Starting chemo November 2012

Keetmom - did you find it empowering taking control of the hair? First time since I got diagnosed that I actually felt in control of part of this evolution.

5Luvbugs - I watched 3 movies today, a couple of hot baths(the jets & hot water help with the aches) and then ventured out to the grocery store with DH.  Wore me out walking thru it but felt good to get up and more around, too. 

Eleni - DH wants to start rubbing my bald head for luck.  Not so sure about that!!!  He might get whacked.

Anyone having problems with skin peeling??  My hands are so dang dry. Almost like I got sunburned.  Using Gold Bond Healing lotion but I really think it's from the chemo.  Miss my mani/pedicures.  Yes, I'm a girly girl.

Very much so txjunebug...and I am walking around the house sporting a gi-jane look...once my kids got home and I saw they were ok (along with my daughter with the huge health care needs, my middle DD is non-verbal and cognitively disabled...so I was real worried about her...but all went fine!

ok, so I tell my husband not to let anyone come in the house unless he makes sure I have my wig on.  Today some people stopped over and he opened the front door while they were on the porch and said "Put your hair on, you have company"    Last week our neighbors were walking by and I was looking a little down, I said I wasn't feeling well, they asked what was wrong and my husband said " That's not her hair, it's a wig!!!  What a jerk!!!   Backtrack to the day the doc told me I had to have chemo, what's the first question husband asked - "I think this might bother her but will she lose her hair?"  Do you think he liked my hair?  What the F" it's all about the hair!!!!  Now we laugh about my beautiful Hair!!!

Yours truly Clarabell

GRRRR!!!!  I very much dislike our outsource FMLA Group in Colorado.  My nurse filled out my FMLA paperwork for 2 doctor appointments per month so what does the FMLA group do--  I get only 2 FMLA days a month.  I have to have my doctor recertify my claim in order to claim FMLA for my third treatment on the 27th since I claimed Friday for the 2nd treatment and today for side effects.  What the heck do they think chemo treatments mean?????

5Luvbugs - I put in place a rule that no one can come in the house without telling me first to make sure I'm at least in the bedroom so I can grab the wig.  Although I have to say I'm tempted to go to the family Christmas with just my bald head so my stubborn sister can see what I'm going thru.  Still can't believe that she said to me that wouldn't get the genetic testing as she didn't want to have to worry about getting cancer every day.  Really????  You're going to say that to me???????????

Keetmom - glad to hear the kids didn't freak about the new look!

I don't care about who sees me bald. I have breast cancer.

Thanks for all the smiles I got from your posts about the SEX topic. You may recall on my last post I said the GP at drop in (last Wed. evening) said I had folliculitis of the labia majora and mucisitis of the genitals. Even the cancer agency help-line nurse the next day had a laugh with me about that dx. The lumps look like the little bumps on lego. No sex around our house and probably be awhile with lego parts!

As for dose dense Sneaky refers to, as always with our cancer, treatments are situational. In my case, dose dense was recommended if I could do the Neupogen cost. Turns out we don't pay all that much and same for most of us in British Columbia. But not much is a lot for many families and so the majority do not have dose dense. For sure there is less concern about the blood counts as below. But with my fast growing and aggressive cancer faster is better in my estimation. Yesterday we discussed the Taxol dose dense or once every 12 week options. Dose dense still recommended but if I don't tolerate it then we go to the other option.

I was away from posting for awhile. Vancouver General Hospital does not have WiFi!  Long story short, I am grateful for the follow up from the help line at BCCA and when my blood work results came back from the pre chemo draw Friday AM, the doctor who read the results called and suggested I go to ER at VGH and when I arrived the paperwork was already in progress. My hemoglobin was 82 and neutrophils .4 so with anemia and neutropenia, I was admitted within minutes. I was there from Friday afternoon until Monday AM and along with lots of IV antibiotics and 2 units of red blood cells my counts all recovered. I got a pass from the hospital yesterday to go to my scheduled appt. with my MO. She cancelled my chemo for today saying no oncologist would allow chemo after what I had been through and I need a week to recover. So now it is next Tuesday which puts me "behind" a week but means no chemo on Christmas Eve! I posted today on my blog about my hospital stay and also posted a photos of my amazing view. Last night I watched "Parenthood" for the first time. I had heard a main character Kristina, has breast cancer and is on chemo. She too got hopsitalized for neutropenia but on Christmas Eve and way more drama but I had a much better room with a deluxe view! Photo of view is in today's blog post. 

