Starting chemo August 2017 - would love some moral support!

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  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited November 2017

    Love cats pictures everyone, VL, tabby is one of my favourite colors. Mine is a girl and she has to lose weight according to the vet so she is on a diet right now, we bought new brand foder for her.

    KByTheLake, your dog's way of laying down is funny, do they get along? We were planning to get a dog before my diagnosis but I am not sure our cat will be ok with it.

    Stage2ire, my youngest is 11 years old and I have another one, she is 22 but still lives at home, she is studying. Your kids are very young, it must be a ot of work, sorry it happened to you. I know what you mean about the fear of germs, we have purex in every bathroom, I have a bottle by my bed. Cats are usually easy manage, here they cannot sell a kitten until it is 12 weeks and by that time they already trained to go on the pot. Although our previous cat did not like children at all, the youngest could hardly touch her, when we got this one the youngest just grabbed her and never let her go when she could, so the cat does not know any other way. Otherwise she is not that much for sitting on your lap. Cherry


  • KByTheLake
    KByTheLake Member Posts: 52
    edited November 2017

    Cherry, here's one more for you! She lays like that a lot and it always makes me laugh. She and the cat get along quite well, eventhough Jack Russell Terriers supposedly aren't good with cats. My previous cat lived to be 20 and Sally was always gentle with him.

    image

  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited November 2017

    K that’s such a good picture.

    Love the cat expression .

  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited November 2017

    KByTheLake, the sweetest thing, our cat used to lay like this when she was small but then we had her sterilized and she got fat and just stopped. She is not much for direct contact and is kind of autistic but still wantsto be around, like this

    image

  • Willow22
    Willow22 Member Posts: 220
    edited November 2017

    welcome stage2ire! You've had such a tough time with your wound infection and your daughter's illnesses.... I hope you both stay healthy and you can keep on track with chemo!

    Love the cat and dog photos! What a comfort our critters are, especially when they can cuddle so quietly with you on those bad days right after treatments!

    willow

  • rdeesides
    rdeesides Member Posts: 459
    edited November 2017

    Here are my dogs. Maggie is the one on top and Pepper is on the back of the chair. Maggie is my baby and follows me wherever I go. I love seeing everyone’s pets, especially the cats as I love cats. I had two but they passed away a few years ago

    image

  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited November 2017

    Some good news from me, met my MO this morning and he told me I can stop at #9 taxol. Tomorrow is my #8 so next week will be my last week of chemo!

    Let’s show our dog picture. She follows me around and she can feel when I’m sad. Lately when I cried she will jump and sit right next to me. My best pal.

    image

    image

  • rdeesides
    rdeesides Member Posts: 459
    edited November 2017

    She’s cute Paulette!

    Dr is prescribing Granix shots to boost WBC count. Will receive three shots per week until Im done with Taxol/Carbo. I go on a seperate day for blood draw and then treatment day. I will be at the hospital 5 days per week. I’m going to start looking for a job here. ;-

  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited November 2017

    rdeesides, Paulette, your dogs are stinking cute. This is amazing what a difference the pets make, especially right now.

    We decided upon Corgi pembroke before my diagnosis but right now I am not sure I will be able to take care of a puppy but my youngest is waiting and do not want to let her down. It is not so easy to get a Corgi here, there no so many kennels and the breeders are very picky.

    Paulette, these are great news, you are almost done, next week will be my last Taxol too. I would say that you are stopping right there when it gets harder, after my 9th I started getting tired and started crushing for two days. Today I went to a counselour and since I was out in good time I decided ti take VL's advice and walked there, approx 20 min. Well, I managed but I felt like a very old junkie, like my legs were not exactly following, on my way back I climbed three staircases, those I had on my running track before, now I hardly could move my legs, I came home and went straight to bed. How am I suppose to have an EC in two and a half week I have no idea. I bought chicken liver and today I fried two slices of blood pudding, a very Swedish thing that contains blood and is served with jam, I need to improve my hemoglobine,Cherry

  • toughcookie_21
    toughcookie_21 Member Posts: 185
    edited November 2017

    I just had to jump in with a picture my my 85 pound baby. This is Thor. He was a taco for Halloween. I love him so much. Since I've been diagnosed, he is very protective of me and follows me around. He sneaks up in bed with us and cuddles up to me and eventually kicks my husband out of bed some nights;)

    image

  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited November 2017

    I really think dog can sense us being sick, my dog follows me so closely now if you compared before. Once I started crying she will sit next to me or on my lap.

    Cherry - I try to walk good 40 minuets on my good days, also when I get up in the morning, I do some leg kicking exercise while I make my breakfast. I think that help my leg blood circulation. Also I do hands exercise to help my neuropathy. Do you need to do an echo before EC?

