February 2011 chemo pals

Ok....barely there is one. The other one, which would hide even the most attentive nubs, I can't read it! Its a sports bra that looks like a padded bra in front....frickin awesome. Nothing would get thru that bad boy; )

Really??  One year ago today?  Wow...I didn't keep notes like that...psssh...I couldn't even have light in the room frolm the side effects!  LOL ... oh, no...not funny...

Ok my Feb 2011 Chemo Pals ... this is a rough week for Fuzz ... help...support ... suggestions...comments...prayers...love...fingers crossed...rabbit foot in hand...knock three times on wood in an upward direction with your right hand...OH I'M NERVOUS!!!

Today:  Mamogram...Only on the right.  I was very confused.  They don't do the affected side after a mx.  What?  I mean, I was kinda happy because I just had a "fill-er-up" last week and she's a little tender and moody ... but, I'd really like every single square centimeter checked out with every available tool they have!  Nope...just the right.  Begging doesn't help...FYI.

Tomorrow:  Medication management...asking for accommodations...asking for new pills...asking for guideance so Fuzzy can enjoy her friends, family, baby, house, a bath...anything. 

Wednesday:  Off

Thursday:  MUGA (I can't remember what the hell this one is or what it's for...all I know is I can't eat or drink for 4 hours...) and a meeting with my personal Jesus (my ONC - sorry if that's a bad joke or offends anyone...it's the meaning behind it, right...I mean - he walks on water and such:)  I'm also having three labs done...something about nutrition, bloodwork and heart function.

Friday:  The other psychiatrist to review my progress...which isn't good...but she really does listen.

So...any advice or comments are encouraged and welcomed...I just can't do this alone....

Oh thanks SpecialK - So, I don't have to drink that nasty sugar thing...or get an IV or anything? 

Medication Management is awesome.  Found out I was on several medications that interacted negatively with my Tamoxifen.  I love that guy.  He really does help me too.

I did do Adriamycin and Cytoxin...then Taxol.  The Rads that were set at an angle that would clip my heart and lung...so that totally makes sense.  Got keep an eye on my ticker I suppose!  Gosh...when do I get checked to make sure there isn't a collection of uglies in there somewhere?  I'm so confused...panicing doesn't help though....breathing iiiiiiiinnnnnnn.....and pushing.....DOH! 

fuzzy - sorry I went to watch something on tv!  As far as the veiny things - it is most like vascularization.  When they remove the breast tissue they remove all the vascular connections from the skin to the tissue.  When they lay the skin back down over your pec muscle they are asking the skin to make new connections.  When that happens it is more visible - especially after a shower because of the warmth - because the skin has no flesh behind it.  I have it too - particularly over the surface of the left breast where I had so many surgeries.  It scared me too at first.  If you are receiving fills it is stretching that skin out so it may become more apparent to you also.  Don't worry.

Night, night termite!

crog - ahh, thanks!  Any knowledge I have comes from research, my docs who have been very informative, asking a lot of questions, learning from all the stuff that has happened to me personally, reading lots of threads here on BCO, and probably having too much time on my hands!  Also, sadly, my Dad died from stage IV lung cancer and my brother from stage IV bile duct cancer.  I am just glad to be helpful.

Happy Valentines Days to all you lovely ladies!

mamav - I had to get the super sized 7-day pill compartment thing!  I take Lipitor and Femara and a bunch of vitamins/supplements, but there are enough of them I had to get a big one!

fuzzy - crog is having more surgery on the venous connections in her leg.  This is a new fix for an existing problem, and not the first surgery - I feel like I dodged some bullets in this breast cancer minefield, and some of my sisters have not been so lucky!  Here's to hoping that this solves the problem for good!

I am hardly a genius or amazing, just a repository of bits of information!  I am very glad to be your friend though!

Thanks SpecialK for explaining that to Fuzzy. That was much simpler than what I would have tried to say!!!



Dogeyed bet you are glad to have that year behind you!!!



Surgery is on the 28th and I will update as soon as I can.. Pre op stuff today. EKG, chest exray,blood, and I don't know what else....



Take care all,

Cindy

Dogeyed. So happy for you and your new addition to your home. Sounds like you were meant to find each other......



Cindy

Far out, CHRISTINA!  I don't know how I could have forgotten about your continuing saga of chemo!!!  And I am SO glad you did it especially in view of having some residual tumor and all.  Have you or will you have rads?  I identify with you, Christina, on the dog thing, because I too worked with dogs, I was dispatcher with Animal Control at our county shelter, and this call came in that a bunch of us got really involved in.  Two officers were in the dispatch office with me while I worked the radio, and the girl out in the field was in a rough part of town, so I decided to check in on her a couple times whilst she was in the presence of maniacs, her voice shook at one point.  And the rescue was this very old, thin German Shephered, tied to a tree so tight he couldn't get up, and other scary details, so we all desperately wanted him in the shelter.  So, when the officer got back, she radioed me to come on down and see him.  I could not get down there fast enough.  She held her arm outstretched to point out his cage, and there he was, he pawed his food dish and said, "Lookie here, I got my OWN food bowl!"  That was it, husband and I took in this nine-year-old, even tho we had a pair, and within six months of lots of treatments and FOOD, the vet staff said he did not look like the same dog.  We loved Beau, even tho he only lived another three years, but that boy thanked me clearly one day after a bath, he stood in the front yard without his collar, the breeze picked up his fur, and he had trouble with balance and yet stood as still as he could, and stared right at me, and there it came, this warm love shock all thru my body.  Yes, dogs are SO special, and this new one we just got was SO needed by us, particularly in my state of ruin from cancer.  So, I had to hurry and post back that I felt just like you about the whole dog thing.  Love, GG

Yay for you, hubby, and smoky!!! I'm so happy for you all! It must be so great to hear those doggie footprints walking around the house

Big love and hugs to all the great feb gals. You're all in my thoughts,

xo

Awwwww, Fuzzy, yes, our pups need a "play date" to be sure!  Our Smokey would so enjoy a visit with a little friend.  Now, our late big boy, Gandalf, we used to live next door to some people who had a little Pekinese, sweetest little dog, my great big old Husky and that tiny blonde fluff would run very slowly up and down their sides of the fence, a light and easy race, and Gandalf was totally in love with that doggie.  And then when we moved over here, there are some maniacal barking dogs in pens behind us, but always they will put a younger one in the yard, and once again, our dog took up with the little baby Sharpei, that puppy would just romp and play with sticks or whatever for Gandalf's pleasure, like it was his son or someting.  Sweet, sweet.

CURE OF THE WEEK  Folks, I had the strangest thing happen with my head the other day.  I woke up one morning and gosh my eyes were watering, my nose was stopped up, I could barely breathe!  And I NEVER get sick, NEVER have an allergy, none of that stuff.  (Well, I was allergic to some house bunnies we kept one time, talk about a spirit trip, those rabbits were.)  So anyhow, I had some prednisone laying around, took a couple of those, took an alka seltzer, put eyedrops, breathed in steam off boiled water, and on it went, very little relief.  Woke up again next morning, same thing.  I thought maybe whatever shampoo the vet used on the dog must have done it, but no, I counted up the days, no way.  Thought of a million things.  SO STRANGE.  Finally this morning I realized what it MUST be. 

I cannot use anything but the mildest detergents, soaps, etc., becuz my skin is very sensitive.  I have two lotions, one my fav, one a variation that has some sort of scent in it.  I rarely use the latter because originally when husband bought it, I was in the middle of chemo and didn't like the smell. Well, I ran out of my regular lotion, so I went to that other one, and the smell was much nicer to me since I'm far from chemo.  Unfortunately, I forgot how it had dried out my hands before.  Well, I put that stuff on my hands, and also went wild and put it on my face, neck, boob scar, WHATEVER, and it dawned on me, remembering how it dried my hands before, THAT's what set off this allergic reaction.  So, I washed it all off my face and hands, found an old bottle of the good stuff with drops left in it, and put that on.  Almost instant relief with my eyes, but breathing still has a ways to go... as soon as husband goes to grocery and gets me my regular kind, I'll shower wherever the heck I wallowed in it, and that ought to do it.

So, girls, anytime you feel like you're going bonkers, just change hand/skin lotion.  Hahahaha.  GG  P.S.  Fuzz, I hear ginger tea is great for aches.  Friend told me, I gotta get some. 

Thanks SpecialK - I will go there this weekend!!!

Yay - you got through it and have it over with!  Must be a relief to have the tissue expander out! 

I think Cipro and levaquin are very different; I'm on cipro too and avoid Levaquin like the plague due to past history of bad nausea on levaquin.  Cipro, for me at least, causes no side effects. I believe they're from different families, but it's good you checked with the pharmacist.  Is your binder for around the chest?

 I had my surgery yesterday too, and spent the night at the hospital due to nausea that wouldn't go away from anesthesia, and not being able to ambulate easily.  It was a relief to be at the hospital because my house is 2 hours away and my daughter was very sick yesterday with strep throat, so I was extremely nervous about getting home that night.  I am feeling much better today - left the hospital at 9am and have no nausea.  I'm sore but it's manageable. My chest is all bandaged up with gauze and I'm dying to see what the foobs look like.

Happy healing to both of us!  Cindy's procedure is coming up next.

Mamoftwo and SpecialK... So glad that both of you are doing good after your surgery.... Rest and heal!!!!