2012 sisters

Lostinmo...I have had one lash left since all the others departed. I am hoping that 4 weeks PFC they may start to come back... even one by one I will be happy with. Hope you are still doing OK. I always think that ice cream and chocolate are good cure-alls.

Ckolendar... I have read on these boards that Seraphina (sp?) sell eyebrow kits ??

2Fried... Fluffy Boobs - whatever next? Ha ha !! I will have to see what I can find on Google. British Open Golf is on... so DH is occupied with that - whether I want rest or not

Great new avatar Firestorm.... Love your hair.... In fact I love most people's hair these days. Great you love your MO - means a lot. Check about the fake lashes... I was told no because of the glue. Your poor Mum - so hard to see their kids go through this crap... give her lots of hugs.

Lisa... I don't bloody well know - driving me nuts... I will call again on Monday - even DH is getting anxious about it.

Tina_jason: welcome. I hear ya... I cant wait until my hair is OK to go out in public.... Now I'd just scare the kidlets. Like you said its liberating not to have to wear a head covering. Especially in this heat.

Ramols: Again, an inspiration to us... and I bet you felt good in that shower eh?

Aimz - welcome also. Someone will answer your question.

OK - off to cook breakfast and get my dessert and appy ready for bbq tonight. Wishing you all relatively pain free days this weekend, with laughter and love.

Hope I didn't miss anyone - if I did I am still thinking of you xxxxxx

Lostinmo, no hurry on taking a peak. But you will find yourself in front of a mirror at some point, and you will survive it.

Ramols, good for you, shower and everything! I think the completely flat chest might be better than what I've got going on. Flat on one side and still can't wear a bra. One trick I've got is a lightweight linen vest. I pinned a fiber fill foob inside the vest, then I wear a soft t-shirt under that.

Firestorm, I'm sure your Mom will come around for you. You look so young, I can see why she is extra upset. 

Lostinmo, I was also very apprehensive about seeing what was actually done to me when I had the mastectomy. When I eventually mustered the courage to look in the mirror after about 5 or 6 days, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I had no incision in the armpit area, because that was what I expected. The surgeon had removed the four lymphnodes through the same incision made across the breast for the mastectomy, and I had full range of motion in my arm about two weeks after the surgery. This surgeon came highly recommended, but when I googled him afterwards, I found out that he was rated no. 1 in BC, Canada. Guess I got lucky for once.

As far as the eyebrows, I never lost mine completely. They just thinned considerably. The same goes for my lashes. Now 10 weeks PFC it is all growing back, but they can fall out and grow again as some people on these forums are experiencing. It has to do with the growh cycle which gets thrown out of whack by the chemo. My hair took long to start growing, but it is coming in very nicely all over my head now. As for the rest of my body, nothing at all yet, and I have always been quite hairy, grrr! Dare I hope that it will stay that way? That will be such a nice bonus, lol. 

 You hang in there, Lostinmo. In a few days' time you will feel much better. Take the pain medication and rest a lot. A very good weekend to you!

Thanks everyone you have all made me feel much better!  I did take a small peak today and what I saw wasn't as bad as I expected. Tomorrow when I shower I guess I will see it all. 

Websister- I was told to wait the 48 hrs to and that would have been this evening but I was busy napping. Now everyone else is asleep and the shower is in my room so I won't wake DH now.  They also told me not to scrub the area or let the water hit it directly just let it rinse basically.  I am still trying to figure out how to get my shampoo as it is mounted on the left side of the shower. Strange the little things we have to think of. I need to increase my protein I have heard to get in 100 grams (?) a day to help with healing. 

I do my exercises like I was shown, but right now I'm not sure my arm will ever be the same, but I also know that it's way to early to tell.

Since I slept most of the day I'm going to go read my book now.

oh and Tazzy  the ice cream hit the spot (it was chocolate). Now if I could remember where I hid my Hersey minitures.

firestorm- don't be scared of Camp Chemo, while it's not fun it is doable. Hope you have a lot of fun with your mom and 14 year old.  I'm trying to find a way to get my 14 year old to stop talking so much. He drives me crazy at times with the non stop talking.

firestorm- you had me laughing so hard. I think I hear the Mom. Mom. Mom even when it's not being said.  The one I really like is when your sleeping and they come in Mom...Mom.. are you sleeping?  Not now. LOL

Happy Day to All!

 The blood transfusion yesterday was fine.  Because my onc wanted me tranfused as soon as possible, I went to the hospital and was admitted for the day.  So I got my own private room with lunch and everything.  Wasn't too bad, just took a long time (6 hours!).  The gave me benedryl in case any reaction, which always makes me sleepy and loopy, so I slept for a while.

Feeling better today.  Still tired but not nearly as exhausted.   So I guess it worked.