    Rdeeside- my insurance case manager told me I have so much BC knowledge now I can be a good BC counselor. Maybe you can get this kind of job in that hospital. 😜😜😜

  • rdeesides
    rdeesides Member Posts: 459
    edited November 2017

    Cookie- love Thor the Taco. Maggie was a cheerleader for Halloween.

    Paulette - yes, I should get a case manager job! haha. I will be looking for a new job and the hospital will know me so well.

    Hope everyone is doing well. Finished #4 Carbo/Taxol today. 8 more. It will go fast.


  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited November 2017

    Cookie - how can you dress up a 85 lbs dog with taco hahaha

    Rdeeside-prayers for both of us minimal SE.

  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited November 2017

    toughcookie, what a cutie! His devotion is in his eyes. And he looks like he just ate up his Haloween costume and wants more.

  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited November 2017

    Have any of you done any scans when you got diagnosed? I am considering bone scan because I have been having problems with my upper back. I have been complaining and my oncologist told me that the can order one even though the x- day was clean and my blood work looks fine.Cherry

  • VL22
    VL22 Member Posts: 851
    edited November 2017

    I love all the animal pictures! My husband says I'm obsessed with our dog and two cats, especially my cat Wilson, and it is true! They all really have brought me so much peace and understanding during this time.

    Paulette - nice you have the MO's blessing to stop Taxol early. Hope you finish up without many side effects. My WBC is really hanging on by a thread.

    R - I just finished #5. My SE's were much less this past week than any of the previous. I hope it stays this way. I will say that after infusion 5 I was zonked/ came home and slept for 4 hours - first time this happened on Taxol.

    Cherry - I had a bone scan because of something on MRI - turned out to be nothing. Honestly every ache and pain makes me scared. My cancer center is stingy with the scans. If you've been in pain and the Dr. has agreed, maybe get one if it would give you peace of mind. I'm sorry my "take a walk suggestion" ended with you feeling like an old junkie

  • rdeesides
    rdeesides Member Posts: 459
    edited November 2017

    Cherry, I had a bone scan and a Pet Scan, in addition to multiple MRIs.


  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited November 2017

    Well, I had no scans even though I told them that I had pain between my shoulders but BS just waved me off but suggested we order a usual X-ray that came back clean in August and they said they can see spondylosis and other signs of aging so the problem must be muscelouse. I tried anti-inflammatory for two weeks then later I started my treatment and have weekly appointments with PT, another PT at cancer rehab said it was all due to tension I have due to my aggravated conditon. It has improve somewhat with the exercises and the meds but I still have it and it makes me crazy. So now they have offered and I will do it but I am so afraid, I have no need to explain to you how I feel, I am so thankful for these boards.

    The pets are wonderful, I cannot even describe what our cats mean to our youngest although it is technically the eldest’s cat, she got it on her birthday. When our previous cat suddenly passed away I never thought I would feel so sad, I cried more than anyone else. Later I thought that we will not get a new one, my husband agreed with me on this one otherwise at that point five years ago we went through the period when we disagreed about basically everything. After few months it was my eldest’s birthday approaching and I have ti admit I did lurked on some sites looking for a new kitten, I asked the eldest what she wanted on her birthday and she just turned and said: mom, I want a cat. So I turned back, went online and called to the owner who placed the first ad. There were four kittens, all very different but I told her that I wanted a girl, the grey one. She was hesitant and told me that she was suspicious that that particular one was anxsious and not very cosy and cuddling. I replied that well we were not so very normal and wonderful either and we are willing to take a shut. The youngest did not know we were going to pick up a new kitten, we told her that we were buying stuff for a friend who just got one. So, me and the girls went on our own picked her up, got to see her male distant relative who was gigantic, like a really big Maine coon, and surprised our little one that we now have a new cat. We came home and the dad had just to face the fact. He is always telling people that nobody even warned him and I always told him that I felt that I did not have to. I believe it was almost exactly five years ago. Nessie, after Loch Ness, turned out well.

    VL, it was a great suggestion, I probably should do it today as well, the weather is amazing, but I am just lying in bed so tired I am. I have done my daily back exercise and suddenly felt nauseaus and got like plugs in my ears and had to lay down. I wonder whether I should take a new blood work. There is a short staircase in our appartment, only eight stairs, I used to run them up, even in the beginning of the teeatment, now I am climbing them one by one and I have to hold in the railing. How is it possible to feel this bad in no time, I thought I was doing fine, even previous week when I had T+H I was feeling better

    Cherry

  • Stage2ire
    Stage2ire Member Posts: 82
    edited November 2017

    no scans here cherry. I'm in Ireland and usual standard of care is scans are done if 4 or more nodes involved. I had 2 nodes,1 with extracapsular extension but no scans. I totally get the fear though. I've awful pain in my mid back, and had back pain for a long time before diagnoses. I'm just hoping its my usual tension pain, too scared to push for scans to be honest. At the moment ive been told I've an 80% chance of "cure". 20% chance of recurrence seems very high but on my good days I focus on the 80%.

