January 2016 Chemo!

I had sores in my nose. Had blood on the tissues every time I blew.

lovemyvisla - every cycle I get a funny rash around day 8. They are round flat papule, kind of itchy sometimes, about 3mm across, with a yellowish centre.

Hi beautiful ladies,

Jennifer, so sorry to hear your news and like everyone else here, sending you (((hugs))) and support and optimistic thoughts.

Fowlertee and Lollipop and YoungBRCAgirl, welcome!

I'm sitting here all wired up on Dex at 2am on the night before my TC infusion #2. (Stupid steroids. I'm hungry too but trying not to snack.) I am worried because earlier this week I got sick with what turned out to be bronchitis, but the fever was high enough to land me in the ER since it was Presidents Day and doc offices were closed. Luckily the blood work showed, as the cheerful ER doc said, "you're no more neutropenic than I am!" so they sent me home with some antibiotics just in case. The last few days I've been trying to rest up and heal but I'm really concerned that the sickness will either prevent chemo from happening (and I really don't want to delay it when I've set up my and my family's whole schedule to work around the infusion date) or at least make the first few days of it suck even worse than normal. On the bright side, though, my MO's nurse said I could go ahead and take all the decongestant and cough suppressant I want and it won't interact with either the steroid or the TC, so at least I can medicate the symptoms if I have to. Anyone else experience being sick during chemo? Any tips? God I feel like I just can't get a break with all the sick that's been flying around my house for the last few months...I guess that's what you get when you live with kids and it's winter and the germs spread so easily. And in addition to being clobbered by chemo, there's that whole thing about stress lowering the immune system. It's been pretty stressful times around here lately.

Right before all that excitement with the ER, my hair started shedding like crazy so after a few days of putting up with an increasingly patchier head, I finally had my husband help me buzz everything really really short yesterday. Now I am putting up with everyone saying "oh you have such a lovely head" or "you actually look pretty good bald!" I know they're just trying to be positive and complimentary but it still rankles a bit, just like it did when I cut my hair super short and everyone rushed to tell me how great it looked. (Yeah, it may look okay, but I DIDN'T CHOOSE THIS.) Even buzzed close to my scalp like this the hair is still shedding a lot but at least the little tiny hairs are easier to deal with. I still have some stubble on my head but I'm not sure how long it will last at this rate. Does it eventually smooth out to complete shiny baldness, or will I always have these stubble patches? What have you all experienced? I ordered a bunch of silly colored anime cosplay wigs from dresslily.com because they were cheap and made me laugh. I'm not working outside the home and my community is already used to me being a crazy artist who loves costumes and dressup so I figured, what the hell, why not take this opportunity to try wacky colored hair? I got a purple one, a pink/purple one, a green one, an auburn one and a red/black one. I'll report back when I get them and post a pic if I can.

Ok enough of this steroid rambling. I am going to try to go dull the jitters with some dumb comedy TV and try not to angst too hard about tomorrow. Whatever will be, will be.

Hugs to all you brave sisters!

Well got my 3rd chemo yesterday so only one more to go!! Yay! Been doing a lot better than i though but then ago who knows what the next weeks will bring. There seems to be a surprise every time. But not to bad. I only got the mouth sores for a week that 1st time so really hoping to keep avoiding that. The crazy thing is my taste buds are weird for a few days then back to eating and i have gained 7 pounds since this whole thing started. Like wth, who gains weight during chemo?? But my onc says the steroids and taxotere can cause it. Like awesome, have to go on a diet after i'm done with this. But if that's the worse thing, besides hair falling out, i guess i should be grateful. At least i'm pretty used to my wig and forget it's there. But thinking when it gets hot outside it will probably drive me nuts. And i am able working 4 9 hour shifts full time but i get very tired. Still doing good not getting neulasta. So far bouncing right back thank goodness. Hope everyone is doing well.

Anyone had their third AC treatment yet? How did it you do on it? I found that this one took longer to start feeling better and it was definitely harder on me emotionally. I have treatment on Wednesdays and typically feel like I am feeling better on Sunday/Monday. This time, seemed to take me an extra day or two to get out of the fog. I think I might be feeling the effects of lower red blood cell count too.

Also - has anyone experienced light nausea that endures after the chemo phase? I'm over a week out from treatment and I still have a very mild uncomfortable nausea. Made better by eating some food - very similar to morning sickness (I know I'm not actually preg see my neverending period post above LOL.)

Hugs to everyone on here.

Jen...sorry to hear your news, but there have been so many advances as your ONC has told you. My cousin has been living with Stage IV for a very long time. She has bone Mets and is on hormone therapy. So far, over many years, there has been no need for anything else except the hormone therapy. She's living a great lifein spite of BC. It can be done. I wish you the best and I'm sending you lots of love and hugs. ❤️

Jen: Humongous hugs with everyone else's. Your doctor's got it, though, along with you. But I know - what else, right? Hugs, hugs, and more hugs. We're all sending you tons of love.

Lumpie: Spent a fortune on wigs, was so excited about them, I even have one that hasn't come in yet - and felt like an idiot the first time I put one on. Halloween costume is exactly right. I don't look awesome and sassy like LoveMyVizla. I look like WIG WIG WIG!!!!! But I'm going to try the link some posted about making them look more natural - even though for what I paid I shouldn't have to and give it a whirl for giggles. It's not that I'm against fake hair, I'm all about the hair extensions. But those look REAL.

BRCAGal: Welcome, welcome! You won't find a better support group than here. I wouldn't have made it through my first surgery without the tips and tricks post. My DBF and I would have been like WTH with the drains and the shower. And just being able to talk to people who are going through it. When my hair came out in my hand, I came inside and talked here and everyone else went through the same thing. Then I could buck up and make it through. About your flakies - I think MissBee had posted something here about that - I think she said just Head & Shoulders worked, but peruse the thread or ask her.

