August 2013 Surgeries

Lisa, It looks like you have 3 AC done. That means in less than 2 weeks, those AC infusions will be in the rear view mirror. I know the side effects will linger for longer, but glad that the end to that part is in sight for you. I am glad that your MO has a plan for you, and I hope the ginger helps.

Wrenn, I had to take steroids the day before, the day of, and the day after chemo. That is the standard with TC. It is to help prevent swelling, among other things. It does make it hard to sleep though, so hopefully the ativan will help. Tomorrow night, you will be done with 1/4 of your infusions.

Babs, great news about your infection clearing up. I am so glad to hear that.

Poodlemum, I jope they can get your wounds under control. That sounds scary.

Jo, I agree about the incredible support here. I do not know how I would have gotten through this with out everyone here.

I was planning on 6TC because my gut feeling was that my oncotype was going to be high. It actually came back low, so when I showed up for my 4th TC, my MO said that 5 and 6 would give me no additional benefit, but would certainly do more harm. So Friday was my last chemo. I felt great Friday and Saturday. I even felt good this morning. Right now, I feel like I have a horrible case of the flu...typical day 4 for me...just came earlier. The neulasta is making me sore too. I have not taken anything yet, but will take some Advil before bed, which will help.

We're in your pockets tomorrow, Wrenn. You've got this!

Thanks everyone for your encouragement. This thing sure does kick you in the butt, no matter what journey we all take during recovery, eh?

KBee - Congrats on your finale :-)

Wrenn - I'll be there at your side tomorrow in thought, you'll be okay.

Babs - Glad to hear you get to sit this holiday out - we had our Thanksgiving last month and it felt strange not doing anything to help - at least you'll get to contribute by cleaning the kitchen, eh? LOL That will be wonderful for you to visit with your daughter on Sunday.

Lisa - keep your chin up girl, you're doing great!

Everyone is in my thoughts and prayers.

KBeee, Wonderful news! So happy for you. Hope you feel better soon so you can celebrate. This will be a Thanksgiving to remember.

Wrenn, Will be thinking of you tomorrow.

Babs, I will be enjoying Thanksgiving with four out of five of our kids and nine out of ten of our grand kids. I will be giving thanks for 4 days away from rads. Had to go in today but it was worth knowing I get a long break. We usually stay with one of our kids but not this year because I want to be able to rest. Had number 21 of 33 treatments today and the fatigue is getting to me.

Hope everyone has a good week.

Jojo-I also had 33 rads- although it's easier than chemo, it is soooooo very tiring-especially after undergoing chemo when you're already so very tired. Plus, going every day is exhausting! Just think you're almost at the 2/3 mark!!! YES!

Lucky you, spending Thanksgiving with your family. We spend it with our closest friends and their family each year. My son and his family go to his wife's family for Thanksgiving and my daughter is usually out of the country. Our friends are the family we chose.

Babs

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Jojo-still lucky that the boys came around this year. My having cancer didn't make a dent with my son last year. For most of my journey he showed up for a minute and then his wife "snapped him out of it" and he was MIA. But you're right-my daughter has been amazing! Thank god I have her!

Babs

KBeee - GREAT NEWS - you are done!!!!!!  And yes, in less than 2 weeks my A/C will be done (Thank God!)!

Wrenn - we're all here for you; you go get your treatment today and give us a holler if you feel up to it and let us know how things went.

Jo - your schedule sounds brutal!  Knowing the fatigue that comes with our treatments but then having to have rads so often, I don't know how you do it!

Thanksgiving here is going to be very unconventional.  I simply have no appetite for the week after chemo and for some reason I'm dealing with much more nausea than my past 2 treatments - could be the Gingeng they told me to take (I'll have to look into that).  Anyway, no big Turkey dinner for us!  I won't have the energy to cook, DH does not cook, and some friends were trying to cater in a dinner for us but my DH stopped them letting them know it would be wasteful since I'm not up to eating with as poorly as I feel.  So we opted to do hor d'vouers this year.  Yep, all those little munchies we have before dinner that seem to be made only at the holidays - that will be our Thanksgiving "meal".  Decided on twice baked potatoes, spinach dip w/marble rye, veggies and dill dip, and quacomole and chips and apple pie.  I can see plenty of calories in most all the items and that's what I'm after - AND....DH can prepare all the fixings!  What a deal (of course I'll help; he's never made any of these things in his life but we'll manage thru it).  Our daughter cannot get home for the holiday and I don't want any friends or extended family around when I feel so poorly - I get cranky so I prefer to just be around my DH.  So....a big change from any other Thanksgiving, but this year brought many big changes that just need to be dealt with as best as possible. 

