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

LOL, Littleblue, KSusan, Jackiebirdie! Hair stories, eyelashes, and petting.

Mamajen, Addie, Littleblue - that hair is coming; watch out for the growth spurts. It will grow...mine is starting to curl a little on the sides.

$42,000 for 4 ac.

$14,000 for 4 taxol and herceptin

$13,000 for 4 more taxol and a herceptin

$14,000 for last 4 taxol and a herceptin

It all adds up. I think the last chemo billed to my insurance was $7800. Add the cost of the drugs itself, anti nauseas, blood work, nulasta shots, pharmacy costs, time in the chair charge etc...

Yes praise God for insurance! I hit my $5000 out of pocket max before I even had surgery!

It kind of makes you rethink the "cost of LIVING"

wow that is crazy. We have a very limited income so we actually receive state aid for insurance- and I haven't seen one bill but actually I'm curious to see what all this cancer care did cost.

I'm also on medicaid my husband owns his own business and I'm not working now..he has been hired at a farm working pretty high up and wants to go to full time and recieve blue cross I'm so nervous about changing insurance and the costs stresses me out big time I know this shit ain't cheap!

Wow, never really looked at how much all this is costing.....but, like you said, thank God for insurance. I'm so excited for hair after looking at all of your hair pics! It's coming in, though...but mostly peach fuzz.

So, I've been feeling like garbage. Don't know what it is, but since last Friday's last chemo, my stomach hasn't been right, I'm having all of these weird aches and pains and even muscle weakness, I've had headaches, and my I even feel like I'm about to break out on my cheeks. My skin is all flared. Don't know why I'm having all these lingering symptoms now, when I've gone this whole time without most of these. I usually feel great by day 7.

awe gingeel I hope that passes quickly and you start to feel better. i also have been having muscle weakness. Mostly in my legs. My back has been hurting a lot lately. But that's nothing new for me. I'm thinking I have something up with some discs. I've now started getting some numbness is my left arm. I've had it before and it took me going to the chiropractor twice a week to get it better but unfortunately that isn't an option for me right now.

Off topic I've been thinking with the holidays around the corner that it would be a great opportunity for all of us fine ladies to maybe exchange Holiday cards for those who celebrate. Anyone interested? We could message each other address that way they aren't on this discussion board for everyone to see. What do you guys think?

Thanks, gals....actually Karen, I'm done with chemo! Finished last Friday. I just went in today for my rads sim. They said 4 weeks.

Addie, that is a cute idea.....

Don't forget the neulasta shot when you're totaling up - $5000 a shot paid by my drug coverage - I only paid $36 each shot. so far insurance [hospital, tests, chemo, drugs and just the start of radiation] has paid about $80,000 and they are about two weeks behind on daily radiation billing, which should add another $30,000 or so to the total. I've only paid my deductible, out of pocket, and copays - about $3000, and my drug co-pays. I don't know what we'd do without insurance.

Fun day at rads - the men's dressing room is being remodeled so they set up an area for the guys, with a curtain to pull for privacy. I turned the corner heading for my session and was greeted with a full moon by a man who apparently didn't understand what the curtain was for. I had to bleach my eyeballs after I got home.

Count me in for the holiday card xchange!

Gingeel...Sorry you're feeling so yukky, hope it passes quickly!! Glad you get a break before you start rads!!

Saw the MO today, she asked if I wanted another break since I'm still having some numbness and I said NO! lol Its been much better this week until today....Fri-Sun are my worst days in general and that's when my hands/feet bug me most too. I'm pressing on....4 more to go!

Hahahahahahahahaha

DizzPark: I've heard the chemo nurses at my center recommend eating beets and dark chocolate to patients with low platelets. Hit the candy aisle. lol You're almost there, hope all goes well with your trip Sunday. Good luck!!!!!!

I'm sorry that I just pop in every once in a while...I just finished my DIEP Flap a little over two weeks ago, have three little boys, (oldest is six,) and my husband is deployed.

I just want to tell Gingeel that after my last chemo, 18 Jun, I figured I would feel better than my others, but it was actually a lot harder. I think it may have been a mental concept that affected me physically. My thoughts were the same as yours...I should have been feeling great after two weeks. I was experiencing thigh muscle weakness, (feeling my legs were going to give out, especially going down steps,) calf cramps, (especially in the morning or sitting for a while,) and serious fatigue. I was also retaining water in my legs, I think. I found an older post in the discussion boards that described the exact feeling. (If I can find it, I will send it your way.) That person was given a diuretic, but I just decided to stay on top of my hydration better. She talked about all the science behind it, but I can't quite remember. All I know is I could not do my normal 1.5 walk two days in a row or I would crash pretty hard. Odd thing is, after my DIEP flap surgery, I no longer have those symptoms. No more tippy-toeing to the bathroom in the morning or feeling I'm going to fall down the stairs. I think it might have been all the IV fluids that finally flushed all the chemo out.

I am struggling with low iron because I lost a lot of blood during my surgery and my body is not quite able to provide and build just yet, so I'm on iron elixir. My onco said I may have to have a transfusion if my counts are not up by the time I have my hysterectomy in December.

I had a small bout of depression, but as soon as my PS told me the rationale behind it, I popped back. The first week was really rough, physically, so I kind of doubted my decision of reconstruction. She said I didn't experience it with the bilateral mastectomy because that surgery was accomplished to save my life. She said I will feel better, when I feel better, (if that makes sense,) and I do!

At my onco appt on Tuesday, she said after the treatment is done, we have to watch out for kind of like an aftermath depression...once all the busy busy time stops. She said it's best if I can work through without meds, but she can always give me something. Probably a support group would be better

Gotta run. Most gracious blessings to all of you!

I had a chemo crash after my last Taxol infusion. I told my Mom it was a good thing it was my last because I wasn't sure I could endure any more. I felt worse after my final chemo than I did through all of Taxol. Body aches, headache, no energy, stretchy tight muscles. She said something that just stuck with me. She said, " In your mind, you fought to feel ok, fought to push through, you fought to sustain, you fought to get it over with, fighting fighting fighting... and now that you know you were done... you let go. You stopped thinking I can do this one more time... just a few more weeks.. a couple more times in the chair. You just said in your mind you were done... and your mind stopped your body from fighting too. So all this junk you have pulled along the whole time overwhelms your spirit and takes over." I believe it. Now it is a time to heal.

Mohawk is blue today! I made my friend who always always says the wrong thing: like cancer is caused by negativity, chemo will kill you, radiation will kill you etc. Finally see me without a wig. And every time he says the wrong thing I make him rub my fuzzy head. I figure it's kind of like sacking out a horse...eventually he will see its not so scary and calm down. New favorite comment: Girls look awesom with hair. (Face palm)

Also, just got one of those flyers for prepaid funerals in the mail. That really brought me down 😢