Valstim: Weekly Taxol, too, and no Neulasta, so maybe that's a perk for us? I really haven't had any side effects - other than that rash of doom after the first dose. I'm in the midst of dose 4 of 12 right now. Yay, that's means I'm at the 33% mark!!!!

DFWFlyGirl: I'm working full time, but not really lawyer full time. It's hard this month because I have to go to physical therapy three times a week. I also don't really want to work 6-7 days a week like normal lawyer time, or even on the weekends to make up for time lost. But I'm at the office every day and when I have a big motion or whatever - like next month it may be trial, I'll suck it up and pull 100 hour week if I have to. I might go in the hospital afterwards, but lol, trial will be done! Cancer just takes a lot of time out of the office. Luckily my boss had cancer a few years ago and he basically took the whole year off. Unluckily, when he found out I had to go through chemo, he put me on LTD - because of his experience, which isn't really meshing with the work schedule. Breast cancer and throat cancer are two different beasts. I think every day he expects me to just quit coming in. I'm sort of an ahole in those situations, I'll work full time just to be ornery, especially when I see the rest of y'all doing it.

Robyn: I feel your pain. If there's weight to be gained, my butt will find it. Stupid steroids. When I first got DX'ed, secretly there was a little - yay, wraith skinny me picture. NO! OF COURSE NOT! And I've had to have EXTRA STEROIDS.

Why is my throat itching the whole time this treatment? Gee whiz?! But hey, I am 33% done with this round of chemo!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And my sister is booking tickets to Paris for 3 weeks after chemo is done. Is that crazy? I sure hope not. I've never been abroad - except being born there. I have an Art History degree, I'm peeing in my pants about going! And I don't want to go FAT. So screw you steroids! Hee hee, have a wonderful day, everyone!

Jen, hugs and love to you.

Hugs to you Jen, but do love the way your oncologist is talking

Jen I so wish our words could help you feel better. I can't imagine how you are feeling. This is a crazy roller coaster ride of positive days and set backs and unexpected news, but,like your name says keep believing that "you got this"

Quixhobbit I shaved my head with a razor once I got very large bald patches on both sides of my head. There is one spot that never went down to the skin and now I have a 5 o'clock shadow in some places and baby fine stubble in others. I'm wondering now if that will fall out or keep growing. I haven't had to shave my legs or other areas for a few weeks now

Jen I'm thinking a lot of you tonight. We're all feeling your pain, your fear, disappointment, and anger. But your oncologist sounds like an extremely logical and caring HEALER. It sounds extremely manageable with hormones from ladies here on the board and the stories we hear elsewhere. It's chronic BUT TREATABLE. I've been reading this book a good friend and colleague sent me, I've already sent it to two friends who DO NOT have cancer because I've been enjoying it so much. I recommend it highly to everyone, particularly those going through a medical crisis, but there are so many messages here I think would resonate with you now:

http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Table-Wisdom-Anniver...

I'm sorry you are getting this information, but please keep us posted.

Lumpie-i wear mostly caps and scarves and I hate the way most people look at me. just like when I went to that lgfb class. It was in a large medical facility and I didn't know where to go so as I'm walking up to the information desk in front of the entrance, before I even get  near it, the security guard looks at me, looks at my head (I was wearing a scarf that day) and before I can say a word, he says "your group is in there" and points to the room the class is in. Now I wasn't feeling particularly sensitive that day so it wasn't a big deal (I think all of us have our emotional days),  but I thought what an ass to just assume I'm a cancer patient here for that class.  but on the other hand I was waiting in line at the bank yesterday and this elderly gentlemen keeps looking back at me and I'm thinking wtf is he looking at, I'm wearing my cap so I look like an alien or what.  but then he turns around and says "i hope that cap isn't for what I think its for" so I told him I was going through chemo. and he tells me he thought he recognized the cap because he granddaughter was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 3 months old and went through chemo but shes now 9 and doing great, but her grandmother just got diagnosed with breast cancer and is starting chemo soon.  he hugged me and said he is sorry I'm going through this and wished me luck and prayers. had me balling like a baby. that day I felt like the ass.  lol

Has anyone purchased/worn one of those liner caps under your hats/scarves?  The ACS TLC catalog has 2.  I ordered both.  One I altered quite a bit to get to fit.  It's not terribly comfortable.  The other was WAY too small so i sent it back.  I do think hats look better with the extra fluff a liner provides but I have not had very good luck with fit or comfort.  Wondering about others' experiences and recommendations.  Thank you! 

i've been struggling with putting anything under my hats scarves or wigs, I find everything puts too much pressure and makes me feel like I'm wearing a too tight head band. My new wig should be coming today, I hope it's more comfortable than the other ones, I specifically bought it because somebody had lent me one of the same manufacture and cap, and I found it really comfortable however not my style. I too hate the way everybody looks at me whenever I'm bald, the way they look at me and know that I have cancer. It's winter in Toronto so I wear slouchy hats a lot, but of course everybody else has hair hanging out, and I still feel like it is obvious that I am bald. Sometimes I don't mind, but I would certainly like a comfortable wig to wear for when I do.

Sheri you might be surprised, it might be a relief to be saved. I know I was so sad to do it, but it will and it was good I had a huge smile on my face. Finally I was done with worrying about when I was going to lose my hair, and feeling it fall out. It was a huge relief. I really hope that it ends up being a better experience for you than youreanticipating, but even if it doesn't, you will get through this.

Jen I have been thinking about you a lot, I hope you are doing OK, I'm sure this is been a huge blow to you, but as others have said there are a lot of people that have stage four and end up living long healthy lives. I believe this will happen for you too.