Taxotere/Cytoxan starting February 2012.

Reconstruction was a big debate here. My husband does DIEP flaps for a living. I'm pretty biased thinking recon with autologous tissue should be the standard of care for suitable candidates... especially those of us who are young and looking at 30-40+ years with implants. That said, I didn't have enough belly tissue to re-create two breasts, and didn't want to fracture my cancer care to find someone in another city who could use my butt (S-GAP recon). So, here I am... wife of Mr. DIEP Flap... with bilateral tissue expanders. I'm switching out for silicone implants in June. On this side of cancer, and now past my own surgery, my previous biases are gone. Even NO reconstruction makes sense to me now. But delayed recon with autologous tissue can happen any time. I may be re-visiting that decision in the next 5 to 10 years.

Brittle

Wife of Mr. DIEP Flap and none to be had.  I haven't had recon yet because of the 2 tumors that were seen as well as the large extent of calcifications which turned out to be DCIS.  My surgeon thought it best to wait for the full pathology and then plan for TX which was fine with me.  As it turned out no nodal involvment thankfully and fab margins.  Still have a 2nd consult with the RO, she was to present my case to the tumor board.  I'm still hopefull I don't need rads but it's not completely ruled out yet.

Originally looking at DIEP, I know am leaning towards a TE, implant and rejuvinating lift to the right.  I just kind of want the path of least resistance surgically you know?

I can only imagine the path count in a hot yoga studio, yuck!!  But hubby is right, nothing beats plain old fashioned excercise.  I was surprised hearing from my MO that weight gain was an SE of chemo not knowing anyone personally that had bee though it.  I thought for sure it would be weight loss!!  LOL!

Hey ladies. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I've been just like you all dealing with treatment and family. I've been following everyone, but just haven't had a chance to post. It seems once the kids go to bed, I'm exhausted and go with them.

I have a question for you all. I have one more treatment left. I'm handling SEs pretty good. Well actually, I'm dealing with crap, but I'm learning ways to deal with it and manage.

Here is my issue. I am getting my worst day on day 6! That is when I get the horrific bone pain and and migraine. I am prone to migraines. I'm on meds and my docs are working their best to manage it. But how do I manage the bone pain so late. I take the claritin for several days and I get the pain, but it's mananageable. My onc is surprised that I get it so late. What do I do, take the Claritin for a week? Seriously, I don't know, but I need help. I know I only have 1 left to go, but I need help managing that pain.

Good news is that neulasta is doing its job and keeping me out of the hospital. For some reason, the chemo really attacks my WBC.



Also, if you ladies have any questions about tamoxifen and SEs, I can help. I was on it for 4 years until I recurred......which is not normal. I also belong to the YSC support group and have been there since my 1st dx, and read about hundreds of women over the years and how they liked it or didn't.

I take the Claritan starting the day of my TX and continue until exactly 8 days later.  I cant say I am not having bone pain but it seems to be bareable.  

(((HUGS))) 

Hi all,



Hope all is well. Slowly beginning to improve from last treatment last Wed. I am getting my port out on Wed. I still have no energy today and some bone pain.



Gobucks, i take Claritan for bad allergies all spring and the doctor said its fine. I would keep taking it and I also find that Advil works best. I can't take it this time because of getting port out on Wed. I miss it. If it is that terrible, maybe ask for pain killers for the worst days. my worst day was Saturday and since I can't take anything with blood thinners, I took one of my pain pills from surgery so that I could sleep. Also, what is YSC support group. How did you feel on Tomoxifen?



I'm hoping to do 2-3 years.

Tomoxifen followed by 2-3 years AI's. I'm worried about 5+ years of just AI's. Apparently my blood work says I'm postmenopausal even though I didn't know I went through it. I'm 48 and didn't expect that. I was on the pill.



Funny story of the day, I'm going back to my first grade class next Monday. I'm going half days for a week and building up. I am sooo excited, but I guess nervous. I haven't been to school since before my surgery in Dec. so, instead of the normal dream that I went to school in my pajamas, I dreamed that I went to school and forgot my wig. I was bald! . Guess the kids would be a bit surprised if I did that!



Welcome to those who have joined us. This group has been so helpful. Great women here. Have a nice day all.



And, thanks to those who are sharing such great articles, info!



Kim

gobucks: I had really bad bone pain my frist 2 treatments that started out not so bad but there day 4 and by day 6 was AWFUL. The worst of it was day 5-6 through day 8 I'd say. For my third treatment, the doctor gave me a perscription for a medicatin that is an anti-inflamatory (like a persccription level advil is how she described it), to take the day before the pain usually starts (so day 3) and until the pain usually stops (so day 8ish). I had NO pain! It was awesoe. I had been taking tylenol 3 for the pain and still had a bottle incase, but didn't even have to take one. I can find out the name of the perscription for you when I get home tonight if you want to ask about it.

