Starting chemotherapy March 2017

Options
1…910111315

Comments

  • MommyErin
    MommyErin Member Posts: 187
    edited July 2017

    Scrafgal- I'm so sorry you ended up in the ER again! I'm glad you're feeling better now though and are back to your exercising! My eyebrows and eyelashes are already making their return, so hopefully it will be quick for you after you finish chemo as well. I agree it's worse than losing the hair on the head! I'll be thinking about you in the coming weeks. When's the next treatment? Thank you for your kind offer. I will definitely let you know as the time approaches what my plans are and if I have any questions.

    AliceAgnes- Wonderful that you've completed your 6th! I'm so sorry it knocked you down so much. My energy is still lagging compared to previous infusions. Those cumulative SEs really get to you. I'm definitely celebrating the little victories as well! Hang in there and keep that positive attitude going!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited July 2017

    MommyErin and AliceAgnes

    Thank you for the encouraging words. I am making the most of the time that I feel good. A good friend is visiting with me now. I am happy to be able to enjoy her company.

    AliceAgnes, I am sorry to hear of your ER visit. It sounds like you also are doing better now. Frankly, I am amazed at how quickly things turned around after my hospital visit. It feels like it never happened but, at the time, I was miserable!

    I feel stronger and ready to face FAC #3 on August 3, MommyErin. The last one is scheduled for August 24. I hope to stay on schedule so that I can officially finish in August vs. Sept. That's next month!

    Hope everyone is doing well these days!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tara17
    Tara17 Member Posts: 386
    edited July 2017

    Dear Mommy Erin, Scrafgal, kimburke, Limonia, Soxfan, aliceagnes, gigilala -sorry for delayed reply from my end ---i wrote this long reply yesterday to each one of you and then my computer suddenly crashed and i lost it all . gave up and writing again today


    Scrafgal ---- i am so sorry that you were in ER again --- but then happy to hear that things turned around quickly and that you are enjoying a friends visit. I am rooting and praying for your next round on august 3rd and praying that you stay on schedule and finish. It sounds like you are getting treatment at MD Anderson in houston if i understand ? So that means you should have doctors who really know what they are doing and should be extremely proactive to make sure you do well with the next cycle. I hope you get to do some Pilates and feel good before your next cycle.

    MommyErin ---i think you are so doing the right thing by moving to houston to MDA where you can get the best possible care. So tough to be away from your family but healthy mommyerin is good for your family! Short term pain for long term gain .

    Soxfan --sorry that you are losing hair faster than you woudl like . It still sounds like the coldcapping worked for i was totally bald within three weeks of starting treatment . Looking at my shiny bald head was a reminder to me that i was "ill". Now two months post final chemo, my hair is covered by hair ---extremely extremely short and scalp can still be seen through it, but its hair! So although you are disappointed with the rate of hair loss, I do think that your hair will grow back faster and thicker because of your cold capping .I am sure you will do well on this front in th end--pleas keep us informed

    Scrafgal, my eyebrows and eyelashes are already coing back! I was dismayed to see the eyebrow loss, but although there was thinning, it wasnt a total loss and just a regular eyebrow pencil to fill in missing hairs did the trick --not even doctors guessed

    For me --- i am now six weeks out from mastectomy--i cant thank you enough , especially scrafgal and Limonia and soxfan for the support for surgery . I am relatively small and petite, so my PS has completed my tissue expansions and i am scheduling my final implant surgery

    Now its herceptin every three weeks to complete a years worth of treatment ---its very tolerable treatment, only i hate the IV sticks :)

    Interestingly now that i am less busy with appts, i have more time to think and more of an angst if you will sometimes-I think you all will understand what i mean by a certain angst. But i tell myself, that the very fact that i faced what i had to face and deal with chemo and surgery means i can live life with all its challenges! I so appreciate the friendship on these boards. I look forward to the day we will all be done with treatment and talk about leading our lives


    Hugs and love to all of you my friends

    Tara


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceAgnes
    AliceAgnes Member Posts: 78
    edited July 2017

