothes shopping today.  I don't get out much, so afraid of catching something.  I am lucky to be able to work from home.  I have been in to my office about 4x.  Everybody there goes in sick, it's like a frickin' petri dish - not someplace I want to be. 

Ok, enough whining.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for the comraderie, advice, mutual support, the commiseration and the laughs.  I wish for ALL OF US minimal SE, positive energy, and that we come out the other end of this cancer-free, healthy, happy and stronger for the battle.   GIRL POWER!

Hugs to you all,

Debbie

kayrem, how are you feeling? hope you are doing better!

khegidio, welcome back,missed you.

sarah, i feel for you hopefully you have turned the corner! yeah for the nausea/vomit free day.

jersey, so happy for you- only i more- may your se be few on the last one. good luck on returning to work. i have such respect for those of you who work or have children going thru this chemo. my hat is off to you all, uh well maybe i'll just give you a hug, i don't want to blind you with my shiny head!!!!

Hi Debbie and welcome to our beloved group. 

Belle--I do take the steroids day b4 day of and day after.  I am always hyper the day after chemo too.  Get things done around the house before the crash begins that afternoon.   This time the SE's seem less.  Maybe I have just gotten used to the bone pain???

Maggie

rj, that's great news!!!

well, today is bone pain day, went for long walk didn't help the pain but felt good getting exercise. took 2 extra-strength tylenol didn't help either. might have to break out the tylenol #3.

hope everyone is having a good day.

Not sure why but I am not getting near as much pain in the bones this time..kinda weird.  I have been taking Aleve every 6 hrs til I go to bed and it is very tolerable today.  The lack of taste has been the worst of it for #4 taxol for me.  I hope I do as well on the AC  Even took my daughter shopping and to lunch and had fun with her today.  Belle--I hope the taxol is friendlier to you than the Ac has been!

Maggie

RJ - That's such good news news about Colby, not just awake but talking.  I hope he has a speedy recovery from here on out.

Hope the rest of you ladies will be on upswing soon from last week's treatment.  I am just working on some desperately overdue housecleaning and chores, very slowly mind you.  My house is having chemo SE too. Once during chemo  I washed half my kitchen floor and left the other half dirty because I was too tired to finish. I really had to laugh that there was someone else out there besides me who was happy to get out of the shower so they could sit down!!  Welcome Debbie.

I do wish NanaDeb would resurface soon.

Belle - Good for you with the walking.  I envy you, need to work my endurance back up so that I can do the same.  This is perfect walking weather too, isn't it?  I was googling hormonal therapies this weekend (more cancer college), which is my next step after chemo, and found that Arimidex efficacy is not as good for overweight women.  I guess I have to get walking soon.  Hopefully the leg swelling will be better after chemo.  Right now my feet are like risen bread dough, ankles are thick, and calves are hard as rocks.  Guess I'll be sleeping with calves up on 3 pillows tonight.  I get mad if I wake up and find that I have kicked away the pillows during sleep but half the time I do.

Belle, Today I am taking the water pill the MO gave me at last visit to use if (and only if) the fluid retention got really bad.  I hope I get to piss the day away.  Makes me think of that song, can you hear me humming? "I get knocked down BUT I GET UP AGAIN, you're never going to keep me down.....Pissing the night away, pissing the night away..."  I think I am going to use that as my signature line, I like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oRLXQJqXdM

RJ awesome news about Colby!!  Sounds like he is on the road to recovery .

I am also "returning from the dead".  Seems like the bone/body aches were worse tx #3 for some reason.  I felt very flu like symptoms.  Seems like after that the nausea starts up, then the headache from anti-nausea meds.  So its like headache or nausea?  Everyone keeps saying "you're halfway done".  That doesn't really feel very reassuring!  I also loved the comment about resting after a shower!  That is so true, get something accomplished, then time for a nap!!!  Hope everyone has better week with few SE!!

Sara ♥

PinkShirt - Hand-foot syndrome?  Reaction to the Cremophor solvent for Taxol?  What does doctor say it is?

That's great news.  Yay.  I was afraid for you that it might be more serious.