February 2014 Starting Chemo Club

Lago,  Yes, thank you for your posts; they are very informative and helpful.  As posted earlier, I had to have one big toe nail removed (ugh!) and the other loosened & is still hanging in there during AC which is unusual.  So I'm icing, taking Bioton and B6 now while on Taxol to try and prevent more nail loss and lessen or prevent neuropathy.  (I'll have my 6th of 12 weekly Taxol this week).  My homemade ice packs posted previously were just too damn cold last time.  My husband could not stand to see me in such agony and insisted that we order a second set of Elastogel booties and gloves for the rest of my treatments.  Of course, I had my first 2 Taxol with just the Elastogel which do NOT stay cold enough for the entire time.  If you use them, you need two sets, if you can't tolerate the homemade ones. 

Lago, Why did you have the one nail removed and let the others hang in there?  Did the hanging ones ever get to the point of being normal?  My podiatrist would have taken the other one off weeks ago if I'd let him, but I wanted to keep it, as posts seem to indicate that they do sometimes "correct" themselves for lack of a better way of putting it.  I slapped some polish on all of them weeks ago so I wouldn't have to look at the disgusting blackness at the bottom.  I can wiggle the nail. The PA at my MO says that the new nail may push the old one off eventually and thinks the nail may be protective of the new one.  Does this make sense??

So you think it's better to have it taken off if it's lifted so it can grow in normally?  With the one that was removed, the twice a day dressing seemed like a part time job -  and then the special Tefla (?) bandages I had to use caused sensitive skin wherever there was adhesive touching my toe and pressure issues on the toe next to it.  But my skin was so much more sensitive on AC & so far no such issues with Taxol.  I can wear no close toed shoes.  My husband cut out the toes of my tennis shoes.  Thank goodness it's summer and I can wear sandals.  The 7 novacaine shots in my big toe to remove it were SO painful.  Maybe next time I go, I'll use the lidocaine 2 hrs before like I do for my port. 

3dog..I think my fingers are getting a little bit better, but my nail beds are still blue and they have horizontal white lines going across (only my fingers, not my toes...toes just discolored).

@JB...people want to rub my peach fuzz too...I should charge! Mine is snow white..what about you?

jbokland wow your hair came back the same pretty color. Lucky you! It's gorgeous. 

jbokland you will find this is common and lots of articles written on it. Hang in there it gets better

I am feeling so much better two weeks after treatment physically that I forget what I've been through until I look in the mirror. Then, I get very sad. Part of me thinks I'm still in denial that it happened in the first place until I look in the mirror...or look at the scale! LOL! However, the good news is, both of those things can be fixed pretty easily, so I'm trying to focus on that. Also, I noticed that I am getting much stronger because my bike rides are becoming easier. It is so nice to feel strong vs. weak! Also, it helps that all of my friends are getting out of school this week, so now we are all on summer break. I think it was more difficult when they were working and I was not...now we're all on break, so that is normal!

Hang in there, JB! You have a ton of things going on!

had to share this with you girls too. I usually follow the dec 2013 chemo group although started chemo jan 13. The dec group is very active, the jan group is much "quieter" but still check up on them and also you feb. girls. I thought my hair would never grow. I'm 6 wks PFC. Ended chemo in 4/21. I've been taking biotin since march I think. It's still minimal compared to some others that ended around the same time as me but it's coming I can finally say. Below is my post in the dec thread. As you can tell I'm excited, I have to tell/show everyone because you really understand!

look, look!! I didn't realize I had so much hair in the back and sides until I took a picture with my phone after a shower when it was sticking up and "fluffy". I'm so exited! The front/top needs lots of growing but it's something. It's also sooo white and soft I barely feel it sometimes. I once said I'd take anything, green, blue or I guess white! There's hope for those of you like me that are late in the hair regrowth dept. (this is 6 wks PFC btw)

hell yes I call it white!   LOL

I was a brunette all my life and started to go white about 40.  I started bleaching my hair to camouflage and eventually just stopped having to do that.  Funny, I tried to put color in my hair once and it slid right out.   My mom was Swedish and had this hair color all her life, took me a while to grow out of the Italian side! 

I used to spend a lot of time bitching about my hair and my big boobs....careful what you wish for!

gatorgirl...are you a teacher? I am and feel like you with all my friends ready to be on break and I just finished chemo yesterday so we can hang out!  It was hard being forced out of my passion...teaching k...back in January and missing my school family!  Really bored this past month!   I am on an ending chemo high right now, but I think I will probably start to think about my limitations ...hopefully not many...I worry about my right arm where I had 3/11 nodes and axilla disection....would love to do a muderella obstacle race but have to be so careful of cuts and things on that arm...what about strength too?  Guess that will be a 2015 bucket list item!! Wonder if it's doable...but I will remain positive!!! Rosie

JB-I know about the emotional stuff facing the last chemo. I felt like this too, and it is hard to describe. It's almost like a "now what" feeling.

With that said, my last chemo will be delayed. I was dx'd with psedunomas again and spent the weekend in the hospital getting IV antibiotics. I will have to continue those for a couple of weeks. In addition to that I will have surgery early next week to "clean out" this left side that has given me so much trouble. I was in so much pain the last month or so, seriously bad pain.

So, no date for the last chemo as of yet.

Woof what an emotional roller coaster I've been on lately. And just like I thought you girls got me to get it together or at least know I'm not alone. I am really starting to get sick of being strong!!!!!

Jb and Lisa your hair looks great!!!!

Summerwheat and tang I am so sorry for the set backs!!!!! That us just awful!!! No one should have to go through this even if the schedule doesn't get interrupted!!!

@Rosie...yep, I'm a teacher. When school gets out tomorrow I think I will really start to feel normal because everyone will be on vacation...like normal!

JB...my hair is coming in so white and I hope I can rock the white like you do! I don't really want to color any more...colored since about 18 and it sucked...but I agree...careful what you wish for because I never fathomed my long locks would be long gone thanks to chemo! Oh well, la-de-da.

@tang & summerwheat...sorry for the troubles and delays. Hang in there!

@Lisa...atta girl! Hair is looking good!

Jujubee it takes time. Your body has been through so much and you still have reconstruction. About 1 year PFC I started to get there. By 2 years it was even better. But I also did a year of Hercepetin and still on hormone therapy. With triple negative if you get past 3 years your chances of recurrence goes way way down. I think hitting that 3 year mark is going to be huge for you.

had to share!  The local BC foundation donated this bell for other patients to ring when they complete chemo. My chemo suite is very mundane, busy place.  I call it the chemo factory. All of these friends showed up to surprise me! Man we shook up that place!!  What a way to End my chemo!!!

ooh tell me about the port removal! Getting mine out On The 16th