Sept 2012 chemo

Just a short note - First of all, thank you to all who post.  My chemo brain is not allowing me to keep track of who said/did what, so please forgive me.  You all lift me up with your stories and help me feel "normal" for where I am right now. 

Today's C/T infusion went without a hitch.  I like the new infusion center.  It is smaller and I met several other patients who see MO.  They had some great stories which helped me feel even better about staying with him, although I had to change centers. 

currently I am very tired but cannot sleep due to the steroids.  I enjoyed the stories of 'roid rage - just be careful!  Here, in Florida, many many motorists are armed!!!

I, too, am amazed at the ability of all of you with young children to do this.  Some of you have jobs outside the home, too!  My hats and scarves are off to you!  (please excuse the bald head, tho - haha)

Taking anti-nausea meds to keep my stomach calm.  Waiting for the bone pain from the Taxotere and the Neupogen shots.  At least I think I have appropriate level of pain meds available this time (I am allergic to anyghing with "codone" in it.)

(((hugs))) to all and wishes for few or no SEs

Sherrie

ps.  I love the mirror!

Butterfly 14, Mariposa, aliasismo, rsdavid, hoping you all have a good day post treatment with few SE's .... Hoping everybody else has a lovely days as well.  Scorchy - hope you are feeling good on day 3 of work, I am happy for you that you're loving it!  Sometime you'll have to tell us about what you do  (if you feel like it).  I like to hear about everyone's life stories.  

Cherioo - I'm doing radiation after chemo - I am finding that everybody's radiologists/Plastic surgeons/oncologists want to do things differently.  My particular group say this: Onc (should I say MO?) says "okay to get fills as long as the procedure is sterile" - which of course it is, per PS. I am up to 440cc's now, waiting for three weeks for it to settle (I guess "gravity always wins" haha - so this grapefruit on my chest should shift down somewhat, and the replacement will be softer and squishier).  The Physician's Assistant to the PS says we might have to switch out to the implant PRIOR to rads because sometimes the radiologist doesn't want to radiate a TE, because of the metal port they fill through.  How weird that some will radiate with a TE, some want the implant, some will fill, some won't, I remember someone saying their Oncologist okay'd fills, but their plastic surgeon WON'T til the chemo is done ... So many variables.  

Shockd - so far my main SE's are the fatigue and some nausea. I was so tired yesterday, I slept all day and all night.

Cherioo  - i am not doing the radiation after chemo. I have lupus as well, and with only one positive node, all of my dr's did not feel that the benefits outweighed the risks. However, before decision was made, my PS was going to stop doing fills and have me wait 6 months after radiation to continue with reconstruction.

In the last two weeks I went from very long curly hair, to a chin length bob to a pixie.....my scalp is itchy, tingling, and painful to the touch with strands of  my hair falling out like rain... my MO said he liked my hair, then asked if I cried when it was cut....cried all weekend, my hair has not been short since 1987.  Tired to post before, middle and last cut, but can't figure it out.

The Look Good Feel Better class did help, there were seven women, all with breast cancer and most 45 and under. Helped to see that I was really not alone, even in a Small area of Florida. I would recommend going to anyone that hasn't. 

Twinsplus1, what  you describe is perfectly normal. I forget who said we are used to be the care givers not the takers, and this will take time to get used to. 

 Hoping minimal side effects for all,nuelasta shot this afternoon....

Carla 

Me to my husband this morning: "Most of my eyebrows have gone.  What do you think of the pencilling? Does it look weird? Can you notice?"

Husband: "Your eyebrows look great honey.  And your beard and moustache look much better too."

Thanks husband for keeping it real!

(P.S. I never had a beard or moustache, just for the record.)

<- changed my avatar. I have just enough peachfuzz coming in that's not completely white so you can see it in a photo. That's after 4 rounds of AC (every three weeks) this past summer and 6 rounds as of yesterday of Taxol. I keep warning myself it might fall out again from the Taxol but I just thought I'd share anyway.

