Sept 2012 chemo
Comments
-
Patricia: Congrats on the final chemo tomorrow!!! I will be thinking of you and sending out lots of healing energy. You are so right- you are fighting cancer and doing it like a bad ass!!!
Amy: I am so frustrated with all you are dealing with! You are so right about being the patient- and those around you need to start acting like your doctors. And What the hell - why do they let some OT run around giving wrong exercises??? That seems weird to me. It also seems like more people would have this issue in your hospital. Does it hurt any less today than it did yesterday? I hope that it is something that they can easily remedy by removing the drain. I am so sorry you are having to go through this. Saying prayers that it will be fixed and you will be feeling better soon.
Neta69: I agree about making choices out of fear- and I also feel like I need to make choices out of a place of knowledge. I am kind of excited about my new diet. Today me and my son are going to the farmer's market to pick out some yummy vegetables and I am making a Veggie Mexican night tonight:-) I am also hoping that I can start doing some hiking with the kids as a way to incorporate more exercise. So even though my choices may stem from the fear of recurrence, I know they will be good for me in the long run. I am trying hard not to mourn the loss of things from my diet- but rather get excited about this new chapter in my life where I can become the kind of person I have always wanted to be:-) Healthy!
But today, I am not healthy:-( I have to take a shower so I can get my chest x-ray... then I can go to the farmer's market.
-
Patricia: you and I have the same surgery date!! Stay strong and let's get through this together!!I'm still trying to get over this horrible, horrible cold. It's in my chest and now my sinuses. Aaargh!!
Amy: I feel so bad for you. Ugh. Hope you can get some results soon.
-
Forever...omg.........im so happy we are going throught it together on the same day......i hope you get rid of that cold soon and save all the strenght for later
i dont know whats up today i have so many hot flashes!!!!! ewwww THIS GIRLS IS ON FIREEEEEEEEEEE lol
-
Too funny Patricia!!! I am totally going to sing that song during my next hot flash - which will probably happen in the next thirty minutes LOL!
-
Feeling way better... I rested all night last night really had no choice since I took two valium and a benedryl from the herceptin. I slept for 12 hrs straight. Went to see both doc today ps and bs the conclusion we came up with was it was just way to much exercise before the drains are out. My ps wasunable to remove any drains today but said my healing looks amazing so my directions are to take it easy over the weekend and he will pull both remaining drains on tuesday as well as give me another fill... Frustrating for sure but glad its over and im feeling better...
Word to the wise anyone who is still up for surgery make sure to take pain meds and valium before car rides plus always carry a pillow. After my first fill the car ride home had me in tears...
Bending forward with the pillow up close so the girls couldnt bounce helped a ton.
Patricia... So glad you got your date... Im not gonna lie the first 2 days sucked ass but my hubby was so good to me and I know yours will be too plus you are strong! Stay medicated well medicated... And you can and will do this today is day 8 for me and Im feeling so much better already... Hugs momma -
Patricia...Your post made me tear up about your DH...How sweet! So glad you have a surgery date now....
Amy...Wow! I got a list of exercises from my PS before surgery and then the OT when she came around. I was so drugged up then, I hardly remember her coming in my room. Im not very good at following them.
I pray you get the answers you need so you can concentrate on healing and not all the pain!Im sending healing vibes to all of you that are not feeling well. Stay warm, Drink Hot tea with Honey and eat chicken noodle soup.
Ive got a sick boob...Its flaming red..looks like a bruise. Going to see the PS today.
-
JoJo, WOW your hair is growing fast. It been 6 weeks since my last chemo and all I have is stubble. I totally look like a chia head. My eyebrows are starting to grow but still waiting on eyelashes.
-
Amy, glad ur better!
Hopex, I got a red boob too..lol. Trying to laugh in the face of this crap.
Patricia, glad u got ur date and you can share with Forever. Looking forward to hugging you in Vegas!
Kids, no worries on the hair. I am 11 weeks pfc tomorrow so several weeks ahead of you.