I need to vent for a bit, so I apologize in advance . I am having a hard time with my family lately.  Before BC I was the one who did everything for them (the typical Italian wife/mother!).  when I got sick I asked them to help more and they did at first.  But now it is back to normal where unless I do everything, or yell and scream to get them to do someting, nothing gets done.  My husband is the worst lately because if I ask him to do something he turns around and makes my girls do it (ages 16 and 19) and then they fight about who is going to do it - even something as simple as empty the dishwasher starts a fight.  Does anyone else have this problem?  I thought I would get more support around the house from them, but I guess I was dreaming.  I was always the one who takes care of everything and everyone, I was expecting something in return.  What do I do now?  I can't do it anymore, my health is suffering for it. If it wasn't for my mom coming to clean for me once a week my house would look like an eposide of "Hoarders"!.  I had a screaming, crying fit today with them, but I don't think that will help.  I just don't know what to do.  And my husband is too proud to let anyone else come here to help.  I thought his family would have been more helpful with dinners or stuff, but I am surprised they have not.  I wonder if this is becuase it is a long journey for me with chemo for 18 weeeks and then surgery later on.  They call every now and then to see how I am but that's it.  

sorry to vent but having a really emotional day and not sure what to do.

Hi guys,



I had a lot to read today to try to catch up the last few days. My au pair returned home to Thailand and our new one came from Paraguay, so I have been busy getting things settled. I am getting ready mentally for my surgery tomorrow. I am encouraged by all those who have gone before me about the recovery. I am nervous of course and without the help of ambien would not likely get any sleep. But I will just be glad to have it all behind me.



I am 4 weeks PFC now. The energy levels when I sleep are getting better and better and the hair is filling in nicely. I have gone topless everywhere for the last two days. Only a few stares from kids who are probably confused to see someone with man hair and girls clothes earrings and makeup on. no one else ems to blink an eye. I am very happy to be done with scarves. I too still have scant eyebrows and lashes and am hoping they grow in soon. My three yer old son has the most wonderful lashes in the world and he won't share;). my lashes didn't fall out until just before my last chemo treatment and then fell out in a matter of 10 minutes.



Juneaubug. I did that chemo too. I worked the whole time. I found that I was tired but ok the day after treatment and then for 3 days had a queasy hunger kind of like being pregnant. I vomited once in the eight weeks I ws on that stuff. Ativan helped with the nausea and actually being active did too. I had less nausea at work. I walked 3 miles a day when I could. My skin was dry and sensitive. Everything tasted like cardboard. I had no major mouth problems or sores. My eyes were too dry to wear contacts any more. I ws tired but not enough to cause dysfunction. My hair started falling out at about day 20. I lost about 95 percent of it over the course of chemo. The first week was the worst. The second week I would start to feel more normal. The first treatment wasn't bad and the symptoms got somewhat worse each treatment. The Neulasta made me feel achey the day after. I took Prilosec and never had acid reflux problems.



Aimz, irishgirl and chrissera and ckolendar welcome to the group. I hope you guys find as much comfort as I have talking with all these awesome super strong women.



Ckolendar have you found the hair hair hair thread? Thats all we talk about there!



Chrissera glad to hear your tumor is shrinking, sorry to hear about your counts. I hope the transfusion was not so bad.



Tina, congrats on going topless. Feels great doesn't it!



Today is my day to take my weekly head photo, I will post it to my avatar when I can!



Ramols glad to her you are recovering so well. And happy dance for the clear margins! That shower must have felt great!



Bev, good look with those surgery decisions, you have been through so much.



The stories about you moms are great. Mom mom mom is all I her all day here too. There is no rest for us moms and I am glad for it. I can't sit and worry about me for any length of time and their energy keeps me going. I have a phone ring for when my kids call- it is stewie from family guy saying mom mom momma mom mommy etc...I though it so appropriate!



I know I have responded to every new message but all of you are in my thoughts.

Chrissera - I'm so sorry to hear that your family has reverted to business as usual  vent away!

I'm a brat, so I tend to handle things differently then most.  I love my husband dearly and he's really great about a lot of things, but cooking and cleaning, not so much.  lol  So I hired a housekeeper to come every other week.  No, I didn't ask if I could, I simply did it.  My rational...its normally my 'job' to do it, so it was my 'job' to find my temporary (or not so temporary lol) replacement.  Then I stood there and mentally dared him to fight me on it.  My daughter is only 14 and so I still exist in her world...not too much trouble there.  I also filled my freezer with casseroles before my surgery to ensure that no one starved with my absence in the kitchen.  Is it possible your family is acting this way because its how they're coping?  Like I said, I'm a brat, so I handle things different.  I'm also Sicilian, so that's a double whammy in MY favor

jpmom - OMG that ringtone is PERFECT!  My daughter walked in while I was typing my last response and asked if she really did that!  LOL  Oh yeah, baby, you really do that!  That gave her a good giggle...I just hope she's still giggling later this year after school has started and her mom is bald.  But then again...I'll bet it'll be that much easier to be an elf at Christmas time  

firestorm-you don't have to wait!  It's doable now ok well not now but after treatment is over we are going back out. DS keeps asking when we get to hit the road again. I think he is more impatient than we are.

