Calling all TNs

Lovely - big hugs!

LNBCA - You are great to be watching out for your mom like that. I hope some of the answers from others helped. I did TAC x 6, and by the last one, I had to stop once or twice to make it up the stairs to my apartment. I even applied for and got a handicap permit, and I'm only 43 and (prior to this) in good shape. It must be harder as you get older. I hope the doctors can find some ways to help ease the fatigue and deal with the anemia.

Luah - Thanks!

kathymn - The ovaries are definitely going, and sooner than later, but I just want a breather. I just hate the thought of hitting menopause (assuming chemo didn't put me there already). I'm barely 4'8 and have a history of osteoporosis in my family. Ovarian cancer would be worse, no question, but I'd like to put off some of the SEs of an ooph a little.

Tazzy - That's so sad about the whale.

Inmate - That was a fantastic answer! Wish I had thought of that when a few people asked me a similar question (although in that case, I  had my wig on).

hey rachelvk- I finished my treatment in Sept. 2010 and as soon as posssible I got a total hysterectomy. I was not going to take a chance that I would have to begin new treatment anytime soon. I am BRAC1+ and didn't want to give C a chance to start there. I would highly recommend checking into getting it done robotically. I was in the hospital under 24 hours and feeling normal in less than 4 days. Definitely much better than being down another 6-8 weeks.

inmate- love the HAIR!!  I don't have that kind of quick wit. The bra event sounds like great fun.

To all you out there facing treatment take it one day at a time!! 

Kelly 

Lovelyface....I hear you on catching a break.  I even find myself avoiding that part of town unless I have an appointment.  No need to be reminded by shopping in the neighborhood I get treatment.  I am hopeful this is our summer for a break from the action!

Karen....I love that idea.  I just found out tonight you can buy a box of extra underwear.  They are dispensed like tissues.  That of course would not apply to this event.  I just thought it was funny.

This one just cracked me up

Good Evening Ladies

Hope everyone is feeling good with no side effects.

Dormac - would you get that wheelchair up the Eifel Tower??

Riley702 - right got it, medical oncologist but what does the initials JMHO mean that Titan mentioned in her post.  We don't have those neulasta shots here either, or I've never been given one.  Isn't it funny what different treatments different countries come up with.  You would think for the good of the patient they would all be across the board.

Tazzy - what a shame the poor little baby whale died. 

StayShiny - wishing you good results on your bone and CT scans. Will be thinking of you and hoping all goes well.

Luah - I really hate soy and couldn't eat it if my life depended on it.  Yuk.

LNBCA - good idea for you to call the doctors office and also perhaps get her heart checked as well as see about a  blood transfusion. Just a thought but something has to be done for your poor mum.  She is probably so scared of this diagnosis and all that comes with it. 

Kathyrnn - Might have known you would keep stum on me and not tell me all. The onco showed me a picture of the size of the boil and how big the cut was.  I thought what for down there, get real.  I'm sure I went pale. 

I agree with you on the ovarian issue.  It is called the silent killer here too as the symptoms don't usually show up until too late so out the bloody things go.  Mine will as well if I prove to be BRAC 1 or 2.

And OMG - shrunken rad breasts. Do you mean I went to all this trouble to try and look normal with a prosthesis and now I might look lopsided again.  Your joking me right??

Karen - new clothes aye.  Bet you look spiffing in them.  By the way did you receive a parcel today with no return address on it???? Will explain more about HER later.

Inmate - did you put salt in your sitz baths as they say it heals.  Also the boil is starting to happen cause I had some blood today which I remember having with the other boil many moons ago. 

Could you also put the why's and what's about AC and Taxol on here cause my Onco also said it was the best treatment for TN's  today when I saw her today.   

Bet you will have fun decorating those bra's.  I would love to see what you all come up with.

Well ladies I'm ashamed to say it happened again and she ate the new box of band aids that my old fellar brought.  They also was on the bed cabinet because thats where I lay on the bed and he puts the bandage on. Cause we were running late for treament and had to rush to chemo (God knows why) and when we got home, all chewed up.  The old fellar said little sod isn't she, I thought thats not what I call her. It was my fault though cause I should have known not to leave them there twice but I could still kill her. When you look at her she has the most sweetest face and she is so tiny. You would really think that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but bloody band aids do. 

Everyone raved over the butterfly cakes and scones that the old fellar took to chemo today.  His chest is still puffed out.  Must admit they were nice though.

When I got home I had a huge spray of flowers delivered from my workplace saying " half way there, you are awesome". They obviously haven't read my posts on here about chemo.  They are all orange with beautiful fern and pretty paper, so lovely and made my day. 

Have a good day ladies. Sending you lots of hugs for any SE's and lots of love. Annie      

Mags- I have LE in my hand also and last fall, I went to the LE therapist and did the LE massages. She tried "wrapping" my arm and hand and my hand got worst with the wrapping! Now I only wear my sleeve and glove during the day and I have to say that it's stable. It's still a little "puffy" but I will live with it. I hated the wrapping. I tried all sorts of sleeve and gloves. I noticed that when I wore my Lymphediva sleeve my hand got puffyer because the wrist is tighter. I tried the Jobst armsleeve and seemless glove and didn't feel comfortable in them. The best for my is my Mediven 95 armsleeve and glove. I wear my sleeve on top of my glove all the time too and works well for me. I have truncal LE too and have to wear a compression bra too. Let's just say I am very well compressed. 

