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

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  • ThePrincess
    ThePrincess Member Posts: 424
    edited August 2015

    STEPH!! Way to go! So happy for you!

    Katy - congrats on the port removal and the house!!

    Everyone else - may you be feeling good today! You are AMAZING and you look beautiful!

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited August 2015

    Awesome Steph! Party Down today Girl!!!! Then fall asleep knowing you don't have to do this again!!!!!!! Also, your mom rocks. That's a beautiful sign and and and awesome t-shirt! You earn the trophy!

    Addie, I'M THE REASON THE RUM IS GONE!!! hahahaha- jack sparrow is my spirit animal. Seriously though, No one told me not to drink, but I felt like my liver was taxed enough. That said, I had like 3 tablespoons of beer 2 weeks pfc and caught a buzz. So....the rumors that chemo patients cant get drunk is a dirty lie.

    Slv, I would totally scrub that dirty pirate. :)

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Littleblue, any chance your bro would make a tee shirt design for the April sisterhood and put it on Cafe Press where we could buy it? I love his designs.

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  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 632
    edited August 2015

    Steph - Awesome sign and shirt, and beautiful family. Congrats on finishing chemo.

    Katy - congrats on your port. Are you in your new home now?

    Addie - I have imbibed on wine throughout treatment. Don't feel any worse for the wear. A pina does sound great, and I like Katy's idea of fresh pineapple!

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  • Addie29
    Addie29 Member Posts: 307
    edited August 2015

    steph you look great! And congrats and good luck! Love the shirt and the sign


    And I don't ha w a juicer but I have a ninja blender I may have to give that a try :)

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited August 2015

    I'll ask him, Ksusan. What thoughts on design?

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  • Jackbirdie
    Jackbirdie Member Posts: 4,693
    edited August 2015

    Sue- I'm picking up the keys in an hour!


    The big truck move is Saturday, but I'm trying to move a few things, fragile stuff, today and tomorrow.


    Only problem is, once again, they lied to me, and I HURT!!!! I'm icing and oxy-ing the entire aggravated and cauterized area. I just hate it that every time you think you are done, you are still not fucking done. No matter what!


    Pain aside, I am over the moon about the house and really looking forward to Jack running around in his yard.

    I can overlook this latest abuse to my body (with a little help) and plan to enjoy every minute of having other people move me! Hahaha. I hate moving, and I do have the ultimate excuse. I'm using it!
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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited August 2015

    So Excited for you, Katy! Sorry your port incision hurts. Mine did too once the lido wore off. Give it a few days.

    Well, had my first post-chemo blood work, and...ops normal! Vit D and hemoglobin a little low, so I'll eat more meat and start taking D. I did decide to wait for my rad sim until the 17th when my RO gets back- just wasn't comfortable starting the same day they get a new machine, and with a fill in RO. I feel better about this, even though it extends the party out longer...Sad thing is, now that I don't have a port, I have to go to the regular lab for blood draws. I'm gonna miss my chemo nurses, they are the best! And no more visits with my MO for 2 months. This party is winding down...

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Littleblue, dunno. Something funny! Perhaps not obscene so it can be worn out and about? I trust his creativity :)

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited August 2015

    Steph, love the sign and the shirt! So happy for you!!!

    Addie, Pina coladas are my favorite too. I have not had any drinks while on chemo, mostly because I would not be able to taste if. I rarely drink, but when I go, it is usually a Pina colada.

    SLV, glad you are down to 1 left. I hope the hemoglobin comes up do you have more energy.

    I ended up too busy yesterday to burn... Crazy day. I will add it when I burn my port. 25 days.

    My parents are visiting, which is nice, except that they treat me like an invalid and kept telling me what I should do, should eat, etc. they speak to me in a high pitched voice like they are talking to a toddler. I am trying to be patient. My BP typically goes up 20-40 points while they are here. My mom gasped when she saw me bald with just a hat on. I was just that way 2 years ago. I am not sure why it was such a shock. I will have to dig deep to be patient. Tomorrow is their anniversary and my brother is coming. That should help.


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  • AndreaC
    AndreaC Member Posts: 220
    edited August 2015

    Good day everyone!

    Steph, congrats! I love the sign and shirt. Your mom rocks! And your kids are so sweet. I miss having little kids...I tear up looking at old photo albums. But now I have grandkids and it is wonderful!

    Katy, that is so terrific about your new house! Enjoy it! Hope your pain doesn't last too long.

    My husband and I have a pirate theme thing going on...we have a pirate-themed bar in the basement and lots of signs etc. Love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies! And rum...in the bathtub...

