Starting Chemo February 2013

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  • kkmom
    kkmom Member Posts: 54
    edited May 2013

    Hello....Friends

    Today was my final TCH Chemo #6 - thank goodness it is over.  I have been up since 4:30 this morning and I will probably crash sometime soon.

    I have also had the tears just spilling over from one eye and last week the other eye is tearing all over the place.  I thought the tear duct problem came from the herceptin. I hope I am wrong because I still have heceptin until February 2014.  My face seems to go numb, so there I am talking to someone and the tears are all the way down my face before I am feel it.  My husband thought I was crying.  I have an appointment with the opthamologist in two weeks.  I am told they can put in tiny stents to open up the ducts.  Makes me cringe to think about it, but oh-well???

    I feel like chemo has wrecked most all of my body.  Of course, no hair, teary eyes, extreme fatigue to the point I cannot walk from the couch to the bathroom without a racing heart, passed out once, but my daughter caught me before I hit a door casing.  That was strange experience, have had 2 blood transfusions - thankful for the blood, but also a strange, long tedious procedure, my fingernails are all funky - like I have blood stains under them - I feel like they are going to lift off.  No appetite and certainly no tastebuds and my brain has turned to mush.

    But...I am still standing or as of the moment sitting.  I am so thankful to read everybody posts - they have been encouraging, informative and often - very very funny.  I guess in other words when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  I hope to see many of your on Summer Radiation to compare notes.  I start radiation about mid June - I certainly want a chance to get this chemo somewhat out of my system before I start rads.  Scheduled for a petscan also in mid June. 

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  • TMM60
    TMM60 Member Posts: 190
    edited May 2013

    Way to go, kkmom! You are one tough cookie for hanging in there. Welcome to the other side of chemo valley!

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  • DiZZyMom
    DiZZyMom Member Posts: 245
    edited May 2013

    Congrats KKmom! Hopefully you will be on the upswing from here

    I had my last TCH last Friday and so far have had the easiest week after of any of them. The SEs had been steadily cumulative for 1-5 so I expected to really have a hard time this week. I'm very grateful that I'm not. Maybe I'm just so happy to be done that I won't let myself feel bad. I wish the same for you!

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  • IamNancy
    IamNancy Member Posts: 1,158
    edited May 2013

    kkmom - it can only get better from this point on..Smile

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  • caitlin61
    caitlin61 Member Posts: 214
    edited May 2013

    Congrats KKMom! You've been through a lot, but hopefully things will improve day by day. I finished my last round of dose dense Taxol a week ago and know what you mean by the wrecked body - definitely taking longer to bounce back this time. On to rads!

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  • TMM60
    TMM60 Member Posts: 190
    edited May 2013

    DiZZyMom- Congratulations to you! It's only upward from here!

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited May 2013

    COngrat Kkmom! You have had a rough go and its all uphill from here on out!! I am headed out the door for my LAST TCH!!! Thanks to the steroids I didn't get to sleep until 3:00am. That is with cutting them in half and also 2 lorazapam and an ambian!! OH well I can snooze while laying in the chemo chair for hours, well maybe, kinda hard with all the beeping! I feel I still have not recovered from the last chemo which worries me about the recovery from this one. The fatigue certainly has accumulated for me!! I am just hoping to feel better by my exchange surgery June 25th. OK Wish me luck my blood work comes back ok so I can get this FINAL show on the road!!  

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited May 2013

    I rang that DAM bell pretty hard today girls! Hope you all heard it! Not looking forward to the next few weeks but at least its the last time.  DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    My MO said 100% tears are from taxotere. Good to know that wont continue with the herceptin.

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  • caitlin61
    caitlin61 Member Posts: 214
    edited May 2013

    Congratulations Tangles - hope you rang that bell right off the wall! Like you say, that part is done - one chapter closed and on to the next!

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  • melody46
    melody46 Member Posts: 279
    edited May 2013

    Congratulations Tangles!

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  • slv58
    slv58 Member Posts: 1,216
    edited May 2013

    Congrats Tangles! Feels good doesn't it ;)

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  • IamNancy
    IamNancy Member Posts: 1,158
    edited May 2013

    so glad for you Tangles!!! yippee!!

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  • DiZZyMom
    DiZZyMom Member Posts: 245
    edited May 2013

    Congrats on being done Tangles. I'm so happy for all of us who started together getting through this!

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  • Gina925
    Gina925 Member Posts: 35
    edited May 2013

    Way to go Tangles!!!! Woo Hoo! Scratch chemo off your list.  Those of you who are done are sooo lucky. I will be joining you all soon. My last chemo was moved to June 4th. That was due to the stitches that were put back in my incision on the 16th. Crap!!!!

    My legs are still bothering me from the last chemo. Geez us, when does that ever let up? I am really worried about se for the next time around.

    I'll be ready to get back to normal life as soon as I can.

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  • TMM60
    TMM60 Member Posts: 190
    edited May 2013

    Yahoo Tangles!

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  • DiZZyMom
    DiZZyMom Member Posts: 245
    edited May 2013

    Whew, I sure did jump the gun proclaiming how great I felt after last round. The truck hit me head on yesterday! I'm a little better today, but just so wiped out. If only I had a nanny to take care of the kids so I could rest all day......but that's not going to happen! Unfortunately my husband has plans for us to work on the new house all weekend, so even getting a little nap is probably unlikely. Oh well, suck it up and get on with it!

