January 2016 Chemo!

Hooray MissBee. So happy for you and all the others .

My surgery so far has gone well. Rads are next in July.

Hi, everyone. I wish I could say everything has been peachy and that's why I've been absent, but, I've been prey to this neuropathy and nail crap, too. I have one fingernail that got a yucky fungus under it, to the point where it smelled and pus was oozing out the top. I think the MO was only concerned because it was on my lymphedema arm. His response was to tell me to soak my hands in vinegar & water 3x a day. The script for the cellulitis probably helped my fingernails. My nail person said one nail - the culprit, looked like it was lifting, but to be careful with it and see what happens.

As for the neuropathy that I managed to avoid until almost 12 weeks of chemo was over, I was prescribed Gabapentin and Oxy. Oh, and sent to the Pain Clinic for more evaluating. That doctor said this neuropathy crap could last up to TWO YEARS?

That was during the mass exodus of my eyebrows and eyelashes, which I think - the lashes anyway - I took harder than my hair. I think it's just the last bit of normal looking-ness. Now I full on look like cancer hell. And again, 9 weeks before the END of chemo, lol.

And finally! The MO tells me there's really nothing to do about my lymphedema, except maybe a lymph node transplant. I was like - so I will not wear a normal size wedding ring, my hands will never be the same size again - and he said no. Well, I just about lost it. Then the swelling in my hand started going down. I would love to see what the physical therapists say about what this is all about, but my insurance has been huge JERKS about PT for lymphedema, so I don't have another appointment with them until mid-June. It's almost back to the size of my other hand, when - it was about 2cm larger than the other hand.

That's not the only little silver lining I've had. The new chemo is making me so sick I've lost more than 10 pounds. Maybe that's what has made my hand go down.

I only have 2 treatments left, and this business doesn't even seem close to finishing. I didn't start reconstruction before treatment and didn't even get to do the other MX, so there's that whole business to go through.

BUT YAY FOR THE CHEMO FINISHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just can't even imagine what it's going to be like. Doesn't it feel like right now like cancer is a second job? Maybe it's the PT and the 5 million dr appts. The week before last I only had to go once, and everyone at work, me included, couldn't believe that I was in the office so much. I can't wait to be done with chemo. I won't even know what it will feel like!!!!

Jen, it's nice to know I'm not the only one doing reconstruction at the end. Maybe I should start thinking of it as my treat? Lol!

Jenn- Great to hear you are recovering well from your surgery:))

Frill- So glad see your post and update but sorry to hear about your nail and neuropathy issues. I have been doing weekly PT since February to help with mild lymphodema and pain and have also added acupuncture and those two together have helped a lot. Hope to continue doing it thru radiation. You do have to push your insurance some. I hate that you are also having other SEs. I also lost lashes and brows so while hair on my head is sprouting back...my lashes and brows are slower. Hope you can turn the corner on your healing..only a few more right before MX? Positive vibes coming your way!!!!!

Big congrats to you all who finished up!!

I have two more weeks of Taxol, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, I can't even imagine what it's going to feel like to be finished!! So far just a little numbness/tingling in my fingers and toes. I want my eyebrows and eyelashes back too!! On to surgery July 12.

I too am very thankful for this group. You all have been a wealth of information and help. Even though I haven't posted a lot, I'm not sure how I would have gotten through all this without you all.

Frill, so sorry for you SE's. Here are gentle hugs for you.

Yes the eyebrow and lash loss bothers me more than losing my hair. I feel like so now I look like what I've been for months, a cancer patient.

Plus I suck at drawing in eyebrows.

BS gave me good news. My path report shows PCR and clear margins, so my chemo did it's work. They took out 17 lymph nodes no traces of cancer. Considering my PET scan in January was lit like a Christmas tree, I'm very pleased.

Valstim52 So happy to hear, what terrific news! What a relief!

Congrats MissBee!

I'm sorry you've had such a hard time Frill. It sounds terrible what you have been going through. And yes, it does feel like a second job.

I had a minor complication over the weekend, couldn't get my first Herceptin treatment Thursday due to low counts (only 2 weeks PFC), spiked a fever Friday and ended up in the ER Friday afternoon / evening. After even MORE antibiotics, they sent me home. Only to get a fever again on Saturday. My MO and I deduced it was the Neupogen prescribed Thursday causing me stress, so, no more of that. I did get Herceptin on Sunday without incident, and it was a loading dose too (Dana-Farber is open on nights and weekends.)

I'm scheduled for a re-excision and lymph nodes to be removed next Tuesday. Had my pre-op appointment today. Fingers crossed, and praying like crazy that chemo did its job!

oh boy, the snot analogy very accurately describes what I'm seeing in my tubing, and my output is lessened by about 50%. Hope the visiting nurse actually visits today and can help me out with this...

yay for everyone who has finished chemo!!! MissBee I can't imagine the relief you feel after a year of treatment!

I started tamoxifen last week and back come the hot flashes . It also seems like my hair growth halted once I started it, but that could be my impatience with wanting hair to grow back faster. I've had to start shaving my legs and other areas. If it can grow so fast there, why not the head?!

Jen I remember having clots in my drains. The visiting nurse taught me how to "milk" the drains to get the clots moving. Hopefully you get the drains out soon.

I have three more weeks with these awful tissue expanders. I am actually excited to have surgery just to get this exchange done.

Good luck to everyone as they continue on this journey whether it's surgery, rads, etc. I agree with what has been said already about how much this group has helped me. I am so grateful for all of you ladies and the awesome support.

For those of you enjoying these wonderful hot flashes [/sarcasm], how many pe day do you have? I don't think I go two hours without one. At night I generally wake up 2-3 times. Weirdly, I find that in the early mornings I'm likely to be very cold before the first hot flash of the day. We don't keep the AC low enough to explain it and my part of Texas is definitely hot this time of year (and we're about to hit the hellacious three to four month period of constant 90s/100s temps--I never understood why people enjoy summer, I love where I live but summer SUCKS).

Back to the hot flashes: I'm still taking Vitamin E and I hope it's helping some. My husband thinks it may be helping my hair growth, which he finds impressive. I ventured out this past weekend with hats only, no wig, trying to ease myself into it.

this will sound ridiculous but I'm worried about my hot flashes because they've lessened so much since finishing chemo. It makes me nervous that the estrogen is revving up on my body again and feeding the cancer. Never thought I'd be hoping for worse hot flashes than what I'm experiencing. I've gone from waking up soaked from my knees down and on my neck to waking uP and feeling just a little too warm

Congrats to all done with chemo! Today was suppose be my last but too many setbacks moves it to June 30. But it's still in June 👍👍