Just too add that my shingles are still going on. It's limited in my right shoulder  and base of my neck, BC side. I am lucky it doesn't touch my arm because it would be hell itching and having to wear my sleeve! It doesn't hurt too bad so that's a good thing but it itches like crazy!

You guys are all awesome. Thank you so much for all the advice. This seems like just another crappy, horrible side effect. I'm taking my mom to see her oncologist today, they should have the report from the chest xray she had yesterday. I feel so bad for her. She literally has not been able to do anything. I go over to my parent's house almost every day and clean and make my mom something to eat, she's home alone all day as my dad works 7 days a week, and she's always so thankful and it just breaks my heart. She's been really quite lately, I know she's depressed. I just want her to get done with treatment and go on with her life and be happy again and not worry and feel like crap everyday.

Jan69- she is 60, 55 the first time dx with triple neg., although they never used that name until this new dx.

Lovely-I thought so. They really are precious little dogs. I  have two, one is 12, I've had her since she was a baby, and the other one is around 16 or 17, my husband found her outside of our old house one morning, no one claimed her, and it was obvious someone had not been taking care of her, so we kept her My parent's also have one too. She is a chubby little girl. My dad's pride and joy.

Thank you again everyone. I really appreciate all of the advice and kind words you have offered!!

As for my mum's day to day - I'm one of three siblings and one of us is always around, altho I feel bad bc my sis seems to have the heaviest load (her kids are tweens whereas my bro and i have toddlers, and I live an hour away). My dad is retired so he's home so shes not alone in that sense, but my dad at 67 is pretty fragile himself. We all take turns taking her to appointments and are doing our best to keep all her info in order. She's got 5 grandkids who come around often enough and make her smile. But it doesn't make the pain go away.

What kinds of things should we be watching out for?

Luah--I do only wear my sleeve during the day but have been fitted for a nighttime compression garment that I am supposed to wear at night.  It is such a pain to put on and so umcomfortable.  Getting a little more used to it by the day though.

velociraptor--sorry bout your Mum. 

Lovey--chin up lady!  hoping for good news soon

LMBCA hope your mama can continue the fight and find strength.

Maggie

Hey Ladies, just wanted to give you a laugh. Remember my rant about cable making me drag my poor Mom to the office with a death certificate, before we can get the digital adapters we need?



Today I tried another track. Went online and tried to order them. No go, popped up with a message that I had to call. I called today just to find out why I had to call in. If they asked for my Dad, I was gonna say "he's not here at the moment". (It's not a lie, lol) My plan was to get my neighbor, Dick, to act as my Dad and order them if I had to (just need a male voice). I used the automated robot. Took about 2 minutes and the adapters are on the way (crosses fingers). Dearest Comcast, please give the robot a raise!!!!! Now I have some breathing space, and can get my computer and other equipment down here, before I have to drag poor Mom over there to change it.

oh Bernie...you kill me

the port is out.  Doc did it right in his office and it was so much easier than I made it out to be.  So relieved.

Sorry but i know nothing about the pneumatic sleeves.  Mine is a farrow cut to fit sleeve with velcro all the way up from wrist to pit. It is one of the least expensive night time things on the market and is relatively new.  Daytime I wear a Juzo dream sleeve and have a custom made glove with fingers.

Maggie

What do you mean "Poor Man"?  He should be so lucky!

Hello again ladies, just thought I'd give you all a little update on my mom. Her chest xray came back fine. They think it's just all from her being anemic. She saw her oncologist's assistant today and he was very helpful. He recommended maybe getting her on some B vitamins, and he said this new shot she is getting should help with her red blood cells, (my mom and I both forgot the name of the shot..I asked her on the ride home what the name of it was and she couldn't remember either lol). Hopefully she starts to get better so that she won't need a blood transfusion. I wheeled my mom into the office today, (with my three kids in tow, boy was that fun), and one of the nurses saw my mom, and asked how she was, knowing something was up if she's sitting there in a wheelchair. So my mom told her how she's been, very tired, completely out of breath, hardly able to get up and walk from one room to another, etc. Well, the nurse said "you need to let us know if you get this bad, you might need to be on oxygen". My mom explained to her that we've all been calling, telling them she's doing horrible, (my aunt has called a few times, and my sister). So finally today she got to talk to people in that office that listened. They checked her oxygen and it was fine also, so she didn't qualify to get an oxygen tank. Well just thought I'd give you guys a little update. Hope you are all doing well today!

Kathrynn-I've tried I got her on my sister's laptop the other week and showed her this forum. She read it for quite a while, but hasn't been back on. She's not much of an internet person

LNBCA, glad the X-ray and oxygen came back fine for your mom. Sounds like she had the Procrit shot. A lady on my TC thread had it too for low rbc and it helped her. I did take a B complex vitamin during chemo (when i remembered!). Does your mom have a laptop or ipad of her own? She may lurk on these forums for a while and then join in. If she can do it from anywhere in the house, she may be more likely to do so. My MIL has an ipad and loves it. My DH got me an iPad after surgery and I can't put it down.