August 2013 Chemo Sisters

Great idea, Sharonanne. My daughter needs a trim and she definitely doesn't need the excess hair. How long would be good?



Hi Tonya, like the new avatar.



Well today I had infusion #3. No problems. Ate a nice lunch while I was hooked up and had a HUGE sugar free Slurpee to keep my mouth cold during infusion.



Drinking like a fiend again. Just took steroid, Ativan and Zofran. Will take Ativan and Zofran before bed.



I asked my MO about a big party I'm going to on Sat. She said it will be fine as long as I use plenty of hand sanitizer and keep my hands away from nose and eyes and mouth.



Everything should be fine today. I don't expect SEs until later in the week. Have a great rest of today everyone!

Brillintina, I, too, am doing chemo when I didn't have to because I have Triple Negative Breast Cancer for which no targeting medicine has been discovered yet. All I have it chemo, radiation, and surgery. I am stage Ia too, and went to a specialist who said the same thing. I am only having 4 rounds of T/C every 3 weeks and 5-6 weeks of radiation after that. I don't want to have it come back in my brain and regret not wanting to lose my hair. Thanks for your post. It gave me assurance that I'm doing the right thing.
Sharon

My dad fell tonight and broke his hip. Thank God my brother just moved here to hel-p me with him. He's going to the hospital as I write. I cannot go into the hospital since my chemo is tomorrow. I will ride up there with my brother to take his things and stay in the car. My brother can handle it without me. My famiy is going to have to take over the jobs I usually do for the family. We think it's a fracture since he fell outside and was alone, yet at age 91, crawled up onto his golf cart and went to the neighbor's house. If he had a break, we don't think he could have done that. Maybe if in shock, he could have. We'll find out soon enough.

sharonannebaker, I pray your dad is OK + on the mend!

I have to get ready for another vending opportunity tomorrow!  I don't have to really do anything except rap a few soaps + pack the car.

Then I have chemo on Friday, 9/20.  I took the following Monday off, just in case.

I pray a good nights rest for all.

Does any one know scripture that talks about sleep or rest?

FMG...this is the one I like.

~Psalms 23:1-6~

The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not  want.He makes me lie down in green pastures,He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for You are with me;Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.Amen.  

 SaltyJack, The verse you posted is the reason I have peace right now. I need to copy this for my refrigerator door:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7  That book goes on to Phil. 4:13 to say "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Rody, we thought the same thing about the bone breaking and then he fell, because he said he bent over and didn't fall very far to the ground. I think that's exactly what happened. It's the femur at the base of his hip. About TNBC, my tumor was 6mm only, clear margins, no nodes found in the sentinel node biopsy so the first report said no node involvement!!!!! My first question to the MO was: If there were no lymph nodes found in the underarm area during surgery, then how do they know it's not in the lymph nodes that supposedly were too deep to access w/o making my whole side numb for life? He said, "We don't". The SO said I didn't require chemo, just radiation, even though margins were clear. My next question was: If the tumor was invasive when found and my surgery wasn't until one whole month later, and who knows how long it was invasive and spreading to my bloodstream before the mammogram, then how do you know it didn't travel to my bloodstream?  He said, "We don't." I said, I think I need chemotherapy because all I have read (which was everything on the web and from others who have TNBC) no matter what the size of tumor, all TNBC patients need chemotherapy. I was told that I would have whole breast radiation for 6-7 weeks to get anything that might have escaped during surgery. I had adjuvant surgery. The SO had told me I would just have local radiation to the place where the tumor was removed, but the MO said I'd have total breast radiation to take in the deeper lymph nodes, which no one  knows about to this day. I am having my second chemo today. I will have 4 T/C total with radiation but not the other chemo you will have. I guess that's for your positive status. I'm praying for you Rhody, that all cancer cells will disappear and you will be cancer free soon. I'm praying that for all of us. Gotta' go get ready.