    I am over 4 weeks PFC and thought I would be feeling terrific by now and mostly I am. But in the past three days I have had three episodes of sudden onset of severe headache, so bad that I had to sit down and hold my head. Twice while exerting myself (swimming and hiking) and again last night while I was brushing my teeth! I went to ER yesterday because it was so bad and I vomited there as well. I requested a CT of my head...everything had been scanned but my head...but the CT was normal. Thank goodness! So I have a migraine. So weird how it came on so suddenly though. But now I am worried about doing any kind of exercise because I don't want the pain to return! It was seriously debilitating. The ER doc said I have to be kind to myself and my body has to heal from the chemo. So no more mountain climbing. For a while ;)

    Andre

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Deep breaths, KBeee!

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  • Rpayton
    Rpayton Member Posts: 235
    edited August 2015

    Gotta' admit a pina colada sounds good. Knowing I wouldn't be able to taste it and I'm sure the alcohol would do a number on my GI system probably not fun. I like fruity, fun concotions a couple times a year. Alcohol just makes me sleepy so never got into it. I know MO says it interferes with chemo drugs so I figure not worth doing anything that could possibly weaken the chemo.

    Kbeee sorry you didn't get to do the burn. Sounds like you can save up for a giant bonfire. Errgghh I know what you mean with parents visiting. It's nice to see them and it's also so trying on the patience. I repeat the serenity prayer often as my mantra...LOL. They mean well but are exhausting. Over labor day my parents will be staying with me for 4 days. Gonna' have to do a lot of meditation to get myself ready. My sister is flying in from CA and I will finally meet my niece for her one year bday party! Although my sister can be taxing too. Truly a CA person: all organic, nothing processed, no meat or dairy, works out to the extreme, yoga, meditation, zen house. She is funny and makes me laugh and then I just want a piece of cake and ice cream for heaven's sake. LOL

    Jackbirdie hang in there thru that move and a great chance to supervise and delegate. ;-)

    Steph love the shirt! Praying low SE and rest.

    Those of you who finished your last chemo how long before the awful metal taste in the mouth leaves and you can taste? Just horrible this last round and I'm chewing gum or tic tacs non stop. Also bottoms of my feet are now both more numb. I know this will take weeks. And I have no patience. ;-( I just wanna' be a human again. The being and feeling like an alien this summer has gotten old.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    So annoyed with my MO at the moment. Information and scheduling have been really inconsistent and the story keeps changing on their end, with the assertion each time that they're not changing anything. E.g., "I want to see you toward the end of your radiation" has become "I can't see you until you have post-radiation blood work." Fair enough, but I scheduled the appointment in the range she gave me two months ago. The nurse doesn't know how long the MO wants me to wait after radiation to get blood counts (so she can assess for beginning tamoxifen), or when the MO is going to start her time away from work. Well, then I can't really schedule either of those things, can I? "We can do the blood count here in 10 minutes--that was the plan." No, the plan was and has been that I do quarterly draws with my PCP's and MO's requests at the same time to decrease number of blood draws since I had lymph nodes removed on both sides. Not to mention that when I asked if the 15 minute appointment scheduled two months ago was enough time, I got back a snippy reply about how it was enough time "as discussed" (we didn't discuss this), but a day ago the MO changed it to a 30 minute appointment. Yup. And my MO is going to be away soon, so we're up against that timing as well.

    Also, I'm married to a private practitioner, so my appointment change means changing her client schedule in order to be able to accompany me. It's a 2+ hour drive each way to the MO (meaning my wife has to reschedule up to 5-6 clients).

    So, waiting for the nurse to catch the MO, ask her how long she wants to elapse between radiation and blood draw, how long it takes for my lab to get the results to her, and whether we can possibly sandwich this appointment in before she's away.

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  • Alibeths
    Alibeths Member Posts: 656
    edited August 2015

    I'm gonna start an AUGUST rads group. Is there already one ? I couldn't find

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    There are quarterlies--spring 2015 radiation sisters and summer 2015 rads.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    So while I'm waiting still for a callback on the appointment, I get a grand jury duty summons in the mail. In my state, that's a month-long commitment. Yes, they were happy to defer me when I called and explained that I am in active cancer treatment (so I didn't have to say, "And I really can't wear a shirt for more than 3 hours without terrible discomfort").

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  • Positive_spirit
    Positive_spirit Member Posts: 218
    edited August 2015

    Steph! The challenges you faced to get to this last chemo were something else. Congratulations, you beautiful, strong woman. Thinking of you and sending cancer away from you, and all of us - never to return, ever!