Jojo,
Thank you, hopefully I do not pass out at it =P lol

Mariposa,
Go you! That is awesome ...warrior woman over here!

Cherioo,
For me the option of radiation is still pending. I have to go for a consultation to find out if I will need to. Not excited and hope I don't.

On another note, my hair is slowly making the fall out....very slowly but it is happening. My scalp hurts and I don't like that haha.

jojo, i've lost about 75% of my eyebrows and lashes. I've heard people say they lose all of them during taxol even when the head hair is coming in so who knows?

Appt to let go of my hair Friday....am sure I will cry, but I can't stand to go through the daily loss of it...am dreading the eyebrows...hugs to you kidsandlabs....englishrose, your posts always bring a smile to my face! Love to all my September sisters!

I started my chemo in August and getting ready for 4th chemo on Tuesday, October 16th. Chemo day seems like the best day because I visit with my family. However, the days following my brain is in another world, and I can not focus or go to work. The following week the fog clears, but I am tired. It is really hard to get up when the alarm goes off, and I always think man I wish I could sleep just a couple more hours. It definately is a marathon not a sprint. I am trying to take it as it comes, but I have been very emotional with lots of crying....This is my first post because sometimes you feel so alone with it all, so I thought I would come to the forum for emotional, mental, physical support.

After my shower today I reached back to squeeze my long hair,,,,nothing but air. Big sigh.

Hi all,

       wow, it's all happening fast, huh?  Mariposa, the driving incident you had is an everyday occurrence around here. Just be careful, you never know if a confrontation can go bad.  Went to MO for 3rd neupogen shot, 4th tomorrow.  I am glad to tell SE's are decreasing.  At least I know it is a medicine that is improving my BC's.  Twinsplus1,  I can't imagine how tough it is for you right now.  Accept the help, you need to rest and take care of yourself as well as the kids.  My husband is away for 2 days also, my son and I got some takeout, all is relaxed.  Some strands of my hair starting to come out now. I havent cut it, not ready for that yet.  I dont see me wearing a wig every day, I cant grasp the reality of that.  Does anyone have a wig that looks good? 

Waitingfor, love my wig!

Linn65, welcome! We will help you to not feel so alone and vice versa! Waitingfor, love my wig too, thankfully!

welcome linn66!

I have had my wig for a while now and really like it as well.  I do spend more time wearing hats and scarves, I found a hat from the San Diego Hat Company called the Women's Jersey Cap, it is soft and comes in black and grey and doesn't have the sizing hole in the back so it gives full head coverage.  That tends to be my go to when I leave the house and a wig is not in order. 

I went to Look Good Feel Better the other night and they had wigs and scarves they encouraged everyone to try on if they were not sure about what they were looking for. Linn this may be a class you want to go to if it is in year area so you can look at options. 

Thanks, everyone! I'm feeling better about the hubby traveling issue now that I know I have back up.

Dad decided to stay home so it's just Mom coming to take care of me. I think it'll be good for her, too. She was here when I had my surgery and stayed for 5 weeks. I don't know what I would have done without her. She wanted to come out for chemo #1 but I wouldn't let her. I wanted to try to do it on my own. I'm sure glad I did it that way. Otherwise I'd be freaking out about even asking her to come back.

Took my 2nd dose of steroids tonight. I have a 9:00am appt. with "the chair" for "Chelle vs Chemo - Round 2." I won Round 1 with just a few SE and am hoping Round 2 will bring me the same victory.

Regarding the wig topic: The first wig looked great in pics but totally sucked when I got it. It looked like I picked it up at a Halloween store! The second wig is very nice, it doesn't look like a wig but is WAAAAAAYYY to conservative for me. AAAANNNNDDD, while I thought I would spend every waking hour in my wig, I'm finding I like the scarf look and I'm a pretty good looking bald chick. Not to mention, twin #2 and plus 1 absolutely ***HATE*** the wig. LOL

Sending hugs and prayers to all!