Sept 2012 chemo

Beautiful pics English and Damiana. I changed mine to my war scars, thought it might help others to see what a lumpectomy and snb looks like 4 days after. I do have the drain out now.

Hello All,

EnglishRose - I am so glad your friend has been there for you and has been so supportive.  What a blessing.

Mariposa - My PS wants to use the gummy bear implant.  I will find out more as I move along through the reconstruction process.  I looked into the DIEP, but decided it was just too way involved for me.  Not too crazy about foreign objects in my body, but ...

I decided to do BMX even though my tumor was very small and found in only one breast.  My family and friends have been very supportive with my decision.  However, my sisters are giving me push back regarding getting implants. 

Good luck on your lolipop adventure.  : )

Cgesq - Great tip on the produce bags.  With my first surgery, they gave me a belt.  The bags would have been so much better.  Not sure if I will have drains with the exchange surgery; if yes, I will be prepared!

Jojo - So glad no more drains!  Let the tears come ... then focus on the good - because there is a lot of good!  Margins were clear!  No more surgery!  Tumor responded to treatment!  Only one (small) positive node!   Tumor marker is in the normal range!  I don't know anything about the liver enzymes; your MO should be able to give you some guidance with that one.  LOTS of good .... look how far you've come ... Hugs to you!

Patricia - You're a trip!  What does your mother-in-law say to you when you tell her you want BIG ONES?  Too funny. 

I love all the new pictures.  We are all beautiful!!

Have a nice weekend ~ Hugs : )))

I won't get a flu shot, the last time I did was when the H1N1 was going around and for whatever reason I got everything going around that year. I think it messed with my system.



I was wondering if anyone is going to be getting a medical alert bracelet for tamoxifen and herceptin?

cherioo - no flu shot, never have never will.

hmmm, a medical alert bracelet?  might be a good idea, bearcub, I had a bracelet for the surgery, bright bold RED bracelet "ALLERGIC TO TAXOTERE"

Cheerio - No flu shot for me!

I received a bracelet with my power port, but I don't wear it.  However, I did get a medical alert bracelet that states 'Lymphodema Alert - NO BP or NEEDLES' and I wear it on the side I had lymph nodes taken out.  I was told by my medical team that I needed to wear one from now on.  I also added this information (and the power port information) into my cell phone.

Jojo: thanks so much for posting about your surgery. I loved what you posted about waiting so long for it to happen that you just wanted it to be perfect. Exactly! Just wanted to let you know that no matter what, you're my valedictorian of neo-adjuvant chemo surgery! 

Amy: super list! It's totally going to be my packing list. 

Mariposa and Damiana: and so many others, too, your photos are awesome! I really need to update mine.

Patricia: time and time again I am struck by your incredible energy. So great!

As for me, I just wanted to post a missing report:

MISSING:

One right eyebrow. If found, please return to owner (me). Left eyebrow looking forlorn. I try to tell it that things will be alright but it keeps looking back at me all arched and questioning looking without its partner.

But seriously, WTH??  Who loses ONE eyebrow??

Foreverchanged,

Me too! I'm heading in the same direction, left eyebrow is fleeing the scene of the crime. Right eyebrow is sadly sparse. Picasso-esque. Could be time to compose An Ode to My Last Eyebrow.



Was hoping I'd sneak past those unfortunate side effects by hanging on to a few lashes and brows. But I'm not so sure now. And since I've never been good with an eyebrow pencil my wig with bangs will have to camouflage.

lol on the eyebrows.  I lost all mine on the Taxotere, and still no sign of them returning.  Grow, grow.....

I have a slightly different problem with the lashes in that they are beginning to grow back in, also just on one side.  At the moment they're short and stubby and every time I close my eyes they poke in to my bottom lid.  It's really annoying. As far as my hair is concerned, I still look like a baby ostrich, but not in a cute way!

Foreverchanged, after about three months of doing it, I've finally mastered the technique   Although on some days it does go horribly wrong! I tried the fake lashes a few times but they looked weird and made me feel like I had bricks attached to my eyelids.  Now I just draw a fairly thick black line across the top of my eyelids with liquid eyeliner and a similar line across the bottom with kohl pencil and someone would have to look really hard to notice the lack of lashes.  It's a good deterrant to public weeping of any sort since if that happens, my face will literally fall off.

You guys are great!  Keep the laughs coming!  This morning, the one little lonley eyelash I had left is now gone.  I think my eyes look weird.  My eyebrows are still hanging one, but barely.  They have thinned so much.  I am hoping since they are still around at this time (almost 5 weeks PFC), the little bit I have left will hang on.  I have absolutely no talent for this.  I think I may look even scarier if I have to draw on my eyebrows! LOL.

foreverchanged, englishrose and Hopex - my left side eyebrows look like they are making a run for it. I was hoping that they would stick around, only have a couple of bottom lashes on both sides, top seem to be hanging on,. Thanks for the visual and the laugh.

Almost week 2 and hardly any hair growth, looks like when you don't shave your legs for a couple of days, only on my head.

Happy Sunday!!

Thanks Jojo, I am going to get one of those!!

Oops.... sorry I forgot to tell you about the eyelashes and eyebrows falling out post chemo.  Mine started to come out after my 4th round of chemo.  A few weeks after my final 6th round of chemo, just say I looked like an alien with no eyebrows.  My top eyelashes stayed but my bottom eyelashes left.  Yes, one can have eyebrows and eyelashes throughout the chemo treatments and then they poof  and start falling out post chemo.  It's normal plus it is possible for the eyebrows and eyelashes to come and go several times during the first year of PFC.  The reason is that eyebrows and eyelashes are on a different growth cycle than regular head hair.  It takes a while for those hair follicles to get into a normal growth pattern.  Yes, I know of someone whose eyebrows grew back in half on each side.  Fortunately, the same half grew back on the each side so she doesn't look unbalanced.  She just has to pencil in the  eyebrow section that is on the perimeter of her face. 

If you lose those brows and can't figure out how pencil them back in, you can get eyebrow stencils.  I know you can find them at CVS and maybe at some grocery stores.  The Anastasia eyebrow stencil kit is a little pricey and can be purchased at Sephora.  There are also some Youtube videos that can help show you how to pencil in eyebrows.  Here is a link to a video that I watched a few times:  http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A0S00M1p6vJQglsAPxr7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBrc3VyamVwBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQD?p=chemotherapy+and+eyebrows&vid=48970cfae0c6e5b776fd6107f27d70b4&l=10%3A03&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DV.4999493079728344%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DU4lajZWeEyE&tit=Recreating+eyebrows+with+make-up&c=1&sigr=11a2317m3&fr=yfp-t-701-17&tt=b

I got some Rimmel Eyelash/Eyebrow Growth Serum at Target for $8.  Do I think it works..... who knows.  I wasn't willing to spend $40+ for some Mary Kay Growth Serum.  I had a Lastisse prescription which is to help grow lashes from my onco but opted not to fill it.  The Latisse is a little expensive. 

Just think of this time as part of your continuing transformations.  Just have to remember, you are beautiful and no matter what, it's all good!!!!

Posted in the wrong thread!

Butterfly14- I checked out that eye serum too but decided I was willing to spend the money.  The thing about these eyebrow/eyelash serums and Latisse, you have to keep using the products or else you will notice thinning of the eyelashes/eyebrows again.  I started using Nioxin shampoo and conditioner after I finished chemo.  I read on the Hair, Hair, Hair thread that this was a good hair cleanser to try to help the hair growth.  It can be purchased at Ulta but I have found it at Marshalls/TJMaxx much cheaper.   The Nioxin products sell pretty fast at Marshalls/TJMaxx so you may have to keep checking to see if has been restocked.   I use about 2-3 drops to wash my hair.  Yes, I do dab a bit of the suds on my eyebrows since I figured it was hair and what could it hurt.  My hair is growing back just fine; perhaps not as fast as others who finished chemo when I did but at this point, who cares.  My hair looks like an edgy hip short short boy cut.  Because it has returned evenly, I haven't had to get a hair cut yet.  No chemo curls here but it could always happen.