Starting Chemo in December 2013

haha Lisa, I will do my best to keep us as the top beer drinking state!!  

I really didn't start the redness from the rads until AFTER i was done.....i got it from the front and the back because I did have positive nodes.  I don't think my back would have gotten so bad if I would have taken care of it more while going through it all....i didn't even know they were doing my back shoulder area until almost the end! I didn't know the beams would go through the table but I guess thats why its a big slab of uncomfortable glass! Oh the things we have all learned through this.  

Ladies, I know you all are wanting PET scans, and I guess I am too.....and i'm actually getting one on August 11th, but now i'm freaking out and scared to death to have it.  I feel there would be some "signs" or symptoms if it had spread, and if it had spread, wouldn't my tumor markers be high instead of low? I'm certain my lungs must be fine as many scans as they have done on the top part of my body during radiation.  My tumor grade was a 2 and my KI 67 score was only a 5% so although i had quite a few nodes involved, there were some good things in that it wasn't a high grade tumor or a high ki 67 score which Mayo is a strong believer in.  The higher the score the higher the chance of recurrence.  I just need to quit overthinking everything I think....and whatever will be will be.  If there is any other areas, well then we just take care of it, right? ugh.....must have positive thinking............must have positive thinking..........must have positive thinking......

Good night to all!! 

Michelle

Hi ladies!

Good to read your posts and glad that some of you are getting away for a vacation. Post some pics! 

I read in Susan Love's book that SE's take as long to diminish as it took you to get through treatment. I guess that's probably true. I don't feel fatigued, but just not energetic. I def need more sleep than I used to.  

Michelle, try not to stress too much about your upcoming tests. I know, easier said than done. My 3 mo ck ups/mammo are rt around the corner; I guess maybe my left-over Xanax will come in handy, if I need it! Congrats on your weight loss!!! I can't seem to lose a pound. I guess I need to move more than  30 mins/day...duh.

My SE's from Tam are hot flashes once in a while...so far, so good. 

I hope you all have a great week! 

Lisa- I do remember that missed trip to San Antonio. Yes! Let me know if you plan another one.
Barbara – I really enjoyed that article on the Fitbit. It was really funny. Made me smile.
Thanks to all the ladies who offer the Fitbit and ACV advice. Hopefully going to get to the store this week to get the ACV. We'll see what happens.

Followed up with my RO today. Skin looks good.  And I have lost 4 pounds! So excited! Been drinking lots of water, writing down what I eat, walking, and going to physical therapy.  My plastic surgeon said that the more weight I can drop before this next surgery the better the results will be.  I see him for a postop follow-up this week too. I believe at that time will schedule phase 2b of reconstruction. I think he's looking at the end of September beginning of October. 

Not trying to starve myself or anything. Just trying to be a little healthier.

Hi ladies - 

Catching up on your posts.  I went to my MO today because I have been having back issues for about a month now and I have my upcoming breast reduction surgery Aug. 15.  Anyway, they did a CBC yesterday.  My labs are great  My MO said that if I had bone cancer that I would have elevated levels (I can't remember which one) .... anyway my levels are great.  Also, she read my PET from Oct. which had no evidence of cancer in my bones.  She said that she would order me a bone scan if I was really stressing about it, but she thinks it's muscles.  I am going to wait.  I think that having to wear my prosthetic so that my boobs match is really throwing my back off.  Since I cannot have a MRI due to the TE expander, I will be having a 3D mammo.    

Michelle - I think that your labs would show some elevation in something if you had cancer anywhere else.  However, I understand your feelings re the PET in Aug.  If my back still is bothering me after surgery when I see my MO in Sept., I will ask for that bone scan.   Sending a hug your way... now that I know that you work for Delta Vacations, you need to keep us posted on good vacation deals.... I say you plan a trip for all of us...

Oranje - I still battle fatigue.  Thank God for coffee in the morning.   If it's any help, I have been on Tamoxifen for 3 mos now and don't have anything negative to say about it so far.... I also think that our sleep disruption has a lot to do with our lack of estrogen.     I say try Tamox., it can't hurt.   If I remember right, I had a couple of weeks break between rads and starting the Tamox.  Maybe wait until you are back from vacation.  

