April 2015 Chemo Crew... Starting in April? Please join us!

Littleblue, the only other thing I've ever burned was my GRE study book, bit I'm pretty sure I'm going to burn the port info wallet card!

Anybody who cares should mind their own business. I got a few new work tops, focusing on inexpensive short-sleeved shirts (alone or under) and loose, drape-y wraps, jackets, scarfy-things, since I don't know what tamoxifen will do to my weight. Summer teaching is more casual here, so my Crazy Shirt men's pima cotton tee shirts are fine (and very comfortable on my still-sore chest skin). I'm going to get a men's UPF swim shirt and some bitchin' men's board shorts instead of a women's suit or women's skimpy-cut swim shirt and shorts. I normally wore men's swim trunks and a tank top anyway. I'm not doing competitive laps, after all, and the shirt can do double duty as a UPF tee shirt during radiation.

BMX and no reconstruction here. My chest above the incision stands out farther than the area below it, lending a slightly-breast-like look anyway. My prescription for the foob-bra 'n' foobs will be in hand this week; I'll get them in case I have a blouse that looks crummy without it, but it seems silly to me at the moment. I'm not very femme (my current eyebrow pencil is my first cosmetic other than a little base over zits since I was 12), and I've always hated bras. Despite having been a 38C or higher, I've never needed a highly-constructed bra and never worn an underwire. The pencil test never held a pencil. I did order a pair of Knitted Knockers to see if they'll work with comfy bras I already have, but I ordered Bs, not Cs.

Other than it being a little strange not to have nipples, I'm very satisfied with the look of the surgery and how the incisions are healing and flattening. My wife's bi and doesn't care, and I don't care, and once I get the port out and it doesn't hurt to do crunches and twists to tighten my abs up again, I am so there.

After radiation, I'll sort out what can be cleaned and donated, what can be kept and used if needed for something else (like the bed pad for diarrhea or wet wounds). And burn the port info, of course. We made a donation in her honor to the cancer center my MO works for, and will make one to the clinic that funds mammograms for poor women in honor of my surgeon after the port's out. Probably one in honor of my RO as well, assuming she is as competent as she seems.

Hi everyone: I've been away from the group for several days. I'm trying to go back and catch up, but its reassuring to read updates from all of you in our group.

I'm now 10 days post final chemo. Toes are sore around toenails. Feel like I'm going to lose both pinky toenails. The nails are a little discolored and I go barefoot in summer around the house and am a klutz and hit them. (sigh)

Anyway, I broke out with a rash yesterday but not sure if it's chemo related or not. I ate few things I hadn't in a while, like bread Friday night and it could be related to that.

And my big news: on day 7 post chemo I travelled two hours to host a post engagement party for my son. (that's why I ate different foods). I was so glad to have been up to making the trip but I was pretty wiped out afterwards. The wedding will be in March 2016 and I hope I have some hair growth by then.... anyway, it certainly gives me something to look forward to after chemo and radiation! There IS life after cancer!

Hope all of you are having minimal side effects this week!!

Oh and I'm bummed that I don't get my port out until August 28!!! The doc only removes ports ONE day a month, the last Friday of the month and July was already booked. And there were only 4 appointments left for August! But anyway, at least I have a scheduled appointment!

Take care!

Allicat I second the congrats!

Ksusan, I have been wearing Patagonia just because we have an outlet nearby, but I confess I haven't done a whole lot of research..I have a long sleeve hooded rash guard that is Mountain hardware that I really like too, but I don't think they make them any more.

My oncology nurse says no raw fruits and vegetables "while neutropenic" and just wash everything thoroughly otherwise.  No salad buffets, sushi or buffets in general because so many people handle food in preparation and serving and customers in line are pretty careless with handling.  I've been neutropenic 2 out of 4 times on A/C so really missed the salads.  Right now I'm eating them every day.

No recon here and much of the time I just don't wear anything under my shirts.  If people notice, I don't care...but generally, people are much less observant than you think.     I have a front and back closure "mastectomy bra" with pockets on both sides which I sometimes wear, based on clothing.  It's very comfortable and weight balance isn't a consideration, so a little fiberfill works just fine to even things out, since my ribs stick out farther than my incisions.   I may buy lightweight microbead foobs from the TLC site if I get tired of the fiberfill.   Lands End has mastectomy bathing suits very inexpensively with a little higher neck and arm.   I don't buy "clingy" shirts any more, not so much because of look but because they seem to cling to my incisions in an uncomfortable way.  I've got some extra skin on the sides, so for the moment, I go sleeveless only under another shirt with sleeves. 

Personally, no boobs works well for me...they were heavy and made my back hurt.  And the thought of more surgery makes me feel sick. 

sheshe how frustrating fingers crossed for pcr!!! How is gingerchi doing hoping out if the hospital and well..does anybody have any advise for breast reconstruction I'm starting to focus more on that now that my chemo will be finishing up little nervous about the next step but sooooooo ready to get rid of these boobs!

