August 2013 Chemo Sisters

Carol: Thanks for the advice on the counselor. DD has a great counselor at school that really helped her in May when I was diagnosed and she'll be there when school starts in a week. It'll be good.



HVV, exercise has been shown to reduce side effects in chemo patients. Even when I didn't feel up to it I walked everywhere and weirdly my stomach pains during the TC week always were helped by a walk. So even gentle exercise is helpful. Rest when you need but try to be as normal as possible.



And as to the as per normal, I still fatigue easily but I pace myself. Friday at a three hour lunch then rest; yesterday four-hour memorial service then rest. Today another service 4 to 8 and then I'll crash. This coming weekend I'm going to an amusement park with my daughter! So I try to be as normal as possible within reason....

Good morning all - it's Imodium day....



Rayna I'm day 6. Too early for hair loss, one would think, but what you gonna do? If its worse today ill ask the DH to cut it, as I refuse to trail hair after me at work! We don't have enough housekeepers to keep up with it...



Cutie kool I'm in austin. I was just thru AZ with the DH on a vaca between excisional bx and lumpectomy, lol! It was a driving vaca, lessee, we stayed in needles, then drove thru oatman and visited the burros. Had ice cream in, uh, seligman and then down 89a where we turned off to Jerome. Lovely spot, specially if you've got $. ; ). Spent the night in sedona, which ditto, but we found reasonable hotel and I discovered the hand painted yarns at sedona knitwits. We did a little hiking then drove thruWinslow to Holbrook, where we stayed 2 nights and visited the petrified forest and painted desert.



Did I mention we re photographers? Lol! Sorry for th e long list but if you live anywhere along those routes we could have crossed paths. Like me and gavinsgrandma, we probably fell over each other more than once after missing our meet up : (.



Oh, and Shary, that camp spot -it's right above independence on the way to onion valley. Little creek there, lovely place.



HVV, I am hunkering at home this weekend as I feel like crap. I've also gone from constipation to diarrhea, with bowel/ stomach cramping instead of vomiting ( which is a good trade, as far as I'm concerned). So, SAB, no jumping thru hoops today ! Maybe tomorrow! My goal for today is to sit up more, as my back is starting to bother me for lying down all day yesterday.



Found lots of cool stuff on Etsy, though ; )



Big hugs to all and a Blessed Lords day to us.

Thanks for being there Carol and all others on this thread. It is a tremendous calming device for me to now that others are in the same boat and have experienced this before I have to go through it. We can do this with God's help. Onward HO. That's HO as in wagon train, not Ho as it is known today or HO HO HO as in Santa. God bless everyone today. Be strong so I can lean on you, as I'll try to be strong, so you can lean on me.

Ratna - I totally agree about laughter. My friends keep telling me I can't use this cancer card forever so you better use it up!!! I had a double masectomy on July 9 th before my chemo started. I have TE that will be removed an implants put in once chemo is done. The Masectomy was a piece if cake compared to the side effects I am having from chemo.



Lisasp - I agree exercise is the best thing if you can do it. As sick as I have been i turtle walk every evening. It seems more like my husband is carrying me but I am out there. I do exercises in bed as well. There is a yoga class in my area that is put on by FL cancer that I hope to try next next week.



Carol - sorry today you aren't feeling so great! Hope the Imodium works. And you are feeling better soon.



Made my appointment to get me head shaved next Tuesday. I am shedding like my dogs. I keep saying look at all this hair these dogs are getting everywhere and then say oh!!! That is mine!!!!! I am prepared wigs, scarfs, hats, bandanas, beannies, big earrings. One of my friends said to me...... do you think you are going to have cancer the rest of your life... Lol. I said no I am just freaked out about loosing my hair! She said good cause when your hair grows back we are opening a boutique with all this stuff and it will be free to BC patients.... Lol



Any suggestions on easy calming stomach foods. The last two days I have been able to eat.... Yipeee!! but nothing tastes good. I have been eating frozen peas and steamed vegetables for breakfast lunch and dinner. That is the only thing that doesnt give me diahrea. I am really starting to get hungry which is a great sign, but just not sure what to try. Any suggestions!! Plus I am the one that needs to get my red cell count up before next blood check.



Sharon - I think you mentioned liver which I luv as well since I was raised in KY, but there is no was I can stomach that at this time.



Everyone have a relaxing day!!

Rayna, Laughter is the best medicine, they say. I don't know who "they" are, but I believe it. Thanks for the advice. If I develop another tumor, I'm having both girls removed and opt for a size B! I'd lose 20 pounds right there and be at my optimal weight!

EVERYONE: I was trying to decide how I will stay hydrated when I'm sick because I can't imagine drinking so much when I'm nauseated, so to know how much water I would get from ice cubes, I melted 20 of my size ice cubes in a measuring cup, and it was 1 cup of water. Now, I can tell how much I've had; that is, if I don't lose count. I've been drinking at least 3/4 gallon a day, that's about 12 cups. I know I won't get that much when I'm puney. Maybe I'll have to melt a popcycle to see how much fluid each one holds. Be right back. One of those long popcycles in plastic sleeves that you buy at Walmart is a little more than 1/4 cup of fluid, but not even 1/8 more, so I'm going to count them as 1/4 cup. The math teacher is coming out today. I thought I retired.

