2012 sisters

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  • PaEaglesFan
    PaEaglesFan Member Posts: 277
    edited November 2012

    GL to you kslansky. You won't find a better place to go for support and understanding than right here.

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  • teeballmom
    teeballmom Member Posts: 322
    edited November 2012

    Welcome to all of our new members. Lots of support here for you.



    Looks like I will start 33 rads either this coming Friday Or next Monday. Everything is moving so quickly.



    Take care.

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  • bevg49
    bevg49 Member Posts: 739
    edited November 2012

    Good luck with the rads, tballmom... My sis just went through them and frankly, it was the least stressful and difficult of all the treatments. Hope it all goes easy for you too ....

    Welcome to the club, ks.... Once you get into the swing of things, you'll find things do calm down... You've come to the  very best place for undertanding and support. You can post absolutely anything that's on your mind and someone of many ones will be there for you.

    I had a great few days... No time to think about complications or reconstruction or breast cancer at all. Thanksgiving was great. My son did all the cooking for the second year which made it even better lol.... I was the pie and desert grandma... Yesterday my 1 year old twin grandkids, Samantha and Andrew had their first birthday party. Andrew discovered that whip cream could be used as a facial and they loved their gifts and it was a wonderful day with family again. I (we all) must remember what we have and not think about what is gone.

    Have a great Sunday all!

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  • cowpower
    cowpower Member Posts: 293
    edited November 2012

    Good luck KS- You have come to the right place for support. We are all behind you. Chemo is not like vacation but it is certainly doable, especially since great advice is always available on these threads. Once you get started, your life will be more predictable and you will feel better to know you are actively fighting like a girl! Here's to minimal side effects!

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  • juneaubugg
    juneaubugg Member Posts: 951
    edited November 2012

    kslansky:  Welcome and hang on... it's going to be a bumpy ride; but you've found this site so you'll have your seatbelt on!  This is the best place you couldhave landed.  Feel free to let it all out here.  We get it and we're here for you.  (((HUGS)))

    Websister:  LOVE YOUR NEW PHOTO!!!   Lookin' good sister!!!  ;-)

    Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend (here in the US) -

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  • juneaubugg
    juneaubugg Member Posts: 951
    edited November 2012

    OK Ladies - quick question... since my chemo ended I am still having HORRIBLE night sweats.  I'm off the tamoxifen for two weeks (one before my exchange surgery and one week after per my MO) - but I'm just trying to figure out when these fucking night sweats will let up...  I am so uncomfortable during the night... I used to have them for the first two days of my period, now they are constant.  I get into bed and I'm freezing. Then within a fifteen minutes I get all hot and hae to put on the fan and strip down.  It's crazy!!  I have been on Cymbalta for years and just switched to efffexor.  Hoping it helps but so far nothing.

    So - if anyone has any experience with this wonderful SE - or can even just confirm I'm not alone so That I don't feel crazy... that would be great.

    JEN!

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  • Cindyl
    Cindyl Member Posts: 1,194
    edited November 2012

    Oh you're not alone, or crazy... hot flashes, night sweats, freezing in between.  My thermostat is busted.

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  • cowpower
    cowpower Member Posts: 293
    edited November 2012

    I just woke up in my recliner, freezing. Put on a hat and two extra afghans. Started heat function on recliner. Within the hour the sweats will begin and we will start all over freezing a couple hours from after. I take tamoxifen but no other meds. (except, of course, the ocasional lovely ativan) So I guess I can be added to the busted furnace list.

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  • Cindyl
    Cindyl Member Posts: 1,194
    edited November 2012

    Yep. Sitting here wanting to rip off all my clothing and run out into the snow, but knowing I will be miserably cold rsn.  I have been adding blazers and cardigans to my wardrobe... never needed them before.  If it was really cold I wore a sweater, but that was rare.  Now I go through all for seasons in 15 minutes.  Put the jacket on, take the jacket off wonder if anyone would care if I took my t-shirt off? OMG it's cold where is that jacket.

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  • cowpower
    cowpower Member Posts: 293
    edited November 2012

    Cindy- LOL! I am now awake again in sweat phase- no snow here yet (upstate New York) for wallowing.

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  • teeballmom
    teeballmom Member Posts: 322
    edited November 2012

    Totally going through the sweating.  Not on any meds yet, but had ovaries and tubes removed at the same time as BMX so maybe that's why..... 

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  • juneaubugg
    juneaubugg Member Posts: 951
    edited November 2012

    Thanks ladies! Sorry your suffering too, but grateful it's not just me!

    Gotta go layer up for another day at work!!!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2012

    To you new ladies who have joined - welcome and sorry you have to be here. Good luck as you begin your journey. We are all here for you!

    mcook - thanks for making me feel like I wasn't alone in my crazy business last week! Hope you're feeling a little happier today. Sending big hugs your way.

    websister - love the new pic! I'll be getting my last chemo same week as you, just don't know what day yet since my schedule got out of whack last week. And then yes - we'll take the herceptin journey together!

    bevg - nice to see you on and feeling at peace. Glad you had a nice holiday.

    teeballmom - good luck with getting rads going. I won't start until January, but have my first appt with the RO scheduled for next week.

