April 2015 Chemo Crew... Starting in April? Please join us!
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Happy Birthday KBEE!!!!!
I've read that the first year after chemo & radiation are the hardest. Because during treatment we are all gung ho on the treatment, SEs, etc.
Then afterwards its like now what? How do I live? What's the new normal??
My last TC is next Friday, then a month off, then 33 rads. Then I'm going to LIVE!
Take care everyone!
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Happy Birthday Karen!!!! We are Gemini sisters - my birthday is a week from today, but I'm seven years older than you. I agree, birthdays are to be celebrated, another year of life. I was grateful for my life and health, but I realize now how much I took it for granted. I have been so emotional lately - I was buying a thank you card in Walgreens and started crying about writing in it - I can't seem to control the emotions when they come. I don't really give a shit anymore, though, I'm bald and crying, so get over it.
Lynne
PS - what are you doing to celebrate? Will you go out? I have plans to go to my favorite Mexican restaurant, we go there so frequently, they know our names and kids names, etc. But, I haven't been there much because I can't drink my favorite margaritas. I am going to have one next week though - but only one, alas, it's not as fun . . . I look forward to the day when it is again.
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KBeee! Happy Birthday!! Glad you're feeling well! In just a few weeks, we will be in such a different place! And you are leading the pack! Enjoy your walk/run!
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KBee, have a spectacular day! We will all celebrate with you....ok, the only cocktail I can have today is chemo, but I'll celebrate in spirit! -
Happy birthday! And I love the SE poems!
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happy birthday kbee!!!
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Happy, Happy Birthday, KBeee!!! And Thank you, Thank you for starting this group!!! -
Happy birthday to you kbeeee!!! Here's to many many more!
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Hey lynne, sorry you feel like crap. I got nothing, but sending good thoughts your way!
Steph! Glad u are feeling better!
Loving the poets among us! More please!
Feeling tired after a 9.5 hr wilderness first aid training for work. Had to laugh at some of the highlights though! Like...the symptoms of rattlesnake bite are the same as for chemo. Then, they said if someone is grey in the face it means shock. Or....as we all know...chemo! IOr...rub their sternum to see if they are responsive. Um...can't feel my sternum after surgery! just told them I have rabies and left it at that.
I think my husband is losing it...between the helicopter crash 2 months ago and my diagnosis...any advice? He seems to be crumbling inside. I wish he would see a therapist or a priest...this has to be so hard on him.
Does anyone find their eating schedule when combined with work interferes with excercise? I have to eat like every hr...protein. running that soon after eating hurts my abused tummy! Any dietary advice?
On the work front...my boss announced a benefit BBQ in my honor during a staff meeeting. It made me tear up because everyone is so sweet, but I also feel super awkward...how to deal with grace? Help?
Toe blisters SUCK! Not infected yet, but painful on 4 toes. Haven't even started taxol! Frrrrrrack!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY KBEE!!! YOU ARE AN AMAZING & STRONG WOMAN!! Hope your day was as wonderful as you are!! Thanks again for bringing us all together & bringing us smiles and laughs throughout this journey.Lynne-I'm with you! I no longer "take for granted" my birthdays (or "worry" about aging as I did when I turned 40). With my 49th bday approaching on Tuesday- I say "BRING IT ON" and screw that "growing old gracefully" crap! I think I might do Mexican and a margarita (my drink of choice) as well!!!
Addie- Your daughter is just precious!!!! Hold them and love them b/c one minute their little people and in a blink they are graduating and off to college (can you tell I'm "struggling" a bit with my oldest approaching HS graduation...lol!!)
Love to all!
Fran
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Thanks for all of the birthday wishes. It was a nice day. most of the day was running kids from place to place. We went out to dinner last night. I had training at the FD tonight and we had ice cream after training for my b day. Then I got home and the 5 fifteen year old boys who were swimming in the pool stopped long enough to come in and sing Happy Birthday and eat apple cobbler (my choice instead of cake). One silver lining to cancer is many long lost friends have found me. It is nice to be in touch again and hear from them, and I heard from many of them today
Fran, Enjoy that margarita on Tuesday. You have earned it! You will have to drink one foe Lynne too; you bith have birthdays next week. Lots of Geminis here!!!
Littleblue, I think this hard on the spouses. I just try to make sure DH has time to just go out with his friends on occasion so he can have some fun and non cancer normalcy. That is awesome that they are doing the BBQ. All you need to do is show up, and say thanks. People feel helpless when those close to them have cancer, etc. They want to help. Allowing them to helps them as much as they are helping you. You will have many years to pay it forward.
