Starting Chemo July 2012

Hi SusanHG123- Well, if they have to stop the Herceptin you have had quite a few already. There has been some controversy about how many are needed to be effective. Some say 6 months for early BC, and a year for the rest. I have read articles which say the 2 year dose recommended by the pharmaceutical companies is considered to be a money making racket on their part! I don't know about that, as it seems a bit harsh, but I know it costs them a fortune for the research and testing.

I am so glad you let us know how you were doing. About 3 days before you signed in I did a search to see if you had posted on any other threads, as I was worried about you! Here's hoping your hair starts growing again!

SusanHGB So sorry to hear your bad news. And the awful reactions to your continued treatments.  Sending you hugs and good wishes for relief from them.  Nat

Congratulations on your good news!

Susan, so sorry to hear you've run into some roadblocks.  Hope you are back on course now. Can related to your wanting everything to be over and done with.  I'm still dragging my feet about going to meet with a PS to see about a reduction on the non BS side.  At this point, I'm just very glad to have that as my biggest worry.  (other than BS reccurence that is!)  

Nat, I am glad to hear you got good results from your colonoscopy!  I have to discuss it with my GP when I see him next week.  My dad (67) went for his a few weeks back and they had to remove some polyps.  Dr told him to let his immediate family members know as he recommends they have colonoscopies done because of the higher risk to first generation relatives.  Oh JOY!!  I inhereited my dad's brown eyes, migraine headaches and his rectal polyps?? EWWWWW lol.  I am NOT looking forward to it, I thought I'd have another 4 years before I had to deal with THAT.  And every time I talk to him, he asks if I scheduled one yet.  NO!  I talked to my regular Dr about it last month (was there for a bum knee) and she told me not to worry about it till I get thru the month of May.  She knew I was stressing about the yearly mammo and checkup with BS.  God bless her heart.  I have been so lucky to have Dr's that LISTEN and understand. 

to susanhg - you've had just about every problem that's listed with your treatments. Sending ((hugs)) your way.

I almost had a typo and almost sent ughs insstead of hugs!  Maybe ughs are what you are feeling!  Nat

Oh my gosh-my hair has stopped growing also. After 2 full rounds of falling out it actually started growing. Was about an inch and straggly. And a horrid color of almost dirty steel. Went for a trim and a dusting of color. That was a bit over 8 weeks ago. Has not grown a bit since. Hair on the sides has almost crumbled off (guess they were right about no color), hair on top has fallen out in a male pattern baldness. Hair in back has 2 areas of male baldness. Hair in the middle of the top grows straight up-in a Mohawk-of less than 1 inch. 

The mitachondria makes perfect sense. Takes me back to beginning biology and the mitachondria is the powerhouse of the cell and all 4 of my children doing a 3D image of the cell. Perfect sense. 

Saw my breast surgeon and met with a plastic surgeon yesterday. With my recent issues with Herceptin and the ejection fraction best I am looking at is the left mastectomy this summer after clearance by a cardiologist. Have an appointment Thursday. Already know (as a nurse) he will say-no clearance until the next MUGA on the 21st and see the results. Plastic surgeon said depending on the type of reconstruction I selected surgery ran from 2 hours for TE to 10 hours for varing types of flaps. Know I am not patient enough for the 5 days in hospital and 12 week recovery. Would love input from anyone on reconstruction. Since I have had radiation on my RT will have to go with some of my tissue and a TE. She does not want to do anything until I am back to where I was prior to chemo (I cannot even remember what that felt like--a year ago) and said probably next summer. By the time I left the second office was at the point of saying screw reconstruction will stay flat. Especially after I listened to nipple reconstruction. Hopefully I am overreacting. 

Rest well my friends

Alrighty, not that I want to hear that you're having hair and weird stuff happening, Maddie and Susan, but it does feel good to not be alone. 

First up, had my last herceptin last week. Whoo hooo!!!!!!  made a little video of the event with friends,  that might help someone going through this - another friend is editing. Whether we do more with it or not, it was part of the celebration.

