Starting Chemo in December 2013

I'm doing extremely well!   Only 2 rads under my belt, but so far so good.  

My body is sooo mushy.   I saw it in all the wedding  pics.  But shit...I have learned to be forgiving of myself.    Getting back to excercises!  

catching up from my busy weekend. 

after my busy weekend I think I am now rooted to my couch. Just don't want to get up. We also had many many young adult people staying with us to run the race (my kids' college friends) and I love the energy they bring but it was tiring. My family was here too. Everyone loved my new "hairdo". (It's so white it seems to glow Lol). My feet held out but ache a lot now..,but I ran (mostly) 3 miles so I have a reason today. 

Now my nails are bugging me also. Thumb nails are gone at the tips and keep peeling. They got really indented at the beginning of chemo, now that's growing out and they are thin and soft and curl up at the very end. Hair growth, nail problems, I'm slow coming to them but at least I know what to expect from reading your posts.

Michelle, hope you are healing well

great pictures, lisa!

barb, good idea with the foot massage. Going for a massage actually on wed, but mainly for my L arm, shoulder, neck but maybe I'll ask her to do my feet as well. And I didn't run the whole 3 miles but walked and ran. Finished in 36.14, I usually do about 30 min but this was absolutely fine and I was so thrilled that I actually did it. We started at 7:15 this morning so it wasn't too bad

J4dc, my feet hurt me a lot also when I first get up or after sitting for a while. My ankles and toes feel so stuff and sore but it gets better after I move around. Never had this before. Anyone have a good explanation of why? I don't think its neuropathy, feels more like a joint issue

way to go Lisa! You look great:). 

Michelle- so happy all went well!! 

Jodi- glad you got to sleep in your own bed. Nothing like being home. 

Lisa- love your "breast cancer can't catch me ". Great pictures!!

Robin- love your collage picture. You look great. 

DJJ- my legs are still weak. Have to be careful on stairs and when I get up from sitting. Still shakey. 

Going to see MO tomorrow. Supposed to start Lupron and Aromasine. Seeing PS on Thursday for pre-op for a small phase II. Phase III will be this fall. 

Started PT again 2 weeks ago.  Started walking last week. This is the best I've felt since this started. Not 100% but I can tell I'm on an upswing. 

Now if I can just reconcile my fear of this mess coming back.  I think I'm going to try a support group this month. 

Everyone looks amazing!!!

My heels hurt when I first get up...tender and I walk funny, but it goes away after a few minutes.  Weird!  

you girls sound great, keepthefaith, robin, holli! Lots of positivity here! Love it.

Robin, love the dogs. You look so happy there in your pool, they must be so happy to have you back in there with them.

You girls make me think...I love it. I'm going to ask about the cancer free thing also. I'm thinking ITS GONE!

Lisa-  you are my role model!  I have to start running as soon as I get home!  Going to set some 5k race goals for me.  I have never done that, but only because I haven't wanted to yet.  My body can handle it and now I must and surprisingly- I want too;). 

Robin- I think your dogs have been eating sympathy pains for you lol.  Those are the biggest labs I have ever seen unless they are not labs then maybe that is usual.  Seriously they made me laugh!  Love the pic and the dogs.  We are totally pet people at my house too!!  So cute!

Headaches-  anyone?  Is this stress or rads SE?  It is in between my eyes, so not worrying about mets but I do not like this:(. Waaaa right!  Take two Advil and suck it up I know I know!  Just wondering if anyone else has this.  I did drive 6 hours back to Texas, so maybe that is it! Or my damn period!  Really?!  Why!!!!!!  I was hoping that would be gone forever, but nope I have been like clockwork since May:(. 

Jodi - yes they are English labs, they have a blocky build. Lucy is really big for a female, but at her target weight. Spirit is the shorter of the two and still has some weight to lose.

That picture is not very flattering for Spirit. She looks obese and really isn't. Here is a better picture I just took. 

Holli - Hoping your doctors appts. go well this week.

Robin - Love the pic. We have a black lab.  He is like a bear, he will get into ice chests, any food in boxes, anything.  My DH's friend gave him a box of nutri system food..... long story.  Anyway.... someone must of left the garage door open last night, because Mr. Fatty in my back yard got into it AGAIN.

Michelle, glad your surgery went well.   I am heading to SD on Thurs.  I will have my daughter take my victory shot there.  Looking forward to visiting my family.   The Victory Collage warms my heart.  What an awesome group of ladies we all are.

