Starting Chemo March 2015

oh, Michele! So very sorry foranother hospital stay. I hope you are on your way out of the woods now. I will be thinking of you and look forward to hearing from you again soon. A warm hug on its way. Katy.

E- so very sorry about today. There's never a good time for it. Thinking of you. Big hug.

Good morning everyone and Happy Easter. I wish everyone peace and love today. Thank you all for your support and kind words, it means a lot to me. So far my chemo is going well. I am thankful I am not having many side effects and my port is working great. I am still in school and able to attend classes even on the same day as chemo. The only side effect so far that I have had been fatigue, but I realize there are many causes for that as well. I wish everyone the best and hope you all have a great holiday. I am on my fourth dose Tuesday, when did everyone start losing hair? I am just getting the paclitaxel right now.

Cathy

Cathy, you and I both get our Taxol on Tuesdays. I am two weeks ahead of you, so this Tuesday will be my 6th; I'll be halfway through it, yay. I can't help you with the hair question. I'm doing cold caps like Wpmoon, trying to save my hair. I am shedding a little, it started a week ago, but most of it is so far hanging on.

Happy Easter to all. May your Sunday by side effect free.

hello ladies- I have just been diagnosed, I believe chemo and a port are in my future and will know more one I see the oncologist on Tuesday- it's just comforting to be here , read your posts and those of the veterans and know I am not alone- hope you don't mind me popping in here to chat:)

and BB! My how time flies! I still remember your first morning so well. Congrats on this milestone.

You are very strong, and I admire your fortitude

You're beautiful, Diane!

As much as cancer has taken from me, it is a reminder that I am so much more than the sum of my parts. I shaved my hair the week before chemo (TCHP). I started being able to pull out strands on day 15 after my first chemo. I am now 5 days past my second chemo, and I still have a ton of hair sprouts. The hair is barely growing in some spots, but I don't have many actual bald spots still.

Bekah, I have offered to let every woman that I know the chance to feel my tumor. I feel that, if I can save one life by teaching them what to look for in their own exams, this can serve a higher purpose.

I'm still feeling icky today. I can't seem to shake the nausea this time, and I'm so drained from the diarrhea and from not being able to eat/drink much. I didn't have much nausea at all last round. I think that every round brings new and exciting surprises. Still, I'm 1/3 done and charging forward!

Hope you are all having a nice Easter.

Indygal- so sorry you got hit with more nausea this time. I hope you have some good meds to help stabilize that. Try to keep a saltine and some ginger ale down if you can. A gentle hug coming your way. And such a wonderfully generous and smart thing to do to use your own body for on the job training. My tumor wasn't huge, about 1.5-1.6 (but that was after they carved off7 pieces in the USG core needle biopsy), and I couldn't feel it even after I knew it's exact location. Nevertheless, it is important that we use every available tool to identify this monster.

And Bekah, that must have been a huge disappointment to wake up feeling good and looking forward to worshipping with your church family, then BAM! Does not sound fun at all. I'm glad they were there to attend to you quickly and lovingly. I'm sorry it messed up what I'm sure was a special day for you. Thinking of you always.

Karen, I love it. Happy Easter/Passover to all who celebrate,

Hugs xo

I just realized my first post to this thread was on March 7. Not even one month for me and so much has happened! Sharon started this off in early Feb so we've only known each other through cyberspace for less than two months. For all my complaining about too much social media, etc, I'm so grateful this exists for us for right now.  Just sayin I'm grateful.

BB-I don't know if it's related but it seems like some of the most random symptoms have turned out to be connected in some way to the chemo. Maybe it's some kind of over response to what would have been a minor strain. I have Sjogren's disease and it's been difficult to sort out what is related to the BC and what is just worse because of the Sjogren's and chemo. If your MO is good about responding I'd just give them a call on Monday. Doesn't hurt to ask right? 

I gotta believe everything is going to be chemo related in some way.

Shaz: I am so happy to hear you had a good night!

Bekah: I was worried when we hadn't heard from you in a couple of days. I was hoping to hear you were doing well. What a lovely story about you and your daughter.

Kbee: What a wonderful way to turn a - into something fun. You are inspiring!

I still haven't lost a hair yet, but I know after my next visit to the chemo fairy on Tuesday, it won't be long. I have dreams about it just about nightly. I honestly think losing my hair is low on my list of worries right now.

Happy Easter, everyone!

so, I'm scheduled to go to the "look good feel better" shindig tomorrow. It's probably good since being at home alone now for 3 day has me falling down the rabbit hole. When I went for my last blood work they advised me to only go out if absolutely necessary cuz the baby whites were so low.

The weather has been a bit dreary, and except for the short trip to the K-9 field to get Jack some play yesterday, I've been a total non-entity.

Today, against my better judgement, I stupidly watched a very good, well-produced documentary on Oregon's Death With Dignity law. It's called "How To Die in Oregon". I guess I thought since I lived here I should know more about it, and my friend that recently went on hospice (and who is not doing well at all), is planning on availing herself of her rights. It was very good, but I am very stupid. I've been crying off and on all day since. I recommend it, but perhaps not while we are in the middle of chemo and needing all of our wherewithal to deal with that.

So here I am, asking if my friends here will send out a virtual hug to their friend in need. I feel lost and pitiful at the moment. Where is the grace and peace and joy I was feeling only a couple of days ago? And is this just a huge let down after my neice leaving? Is this some unexpected (well, they all are, really) bipolar swing, or all part of processing something that 4 months ago only happened to someone else

Katy,

You've been such a source of comfort and encouragement on this thread, remembering birthdays and spa days, acknowledging all of our fears, celebrating our accomplishments. I know everyone here counts on your words of compassion and wise counsel, but we all know you're going through this too, and have been hit with some particularly shitty SEs and complications. So of course you get a huge hug tonight and every single day until we all come out on the other side of the chemo tunnel. I'm a documentary junkie myself, at least I was until all this happened, now I find myself only watching romantic comedies and sitcoms. I guess my own reality is all I can process right now. I hope tomorrow is less dreary and that you find joy in your birds and your companion Jack. I think some of us are getting hit with the thought that we are really doing this chemo thing, we're right in the thick of it and it's gonna be a long road. We might question if we're strong enough and we're still able to remember back to before our diagnosis and what "normal" was like. That's a lot of heavy stuff intersecting in our fragile psyches and I think many of us are probably due for a really low day. Or two. Or three. Remember you're not alone and you're special to this March group. We're going to see each other through this shitstorm. Got it?

Jackbirdie, here's a virtual hug for you. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to watch the Ken Burns cancer documentary. Do go to the LGFB class tomorrow, and let us know how it went. As for me, my task in the days since round number three have been all about endurance. I went to a surgery consultation on Wednesday, and everyone agrees that I should have further surgery to remove my other Breast. I have a reconstruction/plastic surgery consult in May, and it might be possible to arrange the second mastectomy, and maybe reconstruction, a month or two after my chemo ends in June. On Thursday, I had a needle biopsy of my thyroid, and results should be available in about a week. That was lots of travel for me just after a chemo round, and the nausea and fatigue have increased with each round. Last time, the nausea lifted on Friday afternoon, so I had Friday night, Saturday and Sunday with a more settled tummy before getting back in the chair last Monday. So far, I endure. Only one more AC, and then I move on to paclitaxel.

Gentle hugs