Starting chemo July 2014

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  • RainDew
    RainDew Member Posts: 305
    edited December 2014

    good mojo coming your way Nancy!!

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  • Puffin2014
    Puffin2014 Member Posts: 961
    edited December 2014

    Nancy: mojo for good blood work is on its way

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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited December 2014

    thanks raindew and puffin - I know it sounds silly, but I really need it lol

    Hugs

    Nancy

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited December 2014

    Nancy --

    JUST. ONE. MORE. TAXOL.

    Super mojo coming your way for decent numbers.

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  • magdalene51
    magdalene51 Member Posts: 2,214
    edited December 2014

    Nancy, my last chemo was postponed, so I hear you.

    Look, hair!

    image

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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited December 2014

    thanks mags and Elaine. Mags congrats on the hair YAY - what a happy feeling. Mine has come back on taxol but it's all white every last strand of it.

    Nancy

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited December 2014

    Mags! Hair! A great picture, as always.

    Nancy,

    My hair started growing again during Taxol as well. It's the same color it was -- a kind of light brown/very dirty blonde. (I used to be blonder in my youth.) It's still not very long, though -- not long enough to ditch the wig!

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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited December 2014

    Shoot then- I knew I was gray but not every single hair on my head boo hoo sniff sniff ha ha

    Nancy

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  • knmtwins
    knmtwins Member Posts: 598
    edited December 2014

    Nancy - Mojo coming and how odd, you had hair on Taxol? I thought we lost our hair from any of the taxanes, not just Taxetere. Oh well, what do I know. I don't see any hair starting yet, but I didn't shave my head, just cut it to 1 - 2", so I have little baby hair wispies the whole time. Maybe there is some stubble hiding in there. I sure hope so. Funny, instead of all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, many of us will say, cancer free and hair. This time last year I was probably complaining about how long it took to dry that butt lengthed thick hair. I've tried not to grieve it, but now that I'm 'cancer free', I must admit, I do miss it. I try to look on the bright side, now when a hot flash strikes, I can take my hat off. If I had hair I couldn't do that... but deep down... I really miss it.

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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited December 2014

    knmtwins how are you feeling? I hope you are doing well. Thanks for the mojo. I think for some your hair starts to grow on taxol because it is a weekly low dose. I have heard of others like Elaine having it grow back too. Too bad mine is all white humph. I have zip for eyebrows and eyelashes *sigh*

    Merry Christmas to all

    Nancy

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  • CoyoteNV
    CoyoteNV Member Posts: 575
    edited December 2014

    The return of hair has begun, but it is 1/4" and few and far between.  Not at all photo worthy.  It is soft and not prickly, so that is nice. 

    Mojo to you Nancy. 

    Merry Christmas to All.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited December 2014

    Coyote -- my new hair is soft and kind-of fluffy, too!

    Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas to all!

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  • JenKay2001
    JenKay2001 Member Posts: 119
    edited December 2014

    Just had my implant exchange surgery yesterday. I'm in a lot (!)of pain but so far everything looks good!

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited December 2014

    Yay, JenKay! Hope your recovery goes well, and that things continue to go well. Also, hope you have access to some of decent painkillers......

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  • CoyoteNV
    CoyoteNV Member Posts: 575
    edited December 2014

    JenKay - If I recall correctly, the pain of the exchange actually diminishes fairly quickly.  Maybe its the memory of it :) Hope It is true for you.

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  • magdalene51
    magdalene51 Member Posts: 2,214
    edited December 2014

    Just an update. Seems rads will be a ways off.

    I called the RO on Tuesday and talked to the tech. I told her I was not going to go ahead with rads because I couldn't handle the pain in my shoulder. It is still hurting a week after the trial run. She said the RO wasn't in but would call me the next day. The RO called Wednesday and told me in no uncertain terms that radiation is not optional with the aggressive nature of my cancer, and the positioning also cannot be adjusted in order to get the correct exposure. She then suggested treating the pain with Motrin (tried it) flexeril (already take it) and narcotics (I don't want to spend 6 weeks stoned). Her final option is a pain specialist. I agreed to try though I am not optimistic. My appointment is January 6th, all the way across town.

    Next week I have a PET scan on Tuesday followed by MO appointment on Wednesday. I will tell him that I can't do radiation with my shoulder like this, and I really don't want any more surgery but orthopedic specialist says there's nothing that will fix it short of complete shoulder replacement. I've known that for years. I have had 2 surgeries on it already, because the bone spurs slice through the rotator cuff tendon.

    DH is not happy with me about all this, at all. I'm just a stubborn broad who's tired of being in pain.

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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited December 2014

    oh mags I really am sorry the pain in your shoulder is so bad that you may not do radiation. I hope the pain specialist can do something for you. I too want you to have the radiation, but I do understand the pain. I will be thinking of you.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited December 2014

    Mags -- I don't blame you at all for thinking about foregoing rads. It sounds as though your pre-existing shoulder issues would make rads a form of torture. You're ER+/PR+ -- will you be doing hormonal therapy? If you agree to do that, does that significantly reduce your chances of recurrence? Maybe, if you can point that out to DH, he'll feel better about you foregoing rads. Of course, if the pain specialist has some great ideas that will help you get through rads, that would be good, too. I guess everything's worth a try.

    My RO is pretty old-school and aggressive, too. He wants the surgeon to take out all of the Level 1 and Level 2 lymph nodes, just to be sure. I can see lymphedema in my future, eh? Oh well; we shall see.

