Starting Chemo in September 2017

hi everyone thank you for your well wishes just checking in.

Port insertion is done. there's a liiiittle bit of pain but bearable and mostly when i laugh or yawn. 😂 taking it easy for the next few days just to make sure the incisions heal properly until my next chemo (this friday). and taking my first painkiller since the procedure finished this morning at 830am. i have a habit of avoiding meds that are not required.drinking smoothies and tea with lemon and turmeric to naturally keep inflammation down and boost vitamin A, C, and E and staying hydrated for healing also eating food with protein and zinc to make sure i heal as fast as my body can manage.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement. virtual hugs to all of you

The port feels strange but i think my mind and body has welcomed it long before it was even actually installed. i remember being fascinated by it when one of the doctors was explaining the entire thing to me.

I wish you all a good week. i will be here lurking for the next two days. and maybe laughing at myself when i get a crick in the neck from trying to stay still. 🤣

hugs from my side of the world

Glad it went well, mkn!

The weather here has finally gotten a little cooler. I went for two walks this weekend! I was at a height of activity in my life when I was diagnosed -- I'd recently gotten a bicycle and was riding regularly. All this has knocked me back, so I'm trying to get back into walking at least. Maybe biking again in a bit, although my trips will have to be short.

2 weeks almost since my 2nd treatment. I'm so emotional this time I can't stop crying.

So many new people here it's hard to keep up. Congrats to everyone on your milestones.

Keep your eye in the prize. Next week will be my half way Mark! I can't wait to be done with chemo.

Travel, the study I'm on is testing immunotherapy (Keytruda) in early stage breast cancer (as far as I know, it is already approved for Stage IV tumors that express certain protein). Apparently, when tumor expresses that protein, Keytruda can disintegrate the tumor in a matter of weeks! In fact, what happens is that it strips the tumor of it's "defensive shield" that makes it invisible to the immune system, and our plain old white cells take care of the tumor. Anyway, I'm in the control arm, so I'm not getting "miracle drug", but I was told there were some dramatic results in the treatment arms (sigh)

I do get MRIs, and lots of them. For that I have to give them my flesh, literally. Today they took one more biopsy of my tumor (final one!) I was so uneasy about them inserting needle into my known cancer, but oh well. I was rewarded though - my MRI shows some shrinkage of the tumor, after only 3 Taxols! I knew the sucker was smaller and much softer to touch, but having it quantified and confirmed on what is considered most reliable imaging for breasts, is very comforting.

mkn, glad your port went in fine. You will soon get used to it.

toughcookie, good luck tomorrow, and I want to say I completely understand your mental state and probably need to hire a therapist myself. Today, before the biopsy, I was a wreck. It ended up with hubby staying home from work so he could take me, I was not in shape to go myself. Now, of course, I feel bad, because in addition to missing half a day at work today, he will miss most of Thursday. He keeps wanting to take me to chemo, and I can't resist - having him sit there makes me feel so much better.

And yes, so hard to keep up, but I wish everyone easy treatment and good news!

Oh, my hair is still here, all of it. I will have Taxol #4 on Thursday. Is it possible it won't fall out?

These clinical trials are interesting. My MO said he wanted to talk about getting me in a clinical trial when I'm done with radiation that combines Ibrance (which is for metastatic breast cancer) and Anestrazol in early stage breast cancer. It's the same deal where you get either just the anestrazol or both and have to be followed for a certain amount of time. I'm game for trying it. Anyone else looking at clinical trials?

Hi! Hope everyone is managing!

I feel like I have dementia. I posted Monday I I must have edited typos and hit delete instead of sumbit!!!

So I had my mid cycle follow up with onc. He let me know that after my next two ac treatments (yay only two more!) I get an mri then I start weekly taxol. I forgot to ask where the herceptin and perjeta fit in. Maybe I'll have weekly taxol, herceptin, perjeta. That will be for 12 weeks. The. Mastectomy and 6 weeks radiation to the chest wall neck and armpit.

It's funny but this ac stuff is brutal to me and being half way through it I feel like I've climbed half way over the fence! I'm assuming the weekly treatments will be easier.

Then to gain even more of a feeling of knowing what's gonna happen ( I need that in my life, I hate wondering) I met with the plastic surgeon!! He wants to do to diep flap yay! BUT I have to be 6 month out of radiation. So I'm gonna have to get used to being flat for quite a while. Shouldn't be too bad. I'm bald and already getting used to that.

So today I'm feeling good cause I've gained a pretty good timeline. I needed that helps me feel like I'm not just along for the ride.

Back to this last chemo. I've felt more run down this time. It's taken a little longer to bounce back. I always am so nauseated even with all the meds. I found that a cbd with very low thc oil vape pen (legal here in wa) is good for that break through nausea.

This round I got thrush in my throat. That wasn't fun.

Also wanted to ask, always around the nadir I get this really back ache in the low back and pelvis. Am I crazy? It comes on the exact same time both times now. Anyone have this? I would say it's more of a pelvis pain. And hip. I figured the neulasta pain would have been gone by day 11. But that pain aside and aside from getting tired faster I'm having my good days right now.

Round 3 is Monday. I'm seeing the light at the end of the grossest chemo tunnel. My dr laughs that I refer to ac as “the gross chemo". But the end is near!!

OCD having a plan you are right makes ALL the difference. I think it helps us to feel in control. I will be at my halfway point with chemo next Friday..YAY!! I don't think I will radiation even if they recommend it.

It's beautiful here in Michigan so I did some yard work and satoutside enjoying some sun on my cheeks😁

I think I have the hand and foot syndrome.....anyone else?

Enjoy the weekend!🌞🌞🌞

Mojo - did you take Claritin and Advil for your pains? AC can take you down fast and take longer to bounce back. But you have second week to rest up, verse weekly taxol you only have couple days to bounce back

Mkn - that’s such a good news! You will see the end of the rainbow soon!

I reached the half way of my taxol treatment , 6 more to go! 😀😀

Have a good weekend ladies, and minimal SE!

Binnie, I had horrible reflux/heartburn. My MO told me to take Nexium daily and it has helped. I also keep a bottle of Tums in my purse. I'm also on cytoxan. I notice it makes my nose burn at the beginning of the infusion. I get that last and by the end am pretty tired

i am celebrating your halfway mark with taxol too Paulette! 😊

it's day 3 post chemo for me. fingers crossed that SEs are not too bad

OCDAmy,

Thanks I picked up nexium. Hopefully may only need a dose day of chemo. My akenzyo lasts up to 7 days so may even need nexium after that.

We're stronger together

Wonderwoman, you description of a too tight ponytail is exactly what my MO and nurse said I would feel before my hair started to come out, but I never really felt it and I definitely have lost my hair. Now I think my eyebrows are thinning and my lashes, but I should only have 3 more treatments (fingers crossed) so maybe they can hold on?

I'm on taxol as well and take Pepcid for a few days after each infusion. It helps a lot.

I have lots of appointments this week! Echocardiogram on Monday, MO on Tuesday, chemo on Wednesday. I'm having a work friend sit with me part of the time this go round to give my husband a little break

Fleur, our hair must be on the same schedule: I had Taxol #4 on Thursday, got itching/burning feeling in my scalp Friday night. Shedding became unbearable yesterday, so today I shaved it off. It's so liberating!

I think I was afraid of this for a while, but now that it's done, I feel relief. I did have a good cry at the beginning when we were just buzzing it off. 

Travel Girl...#4...LAST ONE AND DONE! I also see you have a surgery date already set in December? You are really getting there, light at the end of the long tunnel! Can't beat a good friend. Mine have also been here for me through this whole experience.