January 2016 Chemo!

Oh! I wanted to say a couple of other things...

FLBuckeye93 I love you said "I've accepted that I'm vain. If I look good, I feel good." I'm that way and I got put in body image therapy. BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

But the real reason I'm back is about all the water we need to drink. I got the ever loving most stinking cute water reminder app: Plant Nanny. You grow a little plant with your water drinking. It gets sad if you don't water it. I've gotten in 121 ounces a day ever since I started using it, even on the weekends, which were always a challenge when I was doing 100 ounces a day consistently, I have an iPhone, but I imagine it's Android available too.

I finally started the chemo (1/6); no metallic taste, no nausea i have been able to eat well this morning and lunch. I even had a small espresso, I feel a bit out of sorts but nothing major. Appears to be a good day. Taking claritin for 5 days, have the neulasta on my belly which is supposed to kick in later in the afternoon, and yes a bit constipated yesterday so I started taking the ColonX from xymogen, expensive but very good.

Looking Good Frill!

JEBA...don't make the mistake I made. I stopped the Clariton on day 5 and had really bad pain on day 7. I also had the stomach patch. I was given advice from another BC sister on the site to take the Clariton for 10 days. I went back on the Clariton and the pain was gone in one hour!!! I'm having my 2nd infusion next Wednesday, and I'll stay on for 10 days. Don't want that pain again. My MO said no harm in doing the Clariton longer.

Not drinking is hard. I've never been a heavy drinker but I've always enjoyed a glass or two of wine on the weekends, and occasionally on a stressful week night. I am now saving it for special occasions only, like holidays or a wedding. It is very very important to me to avoid to recurrence, as I'm sure it is for all of us, and any lifestyle change I can make that there seems to be reasonable and reliable evidence could make a difference, I am doing.

I too am quite vain. I have always been into my looks, make up and hair and clothing and looking my best. I got it in the back of my head that my vanity and pride in my body was part of what made me get cancer. I know that's silly but it feels like karma. I lost 60 pounds in 2010 and have kept it off, I am very proud of my body. I know that breast cancer treatment, and then the meds because I'm going to be on, are probably going to ruin it

I did not do cold capping, but only because my hair is quite fine and thin, and I knew that even a moderate amount of shedding would leave me very unhappy. I love my hair, I worked very hard on having it just how I liked it (which was what quite a process with curly fine thin slow-growing hair, but I did it!), but I have to say that as heartbreaking as it was to lose it, I do not mind how I look bald. I had assumed I would want to hide it all the time, wearing wigs and hats. Turns out I only wear wigs when I am out with my family and want us to look "normal" (for my kids) and I only wear hats when I need to because my head is cold. I actually think I look beautiful. I work hard on my eye make up and my eyes are the focus of my face, and pretty. I have gotten so many compliments. Some people are just nice, but I have friends that know how important looking my best it to me would tell me honestly if I should be wearing a wig! When people see me for the first time, they look amazed, in an honestly positive way.

Well… I get a week off…3 consecutive days of platelets under a hundred!!! (meaning 3 mornings of being at the lab at 6:30) At least I get to feel well for Family day weekend, and do a delayed chemo… I am on the chemo wait list for next week. Isn't that an absurd thing, a chemo wait list? Who would think there would be a line up?

Embracing the idea.

Currently tabulating my treatment related expenses so far. Whoa Nelly. It adds up quick.

Nice photos, Lovestofly. You do look beautiful with and without a wig. You look uncannily like a friend of mine in Vancouver!

Frill, that haircut and colour are FANTASTIC!

My first big side effect this week, date 9 and I got thrush. MO gave me Nystain oral meds to use. Hope this clears quick, had sore throat for a few days thought I was just sick. Didn't think it was chemo related until I saw my white tongue today. Also have a never ending headache that I told nurse about today but they didn't order anything for it and over the counter stuff not helping.

WBC counts back up today!! A big yee-haw ya'll. #3 done today.

