April 2011 chemo

My 3 year date was Jan 9th. I feel so fortunate to be here. My brother only lived 11 months after his diagnosis. A very sobering reality in my own good fortune.

Yesterday was my one year cancerversary!

It was also the first day I had a real hairstyle that could (if you squinted) have passed for intentional.

I had both rads AND chemo yesterday on my cancerversary, btw, so it's not over yet.

But this time last year I seriously didn't know if I would even be still alive come this time 2012.

And here we are! Alive and kicking!

Hooray us!

Congratulations, Windlass, and to you, too, Merilee!  So glad you're both here. 

I'm up in Maine celebrating the end of my cancer treatments and my stepdad's 85th birthday with my family.  Having a great time.  Feeling really good.  We had 19 of us here on Saturday for a big celebration.  My family (the ones who were here and many more who weren't here) surprised me with a check to cover my insurance deductible.....and then some!  I still cry when I think about it.  (My deductible is $5200, so you can imagine how shocked I was!)  So lucky to have such an amazing family.

I have to start Femara next week.  Not looking forward to it.  Hoping for no side effects.

Thanks, Windlass!  Glad radiation is almost over for you.  Hope the burns weren't too bad.  My burns were pretty terrible and took about 3 weeks to heal, but they're completely healed now.

Did anyone have a problem with watery eyes from chemo?  I finished chemo on 9/28, and my eyes are still driving me crazy -- watering like crazy ALL the time.  My onco says it's actually a "dry eye" problem that is causing the tears to run down my cheeks constantly (he explained it to me and it made sense at the time, but I can't remember his explanation; he also said it would get better with time, but it sure is taking forever).  He suggested using eye drops, such as Refresh, but they don't help at all.  Just wondered if anybody else had the same problem. 

Wow, six days of silence on this board! I have sort of been wanting to forget all about cancer, chemo, this whole year of misery, and this website too, frankly.
But the cool thing is my updated signature below:

 |
 |
 |
 |
V

NOTE: "RADS" are now in the Completed section. YAY!!!

Silence means we are all doing well! Windlass-you made it! Yipp, let the healing begin!

Really?  They said that was the low end of normal.  I think the recommendations are if you go below 50 or EF decreases by 15%, well mine was 68 to start, and now it's 50, so I get to stay on for now, but have to go back in 2 months (instead of 3) and check on it.  What did yours go down to?

Nice to hear from you, Sarah! Glad your hair is coming back. What is your secret product?

Profbee: My ejection fraction started at 52, but they squinted and re-did the test and recorded it at 55 a week later. Last time they tested it, it had gone up to 60! I attribute it to the Hawthorn supplement I am taking. It's very effective at improving heart function.

Hi, Sarah!  I've been reluctant to try any kind of supplement at all--so paranoid about what I'm putting in my body these days.  BUT...I may need to check on that hair stuff!  And the Hawthorn, Windlass!  I asked my doc about CoQ10...she said it can't hurt so go ahead and try it.  

Suzy, I'm on Herceptin b/c I'm HER2+.  Herceptin can damage the heart--but it's pretty reversible.  The EF is the amount of blood your left ventricle pumps out from what I understand.  So, if it goes down, you huff and puff, and your feet can swell...ugh.  They test it with an echocardiogram (not just the EKG, the one that's like a sonogram of your heart).  Just another thing for them to make me nuts about.  

Sorry about the watery eyes.  I wear contacts, so that would drive me CRAZY!!!!  I feel like my glasses don't really "go" with my bald look, and I'm hoping I'll soon have some hair, so I'm not running out to get new glasses.  LOL.  

Good luck on the Femara.  Where in Maine did you go?  We're right near the Maine/NH border.   

Thanks for the info, Profbee.  I guess maybe the EF problem isn't a side effect with Femara.  I'll ask my onco at next visit in March.  He never mentioned it before, so I'm guessing it's not an issue.  We were in Stockton Springs, Maine where my parents live.  My sister and I were pretty close to your area.  We flew into Manchester (NH) on 1/11 and then drove to Stockton Springs.  Only problem was that we got stuck in a blizzard (1/12) and had to spend the night in Portland, ME because it was like a white out.  Couldn't see the road, and there were very few plows out.  It was really dangerous so we got a room for the night.  Anyway, I love New England -- very beautiful, especially in the summer.....LOL...

Merilee -- glad your hair is coming back.  Your description is funny.  Interesting to have a whole new color.  Mine is much darker, too, but I think it's more of a dark gray mixed with some light gray, which I don't think I'll like.  Have to wait for it to get a bit longer.  I'm still wearing bandanas; it's coming in very slowly.

Hey Suzy.  Go to your name up top, then edit profile, then scroll down to "signature."  

Mer, the Herceptin infusions are once every 3 weeks for a year.  ugh. 

Congrats on finishing treatments, Bernie Ellen!  I think I will be doing the hair coloring, too.  Mine is coming in dark gray mixed with some light gray.  Just not ready for gray yet. 

Thanks for that info, Profbee.  I'll have to go in and make some changes to my signature and/or profile.....one of these days.  Got to get to work now.

Merilee: On the HER2+ thing, we get a year of Herceptin, or 17 treatments one every three weeks. We get it concurrent with rads. I have six more to go and will be done by June.

BernieEllen: I am so, so glad to hear good news from you! *hugs*

And Suzy - next time you're flying through this neck of the woods, let one of us Northern gals know. I could have picked you up at the airport! (*shh*)

Thanks everyone, off on holiday to Belgium on thursday.

Today is the first anniversary of my BC diagnosis.  It is great to be alive and cherishing life.  What a year it has been.  Thanks to everyone for your support.