Keepthefaith - I am glad to hear that you aren't having problems with the Tamoxifen so far.

Kimmie - Congrats on the weight loss.

It was me talking about the Ki67......When my surgeon was going through the pathology report with me at Mayo Clinic she was super excited about the very low number that my Ki67 score came in at....it was 5% out of 100%.  From what they explained to me they look very closely at this number in gauging to aggressiveness of the cancer and the chance of recurrence.   I never had an oncotype score done...but i did read this is part of the oncotype testing.  Anybody else have this test done as part of path report?  

I'm going to ask if I had a Ki67 score but don't know if it was done, may not tell anything or bad appropriate for TNBC but like keepthefaith, nothing we can do about it one and may just make me stress more.

It's been 2 days now WITH NO RADS OR MEDICAL APPTS! Had a massage and went to yoga today...that's all! Tomorrow a new home care patient, guess I have to work sometime! Lol

Keepthefaith, if I come to Texas, I'll let y'all know! And your hair looks cute in your avatar. Is it blonde or gray (sorry can't really tell) and looks curly. Mine is starting to get curly I think but still only barely 1", at the most. Had curly hair before. 

Congrats aff on half way through. You'll be done in no time now! My skin did pretty well. Whole breast area pretty much back to normal and boost area still pink but not getting worse and hypersensitivity seems to be getting better. Only 1 or 2 "zingers" today

Still feeling great from being done, like a weight is lifted and i feel free. Everyone says I look great. I think I'm still "glowing " from all the radiation in me! Lol

I finished yesterday.  Jumped in the car loaded with all our summer stuff, 3 kids and husband and drove 6 hours home.  Some of you know what was at home from my FB.  Around 30-50 people were standing in my driveway and in front of my house with signs and balloons.  Best part is so many of my students.  My across the street neighbor cried from seeing it!  The husband not the wife cried lol.  Love my neighbors.  We live around people mostly my parents' age.  Well I guess just my mom now.  That is weird.   The end brought on some sadness that my dad missed this.  I still can't believe he is gone.  It all happened right in the beginning steps of radiation and fighting this. But!!!  So relieved and happy to be home and finished.  Of course I'll be back in 12 weeks for ct of chest and ultrasound. 

Michelle- I had the ki67 and this worries of course.  Mine was 68% and my grade was 3- joy.  However- it is gone now.  Right ladies!  It is gone; let's proclaim it to be so!!  

I could worry myself everyday all day. You see my below ticker, my stats were not good and then add the internal node, but I gotta let that go.  

Here are some pics from yesterday!

Lisa, my hair is mostly grey.  Same color as before. And curly! My  hair has always been wavy and frizzy. It started coming in pretty straight and then got curly. 

Jodi, so happy your are home! Great pics. 

Jodi, LOVED the welcome home VICTORY pictures!!!! Way to go my friend!

And you are right ....we just have to let it go and LIVE! GONE GONE GONE!!!! I will proclaim it with you!

Love the golf picture ......I am an avid golfer and have not played yet this year....way to go in starting her out young! Keep us posted on her progress!

I am going to Dallas, actually McKinney Texas for the weekend......can't hardly wait! It's been almost a year since I was last there......can't hardly wait to feel some arms around me ....it's those little things in life that now mean so much. 

Michelle

Lisa, getting a few work patients will probably feel good

In the CTC infusion center now getting my first dose of zometa.  Had 2 weeks fu with RO who said everything looks great and no need to FU unless something comes up. Had 3 mo check up with MO, had a long visit since I had a lot of questions.  Markers will be done next visit in 3 months, 6 months after finishing chemo, but he said the push ( driven by insurance companies) is not to do them.  Since I am having a lot of numbness in my foot that is more radiculopathy then neuropathy I am getting an MRI of my lumbar spine on Friday.  Unless the MR shows something other then disc disease I am NED.  I had disc surgery about 20 years ago but little problems since then.  With all my complaining today I did not bring up a PET scan. I will save that for next time. 

