Has anyone started a Dec 2011 group?

Wow...I missed a few days here and it's hard to keep up!  Unfortunately my DH and I had to fly to Ft Worth on Sunday, my SIL was in a bad motorcycle accident.  She is in critical condition but improving every day so we are back home now.  Had to miss my RO consult on Monday but I am going today.  Guess it's time to move to the rads thread!  You ladies have been my strength through this journey and it's so great to see that everyone is finishing!  I am 4 weeks PFC and have some dark fuzz on my head.  My DH rubs my head every night.....I think he will miss the bald head!  Not me!

congrats Peacock! 

Lori I hope you don't have shingles!

I hope everyone is feeling well and living life.  Naan you are so close to finishing!

I never told you ladies because I was too embarrassed...but I finally quit smoking.  I tried and tried throughout chemo but I was just too stressed out to quit.  Well I have to quit for surgery so I am having a rough couple days.  Smoking is the dumbest thing ever...so stupid.

Congratulations Peacock!!!  So happy you have crossed the finish line.  I love the way you summarized it.  We have all definitely been through a lot over the last 4-5 months.  Thank God we had each other! 

Good to hear from you Seacret, keep on with those taxols, you will make it soon. I know when I look at myself and take a minute to think I still can't believe the past 5 months happened, oh well, keeping on..

Cindy

Congrats, Markat - you can do it!  I quit 7 years ago.  I was a "closet" smoker - embarassed that I did it.  I am so glad I quit when I did. . . and so mad that I ever did it.

Lori - I hope you don't have shingles.  You don't need THAT on top of everything else.  Yikes!

Kelly - so sorry to hear about your SIL and praying she will continue to recover.  My DH rubs my stubble, too.  Funny how the men in our lives adapt to "the look." 

Peacock - HIGH FIVE for completing!  Congrats!

Laura - my heart breaks when I read about someone who hurt you.  This is not the time in your life when you need to be hurt.  I, too, get that "what the heck happened to me" feeling every now and then. We were so busy going through the motions, doing whatever came next, doctor to doctor, surgery, whatever and now that we're coming to the end of the road, we have nothing but fear and LIFE ahead of us.  I find comfort seeing the doctors so regularly.

Wow! So great to hear from so many people today.

Seacretgardn - I'm so sorry to hear you've been hurt. This is certainly a tough enough time without having those close to us disappoint us in some way. I know chemo's been hard on you, but you've come this far, so you're a strong woman. I hope you can tap some of that strength and keep pushing forward - and, like you said, not give up. As for 'normal,' I think we're all finding that will take some time, and that we may actually have to redefine what 'normal' really is.

Markat - Congrats on quitting! That took a lot of effort and discipline, especially with everything you were going through. You go, girl!

Kelloggs - Sending healing thoughts to your SIL. I hope she makes a full recovery.

Dougieswife - Shingles, ouch! I hope you find an acceptable treatment. The tea sounds great. I'm actually hosting a brunch at my apartment on the 29th for all the women who supported me (anyone in the NJ/PA area is welcome - PM me for details. I'd love to meet some of you!). And congrats on no SEs from herceptin.

Peacock - YAY!!!! And I love how you described your journey. Best of luck on rads (you too, Kelloggs).

I did talk to the onc nurse yesterday about the swelling and she said just to monitor it, but that it's normal. It does seem a little more pronounced on the left side today - but I just spent almost an hour in the grocery store after a full day of work. The feet are elevated now. The worst part of today was coming back to the car after work and realizing I had forgotten to hang my handicapped placard (did I mention I got one?) -- and finding two tickets, one from the local police, and one from the college security. Urgh. Security said I just had to bring proof that I have a placard and should be able to get it waived; I'll have to go to court for the other one (it's an automatic court appearance). Though I have to say, it's nice to know they actually enforce that. I've gotten annoyed in the past when I see people parking there who don't belong, even before I had a placard of my own. But as nice as it is to have one, I can't wait for the day when I don't need it! 

Thanks for all the prayers for my SIL.  She is still critical but making baby steps in the right direction every day!  I hate to say it but worrying about her and my DH has taken my mind off BC a little and it's been a nice vacation.  Back to reality Monday when I go for my rads planning CT.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Yay Mardibra!



Thanks for all the encouragement and support ladies!



I'm so sorry someone has hurt you seacret.