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I have become anemic since I began chemo. My MO is not concerned. I am trying to get as much protein as possible; how else can I boost my hemoglobin? Anyone else in this situation?
Lots of June birthdays! This is a celebratory month for sure.
I caught a cold at that kids event I went to on Fri! Grrrrr.... Trying to keep it mild. Littleblue, it is hard on loved ones. I push my husband out the door to chat with some of his friends; but honestly, my friends have been his best support group. I also get my brother to call every couple of days to check in with both of us. It all helps.
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Happy bday kbee!
It's after 1am and i have to leave the house by 7 ... Stupid steroids!
Hoping round 4 side affects are low.. I want to be able to attend a benefit party for a cousins coworker since her cancer is bad and she had no real support system..
Dont know a whole lot.. But besides going to work and shopping and my daughters school... I want to get out!!
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Happy birthday Kbeee! And happy early birthday lovlilynne...my fellow Geminis. I had my 53rd birthday yesterday. Weird, to be spending a birthday bald with a PICC in my arm...but feeling good aside from this cold which I just can't shake. I had a good birthday though...big party on Saturday, and just dinner and a movie with hubby last night.
Today I saw the radiation oncologist for the first time. My last TC is scheduled for July 2, then I will have a month off so I'll start radiation in early August. 28 sessions. I want reconstruction so the radiation will last longer than otherwise so it's not as hard on the skin etc. So I have a referral to a plastic surgeon. Does anyone know how long after radiation reconstruction can take place? I want boobs again.
I see my local MO tomorrow. Well, actually she's a GP who works with the MO here in my little town - but she's excellent. Gearing up for TC #3 next week. *sigh* This too shall pass...
Andrea
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Good luck, ankledolphin!
>It's after 1am and i have to leave the house by 7 ... Stupid steroids! I hear you--it's after 2 AM and I have to get up at 4 to exercise so I can leave at 5:45. I'm choosing to think of it as more time to enjoy the idea of my last chemo.
Happy birthday, AndreaC! I'll be in radiation the morning of my birthday, so I want a really nice lunch after.
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KBee
Happy Birthday KBeee! Im glad and thanks for all the tips on THP.......cant wait to start just to make sure there is no allergic reaction. Have a great and productive day!
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Georgie61
I hope you do well on the DD taxol......That is such a trip and I complain about a 1 hour drive. I surely will rethink that!
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Gingeel
Do you attribute the black nails to AC? I too have the same after AC #3. Do you think we will loose our nails? Mine started at the nail bed but dont seem to be moving down yet! Im just hoping it will disappear as it appeared.....
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Georgie61
I hope you do well on the DD taxol......That is such a trip and I complain about a 1 hour drive. I surely will rethink that!
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Happy Birthday kbee and Andrea! Here's to many more!
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happy birthday kbee! How is everyone feeling so far today? I had what will hopefully be my last neulasta yesterday evening so today my body really hurts- but I hopefully won't have to have another one. Yesterday I felt to good it was awesome. I had my last ac on Tuesday and yesterday I was mowing the lawn and weedwhacking and I even got groceries. Just had some fatigue and a slight headache. Didn't sleep well last night- thank you neulasta but today I have a ps appointment for my first full since my surgery 8 weeks ago. Hope everyone has a good daub and se are minimal
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Hi Addie! Glad you feel good, so do I! Day 1 was yucky feeling, but yesterday felt better and today even better! Several of us are moving on to phase 2!
Hope everyone is having a good week!
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positive spirit I am also anemic I am going to get my blood drawn today but last week my rbc were low...I can tell I loose my energy fast and yesterday I was feeling depressed and sad I hate that feeling..I will ask my oncologist next appointment what suggestions she has for anemia
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Andrea, happy birthday (belated) to you also! Have fun at your party Saturday. What movie did you see with DH?'
So, Fran, you are on the 9th? I am on the 10th, I'm hoping I'm feeling better by then and it's before the tongue sore usually sets in, so I will enjoy salsa and a margarita.
Lorraine, sorry to hear about anemia and cold. I think summer colds are the worst. I know you are already pushing the fluids, so don't stop. As far as protein, I remember when I was pregnant the big thing was pairing your protein with leafy greens for the optimal absorbstion and nutrition, so see if you can get some spinach or kale, etc. in with whatever protein you are eating.