KBeee - the suja juice is really good! Green delight is tasty and full of green things that are good for you - the berry is awesome and the Sweet beets drink is way better than you'd think (and it has tumeric in it!) - I get it at Giant or Harris Teeter but have heard they have it at target too - just watch the expiration dates - since they are organic they run fast and sometimes the stores have them past their date, or the date is too soon for me to be able to drink them all!

I head for Taxol #2 tomorrow - anyone get a true rash? I have a rash on my face (not like a sunburn) like an itchy rash pattern? I also got herceptin and perjeta last week so I don't know what caused it?

Good luck ladies getting meds today! One more down! I hope Ginger is doing well and is out of the hospital? Also A New Beginning as been absent? Hope she's ok too???

Caught up after being 3 pages behind!

Gingerchi, hope you are well, and on your way out of the hospital!

Man, when the bone/ body pain from Taxol #1 hit, boy, did it hit hard. I think Lynne, had described it as tiny explosions. That is exactly what I've been feeling. The pain moves from your finger to your back then your elbow, etc. I even had a lot of abdomen pain.....like in my ovaries or something. I've been taking Aleve and Claritan, but, need something stronger to sleep. Day#7 post chemo, and I feel pretty good. Still got some aches here and there. My appetite is back! My MO also didn't mention a thing about avoiding raw fruits and veggies, but, during AC, I wasn't eating much of that anyway. My BS recommends radiation...which I will begin in September.

Sheshe I hope you get those results today. Waiting is the worst.

Karen, I feel flabby as hell, too. I'm thinner, but flabbier. ugh. Need to do some weight training or something.

KBee, sorry for your friend. It breaks my heart to hear what ppl have to go through.

Hello everyone, this only my second post. Please help if you can. I finished AC 2 weeks ago and I am suppose to start 12 Taxol on Friday. But about a week ago I started having vibrating/tingly feelings in both legs and feet. It is constant but more noticeable when sitting or lying down. I don't know if this is restless leg or neuropathy. Does anyone have this? It is driving me crazy. I am scared to start Taxol with this symptom already. Also scared about allergic reaction possibility with Taxol. Please help. I am feeling overwhelmed. Not sleeping well with tingly/vibrating feet/legs. Thank you.

My PT just said I have lymphedema under my arm (where I've been swollen since surgery), though on Friday she said I didn't. When I asked her to clarify, she said it might be edema or lymphedema. I'm annoyed by her sloppiness and worried since it's the radiation side. I guess I'll find out.

My wife's off buying a flat of local organic raspberries to make sugar-free preserves today while I go try on swim tops. But first, one of the cats needs to see the vet, and he weighs 20#, so I'll let my wife carry him in

thank you everyone. I did speak to my mo about the tingling/vibration in legs and feet. My mo is not very helpful and just said we don't usually see that with AC. I think she thinks it is in my head. I am seeing neurology.

I am nervous about starting Taxol. Everyone said it is easier than AC(which was really hard)but it seems like many of you are having a hard time with it. How did you decide between 4 cycles or 12?

Thanks in advance. Hope you are having better days.

Lynne - thanks for asking.  I'm loving the extra time.  I'm feeling good today, which usually means just a couple of days until chemo.  But I'm off until July 2, which just sounds wonderful. 

Lymphodema vs swelling...I have a seroma that is still resolving, so it goes up and down.  Seromas are very common with mx, so you might want to check to see if that might be an issue.

I hope everyone has a decent week and things go pretty well for you. 

A/C #4 is DONE!!! Infusion nurse didn't instill confidence. Pharmacy delivered Chem meds in push form. I told him I always get drip, not push. I even showed him my first card that listed the drug names and times and he still reluctantly looked up my prior infusions. Of course he found that they are supposed to be drip...not push. So they had to be take back to pharmacy and there was a 45 delay between premeds and Adriamycin. Then, he told me Cytoxan would run for half an hour, but it's always been over an hour before...I whipped out the card and again, he looked it up and changed it. When it came timw to go, his process for removing the picc line and applying the pressure bandage was totally different than with chemo 1-3. He was really polite, but it just made things feel anxious than it needed to be.

I had the chance to get the neulasta auto-inject this time, but decided not to....since the video they have you watch tell you not to travel/drive/operate machinery for 1 hour before auto-inject and until 2 hours after. Also said it beeps while it pumps the med out and you have to monitor it closely for 45 minutes...so at the auto-inject time, I would be 35,000 feet in the air flying home...beeping, wearing a tight seat belt just under the device, and continually lifting my shirt up to check out that it's flashing the right color.....doesn't seem like a good idea. So we'll do the regular shot this time and do the auto injection on tax/carb #1 when the flight timing works out.

So happy to be halfway done! Heather

Sorry to double-post. Just pulled this off my phone. UV-protectant men's swim top and women's swim bottom from Big 5: