Starting Chemo, November 2013 Group

Jab-

Yes, our English Mastiff is named Paisley and she weighs 190..she is HUGE...and blonde with black mask...she just lays around on her beds in house and loves to be near us...adores all of our daughters and thinks our youngest -15, is her baby and is ultra lovey to her..our daughter lays on her and hugs her and this dog is just the best dog we have EVER encountered...personality plus...

She is well trained as I am a neat freak, and we actually trained her to wait after drinking water until someone comes to wipe her mouth..so we can be anywhere and hear her drinking and we all say, who's got her?  and one of us will go to wipe her mouth as she sits and waits....too cute...she also sits, lays down, stays, shakes, probably was a good idea as she is so large, would be hard if she didn't mind. 

She is 5 years old now and already getting creaky with her joints and all, that is only bad thing...we used to walk a lot and now she even gets a limp after a mile or so...these dogs live to only 7-9 ish...going to be sad..

Phebe38- Sorry for the delayed responds. I don't mean not to respond to people sometimes It is how many post I read back and if I can remember who I'm responding too. Other times I PM people. I have tons of Canadian friends who have gone through this and they are support of me and I am of them. When I got diagnosed I lurked on the forum for three months before I posted. I was afraid to share and afraid of not getting any responses. These women and men on here are great and please forgive if there is delayed. Sometimes you have to remind others too. Expecially, us chemo brain ones.

If your port is under your arm, you might want to get a soft pillow to carry between your arm and arm pit, so there is less friction on it. My port is under my bra strap and it hurt more then the breast surgery and lasted 4 weeks of extraordinary pain. I also had stitches getting caught on my clothing. Some ladies get their port placement in different areas. Yesterday I meet one that was deep in chest area. I guess it depends on the Oncologist recommendations.

My labrador who started out doing human remains (HR) work and now does nose work, know when my port has been access the moment I walk in the door. Cooper's nose goes up in the air and he runs up to me to smell it. He also lays his head just below it. My MFPport (the name I gave it) hurts a day after being access.

Phebe: As a Canadian, I welcome you again!

Now seriously, as I told you before, we ARE listening! I find that people here are a caring bunch who are genuinely concerned about the issues of another human being. Just ask away. Sometimes I don't get a personal response from anyone, but that doesn't mean that nobody cares. I know that when I write a post I am being listened to by a group of wonderful ladies who are going through the same difficulties as me. That makes me feel like I'm not alone.

There is only so much I can lay on my husband or my mom or anyone else on daily basis, but in this forum you can be sure that what you write about people not only read, they also understand and feel what you are going through. Yes, people here can virtually feel you pain.

I had my port or PICC line, as they call it here in Canada, inserted in my upper arm, but on the OUTSIDE.

I specifically asked them to put it there because I was concerned about it constantly rubbing against my body. They told me that they usually place the PICC on the inside, but as long as the vein on the outside is good, they can place it there as well. So they did and it made a big difference to me.

Talking about the PICC line makes me itch. It makes me want to scratch it so BADDDD!!!! It's been itching me for days and driving me CRAZYYYY! It must be the little scab around the incision. I must tell the PICC line nurse tomorrow to clean up the site, so I don't end up tearing it out in a crazy scratch fury.

What's frustrating for me right now is that I have this silly thing on my arm, that's supposed to be there for my chemo, except I DON'T have any chemo scheduled because of my abscess that needs to heal first!

ITCHYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heeeeeeeeeeellllllllllppppppppp!!!!!!!

Those of you who have posted pics of your dogs - a they are so beautiful! How do you upload pics to your posts?

Phoebe - I am sorry you got the impression you did. We are all glad to have you here. What chemo drugs are you getting? We are all here for one reason and I have read posts on this site from women all over the world. Often I don't address people personally because I can't remember who said what and I am not tech savvy enough to master the split screen.

As far as back pain, I usually get it the second week as well. It is not as bad as some of you have experienced. I am taking Claritin every day, not just the days before and after the neulasta shot. Unfortunately for me, it is not helping the sinus headache. I have had this headache since my first infusion and although it is mild, it is wearing on me. I may take an over the counter sinus decongestant later. It seems worse at night.

Lisa, sorry to hear you are so worn out.

Inks, I will be up your way tomorrow to pick up my daughter from college. Do you have any idea of the weather up there tomorrow? I am not looking forward to 8 hours on the New York State thruway, but it will give me some time with my daughter. She really needs to know I am ok even though my hair is gone. She is my sensitive girl.

Bec, you are so lucky you are done with AC. Congratulations! I am only going on Friday If I feel ok. My daughter can drive if I get tired. I just need to get out of the house.

I have felt like I've had my "invisibility cloak" on here, and so I just read up on all the posts......but I am super hyper sensitive lolllll. (I no longer feel slighted lol....but like Phebe was just trying to connect).

With that being said, this is a SUPER active board with tons of daily posts (which is beyond awesome) so I know it's impossible to mention every single person in a post.....and I CERTAINLY am incapable of doing that....... and I don't even try. Love the pics people are posting though...they are fabulous

I had chemo 2 Monday and my worst SE is exhaustion tho I am forcing myself to go out every day to Xmas shop. I do have a bad headache again and the achy body (feel like I have the flu from the Neulasta shot).

Thank you all for sharing your experiences as I have gotten some great pointers on how to deal with my SE's- though feeling very grateful that I have not had any "blimps" in my road so far (knocking on my head now).

