For those starting chemo in June

NancyLee13 · August 2006

Hi--I'm at my brother's house--He came and kidnapped me last Thursday--I've been playing with my nephew--3 year old boys are a HOOT--He's napping right now and my SIL is out grocery shopping. The dog has adopted me--He thinks he has to follow me around like....well, like a dog!! Still changing bandages, but down to 2 or 3 times a day--Walked about 3 miles today--I'm getting better and better and better--Went to see my mom earlier in the day--She was in a good mood and I had a nice visit--She knew who I was so....Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

mary1220 · August 2006

Hey Nancy Lee, Glad your doing well and having a good time too. Janie I hope you all had a great birthday for your son. I have been having trouble with my nerves and I quite my thyroid med. to see if it got better and it did. I am now tired and need it but I don't think I need a big dose. I will figure it out. I started painting the outside of my place and I wish someone would shot me right between the eyes. Thank God for my 9 year old grandson Bailey, he has helped me paint for 2 days and he works so hard. I told him I would pay him and he said "no I don't want you to use all your money so just let me spend the night to pay me, cause you need your money grandma". He is my buddy. I sure wish I would of gone on the road instead of getting this wild hair up my you know what. I hate to paint and I really, really mean that. Think it would look o.k. to just leave it half butt done and blame it on the "tool man"? Nah, he would hurry and do it all half butt and it would look "half Butt" done. I mean there would be splatters and drips and paint brush strokes, I am a perfectionest and thats why I hate to start this crap because I will be out there with a detail brush getting every stroke and nook perfect. I will drive me nuts!!!! I am beat so I better get. Later girls, Mary

janie44 · August 2006

Hey girls,

Nancy, Sounds like you are doing better. Hope you are resting some and being waited on. Mary the perfectionist. Want to paint some stuff for me? Traci came over last night with her drill and did a few things here. You notice I asked my daughter, not either of my sons. Back in the old days, she and I built a couch for the dogs. It looked pretty good and they loved it....down in their doggie room.

Hey PJ and Renee.

Everyone behave,

Hugs,

Janie

PJB · August 2006

Ugh! Painting a house. I can't think of anything much worse than that. Well, yeah, I can; in fact, we've all done it. But still....

My bro-in-law stopped by today driving through from Omaha to near Austin for a conference. Was a nice change to take a lunch break. Oh, and of course to see him.

Work has been absolutely crazy lately. We're going to start doing a second front page for our street edition sales that's gonna have on it all the trashy stuff going on in the world, just to see if that sells better than " real news." September is gonna be a bear. Or a bare.

Nancy, glad things are going better for you. Hope you can get that changing bandage thing behind you quickly.

Janie, Georgia seeing any heat relief yet?

Paula

janie44 · August 2006

Hey PJ,

Nope, the air conditioners are still going full blast.

Everyone have a good Thurday. Be careful out there.

mary1220 · August 2006

Hi Girls, hope everyone is having a great wk. end. I have been dizzy since Thursday. If not better tomorrow I will get in. I think it is better, maybe sinus or allergies. Nothing going on here except humidity and heat. Later girls. Hugs, Mary

PJB · August 2006

Mary, maybe it was from sniffing all that paint!

Pretty dull wekend here. Matt's working his butt off on the kitchen, and it's coming right along. For my part, I get to go to Target and pick up some stuff to decorate. THAT's a pretty good assignment.

Hot, hot, hot. When's fall get here? (in our case, about 3 months, but....)

I'm so pumped that I feel so normal. When I think of where we were a couple years ago (well, and then again for me a year ago), I"m so pleased. And now Nancy has that surgery behind her and all is gonna be well with all of us.

Later gators,
Paula

janie44 · August 2006

Hi all,

Hope you feel better Mary. PJ, we psychos were all laughing at our meeting last week, when we were looking at the calendar and noticed the first potential make-up snow day is in mid-October....like there is a chance of a big snow closing the schools before then. We will not even be wearing sweaters yet.

I have been catching up around here since all my spare time is no longer spent caring for my Dad. We still visit him a lot since he is in the assistive living Alzheimer's facility. It is really nice.

Have a great day.

