Sept 2012 chemo

Oh, and if anyone would like to chat on FB my name is Chelle McClelland-Kakac.

XOXO

Cindi thanks for posting the links to the cancer trials.

I hear you guys on the weight gain...ugh. It's the definition of insult to injury, I think. Anyone else having brain fogginess/forgetfulness issues? I'm having a really hard time with that. Normally my memory is really sharp. A lot of times lately I've been feeling like I'm losing who I am.

What are people doing for thanksgiving? It's only two weeks away, yikes. I am not up for it this year, but I don't know how to tell my mom. She's having a really hard time with my diagnosis, and traditions like this are really important to her. But the typical thanksgiving foods are increasingly unappetizing, and the smell of meat cooking really grosses me out. I'm not up for doing any cooking, and I usually do about half of it. I want to suggest we go out to a restaurant this year.

Foreverchanged, thinking of you today and sending good thoughts. Hope everything is okay.

Mariposa, I love your blog! Beautiful artwork.

Welcome suzilla! (I like your name)

Hope everyone is doing well.

Toastiecat - yes chemo brain is affecting me. Like Jojo said I forget where I am going in the house and where I put things at.  Hopefully this too will get better.

Chemo brain, drives me crazy. Especially at work, I have to write everything down or I would forget to do it.

I hate chemo-brain.  The woman who is running the chemobrain study I am in is named Dr. Kessler.  Here is a link to a powepoint she did last year for the annual BC conference.  I think it is nice just because it validates what we are all experiencing. 

http://staging2.bcconnections.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bcc-8th-annual-breast-cancer-conference-cognitive-effects-of-breast-cancer.pdf

I wanted to share a funny drawing I just did for my blog, but couldn't get it to load here:-(   I made a "chema ballerina"   I will have to try again later.  The kids are fighting.  Uggh.

I just finished #8 of 12 weekly taxol + Herceptin today. I am blessed to continue to have few side effects. Still have normal taste buds, no chemo brain, no nausea or pain anywhere, no nail or mouth issues...just the usual sleep issues from the steroid and constipation. Pink or red/clots when I blow my nose, but no actual "bloody nose". Minor neuropathy in my feet, but I'm taking B6 and L-Glutamine to counteract. I hope all of you continuing on to weekly taxol will also be blessed with such mild effects!



On the downside, I have gained about 7 or 8 pounds over the 8 weeks - I sure wasn't expecting that!



I also learned this week that my Thanksgiving hostess of many years has early Alzheimer's disease. We all knew something was going wrong for her, over a period of years, but still the diagnosis in someone so young (65) is shocking. she has decided she can't host Thanksgiving this year, even with everyone bringing all the food, so another one of the group will host. sometimes change sucks!



Jojo, good luck on your upcoming treatment. Mariposa (and others with a blog) can you put a link to your blog on your signature line here?

Love the Chema-ballerina, Mariposa!

Mariposa, I love your blog and pictures.



Cindi I will mentally be holding your hand next Wednesday...lets hope we have no SE for the last round of AC.

Cindi, chemo brain twice in the past half hour! Thanks to Adagio on the October chemo thread, who posted that she got the OK for Neupogen payment, I remembered that I had completely forgotten about my 5th and last shot for this cycle. Done and then back to BCO and I was reading all your comments and somehow removed this thread from my faves so had to go back and find it!

On the October thread I just posted this:

I am doing OK and have not posted the past few days - just reading and feeling the ups and downs of BC. Almost 4 months now since dx and still a long road ahead just like so many here. It is what it is but not always easy to wrap my head around it in a postive mood. The weather so amazing today though and I actually went for two walks and to a yoga class.

I have a question for all of you. I am having 4 dose dense A/C and then 4 dose dense Taxol. I see that so many of you are having Taxol weekly x 12. I am wondering why but maybe this is due to age or something else? I am 63. I will ask my MO on Tuesday before A/C #3 but thought it would be good to see what all of you think/know.

Cindi, clearly it is not an age thing but maybe it is our protocol for the Taxol here in our province as I think what I see is that anyone getting Taxol here seems to get the 4 cycles not the weekly x 12. 

But if anyone knows why please post.

Patin, here is my blog: http://breastcancereh.blogspot.ca

Mariposa, I got so frustrated trying to post a photo here but thankfully it was easy on blogspot! I still want to change my Avatar photo but that has frustrated me too. 

bearcub, hope that the bloodwork is good for next week!

jojo, too bad the cocktail isn't something more fun! I had my first feeling of fear about the Taxol which is still 2 cycles of A/C away. I think sometimes I read too much about others with S/E and worry then.

Marian

Mariposa,

Chema-ballerina is perfect! I love your blog and drawings. Thank you for sharing.



I've been experiencing chemo-brain alot. It is worrisome since I am still working full-time and I am making alot of mistakes. Also, I work on a computer all day and my eyesight seems much worse.



Treatment 4 of 6 tomorrow. I hate this so much. Not looking forward to the next five + days.



Menopause hit now. After the first two treatments I had the most heavy gross periods ever - now nothing. Well, nothing except the lovely hot flashes and night sweats. Ugh. And my nails just started changing. They have a white line across the middle.



Up late due to the steroids... hope I can sleep tonight. Even my little boy couldn't go to sleep. Maybe he was enjoying my energy too much.



Take care all!

Hello, everyone! Doctor's verdict: cyst!!!!!! He was so nice about it. He squeezed my hand and said not to worry but also said that he took my concerns seriously. We went over my original MRI that said my right side looked fine but there was a recommendation for follow up MRI on right side in 6 months. So taking that into consideration plus the decision before me whether to do mx or bmx, he ordered an ultrasound on the right side.  I meet with a bs Nov 23 and we'll discuss options and the ultrasound will be useful for that discussion. Big, big, big relief. Thank you so much for the support.

Forever - Hugs!  Great news.  What direction are you leaning for surgery or none yet?  I have the same choice coming up soon too.

I love the chemo ballerina. Great visual!!! Such talent! I'm Her- but getting weekly taxol. Mo says patients tolerate it well. I sure hope so because every week for three months freaks me out! I get infused in Thursdays and I don't want to be in bed every weekend until February! Still trying to get over se's from this round. My poor tummy says enough already! I'm calling because my bottom is in so much pain! I hope there's some magic cream they can give me! Couldn't sleep last night due to pain. Very uncomfortable. I'm a belly sleeper and since BMx have never been able to get comfortable. So glad to vent here! Love and appreciate you all so very much. Better days ahead for each one of us! God bless you all. Xoxoxo Becki

Dexemethosone is the steroid I am on. Before this BC, I only used it trekking in the Himalaya for those with beginning of altitude sickness and only then very sparingly and carefully. Now I get huge whacking doses! 

Jo, makes sense the dose dense maybe also as adagio on chemo Nov. said, for our more agressive cancers. Timbek, all interesting and will still ask my MO the rationale for me.

Leonard Cohen concert Monday night and have never seen him so can't wait. Also so perfect that when we bought tickets we had no idea I would be doing chemo and just happens to be last day of cycle before chemo. How perfect is that?

Marian