Yes, I'm moving onto rads. I met with the dr on Friday to set out the plan and schedule. I won't start for about a month. She felt that I could have started sooner, but this family needs a break, and I scheduled a weekend trip away. So mine will begin the morning after I return.

 I am feeling happy and optimistic with chemo behind me. The dr talked about how many of her patients overdo it during rads, thinking they're all better. This will be me   But I will try my best to set some limits and stay sane. 

My hair is coming back, though it's in weird patches. Still, hair is good!  What I hope to do btw now and rads is start focusing on the 20 pounds I gained since diagnosis. My dr has said that tamox, which is in my future, won't make losing any easier, so it's best to deal with this now. And, of course, my summer clothes don't fit!

I'm glad that we're coming thru this!

I like the idea of staying together!! I know when I travel outside of my 2 or 3 boards, I always get myself into trouble.



I am 3 weeks out of the chemo part and I have herceptin for the rest of the year. My left eye will NOT stop watering. It is horrible. It like like I am crying. I thought that was from the taxotere??? I have tried dry eye drops, allergy drops, ignoring it.....I think its time to see a Dr about this.

Mardibra - Great news about the pathology. I love reassurances that chemo works. Hopefully there was nothing left to get in my case, but if there was, I feel better.

I noticed a tiny bit of new growth in the leg hair (boo...). Three weeks out I'm not noticing anything new on the head, but there were a number of hairs that never departed, so they're close to two inches now. It's a nice headstart (no pun intended) for when the other follicles start to catch up.

Feet seem to be almost back to normal. Yay! My eyes are watering a lot too, and I have to be careful in the morning not to rub the sleep off - I lose too many eyelashes that way, so I try to wash my face right away.

I have another eye-related weird thing - does anyone have issues with their eyelids staying stuck shut a few seconds after they blink or open their eyes? It's intermittent, but everyonce in a while I'd close my eyes, and when I'd go to open them, the right eye would open fine but the left eye would take an extra second or two. Now I've noticed my right eye being occasionally lazy like that. 

staying together?  great idea!  I have not had any lingering eye issues.  Just the initial uncontrolable tearing.  

Hi everyone,

Mardi, that's great news!  So happy for you. 

Thanks too everyone for your good wishes. 

The taxol had my eyes watering at first, now I'm back to drops several times a day and night.  Funny too, I always had a very ruddy complexion, then became so pale, now the ruddiness is coming back.  Lashes are gone, my already sparse brows just about gone, and I've gotten better at drawing on the brows, just have to be careful, I've managed to wipe them off a few times while out!  Looks crazy, esp with just one gone. 

I will be starting radiation end of May/beginning June.  I would love to stay connected!  I understand from meeting the radiation oncologist that antioxidants are still off limits, but he said I could take them in between.  I will have the TE's in during radiation (still have to do a couple fills), anyone else? 

Dreary Sunday here in NJ, but the rain is much needed.  Hope everyone is having a good or at least restful day,

Hugs, Laura

Glad everyone is happy to stay together:). I have been through the rad markings which takes about 30 hour. They will put on tattoos but I didn't want them and they used a marker instead covered with a clear bandage. I figured I had enough souvenirs of this disease I didn't want anymore.



So tomorrow I am starting week 3 of 4. Two down and two to go. The first time I was there I had tears in my eyes because I felt pretty awkward exposing myself to the 3-4 people responsible for my rads session. I am still sensitive as I had a mastectomy without recon. But after the first couple of times you get used to it. Kinda.



I guess ones skin doesn't react normally until the 3 week so I don't have anything to report there.



On terms of brows and lashes, they have both flown south and I am going on 8 wks without them:(. I am gaining head hair, in the same pattern as a balding man. To stimulate growth I am washing my scalp with cold water and rubbing on olive oil. Read somewhere these two things will assist in regrowth.

Whata - thanks for your description of rads simulation.  I go today at 10am and will definitely share my experience Peacock.  I was told I would be there about an hour and a half.  I am expecting longer as my appointment with RO lasted that long.  She was wonderful, explained everything to me and actually spent all that time with me.

My hair is growing, my DH says I have the Sinead O'Connor look right now.  I know it's growing but it's not fast enough for me.  I am using Nioxin, not sure if it really makes a difference or not but my mother used it for thinning hair and it really helped her.  I keep hoping I'll wake up one morning and will have a full head of hair back....wishful thinking