Starting Chemo December 2015

LOVE the shirts and pics Chinacat, Twirp26! Fight like a girl!!!!!!

Great pics Nebraska and MMM2221. You are both looking strong & beautiful!

Good luck today CyndiNic! As long as my labs look good, I'll have Taxol # 4 tomorrow (Thursday)

Trisha-Anne, thanks for sharing your story. Sorry you have to deal with breast cancer again. It is encouraging to me that you successfully & bravely fought this battle before and obviously came out strong & victorious; and that your current BC is a new primary and not a recurrence.

To all my December chemo buddies, I'm not sure what your beliefs are, but would it be okay with you all for me to add your names to my personal prayer list each day? (If not, let me know; otherwise I'll be thinking of each of you and sending up good thoughts & prayers for each of you daily; thanks)

Wishing you all a good and SE free --- or at least SE minimal day!

I'm 41 and went for a base line at 35 due to family history. I am BRCA- thankfully. I actually went into my primary because I thought I felt a lump, was having some pain and also some discharge (crusting on my nipple). He didn't find anything concerning but sent me to a local mammography. My sweet friend strongly urged me to go to a breast clinic. It took me about six months because one of my children was having health issues. In the meantime I went for a consult to have a great reduction and explained to the dr my concerns. Again he was not concerned and felt or saw nothing. I decided after my appointment to make the appointment to go to the breast clinic.

I had my mammogram, sonogram and biopsies all done right then and there on the same day (Friday). Had an appointment with a BS for the very next Wednesday. Needless to say no one had to tell me anything, I knew. I worked as an oncology nurse for five years before an injury took me out of work. I will say the only surprise was that I had three different types in one breast!

I had my second dose of AC yesterday. Everyone seems to think the jaw pain was related to anxiety. So I just make sure I take ativan if I feel my jaw getting tense. The claritan has worked wonders to keep the bone pain away. I image I will start to loose the remaining of my buzzed hair very soon.

You ladies are rocking the no hair look! I actually love mine buzzed short. It is extremely freeing. Anyone having sensitivity in their finger tips?

Karen, you can add me and I'll be praying for you too.

My hair started coming out yesterday, so the buzz will be today for me. It's a few days earlier than last time, which surprised me.

Sammy - I know how to add a pic on the pc, but not the phone. Hope all goes well with your infusion today

Trish

xoxo

Also I am trying super hard to drink lots of water today and the next several days. I just got back from a 25 minute walk with my daughter - would have gone longer but its COLD! But going to try to help my body out by being active every day that I can!

sammy3, you look adorable and I love the shirt!!! I never wore pink before. I guess it will be my go to color now😉 I really need to start walking more. Good for you!!

Karen - please add me in your prayers......all of the prayers / good vibes / positive thoughts that I have received truly help keep my spirits up and is a tremendous comfort!! Thank you!!

Taxol #4 went well today and my MO didn't have any issues when I showed her the tube of Retin A (was originally prescribed for my DS) that I was using to keep the acne under control. I felt guilty using it since it wasn't mine so I had to fess up.

Wig shopping was successful - got great discounts at a local shop and ended up with 2.....I could use a third hand getting it on correctly but I guess I'll get the hang of it eventually. My BF came with me and we had a lot of laughs

lawyer - I am also getting AC. If your hair loss is like mine, you've got 4-5 days. I'm actually enjoying the baldness. I haven't gone in public without a hat yet, but I'm ready, it's just that it'sbeen too cold. I'll be going bare at a NYE party tomorrow. Try not to stress it.

Positive vibes y'all! Starting to lose a bit of hair near the end of the first treatment.

I saw the Henna art too. Love it. Not sure if I'll be able to get my hands on those. It would be fun.

Around the crown?

I was told the sore head is the beginning of "the fall". Was true in my case.

hey all. I just found out today that my low ANC on Monday was actually 0.1, yikes! I felt pretty crappy Monday and Tuesday and mostly stayed in bed monitoring my temp. It was around 99.4-99.7 for two days and I didn't feel very well, but it didn't go near the dreaded 100.4 and I'm already on antibiotics.

I woke up today feeling much better, so I'm hoping that means the neutrophils are bouncing back! No more temps in the 99s and I feel good....except my tumor, which my MO said felt smaller on Monday, now feels larger again and the whole area where it it's seems swollen and painful. Not liking this at all

I have very long hair and havent started losing it yet, but I'm only on day 10 post my first AC.

Good morning warriors! Let's have a great last day of the year! Let's kiss 2015 goodbye because 2016 will be amazing for all of us! Keep your chins up - we've got this!

hiya dec gals! I'm stopping by from the sept crew to wish you the best in the new year and let you know that it does get better once chemo is done. I had dose dense AC-T and am 3 weeks post final chemo. My hair started to shed heavily on day 13 one day before AC #2 and I buzzed my head on day 17. The stubbly hairs fell out after the 3rd infusion and I had a bald head thru taxol. Use a lint roller on your head to help with the stubble. My hair did grow a bit during taxol because I took vitamins B6 & B12 to help with neuropathy. I started taking biotin the day after my last chemo and my hair is growing a lot. I did not wear my wig. I did wear buffs and now beanies. Stay strong ladies!

Hello ladies, just checking in. Taxol #5 was yesterday and praise God uneventful. I had to laugh though when my regular nurse wasn't there and I had a nurse who looked like she hadn't graduated from high school yet. I was apprehensive because so far I hadn't had any painful needle sticks or problems with port and had begun to owe that to my nurse. But lo and behold that '16 year old' nurse stuck me with no pain and had me out of there in 90 minutes.

Mm221, welcome. You will finds lots of support here and great info. My oncologist is very impressed with the qustions I ask and I owe my minimal SEs thus far to this board and of course prayers.

Karenbo, please dd me to your prayer list. Can never have too many prayers. I'm Michelle by the way.

Here is a pic of my pre-chemo haircut.

Have a great day ladies bringing in 2016.

mvspaulding:  I bet you will love the Neulasta on body injector.  And of course it saves you a trip back to the doc or hospital, as well as a shot.  I didn't feel it and had no side effects. My doc said no bathtub or swimming.  I covered mine with plastic wrap when I showered just to be extra careful.  I kept track of when it started and stopped, and it was usually very close to its scheduled times.  The needle is supposed to retract when you pull it out, although mine usually didn't do that.  I just covered it with tape and brought it back to the doc's office on my next visit.

The lady who shaved my head left quite a bit of stubble which was very uncomfortable as you all know.  I shaved it off with an electric razor and felt much better.  Also I put Palmer's cocoa butter skin therapy oil on my head which was nice and soothing.

Happy New Year and best of luck to all the December ladies.  You are beautiful!

Birdie, I am so sorry that you had such a bad time! That really stinks to have to be in the hospital over the holidays.

Thanks Queen. I Abe the Neulasta injector on my stomach. The nurses where I go were kind of nervous about it because mine is the first they have done. Hoping it works right ha.

I'm home now. Hoping that the side effects for round 2 aren't any worse than round1.