Sept 2012 chemo

Justegan,  Welcome to the Exclusive Club No One Wants to Join.  Only 23 and a graduate student.  I am so sorry.  I look back to my graduate school days, and I'm sure I couldn't have coped with all this and that.  Hope you have a good support network.  Hang in there.  This is a great thread.  I'm probably the oldest, the grandma of the bunch.  Did you read Wonderwoman comics as a child.  I'm now trying to find copies for my granddaughters.

David, do a temporary tatoo.  Needles, hepatitus.  No Way.  You sound much stronger now.  Just had number 2 A/C yesterday.  5 hours.  One hour waiting for drugs.  Oh well.  Took first Emend yesterday, and will take 2nd soon.  So far no nausea.  Came home and went to bed.  Slept through all but first five minutes of debates and until 6 am.  Neulasta today.  I think fatigue has set in early.  This time I'm just going to roll with it and not try to do anything buy sleep, read, watch movies, and the stationary bike if I am up to it for 10 days. 

Mariposa,  Happy Birthday.   Sorry for the depression.  Try Garison Keiler podcast downloads, Prarie Home Companion link.  Free.  Funny and distracting.  I downloaded over 100 to my iphone and listen through the night through thin old earphones.  It puts me to sleep, and if I wake up, distracts my brain.  No bad dreams.  His voice is interesting, but mellow.  Works for me.  Away went the little Sad cloud over my head one day when I woke up without Keiler.

 Amy,  Bottom eyelashes went first.  One or two hairs left from brows.  Head almost shiny. Pubic, still there, long and curly.  Go figure.  Wonderful news on the shrinkage.  I'm on A/C too. Just had second although she lowered dossage after first by 20%.  Surgeon got all from breast--clean edges, but it had gone through one lymph node so this is after the little cells like the bole weevil, "just looking for a home"  We can see from you, it is killing cancer.  Yeah!!!

Toastiecat.  Second Wedding aniversery.  Oh  dear.  I am so sorry you are celebrating it this way.  My second one I was pregnant.  My first husband was having to get out of the service after 14 years because as a 41 year old captain (even though he had flown  50 combat missions over eastern Europe during WWI) they decided they didn't need him any more.  He was quite depressed and didn't know what to do so we went back to grad school for two years and then both struggled to find jobs.  It was as though our marriage was forged steel.  We clung to each other and took on the world.  It was a great marriage for 25 years until he had a heart attack and died suddenly in my arms as the ambulance tech and I tried to give him CPR. 

If your hubby is supportive (gentle massages help enormously), and you can fight through this together, your marriage will become stronger.  Hang in there.  Lots of Hugs.

Aliasismo, mine was up slightly above normal after the neulasta, and 5 neupogens, but down just under the low normal yesterday before 2 A/C.  Now I know to be extra careful immediately.  Sorry they delayed your treatment.  More neupogen?

Amy, go to your Profile.  Somewhere in there you can put location, DX, Surgery, treatments.  There is a button on the right to make public, (On your posts) or private.

Sherbad,  A Loved Birthday,  A Memorable Aniversery.    Hugs.  Wishes for no SE and a quick cure.

Butterfly, No raw tomatoes if your WBCs can be low. Germs can get into the tomato through the stem. They have caused severe sickness among even healthy people in the past. Either eat cooked, or don't eat.

I'm trying the white tea. Not much on the internet to support it, but the lady next to me at chemo swore by it.

By the way. I gained 5 lbs naked from yester morning before chemo to this moring. Ok, I drank over a gallon of water and they put a lot of fluids into me. I had ham and egg and bagel with crean cheese for breakfast yesterday, an Arbys for lunch and  Cottage cheese and canned pineapple for supper, but 5 lbs.  Must be the fluids. 

Hugs to all.  It's 8:30 and my day of doing nothing has started.  Oh yes.  There is the paper. 

Hugs and Kisses to Mariposa & Sherbab (and anyone else I missed due to chemo brain)!!

 

Toastiecat...I think your therapist is right. I always had very short hair. This was not supposed to be an issue for me, even had some fun with it at first - shaved it into a pink Mowhawk. However now that its gone I suddenly feel isolated and I don't want anyone to see me. It's solidified the fact that I have breast cancer and am "sick". I think I need to make an appt with my therapist...can't stop crying and feeling very alone....

Thank you all for posting on the hair loss. My mom said I was being vain, hair grows back. Unlike losing both breasts, this will be the "you have cancer moment" for all to see. I have started having dreams of my hair falling out in clumps while talking to people or just breaking off in my hands. Today, I woke up crying and have been depressed since my feet hit the ground.

