Starting chemo August 2017 - would love some moral support!

Hi all! I had my 3rd TC infusion today and it was uneventful.

My town's annual Apple Festival starts on Friday and I hope to still feel good enough to walk the few blocks into town and take part. I usually start feeling bad either Friday or Saturday. I've been looking forward to an apple brat and a carmel apple for months!

I showed my onc's nurse the photo of my blue wig and she made me promise to wear it to my last infusion. She said no one has ever worn a wig like that to treatment so she thinks everyone will get a kick out of it.

Travel - good luck to your #3, yes planning a trip can be so much fun, I would love to go back to Travel. Friends are asking me to join them for their travel, I can’t commit myself I worry my energy level.

K - love your blue wig, you should do that for the kick of it. I would love to find a purple wig! ，😂😂😂😂

Willow - when I didn’t see you for awhile I worried about you. Glad you are doing ok and you are going to visit your daughter before radiation. Please let us know how’s the radiation goes, because I should be going after my taxol. I am so behind from all of you, this weekly taxol really take it slowly.

All the ladies, have a wonderful day!

VL - I got several new lines under my eyes, I told my hubby I became an old lady, bald no eyebrows 😓😓😓😓 hope we can reverse all these next year

Willow I am so sorry that you are feeling down but what a normal feeling. This road is not easy and during treatment we miss out on so much in the lives of our loved ones. Then, in your case you have to reach down and find more coping for the radiation. I'll keep you in my heart and send healing thoughts your way.

Cherry I have had bone pain from my first two infusions. The first was very bad and the second was milder. It is most noticed at night when I am trying to sleep.

I'm set up for my third infusion on Friday. I'm taking you brave ladies in there with me.

Hugs

ladies, i've missed you all!

Kritti those pics are lovely!

Sammi, glad Heather is ok and hopefully taxol went ok!

K, the wig is just lovely!!!

I'm glad everyone seems to be coping ok with side effects for the most part. I think it's a good idea to check back in a year to see how our hair growth is

Rebekah, I too have tiny hairs left on my head, I'm bald but not clean shaven, the wig people told me not to do it in case I get nicks and that may cause an infection. I wonder if they will fall out eventually, I'm dreading my eyebrows and eyelashes falling out ugh.

I'm doing pretty well these days. Chemo 4 is this coming Monday, last AC. I had a pumpkin spiced latte from starbucks the other day and it just did not taste well! LOL.

I recently got these tiny bumps on my face and wonder if it is chemo related, they are almost like whiteheads but cannot be popped. And it feels rashy almost. They are on my forehead, nose, sides of my mouth and chin. They don't itch, but if I keep touching them they get slightly red. Anyone have any ideas?

My wig and me, as promised.

Makeup- wow you're a pretty girl, and so young. I had couple Whiteheads during AC, I just let it sat there and they went away after couple weeks. I don't have this problem with taxol.

Susan - taxol 4 for me tomorrow! 🙏🙏🙏 for uneventful infusion! I’m going to see my MO and I will ask him about flu ahot

MakeupLover--I can see why you don't want to lose your eyebrows! They're fabulous! I haven't lost mine so maybe you won't either. Mine are sparse and blonde to begin with it wouldn't be that noticeable on me. Your wig is really beautiful, too.

I've gone wild with wigs and just ordered my sixth last night. But I figure I'll be wearing them for a long time and I don't want to get bored.

It's hard to believe we all started in August and now it's October already. I expected the time to drag but it's gone pretty quickly for me. I hope the same is true for all of you

Hello all- we've been dealing with some stress with our daughter and some terrible bedtimes so I have not had much oomph in catching up here, but it is good to read through and see how everyone is doing. Also good to see that things like the new lines around my mouth and chin are not just sudden aging!

I just finished TC #3 with one more to go, then ovary and exchange surgery to get me to the end of this phooey year. I finally put up a calendar so I could put big, red Xes on it each morning and while it still seems like a journey, the progress is real. My side effects were fairly minimal last time though I had to have a colonoscopy (!) the day after chemo and can't help but think that the fasting and cleaning out helped.