It is amazing how much brows and lashes add to your face. I feel I finally look like me :-) -
Something someone (mariposa?) said about radiation and someone they know deactivating hotel key cards 6 months after radiation is really bothering me. I met with the RO today and she said there is absolutely no risk to my baby from the radiation, but this is not something where I want to find out 10-20 yrs later...oops, we were wrong...
Anyone know where I can get one of those lead vests they put on you when getting xrays. I want to put one between me and baby for the next few years (only half joking). Ugh, this all is so hard on me because I am trying so hard to protect TWO lives... -
Amy, I got a set of exercises for with drain and a different set for without drain. Did you say it was your pectoral that hurt? I've read that many people feel a lot of pain the day after their fill in their chest. Hopefully it was the exercising though so you don't have to deal with that pain again. I think I'm having the opposite problem of you and exercising not enough!!
Patricia! You are so amazingly strong. Comforting your DH - I can tell how much love you have for each other in your posts and it brings tears to my eyes. I'm so happy you have each other.
Jojo and kids, I'm loving having my eyebrows back. My makeup attempts were pitiful. They grew so fast when they decided to reappear. I see lashes coming back, but they aren't growing as fast. They are so short that I think only I can see them (when I'm standing an inch from mirror). I agree, the eyebrows make me feel more like me and make me look healthier.
Today when waiting for an elevator at my drs office a fit, well dressed, completely bald lady walked confidently by. I thought she looked beautiful. I wish I was brave and confident enough to be like her. But alas, I sit at home in my beanie/wig waiting for the day I can finally go topless. And I find the wig a lot less comfortable and more itchy with the slight hair growth! -
So my beautiful ladies........got back from MO and she counted the treatments so i guess next week is my last one lol......i cant stop LMAO..........go chemo brainnnnnn..............so my ladies just wanted to share this with you.........if you wanna loose weight ZUMBA IS in but i love Bachata!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3XyWhrZnqERomeo Santos is hot!!!!
Amy thank you im so glad that 8 days past by quick....and i will keep myself druged up all dayyyyyyyyyy i plan 5 days straight lol....i will get lots of pillows .....please keep me post it with your recovery.......
Mariposa...lol.... i was on fire all day.........lol......
Jojo im so happy hair is coming and eyelashes are in!!! you should see mine....one eye has the center lashes missing lol......
i would love to see everyones hair growing and not growing i think we all look hot!!!!!!!!!!....i gel my hair !!! lol....
Hope....my DH is one of kind.........and you will never guess where i met him 11 years ago????? on line .......yeap on yahoo.com.....lol
Tonight i will have a glass wine and cheers to all of us my WARRIORS!!!!!!
-
Fightfortwo....I am so beyond words! You are def in a tough position. I think a lead vest is a great idea if only for your ease of mind... I will pray for your baby and vision a protective field around your sweet baby! Hugs
-
I'm pissed. Having that kinda day. Pissed that we're all so excited about eyebrow stubble (I'm not even excited yet, just envious of all the excitement). Pissed that it's unacceptable that the experts could ever lead us down a path that leaves us feeling WORSE (Amy). Pissed that I'm stuck in this god-forsaken winter with nothing to do but EAT. Pissed that we have to worry about how our treatments affect the ones we love the most. Pissed that the notion of having a glass of wine is ruined as soon as I remember that me and my estrogen-loving cancer are not supposed to HAVE wine. Just P I S S E D.
Super crab. And I should be celebrating. Got my drain out, but I'm PISSED that I would ever be in a place to be excited about drain removal.
Ok. I'm done.
-
Oh Flight for two- I feel terrible if I have made you nervous! The woman in my support group who said this is a bit of a drama queen - so who knows if it is actually true. I found this site and it says that we are at no risk of being radioactive and are completely safe to be around others. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/breast-cancer/treatment/radiotherapy/about-breast-cancer-radiotherapy. More important than anything is that you are around to see your little ones fall in love and get old. (That is what I keep telling myself.) By the way, I wish I was confident enough to go out without my wig. It will happen soon I think. (I just want a little more hair at my temples)
Amy: Glad you are feeling better!!! Thanks for the warning about exercising too much.