  • Stage2ire
    Stage2ire Member Posts: 82
    edited November 2017

    Actually odd thing I noticed today. I thinking have some regrowth on my scalp. Is that even possible when I only had last AC 10 days ago?I also didn't lose all hair on my legs and my nails grow on my good weeks between chemo. Is that normal? I thought it killed all rapidly dividing cells. Starting to worry I'm putting myself through this and its not working!!!

  • SimplySammi11
    SimplySammi11 Member Posts: 70
    edited November 2017

    Our sweet Muffin cat with her Big Cat Lioncut. She loves flipping her tail around like she’s furious. She a very girly cat that loves anything pink. It’s strange considering they say cats don’t see colors. But the only toys she plays with are pink and she loves pink blankets and if we wear pink she always climbs all over us. She’s a snuggler especially right after her hair being shaved. However, she hates the vet and they have to sedate her to groom her.

    We usually have her shaved once a year, get her shots and physical all at once. She definitely had anxiety and is a known biter at the veterinary clinic. It blows our mind because she’s the sweetest most chilled cat ever at home. But is a scaredy cat. Hides if there’s anything going on differently at home and she has to get to know you before she’ll come to you.imageimage

  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited November 2017

    Sammi, she is very sweet and our cat has a shaved part too, the vet wanted to check the infection in her tail a month ago, turned out nothing.

    How is Heather doing? Hope Taxol has been easy on her.

  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited November 2017

    Stage2ire, this is what they keep telling me, tension pain, how does it feel for you? Mine is along the spine but can change the location and radiate along the scaplula and towards the nec

  • Stage2ire
    Stage2ire Member Posts: 82
    edited November 2017

    cherry, sounds pretty similar. Mid spine, worse on my mastectomy side, radiates outwards and towards shoulder blade. Mainly around mid spine though. Probably tension for us both, but then I get tense thinking about whether its tension pain. Its a vicious circle.


    Paulette, great you are nearly done. Home straight, one dose to go!

  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited November 2017

    thank you for all he prayers, just got back from my long infusion and it was uneventful..... yeah!,

    I have Ct scan PET scan and 3 MRI before surgery, not sure how many more scan am I going to do after chemo.


  • Leatherette
    Leatherette Member Posts: 448
    edited November 2017

    stage2ire, my nails and hair have been growing during chemo, nails the whole time, and hair after my third of six rounds. I asked my oncology nurses if that meant it wasn't working, and they were too nice to laugh, but I could tell the question amused them. They said it does not mean the chemo isn't working

  • rljes
    rljes Member Posts: 547
    edited November 2017

    Hi Everyone -  I wish I had been stronger and started Chemo in Sept/ I would have been over the waiting and worrying part.  Love the pictures!
      I had pet scan after my bmx - came back clean. Since I've waited so long to start Chemo, I wonder if they will scan again.  
      Willow you started this site, and look how far you have come! 
    Cherry sw - I'm thinking about you, hope you feel better - I've joined the 'Chemo in Nov' group. 

  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited November 2017

    rlj - don’t look back just keep going. We will wait for you.

  • SimplySammi11
    SimplySammi11 Member Posts: 70
    edited November 2017

    cherry: Heather has had 5 Taxol treatments and it’s actually shrinking the mass now after it getting so much larger on A/C. Besides the steroid keeping her up and really agitated she’s doing fine. No neuropathy. She did lose her eyebrows but her hair is actually returning on her head. Peach fuzz right now. She does have pain in the actual breast with the mass and some bone pain that makes her have to take about one pain pill a day sometimes 2-3 on really bad days but not always. She gets a little nauseous but again that is sporadic and probably from the pain pills but it’s been very doable.

    Her white blood cells are at 2.6 right now pretty low but everything else is normal actually. So that’s really good news.

    We’re taking her to Vanderbilt for a 2nd opinion this upcoming Tuesday, but with the Taxol working they’ll probably say keep going on this plan although they may have some other suggestions for us to think about in the future. The doctor she’s seeing is supposed to be well known and have a great reputation. She’s a breast cancer survivor herself.

    I hope your pain lets up soon. Blessings to you

  • Stage2ire
    Stage2ire Member Posts: 82
    edited November 2017

    leatherette, thanks for that, I was starting to wonder. My husband thinks I'm nuts some times but good to hear I'm not the only one who wonders. I didn't even loose all my body hair...going to need to shave my legs soon haha


    Simplysammi....best of luck to your daughter, hope the taxol keeps doing its job!

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