My Whine List of strange symptoms, likely due to the mitachondria... well, some things are improving a lot since I started the supplements.  less joint pain, less sudden exhaustion (wait.. no sudden exhaustion!) less of all symptoms, but still no new hair growth.  I'm counting on that soon.  I'll share the supplements I'm taking, but hope that you all have access to a doctor or naturopath who can determine if and what amounts might help you. (My doc for this does base decisions on my bloodwork)   Beyond a good multivitamin, vitamin d, calcium, we've added large dose of CoQ 10, plus alpha lipoic acid, advanced B complex. Also have been taking a fish oil, and we recently added Barleans Greens and a whey protein powder.  All of the above, organic and high quality.   So, Food for thought, literally. ~smile~

Re the breast reconstruction. I had the TE and now have the implant. Nipple to be done in the Fall. All of that has gone very well. I, too, was considering 'keep it simple and least invasive.. just go flat' but umm.. one flat, and one normal ... realized I wouldn't be happy about that.  A friend had the flap, and she hangs out with a lot of woman who have been through this. Her advice now is to do the implant, as much as she's happy with the results, she felt the surgery and recoup time wasn't worth it, and that everyone she knows are very happy with the implants. I'm pretty impressed with how my implant matches my happy breast.. which happened to get a little lift to make it all work. (Doc said he couldn't quite match the droop. ha ha ha)  My doc has made the nipple sound very simple.. a tuck of the skin on my breast.  A tattoo later.

Wishing you all well, wishing us all happy hair, happy bodies, happy minds, happy souls.

Melrose, Thank you SO MUCH  for this-- I start on June 25..

to maddie57 - I read in the Mayo Clinic reference on drugs that herceptin commonly causes a rash. Nat

Hi ladies- Had my one year check up and mammo on the good side. All clear - seems old faithful will live to droop another day!!! Has anyone tried the stick on nipples, or had nipple reconstruction?

Tomorrow is a year for our July 2012 chemo group. What a year. I, personally, thought I would have a bilateral mastectomy with perky implants, 4 rounds of chemo and be finished by the end of October. Delusional at best. I will schedule my second mastectomy tomorrow. Am still trying to have herceptin. Hating the side effects of the oral chemo. Also have an itchy rash. *%&^& husband who walked out the day my port was placed is an ex now. But we still have to do a property settlement. He is spending his time running his office to the ground by *%&% his way across the southwest via match, and other sites. I was appointed the permanent Dean of Health after a year as interim and will be teaching some classes again this year. Which will help my sanity. 

Some of our July group has dropped off as they are finished with treatment. If/when I finish I may drop away also. For the past year the dear sweet women on this site have been an inspiration daily and I have come to love and respect each. 

Hi Sheila,  You can hang with us, but I think you'll want to also find the group that starts chemo july 2013. This one was started a year ago.  Some good humour in this bunch! And good wishes to you for few S.E. and great results!

SusanHG... I know, right? I was also contemplating the year today.  I think there ought to be a rule that if you are going through treatments for breast cancer, that everything else in our lives must go right. Lot of crazy in my life... many losses, but I've been pretty surprised and uplifted by the support I've had and I did get some good things done; like finishing some books (somewhat chemo brained- kept shortening sentences that felt like the period would never arrive. Then had to redo them!) lots of playtime with family, so much support from friends.  Nice new breast, and now some anxiety and weird tamoxifen effects... such a rollercoaster, isn't it?  Wishing you well as you continue treatments. And wishing us all more 'easy' as we go forward.  Hugs all.  

Hi - yes - Happy Anniversary ladies. You are a fabulous group of ladies, and I am grateful for each and every one of you. You have been my rocks through all this, and I really mean that. Good luck to you all this year. Chells I LOVE that phrase "Annus Horribilis" - it sounds like just like what it means. Take out one "N" from "Annus"and there you have it!!!

Ladies,

I had my first chemo in June.....my advice to you is to make sure you drink LOTS of water, rest, take your SE medication as prescribed (no one should have to go through the SE), and don't worry.   Day 13 I did start to lose my hair, there isn't any shampoo, or treatment that will totally help on losing your hair.   I have been using Nioxin, but it is still coming out.  Cold Caps, if you research it well, I would not recommend it, I don't want to take the 1-2 percent chance of cancer going to my head.   I'm taking the aggressive treatment to prevent this from ever coming back, why would I want to add any percentages to what I'm trying to Conquer?    Good luck ladies, you will all do fine, it's not as bad as you think it is.   We are our worse fear....you will be tired, might be a little nauseaed or have constipation or diarrehea, but it is do-able.   

I love Annus Horribilis! Perfect. Scheduled 2nd mastectomy for July 24th. Have a lymphoscintigraphy the afternoon prior as it is prophylactic. Anyone have this? Will actually be glad to have this done--with my lumpy bumpy breast every change is an alarm--that is gone the next couple days. 

A nice long weekend to each.

Much love