Hope: Sorry your boob is all red. Hopefully everything was okay with the PS. Would love to hear more about what your nutritionist had to say.
Jojo: Sorry your boob is all red too! How many more rads do you have?
Patricia: I totally agree that we are a bunch of hot ladies (and not just because we are having hot flashes- LOL) hair or no hair!!!
Whenlife: I am pissed too. It is funny, I don't feel particularly pissed, but then someone upsets me... like last night, it was the woman at urgent care who got my appointment time wrong.. or today talking to AT&T about a billing mistake... and I find that anger is just right there- hiding so close to the surface. The smallest infraction, and I can blow up. Which is kind of scary. Luckily, I am able to keep it from my children. But I feel sorry for the AT&T lady... and sometimes my DH. Glad you got your drain out.
Tonight I had a delicious vegan meal:-) I am starting off slow- trying to do it a few times a week.. and I will increase as I get better at it. We had a delicious kale salad, broccoli, baked sweet potatoes, and a corn tortilla with some tomato/basil hummus I bought at the farmer's market. It actually was a lot of food and I didn't feel like I was martyring myself or anything... so that was good.
-
Whenlife, I completely agree with you! I feel pissed that I have to endure scars, a head like a chia pet, mishapen boobs and bizarre aches and pains and call myself lucky that I am alive!! I know intellecually that these are minor annoyances in the scheme of life, but they don't feel minor. I just want to feel like I felt before bc. Sadly, I think my new normal is not that...
On the chia pet front....for those of you taking biotin, what dosage are you taking, and are you using special shampoos on your head? For now, I'm still using dove soap on my head, though I have about a quarter inch of stubble/hair.
I saw lots of biotin supplements for sale, but I'm unsure as to the best dosage. Thanks.
-
cgesq- Glad that you are seeing the return of your hair!!! Make sure you clear whatever supplements you want to take with your onco. I have some Biotin that I bought at Sam's or Costco but don't take it. My hair seems to growing in just fine without it. I'm using Nioxin shampoo and conditioner since I became PFC. I always put a little of the suds on my eyebrows. Do I think the Nioxin helps... can't say but I know it hasn't hurt anything. FYI I have read on several threads here that some experience a little slowness in growth of the hair if you are on Herceptin and Tamoxifen. I'm on both and it is not growing the average 1/2 inch a month like those not on Herceptin. I will be finished with my Herceptin infusion by the end of March so hopefully after that, my hair will really start growing faster. Right now it looks like Anne Hathway Les Miserables hair --- super short and barely any bangs.
-
Melrose,
I actually checked out the hair and nails vitamin product at Costco today. It contained 5,000 mg of biotin. I didn't get it because it claimed to be an anti-oxident as well, and I think anti-oxidents are bad for estrogen positive cancers......I could be wrong.
-
cgesq--I asked my cousin, a dermatologist, what shampoo I should use (I'm 5 weeks post-chemo), and he said to use ones with salicylic acid versus Nioxin.
Hope and JoJo--I hope your red boobs get better soon.
Amy--I hope your drainage decreases. I'm glad you mentioned about exercising too much.
Whenlife--Thank you for venting. I do feel PISSED a lot, but don't vent and end up with my own little pity party.
Mariposa--I hope those antibiotics kick in soon and that your CXR will be clear.
I had my preop with my breast surgeon yesterday. She said that she'll cut about a 4 inch incision diagonally below my left collar bone which will allow her to get to my tumors without leaving me with a concaved chest. She will be able to leave most of the fat and cut out a small portion of my pectoral muscle. I had been boo-hooing all week about a concave chest. Now, I'm much happier. I'm also going to get my port taken out on the right side. I'm thinking I won't be able to drive for a few weeks. Surgery is fornext Wednesday, so I will be 6 weeks post-chemo.
