In shock

Benny, soooo glad you are improving. Di looks stunning.
Thank you for photo info too.
Like you have had more antibiotics than ever before since all this sxxt started but hey all part of the journey.
My friend has a beautiful mare called Black and she is so fed up with people thinking she is a boy she has bought some pink glittery hoof polish, then someone said it is good for our nails as it is really hard. Don't think I will risk it lol.

Are you chemo next week ? It can only get better from now on. :-) x

Hug Edi X

Benny - love your list of food that you plan on when able! Don't think about Taxotere right now, remember your MO changed your regimen from FEC to AC, may just be playing it by ear with you. I actually preferred Taxotere to FEC re: side effects, still not fun but made it through. Taxol is an alternative that is not supposed to be as hard on you as Taxotere. Remember - everyone responds differently



Re: Herceptin - stuffy head - it could be the flu that is going around here but head became 'stuffed up' fairly suddenly during the infusion and has stayed that way since, temp only 37.5; I also had stuffy head and runny nose with last three chemo's which included the Herceptin, it does seem a little worse this time



Nihahi - glad you are able to get out snowshoeing, sounds wonderful, hope the shoulders behave for you



Traii - how are you doing post chemo?



Edi - I feel confident your bloodwork will be good tomorrow



Liefie - I know you are probably very busy getting settled back in and catching up, can't wait to hear from you again

Hi Ladies,

Like Scottiee1, I've been lurking in the shadows for over a month now, finding inspiration in the way you encourage each other through trials, and celebrate triumphs large and small - and of course, checking in almost daily to see how Benny is doing.  So glad that you seem to be doing much better Benny! 

I figured it was finally time to take the plunge and join you - so this is my first post.  I'm Canadian, but I have lived in the U.S. for the past 8 years.  I was diagnosed with IDC on Nov. 30th, but due to additional testing (including a PET/CT scan), the holidays, and a snow storm, I won't be starting neoadjuvant chemotherapy until this coming Friday (Jan. 11th).  My port will be surgically placed on Wednesday.  Of course, I'm apprehensive, but at this point I just want to get going with it - seems like it has been a long wait, much longer than I had hoped.

My oncologist has recommended 6 cycles of Taxotere/Cyclophosphamide (then surgery, then radiation, then hormone therapy).  Have been reading all I can about how to minimize side effects and trying to decide in advance what to incorporate.  Has anybody here, if you've been on Taxotere, iced your fingers and/or toes during infusion?  Willing to try anything if it will help.

Re: kefir, I've had it a few times in the past, and find it quite tasty.  Based on the discussion here, I picked up a little 4-pack of it today, advertising its probiotic properties.  I've been reading "Life Over Cancer" by Dr. Keith Block and trying to improve my nutritional habits in preparation for chemo - but I realize the focus might shift to just getting anything down and keeping it down once I start treatment.  I'd appreciate any nutritional tips any of you might have.  Like Benny, I've been a vegetarian for decades, although I reintroduced fish to my diet a few years ago.  To be honest though, I haven't been a "good" vegetarian recently - too much junk food/fast food.  Now it's back to lots of veggies and beans - my husband is LOVING it, to say the least.

Anyway, I hope the coming week goes well for all of you!

Benny, something weird happens on here !! some of your posts appear a good while after you must have posted them, so I am a bit out of sync.
Your real food list contains everything I love too.
I indulged in onion bhajis last week with raita dip and holy cxxp was I sorry ! should have known better :-(  still going on my future food list for later.

just realised what has happened, we both must have posted at exact same time 3 hrs ago.

Will tell my friend about the pink ribbon for tail, good idea. going to experiment with photos and pic of GD on her horse will follow.Taken on board the udder cream too for future ref. Nice to know Di is a sparkly girl too.

Edi x

Caitlin, my hubby was exactly the same !! Think when they realise how long and drawn out the treatment can be, they tend to feel really lost and helpless. Book will explain so much.

Edi x 

Caitlin - I iced my hands during Taxol treatment by freezing water bottles and holding the frozen bottles in my hands during the infusion! I didn't have to buy anything special and they bottles were easy to hold. While I was on Adriamycin and Cytoxin my nails darkened a little and I got some pins and needles in my finger tips so I was worried that the Taxol would make it much worse but it all cleared up quickly when I started using the iced bottles. Never lost my nails and they didn't turn black. My oncologist also recommended Vit B complex 3 times a day and Tea Tree oil on my nail beds (toes and fingers) so I tried that too. 

Maureen, hi great input re the water bottles for icing. sure Caitlin will take on board along with the peas.

Dakota, wish my Mum had been like you, was in school play once and remember peeping through the curtains and their seats were empty :-(  Happened all the time. Your kids will not have that with you. I go to as much as possible for the GD's especially if their Mum's have work issues.Hope you are keeping well.

Traii, Glad you keeping well. Watching tv " wanted down under " brits who are thinking of emigrating are shown homes and jobs in Aus and then decide what to do.
They are in Melbourne today !! They have looked at properties in Meadow heights and a really gorgeous one in Roxburgh park. He is a policeman and shifts etc seem better than here.
General opinion is that people there are really friendly and welcoming. They are picnicing on the beach at the moment.
Now at the end of the programme and they have decided to stay here, only because they can't bear to leave their families behind.
That is why DH and I didn't do it 40 years ago but now so wish we had.
No good crying over spilt milk.