    Well, here I am--on the 15th day since my sixth and final chemo, and the big D struck once again! I thought I was done with all that but no such luck. Probably ate a little too much fiber today while trying to return to my pre-chemo eating routines. I share that just in case there is a needed lesson somewhere in there for any of you.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tara17
    Tara17 Member Posts: 386
    edited July 2017

    alice Agnes -oh, no, sucks to have a symptom just when you think its all behind you ---hope you feel better soon. Hope you are hydrating well!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Soxfan75
    Soxfan75 Member Posts: 115
    edited July 2017

    MommyErin – How are you recovering from your last chemo? I know it took me a while to feel good again, but I'm three weeks out and finally starting to feel somewhat normal. As far as promoting hair growth, I've read that many women on this site take Biotin and Viviscal. I'm going to talk to my MO tomorrow about it. I've also read that using castor oil on brows and lashes helps. I have Lash Boost as well, and like you, I don't want to waste it if my lashes are just going to fall out. So far I haven't lost them all, but I'm still going to hold out for a while before I use it again.

    Scrafgal – Sorry to hear you ended up in the ER. I hope FAC #3 and #4 go better for you.

    AliceAgnes – The 6th TCHP is a tough one. It's so hard to celebrate the end of chemo, when the symptoms linger. I've had the same issue for at least a week and I'm three weeks PFC. Hopefully things will get back to normal for both of us soon.

    Tara17 – It's fantastic to hear that aside from the Herceptin, you're so close to looking at all of this in the rear view mirror. Did you opt out of getting a port put in? I have one and it does make infusions easier, but since I'm petite also, it sticks out under my skin and it's so ugly. I've been debating on whether I should have them take it out and just do my Herceptin infusions via IV.

    I haven't posted in a while because a week and a half ago I discovered a lump above my collarbone. My MO sent me for a biopsy, and when my BS looked at it on the ultrasound, he said he saw calcification and that it was likely metastatic breast cancer. He said it could also be metastatic thyroid cancer or lymphoma. The only benign scenario he gave me was that there could have been cancer there the whole time and the chemo that I just finished killed those cancer cells. My body's reaction to the dead cells was to wrap them in scar tissue. The biopsy was last Thursday and I had to wait until yesterday for the results. It was a stressful few days to say the least. The pathology results showed no evidence of cancer, just scar tissue. Tomorrow a team of specialists are going to review all of my scans and images to try and determine what caused the scar tissue. I do know that the mass showed up on my CT scan that was done prior to chemo. I'm curious what it looked like on the MRI from the same time period. Hopefully I'll know more Thursday or Friday. I'll keep you posted.

    My hair continues to fall out and while it's very thin, anyone who doesn't know me won't be able to tell. I can't wait until I can style and color it again. I'm hoping my MO okays the biotin and Viviscal so the thin areas get filled in.

    Radiation starts August 14th. Does anyone else have radiation next?

    ((Hugs)) to all of you ladies!

    Diana

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Soxfan75
    Soxfan75 Member Posts: 115
    edited July 2017

    Here's an update to my post above... The team met today and they didn't see any evidence indicating it was cancer. They called it an abscess and they have no idea what caused it. They said once I'm done radiation, we can talk about surgery to remove that lymph node but since it's near an artery and a bone, it may be tricky. Needless to say, I am relieved.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceAgnes
    AliceAgnes Member Posts: 78
    edited July 2017

    So glad to hear the good news, Soxfan. I had a good feeling about this but didn't know if I could trust it!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited July 2017

    Soxfan,

    So happy to hear how things turned out! Whew!  I can only imagine how stressful this episode was for you. About a month ago, I got all worked up about a mole on my scalp and really couldn't rest well until I saw an MDA dermatologist who took all of 60 seconds to tell me that my mole wasn't cancerous and, in fact, wasn't even a mole.  Some other "normal" thing that looks just like a mole.  I am going to try not to worry about everything that comes up, but it's going to be hard to do.  Just as Tara suggested, the more time we will have, going forward in life, the more time we have to think about things--which isn't always a good thing!  I have found this to be true for me, as well, moving from weekly Taxol to FAC every 3 weeks. More time to worry between doses!

    Btw, Tara, like Soxfan I have a port and really have grown to appreciate it.  I am one of those difficult "sticks"--before I got the port, I just used to tell any nursing staff to give me the best vein whisperer around to stick me!  Of course, after several unsuccessful tries, they finally relent and then go find that special nurse! Now, the port has just made my 6 month chemo journey a little less stressful.  It will be removed with my final implant exchange surgery. However, I must say that I am glad my MO told me to get it. Glad that things seem to be progressing well for you as you approach your final implant surgery, Tara!

    I just had a check-in with my plastic surgeon, since I only have 2 more FAC doses to go!  We decided that it would be best for me to wait 8 weeks after my last dose, before having the final surgery.  Usually, he can do it at the 6 week mark but, given how FAC is rocking me, he wants to wait an additional couple of weeks to ensure that we avoid the risk of infection. I actually enjoy my PS appointment because it allowed me to visualize being done with chemo!  If things stay on schedule with chemo, or relatively on schedule, I will have my final exchange surgery at the end of October or first week of November!!!  I've been living with this tissue expander since February 7th! It will be nice to get the coconut out! We also discussed nipple options, although I need to wait 2-3 months after the final implant surgery.  I am leaning toward the 3D tattoo.  My PS really says it is the best option for me. I will get it done at my treatment center--convenient!

    AliceAgnes, so sorry to hear about the big D's return.  So far, I've had the opposite issue, but I am working through it! I am sure that you situation will resolve itself.

    I have 6 days left before my next FAC dose.  I plan to make the most of them!



    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tara17
    Tara17 Member Posts: 386
    edited July 2017

    soxfan-so thankful that that lump was benign! I wish they had never thrown out the thought of BC being there---what a tough few days that must have been, so thankful that its over

    Ladies, if you already have ports, then use them till all your treatments are over. Its really a huge pain to get poked every time for treatment and i have grown to hate it ---but at the time i started treatment, i just didnt want to go through another procedure with port placement . If you already went through that procedure then spare yourself a million needle sticks and keep the port till the end of treatment

    My final implant exchange will be in september. Funnily enough as i come to the end of treatment, i have more anxiety . Working on mindfulness techniques.

    I have to start work next week. Have a lot more fatigue than i thought i woudl have and they want me to run around and make up the time i will miss -- just worries me as to how i will manage more work with the fatigue i have

    Scrafgal --hope you are enjoyng theweekend before your next FAC cycle

    Hugs to all

    Tara


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceAgnes
    AliceAgnes Member Posts: 78
    edited July 2017

    I second Tara's comment about getting the port. I've had mine since March with absolutely no issues, and I will need it through March of next year to finish up my Herceptin infusions.

    Tara, I will keep you in thought and prayer as you deal with your fatigue. I hope your workplace will be able to cut you some slack if needed. Managing the lack of energy that goes with cancer can be so tricky, and -- for me, at least -- sometimes fatigue hits when I least expect it.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • IntegraGirl
    IntegraGirl Member Posts: 147
    edited July 2017

    I thought I wanted a port and, in fact, went in to have it put in beginning of March. The nurses and surgeon were bloody incompetent and couldn't get an IV in after multiple tries and bruising the crap out of my hand so I got up and walked out. They freaked me out telling me that if they couldn't get an IV in, there was no way I could get chemo. I finish my 8th and final chemo round on Tuesday. The chemo nurses are pretty good at the IV and the rule is everyone gets one try then they find someone else. Most times, they get it the first or second try. Now that I've done it without the port, I don't know that skipping the port issuch a bad option.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tara17
    Tara17 Member Posts: 386
    edited August 2017

    ladies, i am going back to work tomorrow! I have a busy job, it can sometimes be 12 hours days and i still have quite a bit of fatigue /low stamina, so please wish me luck as i transition back to work. I hope all of you are doing well

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited August 2017

    Good luck Tara! Hopefully your management team can understand that you are not at full energy.

    I did have a great weekend! Getting ready for FAC #3 tomorrow. They are adding another anti nausea med to the premed mix. I will hope and pray for the best. Indeed, I am at MDA and they do try to respond to issues quickly and effectively.



    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • tinker-bell
    tinker-bell Member Posts: 62
    edited August 2017

    Hi everyone!

    Just wanted to say I've started rads now and can be found in the Starting Radiation July 2017 group on here. Best wishes for everyone still undergoing chemo treatment.