Moving onto Taxol on Dec 19th and hoping I tolerate that much better than A/C.  If so, we will do our annual big Thanksgiving/Christmas Turkey dinner with all the fixings then.  We will have to wait and see.....but I'm hoping it works out that way.

Hoping each and every one of you (and those of you out there reading but not always being able to post) have a very Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving holiday.  We all made it this far so we have much to be thankful for this year.  I, for one, count all of you among my blessings for without you, I would have been lost.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Lisa

wrenn. How did you do today!

So glad it went well, Wrenn.  The steroids do keep you awake but that's just something you'll work thru w/your MO.  We don't know how chemo will affect us as an individual....we have to go thru it to find out.  Did they suggest you take a sleeping pill when you take the dex before your next chemo?

So nice you had a visit from someone at the forum - it's a small world!

If your infusion nurse did not prepare and print you out a calendar showing dates and times to take which meds, perhaps you can ask her to do that next time or when you feel up to it, prepare one for yourself.  My infusion nurse prepared one for me after my first chemo and it was MOST helpful.  Showed me morning/noon/night and dates in calendar form w/the name of the medications listed w/time/date I needed to take.  Really, really helpful!!!

Let us know how you are doing today and in the days to come. 

Wrenn - my next treatment is 12/5; that will be my last A/C treatment.  Then I begin Taxol on 12/19 every 2 weeks thru 1/30/2014.

Not feeling well.  I've had a lot of nausea w/this last chemo but did not contact MO.  I know Compazine does not work, Zofran brings on worse killer headaches, so lorazepam is what I can use.  Of course, I know they would suggest I come in for iv's but don't want to be bothered with it.  that would require my DH to take more time off work to get me there and quite frankly when I feel so pissy I don't want to be around anybody (and who knows if it would even make me feel any better?).  Then the Big D hit last night (always seems to hit me right after I go to bed when I feel so terrible) and had me up all but 2 hours last night....so i'm quite miserable right now but should turn a corner soon (sleep would help bring that about but I took a lorazepam a couple hours ago and it's not doing anything.  so i'm exhausted and pissy and in no mood to be around decent folks.  And i'm really depressed about feeling so terrible with the holiday's upon us.....

if you have any questions about the Zofran, call your infusion nurse to get it straightened out.  there may have been a misunderstanding and best to get that settled asap.

hope you continue feeling well, Wrenn.  It's what I hoped and prayed for you; you've been thru so much already it's only fitting your chemo should go smoothly!

Lisa, I hope they can get your nausea under better control. Have you asked about Emend? I know it is very expensive, but one friend from home here that went through your regimen said it was the only thing that finally worked for her. It has a different mechanism of action that all of the others. You deserve relief. You also deserve to have an easy time on Taxol, so I hope that one is easier for you.

Wrenn, i hope you get some sleep! I am so glad to hear you are sill doing well.

I ended up having to go to ER last night because I ran a temp...again. It is annoying because they could have drawn my labs earlier in the day before my temp got quite so high, and they chose not to. At any rate, the ER of course did all of their tests. The x-ray tech, bless her heart, had never seen tissue expanders. I wish I could have video taped her asking questions about what was in my chest, and trying to figure them out, if they were removable, etc. It was comical, and pretty entertaining, to be honest! Luckily between the Neulasta and the steroids, my counts were high, so I got to come home. It has taken them 4 rounds, but i think my Mo finally believes me when I tell him that I run a fever from days 3-10 after chemo. The prior response was, "well, no that does not happen."

Lisa. The taxol will be much easier to take! Just keep thinking 1 and done ( for the AC )

Wrenn. So glad your opening is closing! That's great progress

Kbee so glad you didn't have to stay in the hospital this time.

And to everyone. A Happy Thanksgiving!

Babs

Babs, it is always something but you seem to have more than anyone should have to deal with. Sorry to hear but glad you went to the doctor. Will you have the expanders put back in at a later date or has this messed up that possibility for you? Take care, thinking of you and keeping you on my prayer list.

I doubt that will have another expander put in in the future. When I went this route, I knew that this could happen and decided to give it a try anyway. If it didn't work, then I would move on being a uni-boober. I just want to go forward. I need to remember that I survived BC and to be happy about that , and if it's with one breast so be it!

Babs - I've been thinking of you all day and hoping the surgery went well. When you're feeling up to it, please give us an update.

You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers; wishing you a speedy recovery so you need not be held hostage by the hospital this time around.

Lisa

My surgery is already done. Lots of pain on my left side. They didn't see any signs of infection on the TE when they took it out but they're doing cultures which won't be ready for at least 72 hours. Wow this one hurts more than I thought it would!