Mariposa: Happy Birthday, I pray you do not lose your hair today.

Cindy74: Thanks for the info on raw tomatoes, did not realize that.

Cindi,

I am lucky to have an amazing support network behind me. The faculty at my university have also been really understanding and I worked it out so I technically only have to be on campus Tues-Thurs. So I have my treatments on Fridays so that I can rest over the weekend before classes/teaching Tues-Thurs. It is tough, because I had to stall doing my Master's Thesis this semester due to my diagnosis/treatment. But I have to accept that it is what it is and I can't change it. 

jojo2373- You are too funny..... yes..... I've been watching my children here and I must say, all of you are doing pretty well!!!!!  I know some of you are struggling with the hair as it is falling away.  With the exception of a few days during my time in chemoland, I usually felt well and had very manageable side effects.  I made an effort everyday that I felt well, to get out of the house whether it was to grocery shopping, run errands.... just the same things I did before I started chemo.  I know that the public world, I looked like someone with a serious illness going through some kind of treatment.  My almost bald head was covered by a baseball cap and my eyebrows were scant but basically non-existent.  I had a UMX which means sometimes I'm a little unbalanced in the chest area (it really depends on what I feel like doing to appear symmetrical there... I usually don't care...).   But for those things, I looked pretty healthy... skin coloring good.... weight good... etc. plus there was usually a smile on my face.  Now, the hair and the eyebrows/eyelashes are coming back, the boob situation is the same ( who cares... I don't) and the smile is still there.  I am thankful for every blessing I have received through all of this, whether it be in the form of a good thing/emotion or a not so good thing/emotion.    Each of you has the ability to make each day a good one and to move forward through all of this.  Sometimes you just have to push a little harder to get by the rough spots.   I know because I have been through that part of chemoland.

My personal hair story is no different than anyone else's.  I had waist length hair last February 2012 when I was initially diagnosed.  Then mid- March, I had a short bob when  I had my UMX.  Then early May, I had a short short boy hair cut just before my 2nd round of chemo.    For the boy cut, I made five little ponytails- one front one and 4 around the sides.  I snipped those ponytails off myself and boy that was liberating.  My husband and son had left the house to run an errand and returned to see me with my new do.  My husband got his trusty electric clippers with a 1 inch cuting guard and cleaned up the sides and back.  My onco even asked where I had gotten my hair cut!!!!  Before I had chemo, I decided that I would not shave/buzz my head when the hair started to fall because I felt I had had enough hair changes.  So it has been my personal science experiment to see if all of my hair would fall out during the chemo.  Well.... it didn't.  Some of my mighty hair follicles refused to let chemo take them out.  I had scant wispy bangs and nape hair plus hair scattered all over my head.  I was able to rub my head and feel that hair which was so comforting.  My onco and her research coordinator have been amazed that I managed to have some hair left.  My eyebrows and eyelashes started for fall out during the 5th/6th chemo rounds but have already grown back in.  I know that they can come and go several times post chemo because they are on a different growth schedule than the rest of the hair.

So where does that leave everyone here..... you do what you have to do to keep moving forward and pushing through this time.  If it means tears, then let them flow.  If it means sadness, be sad for a while but don't let it consume you.  If you are down and feel that you are down too long, get some support and help from your family, friends, doctors and here.  One of the sweetest things that my kids ( 18 and 22 yrs) have said to me it that "It doesn't matter what you look like, you are still Mom!"  I don't care what anyone looks like here, you are still strong women doing what each has to do to get healthy and stay healthy.

HUGS and wishing easy times in the BGC and minimal side effects!!! 

Good Day All,



Sitting in my chair getting my dose of AC . Praying this is a good one since my Dr changed my nausea medication since the last one made me sick. Looking forward to getting over this round and getting on with the Taxol after my next round . Wanted to see if any of you are having problems sleeping? I get like 3-4 hrs a night



I hope who ever is having chemo today I pray no SE

lokimax2 /Susan,

I hope your rash clears up.  I had a really bad reaction to the steri-strips/dermabond that was used when I had my port put in.  I had benedryl cream, steroid cream, and took Zyrtec to control the rashes.  My surgeon said for me to write that I'm allergic to steri-strips and dermabond next time so they will use other stuff.

 sherbab,

Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday!  I hope you feel better and at least get to do something enjoyable.  Sending you hugs. 

PS Cheerioo--get some proper prescription sleep meds if you don't have some already.  I have Zopiclone and they're great!  I don't take them every night but when I do, I'm down and out for a solid 8 hours. Haven't slept like that since before I had kids!