NancyLee13 · August 2006

Hi everyone--Sounds like all of you are busy finishing off summer in style. I'm back home from my brother's. He spent the night on Thursday and then took off for home thru North Dakota. He could stop at a few well sites and check on his drivers on the way north at some places that they deliver and pick up oil in ND. I got to bring my pickup home on Friday and I actually drove to town and worked at the daycare yesterday. I got a ton of things done because there are not kids there on the weekends. My jeep didn't burn up in the wildfire, but it is still up parked in front of my cousin's house 300 miles away from here. My brother might have a line on someone who is going to Billings this week so I could have my jeep back soon. I'd like to have it before school starts on the 5th. It's like my traveling library. I can't get that much stuff crammed into the pickup. Went for a 2 hour walk across the pasture with the crazy dog. He ran off and jumped in the dam to cool off. It's not that hot out--only 82, but he seemed to think he needed it. Drain hole finally is mostly healed up. My incision is healing nicely and I find myself smiling again for no apparent reason these days so LOOK OUT WORLD--I'm pretty sure NancyLee is BACK!!! Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

janie44 · August 2006

Fantastic news NancyLee!! You can't keep a good woman down.

Mary, are you feeling better?

How's the kitchen coming along Paula?

Renee, where the heck are you?

Well ladies, I had a dinner date last night. It was very pleasant. The gentleman is quite funny and with my job, I find I need to laugh.........a lot. I decided to jump back into the dating scene a few months back..........probably something to do with the brush with death and then turning 60.....it was like if I'm going to do this, I guess I had better get moving on it. I had not dated for a long time..by choice. It's kind of fun.

Have a good evening.

Janie

mary1220 · August 2006

Great news Nancy Lee, glad you are back in your own skin again sorta speak and doing great. Janie, good to hear you had a good time. A man that can make you laugh is a good man, look who I married......Oh yea, I laugh at him not with him....never mind.I am still dizzy some what but didn't call today because it would be a wk. to get in so I will try to shake it on my own. My Dr. would jump to conclusions right away and want a brain scan and that would scare me so I will wait it out. I just keep leaning to one side off and on. Maybe I am drunk and forgot I drank???? I put tea bags on to cook today and got a call to pick up my son to take him to P.T. 30 miles away. I forgot to pick him up and I left and came home 3 hours to a hot pan with burnt up tea bags!!!! Somene was watching out for me up there because theres no reason my house should not have burnt to the ground. It was past smoking even. My God, I will kill myself before my cancer does!!!! I always check that too because I have left the stove on before but only for like a half hour. I need intense help...Well if anyone needs home repairs I could bring hubby and while he "fixes" things I could cook for yas. Later, Mary

dino · August 2006

Hi I have been reading all your posts. I have been reading them each night for a long time. I feel like I know you. I was diagnosed with breast cancer May 1. I had a core needle biospy, a lumpectomy and sentinel node . I had one positive node. I am stage 2, ES/PR positive, Her2 neg. I have completed 4 A/C's and as of today 2 taxols. Of course I am wide awake from the steroids. I have two great boys. Tyler 12 and Josh 11. They are handling this pretty well. I try to keep their life as normal as possible. I am a fourth grade teacher but I am going to take the first part of the year off. I commute an hour to work each day and I though that ride would be too much with the radiation every day. I also have to travel for that!. I was wondering it the taxol gets worse with each treatment. Last time the dr. said take tylenol. That didn't touch the pain. This time she gave me darvocet. They don't like to give anything too strong. When did your eyelashes and eyebrows come out. Mine are still there. The brows are a bit thinner but they were kind of thick to begin with. I am not a plucker. The bottom row of the lashes is thinner but the top is fine so far. Do you think they will come out? Too much rambling. I just want you all to know that you have helped me so much (and you didn't even know it!) I have learned so much from you. It means a lot because you were the ones going through it. I hope each of you continues to do well. Take care and enjoy the last days of summer!
Dino

PJB · August 2006

Dino,

Hey, you're near the end of chemo. That's great! With Taxol, I don't think it'll get worse. I think my second was about the worst of it. I had to take Vicodin for the joint pain, whether it was from the Neulasta or the Taxol itself, I dunno.... Nice to be on so many drugs you don't know what causes what, right?

