For those starting TAC in March/April 2006....

Hey all, I'm back from vacation! Drove right by you Mindy! lol I jsut realized that. It's been not quite 3 weeks since my last TAC. Looks like my hair will be blonde again! (yay) Either that or it's white, which I doubt, but it's so hard to tell. I keep feeling my head, and looking in the mirror all the time at my stubble! GROW GROW GROW!! lol. I think this is worse than losing it, at least that happened fast.

had a blast at my mom's even though it rained most of the week. Still got in the pool a couple times, and lost my pale sickly look. I do still get tired, but not as fast.

I'm going for a booster of aranesp Tuesday. (RBC booster) then my first rad onc appt. I wonder if I will be lost without chemo that day??? You know what I mean? It's been such a routine for the last 4 months.. sigh..

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Paula

Mindy, I hope your blood work looks good.

Paula, Glad you had a great vacation.

Leigh, Yes it is great to be off chemo.

Darlene, Glad to hear you are doing well.

Karen (Kburns) Where are you? I have been thinking of you and wondered how you did with #6 last wednesday...??

Brigitte, SO far Rads is a piece of cake compared to chemo. Although beware of the post chemo depression.

Molly, and Jackie How many more chemos do you have left?

Jeannette have you had #6 yet?

Karen in Denver, I know you have finished # 6. Congrats...hope you will check in now and then and let us know what lies ahead for you?

I am starting to feel like my ol self lately. More energy so far. I have had one herceptin dose last week and get my second one tomorrow. So far I have gone from constipation with TAC to diarrhea with the herceptin. I will go in for rad #4 today.

Good to hear from all. Take care
Marcia

I'm back from the homestead (we call it that because the propoerty was homesteaded by a British gentleman at the turn of the 20th Century (about 1906). Although the original log house is in disrepairs and can't be rehabed we fondly call it the homestead. Sits beside a gentle mountain stream and is way off the beaten path so I can bathe a la Eve without worrying about sightseers. Anyway, all I could do the last few days was sit in a chair and read a book. At least there is not much to distract me there. We had friends join us Sat. nite - they enjoyed the wine and beer and I got to drink diluted lemonade. There is no justice in life!

Have finished #5 and gearing up for the last on Aug 1. Molly, I am a week behind you!
I have gotten the ativan the last couple of times to settle me down. I was beginning to have anticipatory nausea just thinking of the drugs going into my body. So the ativan has been a help.

I am so glad that we have a whole tribe of TACers and been done with TACers cheering each other on. Feels so good, especially when this stuff can be a bear.

So what is this about post-chemo depression? I was hoping for a big party myself.
Jeannette

I still have two more. My next treatment is on the 25th.
Jackie

It's interesting because one of the reasons (I think) is that it's not like we get some kind of diploma or certificate that says "Done - you never have to do THIS again", the way you do when you graduate or get a degree or even finish a course. Medical things are like that - once you have your appendix or your tonsils out, that's it, but for most other things there's no promise of 'never again'. It cuts on the euphoria. And for those of us who are still facing more treatment that requires doctor or hospital visits on a schedule, there's the sense that we are still running the marathon even after we feel like we've completed WAY more than the 26 miles.
I'm doing expectations management on myself - I was really expecting to feel WONDERFUL when I was finished, and that's just not happening. I feel a little better physically each day, but emotionally I'm a bit flat or down. Leigh

Marcia, Paula, Mindy, Leigh and all the other lovely ladies,

Today is day 12 post chemo #6 and finally I am starting to feel decent. Nausea lasted for about one week and sore tummy for 10-11 days - but today I hardly know its there. After my last chemo, all the nurses sang to me, gave me a certificate saying I was done and derserving of hugs and a white silk rose. The nurses at the cancer center are a wonderful, caring group of people. I see the onc on the 27th and think I will bake some cookies to bring to them. I will get a shot of Lupron and go on Arimidex (ir I remember right at this appt with the onc on the 27th) - then I think it is every 3 months that I see him. I am DONE!!!! I survived 3 1/2 months of chemo!!!
Went to the rad onc for mapping today. I go on the 25th for the "dry" run and start rads on the 27th (exactly 3 weeks post chemo). 25 rads for me. I will keep checking in on this site - you ladies are all so wonderful- will also post on the rads July and Aug Nukembookies thread. To all of us who are done - CONGRATS! - to you ladies still going through TAC chemo - it is doable. Thanks for everyones support.

Hi All,
It is offocial, I AM DONE WITH CHEMO!!!! I was a bit nervous and upset this morning because I knew that there is a possibility of being sick again like #5. I even cried to my hubby and told him that I didn't want to go. I went because I knew I had to. I don't mean to sound like a baby. I guess that is just how I delt with it this morning.
Then after treatment was over, I felt so releived to have chemo over with. My mom sent me a planter with pink carnations in it(very pretty) and my sister sent me some beautiful roses and lillies that are amazing. Her card was signed Congrats YOU MADE IT! Once again I cried. My older sister is my best friend.
Marcia, do you go every week or every 3 weeks for your herceptin? I will be going every 3 weeks for a full year! They gave me a finish date of 7/31/2007. But as long as it isn't chemo, I think I can handle it!
For all of those that aren't finished with chemo yet, You will get to cross the finish line also. Like Marcia, Paula and Leigh all said, including myself, We will be here for each one of you.
I am going to go lay down now. Everyone take care and I will post again soon!

