Starting Chemo February 2013

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  • jbsmom
    jbsmom Member Posts: 11
    edited July 2013

    Hi Gina925, 

    Thankfully, there is not much to say about the Tamoxifen.  I have only been on it a week.  I was nervous to start, but I take the 20 mg tablet at night, and I have not really noticed anything yet that is different.  Hope it goes as well for you!

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  • jbsmom
    jbsmom Member Posts: 11
    edited July 2013

    Tangles, 

    I , too, got red after treatment and it was gone by the next day.  This started after about 10 treatments which was early according to my rads nurse.  Anyway, it did not ever really get too much worse.  I used the mometazone cream twice per day and was pretty generous with it.  Whenever my skin felt tight or itchy, I used the alcohol free aloe.  By the end I had a strip of skin near my colar bone (the fold area when your arm is up) that was pretty red and sore since they irradiated that region too.  They skipped the final treatment above the collar bone, but I did not get blisters or anything like that. It took about 2 weeks after rads for all of the burning/itching to go away.  Not bad despite the early signs of redness.

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited July 2013

    Thanks jbsmom for the reassurance!! Makes me feel better!!

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

    tangles - I don't think there are alot of bad things on the summer rads board - but there are alot of positive tips..which creams people used, etc..

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

    Tangles I just compleated 18/33 and my skin has been pink/red pretty much from the start but it does not hurt at all. I have a bit of itchiness but even that is mild. I have been using emu oil (against my RO's advice) and nothing else. I noticed last night my underarm was red but wouldn't have known if I didn't see it. It's funny my daughter took a pic of me and I definitely have a marked area of red from my throat down that really showed in the pic but I don't see it in the mirror! The summer rad group is very informative and supportive, I don't think there are problems there that would upset you, although some women have worse SE than others, everyone seems to heal up quickly after completion-unlike chemo where 3months PFC and I still have SE!

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  • melody46
    melody46 Member Posts: 279
    edited August 2013

    Tangles a nice cool towel or cooling pad works wonders

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  • LW0919
    LW0919 Member Posts: 196
    edited August 2013

    I can report that now 8 weeks pfc, all of my lower eyelashes that were left, fell out this week. However, my facial hair is filling in nicely and have a pretty substantial amount of hair growing on my chin. Nice! Really...why??? What bs...seems like one last little jab from Chemo.



    So far rads hasn't been that bad the worst part is being tied own and committed to go there every single day. Oh and the "approved" deodorant is a joke. I feel like I'm now labeled the stinky one at work.



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

    LW0919 - had to laugh at your post - I feel like I have a beard! Its ridiculous- more hair on my face than my head.. fortunately it isn't as dark as my hair on my head.. but still.. it drives me nuts!

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

    Yep, and damn moustache is back! The one nice thing about chemo, oh well gotta get some more nair! No beard yet but lots of fuzz. Good thing, my eyebrows and lashes are finally growing in, started about 2.5 months pfc..

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  • melody46
    melody46 Member Posts: 279
    edited August 2013

    LW Glad for the opening to complain about hair.  Hair on my arms and face is growing back and straight out I might add, its growing so fast its weird. I held on to my lashes longer than most but they are still falling out.  Whats with this facial hair?  Is this going to stop before I look like sasquatch?

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

    That's MRS. Sasquatch over here! It's like my body has to make up for being hairless for 6 months-oh the joy, bad enough I looked like Buddha for half a year, now you can call me fuzzy face. But at least I've got eyebrows again!

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  • Shasha10
    Shasha10 Member Posts: 297
    edited August 2013

    Hi Heidi9256

    Thanks for your prayers.  Means a lot. I'm on Coreg and Lisinopril for my heart. Will do another echo in a few weeks and see what happens. Meanwhile my wig is off!!! Just fuzz but I decided to go as I am. Need to find out if and when I can color it. Feeling better

    thx and happy weekendSmile

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited August 2013

    Shasha I have allot of fuzz and I am so sick of hats I am about to say screw it and go without pretty soon! As for color as long as you use a semi permanent you can color anytime you want to!! 

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  • kkmom
    kkmom Member Posts: 54
    edited August 2013

    I finished radiation today - 24 days of rads and 6 days of the "boost" !!!  My breast looks like it is sunburned and the area around my nipple is peeling.  Otherwise, I am doing great.  My hair is actually coming back - but of course, it is fuzzy and gray.   I think I look like Elmer Fudd - but hey - it is hair.  My MO ran several test and my tumor marker was at 20. 

    Still doing the herceptin - so my next big step is not till February and I can get this damn port out.  Still have the neuropathy in my feet and hands, but when I see the MO in two weeks - I will talk with him about it. 

