December 2012 chemo group

Lol, breastcancer makes breakups look easy!



Yes Sophia, lumpectomy... They took the size of a peach to remove a tumor the size of a grape, so now my lopsided breasts are even! The incision was across the nipple in a circle so the scar has blended in nicely. I'm happy cosmetically but looking good wont keep me alive!



adh is pre dcis, and the surgeon said about 50% of adh will develop into dcis. Not knowing if it was dcis or adh is inconsequential really, it's abnormal cells and I want them all gone! Since it was right at the margin the surgeon said he thinks its all gone but I am the one who wakes up with the fear or recurrence every day, not him! Not one woman I've spoken to think I'm unwise to go for the mastectomy and recon. Men seem to think differently, but that's just their caveman speaking. No breasts, no hair, no babies, I suppose I better get used to it!



How's your hair Sophia? Mine is still hanging in there, today is day 11 counting chemo as day 1.



Xx

If its any consolation my MO told me that after two years on tamoxifen a break to have a baby has the same benefits as being on the drug, so I guess there is some hope down the track for us er youngsters.



I had not yet wanted children but I was not ready to have that choice ripped away from me either. Sneaky shitty cancer.



My scalp is scratchy too! Have your cats fund the vacuum yet?



Xx

sophiafred, having lost one's boyfriend was a good way to word it - I just wanted to make sure he hadn't died (I was gauging my sympathy response!) 

sandra, I'm adding the number of days you are ahead of me (I started 1/2) to see when feeling normal again might be something I can say!  I'm so encouraged to read those words!  I have this annoying lower stomach/intestinal pain/discomfort.  I'm sure this, too, shall pass!   

Sandra - glad you are feeling better!

Lee - I had the same stomach/intestinal discomfort after tx1. It was not nearly so bad after tx2.

I am off to chemo number 3 today. Another 8 hours at the hospital. DD took the day off from work and is going with me this time, so I glad to be able to spend the time with her. I don't get to see her nearly as often as I would like due to her longs hours at work.

Hope you all have a day of mild SE's and can keep a positive outlook.

Bren58, thanks so much for letting me know about the lower intestinal discomfort and TX 1!  So glad to hear it wasn't as bad after TX 2!  I hope today goes well and happy to hear you can spend some time with your daughter!  

Sandra, are you still feeling good today!  I hope so!  I keep thinking about these words of yours: "Gosh it feels food to finally feel normal!!!"  Those words are a beacon - although I must say, it's not been as awful as I thought it could have been - it's just that normal would be GREAT (I'm also thinking of normal as being how I felt pre-BMX).  Also, I started out chemo with the dregs of a sore throat/cough/cold so that may have impacted how I felt once the steroid dose wore off.  I keep thinking those famous words "this, too, shall pass!"  And the good thing is - I've been able to walk a mile a day so far so as long as I can keep getting those little endorphin bursts it's all good!

Good thoughts/wishes/prayers to everyone today! 

ETA:  Sandra, I know I've said it already but I really love your haircut!  If my stylist was closer (she's 100 miles away!) I would go get a similar cut in waiting for the "fall out." 

FriendGwen, that's GREAT NEWS!  Enjoy your kitty and a glass of wine tonight - and your normal tastebuds!  

Sandra60 - If we count from 28th Dec, tomorrow is day 14. For most of the girls here, it seems to be when it starts falling. Mine is completely dry and it just doesn't feel like my hair anymore, but the itchy feeling got better when I started using Head & Shoulders. I'm hoping it lasts a few more days because my mom's birthday is saturday. I keep telling her that it's fine, but she's having a hard time accepting everything.

Yay Gwen! Glad your tastebuds are back to normal. It makes eating so much more enjoyable.

Back from chemo 3. All went well except that I forgot to put on the numbing cream before I went and my center does not have the freezing spray. Ouch. I don't think I will make mistake again! They did cut my Carboplatin dose because of the ringing in the ears and I also did not not get a headache from it this time. My stomach does not feel well, but I think that has more to do with the Vietnamese food that my DD ordered for lunch, rather than the chemo. At least I hope the stomach upset is not starting this soon! I did have all the anti nausea meds with the chemo.

Each time I feel a little more prepared for the SE's. Hopefully I won't get any new or weird ones this time around.

Duckie- I do eat yogurt and take a pill probiotic, but I also have been taking a teaspoonful of this stuff called Calm. Got it at the health food store on the recommendation of a nurse when I had surgery. It is calcium magnesium and has a very mild laxative effect.after my first go-round I made the mistake of taking some nasty little pill and I was up all night with stomach cramps and diarrhea. Not fun! So I started on the Calm this time and so far my stomach feels better. No constipation or diarrhea. Hope that can be of some help to you.

Gwen, can you post a picture of your kitten? Welcome back taste buds! Mine are about 80% back, I'd say.

Maybe some of you knowledgeable women can give me some recommendations. Are there any paraben free moisturizers/makeup products you have found? I have tried looking online, but it is such a daunting task.

duckiedee- I have the same problem. I take a probiotic. I also take a dose of Miralax with a morning cup of coffee during chemo week. No taste, no cramps, no embarrassing surprises

Are there any paraben free moisturizers/makeup products you have found? I have tried looking online, but it is such a daunting task.

Powermom - I make my own soap, so I know there's nothing artificial there, and it's easy to find deodorants in any supermarket that say: "0% aluminium chlorohydrate, parabens and alcohol". It's a lot more complicated with lotions, because this is a type of product that needs some kind of preservative or else it will spoill very quickly. There are some paraben-free ones but... I do not consider a product safe only for this reason. There was a study relating parabens to breast cancer, so what some companies do is substitute parabens for OTHER preservatives with more weird names that have no studies guaranteeing that they are safe. You are basically *%&$# with cosmetics.