December 2012 chemo group

Hi December ladies. I had my last chemo one month ago. I actually feel kind of like my old self! Had an appt with my mo last week and am feeling irritated at him. Noticing that I have gained 10 lbs, he said to me " are you just sitting around snacking"? That seems pretty insensitive to say that to a person that just finished up 3 months of chemo! Then I met with a new radiation doc. I decided to switch to a different cancer center in the same town, and I was pretty amazed to find out that the clinic I have been getting my chemo at is pretty bare bones. So now I am being offered all the support services. Had a social worker call me today. I don't fel like I need one at this point but it would have been nice about three months ago. Also will meet with a physical therapist to discuss lymphadema. My mo never has even mentioned it.

So I will start my radiation next Tuesday. I am worried about having my lymph nodes radiated. When I had my lumpectomy, my breast surgeon took 3 nodes. She showed me studies that said there was no better outcome when all nodes were taken, so that is what we did. Now I am wondering if the lymph node area is always radiated if they don't take all of them out. My friend has lymphadema and it can really be debilitating. RO doesn't seem that concerned tho. He also didn't seem too worried about the chance of damaging my lungs. Said it might get just the edge of my lungs. I really do want to make sure they get any lingering cancer cells, but I don't want to have poor health after it's all over with. I hope that this is just me doing my usual worries about all the bad things that might happen. I need to remember the advice from one of these threads that advised us to always expect the best possible outcome.

Our December bunch has been pretty quiet. I feel like we have all learned a lot and that we are one strong amazing bunch of women. I hope those of you who aren't finished with chemo yet are feeling strong and amazing! There will be an end to this!

Congrats on your last treatment FriendGwen!  Wishing you easy SE's!

MTJulie  Thank YOU for saying that you are feeling much like your old self a month after finishing chemo.  You have given me hope ~ especially after my recent visit with my MO this week. She told me it was going to take several months for the fatigue to resolve. I had some magical thinking that a month after chemo was done I’d be largely back to my “old self”. Not only did she tell me that it would be several months, she also told me to more or less say goodbye to my “old self” energy level because I will likely not get all the way back there,especially given that I juggle so much with kids/job/marriage/volunteer stuff/schools etc. She thought I would get almost back but I will have a new normal that will need to include more rest and really excellent self care. She is a Debbie Downer for sure. (A caring one, but pretty firm too) I am equally sure I’m not the first person to think this – it must suck to be an oncologist and have mostly bad news to deliver to people.

I am sporting a super magenta steroid flush this morning from yesterday's steroids for Taxol tx. Hoping they might calm a little with trip to the gym.

Happy weekend all.

Nicole~~I only got pre-meds with my first 2 Taxol. Since there was no reaction, I don't get them anymore. So, no steroids, Benadryl, or nausea meds. Yeehaw!!!



I'm at my onc appt now. I was supposed to see the nurse/pract. at 10:00, but the onc had an emergency. She's here, but it put everyone behind.



Praying my WBC is high enough for tx.



Blessings

Paula

Hi ladies- sorry i have been missing in action for soooooo long!  I am sort of in a funk right now......wasn't feeling good phsyically after chemo and then got thrown into radiation.  I have finished 3 of the 6.5 weeks of radiation and today is the first day my skin has felt a bit funky. But overall, i am feeling good except just tired out from cancer, kids, work, life, etc.  I am also 6 weeks out from chemo and my hair isn't growing back much - how much is your hair growing or not growing?:)

I really want to move past cancer and can't wait for my hair to grow.  I have some fuzzy hair growth but not all out all over my head hair growth. What about the rest of you?

Thanks for all of the support and frienship - i promise to be around more.

Nice to see you back Runnergirl!