All you gals look so beautiful! Frill you look great with blonde hair! jennsgotthis I'm sure I've read that you have a wig but I thought that was your hair! It looks so good. Good luck with the biopsies Thursday! LTF you do rock the bald! Don't be worried about your weight. I know you worked hard to get it off and you look great. You are a determined woman and you can do it again if you think you need to. Believe me I know how hard it is to lose. I have dieted before and lost but after meno I just can't stick to it. I need to lose about 50 lbs. and even with this cancer diagnosis, I just can't get totally there in my mind. I have paid more attention to what and when I'm eating but it is so hard to not eat sweets.

zinny I know! I told my sister I was excited to get chemo today!! Never thought I'd be saying that. I have no clue what my treatments are costing. Everytime I bring it up I'm told don't think about that, focus on getting better. I haven't gotten any hospital bills for the two surgeries I had. I have paid the "smaller" bills as they come in. It seems like I get something twice a week! I'm single so one income household here. I'm very thankful I have good insurance. I do have a reasonable deductible & out-of-pocket limit so that's good news.

I'm wondering how my lumpy ole head is going to look bald and the hair is falling out fast! It was thin anyway. I also have seb dermatitis. It is improving, the itching & flaking is much better. One good SE! At least with less/no hair I can treat it easier if I need to. I called ins. to check on a cranial prothesis, the rep told me a small co-pay (I've forgotten how much) then 100% but not on synthetic. I think I've read synthetic are cheaper & easier to take care of? Anyway, I've decided the nearest in-network supplier is not worth the trip. I may check some of the suppliers nearer to me. I like wearing a soft cap and we'll have cold/cool weather for a few more months.

Man, I feel like all of you are leaving me in the dust! Some of you are on your third dose already and my second is tomorrow.

All of you look great! My hair is coming out and fast. Still treating it gently, but have an appointment for either a short cut or shave on Friday afternoon. I need to go look up the Zara wig.

And play with my whiny dog! Later!

Cathytoo, thank you so much. I will keep the claritin like you suggested. 10 days.

Frill, nice haircut and you look great as a blonde. LovesToFly, you look just as pretty without as with hair. Looks like a makeup artist applied your makeup! All the ladies with wigs look fantastic! I wouldn't know you were wearing wigs! Infusion scheduled today but don't know if it will happen because I've had a virus all week and woke up this morning with what looks to be conjunctivitis. Ick.PCP will see me before my scheduled blood draw. So, may be told no chemo today. Not easy this winter to dodge anyone who looks like they have a cold.

Hi, all! I'm here and the second round is just starting. I had to see the ME beforehand and it was like I was the famous rash girl. I swear 10 doctors and nurses came in hoping to catch a glimpse of the leftovers! So now I have to take steroids for 2-3 days after to see if that will keep the rash away. They're flummoxed that this is the *only* symptom I had. I wonder since I had a week off I get another week of hair, since it seems week 2 is the start of the hair exodus. S'ok, I have wigs and even more fun, head scarves.

Lovestofly You and MissBee totally ROCK the bald look. I hope I can be that brave and just go for it. Y'all are sooo gorgeous, so you don't need hair anyway!

Jensgotthis I never would have guessed you were wearing a wig. *Totally* cute!

All y'alls no drinking talk......*ugh* - but dieting is a HUGE motivating factor. (Shouldn't CANCER be it, no, FAT, lol, but whatever gets it done).

Oh - my bone scan, CT scan, etc. all came back clear, so my cough isn't lung cancer, it's allergies. *whew* One less thing to obsess about.

I'm driving back home right after chemo - four hour trip - I know I'm quite the daredevil, but I'm dying to see my bf and just sleep in my own bed and see my dogs. I figure going right after and being hopped up on steroids is better than waiting. Although I don't really get any energy off steroids - just the you know, hungry part. Because if there's a potential for any fat side effect, that's the one I'll get. *smirk* I couldn't get the nausea, diarrhea one. Not that I'd want that either. Ah well.

Huge hugs to all of you. I'm so glad to have all of you to check in with and have some normalcy in all this nuttiness.

Thanks all!

Frill and Jen you both look great!

I blogged about going bald today, and posted it on my Facebook, I got so many positive responses. That said, I'm sure if I found wigs more comfortable, I would wear them every single time I walk out the door. But I just hate wearing them (even though they look so nice)!

Glad round 2has gone so well!

Well, I'm sitting here infusing the cytoxan, albeit at a lower dose. My counts were lower today than before I started chemo, so she dropped me 20%, but staying on schedule. Here's hoping I have fewer side effects with the lowered dosage!

There's no way I could drive four hours after this. I will probably fall asleep on the 1 1/2 hour trip home tonight.