-
Florbo~so glad to hear your surgery will have a better outcome than you thought.
When life~ I'm pissed too that we all have to deal with this. I've been asking that question again...Why? I know my life is never going to be the same. So many restrictions now that I have to live by! Sometimes it seems so surreal that this has happened. I just can't think about it anymore too hard. It doesn't do me any good. Depressing! Ugh!
Mariposa~ your dinner sounds delicious. -
Who doesn't need a Pep Talk, by Kid President? I should watch this every day, and you should too. It's just that good. Watch this!
-
cgesq- I don't know much about the anti-oxidant side of the Biotin. As for dosage amounts, you may want to read the Hair Hair Hair chemo thread since there has been discussion about the amounts of Bioltin that others take. As for what shampoo to use, use whatever you want to and what makes you feel good about you. Unfortunately, we can't just flip a switch or turn a dial and poof the hair is back. Keep eating well and taking good care of yourself. Wishing you a good hair day and a wonderful weekend.
-
Happy Friday Everyone, well another week of rads and like jojo and hoped my boob is red and feels like a bad sunburn . Still have three weeks left
-
How are you ladies sleeping with your sunburns? I'm a tummy sleeper and worry about radiation cutting into my sleep. At 3 weeks PFC I am finally getting my groove back in the sleep department. Don't want to think about that disappearing again! UGH. It's always something!
-
Finished my 33 rads today - hooray! I had no real problems - just redness and a little occasional itching resolved by hydrocortisone cream. No sores or anything. I'm not a tummy sleeper, Timbek, but I didn't have any problems sleeping. One night I had to get up and put on some more lotion because I had tightness under my arm, but the lotion resolved it. I'm not finished with treatment yet - will still be getting Herceptin until sometime in September.
-
mariposa, I get it totally when you talk about your anger being so close to the surface. Mine just erupts and often it is my DH who gets the brunt. Yesterday at the cancer agency I was supposed to get a blood draw along with my previously arranged port flush. Clerical mixup and not ordered and back and forth from lab floor to chemo floor with phone calls back and forth too to my MO and her secretary. By the time I got to my counsellor appt. (late) on another floor I was near tears but knew I was angry. I did manage to be "nice" both at lab and chemo floor because they are all so nice but in my appt. with the counsellor we had a conversation about my anger and sadness. When I got to her office I was near tears and also angry. Funny, but I had wanted to talk about that anger anyway. There has been so much loss in the past 8 months and part of that is loss of control. Sometimes I just want to get away and hide from evreryone/everything. I have a need to be alone for sure and am going to work on a private space in our house for starters.
On another note, I have rarely cried in this 8 months wheras many of you do. I think maybe good cries might be beneficial and somehow that I am unable to release those emotions thus anger wins out.
That was my second counsellor appt. and I will see her in another month. Not sure it does much but the very fact that I have the opportunity to talk to a totally objective stranger is good.
Marian
-
Marian, I haven't cried much either. At diagnosis I cried for 24 hours straight and then halfway through Taxol cried with the pain and frustration. I do know when rads is done I will have a big ole cry to empty my soul so I can face the future.
Timbek, you look like we could be twins!
Cherioo, 15 down! Love getting 2 days off. Does your skin smell strange after treatment?
I am still sleeping on my stomach. I love being in a cool bed, no bra, and letting the "glowing" boob breathe. Keeping it lubed seems to be very important.
Mariposa, hope you are feeling better, been thinking of you. -
Jojo I am with ya on the 15 down. For some reason it felt like today they really zapped me. My RO said I would get sore, just feels like a sunburn. Went to the gym for the first time in years did 2 miles on treadmill and did the elliptical for five. I minutes that was all I could handle today. I am just glad that I went . I hope everyone has a great weekend
-
Jojo my skin does not smell like treatment . It smells like vitamin e most of the time lol
-
Cherioo mine is probably the Miaderm cream, but reminds me of the way a tanning bed makes u smell. Maybe chemo brain too.
-
Patinmn... Way to kick rads ass!
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team