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  • knmtwins
    knmtwins Member Posts: 598
    edited December 2014

    Mags - my fingers are crossed for the pain specialist. Also, what about acupuncture? Sometimes going a little to the East can help, as it brings in different thinking. I did it when we were going through IVF and got pg the 1st time. Was it that, who knows, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

    This is all because of that node they couldn't get to, is that right? Are there other radiation places in town? Might they do it slightly differently? Have you called your orthopedist or PT person, to see if they might have any ideas? What about a chiropractor, might they have suggestions? I know many times I have wondered if I had to hit the cancer with a sledge hammer or if a normal hammer would have done the trick, but with a 7 - year-old and two 10 year-olds, I figured if they were pointing me towards a sledge hammer, if I switched it to a hammer and it didn't work, I'd always wonder. Oh, I so hate cancer and the decisions it makes us chose. Sending love, happy thoughts, prayers and whatever it is that crystals put off, oh I think it is positive energy.

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  • pinkninja9560
    pinkninja9560 Member Posts: 238
    edited December 2014

    It just took me a half an hour to get caught up with everyone. Praying for you all who are continuing with chemo and rads and it will get better. I just had bmx with te's on dec 10 and I'm still in pain and frustrated that I can't do everything I want to yet but my path report came back cancer free so I am most grateful.

    I thought it would never end but it will. I had my last chemo Oct 29 and my hair is starting to grow back and I actually have underarm hair and my mustache is coming back to!!! Never thought I'd get excited about that!

    image

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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited December 2014

    hi pinkninja - so happy you checked in. Glad your BMX went well and your path was cancer free HOORAY. Your hair is coming back nicely. Mine started to come back even though I am still doing weekly taxol(last one on Tuesday), but it's all white - snort. I guess I was in denial that I had so much gray. I'm not that old either (52) Humph lol. Guess I will be wearing my wig for a while - it looks like how I used to. Phooey on this white stuff.

    I hope that very soon you can do everything you want. You deserve it - heck we all do

    Hugs

    Nancy

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  • AJ62
    AJ62 Member Posts: 56
    edited December 2014

    Nancy -- I am sending you lots of good vibes!!!

    I am 52 as well and I right now have white fuzzy hair coming in. I say the Chemo scared my brunette hair white! I have bald patches and sprigley hair all over, about an inch long.

    Thats a nice pic Pinkninja ! YAY for the cancer FREE! Awesome words to hear for sure!

    I look sick in my photos or I would show them. Maybe I will get a good pic of my hair growing on a side shot.


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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited December 2014

    AJ maybe the taxol has something to do with it. No that can't be true - Elaine's hair is coming back with her color. Drat. I guess time will tell won't it? Hope you are doing well after your masectomy.

    Nancy

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited December 2014

    Pinkninja!

    Glad to hear from you. Congrats on your path report! I hope I'm as lucky, and that your recovery becomes more pain-free soon.

    AJ62 and Nancy -- who knows why our hair comes back the way it does? I've heard some people's hair comes back curly when it was previously straight. (Mine will probably be stick-straight and fine as usual.) I even read a sad story about someone who did the carboplatin-taxotere regimen whose hair has never grown back (apparently that happens to a very small percentage of CT ladies). I'm just happy that I'll have something, some day. More importantly, I WANT MY EYELASHES AND EYEBROWS BACK. I can live with the wig, but my pencilled in lines and false eyelashes look phony, phony, phony.

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  • pinkninja9560
    pinkninja9560 Member Posts: 238
    edited December 2014

    My hubby had the nerve to tell me today, "I can see your mustache again! It's starting to grow back!" Um, thanks babe. It was funny though. I have about 5 eyelashes on one lid and 6 on the other one, I can't wait till those come back. I've been wearing a lot more darker eye shadows and eyeliners and you can't tell too bad. Also wearing crazy hats make people look at your head and distract them from not having eyebrows or lashes

    image


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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited December 2014

    You are so cute pinkninja. Love the hat lol. I've been doing the eyeliner/shadow thing too. It does help a lot. You look great. Oh and my hubby would tell me the same thing about the mustache growing back - then he would snicker - such a brat

    Nancy

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  • CoyoteNV
    CoyoteNV Member Posts: 575
    edited December 2014

    That carboplatin/taxotere hair thing is definitely something I did NOT want to hear. Oh please, I don't want to be bald forever.  I did that combo and my hair growth is definitely stunted.  It is extremely sparse and about 1/4 inch long.  It's white, but it was white when it fell off.  There are no eyelashes but my eyebrows didn't all come out for some reason. I had to come back and edit this.... I'm getting hair growth on my chin. There is hope for my head.

     I'm happy all of you are doing well! 

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  • AJ62
    AJ62 Member Posts: 56
    edited December 2014

    Love the hat PinkNinja !!! Too cute!

    Here is a pic of my hair growth... I say the Chemo scared my hair and its coming in white!!

    image

    image\

    Here is me after I shaved my head.. I miss my brunette hair!

    image

    I had gray hair before but lords! This is a bit much! I was born blonde and when I was 5 or 6 yrs old my hair got sandy colored and darker... and of course got some gray hair as I got older but to see this fuzzy white hair? Hurry up I say to the brunette... I miss my eyebrows and eyelashes as well. *Sigh*

    My 10 yr old son has informed me as well that my mustache is growing back too ! How observant my son! LOL

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  • pinkninja9560
    pinkninja9560 Member Posts: 238
    edited December 2014

    I hav a ton of hats and I love wearing them. Here's a few and yes I actually go shopping out in public with them!

    image

    This one is a football team, Jacksonville Jaguars, I just liked it cause it has a gianormous jaguar on top of my head wearing black sunglasses.

    image

    Love this one for obvious reasons, it's pink!

    image

    This is my sock monkey hat and my mother, she loves my hats

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  • Puffin2014
    Puffin2014 Member Posts: 961
    edited December 2014

    I went to family Christmas without my wig. I miss my former hair color too, not ready to be grey.

    image

    image

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