Starting Chemo in April 2014

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  • MommyQ
    MommyQ Member Posts: 117
    edited October 2014

    Jaimieh - I am also contemplating coming out on FB, especially since it's BC awareness month (what better timing, right?).

    VeraAnn - I have tissue expanders (TEs) in place and will have them exchanged for silicone implants about 6 months after rads are done. Would that be an option for you?

    I'm attaching a photo of the back of my head, which shows the salt and pepper that's coming in. I'm excited to finally have a little hair, even if it's not much! :) 

    image

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  • MommyQ
    MommyQ Member Posts: 117
    edited October 2014

    clarrn - I found the survey you spoke of and took it. Here is a direct link to the survey, for those interested:

    https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/35JGYCP

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  • Jaimieh
    Jaimieh Member Posts: 2,373
    edited October 2014

    mommy- love the hair. I think your salt will soon be all pepper. :). 

    Clarrn- I hope you incision heals soon. :(. 

    Did I mention TGIF :). no rads for 3 days thanks to an upgrade that is being done at the radiation office. 15 down and praying my skin continues to hold up. 

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  • linda505
    linda505 Member Posts: 847
    edited October 2014

    MommyQ - another person that goes to the same stylist as me.  Last night I was getting ready to go out for dinner and noticed that I actually have a little hair that is lapping over the top of my ears - guess I need a trim LOL

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  • Funclassygal
    Funclassygal Member Posts: 105
    edited October 2014

    Thank You Jaimieh!

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  • Funclassygal
    Funclassygal Member Posts: 105
    edited October 2014

    Hi MommyQ, well he doesn't seem to think I am a candidate for expanders and he doesn't love them either.  So confused!  I have some time to think about it but I just want to make the right decision. Would hate to see the radiation mess up the implant but I understand this is a 50/50 chance that I would have to take.

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  • EverForward
    EverForward Member Posts: 242
    edited October 2014

    My eyebrows are growing back! After this week I think I can stop drawing them on.

    I have another TE fill appointment with my plastic surgeon this afternoon. My drainage is still virtually the same as it was when I came home from the hospital almost four weeks ago. If she says, "Let's wait one more week" I think I might throw something. Anyone have any experience/advice about post-BMX drainage that doesn't decrease? It doesn't seem to matter if I sit on the couch all day or if I go to work or do errands. Each of the two drains still produces 50-60 ml of fluid every 24 hours.

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  • mmtagirl
    mmtagirl Member Posts: 509
    edited October 2014

    Progress, EverForward! My eyebrows are still falling out.  Drains 4 weeks post BMX is a bit unusual but you have not been a usual case thus far.  Wish I had some words of wisdom for you.  Just know that if the doctor was really concerned you would be on a different path.  Hang in there!

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  • Sunshine36
    Sunshine36 Member Posts: 88
    edited October 2014

    Hey ladies ! 

    So far so good! I'm 6 weeks post surgery and am doing and feeling pretty good! I've had 4 fills already I'm each te  (I have 325cc in each te!) And am pleasantly  surprised how nice the girls are looking?  Maybe I'm just so used to seeing  the scars that they don't look scary anymore? 

    Still having herceptin every 3 weeks, and even though it's not really chemo again, it's still very odd when I'm back at the infusion center in the chair! But 30 mins and no more benadryl so it's quick! 

    My port is still annoying as ever,  always uncomfortable and the skin around it and my port scar is always red and irritated. Has been for months - no matter what lotion or cream I try. 

    My hair is really coming in - just about a GI Jane, but a few spots where it's still scalp but I think will be more even soon. I'm 11 weeks post final chemo so I feel like the growth is finally gaining some momentum! My brows are actually great, they began growing back the quickest,  but lashes are taking their sweet Ole time growing back. So strange!! 

    Hope you are all doing and feeling great!!!! Amazing we've all been connected since this thread started in April - it's been one heck of a year ladies. 

    Ever forward - hope you get those drains out!!!!! After mine came out, things got soooooo much easier!!!!

    Mommyq- your hair looks great!!! Very even !!! 

    Xoxo 

    Jen 

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  • EverForward
    EverForward Member Posts: 242
    edited October 2014

    Update: Did another fill yesterday and the PA (I assume that stands for physician's assistant) said she'd take out the drains Thursday regardless. But I'm to revert to T Rex mode (not moving my arms very much) until then. 

    Glad to see we're all moving forward. Maybe not as quickly or as smoothly as we'd like, but we're a lot farther along the path now than we were back in April.

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  • clarrn
    clarrn Member Posts: 557
    edited October 2014

    Everforward-  glad you very those drains out soon!!  And yes,  April does seem like forever ago.  :)  Who knew we were all so strong?  

     Hope everyone can enjoy some beautiful fall weather today! 

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  • Sunshine36
    Sunshine36 Member Posts: 88
    edited October 2014

    ever forward - good news for thurs!!! You'll feel tons better when they come out! 

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  • SharonDe
    SharonDe Member Posts: 222
    edited October 2014

    Happy to read those of you who've had recent surgeries seem to be doing well.

    I can report I've now lost 7 of 10 toenails.  It wasn't  messy, the old ones just popped off when new ones started growing - weird.

    Hair growth was so slow for the first 12 weeks, but picked up momentum recently. I asked for some help for all of us:

    image

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  • mmtagirl
    mmtagirl Member Posts: 509
    edited October 2014

    Sharon, your recent posts just make me smile.  Thank you!