Glad your boys are taking this well. My son is about to be 9 and he's been through me going through chemo twice (thus, the losing the hair, etc.). It's not easy trying to be "up" for them while going through it. Sounds like a good idea to take off part of the school year.

I found radiation to be a breeze. I, too, had to travel for mine. About 45 minutes each way.

As for brows and lashes, I don't think I really lost all mine til the end of Taxol last time. The second time, I lost them pretty early. My brows are only halfway back (nice look) now 7 months out of chemo. It's amazing how unfinished one looks without them.

Hey Mary, could it be a sinus infection? I've told before of how I had one without knowing it and had the dizzy stuff going on when I got up and walked. Took a trip to the dentist to tell me I had the infection because of where it was and how funky my sinuses are. Can you go to a regular doctor and see if they can give you something? I was also having dizzy spells big time when I first started femara. I still think that was the cause but onc says he thinks it's just deconditioning from the chemo. At any rate, I was a'feared of the head scan, too. So did antibiotics and then it was still there... But now it seems to have pretty much subsided.

Janie, kitchen's about halfway done. Still have floors and new lights to put in. Oh, and painting. None of which my husband lets me help with because he's such a perfectionist and I am - well, I'm not.

Later, gotta go make Nathan's lunch. Mmmmm.. ravioli.

Paula

cp418 · August 2006

HI Dino, I have the same BC pathology as you and identical treatment schedule it seems. I just got my 2nd Taxol yesterday and was up until 1:30AM from the steroids. I get alot of reading done during those times!! Right now I'm waiting for the Taxol side effects to kick as so far only slight tingling and itchy feelings. The 4th AC was my worse so Taxol seems easier to get through so far. Time will tell. Take care, Joann

mkl48 · August 2006

Janie44,
Hi, You were so interesting today. I just thought that at 60 with bc any chance of dating was gone. Did you tell him or did the options you turned down know you had bc? I have been widowed 2.5 years and with bc since his death just expected to never date or any other male experiences. any others folks who can add to this? Beth

PJB · August 2006

Janie, I feel so bad. Renee stopped coming by to the boards not long after I met her. I hope I didn't scare her off. I thought we had a great time! Yipes!

Tell us more about your date. Most importantly, is he worth a second date?

NancyLee13 · August 2006

Hi my Junie ladies!!!!! Welcome to all the ladies who just dropped in. Guess what I just got back from doing??? Flying my kite--I took the suggestion to "Go Fly a Kite" literally and took to the great Montana outdoors on this windy, windy day!!!! It was fun. The dog went nuts and kept running around in circles. I only quit because I decided that I should act like a responsible adult for a few hours and get some bookwork done. So instead of doing that, I logged on here. Naughty NancyLee!!!!! Janie--way to go--jumping back into the dating pool. Yes, yes, we want more details!! PJ--maybe Renee's just busy finishing up summer and hasn't had a chance to visit the boards. I was AWOL for a long time there too. Well, I'd better get busy--Hope everyone else gets the chance to do something fun today too. Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

janie44 · August 2006

Wow! I never knew we had such an audience!!! Welcome ladies! Yes, I he does know about my BC and has been great about it, and asked me out anyway. I believe in direct communication up front and not having to deal with issues later. If there is a problem, I want to know it right away and move on.......I like to think this is an acquired wisdom at my age. Yes, I do think he is worth a second date.

With me, Taxol was worse than AC. I threw up for 9 months when I was pregnant, so barfing is no big deal for me. The white counts bottoming out were somewhat problematic. The Taxol did a real number on my bones, joints, teeth, and nails. I am still knee deep in dental/doctor bills trying to "fix" what treatment messed up. Taxol was increasingly worse with me because it had a cumulative effect and the last two (I had 12 weekly) caused an allergic reaction. Taxol also caused my feet to swell and they did not go down until after Herceptin was over.

PJ, I am sure Renee is hiding for some other reason other than you.

Mary, hope you feel better.

