Chemo May 2013

Kate I constantly remind everyone in my life that ending chemo does not mean I feel all better. My legs are still sore and still have lots of fatigue. I am doing the best I can but have long way to go. I find bra hurts under fake boob too. I thought it was because I am doing too much.



I have never had d levels checked. Will have to ask mo when I see him. I assumed I always got enough from sun exposure but maybe not this summer.



Lisa

They want me to do rads because of not only my positive lymph node but also because I had three cancerous lumps in my breast.  One they didn't find until I had an MRI and the last one they didn't find until the went through all of my breast tissue after it was removed.  So two of them were really small, but who knows if more small ones could be in the chest wall.  IDK.  I don't want to do rads.....but I suppose better to do all I can right?

Surgery in the morning.....guess I should go to bed.  More days off of work, hoping to be able to work on Monday though.

Itis: Oh no you arent defeated! Take a deep breath, you can do this! You must stay with us and get through! Write a long post and vent vent vent, we are here to listen to you. We all have times we feel scared as shit and defeated. Are you out there today. Post so we know you are ok.

Well if it isn't always something! Go for last blood test and port wont give up any blood. All kinds of gyrations...nope wont give up the goods. Take blood from arm to get on with. Flush flush flush. Still no blood from port. Go home we will deal with it in September when you come for first flush. Gees what a morning.



Lisa

Hi,

Have you ladies thought about wearing a sports bra?  They are more comfortable than a regular bra.

I'm glad things went well, Teresa!



I think I'm clawing my way out from 6' under... Made it to work for a few hrs today for a total of 10.5 hrs this week.... This is the worse it's been since my surgery. Even then I was working a couple days after...

Last "death dose" next Thursday! At least after that I can just keep telling myself that chemo is over, just get better now... Chemo is over....



At this point, I don't care if they have to pull my picc line early because of the yeast rash getting too close to the hole. It's miserable & I catch myself wanting to just rip it out now and scratch & scratch.... I have to put a long sleeve on for bed or I'll itch at it in my sleep. It's either long sleeves or mittens.. LOL



Time for me to put the blinders on and focus on the finish line... I can't believe how this has beaten me down. Never felt so helpless and weak..... I feel like I am changed forever because of a stupid little painless bump we found....



Hope everyone is doing as well as they can be.

Happy thoughts,

Lorrie







Bla bla bla.... Wah wah wah...

Hello Ladies,

Just want to vent......These TE's are killing me! I cannot sleep! Everything except wearing nothing hurts... I feel I will be addicted to Ativan forever! 12 days to exchange and it cant come soon enough...I think the surgery pain will be less! 

One positive....my hair is finially starting to grow! Just a warning or FYI- leg hair and down there....come back first! Scalp has a dusting of hair...looks like a shadow on top, but can grab it around the back and ears....kinda like a balding man! LOL.....it does not look like it is culy chemo curls but straight as it was before....at least so far.

Itis: Good luck with your last chemo....remember it takes a while to feel better. You are such a trooper! Last one kicked my butt and I did 4....feeling much better now though and I am almost 6 weeks PFC.

Lorrie thanks for the wig link...looks like my hair will not be long enough to start school....although I am seriously considering going with my head as is.....students can watch my hair grow....maybe

Lorrie,



Hang in there. I feel for you. The end is so hard because of the cumulative nature of it. After my last dose, I said to my husband, they tried to kill me, but they didn't. Ironic since it's actually part of our cure. It does get a lot better though. I am feeling so much better two weeks after chemo. I feel like I'm back in the land of the living, although still in the process of recovery. In a couple of weeks, I think you will feel a lot better. In the meantime, I'm sending my sympathy and I'm happy for you that this is the last week.

Waaaa...my left hip hurts. When I lift anything, sit a certain way or stretch to get something out of the cupboard or out something into the dishwasher.

Started yesterday when I was cleaning out the car from our trip.....ouch!

Aleve did nothing for it.

Any suggestions?