    Tazzy - I assume you're on your trip now. Hope you are having a lovely time!

    Juneau - yeah for squishees!!! I'll be right behind you in January. Will look forward to hearing your journey so I know what to expect (hoping to not take too many days off work!).

    I'm sure I forgot others. Sending you all big hugs this monday morning and wishing for minimal SEs!

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  • Chrisrenee77
    Chrisrenee77 Member Posts: 1,032
    edited November 2012

    juneau- you may want to see about getting on Effexor for your hot flashes. it is an antipsychotic medication but one of the SE's is that it helps hot flashes, those evil little bitches. I take two pills once a day and I only have my hotflashes from 7-8 am, then after that I'm fine. I don't wake up at night drenched either.

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  • mcook301
    mcook301 Member Posts: 509
    edited November 2012

    Hello,

    ahh yes the hot flashes! They wake me up as well as my shoulder through out the night and I heard a rumor that acupuncture might help with this? I am hesistant to get on any more drugs so trying to do some other things before I go there? I start PT for my shoulder tomorrow but I am not sure how this will work since I can't move the dam thing with out shooting pain.

    Have any of you tried Acupuncture for anything? I am so tired lately because of being woke up during the night. It has been a few weeks since I have gone a whole night with out waking up and it is really putting a toll on me.

    I hate this fucking diease! It has taken so much from me. I am so trying to remain positive here but ugh lately it has been quite a challenge. I hate my body now as I keep gaining weight from these dam drugs. I can't muster the energy to work out. what is wrong with me? I don't know who I am anymore? Hormones? No Sleep? I just wish someone would take this all away some days and I would wake up from this nightmare. It has to get better doesn't it? Or is this my freaking life now forever and I have to suck it up?

    I know that some of you are new to the site and I appoligize for being so negative but at times we just need to vent and tomorrow could be a good day:)

    Man I am pissy today! Someone post some humor so I can turn this sore mood around as this is not a lot of fun!

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  • Shari0707
    Shari0707 Member Posts: 448
    edited November 2012

    >I was diagnosed with stage 2 on oct 8. Around that time, I had a needle biopsy of a lymph node and that too tested positive. It didnt show up on pet and it wasnt enlarged, radiologist just want to be sure because it looked a little suspicious on us. anyway, I am also doing neoadjuvant chemo and am onto my fourth round of ac then taxol. When I feel my lump I do not notice a difference. However, my oncologist felt it and said that it has shrunk.. I still don't feel a difference. My thing is, she has not mentioned any sort of other test to check on size besides feeling it. Is that weird? Should I ask her for an ultrasound or MRI, or should I just trust her. I am 31 and want to be the most proactive and aggressive with my treatment as can be, to ensure the less chances of recurrence. My parents say I should just trust her and its her job, but I am scared and want to know chemo is working. If it isn't working to the best, I can change chemo regimen. Am I being silly? Should I just trust her? Is it normal to have tests during chemo to see if tumor is really shrinking? Can someone here offer me any advice?

    I am just so scared

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  • mcook301
    mcook301 Member Posts: 509
    edited November 2012

    Hello Sharon,

    I did neo adj as well. I had a large tumor and it definitely changed in hardness and shrunk but was still there. She should measure it with a tape measure and see if it has changed in density around the edges of the tumor. We did not do any but an ultra sound bf surgery after all my taxol was finished.  It drove me crazy too because I wanted to know how much it was shrinking each time.

    Hope that help a little?

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  • Shari0707
    Shari0707 Member Posts: 448
    edited November 2012

    It does help.. Thank you.. I thought she was crazy feeling it and saying it shrunk.. At first I thought she wasn't even feeling correct spot! I guess I am just being neurotic, which I guess is also normal when going thru this.. I jus want to be proactive.

    . After being diagnosed they biopsied a lymph node which was positive... Because where I got initial diagnosis was different from where I am being treated, my bs then tested that positive lymph node for her-2 status.. It came back as her 2- , which is good... I jus want to make sure this too is an accurate measure since it was not the actual tumor being tested for her2 status.... ahh I am going crazy!!! Again my patents tell me to trust doc as she is very good and reputable, I just worry that it read negative and is positive and I could be then getting meds for that too.

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  • Shari0707
    Shari0707 Member Posts: 448
    edited November 2012

    Thanks Mcook...

    From shari

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  • KarenZ0305
    KarenZ0305 Member Posts: 487
    edited November 2012

    Mcook I hope you giggle as much as I did at this saying:



    "Of course they are fake - my real ones tried to kill me!"



    Don't know why I found that humorous. Or how about this:



    During the hottest summer on record I walked around wrapped in fleece thanks to the lovely chemo and now at night I am in shorts and a tank! And our heat doesn't go past 70!