HUGS,
Mindy

P.S. Paula, How about them shirts?

I am having another rotten day and just had a meltdown. How do you cope? I am so sick of feeling sick; it's been six days since my fourth TAC and the fatigue is still kicking my butt. I don't think I can do this two more times. Whining, feeling bad for doing so, but cannot help it today. Brigitte

I've mentioned before that the cancer blog on NPR is just amazing; today's entry is really spot on for dealing with the symptoms of treatment, so I'm posting it - hope you don't mind.


As I write this entry for the blog, I feel like... well, you know. I'm back on the chemo and I'm sick. It's a strange sort of "sick," though. It's artificial. When I take the pills, I get sick. When I stop, I get better. That's so different than a normal illness.

Usually, if you get the flu or something, there are things you can do to feel better and to get better. But chemo sickness is different. There's the fatigue that no nap can cure. The nausea that no hot tea can soothe. And the overall blah feeling that even chicken soup can't make go away. There's nothing that can make this better, other than reaching the bottom of this bottle of pills and taking the last ones. Then, for a week, I'm well.

But that doesn't stop you from trying to find something that will help. I try all sorts of different foods. Different things to drink. I nap, 'cause I have to, although like I said, it doesn't bring relief. It's a little frustrating, but it does remind me of a funny story.

Five years ago, the first time I had cancer, I was in the hospital after surgery. I was given an epidural, an injection in my back, and I was numb from the waist down. In my drug haze, I somehow became worried that they had made a mistake and that I was going to be numb forever. But, also fueled by the drugs, I came up with a plan.

If I kept moving my feet, I reasoned -- none too clearly -- that I could work the drugs out of my system. So I lay there in bed, moving my feet back and forth. Of course, since the drugs were being pumped nonstop into my body, my plan was doomed to failure. But that didn't dampen my enthusiasm.

Until one of the nurses came in and saw my feet moving. She looked at me with some concern and asked, "You're doing that on purpose, right?" It made me laugh.

But it was just another one of those things you try to control to try to feel better. It may not work, but you might as well keep trying.

-- Leroy Sievers



-- Leroy Sievers

Thank you everyone, you are all awesome ladies and I feel like such a s%$t for being a whiner. Today is better; the minutes sometimes seem to drag by but the bottom line is we are doing something to save our lives. TAC is hard, no question, but we are throwing everything we can at cancer to beat it.
Yes, let's brainstorm the tee shirt slogan! God knows we have plenty of time to do so! LOL.
Brigitte

Karen,
I am feeling the same thing. With tac 6 approaching in a week, what do I do now to make sure the cancer doesn't come back? I watched a news show yesterday that said even being a little overweight increases your odds of getting cancer. My doctor told me not to worry about losing weight until chemo is over. So now...chemo will be over..I want to do everything I can to avoid chemo again. no excuses. I think I am going to do nutrisystem to get into a healthy weight range and then maybe weight watchers to maintain. Definitely going to be eating more fruits, vegies, whole grains, fish, etc...and staying away from the baked goods. It is definitely going to be a lifestyle change for me. It is too scary NOT to change. I am more motivated than ever.

Don't worry about being a downer. Everyone has a bad day now and then.

Molly

Karen, First let me congratulate you on finishing #6. It is still early and you will feel better I promise. It has been 5 weeks since my #6 and I feel so much better. The chemo fog is lifting. I still have some neruopathy in my hands and mostly feet but I have been told that most of that will go away in a few weeks or months. Radiation is going ok, Having #8 today. Herceptin hasn't given me any side effects. So now on to the future.Yes Karen some of the weight will start coming off too after week 4 and my hair started growing back this week (week 5) Yes I need to lose the chemo weight plus some to feel like I am going to have a better chance of beating cancer. And I guess I will be eating all the organic food I can afford.

If I haven't said it already, I want to thank all of you ladies for being there for me. I didn't have the type of emotional support that I needed at home and this thread has been a godsend for me. You all are great ladies. None of us deserved to get cancer and I hope we can all be life long survivors.
Everyone take care and keep in touch.
Marcia

Brigitte,

You need to take lots of steroids for quite a while before you would get withdrawal. We don't get much - three days' worth at each round. So I am not sure that it is much of an issue for us.

Karen, as for the diet and health living, apart from being sensible there is not much that will prevent cancer for certain. So while I plan on a balanced life style I am not giving up my favorite things (including my favorite foods). Life is too short no matter how long you live.

Lucky Leigh, cruising down the river/bay, while Molly and I are heading to the goal post - #6 in sight.

Jeannette

Shannon you are a ray of sunshine in my day! Thank you for posting and giving me hope that things will get better. And I did read that very thing on this site the other night, that TAC is the strongest weapon around at this point to use against our cancer. In my dark days, I feel like it's using a cannon on a mosquito. But the bottom line is, we all want to live and if we have to live through the chemo first, so be it. I really don't feel that way on the first 7 to 10 post chemo days but today I do; it's day 9 since round 4 and I feel like my old self today. My bald head reminds me that of course I have a ways to go, but I'm grateful for today, for feeling good and being able to laugh (and talk!) with family and all of you wonderful ladies. I don't know what I would do without the support of this link and these boards.
Brigitte