April/May 2012 Chemo hang out

JKBuffy- Just to let you know, I'm probably one of the few who did not shave her head to the scalp.  Instead, I gave myself with the help of my DH, a very very short boy cut. I had a short bob cut before that.  My hair started falling out on Day 14 after my 1st infusion.  The more it fell out, the more annoyed I got because the hair was everywhere.  So the following weekend, I made five little ponytails and snipped them off.  My DH used some clippers with a 1 inch guard and cut the sides and back.  When I saw my onco the following Tuesday for round #2, she asked where I had gotten my haircut because she thought it was professionally done!!!  Since then, my hair has thinned a lot.  I decided not to shave because I'm curious to see what hair is left after each round of chemo.   I will also tell you that I didn't look at myself in the mirror much while it started to thin a lot.  I knew in my mind that the hair was rapidly thinning and I just didn't want to freak myself out!!!  I'm up for #3 on Tuesday and will just wait and see what hair is left after that one.  Just another self science experiment.... lol 

I wear a baseball cap or Buff when I go out.  I have a wig from ACS but it just isn't me and it's hot to wear.  I know other people can tell I'm in chemo but don't really care.  Although that chemo got my poor little hair follicles, it is doing it's job to get and obliterate whatever cancer is wandering around in me!!! You'll find that comfortable level that you desire!!!!  It's all good.  HUGS!!!

nance72 - so glad to hear you are feeling better so far today!

Best wishes to all in the "big girl chair" this week!  LOL!

I had something strange happen yesterday.  I had been feeling great, but in the afternoon I started with a headache and increased heartburn.  After dinner I developed a temp (99.6 F).  Then I suddenly developed MAJOR big D...worst I've ever had.  One bout of that, but then never again.  Fever came down, slept ok (not great, but that's typical for me now with the flashes).  So far, so good this morning.  I am wondering - what the heck?  This was day 11.  Who knows.  Maybe something I ate at dinner really did not agree with my sensitive GI system.  

Thanks melrose!  So far, so good...knock on wood!!!!  Hope you have a great day and those patchy things go away soon! 

Melrose--gotta say that picturing you not being able to recline yourself in the big girl chair cracks me up! I'm 5'3" and I couldn't do it myself either! The infusion nurse had to help! lol Got my Dexamethasone in me for tomorrow as well. Praying for no rash this time!

Dancetrancer--That is strange what happened but I'm glad it went away!

Husker--{{{Hugs}}} I want my hair back too! And it WILL come back. We just gotta get through this first.

Misty--how awesome your family is! Glad you have such great support!

Lynnbea - Good Luck with #4 round of chemo today!!!  I'm doing the happy dance in your honor since this is the last chemo for you!!!!!  Wishing minimal side effects and maximum hair growth in the coming weeks!!!!  Please come back and visit this thread and the March/April T/C thread---- I'm going to miss you!!!!!  HUGS and happy joyous positive thoughts, prayers and energy coming your way!!!!

Good luck to everyone who's in the chair!  I love tiaras (although I don't see myself as a princess necessarily) - but lately, I've been so cranky I might swap mine for a wicked witch's hat.  (I played the wicked witch in Sleeping Beauty as a kid, and loved every minute of it, lol).  I am trying, with some success, to muddle through some work today, but this fatigue is kicking my behind.  I also discovered, , that my new bra and foobs that I wore all day Saturday might aggravate my risk of lymphedema.  My left arm felt more numb and heavy yesterday, all day, and by nighttime I thought my upper arm might have looked a little more swollen.  I did the exercises and massage I've learned, but went online to see if there is some connection between prosthetics, bras and lymphedema.  Yep - the American Cancer Society says to avoid weighted prosthetics (the only kind available at the place my insurance sent me).  Sooo.....anyway, I didn't plan to wear them all the time anyway.  Hopefully if I keep the wear to a minimum, don't wear my bra too tight, and get some more advice on LE, it'll be okay.  Hugs and purple energy to everyone!

Hello Everyone,

I just finished TAC on march 15th.  I know with my group mouth sores were a problem with some and I had found that brushing my teeth more often helped.  Also anytime I noticed a bump or bit my lip I would brush and then use the biotine, also follow up with biotene a couple of times that day.  My bumps were gone usually within 12 hours and I never developed any problems from biting my lips. 

Also a nurse told me that extending the steriods would help with the joint pain from the nuelasta (sp?) shot, which it did.  For me the joint and leg pain was horrible and the claritan never helped.  I would however speak with your individual MO's about that. 

Good luck with everything and although it sucks you'll get through it.  If anyone has any questions I may be able to answer, PM me.

hi..got the port in..not too bad a procedure..moving arm very carefully..LOL..Doris

JK BUffy - I'm wondering how many cc's you think will be a good  size foob.

DorisMarie,  I am having mine put in tomorrow.  Where is yours?

@Marcia1111--I just added 20ccs on friday and I am now at about 215cc...and am thinking I am going to stay at about this size (I think it is a full B...almost a C). My old boobs were DDs so this is a pretty significant reduction.  

I find the cc thing kind of confusing (and not very meaninful), so I have been using other means of determining my ideal size. When starting this whole reconstruction process I began looking for a model of how I wanted my breasts to look, and have hit on Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood) as my ideal--small enough that she still looks cute in t-shirts, but big enough that she can hold her own in a strappy dress. I also picked out a shirt that I wanted to fit buttoned up, and I keep trying on dresses to see how they are fitting with each expansion...so that is kind of how I am going.

 For me it is about bringing my top half in proportion with the rest of me...I am a pretty petite person so my old boobs made me very top heavy and clothes never fit right. So far I find being smaller liberating and awesome!

Tweetyb422- It probably has been a good thing that you focused solely on the chemo phase.  Too much knowledge of the next step too soon can be overwhelming and too much to handle.  I still don't know what is to happen once I finish chemo in August.  The decision to have rads has not been made and won't be made until sometime this summer.  My case will go before the cancer center's tumor board with my onco and BS present with a RO because it is a little out of the norm--- my DCIS and IDC were both found in a cystic structure and no node involvement and I've had a UMX  I'd like to not have the rads but in due time, that part of my treatment plan will reveal itself.  It is continuous fact finding process so I have to be patient and not jump ahead of myself.  So when you find out what your options, please ask away.  

Indigo - hugs to you!  I'm so glad you recognized the warning signs of possible LE and took action.  But how frustrating to learn that the prosthetic may be the culprit.    Major purple energy coming your way to feel better!!! 

tweetyb - fingers crossed for you for next week! 

tellie - thank you for checking in with us!

doris - yay on a successful port placement!  

That's exactly what I thought of vballmom!  Edith Ann!  Loved her.  Thanks for the laugh Melrose.

JKBuffy,

Thanks fo the info.  It sounds as though you did some really smart things to make your decision.  I have been flat chested my whole life.  Got plenty of teasing about it, but never really minded.  It only bothered my in some outfits.  My weight usually goes from 125-130 lbs., with most of it in my hips and butt, so it's nice being a little more balanced. I am up to 350 ccs and feel like I look huge when I look down but not so big looking head on or from the side.  I still have a hard time imagining the final picture because they're much wider than the implant will be.  I'll have to look up Lauren Graham to see if that's what I want too!

Marcia