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  • Shasha10
    Shasha10 Member Posts: 297
    edited August 2013

    Tangles

    Semi perm for color great I'll wait another week or so it's still pretty fuzzy almost short

    It's so great without the the wig

    I feel so free. Ran into someone who said they didn't know was I alright. I feel so good not hiding and pretending. it's very liberating. At least today it was. ;)

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  • LW0919
    LW0919 Member Posts: 196
    edited August 2013

    I think I'm going to go out and get some semi permanent hair color today...I can't stand to look at my 1-1 1/2" salt & pepper hair anymore. I usually have my hairdresser do my hair color but seriously...at this point how bad can I possibly mess it up?!



    Anyone try false eyelashes yet? I bought some at sephora last night since I only have 4 or 5 hairs left on my right eye and slightly more on the left. I have never tried them before and am slightly intimidated by these things.



    Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited August 2013

    LW go a shade lighter then it shows on the box so it does not get too dark. Color usually gets darker then it show on the box!! Go with a neutral shade don't go with an ash.

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

    how do you color hair thats just about 1/2 inch? I guess you end up using very little of the hair color..right?

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  • LW0919
    LW0919 Member Posts: 196
    edited August 2013

    I didn't get by the drug store today and I'm glad, thanks for the proffesional advice tangles. I will pick up a light "non-ashy" color tomorrow. I will probably only need a smidge of it and throw the remaining 90% of the bottle away!



    BTW, I tried the lashes on today...I felt like they made me look like a hooker! They were supposed to be "natural", nothing glamorous but still they were overwhelming! I could feel them too...LOL! When I first put them on, I had them mixed up and each were on the wrong eye. I'm definately no glam girl that's for sure. I flipped them around but didnt look much better! I felt stupid so removed them. I'll just have to make do with my few randomly placed eyelashes for now.

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

    LW I found that when my lashes fell out that eyeliner really helped. I never wore eyeliner prior, so experimenting was needed. For me I found that a cream eyeliner applied with a slanted brush gave me the best results. My lashes are almost all back now, but sadly look thinner so I am continuing with liner.

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited August 2013

    I dont use store bought color but if it comes with tow bottles that you have to mix together then mix up half of each and save the rest for next time. Just make sure it is sealed up good. I am not wearing lashes but I do know you have to trim  them first as they come to long for most people. It also helps to curl them with an eyelash curler first. The ones you by at walmart with the red string attached are suppose to be easier to apply. Less is more when it comes to the glue. Put it on with a tweezers just dot the glue on.

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  • DiZZyMom
    DiZZyMom Member Posts: 245
    edited August 2013

    Tangles, it's great to have a hair expert on here for those of us feeling much less than pretty! My hair is now about a 1/2 inch and pretty dark. I've never colored my hair in the past, but once it's long enough to go without hat/wig, I think I'll ask my hairdresser to professionally color it and then try to maintain it myself from there on. Just to have that decision to make will be so nice!!

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited August 2013

    Adding color through a semi permanent process is WAY less damage then highlighting. I am not sure I would highlight for a while. We shall see how long I can last though...........

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  • Shasha10
    Shasha10 Member Posts: 297
    edited August 2013

    Hair. Mine it's 1/2" and I really want to color. Any recommendations for natural semi perm??? I really want to do something. Treatments stopped June 10. Any brands. I usually have it done. But 1/2" I think I can handle

    Thx

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited August 2013

    Maybe Loreal? Just dont go with ash or gold use a neutral shade.  

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  • kkmom
    kkmom Member Posts: 54
    edited August 2013

    Tangles -   Do you know anything about eyebrow tatoos?  My eyebrows were sparse before I started chemo and now I think I have like 5 eyes brows left. 

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  • tangles
    tangles Member Posts: 508
    edited August 2013

    I have seen friends get eye liner tattoos and also lip liner tattoos but not eyebrow. I bet a good makeup tattoo artist would do a good job though!

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  • LW0919
    LW0919 Member Posts: 196
    edited August 2013

    I bet eye liner tatoos would hurt like a son of a gun. I would have to be sedated before someone could get that close to my eye with a needle. It sure would be nice though to not have to apply very day. Decided to wait till next weekend to color my hair. I'm so tired when I get home from work.

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  • Shasha10
    Shasha10 Member Posts: 297
    edited August 2013

    Yes , you can get eyebrow tattoos just be very carefull. Check out the person. And that it's not too dark.

    Tangles why not ash or gold?? Is l'oreal natural ??? I was going for platinum blond. Short blond look.

    LW0919 what products are you using for hair color???

    My onco told me to wait a few months. Don't think I can last that long.

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  • LW0919
    LW0919 Member Posts: 196
    edited August 2013

    I got Loreal Iced Prailine. It's a creme with no ammonia. I'm going to give it a try this weekend. I went out last weekend to the grocery store for the first time ever without a wig. Wore a ball cap, I'm still not brave enough to go out without something. My hairs about an inch and a half now. It was so much cooler without a wig.



    I'm not brave enough for the eyeliner tatoos! I see tiny little eye lash hairs coming in,

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