I will read everyone else's posts later. Hopefully, I'll feel well enough tonigt when we get home.

Sharon

Sharonanne: Best wishes today on chemo. Mine yesterday was uneventful and I felt pretty good afterwards but really tired.



Today is day 2 after chemo 3. I am a bit tired. I took a huge boatload of drugs this AM, steroid, Zofran, Ativan. OTC drugs: Claritin, Pepcid AC, Eleve, iron. I also have my first consult with a radiation oncologist today. That will be interesting and I suspect that will set up the simulation soon. Wish me good thoughts and prayers!

Good morning all! I'm praying for Sharon and us all that the SE this round will be much less than last time. God is so much more powerful than either those little cancer cells or the chemo drops!

For constipation - anybody ever try magnesium pills? I get them at Costco in a big bottle because my nurse practitioner suggested taking them just for overall benefits - bone, muscle, etc. She reminded me of our moms giving us milk of magnesium when we were kids - soaking feet in it, etc. and said she takes 6 a day - 3 in the morning and 3 at night. She suggested taking as many as I could without causing diarrhea. I'd been taking one and tried taking 2 that night. Well, I heard my stomach talking to me all night then the next morning had almost-diarrhea. I backed it down to one a day - don't know if it would work for you but you may want to check with your MO or research it on-line.

Can't resist adding one more verse because it's a good one for me:

Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act. Don't worry. Ps. 37:3-4. 

Praying for us all - especially Sharon and Lisa today!

I am a week past my 2nd treatment - is anyone STILL hungry that far out? I still could eat my own weight in, well, ANYTHING!

I'm really tired as well. I've been trying to eat food to boost my red blood cells. Anyone have any magic information?

Thank you Sharon!

Best wishes to all of you having chemo this week. My next round of A/C is next Thursday 9/26.

Martha

Tonya, what fantastic news. I'm so happy for you.

Wing, eat beef liver and onions a couple of days before your test. I did and mine were fantastic. I love it, but most people don't. I fry it with lots of onions and make milk gravy to go with it. I ate the whole thing other than a little piece my  husband ate. He doesn't like it but will eat a little. I ate if for two days. I can eat it for breakfast. It is loaded with iron.

I do not like the idea of being told not to talk about our religion ANYWHERE. This country provided Muslims in New York City a place to kneel down to Allah 5 times a day. I will get off of this site before I quit talking about Jesus Christ. That is crazy. If people don't like it, let them start their own thread to talk about devil worship or something. I hate politiical correctness. It's ruining this country. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, so people who hate this may just learn something about salvation. I'm urked.

Sharonannebaker (I love your name), I agree.  All should be able to discuss the religious/spiritual beliefs.  Even more so if it is a source of encouragement + strength to others.

I think we have something great in this thread and would not want to leave it, though.  Various stories were told to illustrate Scripture (like reaping + sowing, the prodigal son, etc.).  Maybe we're being challenged to be creative!  I'm up for it.  You have to be able to discuss your views in multiple ways.

FYI to anyone who's uncomfortable posting here - the September chemo thread is (so far) religiously neutral & is very supportive. I bet they wouldn't mind people joining even if you started chemo in August. I've been posting there more often & find everyone to be quite nice.

Good suggestion, BCL. There certainly is a big overlap with August/September chemo. Perhaps the moderators would allow the thread to be based on a majority rules type of spiritual emphasis??????

I agree batcatlady and I think the moderators are good to point it out. There is room for all types of diversity and having a specific prayerful thread is certainly good. Also FMG I think you're right in being generally uplifting.



My RO appt went swimmingly, thanks for asking Salty Jack. She was very reassuring, said I could probably not expect too many side effects, and that I could use whatever moisturizer on my skin I want. I have my simulation appt Nov.1 and start rads 2 weeks after. I'll be through with it all before Christmas!

Thanks batcatlady. I'll be checking out the Sept support group. I am definitely not feeling very comfortable over here.

Take care everyone.