Keep the faith ladies. Yeah our bodies have been through some challenges but there's no question we can come out of this stronger than ever. I admit I had aspirations of doing a lot more exercise these last three months but honestly I do this every winter! I literally put on one pound for each round of chemo. Didn't want any one round to feel ignored. And I realize rads may bring on some fatigue but one way or another I'll keep putting one foot in front of the other. I keep picturing myself strong come the fall and hopefully sporting that cute pixie cut I had for a week in December!

Steiner~~Yes, I did get my tx. My WBC had gone up just fractions, but I'll take it.



My hair has started coming back too. Like fuzz on a peach, but I see a little more every couple days. I'm hoping not to have to wear hats or scarves when it gets warm out. I hate my wig and have only worn it once.



Blessings

Paula

Wow - just erased my whole post and have to start over - guess that's what I get for not posting for a while

Doing this one on my laptop so will not have so many " ipad"  subsitutions and mistakes

Sorry Ladies that I have been out of touch for a while. Just trying to work in some " work"  and some "fun"  and some " getting back in shape" .

Before I get much farther - I wanted to recommend a new book I got " The Pink Ribbon Diet"  by Mary Flynn RD and Nancy Verde Barr.  I know we are all weary of anything " pink ribbon"  but this book Rocks !   Bottom line is the Dietitian recommends a " Mediterranean "  Diet for all of us.  High in Veggies, Fruit and Grain and throw in the occasional portion of chicken or fish.  Olive Oil is the central theme of her diet and she recommends cooking / sauteing all veggies in it ( steaming not good she says ) . She does allow dairy and eggs - so glad !  First part of the book goes into the science of her recommendations and 2nd part are meal plans and actual recipees.  

Julie - Wow - how insulting of that MO !  I would have made a change too if I were you. Glad you found a new center. I too made a change but my meeting with the new MO did not provide the " feel good"  and " whole person "  type treatment advice I was hoping for.  I was hoping for recommendations on nutrition, exercise and my fragile psych  - but nothing mentioned in the meeting.  I had to meet with, and was examined by a resident first ( the new place is a teaching hospital so I somewhat expected that ) and as a result I felt the meeting was less productive than it should have been.  I may try another change to another health system before I am satisfied. I just feel treating the " whole"  person in our cases is so very important . 

Runner Girl - Welcome back - been wondering how you were.  Sounds like you have a similar complaint as I on wondering when the energy will come back ?   I am PFC 3 week plus 2 days and I swear my body thinks I had another round of chemo this last Thursday  ( I had TC every 3 weeks and this las thursday would have been another one ) . I've had dry mouth and aches/ stiffness and also incredible thirst.  Has anyone else been contantly thirsty ??? Maybe I need to keep my hydration back up to the levels as during chemo for a few more weeks . I just thought I woudl " POP "  back into shape I guess but it is not happening.  It is part of my character to be a bit impatient though - so I need to rein in that tendancy and just enjoy feelign a bit more "almost normal "  .

Steiner - so sorry you've had a couple of bugs PFC - no fun. But that is very encouraging that you've lost most of the chemo weight !!  I picked up 3-5 pounds as well and am hoping with my new " Mediterranean "  diet that I can lose that plus the other 10 I was supposed to lose !   

Gwen - congrats on your last Chemo - whoo hoo !!! 

Bren - you are so kind to all of us - hope your post chemo is going well for you ( I think you finished ?  )

Paula - hope your counts are up and you are able to do the taxol.  Glad you don;t have to take the steroids and anti- nausea - that is really helpful !

RADS - I had my " mapping"  and my little tatoos applied.  I am not happy about the little black dot the tech put right at the " v"  of where a halter top or swim suit would come - it is a bit " off center" . But it is smal and almost looks like a freckle - maybe I can have it made into a butterfly or flower later  - I don't have any tatoos currently but may want to hide this one...  I start on Arpil 1st - 5 weeks of whole breast and then 1 week of " boost"  to the lumpectmy area - which for me is outside right about 10 o'clock.  She told me no heart issues since my rads are on right side and minimal lung issues. She said most ladies who have done chemo feel much better at the end of rads than those ladies who have not gone thru chem.  That is because we feel much better just being off chemo by then and the tiredness from the rads in negligible  - so that is good news !!