    I hope you all have a great weekend.

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  • LW0919
    LW0919 Member Posts: 196
    edited May 2013

    Congrats to Tangles!!



    I will be ringing that bell in 2 weeks. I will be getting treatment #6 without a port. The IV antibiotics couldn't wipe out the infection. It immediately came back last night, the day after I stopped. My surgeon scheduled surgery to remove this beast on Tuesday of next week. Guess she didnt want to get a late start on her nice long holiday weekend. I was sent home with a RX for Cipro which will not even touch it but guess she felt guilty about not trying something and just sending me home for it to grow for the next 4-5 days. I was told to go to the ER if it gets worse and I start vommiting or running a fever over 100.5. Nice. Ice packs seem to help a little and so does hydrocodone. Still have bronchitis and now an ear infection. If I can make it through and survive #6, I think I will beat the damn bell off the wall and then kicking it across the room. I would like to punch something but it would hurt too bad right now.



    I hope we all have a great weekend! Fingers crossed!

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  • Rdrunner
    Rdrunner Member Posts: 309
    edited May 2013

    Well done to all of you..  I can only imagine how hard the last few sessions were. 

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  • melody46
    melody46 Member Posts: 279
    edited May 2013

    LW your so close I hope you have a decent weekend and get rid of this s**t soon :)

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  • IamNancy
    IamNancy Member Posts: 1,158
    edited May 2013

    LW - sorry you were sent home to suffer over a holiday weekend.. I know you are looking forward to Tuesday and getting that nasty port out..hope everything works out for you..:)

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited May 2013

    LW you two weeks will FLY by!!!! GOod luck!!!!

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  • IamNancy
    IamNancy Member Posts: 1,158
    edited May 2013

    well 5 weeks after chemo and my eyebrows are gone..eyelashes are plenty thin too... I heard they come back quick -I hope that is correct because it looks weird and I am not good with an eyebrow pencil .

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  • LakeGirl2
    LakeGirl2 Member Posts: 68
    edited May 2013

    LW hope you are feeling ok! Good luck!

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  • LW0919
    LW0919 Member Posts: 196
    edited May 2013

    Thanks all. So far the infection hasn't gotten any worse but yet not any better, lots of ice packs and ibuprofen. I read some scary info while doing research about people going into septic shock from port infections so Tuesday can't come soon enough. I'm a litte on edge just thinking about it.



    IamNancy: My eyebrows are all but gone too. I got a kit from Sephora, I think the brand was Anastasia. It came with stencils too it was a little pricey but at this point, it's justified and I don't care how much it is as long as it works and keeps me from looking goofy! The brow pencil is really thin and self sharpens which makes it easy to make the thin lines to look like little hairs. I used a tip from the eyelineher blog and am using the white eyeliner on the bottom lid followed by the black or brown and it really does help brighten the eyes and take the focus off the lack of eyelashes. I wonder how the eyebrows come back in? I hope they aren't all wirey, bushy and eww what if they come back gray?..

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  • Gina925
    Gina925 Member Posts: 35
    edited May 2013

    LW-Thinking of you this weekend. Hope Tuesday hurries!

    Me eyebrows are almost completely gone. Its just sad & I feel ridiculous. Although I have been drawing them on and trying to fill them in. .......I hate it. Im afraid to put mascara on so that I dont pull any lashes out trying to get it off.

    Iamnancy-Keep us all posted on when the eyebrows come back-I think you are ahead of most of in treatment.

    Today was my youngest daughters high school graduation. All went well.

    Final chemo schedules for June 4th.

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  • kkmom
    kkmom Member Posts: 54
    edited May 2013

    @LW0
    Hope tonite finds you resting comfortably without that port. Nobody should have to go through what you have gone through. It has to get better.
    I believe we have all had enough of chemo and the havoc it has put on our bodies and lives.

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  • kkmom
    kkmom Member Posts: 54
    edited May 2013

    Nancy

    Has your hair started growing back? If so, how long after your last chemo?



    I finished my last chemo last Wednesday and I check my head every night for even just a little speck of growth.

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  • LW0919
    LW0919 Member Posts: 196
    edited May 2013

    The port is out. Finally! It's sore but at least I know it has a chance of getting better now. They took cultures and are going to find out what type of infection it was so that they will know how to treat it. If we can get it cleared up, I can still have my last treatment next Thursday...the last one!! Looking back at the beginning, 6 rounds of chemo seemed like such a mountain to climb an almost unobtainable goal, but here it is almost over! If we can just hang in there, the rest of us are almost there! One step closer to getting back things back to normal!

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  • Deb-in-LA
    Deb-in-LA Member Posts: 17
    edited May 2013

    Congrats to ringing the bell!! I have 2 more to go or 6 wks. Taxotere now Taxol has been eating my lunch. Otherwise no appetite. Just looking forward to ringing my bell. That's what's keeping me going. Best to you all,

    Deborah

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  • IamNancy
    IamNancy Member Posts: 1,158
    edited May 2013

    LW - glad the port is out..hopefully the infection will clear up, pain will go away and you will get your last chemo next Thursday!

    kkmom- its been 5 weeks since last chemo.. I can feel stubble and my head itches - can see it if I look real real close but it is coming in light - does that mean gray?? I hardly had any gray before ... can't feel as much stubble on the sides..guess it doesn't come back evenly.

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