I don't thinkit is tamoxifen related.

This last weeki did 1/2 tablet of tamoxifen. Today I started my full pill.



I spent this past week doing a lot of walking(well compared to the past5 months! Lol). I don't think I strained/pulled anything during walking though.



Woke up to an eye full of "goo" too.

I'm all for putting 2013 behind us. I pray my big surgery will be THIS year so I can lump all the "madness" together in one year.

Pat

Lorrie,

Very disturbing.

His punishment should be chemo, his wife too as it appears she knew too.

Really, how much money did this "doctor" make?



I've heard of Medicare mills where they pay patients for fake illnesses, but this is an extreme. I can't even begin to think how the heck he became so desperate to make money and come up with this scheme!



Btw, vacation was very nice...thankfully the pain didn't come on until we were leaving Lake Placid.....perhaps it is psychosomatic?



Pat

I'm noticing that my head is covered with soft WHITE peach fuzz.... Really soft.... BUT.... WHITE?

Never thought I'd say this, but getting another chemo treatment is giving me hope that this isn't the hair that will grow back! I never got shiny bald. Always had this fuzz...

Please, let the red hair come back. Haha I hated my long curly red hair, but would welcome it back with open arms!



Lisa, pat, any change now that you've been done?

Lorrie,

I still haven't lost all my hair, but it IS still coming out!

Because I have "so much" hair I can't see if anything is growing in.

I see my nice white scalp below my hair though! Lol

Seems my white...which everyone told me I didn't have much of has held on the longest.

I am a light blond, and the white in between it must have acted like highlights!



So on the head issue, I cannot address if it is growing back.



Nose hair still MIA

Eyelashes intact., never seemed to leave me.

Eyebrows coming back in (though hadn't lost them either,only thinned out on one side only but they are now heading to "bushy")

Facial hair is coming in nicely! Lol. (Peach fuzz beard)

Leg hair, growing in a bit quicker...hadn't lost it all but it had slowed down significantly.

Underarm hair is MIA

Nether region...what came out is still MIA, what remains is nearly bald, I should just pull out the remainder

Toe hair....never left...maybe I could transfer it to any bald spots I get, obviously those hairs are my strongest!



I had last round of chemo July 8. Oncologist had said to expect hair re growth around mid September. I had read on some places can begin around 10 weeks after chemo. So seems like my doctor might have something right! (Now lets see if my head can listen!)



Hip is still killing me. Doctors office opens at 11:00, I need a muscle relaxant for sure. Will see acupuncturist on Wednesday. Could have seen acupuncturist tomorrow but her openings were exactly when my darling daughter has her well visit. She is 10, mommy must take her, not daddy...they grow up so fast! Would change the well visit but it is a two month wait, and I still don't know when my darn surgery will be. Thinking of writing a book. "How to stress out a planner"



Pat

Hip update,

General practitioner wondered aloud if it was tamoxifen related.

I really don't think so, though I guess time will tell.

This hip is only bothering me if I bend to sit or get up from sitting, carry anything heavy, twist . Doesn't bother me while walking or standing.



She told me 2 allege for inflammation (apparently it is almost equal to one naproxen prescription pill) and a muscle relaxant for bedtime...



I will see how I feel tomorrow and consider keeping acupuncture appointment on .wednesday.



Leaving for Florida this Sunday night. Would suck if I'm "out of commission". Too bad mom lives two hours away or I would borrow the wheelchair I bought for her when she broke her back!



So much for getting work done in the house....I keep putting it off for various ailments I will NEVER catch a break.



Oh, and jury duty notice came. It is for same day as first day of school. Lol. When it rains it pours!



Pat

Ukkate,

Check the size of your wig...it might be too small!

I have two wigs someone sent to me that I honestly don't think I can get up the nerve to wear.

Brunette and a blonde (with some different colors). Both are short. Both are size LARGE.

If you think you are interested I will email a picture to you (I can't seem to load pictures here). Just PM an email address.



Pat