Starting Chemo in December 2013

I can't remember the exact article I was reading.  It was a study on pubmed that I came across while searching for something else & now I can't find it again.  But I did find this good summary article.  We have eaten broccoli every dinner since.  LOL.  I am going to turn green, I think.  

Broccoli & Breast Cancer & Taxol. foodforbreastcancer.com/foods/broccoli

Edited to add this link...not the exact article I read, but along the same lines (cannot find the article...bugging me)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21151478/?i=3&from=paclitaxel broccoli

i tell myself those survival rates are old stats.  Even if they did a study last year, those results wouldn't be out for four more years.  And, i like to think that "survival" means no reoccurance.  That they don't count if anyone needed chemo before that  5 years.  Doesn't mean you know;).  My girls are 9, 5 and 1 (14 mths).  I will fight to be here as a grandmother too!

My favourite story is from a friend.  He was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer.  Docs gave him a 15% chance of survival past 1 year.  It took him several months to process this, even going into a depression.  Then one day he snapped out of the depression, determined that he would be one of the 15%.  He has been cancer free for 8 years now.  This is a true story of a personal friend. 

The mind is powerful!  Statistics are just statistics.  I too WILL be one of the success stories!  5, 10, 15, 20 and more years.  This will not beat me!  Be a success with me!!

JackJeak,  I am right there with you.  I am on a rampage against the pink ribbon.  It didn't bother me at first but now it makes me cringe and then blow up with rage .  My friends and I are walking the Avon Breast Cancer walk in DC, two weeks after I finish chemo, so they may be pushing me in a wheel chair for part of it.  Anyway, we are wearing my favorite color, green, there will not be one shred of pink on my body.  We will stand out like sore thumbs in a sea of pink, but that will make me happy

I hate pink ribbhons too.  I had Taxol #2 yesterday and it went well.  They cut the steroids and bendryl in half and I don't seem to have much of a headache and got some sleep last night.  It wasn't until 1:00, but I'll take it.  I have been using my home made ice packs with fleece covers to wrap my hands and feet during infusion.  Everyone looks at me like I'm a little crazy because no one else is doing it.  My MO just laughs at me.  She came in the infusion room yesterday and I showed them to her and said that everyone would be doing this soon.  And she laughed and said "You're going to make so much money selling those."  I look at it like this.  If it's not going to hurt, but might help why not do it.  Knock on wood, I don't have pain or pins and needles anywhere.  I have also always chewed on ice chips during infusions (Even with a/c) and I have only had a couple mouth blisters.  Kimmie, my eye lashes are thinned, but my eyebrows are just sad.  Very sparse and patchy I almost want to shave those to just because I hate seeing them go.  I took a whirlpool tub bath when I dot home yesterday to sweat out the toxins and I think it helped.  Have a good day everyone.

I did get a tattoo when I was diagnosed, doesn't involve a pink ribbon will post a pic shortly...

Here are a couple pictures of my home made ice packs.  The ice packs are 1 and a half cups rubbing alcohol and 3 cups water.  Double bag a gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  I bought enough fleece to make pouches that the ice packs just slide in. I left enough fleece on the lip so the ice pack wouldn't touch my skin. Then I wrap my hands and feet and secure with safety pins.  I initially made 1 ice pack for a foot injury so I already had one.  I hope this helps:)

Jackieak - Well that's one way of keeping people from borrowing your car, put "One boob" on your license plate.  

DJJ - Do you have a team name?   Last Oct. for the Am. Cancer Society walk,  we wore black t-shirts with a white outline of a buck.... we were team "Save the racks."  My daughter and daughter-in-law designed the shirts, we had a lot of guys walking... The girls did have a pink ribbon hanging off of the antler.  They knew at that time that I am not a pink ribbon girl... but they threw it in anyway.   I have a funny family.  I got a lot of laughs just listening to their team name ideas.

My eyebrows are getting pretty thin, my eyelashes were sad to begin with and have no curl to them.  Even with mascara they won't curl.  Going to a friend's 50 Bday party Sat., hoping they hang on.

Kimie & Mikesgirl - Hope you have an easy time with this round.

Kim

i am on the fence with pink!  I hate it sometimes, but wear a underarmour shirt that saying "quitting is not an option".  It fits my fight.   I do not want to walk away and forget.  I am still pissed.  I plan on being that constant reminder to all my friends and family to go every year and get checked.  Since i go dx, i have had over 20 people go get checked.  So, if i have to keep some pink to remind them- I will!  I do not want anyone to have to go through this.  If they get it, maybe i can help them catch it early.  Many of you caught it early, i did not.  Hopefully, i can wesr pink and never have to fight for the pink ribbon ever ever again.  This is my prayers for all of us!  Never forget- but never again!!!!!!

Kimie, I love the tattoo.  I never wanted a tattoo but now I want one.  I'm desiging it now.  It's going to be Boudicca the Warrior Queen that fought back the Romans.  It's going to be BIG under my left arm and her sword is going to be raised above her head and cover my lumpectomy scar, guarding it from reoccurance and there will be NO pink in it. 

