December 2012 chemo group

Bren - good luck today, thinking of you!

Jodi767 ~ Welcome!  Congrats on being done with chemo!! Let us know whether you end up needing radiation.  Wishing you well!

I'm starting Tamoxifen today.  Not looking forward to it, but since my tumor was super estrogen positive, it is the right thing to do. 

Welcome Jodi ! Rads are a piece of cake compared to chemo . I have numbness too in my armpit from the lymph node removal - not sure it will ever go away though . It really does not bother me though .

Jodi - I will be joining u on the tamox in 2 weeks when I finish rads . It does not seem too bad for most women ! We can compare notes soon



Paula - so glad u are close to finishing !

Hi anyone and everyone.  I had my 4 treatments of A/C. Now I'm on my 3rd treatment of Taxol.  That didn't go over very well because I had moderate allergic reactions to it.  Not very pleasant.  Have to meet with the onco dr on Monday to determine the course of action.  Has anyone ever experienced an allergic reaction to taxol and does anyone know what other chemo drug they might try and what the SE will be with the next type of drug.  Very discouraged right now because I thought all was well with the taxol. The first 2 treatments were at a slow drip so I handled it very well until the 3rd time when they tried me at the normal drip.  That obviously didn't go over very well with my body!  HELP!!!!

Welcome Jodi & Jessica!

I am home from my overnight at the hospital for ALND surgery. Surgery went well and I was fine until abot midnight when the anesthesia wore off and I had severe pain and nausea. After getting pain meds every 2 hours I finally felt better about 8am. Lots of rest over the next week or so. I will get the path results at the end of next week.

Thank you Paula for your prayers. When I made the surgery appt, I really did not have a peace about it. But over the following 2 weeks the Lord brought verses, people and events into my life that just kept reassuring me that He was in this and that it was going to be ok. By the time I went to the hospital yesterday I was very calm and did have that peace that passes all understanding. I am really not worried about the path report because whatever the outcome I know that He is in that too.

Bren - so glad your though that surgery and on he mend . I am praying for your good path results as well . I too have the power of Him helping me .... Nothing like the peace that gives one .



I was told today I have 2.5 more weeks of rads - thought it was only 2 weeks boo hoo.

I have a mild skin irritation -kind of itches - upper part of my Breast - told to us hydro cortisone cream 1% and it is working . Other than that just a bit of dizziness and mild fatigue . I am still exercising evey day though as this seems to give me more energy .

Happy weekend to all ! Going to my sons last swim meet of high school - bittersweet !

Hi everyone! For those of you doing radiation what is the difference between the boosts and the regular sessions? Just want to prep myself as I found the worse part so far was day one when I didn't know how long I was going to be on the table.

My fuzzy hair is coming in more and more in a mix of brown, gray and white. I lost about 80% of my eyebrows but am seeing the regrowth coming up. It's like watching a garden bloom!

Bren - sending good thoughts your way. Whatever life throws your way you will come out strong.

Most of last week was a breakdown week. My hand and arm started swelling and hurting. It was just the straw that broke my back!



Had 1st PT appt today. Have stage 1 lymphedema, cording and webbing going on. Hate having to deal with this but looking forward to some relief!!!



I meet my RO tomorrow. I hope to walk away with a plan.



I've got grey fuzzies on top and my eyelashes and eyebrows are coming back!!!

I thought I was the only one feeling sad and weepy at this point. Once I got through the chemo I thought it would be smooth sailing from there on. Wrong! The planning and simulation appointments with the radiation oncologist totally stressed me out! I felt so dehumanized as I had to lay on that table with my arms up over my head and my bare chest exposed for all to see. The tattoos were painful to me, and I hate having sharpie pen markings and stickers all over my chest. So many people were in my face and bombarding me with information. Not a very warm and fuzzy experience to say the least! Ugh... Is it just me???

I went for my first radiation treatment this morning, and it wasn't so bad. (Easier than the planning part of this phase of treatment!) But - as someone who has probably the palest and most sensitive fair skin on the planet - I am nervous about how my skin will hold up over 6 weeks of daily radiation treatment.

I think I am just so tired of pain and side effects and medications and doctors... I am just feeling battle-weary, I guess. Sorry to be a "downer" today. I try really hard to be positive and upbeat, but I'm just not feeling it today. And this is sometimes the only place where I can vent. Thanks for understanding. And I hope that everyone else's experiences with radiation are better than mine have been so far.

Duckie, battle weary is such a good way to put it! And we all have those days that are worse than others. No need to apologize! From those first frighteneing words "you have cancer", we have been thrown into a battle to overcome our shock and deal with our emotions. We have navigated a minefield of treatment options to find the right ones, dealt with the physical and psychological effects of chemo, surgery and rads, not to mention putting on a smile and keeping some of our darkest fears to ourselves so as not to burden those around us. Sometimes I feel like I am just being swept along by a tidalwave I have no control over. Other days I feel like I can handle it pretty well.

I remember after my first dx with BC, it was about a year after my surgery that I realized I felt "normal" again. And I didn't even have chemo or rads then! I needed to grieve the loss of my boobs and come to terms with my new body. I had to heal mentally as well as physically. I was only 41 then and no one around me had  BC. I felt very out of place around my friends because no one could understand what I was going through. Eventually life went back to normal and I rarely thought about cancer. My hope for all of us is that we can heal and move on, stronger and more courageous,  and have many more happy, cancer free years!

Bren and Duckledee - really feel your pain - this post chemo part is better but not easy all the time . Bren - I had 8 lymph nodes come out with my sentinal node - surgeon did not intend to take tha many they just came out with the fat when he had to go deep for the sentinal node - sorry for the tmi . So I did not really have ALN surgery . I have numbness in my armpit but full range of motion but no real depression under there . You are a stong lady so you should heal up very well .

Duckledee - the rads are a bit hard on the skin and with your being lighter you may see more sensitivity . I am more olive and doing ok - I have 2.5 more weeks to go - woo hoo ! Once u get into the routine it will go by fast . I just look at it as part of my job to make sure my family does not have to deal with a recurrence on me later !

I started the tamox Friday and so far so good .

Cyber ((((hugs ))) to all my fellow warriors !

Wow Nicole.  I just read your post and watched the video.  Thank you for sharing.  It was exactly what I needed and I suspect others feel the same.  I am finishing radiation tomorrow and then I will continue Tamoxifen for the next 5 years.  This is a really strange time.  I feel like I have been running on adrenaline for 7 months.  I have never looked back.  Suddenly I am at the end and I am looking back and going HOLY COW!!!  I have been to hell and back and suddenly it is very overwhelming.  I did not expect to feel this way.  I found great comfort in knowing that other women had similar experiences.  Yes, others around me are excited for me and asking me how I will celebrate tomorrow.  I am feeling so emotionally drained right now, not physically, emotionally.  I am reminding myself that there will be years to celebrate and I don't have to do anything tomorrow but relax and smile that I reached the finish line. 

Had our meeting with the BS late yesterday and got the path results. Looks like the chemo did its job and there was no cancer in any of the 29 level one nodes that were taken!  There was some residual DCIS that was in the remaining breast tissue under the arm so they removed that too. So with clear nodes it looks like I might be able to skip rads! I still have to do PT, Herceptin, Estrogen supressors, etc. But I feel like the hard part is finally over. It has been a long 9 months!

Congrats to those who have reached the finish line. Hope you are all doing well and are able to begin looking forward to a more "normal" life. Now we just have to wait for our hair, brows and lashes to come back

Been,



I am so excited about the great results! You've been so supportive of others. Thank you.



Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy your triumph!



Peggy