Is your CMF more frequent than the other chemo ? I will find out new regime of it tomorrow on last epirubicin  Half way through now. Gosh it really does go so fast.

By the way Traii, the fact that  some  spiders are actually called huntsman, soooo not funny ! My Aunt who lived in Aus a long time ago was writing a letter once when she explained that she had to take a break as she could hear a clanking noise on the veranda outside. She then explained that it was some kind of beetle ! OMG. lol.

Hope all you sisters have a good day.

Edi X

Hi ladies -

Good luck to everyone having treatments this week.

Edi-

I try so hard to get to everything because I had parents like u, I was the last of 4 and they were never around. As u know my kids are my world. I hate spiders to. I try to remind myself I am bigger than them

Traii, Just f/b friend in Tas and they are fine ! thanks for your concern xx

I have to agree with all of you, this is going fast....I cannot believe most of you are halfway done chemo.



I just want to say you ladies all have the best attitude going through all of this stuff. I find this thread really refreshing.



Good luck today Edi with the blood, hope you bought some yummy easy food to cook.



I am off to #3 rad today...of course it is snowing, you have to love driving in January in the winter EH! As we say in Canada.

Good Morning from Sunny Alberta to all you ladies.

Snowshoe went great yesterday and the pesky shoulders held up much better too. The friend I was with I have nominated many times as "best friend in the universe", as she lets me whine without judgement, and gets me laughing, at the same time. I hope everyone of you has a similar friend. Lesleyanne....hope you are ok after getting hit by all those "snow bombs"! Good thing they were soft, eh!

I hope your day goes well, whatever it brings you. 

Carlasbd.....are you ok?

ABSOLUTELY......doing what we love, makes the reality that life goes on feel more possible. Though none of us would ever chose to go through this, the one "side effect" that is a bonus, is that you will at some point be more aware of how special the "good things" really are. Also, you find yourself connecting to "special people" that you likely would never have found. 

Edi - Qigong is very similar to Tai Chi, but is usually a much less complex series of movements, and tends to be more directed to finding physical and emotional balance. The class I am going to start is called "Radiant Lotus" and is specific to women's health and bodies. I have done tai chi in the past, but lack the "brain power" to remember all the sequences unless I did it all day, every day! 

Thanks to everybody for welcoming me back. You are such a warm, friendly group of people.

For those who asked, my visit was wonderful. Visited with all our family on both sides, enjoyed the foods that I grew up with, had many barbecues, did a trip up the coast to visit my brother-in-law and family who has a beach house there, enjoyed the (very!) warm, sunny weather. A special treat was to meet with 8 of my old high school friends whom I haven't seen in 40 years; there were many memories, joking and much laughter. For Edi: The wedding was lovely, and the organ playing went well. The practise I put in before leaving home did pay off. It was a beautiful instrument, and I fell in love with it immediately. The party went on till 3.30 am...The airline managed to lose our luggage, but we had packed our wedding clothes into our hand luggage just in case. Fortunately the lost luggage arrived two days later.

On the day we left I said goodbye to my mother who only recognized me for the first time the previous day. She is in frail care now, and is much weaker and thinner since I saw her last. I don't think I will see her again, and has been feeling sad since our return. She and my dad had given us a wonderful, loving home, and they were amazing parents. The cycle of life has truly been brought home to me. The dark, grey, rainy weather here does not help either. Hopefully I will get back into my normal routine and rhythm soon, but I don't have much in the tank at the moment.

Best wishes to you all.

Welcome Valo - trouble never seems to come as just one thing, does it? Children all deal with hearing about our diagnosis differently, give them time. You are welcome to come here and talk to us any time, day or night - there's usually someone on. Initially there is a lot to deal with and it is overwhelming, then once a plan is put into place things seem to settle into a bit of a routine and are a little easier to deal with.



Liefie - so good to hear from you. Sending hugs re: your Mom, just visited mine this a.m. after my MUGA scan, she is a little more confused than she was last month and it is difficult to come to terms with. So glad that you put your wedding clothes in your carryon luggage and so happy that your practicing paid off for you on the big day. Sounds like a wonderful time, give yourself some time now that you are home to take it all in and grieve as you may need to. ((()))



Edi/Traii - Mom was moved to a room just beside a kitchen/patient lounge area. There is a phone and a TV for patients to use and tables to sit around and have coffee and snacks. I think this is a good move. She has a wonderful view from this room of the mountains which are beautifully 'iced' with snow.



Dakota - hope the side effects settle down



Bearcub - I hope you did OK getting to and from radiation, one of the ladies on one of the other threads was called and told it to venture out to work this a.m. due to white out conditions



Nihahi - sounds like you had a great day snowshoeing, lovely that you have such a good friend to share everything with



Caitlin - welcome



Lesleyanne - sounds like your husband will be an even better oncology nurse after this experience and reading the book



Off to have lunch and a bit of a rest before I tackle grocery shopping.



Take care everyone