Hugs to ALL,

janie

NancyLee13 · August 2006

Just got home from the daycare--worked for a few hours this afternoon--my cousin is coming to Baker tomorrow to see some people--he sells insurance of some sort--he's going to take me back to Lockwood with him and I can bring my jeep home--FINALLY--Yay--Now, part of the truth about my adventures in chemoland--I call Taxol, the gift that just keeps giving!! It screwed up my WBC so bad that it has never recovered and never will according to Dr. W. He says that it damaged my stem cells to such an extent that I will just have to be vigilant that I don't put myself in "atmospheres where you can pick up an infection". Come on--I work in a daycare!! Well, I'm just extra careful and everyone lets me know if they've got a bug, because I do get every little thing that goes around--JUST LIKE THAT--I even got pinkeye for the first time in my life this spring...It also messed with my HGB so I have the ongoing anemia thing. I can sorta tell when that happens because I get really dizzy when I stand up too fast and I'm freezing cold even on the hottest of days. (So, Mary, could your dizziness be a touch of anemia??. It also gives me some wicked headaches. Just a thought.) When I get anemic, I just go have a CBC and they have a standing order at the clinic to give me that burning Aranesp shot if my HGB is below 12 and then I'm good to go for a few more weeks. Taxol was hard--I had a nosebleed every morning for the whole 12 weeks and for 3 months after I finished--My eyelashes and eyebrows fell out during Taxol....It also has left me with the periferal neuropathy thing--Meaning that I have some days when I have to walk with a cane because I can't feel my feet at all and balance is difficult--or I can feel them all too well and they hurt so bad that I have to take Tylenol or worse actual prescription pain killers. Or today they just tingle and I forget about it till the next time. But the Taxol along with the other toxic stuff I let them put in me also brought NED into my life so I've learned to adapt to the changed ME. Well, enough gloom and doom--I feel great today so I guess we're all living proof that a body can live thru chemo and come out smiling on the other side. I'm watching Will on Big Brother be a pill in the mirror that sits on my desk because the TV is behind me so I think I'll sign off and watch the rest of the show actually looking at the TV. Hope you all had a great Tuesday. Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

PJB · August 2006

Nancy Lee,
Have you tried the L-glutamine/b6 thing for the neuropathy. I really thought it helped some during Taxotere. Or, maybe it was in my mind....

I've got a whole unopened, still sealed thing of glutamine if you want it. It's pretty expensive.

Let me know,
Paula

janie44 · August 2006

NancyLee, you must live under Murphy's law. PJ's right the L-glutamine/b6 is good stuff. A nurse practitioner at Mayo swore by it and I tried it.

mary1220 · August 2006

Well I just wrote a novel and it went to ciberland. P.J. yea, Dr. thinks it is sinus and allergeries. I stopped thyroid a month ago and I have bottomed out so they are checking it and going to put me back on meds. P.J. What does it feel like to have a remodeling project go smoothly and actually get finished? I will never have the joy of knowing. Janie, you go girlfriend. You are never too old to love or companionize. We may not have perfect bods but who does? We have a sense of humor. Has anyone noticed stuck-stare eyes since chemo? There is this cop that lives next door and he is soo ripped, my Lord what a body and every time I get ready to walk out the door to work in my yard he is out mowing. It is like we just get the urge to work at the same time, go figure. Oh yea the eyes, anyhow, it seems when I am working out in my flowers my eyes get this stuck and stare position going on and I stare at the neighbor guy. I know....it is difficult to get my eyes out of the fixed glazed stare and I have to suffer watching this youg man walk back and forth with those muscles glissening in the sunlight right in front of me. Oh, it is so awful and after like 15,or 20 minutes my eyes pop back in my head and are o.k. so I wondered if it was a side affect from the chemo. Yea, probably so, I think I have read about the eyes having problems. I will continue to go out while he mows and monitor the problem. Nancy Lee, you are a go getter. It is really nice to have you back and doing so well. I think Rene is busy with her business, she will check in. Goodnight girls, Mary

dino · August 2006

Hello, I want to thank you for your responses about taxol. I am still feeling fine after my second taxol. Last time the aches and pains started on Wed so I have that to look forward to. I have a friend bringing dinner tomorrow so that will help. The doctor tried assuring me that it won't be much worse than the first time. Knock on wood! I didn't sleep last night so I am feeling tired now. Hopefully a good night's sleep awaits me. That is one area I've had a lot of trouble with. My poor husband has to put up with me tossing and turning all night. He's a good sport though. Hope everyone is doing well.
Dino

PJB · August 2006

Dino, do you use ambien or anything when you can't sleep? It's hard to feel good if you don't get enough sleep.

