Starting Chemo March 2015

Nice to 'meet' you, Molly.

I am so edgy today it is hard to even comprehend what I am reading.

Bekah: I am so glad you are doing better this go around. You look great!

SC: You look great, too. Thanks for posting the pic with you and your son.

I am trying to download pics from my phone but I can't figure out how to do it. Too edgy today to think straight and figure it out.

Having mild bone pain.

Just dropping in from the Sept 2011 chemo thread to offer encouragement!  Boy, NatsFan, I think you and I had a parallel experience.  I did 6x TAC also. 

Yes, there are pluses to bald.  It takes a fast 20 minutes off your "getting cute" time.  If I had to go to the office I wore a wig, but other than that it was ballcaps, and yes those little warm soft hats from the TLC catalog - that's what I wore all the time in the house.  You do not realize how warm your hair keeps your head until ... well, you know. 

Re steroids  ... I took it the day before, the day of, and the day after chemo.  Oh yeah you think you can clean your whole house!   I would feel good enough on chemo day to go to dinner afterwards.  Our son was off to college and it was just me and dear hubby.  It was like a date!  Then neulasta the next day, and and 3-4 awful days.  I would start feeling like myself the week before the next chemo.

The office where I work is like a petri dish.  Everybody drags themselves in sick.  The first time I went to the office after my first treatment, I ended up in the hospital for a week with a wicket sinus infection.  I worked at home after that until chemo was over.  I think I went in for short visits about 5-6 times.  I am very, very lucky to be able to do that.

Everybody's side effects and challenges are different, so deal with them as they come. 

Let people help you!  They want to help, just tell them what to do.  My neighbor checked on my every day when she got home from work.  She would flip a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher, or just sit with me a bit.  She would say "I just need to look at you." 

I will be 4 years out from diagnosis in May.  I wish you all success in your journey.  HUGS!

Debbie

Thanks for checking in Debbie!

Session 2 today. Was famished afterwards and ate a good meal. I just woke up from a sweaty and slight hair shedding nap. I went outside to cool off and today is one of those crazy warm days.Good times.

Little bit about myself...Name...Mary, 49 years old, married. 3 kids . 16 ,14 10. 1 Dog (Chesapeake Bay Retriever) and 2 cats. Currently I work full time. Was a big exerciser before all this hit (crossfit then to a 24 hr gym) and have since quit. I only quit because it seems my gym is a cesspool of bacteria. I got sick every time I went there. Walking and a kettlbells at home for several months.

I'd write more, but just a bit light headed. See you ladies tomorrow.

I love the pictures of everyone with their hats & heads! I'm only 3 days in on cycle one but am starting to think about the whole head issue. I'm in the San Fernando Valley which is part of LA but has its own weather separate from the surrounding areas. It's over 90 today. Summer is routinely high 90s with some years sporting many days over 100. I need to find some nice light breathable hats/scarves.

My name is Eileen, I have 2 grown daughters, currently separated after 24 years (blech), live alone w my cat Boots.

Check-in from the chair: a little less frisky than this morning.

And the winner in the all important port naming contest is........

Pauline!

As in the perils of.

Couldn't sleep last night, broke my promise and bought a pretty cute but pretty cheap pair of earrings. I'll live with it. Then I overslept. Racing around this morning. Put the port numbing cream on ...oh shtttt. Forgot to take the steroids. Getting more and more nervous cuz I'm late and I have an actual appt. With the onc before chemo. Who I love. As I write, he personally came out and stayed monitoring and chatting up a first time infusion patient who had a reaction. .big rash, nausea. He stayed 20 minutes!

Anyways, back to my racing around late. I'm getting more and more spastic, and Jack starts picking up on this and knows I'm leaving, knows I'm upset. I grabbed some treats for him to do a few "tricks" before I left. I had just previously grabbed the two steroid pills with my other hand.

I came "perilously" close to giving the steroids to poor Jack and eating the liver snaps myself!

Made it to my appt only a few minutes late and no spanking. I heard him talking about Hawaii in the hallway and we chatted for a few minutes about trips we both had taken. And I was late! Instead of rushing me, he calmed me. That's the kind of guy he is.

So infusion starts, I show off my new earrings. The lady next to me is nice, but in comes two big loud guys bringing in McDonald's food in 5 disgusting, smelly bags. I had to move. A half hour later, nurse notices my one right earring is gone. We look around, check under the chair, in the chair, in my clothes, and finally even asked the poor lady who took my seat next to the golden arches to get up so nurse could look in and under chair. no luck. I decide that since in i am now standing, to go pee. I give my various layered tops another look and shake and there it was. I could understand if the they got got caught in my boobage crack but my boobs are gone. And good riddance. They. Tried. TO. KILL ME.

and speaking of my MIA book crack, where the H am I supposed to put my cell phone when I shop at Walmart?

So my dear friends, all of THAT is why the port is hereby christened....Pauline

honestly I am already going bald most of the time except at work. My grandson Jack busted me out at pre-school. I showed up in a wig and he said why do you have that funny hair on, take it off. So next trip - do rag it was! Can't argue with kids, they say the truth. I basically bought some cycling caps you wear under a cycling helmet and they are working out great for me. If I need a second layer, I put on a ball cap. And I am at the mangy stage lol. I will have to work on slightly tanning my hair since I have a Mohawk strip where the part of my old hair used to be. Hilarious!

Oh, and I still forget and try to take out my pony tail holder. And I startle myself every time I look in a mirror.

Chemo no. 2 yesterday, and so far haven't had to take any meds except the Claritin and the steroid. Keeping fingers crossed! Eating small bites of stuff routinely seems to do the trick for me.

And I think the icing helped my mouth, it feels way better this time. I can still taste food somewhat.