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  • KarenZ0305
    KarenZ0305 Member Posts: 487
    edited November 2012

    Sharon my dr was able to tell by feel but didn't really tell me till after I finished the AC and started taxotere. Every time I saw her she said it was smaller until she finally said I don't feel it anymore! When I had my surgery I got the good news that in a 5cm tumor bed there was no tumor (thank you icky meds!) and my lymph nodes showed scar tissue from the ca that was killed off by those same meds.



    I hope this gives you a little bit of faith that the meds are working.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2012

    shari0707 - so sorry you have to be here and are in that initial scary phase. I'll preface with saying that I am obviously not a dr. and only know from my experience and my attempts to understand what my docs have told me. I am HER2+. I had my surgery first and then my chemo (i opted for bmx so no real need for chemo first as far as I understand it). So my tumor was tested to find out my HER2 status. I don't know if testing the node vs the tumor gives a more accurate result for this. If I had to guess - I'd say no, as your nodes should have exactly what your tumor has. What I can tell you is that the treatment for HER2+ cancers - Herceptin - is not considered a chemotherapy, rather it is a targeted treatment. The way I understand this - and I could be off - is that it won't shrink a tumor. Instead - it has the ability to hinder growth of any lingering cells that stick around after chemo and surgery. My chemo started with four rounds of AC and then switched to four rounds of Taxol. When i started Taxol - I also started weekly infusions of Herceptin. I'll soon have my last Taxol and then I beleive will be switched to having Herception every three weeks. And I believe you stay on Herceptin for a full year.  Hope this helps. Hang in there!

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  • Lifeonitsside
    Lifeonitsside Member Posts: 250
    edited November 2012

    Shari0707 - just to add - don't be afraid to ask your doctor those exact questions. You should be an advocate for your own care and if you don't understand something, ask. Something I don't think the doctors realize that something they take for granted, you might not understand. Maybe she/he can reassure you and give you the information you need. Always ask!

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  • Aruba
    Aruba Member Posts: 543
    edited November 2012

    MCook..hope this makes you chuckle...saw this on another thread and I did...

    Haha

    Hang in there sister!! 

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  • liefie
    liefie Member Posts: 2,440
    edited November 2012

    Dear McCook,

    You never have to apologize to us here. Your circumstances are what they are, and we all understand. My heart goes out to you, and I wish there was something I could do for you. To be in constant pain is so debilitating. I found during bc that the moment the physical pain/discomfort went away, my mood would improve immediately. So I feel for you who are constantly struggling with this physical discomfort. I don't think you have anyhing to lose by trying acapuncture. If it can relieve your pain, why not? I sincerely hope the PT tomorrow will help. Maybe phone and ask if you should take a painkiller before the time? I don't know, but it just hurts me that you are in such pain. ((((BIG HUGS!!!))))

    Aruba, that is funny!

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  • Shari0707
    Shari0707 Member Posts: 448
    edited November 2012

    Thanks so much to everyone who responded. I did ask both oncologist and bs. Oncologist said the testing was accurate and bs if anything, they will do all the tests again after chemo and before surgery. I think it is just me am my neurotic self that wants to know and be sure about everything. I also feel like I harp on the same thoughts and don't want to bother them again with same issues. Instead I just drive myself and my family crazy. Haha... Thank you to everyone, I really feel like I have so e people here who finally understand what I am gong through. I feel like I have a little more piece of mind.

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  • SusannahW
    SusannahW Member Posts: 470
    edited November 2012

    Mcook, I do accupuncture for stressa and sleep, and it's been wonderful. Haven't used it for pain issues, but I have friends who swear by it. I also have pt for my bad back and some arm/chest pain left over from rads, mad while it's uncomfortable during treatment, I feel great afterwards.

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  • Joanne_53
    Joanne_53 Member Posts: 1,477
    edited November 2012

    Aruba, thanks for the laugh ...

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  • mcook301
    mcook301 Member Posts: 509
    edited November 2012

    Ladies



    Let me just say how much I love all of you! I can't tell you how much you support and humor helps me. I believe with all my being that this will pass but right now it is hard and you have helped me to realize 1. I am not alone 2. That you all get this



    Aruba - that made me chuckle



    I am sorry for all of us that have been dealt this dam card but so thankful I have all of you!



    Mauh!

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  • liefie
    liefie Member Posts: 2,440
    edited November 2012

    For Mcook:

    Diary of a wife:

    I went out shopping with my friends today, and met hubby for dinner afterwards. He seemed distracted and unhappy, but when I asked him what was wrong, he said nothing was wrong. We could not get a conversation going. We came home, he switched on the TV, and watched it, still quiet and brooding. I think he's angry and unhappy with me, but I don't know why. It makes me so unhappy. I went to bed, and 15 minutes later he came to bed too. I caressed him, he turned to me and we made love, but afterwards I cried myself to sleep. There is something he's not telling me. Tomorrow we need to have a serious talk.

    Diary of a husband:

    My snowmobile broke down today, and I cannot find what's wrong with it. But at least I got lucky tonight!

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