January 2012 chemo

It's me!



6am Monday morning here in the hospital after my BMX with free TRAM on Friday. Past few days were really challenging with meds and nausea :-/ Seem to be on top of it now though.



Catheter came out yesterday and hoping at least 2 drains will come out today.



Surgery was 12+ hours I gather but all went well. I had a positive breast node last December and I had refused the ALND. Done chemo, herceptin, a few rads and Tamoxifen since then and BS saifd there was a small group of breast nodes he removed with the forst one looking a bit "solid". Pathology will hopefully show dead cancer cells - if it shows live cancer cells we will know that the txs so far have not completely worked. Should know pathology on Thursday.



Not panicked yet... Breasts look good :-)



Jenn

To all you super ladies, Joyce, Denise, Jenn, Jane, and NcBeach gal who so graciously responded to my question regarding nausea meds for my friend, thank you so very much.

Before I was even able to give her the suggestions she landed in the hospital for 8 days, with diverticulosis that they attribute to the chemo.   When she is well enough they may be looking at surgery. 

Again thanks.  You are certainly a rare group. 

Wow, Jenn, you are doing great!  I left the hospital with all six drains!

Paying for the walking... Just had to call for backup pain relief :-/



Jenn - closing eyes at 8pm after tramadol and oxyconton...

Yes great news Jenn

All that chemo and suffering sure does kill cancer...thank God!!!

Joyce - never heard of it!  But just looked it up and read about it!  What were your symptoms???

I twisted my knee at the beginning of August and it just never got better.  I can't bend it and it has been terribly swollen and painful even to the touch.  I got a cortisone injection 8/20 after Xrays (the orthopedist said -- do you know you have arthritis in that knee?  I said, who doesn't at 55? Anyway, it still didn't get better -- in fact, at times seemed to get worse. I had an MRI on Friday and the ortho came in to look at the tests and said that although he is not a radiologist, he sees a torn miniscus (probably the actual injury) and avascular necrosis (which, of course, I had never heard of before).  I'll see him Wednesday after he gets the radiologist's report.  In the meantime, he put me on a course of steroids and told me to use a cane.

I'll update you Wednesday.  But, really, potentially caused by the chemo?????

I hear you, Peggy!  I just found out that I will need a knee replacement.  Enough already!

I'll keep you and your husband in my prayers.

Joyce

Oh Joyce that stinks.  Sorry you will have to go through that.

Peggy I am keeping your husband in prayer.

Haha - went to the hairdresser yesterday and tried to turn from my dark brunette to a nice shimmering blonde. I came out 3 hours later with what my husband is kindly calling "honey" coloured hair. Seems that the chemo affected hair was more of a challenge than they thought... You can see the evidence on my Twitter feed @Jenntrix . It's good for a laugh :-)



Back to work tomorrow!



Jenn

Getting used to it :-) They have assured me we will get to the right colour. I have special shampoo, conditioner and a once a week mousse to use. Then I go back in a few weeks and they take it to the next stage. My godson's girlfriend assures me this is not unusual when trying to go from brunette to blonde!



Jenn

I'm still pretty bald on the top -- and what's growing in is white.  The sides are dark brown (almost black) and are coming in like peach fuzz.  It's still not long enough to go without the wig at work. 

Sorry I haven't been around here much.  Needed a BCO break during Pinktober.  Oy - did anyone else have a problem with the over-abundance of pink last month?  So many friends had good intentions and were thoughtful and kind and sent me all sorts of pink stuff.  I don't mind being defined by my boobs, but hate being defined by my cancer.

Anyway...

Peggy, I'm so sorry to hear about your husband, and sorry I haven't sent my thoughts sooner.  Please let us know how he's doing - and how you are doing, too.  You're both in my thoughts and prayers.

Love your hair, Jenn!  Mine looks like a tortoise-shell - multi-colored and really quite lovely.  I haven't gotten a haircut yet.  And it's starting to curl in some spots, so I often look "messy".  But I love it, and am happy to have it back!  Refusing to EVER color it again, just because I don't want to have to deal with the upkeep (although, after all of this, I wouldn't think twice about shaving it all and starting all over again!)

I'm going to start seeing a counselor soon, I think.  I'm having a struggle with getting back to normal (whatever that is) and not being Cancer Girl anymore.  Everyone else has moved on, but I feel a little stuck.  It's hard to explain.  Saturday is my Cancerversary; my DH has some really sweet things planned so that we celebrate our lives and how they've changed for the positive in the last year.  He's really been my rock.

Anyway...love to you all, and thinking about you always!!

Nancy - I can't believe a year has passed!  My 'cancerversary' was Saturday.  So much has happened since then! I've been seeing a counselor for a few months now also. It seems once the active tx was done after rads, I had time to start 'feeling' again.  I know what you mean about everyone moving on.  I don't want to be cancer girl anymore, but I don't know how to be normal either.  Cancer was/is part of me, but I haven't figured out how much a part of me I want it to be.  It feels really good to have this neutral person to talk/vent to who can help me put everything in perspective.  As a bonus, she is helping me deal with my weight issue.  I never realized how repressed I am!

Jenn - My thoughts and prayers are with you.  I know every pain or cough has me worrying.  I have an appointment with my MO this Friday.  I have a few issues I want to discuss with her.  Its hard not to worry about mets.  I almost feel doomed - that it is really just a matter of time before the other shoe drops.  This is where the counselor comes in handy.  I can share these fears with her and leave my DH blissfully unaware of my continuous fear.