September 2013 Chemo Group

I don't love my MO either, but I do feel he's very qualified and makes decisions in my best interest.  He's willing to talk things over with me (and talk, and talk, and talk....) and work with my surgeons in Dallas, so I can't complain too much.  I wish I "meshed" better with him, but I don't really have a reason to shop around.  

Oy. Not gonna freak out, not gonna freak out, not gonna freak out! Thank you guys for your input. I am going to call now and see if my PCP's office can recommend someone new. 

They will also consider stopping your Herceptin if your heart weakens.  But, stopping it just because you are having surgery sounds like the doctor is confused.

strength to my sept sistas doing surgery and finishing chemo! I just got back from Texas having spent the weekend with my dear friend who's husband died on thanksgiving. Was good to spend time with her...she was not doing well ( booze and Xanax) and by the end of 4 days we were laughing and she was much more herself..I even got her to eat real food as she was living on Gatorade and ensure for the last 6 weeks (yikes) ...lots of pajama time and watching ancient aliens together!

I had my rads simulation today and everything was good so they turned the zap on! 1 of 33 rads done. I Have a standing 840am appointment for the next 6 ish weeks...The hair on my head is growing like crazy, albeit white and silver but my eye lashes are 100% gone and brows not far behind. Miss them soooooo much. LHL so good to hear yours are coming back, I'm always 2 weeks behind you with everything

Still have buzzing in my left leg/foot from lingering taxol neuropathy and left arm has been buzzy last few days...in better news I actually RAN intervals on the treadmill today. They were slow but I broke a hella sweat...good to be getting back to my more normal activities ..onward and upward!

I do know that people have to go off of the Herceptin for different things, but ideally you wouldn't have to stop it. I am better today, I was just panicking about the whole situation. My MO is brand new; he has only been practicing since July, so he is bound to make mistakes, I guess maybe? I don't know...I don't want him making mistakes with me though lol. Am I over-reacting about this? I have a tendency to do that (if you can believe that lol) I called my PCP and left a message about her recommending someone else but I haven't heard back. 

I feel okay about tomorrow. I was freaking out, trying to get so much done, but I think I finally got enough done. I even managed to sneak in some time for myself today. I got to meet an amazing group of people and brought some homeless folks some cookies. I can't want to be feeling better after this surgery and get back out there. They meet 3 days a week so hopefully I can get out there at least once a week. It is nice to make new friends too. I wore my wig and got lots of compliments on it. I love the blue hair!  I have been wanting to start doing some kind of volunteer work for so very long but I never could because I was was limited with the kids. This year I have all three in school for the first time and, well, we all know what happened in August to derail those plans. So glad to have the chemo part behind me anyway. 

Thank you LHL! I am officially on NPO as of 1 minute ago so I think I will try to get some sleep now lol. If I sit for too long I fall asleep anyway, I have barely slept the last few days. It is time. Thank you so much for your reports on how you are doing. It is good to see how the recovery process is in real time even though everyone is different. I am glad you seem to be doing well with it.

Glad you are getting your strength back Peacock! I wish I was. I brought my stationary bike up from the basement into my bedroom. That was a workout enough lol. My muscles are so very very weak, and I am ready for another few doses of steroids, but I have to wait until a ways out from surgery (at least my MO says so lol) I can't squat down and stairs really suck again. Taxotere was just brutal on my muscles. Glad your friend is doing better too. So good of you to be there for her. 

If I am not back on here again before then good luck KJ! I will be thinking of you!

Good luck mamastewart!

Peacock Girl, congrats on starting the rads.  That's my next stop too on this journey, and what a long strange trip it's been...

SpecialK, thanks for the wisdom and good advice.

KJ, only 4 days to the game....

Congratulations Audra you are almost there.

Kj and mommasteward best wishes on your surgeries.

Peacockgirl--you are a great friend. I hope your friend is doing better.

I started rads going for my second one today. Just wanted to say that this has been really hard on me. All of you have helped make it easier. I love you all and hope we still keep in touch.I know I'll keep popping in this thread. I do have a phone and Facebook, my e mail is alfranco1@live.com. xoxo

Mamstewart - I think the most important medical person is your onc as they will be following you for the next 5 years.  I think this site is wonderful and I have learned so much from all of you (and your docs)!  But you still need an onc you trust.  I am not sure if it is an issue of youth/experience though.  Sometimes the older oncs are stuck in their ways and unwilling to listen to new ideas.  But it seems like this is more than that and I think if nothing else a second opinion might be a good way to look at this.  See what someone else says especially about the Herceptrin and go from there.  With us 30-somethings and generally dense breast tissue, screening correctly is huge.  My onc is still researching exactly what he wants me to do - mammo/MRI combo every 6 months it looks like but he is still looking into it and always lets me know when he thinks things are not worth it or a new study is coming out and we will see what that says (ie 5 or 10 years on Tamox).  Anyway, my heart goes out to you - there is so much going on and just when you think you knocked down a target something else bowls you over.  Get a second opinion - maybe you switch maybe you don't but it's not like one more doc apt will be too much...those were the days when one mattered But so happy you got out there and did something good for your soul.  We forget how much we need it but once we do it - it enlivens us and gives strength.  And what an amazing thing to do just after chemo.  I bet you inspired some people - for real (I can just imagine the dinner table conversations about this lady with blue hair and BC who just finished chemo and instead of a million other things, she bakes and feeds the less fortunate).  Great life lesson -  think we all realize how important providing help and strength to other people are to our recovery (thanks Special K). 

