TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

I am back from Thailand which has to go on record as the hottest place on earth that I have ever been. My hot flashes were having hot flashes. It was a wonderful trip, but oh my gosh, my clothes would be soaked in an hour of walking around.



I am 20 pages behind, so I am just going to start here and say that I hope everyone is doing well and welcome to all the ladies new to the thread. I just learned that one of the first people I talked to and met on the her2.org thread has some kind of recurrence. They have identified a 12mm tumor that they are still checking out. Her diagnosis was similar to mine, but she opted for some different treatments. However, she became a vegan, taking many supplements. It was how I originally got to know her...asking about the levels of supplements she took.



If there is anything critical I missed in the last two weeks, could someone catch me up?



I had several hot oil massages in Thailand that were wonderful! Washed my hair with all the paraben laden shampoo samples in the hotels, lol, and drank water out of plastic bottles that had to have been hot at some point. Hoping I will get by it as I get back on a better diet.



btw, the food there is delicious! And the fruit....best ever.

Fluffqueen - 

Welcome back.  I'm new and have two tabs open on BCO all the time - one is a current page and one is an archive of this thread.  I'm trying to eventually read all 400 pages and am currently on page 99.  Pretty OCD of me, I know, but it has its moments and results in a lot of saved screen shots.  

One that I just now read (and saved) was from you on page 99.  This is going in my "feel good" file: 

I haven't read that book, but I had an aunt diagnosed with BC when she was 40, in 1950. She had a mastectomy, and a lot of radiation. My mom said they told her it was very agressive, but who knows. She lived to be 94 and never saw another day of cancer again. One of the neatest ladies ever.

Getting ready to read it to my husband right now! 

Again, welcome back - and to echo what soltantio said - I'm sorry as well to hear about your friend. 

Rozem- I found that article that you were referring to...very interesting. Not sure how to verify the info, but, It does make me feel better. Thank you:)

http://mobile.journals.lww.com/oncology-times/_layouts/oaks.journals.mobile/articleviewer.aspx?year=2009&issue=02251&article=00006

Fluff, welcome back. Sorry about your friend. Lee, the little things matter and clean hair is a big thing, .LOL so is the first shower after BMX. Feels do good, but I needed help for that to, as I couldn't stand for long, but that's cause of my knees.

Pbrain, sorry you feel nauseous. My onc nurses recommended ginger pills. But you have to take them every day not just when you feel bad. I think they helped me.

Caylee, I do what you do and just jump in the conversation. This thread moves very fast. I saw my cardiologist, had blood work, and an echo. And it looks like my heart is rebounding! EF is up a bit. Yay. Kind of balances the news that I am not a candidate for knee replacement anytime soon. As my ortho said, you can get around without a breast implant if they have to remove it because of infection, but that doesn't work so well with knees! LOL

Well, the infections, low EF, few abx that I can even use, he thinks it would be wise to wait. Um, yeah. But of course that still leaves me limping! LOL

Much love to all.

Okay, I blame this on (1) vicodin pill (1) melatonin pill and (1) case of eternal insomnia. 

Ok, jumping in to the middle of this.  You guys are so informative and entertaining.  My chemo is supposed to start on Nov. 26.  Initially was scheduled for yesterday, but I had a setback with my bmx/te surgery.  Had to have outpatient surgery last Thursday to remove some dead tissue.  PS said there was actually quite a bit more once he got in than appeared at the incision.  Described it as a void where the skin tissue did not adhere to the chest wall tissue and didn't heal. That visual is almost as gross as all the poop talk I have been following with great interest!

On another note, my daughter who will turn 14 on Nov. 23, and who has Down syndrome, was helping me with filling my pill organizer.  I didn't realize that she had done this for me until this morning when I looked at the PM box for today and found:  one each of Keflex, Ativan, Dilaudid, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Valium and Ibuprofen.  She had very carefully put one each of everything she could find in my "drug bag."  Bless her heart, I am glad I was paying attention!  We are teaching her to fill her own pill organizer each week and be responsible for taking her medicine, so she felt she should do the same for me!  I love that child so much it hurts.