My eyelashes are gone.  I think each eye has about five left on top in the corner, none on the bottom.  I have become an expert with eyeliner and I save the fake eyelashes for nights out.  Each eyebrow, which are thick to begin with, have one thin spot that I fill in and you can't even tell.  But I'm still losing one here and there.  I've tried to make a deal with my body.  "Go ahead and take my eyebrows, but give me my nose hairs back."  It didn't work, I would give up the eyebrows if the nose would stop dripping. 

Babyduck,  I started chemo Dec 6 and haven't missed a day of work, except for doc appts. and chemo.  My MO is all for me having a normal life.  I just am careful and stay away from sick people, wash my hands a lot, hand sanitize and I don't touch door handles. I have a desk job so when I don't feel well it's no biggie for me since I sit all day.  My co-workers are careful around me especially if they have a sick kid or a cold.  Now that I'm getting more tired and I still have 9 more chemos I may take some time off here and there.  I also maintain my workouts in the gym (although slower than normal) and I sanitize the bike or whatever before using it and I never touch my face at the gym. 

Kim,  We have been playing with names for our group.  It's only three of us so our favorite name so far is "The Triple Nipples" .  We also like "The Boob Crew".  Our shirts will be black with green writing and we will wear green tutu's, even the man in my group is wearing the tutu...

I wish this forum had a "like" button after each post it would make it so much easier to go back and comment on each and every one of you that are celebrating something...no SE, last AC's, last chemo and putting meds away, a good night sleep, energy, no problems with taxol, and countless other things only we can understand that are celebrations for us!!! I believe my taxol is going to be every 3 weeks times 4 rounds and the only change is that I have to go in earlier because it takes longer than the AC. I am still on schedule for the nueltstra shot. I have already made up my mind that the first sign of neurapathy I am done with chemo. I am 59 years old, single and I want to maintain my independance along with my life. Being triple neg is scarey but knowing that my tumor has already shrunk where it can not be felt gives me hope that after whatever else comes, surgery, rads...I will come out clean for a long time yet. I just don't want to go through all of this to be a cancer survivior and be a victim of something else as a result of my treatment. Does this make sense? I am already noticing how much more short of breath I am....I used to smoke a pack of cigs a day but I walked 3-5 miles 3-5 times a week and at least a mile every day with my dog and I was never this short of breath...I need to sit down after making my bed...I know I have also been laying around way to much b/c I won't go no where b/c my panic/anxiety disorder is getting worse but I intend to start changing that to build up my stamina somewhat but I really believe some of it is the result of the AC. I need to be done so I can take care of my grandbabies (14,12,3, and 11month) so my daughter can get started on her treatment.

kimie, you are a brave woman. I am way too chicken to get a tat. 

I also hate all the pink stuff, close friend gave me a pink  wrist band, so I have to wear it whenever I see her. Otherwise I feel like a walking advertizement, bad enough to advertize with headscarves and turbans but no PINK STUFF. 

Tomorrow is Taxol #2, that means 10 weeks of chemo done and 10 more to go. The half way point.  As long as taxol goes good tomorrow I am planning on going back to my  office on Monday for 3 half days a week, I have just been telecommuting to avoid all the sick people who come to  since it is a primary care medical office with three docs.  If my counts go down really low later with taxol I will take off a few more weeks.   Good luck to those getting chemo tomorrow also.  

Friend dx recently with small stage I  IDC, only 37 years old, onc score moderate so she started CT today for 4 cycles.  Way too young, she found it while still breast feeding her third child. I will see her when she stops by the infusion center tomorrow for her neulasta shot. Warned her today to start claritin ASAP.

Barbara

love reading all of your posts! I had a really good nights' sleep last night! I would almost venture to say I felt refreshed when I woke up! Right now, except for feeling like I ran a marathon when I do the littlest things, I am doing pretty good. I am learning that I will have to pace myself...ugh.

my eyelashes are hanging on, thank goodness! DD and family have been sick this past week and it kills me that I can't go help her right now. So hard that it affects so many aspects of our lives.

I guess Pink is for some and not for others. I am just not one to publicize my life, but kudos to those of you whom it works for. Whatever it takes to get through. I applaud those of you walking, etc. Fight on!!!

RHGSR- almost right!  38 at dx and I turned. 39 the day before BMX!  3 kids and just had the last one.  I think she saved my life!  I heard if you find a lump it could have been there 8-10 years!  This last baby is wild!  And she kept hitting my right breast!  It hurt and I found the lump.  I do agree there are more 20-39 getting this.

Anyone changing food like organic?  I really have a poor diet.  Meat and potatoes and pasta shame.  Need more green and colors;)

RHGSR,  I was 41 at diagnosis, 42 now.  I've been eating organic for 10 years and I've been working out my entire life.  It doesn't run in my family.  I was doing everything right and still got it.  I will continue my healthy lifestyle in the hopes it doesn't come back.