Starting Chemo February 2013

Rdrunner so sorry to hear about all of this lots of prayers for you

Rdrunner, I hope the symptoms do not return when they take you off the prednisone. Best wishes to you and I hope you are feeling better soon.

Speaking of pool wear, any of you have only a single mastectomy with tissue expander and suggestions about what to wear for a swim suit? I guess I can go get fitted for a mastectomy suit. The problem is really the natural side is bigger and much droopier than the rock hard expander. I can disguise it fine enough in clothes, but a swimsuit is going to be tough to pull off. I live in Dallas and have small kids so avoiding the pool is not an option!

Shasha10 - when I go swimming this summer, I plan on going bald.. I haven't done that outside yet but I am hoping I can do it - afterall, its nothing to be ashamed of- I will wear a hat on the beach but will take it off when going in the water... just have to use alof of good sunblocker.

I do plan on wearing a tshirt over my bathing suit though - after the radiation, I think any sun will be pushing it on my skin.

GIna I am just taking it one day at a time too. Just get the Chemo over and then move on to the next step. I do know he wants to do the exchange before Rads and says he does that all the time. I may or may not need some future revision, but well take that one day at a time. I wish I could get my port out at that time, but I have to have Her2 treatments for one year so will be stuck with the port for awhile.

Got a question does anyone else have excessive eye watering? Gezz I have not had this side effect until now. I can hardly wear makeup, and look like I have tears running down my face all the time. I do not have spring allergies, no itching or burning, so it had to be part of this chemo.......

I think if I do go to the pool I will just wear a hat or bandanna and just go waist/chest deep!!

Tangles:  The taxotere causes the eye watering and the carboplatin & herceptin are responsible for the runny nose.   My eyes burn and water constantly and it's much worse with make up.  My eyes are also puffy.  The one thing I miss more than the hair on my head is the hair in my nose.  Without the nose hair there is nothing to slow the snot down on it's way out or even give me a warning that it's coming.  I occaisionally leave a trail of snot drops through the house.  Lovely.  I'm just so attractive these days...

Heidi, you're so right about no warning. My nose is like a faucet! It is a good look, isn't it? Red stripes down the side of the face, red, raw nose from wiping/blowing every 2 minutes, puffy eyes, no hair. And doesn't everybody tell you how "good" you look?

Yes for sure DiZzymom. EVERYONE says oh my you look so good! Thanks, but bald and fat does not look good to me! I have been counting out 1200 calories a day and still gained 2 Lbs this week. Tomorrow morning I go for an ultrasound on the lymph glad under my armpit that biopsied positive for cancer but the stupid surgeon missed it when he tried to take it out. I am hoping the ultrasound shows that it has shrunk down. That would mean the Chemo is working. I will then have the option to go back in and try and get it out or leave it be if the Chemo has taken care of it. My gut is telling me get it OUT, but I am so afraid of a life time of lymphatic issues. UGH big decisions to make in the near future.........

Ladies - I can relate to everything you are saying.. I have one eye that waters more than the other - and I often feel like I look like I am crying.. nose runs too.. and weight gain -geeze, I hate it.. my face looks like a balloon to me.. I am watching what I eat and I am still blowing up..just sign me = fat and bald!

Tangles = good luck tomorrow!

Tangles, I had 25 lymph nodes removed and so far, knock on wood, have had no problems with lymphedema. I also had a problem node - had PET/CT prior to surgery, and one node lit up that the surgeon didn't think he could get to - and still don't know whether he got it. To be honest, I'm so focused on chemo right now that I don't know what the plan is there - are we going to do more scans after chemo and radiation to see if anything is still detected? Not sure, but have to say it worries me quite a bit. So, I guess in your shoes I would probably want it out - but can see where the thought of more surgery is not at all appealing.

Well I had my ultrasound. It turned out exactly how I thought it would. The lymph gland that was enlarged and had cancer didnt show up. All the lymph glands looked normal. My husband said wow good new right.?I said well that is what Chemo does. Chemo did its job, but what happens when chemo is done?? Yes I still have radiation, but when its all done and cells start forming does it start to grow and spread through my body? No one can PROMISE that wont happen right? no one has a crystal ball. No one can also promise I wont get lymphatic damage. Tomorrow I have chemo YIPPIE!!! #5 out of 6 treatments. If I get to see my MO I will talk with her about it. Sometimes I have to see her nurse practitioner. I have to be put out to have my exchange surgery in late June, so I could do it at the same time and not go through two surgeries, but there is no way of pin pointing which lymph gland it was or is, as they all look the same now. UGH STRESS!!

RdRunner & Gina - hugs to you!!



Heidi - you mad me laugh! My family is afraid for me to cook because I'll either drip in it, or over-season it because I can't taste anything some days.



And I'm also getting lots of the, "you look so great!" comments. Which makes me think I must look like death on a stick and people don't know what else to say.



Oh -and I gained 8 pounds in the three weeks between rounds 3 and 4. Only two pounds this time, though. No wonder my pants all started feeling tight.



Tangles - hope your MO has some good advice. Hugs!!

I'm pretty certain I look like something out of a zombie show!

I'm nervous about swimming and exposing my head that it will burn so I need to wear something. The site with the scarves should work. Just finished treatment 4 last Monday. Only 2 more. Ladies. Good luck to everyone

I have developed a nasty fungal infection on both breasts and in the bikini area. It itches like crazy but then hurts to scratch and oozes. Nice. My MO prescribed fluconazole hopefully it will knock it out before I rip my skin off. Also developed bronchitis after my last treatment and have Flonase and cipro for that. I think my acid reflux flare up from chemo brought on the bronchitis. Anyone else getting rashes after chemo treatments, or having acid reflux issues?



I do have th watery eyes and the nose dripping with no warning. So aggravating!

Melody46: I'm doing 6, 4 down only 2 left to go! I didn't have any problems with acid reflux until just before my 4 th treatment. I should say I have in the past but it just recently flared up in the midst of chemo. I'm taking Prilosec now which seems to help. Probably should have been taking as a preventative med like you were all along. I'm wondering what else might pop up with the last 2. Soo ready to be done!