Best of luck to everyone regarding side effects.

Katy and Theresa, your posts seriously cracked me up! I too have caught myself reaching for my ponytail---oops not there and sometimes I see myself in the mirror and startle myself--who's that?!? I posted about hating my wig, not knowing what to wear the other day and I'm happy to report that I figured out my adjustable wig was too tight. Duh. They helped me adjust it at the shop and it was much better! My head is SO sore to the touch though! I had round 2 of AC one week ago and started feeling "normal" this afternoon. Definetly longer lasting SE this time. I tried Claritin with my Neulasta shot but I didn't notice a difference. I will try again next time though. I have also noticed I am pretty irritable and quite snarky. Which can be funny to me but probably not to those on the receiving end. I am married to my wonderful husband for almost 12 years and we have an 8 year old son. I am almost 38 years wise and I work full time as a high school counselor. We live in Illinois in a suburb of Chicago. I have found a lot of great support here without you all even knowing...so thank you!

Also, someone earlier asked about the port placement. Mine took about two weeks to heal and we named it Bob. Just Bob.

Best of luck to those in the chair this week!

Carrie

Back from the port placement...the actual procedure was fine! I didn't feel a thing and chatted with the team the entire time. I am home now - and the meds have worn off!!!

This stinking thing hurts!!! If I move suddenly, turn a certain way - I want the good stuff they gave me back at the hospital!!! For now...1/2 Vicodin will have to do!

The radiologist said I have a "purple port" and that is how I am to remember it when I am asked...it is some power port...? Anyway still trying to name it -DH said I should name it Barney - as it is purple and annoying!!!

Leigh - I loved CrossFit. Had to quit because of the price and I ended up in the walk-in clinic with a box jump injury. That was a couple weeks after I had a aerial bar flip type (don't ask) "incident" Let's just say I'm accident prone. Switched to a gym and did the wods when possible. My girl friend who is certified instructor is programming for me starting Monday. I'm just bummed because I finally could do pull-ups. We are going light on the cardio because, well I like lifting a LOT more and I tire easily. Exercise for me is for my brain and mood first. The body is second. That's why I cannot stop doing something during this battle.

Welcome to Pauline .. lol. I haven't named my port, I just call myself a borg.

Ladies, I am loving the pictures! I will post a pic of me in the chemo chair later today. The nurse took it because it will be the last time I have hair for awhile.

Like Michele above I have a hard time addressing everyone too. I'm bad with names anymore.

Good Morning all! Another night of insomnia under my belt in spite of everything under the kitchen sink (and a few new ones..I'm desperate!) Yesterday was my birthday (thanks katy and trvler, good note takers!) It took me about 4 hrs to get to work and I was supposed to go to lunch with an old friend. Made it 20 min from the house, pulled over and napped 2 hrs, made it another 30 min and slept for two more hours. I woke up in a food lion parking lot with cars on both side of me and strange looks like "is she alive?" written on their faces. Felt like saying "BOO!" barely.

Made it after numerous calls to the office proclaiming my arrival "shortly." Missed lunch/barely made the bathroom/forgot the Imodium/decided to shop to make sure I could still make poor decisions (I can) and turned around to drive home. DH had a Costco pizza and carrot cake sugary muffins waiting (tried hard to muster enthusiasm) and then tried again to sleep last night.

Anyways,,, you girls made my day once again and I do wish we had a LIKE button!

Diane

Thanks Italychick! I always heard cell phones could cause brain cancer, so why not bc? It will affect the next generation more, and I'll be long gone. I don't shop at Walmart much, but sometimes a compromise is in order. it's such a small area, you just can't get stuff. That's what's turned me into an online shopper.

I'm not sure I could get into Walmart without the requisite cleavage cell. Maybe Pauline could talk us in as a novelty. My bestie hates me to even mention that I ever go. As a liberal Southern Californian, she sees WM as irresponsible corporate avoiders of social responsibility and duty to their employees. The employees I have observed, and even talked to are smilimg, seem to be happy, and are definitely glad to have a job. It's one off the largest employers in the area. And after generations of economic depression, they don't hope or expect much.

I don't know how or why I gotinto this, it is not relevant to bc or chemotherapy, except that, as another wise sister here has said, BC has definitely softened my edges. I am more likely to be able to at least comprehend both sides of the issues than I was before. And not think that my belligerent opinion will do much to solve the issue. I try to listen more and speak less. That is in person. Writing to poor discussion board hostages seem to embolden me to new heights.

So it's almost 3:30am, and haven't yet slept a wink. I feel fine, except having done 9 hours at infusion today, I should be tired, but I've been running at breakneck speed. Steroids. I've taken a few meds, that are not working, so rather than just pour more on, I'll try to be productive, and try not to shop. A tall or order.

I do feel ok so far except for this. The usual dmx pain. Three months now and it hurts all.the.time. Never goes away.

My niece comes from SFO on Monday, 20 years old, for 5 days, and it was all her idea to give up her spring break to help her "chosen" aunt. She's not a blood relative, she's one of my besties's two girls. The other gave up part of her Christmas to come and "do for me" as I was alone and in so much pain after surgery on 12/18. I am very lucky to have them. My own nephews are about the same age, and I didn't hear boo from either on my birthday. I know my young friend and I will have a ball. It won't matter if I feel my best or not. We have talked and have no expectations. Just a couple of tentative lists, of things to do out and about, and tentative things to do around the house, that won't kill me if they don't get done.

I'm really looking forward to it. Just have to get past day 4. That was my worst last time. But I am encouraged, the first time I learned so much, and knowing from listening here, what could happen and how to prepare.

Shaz- can you here at least a weak roar?

Good luck everybody spa-Ing tomorrow. Will be thinking of all.

Katy