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  • Sunshine36
    Sunshine36 Member Posts: 88
    edited October 2014

    Hey ladies - any of you that are doing just the herceptin for 1yr now that regular chemo is over experiencing joint/muscle pain in hips and legs?  I'm just now noticing it now that all the other Se from chemo have ceased (I think the joint and muscle pain was there all along but I was more focused on the nasty se's I was dealing with during chemo).  Just curious! I read it can be a Se from herceptin and was hoping it wasn't just me! 

    Xoxo 

    Jen 

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  • EverForward
    EverForward Member Posts: 242
    edited October 2014

    Sunshine, I've had two H-only infusions and haven't noticed any SEs. In fact, I'm so happy that my muscles finally feel better and I can walk up stairs without feeling like I just climbed Everest.

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  • Sunshine36
    Sunshine36 Member Posts: 88
    edited October 2014

    ever  - I never had much muscle pain during  chemo so maybe my body is ma king up for lost times lol.  Figures!  

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  • Tinkerbells
    Tinkerbells Member Posts: 211
    edited October 2014

    sunshine- I first noticed hip pain with taxol/herceptin. More on one side than the other. Most of the taxol aches have gone, but hip and leg aches still here. Legs feel mostly heavy and tired, but hips are achey. I'm retaining a little water, too, I think. I report everything to onc- if she is concerned she has not said anything to me! I figured it was taxol- but it makes more sense that it's a se of herceptin!

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  • Tinkerbells
    Tinkerbells Member Posts: 211
    edited October 2014

    Sharon- I love your spirit! Lol!

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  • lilyrose53
    lilyrose53 Member Posts: 216
    edited October 2014

    MommyQ - Your hair is looking great!  Mine is mostly white.  

    Sharon - That photo is hilarious!  You have the best sense of humor!  And your hair is looking good!  You have more than me.  But I just realized this morning that I am starting to grow eyebrows.  Yippee!  Still no eyelashes though.

    Had my port flushed this morning.  Then had rad #10.  My skin is really turning pink.  I'm hoping the emu oil will keep me from burning.  Feeling a little better every day.  I'm now 6 weeks PFC.!

    Wishing you all the best!

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  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Member Posts: 111
    edited October 2014

    Sharon...love your photo!  I think I need a little Disney myself :)

    Have any of you experienced hair growth on your face?  I have longish peach fuzz all over my cheeks and chin...I totally look like my teenage son!  Will this go away on its own, or will I need to start some sort of removal process?  I am afraid to wax or pluck, as I don't want to make the hair come back dark...why or why is this happening?  I guess it's not bad enough that my hair stopped growing at half an inch, now I feel like I have more hair on my face than on top of my head :(

    I started Tamoxifen yesterday...I actually had the bottle sitting on the counter for a week before I psyched myself up enough to take the first dose.  Why is this medicine so scary?  I've read on message boards it causes even more hot flashes and hair loss...ugh.  Anyhow, I decided being bald is better than recurrence, so I'm giving it a try.  Anyone else on Tamoxifen now? 

    Glad to keep up with you all, even six months after we started chemo...wishing you all well!

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  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,906
    edited October 2014

    I have facial hair growing in all the strangest ways.  Under my eye, for instance.  I think my body just got confused.  It's trying to make up for lost time and doesn't know what it's doing.  So I pluck.  I don't think that will make the hair come in stronger.  If anything it might stop it from growing.  Before all of this I overplucked 

    my eyebrows and they became thinner.  Now they are back, fiercer, thicker, longer than ever.

    No hair on my legs yet, which is nice.

    The hair on my head...a little over half an inch and it's just sort of starting to look like a crew cut.

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  • Jaimieh
    Jaimieh Member Posts: 2,373
    edited October 2014

    Jen~ This is my second time on Herceptin and it does cause joint pain.  Not everyone experiences it but I noticed in the last week that I am getting it again :(. 

     

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  • clarrn
    clarrn Member Posts: 557
    edited October 2014

    I waxed mine, and it did not come back dark :) 

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  • Tinkerbells
    Tinkerbells Member Posts: 211
    edited October 2014

    Trina - had very mild pale facial hairs very early PFC - waxed them and nothing since! Lilyrose - hang in there! Rads over soon.  Everforward - I LOATHE drains. I feel you!

    Funclassygal - any particular reason why you are not candidate for expanders? The radiation?  It seems so many of us on BCO have done this.  In the end they decided not to do radiation on me, but originally I was headed for reconstruction first, then rads.

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  • linda505
    linda505 Member Posts: 847
    edited October 2014

    Hair progress update - I think I am developing a faux hawk - hair on top growing faster and straight up LOL

    image

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  • EverForward
    EverForward Member Posts: 242
    edited October 2014

    Here is a link to an absolutely perfect article on a breast cancer survivor's take on Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

    I survived breast cancer, but I hate Breast Cancer Awareness month

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/20...

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  • MameMe
    MameMe Member Posts: 425
    edited October 2014

    Faux hawk! Perfect! Me too. Straight up, like a baby orangutan. 

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  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,906
    edited October 2014

    Me too!

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  • lilyrose53
    lilyrose53 Member Posts: 216
    edited October 2014

    Everforward,  Thanks for the link.  Great article!

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