Starting chemo November 2012

Hi girl, its 4 am & here I am visiting you. Been down for a few days with fatigue and the aches from the neulasta and like Megan i also am having episodes of" chemo brain". Tried to go to walmart yesterday and lasted 2 minutes, walking in sloooow motion like a zombie! no driving for me either.. My butt hurts from running to the bathroom and once again there is "fire down below"! Need to get some clear aloe gel..Head is tingling so I am getting prepared for round 2 of hair loss... Girls get yourself one of those lint rollers with the tear off tape, you will need it, when the hair goes
. Wishing you all a good day. />Miss you girls, I am keeping up with everyone's posts but I am using an iPad and can't type so fast, thats why I've been a little "quiet" ---love ya girls!

I'm on day 5 of my first treatment, first couple of days I had so much energy, now I can barely move. I am going to pick up the wig I bought, she is cutting it exactly the way mine is now. I feel like if I wear it before I need it I might get used to it and not freak out as bad. I have to say the TE are my biggest complaint right now, they are only filled half way but drive me nuts while I'm sleeping...so much pressure. I'm considering not filling them anymore since eventually I am doings diep flap. I am taking the Claritin for the neulesta plus taking the compazine a couple of times a day and the aches and nausea have stayed away. They only gave me steroids for first couple days plus the emend. Wishing everyone a SE free day!

While I am sorry that you are all having trouble with fatigue, driving, etc. thank you for making me feel more normal by letting me know you are fighting it also.  Mouth is sore and feels huge, using the rinses.  Nausea under control but have stomach cramps.  Have not been back to work yet; this is the 4th day after chemo and I have no idea how to do that.  For those of you who are and to the non stop mommies, please be so careful with yourselves; I don't know how you are doing it but you are my heroes.  I tend to be the one who pushes through everything then I hit a wall when I can't take it anymore but this has seriously kicked my butt.

To you ladies dealing with the hair shedding, I am sorry; I know it's gonna happen but I can only imagine the letdown when it really does and my heart aches for you as much as my own. 

I am not receiving the Neulasta shot unless doc feels necessary.  Blood gets drawn on Thursday so time will tell.  I feel fortunate not to deal with the added bone pain as I already have enough aches and pains but am also nervous that levels will be too low. Any one else's doc automatically skip the shot?

Happy birthday Eleni! I will be singing to you and have a few Hershey kisses w almonds ...I could eat chocolate every day... Hope you feel good enough to eat cake and enjoy whatever you do xoxo

Happy Birthday Eleni! I will eat chocolate for you!

Happy Birthday Eleni! I ate some chocolote for you!

Hate the crampy belly Michelle...Just ran to Walgreens to get Prilosec as the heartburn is bad...

Ive dealt with Thrush with my dd before...and I don't think it is that...but who knows...I am using biotine...

Glad to think I am getting close to feeling normal...

ok guys I have been away I have had kidney stones so please for give me I will post but it will take a few as I am druged..I will do my best.

Eleni Mon 2nd

Meg Wed 2nd

Friday Gals

Powermom 1st

Soteria 1st

Junebug 10 am roll call

I am on page 25 of at least 28 man it sucks getting behind LOL

Itmguy - ouch kidney stones!!!!  sorry you're having to deal with that too.  I don't have bumps on the scalp but it does feel like it's slightly sunburned. 

My chemo is on Friday the 7th. 

Wish me lucky tomorrow.  Wearing the wig for the first time.  Not looking forward to the looks.

Thought I was wearing my big girl panties through this whole thing except for minor occasions.  I just went to the bathroom, washed and dried my hands, ran my hand through my hair and CLUMPS starting coming out.  It hasn't stopped.  I changed back to my little girl panties and have not stopped crying.  I mean over HAIR! Really?  And this was something I expected!!!  I feel like an idiot.

Itmguy - YIKES! Kidney stones? Sorry to hear about that, horrible to have stones passing on top of everything else. And still you have the mental faculties to make the chemo list - impressive!

Eleni -Happy birthday!! Hope the cake tasted ok - you should get to have your cake and eat it too:)

To all those who are in the heavy hair shedding phase - somehow, that is really hard, even if "its just hair". I gave in yesterday too, buzzed it off (but didn't shave) so my 5 year old DD took one look and said "Mom, you look ugly". Nice! The ten year old burst into tears, and my three year old wouldn't look at me the first hour and then seemed to forget about it. Then I went to work in the wig, and boy, was that a lot of awkward interactions. How is it going for everyone else starting to wear their wigs or scarves out and about? Are you getting suppportive reactions from others, silence because people aren't quite sure what the right thing to do/say is? Just think, give us another 6 months and we will be comparing re-growth length.

Can't wait to get on the plane tonight and get number two over it with this week.

Nancy - I finally have energy again. It came back yesterday, on day 19.... But better late than never!

My hair started falling out like crazy on day 15.  A couple days of that was all I could take.  Just couldn't handle it everywhere.  So got out the clippers and buzzed it off.  Not shaved right to the scalp, but the next closest setting.  It did not hurt even though my scalp was tender.  So, the hair was still falling out like crazy, but little bitty pieces, instead of chunks like a longhaired dog was shedding all over the house!  LOL. Little pieces are better, except they are prickly.  The lint roller was my new best friend.  But it's hard to get those pieces out of fleece beanies.  Funny thing is, not all the hair fell out.  Maybe 95%?  And what's left seems to be hanging on pretty well.  

I do have a wig, but feel funny in it, like people are going to know it's fake or like I'm worrying about it slipping out of place, or even coming off.  I wear it places like to church and to nice restaurants, not much else.  I have soft fleece hats for around the house and for sleeping in, warmer knit hats for outside, and was wearing scarfs and bandanas a lot before the near-bald stage set in, but now those aren't warm enough and they tend to slip around on my head.  A bandana under a baseball cap works pretty well, if caps are your thing.  Where I live it's getting pretty cold out now, so nobody seems to think anything of it when you go around in a warm knit or fuzzy hat.  I haven't really gotten much in the way of funny looks or insensitive comments - just a few.

I was also told (probably here, LOL) that the less hair you have the bigger earrings you should wear.  I was never one for "blingy" jewelry at all, just little bitty post earrings at most, but I've been having fun experimenting with big hoops and dangly earrings and I find that I like them after all.   :-)

I found it empowering to finally take control of the hair and buzz it.  Didn't think I would but never shed a tear.  Feels odd but so much better than the clumps and handfuls falling out.  You just have to get to that point where you've had enough of the fallout. 

Wearing my wig today to work.  Have received several complements from the girls.  The guys just look at you they don't know what to say.  It's okay because I wear it for me and not anyone else.