I ended up with three wigs- the first and expensive one started looking like a 1950s housewife to me so I opted for a blondish one with bangs for fun, but have not worn it much. The third was the free one from fabys.org which I wear at least a little every day. What a great organization that was to find....We had no participating salons here so I have recommended them to several local places and intend to donate the other wigs to a local charity that gives free wigs to kids and patients of a local hospital.

I have been using latisse on my brows and lashes and can't tell if it is helping or not yet- they have always been a bit sparse. Fingers crossed though!

The stress of work and kiddo have been pretty intense this last couple weeks so I've been trying to find ways to ease that feeling- especially since they tell you stress is so bad for you- and then you get stressed about stress. It definitely triggers some tears as well. I send everyone some good energy and positivity to get through those slumps.

TravelGirl- we are just a day apart. I will raise a glass of champagne with you end of October! Here's to the last three weeks....

Hi ladies,

I've mostly been lurking on this thread since August - I started chemo on Aug 1st. My treatment has been very different than everyone else seems to be getting; I've been on weekly Abraxane since Aug 1st, with two more rounds to go. No picnic, but really hasn't been that terrible. Some fatigue, some body aches, I lost my hair but still have my eyebrows and eyelashes. I am still able to work.

However on October 25th I start AC. I have four rounds, spaced 2 weeks apart. I've been skimming through the thread but I could use some advice on how to get through it. my doctor has warned me that it will be much harder than the Abraxane.

Thanks for the lovely comments on my wig.

Sammi glad to hear all is well with Heather and I will not pop whatever is on my face lol.

KbytheLake, those are my eyebrows filled in! They don't look that good normally. I have sparse spots here and there. I fill them in with pencil everyday lol.

Marooshka, did you start the Latisse prior to starting chemo? I feel starting Latisse now while going through chemo is useless. If they fall out then thats that, I'll have to deal.

Autumn, welcome! Get yourself some colace, some immodium, claritin, aleve, biotene for dry mouth/sores. Try to rest as much as possible!

Hi all,

Glad to see that everybody is doing fine.

MakeupLover, you and your wig, just fabulous.

VL22, I had to think after I typed your nick because I forgot what I wanted to tell you. Then I remembered it was about chemo brain and how affected my short memory has become. I can go to the kitchen and start doing something then go back and sit by the computer just to realize that I went to the kitchen with a task I forgot about when I got there. I open several e-mails and start to write before I forget what I was supposed to write and then just finish them, in this way I do not forget to send them. This is unbelievable, I work a couple of hours a day but sometimes someone calls to remind that I did not replied and I thought I did!

I have no comments about my skin, my face is full of zits small and large, I will just wait and deal with it after chemo. Still have 5 weeks to go.

KByTheLake, how was your apple brat? Is it a burger? Do you have a picture? I have never tried one, I had not have any burger since my diagnosis, I really have to make some. I cooked chili today and are a lot of it, I gained 3 kg already.

Marooshka, no sleeping at our place either, the youngest is roaming around the house trying to find a place to sleep, she is not so fond of her own bed. After some attempts to sleep at the eldest’s bed yesterday I suggested she tried her own and she finely fell asleep.

Willow, great to hear that you are done with chemo.

I had more things in mind when I was reading through but now I forgot them

Cherry

rdeesides- yikes! What were the symptoms that finally got you into the hospital? Glad you are there though to take care of it and wish you quick recovery. I have set foot in my daughter's school only twice since it started and have been trying to avoid the cold and flu season which has already hit Denver. Hoping everyone stays/gets healthy this season.

rdeesides, s sorry to hear this, that i was so bad, I mean the doctor sounded pretty serious. I wish you get better and be able to come home soon. If the hospital has a calm and nice environment it can be good om stay there, you can feel that you have been taken care of. Strangely I felt sort of well in the hospital when they did my lumpectomy, not because they took it out but because I felt like I was in the hands of the professionals and could relax a little. They will look after you there.Get well now, keep us posted, try to eat and sleep, hugs, Cherry

rdeeside- not sure your hospital food is good or not, mine sucks, but their cafeteria food is good, so you might need to send someone down to cafeteria to get you real food. Speedy recovery...... prayers for you

VL - I hope this flu shot can be a calm one! 🙏🙏🙏🙏