Jen, that's a tough one about DH/spouse. Does he have a close bud with whom he can talk? What about a sister or brother? What about your brother - it sounds like he's very close to you, he might even appreciate being able to go out with your DH and both talk about what they are going through with you - we all know that sometimes all you have to do to feel better is to be able to talk it out.
So, last night I decided to try some of the MM I had on hand. I was feeling so crappy - just sick, not one thing or another, but overall shaky and sick and tired. I decided to try some of the edible stuff I had, and it helped. It definitely felt trippy - I was sleeping through most of if, but I could feel it. Today I'm feeling better, but still shaky and sort of like I'm hung over. I am getting the squeezy chest bone pain - yuck. For sure, #4 is the worst yet.
Lynne
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Happy Birthday, Kbee, Hope you have a great day. I'm glad so many of you are doing well, but I'm afraid I am not a chemo poster child. After 3 A/Cs and just one more to go next week, I am so tired and so queasy I can barely function. My WBCs are an issue every round and I push myself to exercise since that is supposed to help fatigue, but mostly end up angry and weepy because I can't manage to generate any energy or get anything accomplished. I'll see the doctor today, so plan to talk to him about how I'm going to make it through one more A/C and 4 Taxols in this state of physical and mental exhaustion. So for those you who aren't posting much because you don't want to share that you aren't doing so well, you are not alone.
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Andrea!!! Happy Birthday a day late; so coo that we share a birthday. I hope it was a great day! Most PS like to wait 6 months after rads for reconstruction. I've had reconstruction but did not have rads last time. My PS told me after I finish rads, to see him a month or 2 after and then he could plan what he needed to do to "fix" any damage rads caused to the implants and how they sit. He said he'd wait until I was 6 months out to operate though.Positive spirit, Iron-rich foods are usually what's recommended for anemia, but since ours originates in the bone marrow and does not have to do with iron, it won't help as much...but it sure won't hurt either. My hemoglobin went from 10.9 to 10.1 to 9.5 in the past few weeks.
ankledolphin, Next week when I am all amped up on steroids I am just going to get things done; I've given up on trying to sleep that first night; tossing and turning all night accomplishes nothing. The steroids are so annoying!
Anewbeginning, I do not get HP with the Taxol. I think the biggest side effects people get are runny nose from the H and diarrhea from the P.
Addie, So glad to hear you felt good yesterday! Good bye Neulasta!!!!!!!! I hope today is not too bad for you. I hope the fill goes well. Take some Ibuprofen about a half hour before.
Lynne, I hope you feel better and better by the hour!
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Good morning ladies!!! I'm feeling better after having AC#4 last Wednesday. Still having some tummy issues, but overall feel pretty good. I've been exercising every day. Yesterday had a lunch date and some shopping with a friend. So hang in there everyone, it gets better!!
I did have to take Zofran yesterday, never had to this far out before. I also have a couple of bumps on my tongue and a mouth sore. Yes #4 was the worst, but I'm feeling better every day. The most troubling the past few days has been chemo brain! I feel really disjointed. I totally forgot an appt with the lymphedema specialist yesterday! AND, I thought my appt with the MO was tomorrow, and that Taxol/Herceptin would start next week...wrong! I called to verify my appointment time (since I lost my appt card)....and found out that I don't see the MO until next Friday, 6/12. I cant have treatment again until after that. Anyone else getting any extra time between AC and Taxol??
I wish I embraced the thoughts of treatment the way some of you have! To me it feels like a necessary evil. Before my last treatment I sat here with my face in my hands saying, I don't want to go, I hate it, I HATE IT!! My son was giving me a pep talk....and I ended up being 15 minutes late for my appointment because I stalled leaving until the last minute. I'm really stressed over facing the chemo chair weekly for 3 months. Going every other week was tolerable, but I am freaking at the thoughts of going weekly. AC wasn't easy, but has not been as bad as I thought it would be either. I've been very blessed to come through it as well as I have, with no major SE. I really need an attitude adjustment!!!
I hope everyone who feels yukky has a better day today! Here's the scripture that I've been reading this morning: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
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keep waiting for a mosquito to bite me and die from chemo blood. Thanks for putting that idea in my head, one of you!
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well I had my first fill. 75ccs and I'm feeling pretty good. Other than neulasta pain I feel okay. No chest discomfort - yet. Going back in in another 2 weeks for another fill.
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Andrea, I hope you had a great Birthday!
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