chrissera-sorry your not getting any help. Mine is not a big help either. I said I don't have a choice I have to beat this cancer otherwise my family would starve to death and have no clothes to wear. My DH has done the dishes a few times under great protest. I tell him it is practice for when he grows up and moves out. That I want to know he can take care of himself. I'm not sure he buys that reasoning.

jpmom-can't wait to see your new head shot. I decided today mine is growing back I just can't tell because it's all white. At 45 you would think it would still have some color left.

Funny, the housekeeping stuff. I'm lucky that I've had a2x month housecleaner for years- long before BC. We actually went to marriage counseling once because we couldn't agree/divide up housework fairly from my view. I had this aha!" Hey, we pay $100/hour for a counselor,which is the same or more as we'd pay for a housecleaner to do the main cleaning! We both work full time- it's neither your job OR my job to do it, we can sub it out. " My DH cooked and did laundry since I was recovering from the BMX and couldn't carry laundry up and down stairs... or so it seemed.

 I still have 90% of my eyebrows and 60-70% of eyelashes. Will be 5 weeks PFC on Weds. I guess time will tell, but I'm glad I've had them so far. Weird to be feeling much more like normal but still look like an alien on top. Just the same stubble I've had since the buzz cut beginning of May.

Tazzy, the red nail polish is fun, great not be looking at my discolored nails, especially now that they are about 95% not hurting. Arimedex 3 days, not noticing anything yet.

HELP LADIES! I am signed up to start AC chemo on thursday but now not do sure. My onco was 22 (18 being the cut off) and my mass was 1.2 ( .3 from the cut off). The numbers are so close and I feel like I'm obligated to throw everything I can at this bitch, but damn: ive had enough!



And if that not bad enough I still have to think of starting my new job one of four treatments into this. How am I supposed to be at my best?



I know it's a very personnal decision, but I'd love some opinions.

2Fried: 8% less chance of recurrence. Of course I also have Chrons disease and have checked with my gastroenterologist and been told by her that it will get a lot worse too.



So confused!!

Bev - I like the idea of your surgeon suggesting showers from day one.  Something I will be sure to ask mine... when I get a bloody date !?

Websister: I love that idea of the protein.. makes total sense to me.  My dad has just had a hip replacement and the home nurse told him he has healed really well from the op.   My Mum made sure my Dad had lots of protein. 

Lost... brave move but happy to hear that its not as bad as you thought.   I am very brave at the moment saying that I will want to look asap.... But I don't even have a date yet (how many times can I mention this I wonder ) Oh! and told ya ice cream and chocy is a cure all.

Firestorm:  Don't be so afraid of camp chemo... really - Lostinmo is right.   And don't forget that what they tell you are the worst case scenarios.     And yes thank goodness we are girls and talk out our feelings.

Chrissera - happy to hear that the transfusion went really well.   Sorry you are having such a crap time with family... but I do agree with jpmom too - ha ha .   Let it all pile up - however hard that may be for you.  My aunt when dx'd with liver cancer (also Italian) told her husband, 3 daughters and son that if they didn't help out as they did at the beginning of her dx that they would have a dead wife and mother on their hands.   Harsh, but it worked.  

Welcome back soya - have you made any decisions yet on your surgery ?

Jpmom.... Wishing you all the best for your surgery tomorrow- positive healing vibes being sent your way.  Cannot wait to see the new avatar.

Lisa... I tried red nail polish...but I have really bad ridges on my nails and it looked crap... so I put on a pale colour which covers the discolouration, but nowhere near as much fun.

Juneaubug... hope you can come to a decision you can live with.  

Hope I haven't missed anyone.. if I have sorry, but still thinking of you all.  

Still waiting for my August surgery date so will call my Nurse Navigator AGAIN tomorrow.  

Best wishes to everyone here's to love, sunshine and happiness.

Jpmom - we are all with you tomorrow. it will go well and then this will be almost over.



Tazzy-hope you get your date soon. The waiting really is the harder part .



I. Am at a loss here and can't seem to find, comfort anywhere. I just cry and sleep right now . I just doubt see the benefit being stage I, clear nodded, clear margins, my stupid Oncotype of 22 leaves me in such a grey area....i REALLY believed this was over after surgery, and now this..



Love to all...