Good morning, powermom.  I'm sorry to hear about your setback but glad they found it and were able to get it addressed.  Does your PS have you taking Arnica Montana?  My first PS gave me a starter pack of it (three tubes of Boiron - Arnica Montana 12 c, 80 pellets per tube) and since the second PS is friends with the first PS I went ahead and took it without confirming it with him.  The BS is very aware that the PS "prescribes" it so I've been taking it - starting two days before the surgery (nothing on the day of surgery) and then picking back up again the day after the surgery and still taking it today - 7 days post-surgery.  I just checked google for "arnica montana" and mastectomy and there are 633,000 entries so I assume it's pretty commonly used.  

Your daughter is so sweet to want to help her mom out.  What a caring child she must be.  On the other hand, it's good - very good - that you were paying attention.  

Wrapping up, the only poop story I have to relay is one with potential:  I just took a stool softener.  

I see the BS for the first post-op (out of the hospital) appointment this morning.  I'm kind of nervous because I need to let him know I'm steering away from his first/only choice for oncologist and steering toward my first choice for oncologist.  He's been the point man in all of this up until now but I don't want to drive all the way to downtown Los Angeles for chemo so it's time to bring things back closer to home...

Hi, everyone. I am happy to report I had my port removed three weeks ago. There are some days now that I forget that I had cancer until I take my Tamoxifen, and then I don't always think about it, really. Here's hoping that everyone can forget sometimes!

Pbrain ,

Ask about Kytril..I had that and decatron ..took three months for them to find the right meds that worked..I to severely sick..the Kytril suppose to last 12hrs...I was always loaded up with nausea meds even scapolamine patch..good luck

Thanks Nancyjill, for the upbeat post! Is good to know there will come a time ill forget some of this stuff.

Lindak, hope everything goes well at the mo today.

LeeA what is the arnica Montana for?

Powermom, good to meet you, and I am glad you paid attention to your pills. But your daughter really did a good job putting EVERYTHING in the boxes. LOL

Caylee, you are coming to the best time in chemo, right before the next tx. I used to plan dinner out the night or two before the next one. The I could enjoy the taste. You should be able to get everything done, especially if you write a list.

Much love to all.

powermom - my daughter with DS is 19yrs. Thank goodness she didn't try to be that helpful ;-) She hated my bald head after we shaved it down and then it all fell out 2 weeks after that first chemo back in January. She would put her hands over her eyes as she walked past me if I didn't have a wig on - it was sooo funny!



pbrain - did you get Emend to prevent the nausea the first time? According to ASCO recommendations it is supposed to be given to all women taking highly emetogenic chemo like ours, but I have noticed that over in there in the usa many of your doctors don't give it to you like they should (yes, it is expensive).



My brain scan showed only brain yesterday thank goodness. The SEs I have must be from the Tamoxifen...



Jenn

Jenn - my oldest DD wouldn't look at me without the wig either, she said if she didn't see it it didn't happen!  Glad they found a brain and nothing else on your scan!

PBrain - definitely talk to your MO about the nausea, there are so many different things they can give you and one is sure to do the trick.  With all the modern medicine there is no reason to be completely miserable.  I found that the last 3 were the worst but only for fatigue.  I never got nauseated and by the 3rd treatment I had figured out how to stay ahead of everything except the damn fatigue.  Animals are wonderful, my cat used to stick close to my side on days I felt bad.  They are so sweet!  Hang in there!

Oh, and let me creep out of my self-absorbed fog and say Congratulations Jenn!  I just knew it, all the way around the world over here in Indiana, I knew you were just fine!!!   

PBrain - there's no way around it...chemo sucks!  I had TCH too and my mouth felt like crap for about 8-10 days every cycle.  Most food tasted bad but I still managed to eat and gain 8 pounds! Lucky me!  It is only normal to be scared, we've all been there.  In a few days when you start feeling better you will look back on this and know that the SE's, although unpleasant, are temporary and that you can do this.  You are a rock star!