Today is day 9 since my first infusion, it's been great so far! 

~ I attended church service @ 7:15a

~ Instead of putting on my Walk Away the Pounds CD, I exercised for 1 hour while watching Oprah with Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements.  Great book, I suggest everyone read it!

~ After exercising, I took an 1.5 hour nap. I did not want to exercise, but I'm glad I did!!!

~ Now I'm about to make some Lotion Massage Candles for an upcoming conference where I will be a vendor.  This will be my first vending opportunity since my surgery May 21st and I am excited!!!

I'm thinking about washing my hair, too!  Not sure if I should apply the pre-wash, stimulating scalp scrub, though.  I don't want to do anything that might cause hair fall sooner . . . any suggestions? 

MAKE it a great day!!!

Sharon: Thanks for the laugh again, I just saw you leaving your computer to go and melt a popsicle, it feels nice to laugh. You'll be able to make Sharon's Water Conversion Table and get it out there to everyone. lol

raynaj, LOL.  I'm pretty sure I'm getting chemo.  I work hard at being positive and finding the silver lining on each chemo cloud!!!  Don't get me wrong, I have a few mild aches + pains.

On the T/C forum, many mentioned scalp pain when the hair begins to fall.  Has anyone experienced scalp pain?

I'm my own guinea pig.  I'm not cutting my hair because I want to document my hair experience + journey . . . "From Fall to Restoration".  I also created a natural herbal scalp + hair butter w/KGF.  For the last year or so, I've applied the butter to my hair, lashes + brows and have seen growth.  The lemongrass, coffee + rosemary extracts makes the scalp tingle so it may be too intense for an irriated scalp but I will continue to put it on my lashes + brows (in hopes of keeping them longer).

I will also working on creating a soothing scalp butter to calm an irriated scalp + help encourage hair growth. The butter will be all natural and include butters like mango, shea, virgin coconut cream.

If anyone wants to sample it, let me know.  Check out my online store @ http://shop.jlexi.co.

FMG: About the scalp pain, yes I did have that, it was the feeling you get if you've had your hair in a ponytail or a different position for a while and then let it hang down again. It was sore near the roots.

Yeah Rayna, then there will be the Standard English System, the Metric System, and the Water Conversion Table. I wonder if the world is ready for this. I am going to shut down this contraption so I can get ready for tomorrow's appointment. It seems like a year that I've been waiting. Everyone stay strong and don't have bad SE's. Take your meds and go out and walk. I'll be back with my report tomorrow afternoon when I get home. SAB

Cross-posted!

Carol, The first year I taught high school I was 41. I taught high school math only. I hated the lack of discipline so I went to a small Christian Academy and taught all of the math classes, a science class 5th grade, High School English. We didn't have 50 minute classes. We taught a very small group of students the lesson, then gave them time to work on it while we taught another group. It worked. Those kids did well. Then I went to a public school and taught sixth grade math. I did that until I retired at 62 to take care of Mother and my husbands dad. What do you do? ( I lied. I was going to shut down the computer, but here I am. Addictions are hard to break.)

Gashgold, I like the idea of charms. 

Wing, I had my port put in Tuesday (3 weeks s/p bmx) and had my first AC infusion Wed. Slept through the last 30 minutes due to the sedative in the pre-infusion "cocktail." Napped when I got home, but generally felt okay...until about 8:00. Vomited, then had constant nausea and dry heaves every morning until Saturday afternoon. (They dont call it "the dance with the devil" for nothing!) Felt okay last night, though wasn't very active. Decided to go to church today (and did), but was very weak and exhausted easily (even with dressing). My oncologist said to completely mark everything off my calendar for three days, then I would feel a little better gradually over the next few days, then WBCs will drop between days 7-10, so will feel crappy again, then it will start to get better, then we do it all over again. He said that essentially I won't feel good for the next 18 weeks. But, hey! It's only 18 weeks to gain what we hope is years! . (I would appreciate you reminding me of that when I get my next dose the 28th!) Oh, and we'll start to lose our hair about day 10. The good news is that will only happen once, right?! Neulasta injection hasn't caused any issues (though I had to have a throw-up container in the car for the trip). The nurse told me to take Claritin for five days for that starting the day of the injection. Will be praying for you!!!

I have a very flexible work place so they know if I don't show up on Thursday it's because I can't. And I am thankful that I have a short term disability available to me, so I'm not so nervous. Isn't it enough to be a single parent to 3 (with one on the spectrum) without having to deal with this?

I know everyone is different so I'll just try and go with the flow. My doctor is telling me he sees people with the worst days being 3-5...but that's just 'on average' and I am anything but. Sigh.

Thanks everyone.