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  • Stephmoen
    Stephmoen Member Posts: 563
    edited August 2015

    I know there is a thread on this somewhere but whag is your girls follow up like I have never had vit f levels checked so I should ask for that I know it's proven to lower reoccurance I already asked about Timor markers she said no boo is there anything else just a mammogram once a year really? If you are getting implants do we ate leasg get mri

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  • Stephmoen
    Stephmoen Member Posts: 563
    edited August 2015

    I think all the chemo nurses love me now my mom brought them all doughnuts and bagels yesterday then my sister brought pizza and they gobbled it all up lol I will still be seeing them every 3 weeks for herceptin and possibly perjeta

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited August 2015

    Dear Boss- I am 20 minutes late because I couldn't get my eyebrows on straight. Sincerely, Me.


    Hey Steph, my followup is pretty minimal. Yesterday, about 3 weeks PFC, I had blood work that included a Vit. D test and tumor markers/cancer antigen. My Vit. D was low, and I'm in the sun a lot, so its probably a good thing to get checked. I see my MO again in 2 months, but I'll be doing radiation for most of that. Other than that, I don't think there will be much followup other than 2-3 month check ups. Its pretty much up to me to feel myself up.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Dear Ms Blue;

    If it's better than this:

    http://www.city-data.com/forum/attachments/fashion-beauty/113071d1371202253-why-do-women-shave-their-eyebrows-pf2.jpg

    put your pack on and get your ass on the line!

    Sincerely,

    State o' Montana

    http://sos.mt.gov/assets/images/seals/Transparent_Black_and_White_High.png

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  • DizzParkMom
    DizzParkMom Member Posts: 316
    edited August 2015

    Haha. Ksusan, thanks for the moment of levity that greeted me as I signed in. Needed that.

    I'm on day 5...the pain hasn't been as bad as the last round, but is still annoying. I've managed to stay away from the hydrocodone since Wednesday, so that's at least something. The frequent zinc carnosine/l- glutamine swisher have helped control the mucositis and mouth dryness...well reduce it. Mouth inflammation is nowhere near as bad as last time, so I am eating better.

    Unfortunately, I heard back some less than positive news from the dermatologist office on Tuesday. The biopsy from my ear is dysplastic, which is not cancer, but not benign. I meet with derm and derm surgeon in a couple weeks to come up with a plan to excise....MO says it can wait until after chemo. The more of these dysplastic spots you have, the more likely you are to find melanoma....I'm fair, freckled, have had basel cell skin cancer, and have a family history of melanoma....it's all feeling like too much to have on the horizon. I feel unsafe in my own skin and just want to feel 'normal' again.


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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    I'm sorry. I'm glad for the detection, but it still sucks.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    image

    9 weeks PFC. I think by the time fall term starts, I'll be at a hair length and density that, while short, is not unexpected when people think about my types of hairstyle.

    Here's my normal cut, in January 2015:

    image

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited August 2015

    Ksusan, your hair will be there in no time! Thanks for the brow laugh too!!!!!

    Littleblue, my brows took a few attempts today too. Individually, they each look good, but they are either different sizes, one is too high, etc. after 10 weeks of drawing yhem, you would think I'd be better.

    Diz park, glad you got the skin checked. Bummed about your news. Thanks for the reminder to make a dermatology appointment.

    Andrea, I hope you get relief from the headaches.

    Steph, I have not heard of vitamin f.

    Alibeths, I'll be heading into rads this month too and will hop into the summer rads group once the time comes. Just have to get through one more Taxol first.

    Renee, I have one very numb foot .. Annoying! Hoping it goes away soon.

    4 days until final Taxol. I hate to say it, but the summer has gone fast. I hated being bald over the summer... Was easier in the winter, but having nice weather and my kids home kept me well distracted and busy.

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited August 2015

    Oregon Underpants!!! Hahahahahaha

    image

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  • lovlilynne
    lovlilynne Member Posts: 405
    edited August 2015

    Hi, as promised, here are some photos of my pool.

    This is the newly-built filter/heater area - my brother put this retaining wall together in about 1 hour. Such an improvement of how it was before:

    image

    Here's the deck half painted:

    image

    And here is the pool:

    image

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Lynne, that looks great!

    Littleblue, Oregon underwear that doesn't picture a beaver is really missing something.

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  • Stephmoen
    Stephmoen Member Posts: 563
    edited August 2015

    kbee I meant d my typing has become sloppy lol

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