Tamoxifen - the MO I saw last week wrote the prescription for this.  Since I was pre-menapausal prior to chem this is the drug as opposed to an AI.  She said I could start it right away or wait a month.  I am wating as I just want to feel more " normal"  before I start it.  I also want to wean my self off of the Xanax I've been taking every night ( just 1 .5 mg pill before bed to help me sleep ).  When I picked up the prescription the female pharmacist first said " I should do fine on it " but then towards the end of the consult after we talked about possible side effects ( like hot flashes, night sweats and stomach upset ) she made the parting remark "Yea - it will really mess  you up "  .  Wow - can you believe that comment ???  Bedside manner training for that lady too is required .

Well I know this was a long post - but I had a lot to say ! 

Happy Saturday to all of you !

Sandy

PS - you yea - hair - mine is coming in white or very light. It is growing longer around the edge of my hairline faster than on top - I hope that the wig I've been wearing  to work is not preventing it from coming in there.  I may try to go to scarves for the next few weeks in hopes of not damaging it more. 

Yea Gwen - maybe each of us can try some of the recipees in thta book and then post our thumbs up or down

I went  for a long walk and did some major hydration - feeling so much better now !!

Hi Peggy - you are a true BC Warrior and Survivor !!  So glad you are over with the chemo and have your surgery scheduled.  I am sure it feels good to be over the worst part .

Wishing you well in the coming weeks as you recover from surgery !!  

Gwen - I can totally relate and I only did 4 TC ! My recommendation is to do some yoga and stretching - it really helped me!

I did 25 miles on a bike trail yesterday ! I did ok but what I did not anticipate is the large muscle - thigh and calf and upper arm stiffness ! I googled it and YUP - expect that SE about 3 weeks past final chemo and it can last a few months. I looked at the October 2012 thread and there are a lot of comments posted about it . What I would like to know is there any remedy for it - like supplements or vitamins ?

FriendGwen ~ I'm happy to trade SE gripes.  It does help to get them out and there is no better place than here.  I never want to gripe to my family because then they worry. OK, here's my list: I am sick and tired of stomach discomfort, muscle pain, fatigue, and a grey outlook. GRRRRRRRRR!!!! 

There.  Now that feels better!

2 weeks PFC and my eyes are watering more than ever, my thighs are still really sore, and I still have some neuropathy in the fingers of my right hand. BUT on the bright side, my mouth feels almost normal and food is beginning to taste good again! My morning coffee is actually enjoyable! I am throwing out my Magic Mouthwash and putting away the prilosec, anti diarrhea meds, and anti nausea meds from my purse, my kitchen and my bathroom. So hang in there ladies, the end is in sight!

A couple ladies on the Triple Positive board say it can take a month or two.

Hi all I hope you are all doing as well as you can! Hope everyone is keeping a smile on their face and their chin up!



I am three weeks into radiation is starting to burn and starting to feel really tired. i thought I would bounce back from the chemo not feeling sluggish but I have begun to realize that this is all cumulative and will take some time to feel like myself.



I have met with a naturopath doctor And she has been so helpful with eating and supplements and just looking at my life in many different ways.



Ok so I am seven weeks out from my last chemo and have a bunch of fuzzy fine hair but also bald spots..is that about where it should be? How is your hair growing?

Hi ladies of December.  I just wanted to add that the thigh soreness, or actually, overall leg soreness is one side effect I will be so happy to see go away.  Well, I'll be happy to see them all go away but right now I just had number five so the one I'm left with at this point is the leg thing but I know the others are right around the corner - waiting to start up again. 

I follow this thread on my favorites because I thought I would be a December start as well and it's encouraging to see you all moving forward!  Best wishes to you all!