Rads is over for me - last one was Friday.  My skin was pretty beat up and the nurses warned me it would get worse before it got better but actually I looked last night and I am healing fast!  I think I may actually go for a run this weekend (wasn't going to start back up until February).  But I am so pleasantly surprised.  Either way the 33 daily treatments seemed so insurmountable at the beginning after all the chemo and I was just so done with seeing doctors.  But it did go by fast and even with DD breasts, my skin came through ok.  I didn't use anything until the end but the Emu Oil has been amazing for recovery!  A little more expensive but I only needed a small amount. Alfranco - you'll get through it - one daily apt at a time. 

KJ - sending you strength and wishes for an easy and quick surgery!  I believe there will be football players this weekend in worse shape than you!

And I agree that we all need to keep in touch.  I have no facebook account - I know I know...haha.  I know that I will keep observing this thread and I hope we all can continue talking about our cancer journey and lives as we transition.  You all have been such a source of strength and support.  My email is jsgoldin@hotmail.com

And just FYI - the magazine CURE is free for us.  And their Fall 2013 issue had a really hopeful article for triple negative cancer (and I know one of the women profiled!). 

kjsimpson, wishing and hoping all goes well tommorrow.  Who cares anout those boobies, get that cancer out we will deal with the rest later one  day at a time okkkkkk. Hugs from me

Audra, way to go last chemo i will do a happy dance for you tommorrow that is if my legs can do it lol, had my #7 taxol today and the legs are heavy and tired so maybe i will just roll around the floor for you.  LOL!,,,,,,ok must be the decadron i received today talking weird.............

Lhl so glad you are doing better god shat a trip eh! 

Take care everyone! 

Cheryl 

josgirl - congrats on the rads finish - and for the good skin report! 

KJ and hockey - will be thinking of you tomorrow and know we are all in your pocket. 

audra - yay for the last chemo!

mamastewart - hope you are doing well!

alfranco - soon rads will be in your rearview mirror - just plow through.

For everyone else - keep on keeping on, right?

KJ and Hockymom, wishing you the best with your surgery.  I'm in your pocket along with everyone else here.

The last two days have been long and hard for me.  I had my last AC chemo on Tuesday.  That's the good news.  I spent the night in Nashville that night because I had appointments the next day for ultrasound, mamo, breast surgeon and plastic surgeon.  The ulrasound showed that I still have a bit of cancer left.  14mm.  I was really upset because with triple negative, there are no long-term treatments.  If the initial chemo doesn't get all the cancer, the prognosis is much poorer.  It's still possible that the last AC infusion will get that last bit of cancer and that I will have a pCR at the time of surgery.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.   It was a really long two days in Nashville.  We finially got home last night around 7 pm just in time for me to give myself my last Neulasta shot.  I crawled into bed after that and was asleep in about 3 seconds.  

It's one am now, and of course, I'm wide awake!

I know I have at least a week of feeling like crap from the AC before I start to really get on the mend.  I have had a bit of a setback with the ultrasound results, but all it not lost.   No matter what happens, I don't want to sit around moping.  I've wasted too much time doing that already.  Whatever happens, I want to make the most of the next few years.

Lighthouse, thank you for understanding how I feel with the test results yesterday.  I know you know the feeling with your pathology results.  All is not lost for either one of us.  We do have more tools in our arsenal.  It just takes me a little time to regroup and adjust to  my latest reality.  I know I don't want to waste a lot of time on the pity pot.  Been there, done that .....got the tee-shirt.  Didn't really care for the shirt!

Today, I know I want to move on...there is a lot of good happening.  The last of the chemo will be killin off those cells, my body will be healing and getting stronger each day in preparation for surgery and radiation.  There is still a lot of butt-kicking cancer to be done!

KJ-HockeyMom....we are in your pockets!

MammaSteward, hope things are going okay.

hope everyone is doing well. Nat finished her last chemo Tuesday. Of course her tooth began bothering her on Sunday. She went to the dentist today and she needs a root canal.

Waiting to hear back from onc as to what to do and when to do it.

HVV How is I miss you were in surgery today too??? I'm glad your doing OK. Rest well! {Hugs}