I LOVE your dogs ladies. (I have no children, only my boy, Teddy - I am a bit dog nutty) The newfs are very pretty - A bit smaller than some you see around here, very beautiful. The Masfiff, Paisley looks very smart - your daughter (who also looks smart...and is very pretty) loves that dog...

As for the hair color, it is true mine is the same color as my dogs, but his is natural. If only I were half as cute as my dog.

Amazonwarrior - I am on FEC-D too, day 15 of first round. I'm in the crazy chair next Thursday. With respect to the itchy - I too am ready to tear my skin off. I started using the Eucerin recommended by (sorry I don't know who now...). It works to a degree. My next step is Claritin

Ellen - I talked to my pharmacist this morning - Just ask where you get your Neulasta from and they should give you a sharps container free. You can take it back to the pharmacy or the hospital.

Bec - Congrats on your AC completion! Bet you glad to have that in the rear view mirror.

smlvr -You can post a picture by clicking on the picture icon just above your text box - It's pretty straight forward after that.

ViriginiaNJ - Glad to know your doing OK - No blimps. Keep us posted on how things are going - No need to respond to others posts if you don't feel like it.

Going to nap now with the hope that positive energy will be sent to my hair follicles....

JAB

Phebe- Sorry you were feeling that no one was here for you.  Like everyone of these wonderful gals here has told you, they are very much here and support each other.  Each one of them does have a life that is beyond this discussion forum and are dealing ongoing physical and emotional situations.  That is not to say that what you are going through isn't equally as important; just have to remember that those who are here are in the same boat too..... trying to get through chemoland as best they can and trying to heal from surgeries, chemo and its side effects, family situations, etc.  It is sometimes hard to post and respond to everyone's post especially when life seems to be in a blur and one's brain is filled and overwhelmed with so much.  Please take a deep breath and keep coming back here.   I am very glad and thankful that so many responded to your plea to be heard and have been so very frank and honest and said that many times, they just come here to read and feel the support that is here.  I am one of the people here that finished chemo in August 2012 and am here to give support.  I do read what is posted here and still see the support, brightness and humor that sustains many.  I only respond when I think I need to give support/help and do not intrude on the dynamics of this group.  Again, if you have questions or need to vent, please post.  Wishing you the best and an easy time through chemoland.

Love all the large dogs. We used to have a 100lb.female tri-color collie. No kidding, 100lbs and she was not overweight. Hubby got for me as a birthday present one year and he swore he father was a Shetland pony. Also had a large lab/chow mix. I love big dogs but somehow we've wound up with 3 small ones now. The largest is a 30lb mostly beagle mx, a beagle/dauchshund mix that we call 'Crackbaby' because he's so hyper my niece swears his momma must have been on crack, and a 10-11 year old boston mix that someone threw over the fence at our local Humane Society last Christmas. I swear I hate some people. Dogs are not disposable. I do try to take a little comfort in the thought that at least they put him over the fence and didn't just turn him out in the street. But still.

Memory loss my be my biggest issue so far. Last night we went to the grocery store. I was having trouble seeing the shelf labels so I thought my glasses light be dirty. Reaching for them to clean them, I discovered I didn't even have them on!! How do you leave the house without your glasses?

About the needles. When I had to give one of our dogs shots for awhile, I would take a pair of pliers and break the sharp off, then wrap it in several layers of newspaper and toss it in the trash. That way it couldn't be reused by anyone, and it couldn't poke anyone. It's not like you have to throw away several of them everyday or anything.

I think my dear, sweet, hubby brought home a cold for me. He's been feeling bad and now my sinuses are stopped up and my chest and throat are starting to hurt. If it gets any worse, or not better by tomorrow I'll call the MO's office. I don't want Monday's treatment to be postponed by a cold.

inks...tooooo cute!  Look at that face!  I love pugs...I love nearly all dogs!

My Havanese, Ernie is a TUB and weighs in at 20 lbs!  In the photos above, he is just a baby...about 4-5 months old.  But he has grown!

I got nuthin' - no kids, no pets, no plants....nothing living here except maybe a dust bunny and an occasional spider

Elle, That's hilarious

LOVE LOVE LOVE the animal pictures!!!!

Tonilee - I am so sorry to hear about the loss of you pup recently. I lost my female Wheaton Terrier last Christmas and thought I would die - That's when Teddy joined our family. He is a Sheba Inu. Not an easy breed, he trains you, you dont train him, and he MUST be exercised or he gets a bit pissy (meaning he eats stuff he knows he shouldnt. I discourage this breed to anyone who does not know the spitz personality. They are also generically closest to a wolf you can get so again, not an easy breed - anyway - I adore him and he seems to think the sun shines out of my bum!

INKS - Love your pug (right?). He might be small, but I bet he is mighty! My Sheba is scared of pugs. He'll bark at at Mastiff but he runs from pugs. We are getting a Nor'Easter this weekend - Lots of snow - Likely the same weather from as NY. Yippie, (sarcasm...)

Wallymama - Good for you adopting your dogs from the humane society. I would like another (not sure Teddy will go for it,,,) and would like to go that route next. It will have to wait until I am back to my new normal. I here you on the memory loss Wallymama. On Sunday I was at my parents (my dad just had surgery, skin cancer on his head) and we had to laugh at our join inability to remeber anything.

Melrose - Very nice thoughts

Good night ladies - I hope you all sleep well

And this is my Northwinds Denali, or Nali. She loves to go camping with us on our trail rides and adores the water. The kids take her swimming and she goes to a kids day camp as a therapy dog.