March 2012 chemo

Hi everyone ~_o

I am going for #8 (of 12) taxol/herceptin this thursday! Almost almost!! but got long way after that, probably radiation, then 1 year of herceptin and of course hormone treatment!

 Taxol/herceptin isnt too bad for me except dizzy/vertigo spells on and off (definitely a lot better than DD A/C for sure!!) sometimes muscle/pain lower back. But that is all. I dont know if vitamin B6 did the trick? or my 7 years of effexor did? Who knows! My hair is growing, kept touching them!! feels like baby hair. No eyelashes or eyebrows (my brows were always thin overplucked from when I was 15 years old, so really didnt care for that, but my eyelashes were always full and big. I tried fake lashes, used them once a while for the fun!

 I am going to write down all the questions to ask my MO when I see him on 19th about whether I should do radiation or not? and if I should get MRI, catscan or PET whatever after chemo ends? Did anyone get that after chemo ends even had lumpectomy before chemo? I had all kinds of tests in the book in Argentina before I had lumpectomy. Bone scan, Catscan, heart ultrsound, stomach ultrasound, both breast ultrasound, blood work, lungs xray, EKG, everything in 1 week period then lumpectomy. They were awesome! I have all the results, photos, etc with me here from Argentina, they gave to me. So now, that my chemo is almost done, do you think I should get catscan or mri done? My BS in Argentina said I am NED after he removed all of my tumor and surroundings during lumpectomy. If that is the case, then why am I getting radiation as my current MO recommended?

 I hope everyone is having good day today. I miss all of you , so many of you!! 

 SissyDi, please fix the 1st page i was suppsed to have DD 4 taxol, but my MO changed to 12 weekly taxol/herceptin instead (I am so glad!!!). then herceptin after that. thanks! 

Lotta of love to all of you xoxox 

KCB, if MO and BS felt it is nothing, then should be okay?? But you did gone through chemo and it shouldnt be there in first place? I am using magic wand and wave it to go away! WHy are you waiting for 2 hours for blood counts!? ugh! did you go ask what is taking long?

Finally in the lounge on my drip, waiting for the taxotere to come from pharmacy.

Thanks for the magic wand, lady, I feel better that they said it feels like "nothing"... But I don't think any of us will ever fully believe a lump is nothing until we get hard proof!!

Good morning everyone! Slower day today at work, thank goodness. Yesterday was crazy. I feel fortunate to have been able to work throughout treatment. However, I really fortunate that I have employers who are super supportive and understanding. They told me from the beginning: come to work when I feel like it, stay home when I don't. And not to worry about my job - they were planning to keep me around for years and the job would be here when this is over. Luckily, I could do some of my work from home too by remote access. So I have definitely missed some days, but my job is not physically strenuous and, if I need a break, I can take one. Don't know what I would have done if they had not been so supportive.

kltb: We finally got some rain too. I think we always pretty much get the same weather. It just moves from Arkansas on to Mississippi, or the other way around.

KCB: I think you're right. We're probably never going to look at a lump and think "it's nothing" again. We'll always want proof. And congrats on last chemo!!!

Lost: Sending healing thoughts and (((hugs))) your way!

My SEs from last chemo seem to be subsiding pretty quickly. I'm a week and a half out and no pain, neuropathy almost gone, energy level better. I expected it to take longer, but I'm really glad it's not.

KCB - doing the happy dance for you to "Happy Happy Joy Joy" in my head! WTH with the long wait for the blood work?  I hate waiting for mine and it's usually ready inside an hour. 

KCB - woohoo to being done!  It is a great feeling - I'm doing a happy dance for you!

Meeting went fine with RO today, more of a consult than anything!  I go back Monday for mapping and simulation.  He is kind of old school, so slow and steady!  I will be doing 5 weeks and then 1.5 weeks of boosts. So 6.5 weeks total.  Joy!  He said I would tolerate the treatment fine, so just have to get through the day to day of it I guess!  He asked if I wanted to wait a couple weeks to rest up from chemo, and I said NO!  I am ready to get this thing going!  So hope I start in a couple weeks!

Hope eveyone has a wonderful evening! 

KCB- big smile on my face for you. It has been quite the journey but we are getting though one by one!!!



Kltb04 - I've always had to wait at least an hour before results were back. That's what always made the day sooo long. Blood work, wait one hour, see OC, wait another hour, and finally in the chair for about four hours!!



Good luck to all still here, going to rads, or going for surgery!!!

KCB - I have heard of the Metformin just as a topic but don't know anything about it...maybe start a new thread on here in the clinical trials section to get some feedback.

Kim - at least you got your consult done!

On the topic of rads...I went back and looked at my original paperwork from my original BS consult and it indicated that you didn't get rads after masectomy unless you had >4+ nodes.  But some of the gals on the triple positive thread said it was recommended to them regardless of the number of nodes due to the her2+ status.  So I guess I will have to wait and see and ask MO next time.

My kids are still asleep and it is noon.  I really need to go wake them up.  

Kam: I am also having rads on my left side, and a little anxious about it, heard of there being a very slight risk of some rads hittung the heart. Now presumably they go to great lengths to b esure this doesn't happen, but still...and then there is the lung, and the ribs...etc... I am trying to stay in a worry free mode right now though, riding out my steroid high today before my LAST CHEMO CRASH tomorrow...aahhhh

hugs to all.

At infusion room right now finishing up #8 taxol and herceptin. Long day! Feeling okay today.



I'm still dreading about radiation, Im going to ask new RO how many errors they did wherever I go, haven't met or have one right now. You think RO will Tell me? I'm seeing my MO next Thursday I will ask him if I am ready to make appt to meet whoever RO I have 4 weekly weeks left of taxol/herceptin (yay!)



Hope everyone is good and low SE.



Xoxoxo's

lostinmo: thinking of you as you get ready for surgery.just one more step.

Alice- such an unusual receptor profile. Have they asked you to be in a Clinical Study?

Ladyfighter: your last one tomorrow? Congrats and hugs!!

Alice: thank you for the congrats... You're almost done as well, right?

And yes, adjusting to no hair is one thing, but boy, without eyelashes I desperately need sunglasses ALL the time! odd.

Please, all of you, remind me not to read about instances of permanent hairloss from taxotere. Please. Thank you.

Lady: lol! My last was Tuesday! Glad we're both done!

Hello all - I actually was busy yesterday for a change so I didn't get on here...took the girls to see the Katy Perry movie and then oldest had a friend spend the night which meant I had to entertain my youngest all evening because they wouldn't let her in the room.  Today my MIL and DH's nephew are here on their way home from OK. MIL has gone to take a nap and DH is entertaining his 15 year old nephew while I just sit here and watch TV.

KCB - do not read about permanent hair loss!!!  I haven't and if I can not do it, you can too, lol!

Kam - after I posted that I was googling and a lot of places says with pre-menopausal women, even one node will get you rads, so I probably will.  I want to do everything possible to kick this crap out.

ladyfighter - I am the same way on the mascara and eyeliner - I have very few lashes left and it looks so ridiculous when I put mascara on because there are a few short, a few longer.  

I went and got some lashes yesterday just to mess around with them but I haven't tried them yet.  I still have enough brows to just fill in with the eyebrow powder; I got some stencils but I looked like Cruella De Vil or something when I tried to use them.

lost - thinking of you as you prepare for surgery next week.

Alice - lol on the Bald Eagle...

Well, I guess nothing else new here.  Have a good weekend all.