September 2013 Chemo Group

just jumping in to cheer everyone on! I love all the wonderful pics!!

Yes that was what my MO said, I think some one else here was wondering.

Thank you everyone for the beautiful comments!! I am over the moon right now! I had an appointment with the head radiologist and he and his colleagues decided I am not a good candidate for rads, clean margins at surgery, tumour size, lymph involvement and my age (32)....I was really excited about that!! My port removal will be Thursday December 12!!! I am seeing the light coming up at the end of the tunnel!! I still have two more surgeries to go , but I know I can do it! I really want to thank all of you wonderful ladies, you have no idea how much you have helped me through this journey!! You are the best!!!!

Peacock- you got this girlfriend!!! God luck and kick cancers butt!!!!!!

hockeymom, great family picture, and hooray for no rads!

Knightzoo,

Congrats!!

When/if my kids ask that tough question, "When will it come back?", my answer will be simply the truth... "I don't know that it will come back, but whether it does or doesn't, I'll be living happily with every bonus minute I get to enjoy being your mom. I won't be living in fear that it might come back because I'll be too busy enjoying life with you."   ;-)

Our kids are going to worry.  They also feed off of our tempo and attitude.  My attitude is that the great game of life is good and none of us know how much playing time we will get.  So play large until our Heavenly Coach pulls you out!

Audra - I can't get my shot until Monday either. The chemo nurse yesterday said it was fine.

As for the "when will it be gone and when will it come back" question...

I was actually very excited and happy for my surgery, because I knew it would rid me of the cancer, and I presented it to the kids that way too...I didn't fear the surgery, so they didn't either...we all counted down to cancer free day and were happy. When my surgery was finished, I told my kids that I was officially cancer free, and the other treatments were extra insurance on top. I told them nothing is ever 100% sure, but if it comes back, we will do the same thing we do this time... treat it. From the beginning, I never presented it as something horrific. I simply said that there's cancer in my breast. They will take it out. They will give me chemo (medicines) which will make my hair fall out since it kills lots of fast growing cells. That medicine will make me feel crummy sometimes, but it is the medicine, not the cancer making me feel that way. Once the medicine is done, I will feel better. Even when I was in the hospital, we explained that it was the medicine that did that to my blood counts, not the cancer. I was laid back about it, and therefore, they have been too. We have tried to have fun where we can...throwing a party for head shaving, etc. They are helping to plan the "we kicked cancer's ass" bash this spring as well (which you are all welcome to road trip out for, by the way).

Those getting chemo first, then I'd just say that chemo is killing all of the cancer cells, and the surgery is to make sure that all of them are gone, with some extra good cells taken out just to be sure. Give them small tasks they can do to help you afterwards, because it does empower them to know they are helping you to heal (otherwise it is easy for them to feel helpless when you are in pain, etc).

Knightzoo, hope the first AC goes well with minimal side effects. Great, great news on the MRI!!!!!

OH mY! I am freezing at 30s here in Texas and have turned up the heat! Have my trusty blankey on now...and sweats and almost bald head...:)

Was going to try to not use Zofran and see but stomach is starting the - I don't want water in my or anything trick...and I know I HAVE to drink...You would think the Ativan, Phenergan and Amend and all in my IV would help???

Just feel a little dizzy and off today at day 2..enjoying that is it!

Did I mention it SNOWED!!! Freezing and pretty out~ especially to look outside from warm and toasty inside!

happy day sisters!

HockeyMommy

congrats! you give the rest of us hope, we know there is light at the end of this long tunnel! And your light is shining brightly!

VintageGal

knight zoo - congrats on the MRI exceeding your expectations. Always something to celebrate! And no rads. We need to take all celebrations we can. While rads isn't anything compared to chemo it is still a daily apt for 7 weeks and some less than fun side effects so hurray!

Baby ruth - that video idea would be awesome!!! where do they get these ideas? You never know you could be the very next video to go viral. Lol! Good luck with the tattoos. A friend of mine is super happy with hers.

Well this is day 2 after # 2 chemo. slept til 1000!!! Up at 4 to bathroom and I took a Phenergan and Ativan to prevent nausea...I feel quite good, I remember not feeling truly weak or ill til day 5-7, getting neulasta on Monday so maybe that will help the dip that should come next week.

Maybe learning to manage the side effects better? Hoping that is the case...

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. We've been "iced" in for two days.... got a lot of sleet and freezing rain Thursday night and Friday and the temperature has been hovering in the teens, so everything is frozen. No school for the kids yesterday, no Neulasta shot for me either. I'll have to go Monday to get it. I'm assuming it's the combination of Neulasta & Taxol that causes me the pain, because usually I'm feeling it by now. So far I feel ok, which means starting Monday night or Tuesday I'll probably be miserable.



We decorated our Christmas tree today. It looks so pretty, but I was winded by the time we finished. It's crazy how little stamina I have, even when I'm feeling good! We braved the roads in Hubby's 4WD truck today to get something to eat - we were all suffering from a little cabin fever. Now I'm on the couch under a blanket getting ready to do some more online Christmas shopping. :-)

Good to know on Claritin bid!!! I started it chemo day hoping to get neulasta the next day...and like Lighthouse...we are iced in!

Hoping they are open Monday to get the shot...and hoping it does miracles for my wbcounts...and helps me function during week 2

I will still take it daily til shot day!

Glad you are all feeling well!

Hello Ladies: Thought I would check up on how you are managing with your chemo, from the pages I read you ladies sound really good, managing SE's and sound upbeat. That's awesome.

Couraglicious: Saw you had your baby back in October, congratulations.

I am two weeks post op for BMX with TE's and am healing well. My hair is about 1/4 " long and very grey. Another thing that happened after chemo ended was my nails fell off, 8 of them in total but it wasn't too bad they grew out as the new nail grew underneath, I would clip the dead part off and bandage them up so I wouldn't snag them on something and rip them off. While on chemo my nail bed turned pink and was sore, I think that was the sign that they would eventually fall off.

I also wanted to thank those of you who know me, for the support while I was going through this with all of you, although I am mostly on Recovery Threads now, I do check in once and a while. You were a very important part of a very big and scary part of my life and I will forever be grateful to each of you.

For those of you I know and those I didn't have the pleasure of meeting:

Keep fighting like Girls and kick this cancers Ass!!!!

Mamastewart, You deserve every single bit of all the wonderful things that have happened to you. Take care and enjoy it with your family. Wonderful test scores-I really don't know how you achieved that with the process of chemo, but it looks like nothing can get in your way ever again. Well done!!!