Hey, Mary, get this: the guy who textured my walls (in my kitchen) sent us a thank you card! how wild is that? of course, he was no looker like your mow-man. but the floor guy who'll be here in a few weeks looks pretty darn good for 48.

janie, more dates yet?

later girls. overseeing homework. slowly.....

paula

dino · August 2006

PBJ, The doctor did give me ambien but so far I have been afraid to take it. I don't want or need anymore side effects. The taxol effects have started. It seem even my teeth hurt. I am going to bed early tonight. As in right now!! The boys start school tomorrow. One is off to middle school- 7th grade and the other is starting 6th grade. Time sure does fly. I remember the first day of kindergarten so clearly. They are both excited. Let's see how long that lasts once they start getting the homework.
Have a great night.
Dino

PJB · August 2006

Hope you get some sleep. I, too, only take Ambien when i'm REALLY desperate. I take one and it does the trick. I do usually feel a little bit loopy the next day. Good luck. Hope the kids do well at school on the 1st day.

Paula

mary1220 · August 2006

Dino, I had a lot of pain with the Taxol but it got better in a couple days and it never got any worse than the first dose. I went back to work on Taxol but did have to skip a day or 2 at after treatment but took tylenol or darvocet for the pain the first couple days. It felt like I was getting the flu and ached all over especially my bones. Your teeth will take a beating along with your nails. I felt better the farther away from A/C I got. The steriods make you not sleep for a night and make you a little hypper but it wears off in a day and then you are tired. Your sleeping patterns will change a little but they should get better soon. You sleep after treatment then you can't sleep and you get hot flashes something awful. Its a whole new world but you are almost done. Rads. were a snap for me. P.J. my guy is like 27 maybe. He looks like a Abacrombie and Fitch guy. Gotta go Mary

NancyLee13 · August 2006

My cousin picked me up at the daycare yesterday afternoon and took me to Lockwood to recover my jeep. YAY!!! I got my wheels back!!! There was probably 25 miles of road construction where you have to drive 35 MPH because they put ridges in it and it's very hard to drive straight and they have flag men every 5 miles who stop you for an undetermined amount of time to let trucks pass by. Then it got dark on me and I don't see all that great in the dark and there were literally hundreds of deer on the sides of the road. Some had the most beautiful horns--I hope they all stayed in the ditches after I went by because there was lots of truck traffic and I'd hate to think any of them didn't make it through the night. Anyhow, I got home at 1 am and didn't go to sleep until 3. I take AmbienCR when I can't sleep. It doesn't have all the dreadful side effects that they talk about--at least for me. I get 7 or 8 hours of really good sleep and I don't wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep. I was a major insomniac before the steroids and they really kicked it into high gear. I still have trouble sleeping a lot of the time. PJ--I took the gluclosomine for awhile and I thought it was worthless. It didn't help me at all. I can't swallow pills very easily and those things are big and they stick in your throat. I had to get chewy calcium for that very same reason and I take liquid vitamins so I don't have to swallow a huge pill. My mom always said it was all in my mind thinking I can't swallow big pills, but even if it is--I can't swallow them. Thankfully Bendryl is a tiny pill and so is AmbienCR. I'm waiting for my lease guy to come pick me up and give me a ride into town. I left my pickup in at the daycare yesterday and I'm going to drive it back home. Can you believe it's almost September? My how time flies when you're having fun!!! Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

PJB · August 2006

Nancy, this isn't glucosamine, it's L-glutamine. Is it the same thing? And it's a powder you mix into your drink. I usually mixed it into juice.

I have to say, you have to go through SO much just getting back and forth out there in your bit of paradise. But sounds like the beauty of the place probably makes up for it.

Glad you've got wheels back.

How's Mary? Feeling better?

Hey Janie!

Paula

PJB · August 2006

OK, Nancy Lee. I did a quick google search on the two and they appear to be two different kinds of amino acids one having something to do with sugar and the other protein (the L-glutamine). (I wish I remembered more of my biology) Might be worth a try, but also take b6 (3x100 mg). That's what my onc said anyway. And I really think it helped a bit on the Taxotere.

Later girls,
Paula

For those starting chemo in June

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