    I'm now about 8 weeks post final chemo and if I wasn't having radiation, I'd be feeling pretty good now I think. I managed to keep all my hair and my finger and toenails stayed looking normal throughout treatment thanks to the cold cap and cold slippers and mittens I firmly believe, although my eyelashes still look wierdly sparse and curly my eyebrows have grown back. Things I've noticed: more creaky joints and amy sore knee has got worse. Neuropathy more or less gone, yay! I immediately started gaining weight once I stopped chemo, going to try and counteract that with an exercise routine am doing an hour a week training plus a dog walk every day. Hope to get back to kickboxing one day...

    I am not enjoying radiotherapy but it is a lot better than chemo... and over much more quickly thank god.

    Thank you for all your support on here! Good luck with the return to work Tara17.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited August 2017

    tinker-bell

    I am happy to hear that things are on the upswing for you!

    All, I just had my chemo delayed due to low neutraphils. Will try again next Tuesday. For the last dose, the same thing happened and my counts were actually normal by the following Tuesday. It was an amazing turn of events. I am disappointed with the delay though. I have two friends visiting for a few days starting Aug 10th. Now I will be ill when they are here. They want to help but I just wanted to be in a better part of my cycle when they visit. I will just have to get over it.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited August 2017

    Had FAC#3 tiday...my bloodwork was good

    I hope that,adding Emend and additional steroids, on top of soften etc. Will create a better situation for me this time.

    Nonetheless: one.more FAC to before I am done!

    Hope all is well bit look forward to updates on all of you when you have time.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited August 2017

    well..not feeling great but not horrible yet either, after #3 FAC yesterdeay. Proof of improvement will come after the next 2 days though.

    How is everyone doing?

    Roll call....

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceAgnes
    AliceAgnes Member Posts: 78
    edited August 2017

    Answering the roll call here--I am now a month past my sixth and last TCHP infusion. All is well now despite my many complications, including an ER visit, after the 6th one. Today I feel great! I am even cooking meals again, something I hadn't done in quite awhile, and last night I got to a Brewers game with a friend. She has had her own health problems, too, so it was the first time we had gotten together since the end of May.

    What comes next for me is unilateral mastectomy. I will meet with the surgeon on August 22 to set a date.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MommyErin
    MommyErin Member Posts: 187
    edited August 2017

    Scrafgal, you're almost done! Yay! I hope you feel better this round than you did the last two. Praying for you!

    I'm one day post BMX and feeling pretty darn good. I'm honestly just so relieved to have it over with. What I expected was definitely worse than what it's turned out to be so far. Thankfully, the lymph nodes (3) the surgeon took all tested negative for cancer (yay chemo!), so I avoided an ax dissection! The drains and compression vest are annoying, but I'll live. Sending positive thoughts and prayers to all of you ladies! Looking forward to hearing how you all are doing

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited August 2017

    AliceAgnes....glad you are having some good times before your surgery. Cool I g and time with friends is healing. Two friends visited with me this weekend and the laughter was awesome. My new pre meds and post meds worked WONDERS! No hospital visit. Nausea under control!!!

    MommyErin...thanks for the prayers...it works! Glad that you are feeling okay after surgery and happy to hear about those nodes! Yes...those drains are annoying but they will be gone eventually! Praying for your continued recovery!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceAgnes
    AliceAgnes Member Posts: 78
    edited August 2017

    Scrafgal, so happy for you! It's really great when a few changes in meds get the desired result.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tara17
    Tara17 Member Posts: 386
    edited August 2017

    scrafgal --only one more FAC to go! Yay --glad you are doing better

    Mommy Erin --congrats on getting through BMX --certainly is a relief to get that done . So glad you had all negative nodes--that is such great news .


    Alive Agnes -glad you are doing better



    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Soxfan75
    Soxfan75 Member Posts: 115
    edited August 2017

    Hi ladies - I know it's been a while, so I thought I'd check in to see how you are all doing.

    Scrafgal - Are you finished with chemo yet? If not, it won't be long before you're looking at in the rear view mirror.