Done blood work for my last treatment tomorrow! WOOT! So exccited for it to be done! But then nervous for radiation and tamoxefin a bit. heh. Have my first planning type appointment with the RO a couple hours after my chemo finishes tomorrow, so then I'll know more what I'm in for. Which is good, cause I'm definitely a planner and that's hard to do without all the info and the timeline of things, so it's been driving me a bit nuts. haha 

My last T/C tomorrow, finally.  These last two weeks have really dragged by, I just want to be done. Met with MO today and got set up with RO and got my rx for Tamoxifen.  I almost feel guilty saying that each tx for me has had less SE than the one before.  I hope that continues for this last one.  Thats not to say that this has not been a hard journey.  I am so over being bald.   MO says I should have some hair by July.  I will be thinking of all of you tomorrow from "the chair". 

WOOHOO to the last treatment Donna!

I can definitely try taking claritan longer. I guess since I don't have bad allergies I wasn't sure of long time usage, so I was only taking it as long as the nurses and onc told me to and I took it a day longer JUST to see if it could help me more.



Kim- The YSC group that I belong to is the Young Survival Coalition. They are a great support also. Boards are not as active as this one right now because they are going through a chage, but it's still great and they have lots of support groups that meet all over the country.



Kim and Silvia - tamoxifen for me was quite interesting. I had some of the normal side effects like hot flashes and night sweats, and that went away sometime around 9 months to a year. To be honest, a good friend and other family members helped me with that. They were all going through menopause and told me how eating late, drinking to much caffeine or alcohol would increase it and as soon as I watched those items, it dropped drastically. And I wasn't shoving down sweets and alcohol before. I just had to really limit it.

For my other side effects, I had weight loss, migraines, and ovarian cysts. Weight loss I just had to manage my diet since I'm on the scrawny side. Migraine......well that shit just sucked and I'm prone to them. Any meds that say risk of headache, I have to be careful. Now, the cysts, that's just good ole tamoxifen. Some get it, most don't.

From my research, my support groups, and my team of doctors, most women pop that pill everyday like its a sugar pill. Their only complaints are hot flashes and a little weight gain......that's it!



Silvia, I will not be taken tamoxifen since it failed me. Since I'm done having children, my team has suggested that I have my ovaries removed and then go on an AI.



So glad I found you girls. Sorry again that I've been out. I've been here, just reading and keeping up.



Muah

Krista

"Opting for two additional treatments." That there is some bravery that will get me through the day!

 What a wonderful thing to scroll through these pages with my coffee (that I cannot taste). I finally feel more myself. It takes me a full week for my energy to return. But I'm not expecting to taste anything until three weeks after Round #4. Looking forward to that Memorial Day burger.

 The CLARITIN worked so well this Round, and because it's Spring, I'm going to keep taking it until the end. For REFLUX, I take Protonix and Pepcid every single day. The heartburn we're having isn't "reflux" so much as esophagitis. It's better to have something on board all of the time. TUMS won't touch what I've got.

DONNA, I feel the same way. Time has all but stopped. Nothing on the calendar means anything except April 13th: THE LAST ROUND.  And then, it's not really over, is it?

 xoxo,

Britt

Good luck today Joan - I am doing 6 treatments also. 

Coffee, coffee, coffee - after my first treatment I didn't feel much like drinking coffee (to which I am addicted).  By day 7 after treatment, I found that I was still draggy and realized that I was slowly undergoing coffee withdrawal.  In my subsequent treatments, whether or not I can taste it, I drink it religiously.  No need to add an unnecessary SE to my repertoire!

Coffee is a gift from God!

Joanquilts and on vacation-- I am also doing six cycles of tc. Since mine is a cancer recurrence we opted not to remove the lymph nodes in order to decrease risk of lymphedema . Instead we decided to do six cycles of TC and radiation to breast and Axilla. Will you girls also be receiving radiation?

I finished my 3 rd cycle last Wednesday and despite having earlier onset of symptoms (fatigue, pain, aches, headache, tummy issues) I seem to be recovering faster than the 2 nd round. When I'm in the midst of my awful symptoms, I wonder how the heck can I go though 3 more rounds. I guess I'll need to keep in touch here for support n motivation.

Didn't think about coffee withdrawals... Humm I' ll try sipping coffee even if it tase like metal. Maybe that's causing my headaches .