Jodi - I started getting migraine's, the bright spots in my eyesight, at the end of rads.  This went away as soon as I stopped rads.  I think it's fatigue.  You should mention it to your RO. 

Well, I need to get my walk in, it's supposed to be 104 here today.  Have a great day ladies.

Kim

Lisa, loved your pix & your motto.  BC can't catch you!

Robin, great to be in the pool!

Jodi & Kim, I've suffered from migraines for a long time (since I was 13).  For me, they are triggered by lack of sleep, stress, plus "something else" (like allergies or menstrual cycle/hormones).  When I get a constellation of all three, boom! a migraine.  If you continue to get migraines, see a doc.  There are wonderful drugs that can help (Relpax has helped me).  But, back in the dark days when there weren't drugs available, these are my "home remedies" for migraine:

- lie on your back (no pillow) in a completely dark, quiet room

- try caffeine+sugar (regular Coke or sweetened hot tea used to work for me)

- alternate hot/cold compresses on your face

- hot as you can stand it shower (aim the shower spray right into your face/head where it hurts)

I actually haven't had a migraine since BC (is this a silver lining of chemo-pause?!!)

I've been very emotional weepy lately.  I'm also really stressed, so despite being truly fatigued, I can't sleep.  I feel like I just can't meet my or others' expectations right now.  I look healthy (which is a good thing) - and I even feel healthy (other than being tired) (which is a better thing) - but I'm really not able to do my usual working mom balancing act like usual.  Lots of things falling through the cracks.  But since I look good, I think there is this assumption (subconscious) that I can do everything like normal.  Last week virtually my entire department was off on vacation (not coordinated . . .) and I was left juggling a crazy amount of balls.  It's up to me to raise my hand and say I can't do something, but that's really hard for me to do.  I was supposed to deliver a presentation to about 30/40 people this Wed. and didn't have any time to prepare last week.  Thought (irrationally) that somehow I could prepare over the weekend - which turned out to be insane (a swim meet, a dive meet, two bbqs (one potluck), and not to mention temps in the mid-90s all weekend . . .).  After not sleeping last night, I held up my hand this morning and asked someone to stand in for me for the presentation.  Something has to give somewhere.

My older daughter turns 10 on Sunday . . . Saturday night we'll have 6 girls for the first sleepover party we've hosted.  After making it through that . . . and Monday's last rad!  . . . I will be ready for a vacation!! 

count it all - I have similar issues. I was never really good at change, but since all of this... If something changes (more so regarding my treatments) I get extremely anxious and a little depressed. 

I've let a lot of things go for next fall - no part time job, taking off a semester from college, probably going to take 1/2-1 year off from violin lessons for the girls. Going to just try to focus on getting caught up on homeschool where we got a little behind from this year and just try to enjoy my family at a slower pace. 

Stressed from MO visit today. They hadn't gotten insurance approval for Lupron yet. Hoping they will get it this afternoon and I can go get it tomorrow. 

Holli, I hope your insurance co comes through!

oranje, good for you for designating. 

I have been running at a much slower pace also...and have even made a mistake on a contract, which I can't remember ever doing before. Things just don't seem to come together as quickly when I am trying to figure things out; loss of words has improved though. I hope all of this subsides for all of us soon! So frustrating.  Who would've thought we would have to deal with all of this, too?

We have been so far. I know we can get to the other side! 

((HUGS))

I don't know how you gals with children do it all. I am exhausted and I only have a husband at home, granted he is disabled but I also have an aid 5 hours a day to help him.  She is a godsend. I come home to a tidy house, and on Mondays dinner cooked.   I am so spoiled since she does all the laundry and even changes the beds.  Worth every penny I pay her.  Using my husbands IRA money for his care, would like to keep him home as long as possible,  I will need to increase the hours of help in the future.  I could not care for him as well as work and keep same. 

DJJ early congratulations.  I have just 2 more,  so far no problems after the 3 boost.   My collar bone area is another story, very red and sore. See photo,The brown on my neck is freckled skin 

I go at 3 PM daily except Mondays in the morning. I asked if there were any openings on Wed AM since I will off work that day and I get my LAST one at 8:15 instead of 3 PM. I am going to lunch Wed. with a friend and now we can really celebrate THE END

Finished baking an almond pound cake and a blueberry banana bread to take in on Wed.