I survived treatment two. Glad that's done. Enjoyed the music links. Really great. Thanks for sharing. Happy birthday friend! Hope you can find a way to enjoy it. Mine is in May and I hope and pray I will have this part of my life behind me. That is my goal! My other goal is to be able to help and encourage others as a survivor! That would give my life meaning. I also got the book mentioned about eating through cancer. I'm hoping to try some new recipes. Sometimes I don't know what to eat! This will help guide me. So far I'm feeling fatigue more. Ugh. So I will rest. Blessings to you all!

Cheryl that sounds like you had a fantastic time, what a treat that must have been, I love Stephen Colbert.



Timbek and Cherioo hope you are both feeling well, and continue with minimal SE . What meds did they give you Cherioo? I take Decardon and Metoclopramide and Ondansetron and they work well for me on AC for nausea control.



I have to say it has taken 9 days since my 2 nd chemo but today I feel GREAT, it almost feels normal. I managed to ride my bike 16 km. and took my little Emma(dog) for a walk.

I pray you all feel this well for the weekend. I am going to go shopping tomorrow( I will take hand sanitizer)..if people don't want to look at me in my scarf, if I remind them of cancer, to friggin bad, I feel good!! Maybe I will remind someone to go for her mammogram.



I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, in Canada this is our Thanksgiving weekend and I am going to enjoy it and be thankful that I am living in a time where they have treatment for Breast Cancer...and I am going to have turkey, and mashed potatoes gravey, and Brussels sprouts and carrots and pumpkin pie......I just feel so happy.

I would like to recommend if you haven't checked it out the thread called Anti Cancer Diet recipes. Some great recipe ideas are on this thread.

Jojo, 

I'm sorry the glass of Pinot Grigio didn't settle well. Like you said though, it was worth it lol. 

And my med onc said the same thing. I only need the neulasta while on AC once I start Taxol I don't. 

First, I must give serious kudos to my DH who upon a particularly CRAP cancer day at work made a run to Target to acquire a full week's worth of superhero undies for me. They have become my Linus blanket. I now firmly believe that when I'm not wearing them bad things happen. Like, for example, well-meaning work acquaintances who have no business knowing about my diagnosis (yet still somehow do) think it's a good idea to approach me in the hallway, or the cafeteria and ask me how I'm doing, in that way. You know, that WAY. LIZ!!!!!!! Oh my God. How A R E you? How are you FEEEEEELING? For anyone standing nearby there can be no mistaking the fact that I am sick, no matter how well I look, no matter how awesome my wig. I will flatten the next person who does that to me. Or, perhaps I'll handle it better if I've remembered to wear my superhero undies. We'll see.

Rsdavid: I love the henna tat idea - fight like a girl is the perfect sentiment. I might do the same, MO approving, of course.

Kstillie and Toastiecat: I've thought often about how the hard stuff feels easy (chemo, surgery, radiation), and the stuff that should be easy feels the hardest - not looking like myself, and being vulnerable to the world.

Justegan: I'm on day 2 of wig wearing. Very mixed feelings about it. Love how it protects me from the prying eyes of the world. Hate how it feels. The minute I walk through the door it's torn from head like a blood-sucking leech.

English Rose: Life is not worth living without the occasional mindless trashy novel.

Loved the "report" on the Colbert Report. I stopped watching the news and started watching Colbert when all this happened.

Love all the creative birthday greetings - Happy Birthday October ladies. And, a Happy Thanksgiving to the Canadians.

Cindi, I hope you have a nice dinner party with no SE. Hopefully your WBC will hold up this time. I have always had a somewhat low WBC so mine is something I worry about, it came up just enough overnight before my last chemo so they didn't have to reduce the dose. I hope I can do that again this time. I have 2 more chemo's left, Oct 17, and nov 7 and then I am done chemo and off to rads. I sure hope I can stay on track. How many do you have left, and how much Taxol do you get? Will you be doing radiation?



You sound like you have traveled Canada fairly extensively, wow it is beautiful. Riding for 8 days in the wilderness would be something to remember. I have done day trips on horseback but never overnight. I haven't been across Canada in 30 years. We tend to travel south....last time we went as far as Saskatchewan and headed south to MT. Rushmore and then Devils Tower in Wyoming. We do plan on going across Canada in 4 years and head south along the east coast of the US to your neck of the woods( I do feel intimidated by the snakes and alligators) across the lower and over to the west coast and back up to Canada. I met my DH while we were in the military, we both got out after 2 years. I assume you have been a long term military wife, sorry to hear the sad passing of your first husband. You sound like you have a happy heart and a DH who is right there beside you.



When life, wow you do have a DH. What would we do without our sweeties!