Starting Chemo January 6, 2014

Yes, I will have my expanders for at least 15 months, same reason.  Rads + 9-month waiting period before exchange. 

Back from A/C #3. I think we settled today on 12 weekly doses of the Taxol. My MO tells me that most people are able to live their lives pretty normally on this schedule without the highs and lows that the dose dense comes with. Since I have two young kids, I think this is probably the best option for me. I am pretty bummed about the extra four weeks, but happy about no Neulasta!

Oh wow, Meg - we do have the same stats from your Dec diagnosis! After chemo I need to decide whether to do 6 weeks of radiation or a mastectomy. I have been leaning towards a bilateral mastectomy since the minute I was diagnosed, and have not found much evidence to compel me to change my mind. I'm also fairly certain I do not want to reconstruct. So, they tell me I get a 3 weeks break or so after chemo for my body to get strong and then I can have my surgery. Are you going to be doing radiation or ??

tek--I had surgery first, then chemo, but I can tell you that the 4-week "break" the other way was filled with just that, more and more appts, tests, etc.-not necessarily jaded, just my reality.  Hopefully your break will be just that.

My 3rd AC was brutal on my white counts--down to 0.3, and of course I picked up an ear infection, but so far able to deal with it at home--thank goodness!  Starting to rebound into feeling like a human just in time to do it again on Monday, but woohoo it will be #4 for the red stuff then on to 12 weeks of Taxol.

My biggest decision that still looms is radiation or not.  I had a unilateral mastectomy with no reconstruction at the time, but with positive nodes, the mo and so are both recommending rads.  I have to wrap my head around radiating the chest wall over my heart and the risks vs. the benefits.  Then there is the vanity thing of wanting some type of reconstruction so I am even again.  I don't even know where to begin to research how to calculate the how radiation will increase your life expectancy if you have a mastectomy?!?  everything I find is on rads after a lumpectomy.  Any suggestions?

Hoping everyone is having a se free week.

I can only speak from my personal experience of the port placement, but here goes.  

There is thread that details the process:  http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/...

and the description was pretty close to what I happened for me.  I was not put to sleep and felt little to no pain during the procedure other than the numbing shots.  What I was not prepared for was the pain in my neck and chest for the 24-48 hours after the procedure.  It was very sore and I wish that I had asked about what OTC painkillers I could take and start them asap after the procedure.  The pain was controllable with Tylenol, but I didn't know I could take it until after the pain started.  

I will also say that, imo,  the port has made the chemo easier, my veins were shot and weekly/bi-weekly punctures were not going to be easy.  However, I feel the port daily, while it's not uncomfortable, I do know that it is there.

Stephanie - I had my port placed at the same time as my second lumpectomy, so I was completely out during the procedure. I will say it was uncomfortable for the first 5 days or so. Not painful, I was just very aware that there was something implanted in my chest. It took my a while to be able to turn my head completely, even swallowing felt a little funny - and now that I read Sam's description, I'm reminded that I had some chest discomfort too. Day 5+ though everything was on its way back to normal, and now, 6 weeks out, I don't even think about it being there. I am SO glad to have it though when I see the other patients in the chemo room with their IVs and picc lines. With the magic of EMLA cream, I feel not even an iota of sensation when the needle goes in and it's a quick poke, no searching for veins, etc.... 

Meg - my BS also had me leaning towards rads after my lumpectomy, but I just can't fathom not doing everything I can to keep this beast from coming back. My own MO told me yesterday that most oncologists would avoid radiation if they could and that she would likely do the same thing as I am thinking (bilateral mast.). So, having conflicting opinions from two doctors who you really respect makes things even more difficult! I know that the general consensus these days is that lumpectomy w/rads and mastectomy have the same survival rates, but I'm having a harder time finding data on RECURRENCE rates. Anyone have any good studies to share on that info?

belleb--here are a few sites I found in my search to determine rads or no rads:  

http://www.texasoncology.com/types-of-cancer/brea...

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/92/14/1143....  

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.27...

http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band107/b10...

here's a Komen article that has a table showing several studies on overall survival(some of these studies included info on local recurrence rates if you do more in depth research to find the actual study):

http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Table37Mastectom...

These studies don't apply in my situation as I am faced with rads after mastectomy, but maybe they can be helpful to you.  Please know that I am not expert, just sharing some of my findings using "Dr. Google"  .

Thanks Sam! I'm going to check those links out.

you can get the prescription for the numbing.  It doesn't hurt too bad if the nurse is good though.

I also highly recommend the Emla cream...I don't feel a thing when they access my port. 

tekwriter ~ I apply the EMLA cream at least an hour before port access. I put a super thick layer on (like about 1/4" at least), maybe the size of a quarter, then cover with a bandaid. I make sure any surface that may end up getting poked is covered. The nurses recommend saran wrap if no bandaids are handy. It really does make it more comfy but as I said, my port was installed tilted and deep and needs a bit of manipulation before they can get the needle in right

I keep the tube of EMLA in my purse because  they do not supply it at the Onc dept when I go for chemo or labs.

press and seal over the Emla works good too

Do you need a prescription for the EMLA?

Stephanie, I remember reading in one of the forums that you do need a prescription in the us but not Canada.

I finally crawled out of my hole after a week. Third THC put me on my butt. I had ( still having to some extent) a lot of heart palpitations. With my heart working overtime the exhaustion was brutal. I am now on a beta blocker which has my heart rate to mostly within the normal range.i still don't know if I will be changing treatments or having surgery earlier since the tumor has not gotten smaller. Mo said it could be dying in spots which would not show an overall change in size, it could be dead tissue or it's possibly that it is not responding. There is no definitive test, imaging can give a general size but cannot show whether the tissue is dead or alive, but as long as it is not getting bigger we are ok. He seems more worried about the heart issues than the tumor size. I have tried to be positive throughout all of this but it has been hard this week I would really love to go to the gym and work off some frustration, but oh yeah can't do that because of the germs. I am wishing I hadn't sold my sons punching bag in the last garage sale. I could use it right now. Ok enough negative for now.

On a different note, are those of you who lost hair slick bald? When mine started coming out in fistfuls I shaved my head, but still had the fuzz, I haven't lost that, and it is growing, I still have a strip on my legs and under my arms that I have to shave as well. Weird.

I have not used Elma cream, it hurt the first couple of times a little but I barely feel it now.

I hope everyone has a restful SE free weekend. I desperately need a day of feeling like myself. Off to work for the first time in over a week. Looking forward to it.

Did they tell you to put the cream on in a larger amount, like a big glob and cover with press and seal saran wrap?  I have done that with my dermatologist and it works great.  I had my first port access on wednesday and left from work and forgot to put on my cream so I had a minor freak out when I got to chemo but they used a freezing spray and I had no access pain at that time.  It pinched a bit when they pulled it out three hours later but I bet if I remembered the cream that might had helped.