    AliceAgnes - How did your appointment go today. Did you get a date for surgery?

    tinkerbell - You must be getting close to being done with radiation. How are the side effects? I've started as well, but I only started a week and a half ago, so no real side effects yet.

    MommyErin - How is your healing going? Do you have the drains out yet? Those were the worst for me. I couldn't wait to get them out. I hate that I still have scars from them too. So glad to hear the lymph nodes were negative.

    Tara17 - How have you fared since starting back at work? I hope your employer has been understanding as you ease your way back into things.

    I'm almost 7 weeks PFC which is so hard to believe. Other than my hot flashes and some lingering eye spasms and blurriness, I feel fantastic. I wasn't able to do the Tough Mudder Half that I was hoping to do because I was concerned about the effect the mud would have on the hair that has managed to hang on (about 50-60%). The shedding has finally slowed down and even though I can tell that I've lost a lot, most people that don't know me will just think I have thin hair.

    I started radiation a week and a half ago, so I have 7 sessions down and 21 to go. It hasn't been too bad so far but I'm only 1/4 of the way done. I just found out last week that my insurance company just approved me getting infusions of Perjeta for a full year along with Herceptin since I'm HER2 positive. Perjeta is fairly new and I've yet to hear of anyone else whose insurance company has agreed to pay for it for a full year. I feel really blessed.

    I hope everyone is doing well!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited August 2017

    Soxfan,

    My last chemo is scheduled for Aug. 31.  With the other treatments, I had a delay, and this could happen next time too.  So, it could get pushed to Sep 5.  We'll see. Regardless, you are right...soon it will be in my rearview!  Can't wait!!!!!!

    Glad to hear you are doing well with radiation and that you got coverage for Perjeta! That's good news about the slowdown in hair shedding too! 

    I am also interested in getting updates from everyone.  It has been too quiet here lately!!!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceAgnes
    AliceAgnes Member Posts: 78
    edited August 2017

    Well, at last I can report that Monday the 28th is the date for my unilateral mastectomy, along with a sentinel node biopsy. The doctor is hoping it will be easy to find the one axillary node that was already biopsied and clipped because it was positive for cancer and has to be removed. If there is trouble with that, she may be forced to throw in an axillary node dissection along with the other procedures. Fingers crossed! If there are no complications, I will be released from the hospital the following day.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited August 2017

    Hoping for the very best for you AliceAgnes! I noticed that you listed Arimedex as part of your treatment. I will use the same AI. I just joined another thread focused on positive experiences with AIs. There is a lot out there about the negative side effects and it is refreshing to read comments from those with long term positive things to say. I am just lurking there now but will become more active when I start. Honestly, I don't know when my MO will start me on it....

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited August 2017

    Hoping for the very best for you AliceAgnes! I noticed that you listed Arimidex as part of your treatment. I will use the same AI. I just joined another thread focused on positive experiences with AIs. There is a lot out there about the negative side effects and it is refreshing to read comments from those with long term positive things to say. I am just lurking there now but will become more active when I start. Honestly, I don't know when my MO will start me on it....

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MommyErin
    MommyErin Member Posts: 187
    edited August 2017

    Soxfan75- Great to see your update and glad radiation is going well so far. I was supposed to be moving to Houston and starting radiation this coming Tuesday, but for obvious reasons, that's not happening. Great to hear about your perjeta approval! I'll be on perjeta long-term as well. I've already had two H&P only infusions so far with zero side effects.

    AliceAgnes- I hope your surgery went well! Praying for a speedy recovery.

    My surgery recovery has gone surprisingly smoothly. I'm back to the gym and I really don't mind being flat (I think the hair loss bothered me more, maybe because it's so much more obvious...wigs, scarfs, etc?). Hoping to start radiation at MD Anderson soon and getting my H&P infusions every three weeks. It's amazing how much more "normal" life feels now that chemo is behind me.

    Hope everyone is doing well!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited September 2017

    #NoMoChemo

    #RangDatBell

    #PraisetheLord

    After my final chemo I am resting at home. FAC is done!!!! Live in Houston and suffice it to say tbe week has been stressful. Most if us did not sleep well watching for floods and tornados! My property is fine ( for now). MDA took me in for chemo with a skeleton crew. So happy! Now...sleep!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories