Starting Chemo in April 2014
Comments
-
Good Morning Ladies! And Happy National Coffee Day! How thankful am I that I can celebrate it now. lol!
Hair. I took some photos. APPARENTLY I was mistaken in how much (or rather, how little) I have. It's super thin and soft, but there's lots of it. In the BACK. On top I look like I I have male pattern baldness. Sheesh.
Also there's A LOT of grey in there. So maybe that's why it looks like Grandpa's hair? Here's hoping that one day soon I'll have enough length for a comb-over.
-
You are a riot, cold! I called my husband over to compare my head to yours and he said that we're almost identical, Today is 10 weeks PFC for me. I only had the 5 infusions though, We're close to going "topless" eh? A few more weeks?
-
Oh Coffee! How glad I am that it tastes right and doesn't make me want to puke anymore
-
-
Cold - Good for You!!! Looks like you're coming back strong.
Mine is filling in a little, but definitely a long ways to go. From earlier today:
-
Sharon, Good for you being in Orlando! We fly there soon with our DIL and 5 & 3 year old granddaughters to join our son who will be wrapping up a business trip. It will be such a treat to watch them with the princesses! I love the freedom I now have since I finished daily rads last week. Going to the beach for a few days soon and had a fantastic time on a church retreat in the mountains this past weekend. Freedom. How sweet it is!!Cold, Hair growth looking good! I used to love my morning coffee so much. Taste buds for coffee still off even though last chemo was July 24. Ugh. I'm still trying to love it again though.
-
We all look like we go to the same hair dresser LOL. At least we are getting some back!! Mine looks alot like yours Cold - only I think you have a little more length - but we have the same male pattern baldness.
I never lost my enjoyment of coffee - but I still can't eat anything that has a smokey flavor - which is ok cause most of that isn't good for us anyway. Other things still taste a little off or different but not necessary bad.
-
Wow, what a boost to see you all with the new growth! I was whining about my hair being slow to grow back, but mostly I just needed to see some comrades who had been thru chemo recently. For us, its normal I guess. Orlando looks mighty nice, Sharon! And CinC, you look grand, all smiles despite the work you did to get thru all this. Go, team, go!
-
Happy coffee day! It's nice being able to drink it once more. It tasted so bad during chemo! My hair is about half of what Cold has. But it's nice that it's coming back finally.
-
Hi all,
Been awhile since I was on here. Looks like I've missed a lot! I'm envious of the hair growth I'm seeing on you ladies. Mine is still more like peach fuzz...and mostly white! The back is coming in grey. What happened to my brown hair???? Also I have the male pattern baldness thing going on too. The top of my head still shines. Ugh. I need some miracle grow for hair!
I'm 4 weeks PFC and finally starting to feel better. My chemo brain is clearing up some and I actually have some bursts of energy every day! My heart rate has finally gone down to an acceptable level. It was 78 at the dr's this week! I'm also not napping as much. But my neuropathy is still bad. But I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I've only had 3 rads, so hoping to have minimal SE's with those. I'm just wanting to feel like I can do anything I want to again. And I'm working on getting rid of these extra pounds I picked up during chemo.
Wishing you all well, lilyrose
-
lilyrose - At 4 weeks PFC my hair was COMPLETELY WHITE too. All you could really see was scalp, and I was more than a little freaked out about it. But over the past 6 weeks, the darker shade is coming in. SLOWLY. Here's hoping the same thing will happen for you.
As for the weight loss, I found mine started when I STOPPED exercising so much. Seriously. Turns out that most of my weight gain was actually WATER, and the more I exercised, the more I would swell. Once I slowed down a bit (1 day of exercise, then 1 or 2 days OFF with my feet up), the pounds started coming off. I've officially lost about 14 pounds of WATER, and still have about 4 pounds to lose. I think these last few pounds are actual WEIGHT, and not so much water, so it's taking longer. But whatever. I can fit back into some of my pants now, so YAY for progress!
Sharon - we're heading to Orlando in December for a post-chemo family celebration. Can't wait! You look FAB, by the way. I was thinking I would be wearing a hat the whole time I'm there, but you have inspired me - Disney will be done Topless.
-
Hello all. It's been a while since I've been on here. I too have been busy living life and trying to stop thinking about cancer for a bit. My hair growth is about the same as everyone else's on here. It's coming in but still not fast enough for me.
Glad to hear everyone is doing well. I will be having surgery in Oct. and getting my TE placed. I'm concerned about the pain and being uncomfortable, but also excited to get this part started. -
Nothing PROFOUND, but definitely worth a giggle. Happy Wednesday Ladies!
-
Cold - December in Orlando should be perfect. It is hotter, with more humidity and rain than usual in September. We are having fun, just pacing ourselves and staying in while it rains in the afternoon. You'll definitely be ready to go topless - I'd say wear a hat for sun protection, and remove it to cool off.
Lilyrose - You sound better than I was doing at 4 weeks PFC. It will get better. It took me a full two months, and I'm still a bit fatigued.
Nancybel - Good luck with your TE surgery.
-
Cold, It is comforting to know that I'm not the only one with white hair. I hope yours gets back to normal color. The weight loss thing is slow. I've only lost seven pounds. I need to lose another ten just to get back to pre chemo weight. But my waist has expanded to a ridiculous size! I need to do a LOT more walking to help that. Glad to hear you are planning a family vacation!
Sharon, You look great 'topless'. So happy that you had a little getaway with your hubby! I hope your fatigue is subsiding. I'm feeling a lot better, but I'm not nearly back to normal. Now that im doing rads, I worry that the fatigue will get worse again. Are you heading back up to Maine? It's so beautiful there in the fall.
Good luck to those of you facing surgery. Wishing you all well, lilyrose
-
My weight is not budging! I am getting pretty frustrated but will just keep trying
I didn't get into a cancer patient retreat I applied for
Originally they said you could go as long as you weren't getting chemo, but now they added radiation onto it. I was really counting on it to somehow get my husband and I to actually talk about our feelings about all this, and kickstart the post chemo active lifestyle. He is wonderful but we are a little disconnected at the moment. My parents had even planned to come watch our daughter and hubby got the time off of work. It felt like the one good thing about this cancer business. And now I can't stop crying. I have cried about it more than I did about getting cancer. My poor husband says we should just go away anyway. But we can't really afford it, and we won't get the personalized fitness and meal plans, or beautiful healthy food. I know I had counted my chickens but the organizer had been emailing me tonnes and I felt like a shoe-in. I feel silly that this is affecting me so much. But you beautiful ladies will get it. HUGS! Lol.... and our hot water heater has died so no warm bath to calm me down
Grr... I feel like I should say something happy to balance this out.. I know, I got a foot rub from hubby WITHOUT asking last night. And I could feel 3 toes.... so there is hope that the neuropathy will reverse
-
Clarn, I'm so so sorry about the retreat. I understand the disappointment. It was a ray of sun in a sea of clouds and it was taken from you. If you can manage to get away for a night to a nice B&B (always less expensive on a week night), that might help. Stay strong and hope the neuropathy goes away!
-
I also have not lost any of the weight I gained since my diagnosis. Even after the BMX (come on, that should have been good for a couple pounds!). To add insult to injury, I still have two drainage tubes/bulbs and hiding them under my tops makes me look *even wider* than I really am. The hair is slowly growing in, but like everyone else, it's just gray and white.
-
Hi Ladies! It's been forever since I've been on the board, and it was nice reading through all the posts I've missed. You all look wonderful...and yes, it does appear we all go to the same hairdresser...lol! I was truly hoping I'd be one of those gals with thick and luxurious locks growing in by the first month PFC, but I'm nowhere near going topless at 10 weeks PFC. Patience is a virtue, no? I'm short on that virtue right now, but it helps to see all your beautiful smiles
I completed radiation last week, and seem to be healing well. I'm still so very, very tired all the time. I'm thankful all my kids are in school and I can rest when they aren't home. All the things I usually get done at home is not getting done! I feel like I should be doing more...but a dear friend of mine (who is a ten year BC survivor!) told me I need to stop "should-ing" on my self and give myself a year to recuperate from all this. Sounds like good advice to me
I am still suffering from hot flashes...at least a dozen a day. They are almost debilitating, as I feel like I cannot go out as often as I'd like and I cannot get anything done while I am drenched in sweat. I was prescribed Effexor for relief, but it make me violently ill, so I quit taking it. Then I started taking the supplement black cohosh, which was only mildly effective. However, my MO told me I must stop taking it immediately, as he feels it is not a safe supplement for a breast cancer patient. So...looks like I'm looking forward to winter for the first time in my life...the cool temps have to bring at least a little relief, right?
I was also given a prescription for Tamoxifen. I dread taking it. I haven't filled it yet, as I feel so nervous about the side effects. Even more hotflashes? Hair loss? Ugh...just when I thought the worst was behind me, Tamoxifen takes the worst of it and sentences me to five more years of it. Just doesn't seem fair.
But, I must say that I am happy to have a break from all the appointments. I actually have full days of just being me, with no thoughts of chemo or radiation or driving to appointments. I think once I can go without a hat or scarf, I'll truly feel like me again.
Wishing you all a wonderful day!
-
We've been through so much, we have to give ourselves a break. A friend of mine keeps asking me if I have started volunteering again. I felt so guilty! Defensive! I'm just starting to pick up normal, daily activities. I can go to the supermarket, yay! I can go to the library, yay! I just did the dishes and put up dinner, double yay! So what is up with these people? They seem to think that if they see you doing a lot you are OK again. Well, one step at a time. I will volunteer again when it does not feel like an ordeal! Yes, have to get the "shoulds" out of our minds. Everything will get done when we have the strength to do them. When we feel bored and restless because there is some energy in our bodies. Until then, we have to trust our instincts.
-
Hello Ladies,
I'm happy to see you all surfacing back to life. A word about hair - You all look like cute little baby chicks with that soft hair. The next stage when it gets longer feels like the 'mad professor' look which was tough to deal with. I ventured into my teenage daughters room during this stage to search for hair products and found one called Not Your Mother's Beach Babe texturizing sea salt spray. Loved it! Put it on while your hair is wet and do some scrunching and if there's any curl or wave in your hair it will bring it out. I liked it because it wasn't greasy or look like I put a bunch of product in my hair and should push you through to the next length when your hair starts to lay down. I bought my own bottle at Walmart. It comes in a blue & white spray bottle.
Timbuktu - Just WOW! Some people just can't seem to comprehend what you just went thru. Tell her you are taking time to heal first but that you are happy she misses you. As a former multi-tasker & volunteer for everything, I make a goal to get at least one thing done everyday and anything else I consider a bonus. The bottom line is you just got your butt kicked. If there was ever a time you get a pass its now.
Be kind to yourselves!
-
I was going to type Good Morning Ladies, and then realized it's already afternoon. HA! And I though chemo brain was a thing of the past.
SO, Good afternoon Ladies, and Happy-It's-Almost-The-Weekend!
LovieLovie - THANK YOU for popping in here and offering us your wisdom and support! I know we all appreciate it (and you) tremendously.
clarrn - I am SO SORRY about the retreat. I know how much you were looking forward to it. And it really, really SUCKS that you don't get some away time with your husband. Sending you a big virtual hug.
swissmiss - YES to the hot flashes! Mine are slowly subsiding, but I still get them several times during the day and at night. The night ones are awful - who can sleep when your body is ON FIRE?
timbuktu - Isn't it funny how, once we finish chemo, the support pulls back and everyone assumes that we're back to "normal"? And even WE think we should be, and then we try to do a whole bunch of stuff we're not ready for, and THEN? Then we sleep for a week to recuperate.
I plead guilty to overdoing it every day. After a few days, I wake up to feeling like I did today: EXHAUSTED. I seriously contemplated staying in bed all day. I feel like we constantly have to remind ourselves to take it easy - which is like a foreign concept to most of us, right? If we curl up on the couch with a book, or take a 2-hour nap, or indulge in an afternoon movie, the GUILT starts to seep in, and that little voice in our head whispers "Lazy...". It's like we have to completely re-program the way we think about things. Taking care of ourselves IS okay, and NECESSARY.
In other news, tomorrow I'm going Foob shopping! I haven't decided on reconstruction yet, so this is an external prosthetic I'm looking at, and I am SUPER excited. The knitted one I've been wearing is lovely, but it moves around a lot, so...well, YOU know how that can be a problem.
-
cold- are those EYEBROWS I see? If so, lucky you.
We all have the same hairdresser - or should I say barber- soft fuzzy chick hair here about 3/4 inch long, but too thin to go topless. Have been wearing baseball cap to gym.
That's right- the gym! Energy is almost all back. The weight is a long hard road to get off. I gained about 10 lbs during chemo- noticeable on my short frame. Lost 4 lbs since gym started up again, but last few lbs not budging. I'm chalking it up to chemo induced menopause. Grrr
My kingdom for some eyebrows- anyone else still lacking? Eyelashes trying hard- lots of short stubbly ones. But I'm really tired of penciling them in. I am about 4.5 weeks pfc.
Clarrn - I'm so sorry you didn't get that trip. You sure deserve one. I'm pretty sensitive myself- at dinner last night my daughter pointed out I had penciled in angry eyebrows (I'm so bad at the eyebrow thing). I burst into tears because it just captured the whole indignity of this cancer shit. Just have to chalk up some things to having a bad day and move on.
Hope you are all very, very, very well!
Sandra
-
Eyebrows? What are those?
At 7 weeks PFC, mine are still mostly penciled in, although I do see some short stubbles coming in slowly. Eyelashes haven't started coming back yet, though! -
hi all,
I am in the same boat as the rest of you. Grey hair but it is getting softer as it fills in. Swiss miss, yes on hot flashes and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but they became daily for me with the tamoxifen. Other than not losing weight, it is my only side effect....silver lining? Eyebrows? What are they? Lashes are still about 1/4 of their pre-chemo luster. I am having brow envy looking at Cold's brows:-)
Decided for the month of October I am showing up to work in my suit and a scarf instead of my wigs on Friday. My little tribute to BC awareness.
It is confirmed I will be joining several of you on the fall rads board. Giving this beast the 1-2-3 punch.
Clarrn, so sorry to hear about your retreat. I understand the need to get away. I am sooooo ready for a retreat away from the house with my DH!
-
hello ladies. I just realized that I am 5 weeks and 2 days PFC and I am feeling okay. I am more than half way thru rads (14 out of 26) and hen I will get 7 boost which made me happy to know. Rads is still making me grumpy and having my appointment at 7:15 is making me more tired. In addition to rads I still get herceptin and I have been working like crazy. Getting back to work makes me feel better but wearing the wig is getting very old quickly. I had a friend t,ell me she loved my hair and when I said thanks you can have it to for $300 bucks she thought I got a haircut for $300. It was kinda funny in a way. I still need to come out on Facebook a both my diagnosis. I know that I don't have to but I have decide that I am ready and I think that it would kill any rumors that people have heard.
Now about my hair. Grrrrrrrr I feel fuzzy but no real hair growth yet just a ton of fuzz and more rogue curly hairs all with no color what so ever. My eye lashes and eye brows have left.
. They eyebrows are coming back white also so maybe I am going to have white hair. At this point I don't care it just needs to start growing because I am getting cold. -
Thanks for all the support! I am definitely feeling better because of you all. So grateful that you all just get it and don't make me feel like I'm upset about nothing. I got a email from the retreat organizer and she wants to get together with me to discuss the possibility of having me as the medical part of the board. Lol. I should tell her I will only volunteer if I get to go
But honestly, it is something that I would love to be involved with. My radiation was supposed to start today but my incision opened up again, so I get break until after Thanksgiving
(Oh Canadian, so Oct 14th) I am happy about it as I hope to feel a little bit better and shed some of the weight before then. (But I am eating ice cream as I type this...lol. My hair is growing...little thin at the front but it is an inch long. I feel almost bad about that, but the eyebrows are mostly gone and I am terrible at drawing them on
Glad that slowly but surely we are all making progress. Go team April!
-
Hi Ladies, so I met with the plastic surgeon for the first time yesterday. He tried everything to find some fat on my body that he can possibly use to build the breasts but he could not. He recommended direct implants to me. The only problem is I need radiation after surgery and there is a 50/50 chance of the radiation effecting the implant. I don't know what to do but don't think I have much of a choice. Has any one been in this situation? Thank you and I hope every one is feeling well to enjoy a beautiful day! Thank you, VeraAnn
-
Have you all filled out that survey about the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaigns? I am so curious about the results but I think only 160ish people have filled it out yet. The mods have posted it on a few threads, but if you search pinktober survey it should come up somewhere.
-
funclassygal- I was told the same thing with my local PS but I went to the center for breastrestoration and they were able to do a flap. It's worth checking out.
.
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team