Sept 2012 chemo

Yeah Hope it goes under those to my underarm, over my entire breast, and up thru them to my collarbone. I also have a square on my shoulder blade where they beam me from behind.



I am going to get color on my hair tomorrow, what a milestone!

Re: question about herceptin: I thought it was 12 months based on when you had your first herceptin treatment. My oncologist started me on Herceptin right away on my first chemo so I should be done in September. I had my first herceptin-only treatment last Thursday. Pleasantly surprised that I had no noticeable side effects. And there weren't any pre-meds or any meds to take after so my sleeping didn't seem to get screwed up. My energy levels are starting to recover. I went for a walk the other day and I noticed that a hill that used to leave me winded after walking up it seemed pretty easy. 

I am starting to look into what I should do to learn how to combat stress. And sadly, I can already see that most of my stress is coming from how I react to people who flippantly tell me that it's great that chemo is done and after surgery and rads I'll be "back to normal". So I see that I have to develop a strategy so that I won't be bothered as much. Is it yoga? Meditation? Seeing a therapist? All of the above? 

Forever, its part of the journey, just like our bald heads. FYI, my marks are stickers. I had choice of tattoos which are much smaller or stickers. I have enough permanent reminders for me.

Cherioo, are you doing boosts? I have 4 regular treatments left then 5 boosts.

forever, I would say all of the above. I too feel that way PFC with surgery just over and rads to follow and then of course more surgery. And then starting anastrozole too on Friday. But now yoga is out for awhile but meditation I can do and I am seeing a counsellor once a month at BCCA. I want to ask my MO again about the Compassion Society and some lollipops and cookies! 

Hi ladies.

So many posts in just a few days! I'm in Hawaii! Kauai to be precise. Never been here before and it sure was a long haul from Ottawa! My lovely in laws come here every year and this year they decided to pay for both our flights and accomodation. We could never have afforded it otherwise. It's beautiful here! I wish each one of us could get a vacation to mark the end of treatment. We so deserve it!

Hope-Yes, every other commercial is about cancer - in one form or another.  At least once a week, I see a commercial about the treatment center I went to.  It seems like it's everywhere and you can't turn it off!!!

Neta:  What fun to be in Hawaii!!!  I hope you are having a marvelous and well deserved wonderful time:-)

Hopex:  yes, seems that cancer commercials are everywhere.  At least that damn hallmark valentines commercial stopped running where the bald woman says "In sickness and in health" and it made me cry everytime and I felt all manipulated. 

Amy:  I sleep soooo much.  The first week, I swear I was sleeping 18-20 hours out of every day.  This week I am doing a bit better, but I take a five hour nap every afternoon.  Yikes.  I am trying very hard  to lay off the pain meds, which I think are contributing to my sleepiness.  I tried cleaning the kids room today and my armpit where the lymph nodes were taken is now hurting like crazy.  (So I took half a percoset).  I hate it.  This place is a mess and I am not able to do anything about it.  Having a six year old and a three year old really does make healing difficult.  Okay.  Enough complaining.  Hopefully they will all go to bed now so I can eat some sorbet I have in the freezer!!!! 

Three days vegan so far this week.  Feeling good about it.  I am losing a bit of weight too, which is nice.  (Although these crazy foobs feel like they are filled with concrete.  How much do these things weigh???)    I haven't committed to being vegan every day, but I am trying to do my best.  I am also thinking about buying a nutribullet.  Does anyone have one?  I just can't think about spending two-three hundred bucks on a juicer that will be hell to clean.  Plus I like the idea of putting walnuts in my smoothie/juices:-) 

Cocobean I was told 17 infusions of herceptin. I will be done in November, which is just about a year, started last December.



It seems like a lot of you have had surgery and are recovering. It does sound like some of you are having a rough time..I pray the pain lessons, and you all get on the road to recovery sooner than later.



JoJo your angry boob looks pissed off!!...good luck with the next 10, you should start to feel better about 2 weeks after. I took tamoxifen while doing rads, no problems, and no hot flashes. I basically feel like myself again, I try hard not to think of reocurrance, am nervous for my next mammogram the end of May.



The hair isn't growing as fast as I had imagined. I don't know if it is because of herceptin or just normal after chemo. I haven't wore any hats, since week 15 pfc. I am now 17 pfc.



Good luck to you all. The sept girls must be winding down with the treatment. Hopefully the summer sun will give us all energy.



Cheers

Carrie

Mariposa it went well and I am so happy to have the grays gone! I choose a light brown which is my natural color, but had my stylist do it. I was too scared after all I have read about the chemo hair. I even spiked it up a little, its crazy wavy hair right now.

Neta....I'm so jealous! You have a great time! Aloha



Patricia.....how are you doing?

Jojo I love your hair. I really want to color but am scared

Everyone's hair looks great!!!

I'm on herceptin, so unfortunately, I still have thin, sporadic chia pet hair!!!

Looking forward to going topless in the spring  (or waiting till summer  )

Jojo...Are you sporting your new do at work?  I could probably go topless but my head

gets so cold.  I don't know how bald guys do it.

Hopex, not at work yet, I figured sometime in April. Don't have my confidence that high yet.



Amy, I am 14 weeks PFC. It was so nice to get color, have my hair washed, and joke about whether she should use the flat iron or curling iron. I almost cried as I hadn't done anything to my hair since July.