Off for some me time after done, going shopping, more like browsing and walking around the down town area until 3 PM.  Have to be home since  my husband' s Aid leaves then

Kimmie, congratulations on the weight loss.

Jodi, Welcome home! What an awesome surprise! And done!

Michelle, enjoy your vacation.

Aff, halfway through.  Before you know it. you'll be done.

Two weeks after rads and my skin is almost back to normal.  Just a smidge tan.  The swelling is down but its still slightly tender.  No shooting pains.  A few days after rads I really started working out again.  I did my first Spin class since March and was afraid I would not make it, but I did and I didn't even cheat....Wohooo! I noticed that as soon as I picked up my workouts my legs started aching less.  Now I feel like a fit 65 year old!  Give me another month or two and I'll feel 42 again! I never had a Ki67, that I know of, and I don't plan on asking about it.  There is nothing I can do about it so I don't want to add something to worry about.  I think it was jbokland that said "I'm not going to worry about tomorrow because it robs me of being present and enjoying today".  I repeat that whenever I start to worry. 

THANK YOU for this reminder..........."I'm not going to worry about tomorrow because it robs me of being present and enjoying today".   Boy, did I need to read these words tonight.  

Awesome job Djj on the working out! I'm going to start....umm....next week!!  I seem to say that every week! ha! I am starting to feel like my old self again, and wow, what a good feeling that is! I still get tired, my kids can tell when i overdo it and tell me i get crabby which I probably do.  But they recognize it and make me go sit down for awhile.  

I do plan on getting a little bit pampered while in Texas.....Johns mom tends to spoil me and we love going for pedicures! When I talked to her tonight I told her how I was so excited to get there and go out to eat! ha! So many choices there.....Oh, my butt surgeon gave me the go ahead to go in the pool which i plan on going in while there....they just had the whole pool redone so i'm anxious to just float on a floatie and forget the world for awhile! Covered up of course.........ugh.

hugs to all!!! 

Michelle

Jodi - Love the welcome home pics. thanks for sharing.  So glad you are home!

Holli - Priceless picture of your daughter.  Keep up with that golf, there are great college scholarships out there for women golfers.  My daughter's friend is going to Texas on one. 

Michelle - Hope you have an awesome time in Texas.

Lisa - I am hoping that the Gillis family has their party that weekend in Oct. and I am able to go to Arizona.  I decided to only have the breast surgery on the 19th of Aug and not the other, I should have a speedy recovery, I hope.  This new transition from constant monitoring to minimal monitoring is hard to get used to.  I like the quote, "I am not going to worry about tomorrow, because it robs me of being present and enjoying today."  

Barbara - What is the Zometa used for in your case?  Is it to prevent osteoporosis?  Praying for a clear MRI for you on Friday.  Re the PET Scan.... probably too soon after rads for one.  

I am back at the gym too... It's been too hot here to walk outside.  

Have a great day ladies,

Kim

Kim, i am getting the zometa for two reason, one is that there was a big study that showed given every 6 months for 3 years it reduced the risk of breast cancer mets to the bones by 50%. second is that I already have osteopenia and taking the aromasin will accelerate bone loss, so the zometa is to try to stop that also. Of course since it is not FDA approved for prevention of mets my insurance refused payment. They did approve one dose of 5 mg (the reclast dose) for the osteopenia but only one dose every 2 years.  So I guess i will be paying out of pocket for the treatments but my oncologist thinks the data is very strong to support using it. 

 I was lucky to get absolutely no side effects to the infusion.  A lot of people get flu like symptoms with aches, fevers and bone pain.  I hydrated like crazy before and after the infusion.

jb - I had something I thought was a fungus or something under 6 of my nails during Taxol. One day one started bleeding for a bit and then the nail was no longer brown. Turns out the blood was coming up to the surface under my nail from the Taxol. My MO said it was a common SE. My nails still have not recovered and my last Taxol was 5/2. They don't bleed anymore but they still are at risk of falling off. Yours may not be anything like this but I thought I would share.