XXOO Marian

Michelle- Thank you for your original post which has brought all of us together!

Eleni- As for sex, I have no significant other so BOB it is... I have to say, it was good stress relief.  It took my mind off of all of this crap. (at least for a few minutes)

My last post was a couple of days ago and at that point had not lost hair.... Apparently I had spoken too soon.. Right after posting (day 12) suddenly it was coming out by the handfuls. I just kept finger combing my hair and lost about half of it that day. By that night I put it into a pony tail and had my daughter cut it off.  Next day, I lost a ton more.  Today, I've only got about 25% of it left, if that.  To compensate for the hair loss, I've gone heavier on the eye makeup and dolling myself up that way instead.  If there is such thing as a "good" side effect from chemo, I'd say it has to be this Brazillian I've got going on downstairs! Or shall I call it the chemzillian? 

Hugs to all of you

Keetmom, I shaved my head after my 2nd treatment. Two days after treatment it began to fall out, I was in tears. Shaving it put me in control! My sister is a hairdresser, she shaved my head, my husband's because he wanted to support me, then my sister had her head shaved to support me. It was a glorious experience. It still falls out and the follicles tingle( only way I know how to discribe it). A friend of mine with colon cancer told me to putDuct tape strips on my head and pull off. Believe it or not, it doesn't hurt it relieves the tingling sensation and takes the loose hairs out. I let my kids, my husband and my mom do it. We laughed a lot! I have very little hair left, my 3rd treatment is Thursday. I'm not looking forward to it! I have had a rough two weeks.



Sinus infection, sores in mouth and face, fatigue is unbelievable, nausea. I finally got some energy the last couple of days. I took a nap today so I can't sleep tonight!

Hi ladies-



5luv-

That is to funny !! Did they tell u no mani/ pedi?? U gotta love husbands / men!!!

Keet-

Yay ! Good for you ! So glad it worked out!!

Jen-

I know exactly how U feel !!!

Priscilla -

Good luck !!! Keep us posted!!!

Tx-

I am so jealous !!!

Eleni -

Good idea with the baby lotion I happen to like that smell need to add it to the shopping list!!!

TLYM-

So glad for u!!!

Hope everyone has a great day!!!!

We got this is right!!!

Dakota- 20/20 did a show on chemo brain with an MRI showing the difference in brain function. It's real!



So are the hemmorhoids:(



Sotera- glad ur having an easy time! Hope it continues.

Sick-

I am going to try to find it I believe it's real. Sometimes I can't find the words!!!! It drives me crazy!!! The hemeroids suck!! I called today to c what to do! It's not fun!! It could be worse !!

I was using senekot and they told me to be careful with it because my bowels would get too used to it. I am using colace and now have f***** hemeroids. Not happy

Tx-

I had it first when I was pregnant but was 9 yrs ago!!! Ur right, not fun!!

Soteria -

Thanks! I will try anything !!!

Was taking senekot and colace and got the poops so I cut out the senekot per dr and got hemeroids .... Now they say go back on the senekot ... ? Happy medium where ???

Dakota... that was me last week.  I texted my ob who is also a dear friend and told her I was going to die from bottom problems...

Wipe with Tucks, keep them in the fridge.  Use brand name extra strength Prep H, and take tylenol or advil.  I also picked up a sitz bath and used it twice a day.  It took about four days to really recover, but I finally feel better.  I still have a wee bit of pain when I use  the restroom but it doesn't hurt to sit anymore 

She did say that if it was bleeding or prolapsed that she could cut it.  That freaked me out a bit!  

Both my babies were c sections so this was a new one for me.  Hope you get some relief soon. 

I go for A/C 3 tomorrow.  I am going to start a very low dose of Milk of Mag tomorrow in hopes that I prevent the mess from happening again.  I didn't have problems my first cycle with just stool softners.