December 2012 chemo group

Hey Lee - you are getting very close to the end - woo hoo !! Yes the leg stiffness and soreness is my major complaint but working though it - u will too !



Gwen - I had a Mani-Pedi last week and had a French gel treatment done on my nails - they look so much better now ! I would highly suggest it !

Good morning ladies.  It has been a long time since I've read and posted here.  It is great to know that you are all finished or near the finish line with your chemo and many of you, like me, have started radiation. 

I finished chemo the end of February and I have finished 8 of 33 rounds of radiation to date.  

Sandra60 I started taking Tamoxifen about 2 weeks ago.  For me starting rads and starting hormone therapy  together just seemed easier then waiting to start yet another chapter on the road to recovery.  The side effects of the Tamoxifen have been minimal.  Mostly leg pain which of course is blurred with the residual leg pain from the chemo... 

 I am back to work part time, going to the hospital daily for radiation and managing to stay awake later than my 3 kids.  I understand from many of the posts that fatigue will set in but it has not been a major factor yet.  My RO suggested getting back in to an exercise program but warned of any exercise that would cause friction under the arm.  The radiation to the nodes will cause redness and soreness and he mentioned that friction will make it hurt even more.  

For any who are looking for remedies during radiation I have found baby powder under the arm to work well for the friction. For the chest area I really like Calendula Cream (by California Baby)  during the day (not at all greasy) and Aquaphor at night (very greasy) but works really well. 

The hair thing, yeah, that truly stinks. The weather is getting warmer and my hair is growing in really slowly too.  I am super bummed about that.   I was hoping for my 50th birthday in July to have a cute Halle Berry haircut  

Wow, this was a long post.  Wishing you all a great day today.  

donster ~ Thanks for posting your experience with Tamoxifen.  I have my last Taxol this Thursday and then my MO would like me to start Tamoxifen within a week or two. 

Last chemo tomorrow....awesome!  I can not wait to finish this crap. Radiation starts the end of april.  Been having some back and hit pain which has me nervous.  Also some pain below my incision.  I am scared of any pain I have. 

Hi ladies! Happy Monday...hope you had a good weekend ! Hope all is well and that you have smiles in your lives!

jenjen, YAY for last chemo. Even though you will have deal with the side effects it will be great to be finished!!!

Gwen, I had my surgery on 9/11. It was supposed to be to remove a cyst or scar tissue from the BMX 12 years ago. Clearly that was not the case!

Today was my LAST chemo treatment!!! I completed #6, and I am so happy to have this part of my treatment behind me.  I still have to keep going back to the chemo room for Herceptin infusions every 3 weeks till December. But, hey, it won't have the harsh chemo side effects I have suffered through all these months, so that's OK.

I start radiation toward the end of April. I go on April 15th for my big 2 hour appt where they plan everything out. I'll know for sure after that. I did talk to my MO today, and she said I probably won't start hormone therapy until after I finish rads. She said that they don't want to put me through MORE side effects while in the midst of radiation. And that is just fine with me! I am weary of side effects and will gladly wait till rads are done before dealing with more.

So glad to see so many of you have already finished chemo. (I guess I'm the late bloomer... haha!) Even though I don't post too often, I read through your posts frequently and thought I would share my good news today. I like reading how you are doing PFC too. I know I have a ways to go before I am past these pesky chemo side effects. But just knowing I won't have to face those wicked chemo drugs again - not to mention those horrible steriod pills - feels pretty darn good. :-)

YAY duckie!!! It's an awesome feeling to know it is the last nasty one!

Congrats Jen Jen , duckledee and Nicole on your final chemo's. !!



I had my first rad treatment today and it was a piece of cake . I also met with the nice female radiologist Dr. And she said I can definitely wait to start on the tamoxifene . She said 90% of her patients wait to start hormone therapy until after rads . She said the hormone therapy is for long term benefit and waiting 6 weeks until I am done with rads does not make much difference .

Runner girla my hair seems to be coming in all light and with spotty coverage too - grrrr - just want to go wigless sooner than later and with my really ugly shaped head - guess it is going to be later ! Sorry your sore from the rads - but u are really close to being all done - woo hoo !

I get Taxol #6 out of 12 on Friday. My hair is returning slowly, but spotty. I check it every time I go to the bathroom. Maybe I should quit checking. You know what they say...A watched pot never boils. Lol



Paula

Congratulations to all you ladies who are finishing up chemo!I'm 3weeks PFC and have a head full of white peach fuz. Feeling some serious hair envy!I was pretty gray prior to bc but wondering if I'll be as white haired as my mom.



Surgery on Thursday then on to rads!

What my MO said today:  In two weeks you are going to be done with chemo.

Pinch me, am I dreaming?

Gwen, that's great! I'm about the same distance out from last TC, and your post gives me great encouragement! I'll take white peach fuzz, even!

I feel bad posting after such a long absense from posting - but I have been reading and drawing from all of your experiences (I am just not much of a poster these days...)   Congratulations to all of you finishing up!  We are all on our way!  I have 3 more taxol left (MUCH kinder to the poor bod than AC) - and my hair is coming back.

I have a strange "emotion" as I near the finish line that I am only beginning to understand - and I am wondering if any of you are experiencing it also.  It started as a "grumpiness" when people would give me the "yay!  nearly done! we will have a party!"  Over time I realized as much as I hate the chemo - I am scared to stop it.  I have a strange anxiety about stopping.  I feel like I am "fighting" and doing something while I'm on chemo.  What will happen when I stop?  Did I get enough?  Did it work?  What will happen if a Dr. isn't watching me every week?  Weird, right?   I never in a million years thought I would have anxiety about STOPPING chemo?!?  Am I crazy?

Anyway - thank you all for all of your posting.  It has benefitted me and I feel rather guilty and selfish for gaining so much from your experiences and not sharing more myself.  You are all great sources of inspiration and brave, amazing women.

Mia

Mia, I felt the same way about ending chemo even though I still had surgery and rads. I share a lot of those same emotions. (BTW...surgery went well today will get path report next week. BS surgeon said that the results were really just academic because we know that I already had several nodes involved.)