Has anyone started a Dec 2011 group?

Hey ladies!!  #3 AC done, and the extra antibiotics are carrying me through.  No missed school since treatment day last Tuesday. Whoo-hooo!!

Staying hydrated was getting harder because everything tastes like nasty bathwater(g.ale), or it's too strong(root beer), or feels warm in my mouth (milk) even though it's not.  I tried ice water with lemon juice and a little sugar, but the acid was causing it's own issues.  I am now a fan of cold-brewed green tea with mint.  I can taste the mint, add a little sugar and it's not bitter, some ice, but not too much.  I can actually get through a half gallon in a day of this stuff.  Till the next treatment changes everything.

Hooray, I can still taste pizza, chocolate and mint.  If I lose those flavors, I'm done for.

Today is my son's 25th birthday and he has been the best kid you could ever ask for.  His lady, too, has been a sweetheart through all this.  They just show up at the end of the day when I am toast on the couch from school and hang with me.  She has cooked dinner a few times for me and just been there.  They have went with me for my treatments and when I had to go in with low counts.  He IS the man, and this really relieves dad's stress of "leaving me alone."  Somehow, this will work out.

So, today I officially finished telling all 23 classes that I see about "why are you wearing that hat?"  Kids can so make you laugh and get you through some of the worst SH--- imaginable.  "You look like my Uncle Frank, except he's NEVER getting his hair back."  Because of my treatment days and other things some kids I hadn't seen since December.  The general consensus is that if my hair comes back curly and purple," that would really be something!!" 

We're thinking about getting away for a few days over our February Break.  Boy, we need this.  Hope I'm not so atypical that the T kicks my A-- after the AC wasn't SO bad. Crossing the fingers. 

Kelly - I'm glad you're feeling a little better. It's wonderful that you have such a good support network. Wishing for the best for you on those scans.

Rachelslife - Sounds like your kids are really handling it well, and that's so important. Kids can be so much more resilient than we expect. Just keep looking ahead to when you can be the mom you want to be, and let them know that you're looking forward to those better days.

tiedyemom - Happy birthday! I really hope you were able to enjoy it.

Sno - Your students sound great. Purple, curly hair! Good luck planning that vacation. I hope the T takes it easy on you. And have you tried distilled water? A friend of mine who drinks it for health reasons let me try some, and it is absolutely tasteless. Since it doesn't have any minerals in it, maybe you could drink it without any adverse taste. Usually they discourage drinking it because you're not getting minerals that you need, but if you need to stay hydrated, that's more important. Good luck on getting those taste buds back. I'm still swearing by the olive oil....

I had a good support group meeting this evening - Young Survival Coalition. I also spent the whole day wearing one of two hats I picked up yesterday (I got it at a Look Good Feel Better program) and loved it. Trying to get things done at work before Thursday's tx #3. 

Thanks for the water tip Rachel.  Only have used distilled water before for the iron and for the fake fish tank.  Worth a try and the fish need more water anyway.

No mouth sores, sorry ladies to you that have them.  But the cracks on the corner of my mouth are starting to get my goat.  

Good night to all!!  Sometime soon we'll sleep through the night. 

Start Taxol tomorrow. About one hour before I start 20mg's of steroids...yikes! Expect to be up all night so I've got lots of DVD's ready.



Happy thoughts to all.

Good Luck to all tomorrow!!

Mardibra and Gator - I'll be thinking of you guys!

Mom came down today and made dinner for me. I'll be heading to bed soon. I've got my chemo back ready, but I need to pull a few things together. I brought my computer last time but didn't use it - maybe I'll post something tomorrow. When I do the Taxotere, though, I'm icing my hands, so it makes it tough to read and impossible to type - and when I have the A, it's done by syringe, and my nurse is so great, so I'd feel bad during those 20 minutes to have my nose in a book. But we'll see. The bad news is, I didn't finish my new radio show today - which is supposed to debut Saturday. Hopefully I'll be at least so-so Friday so I can get in and finish things up in the afternoon after sleeping in. 

Hello all.....heard my name mentioned.  By the way, good luck to the ladies visiting the chair today, my thoughts are with you.

Rachel and Markat - I chew on ice during my Taxotere but I don't ice my nails.  My MO kind of poo poo'd it and I'm usually already cold enough in the chair.  I try to lift my spirits on treatment day by dressing snazzy, being a little bit of a fashionista and to tell you the truth, bagged frozen peas don't go with my boots!  LOL  Anyway, I haven't noticed any issues with my nails after having 3 TCH.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed it stays that way.

I'm not having any nail issues (knock on wood). I'm not icing or anything, but have (asked my MO and she said go ahead, if you feel like it) had two mani pedi's so far during my treatment. I was sure to explain to the manicurist about the chemo, and they knew the whole "no cutting, everything very sterile" routine. Also, had them do a "newer" technique on my fingernails called shellaque...it's basically 7 coats of polish, over my own nails, leaving them "hard as nails".,

Chemo with children? Don't know how you do it!



Sitting in the "chair" now getting my first Taxol tx. Steroids kept m up last night but the Benedryl they ar giving me now is making me sleepy. Time for a nap.



Gator - good luck today !

Mardibra - I am in the chair as we type. Good luck! I am so jacked up on o. These steroids it is crazy. I am just getting the premeds right now.

Thanks heather....I am so proud of my girls.  They are terrific women!  It's tough when you are the step parent and really have no say....I do alot of tongue-biting!

Chemo with children is hard (mine are 7,9 and 16), getting them ready and to school, homework, basketball, feeding them, they still need to eat, even if you don't..., but, for me, it's also made it easier. They're great for taking your mind off of everything BC and for just cuddling up and relaxing. I'm more sad on Monday morning when they go to school. That's new for me, previously, I was like "thank god they have school tomorrow", now I miss them more during the day, especially with having worked much more from home now than going into my office, where I swear someone has the swine flu every time I go in.

Hope everyone in the chair today feels great tonight and gets a good night sleep. Thinking about you all. Joyce

Vaniex- yes, I definitely have more blurry vision. Not enough to complain to my MO about, I even forgot to mention it to her. But remember reading on BCO about vision problems with chemo. Ive read of some women with a lot of "dry eye" problems and some with "watery eyes".

Mardibra, so glad it went well for you today. I hope you continue to feel well.



Benedryl makes my heart racy normally, along with steroids I can only imagine.



Do you have to continue to take steroids?



Sorry for all the questions!



Laura

Mardibra - glad things went well today and hope it continues.

Vanlex - My vision is worse since I started chemo and my eye doctor said that is normal.