Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Mizsissy, I'm glad you are back posting. Your posts have always made me smile and have always made me think of you as the Jan07 cheerleader! But just because you pick US up off the ground does not mean that you don't need a hand up every now and then. All you have to do is ask!

My second FEC was yesterday and last night I was not screwing around with under-medicating. I took my anti-nausea meds as well as 2 gravols and I slept last night. I woke up this morning and felt, while not good then at least better than I did last time on the second morning. Nothing sounds good to eat so I'm drinking an Ensure vanilla shake which strangely tastes like a think cake batter.

Mizsissy, these are for you to make you smile! A collection of a few of the funnier pictures of my little guy who is such a card sometimes!

2 1/2 months:


4 months:


6 months:


10 months:


And just to show that he is not always a perfect angel, here he is at 16 months last Nov:


Hope those made you smile!

Susan

Well, I guess it it time for my daily check-in....

Not too much to report. I taught my class today, which went really well, and I was actually HUNGRY by the time I got home (gasp) so I am eating lunch as I am typing this post. Today my energy is still holding up, and I managed to do a full 20 mins on the bike this morning. I think I still have to be careful with my energy, though because I think I overdid it last night by trying to keep my normal (pre-chemo) schedule, and I wound up comatose on the couch to wiped to even be able to have a conversation with my poor husband. Tonight is not looking much lighter...activities do not formally end until 8PM, and I will not be home for good until almost 9 (blech). Nobody tells you just how inconvenient BC is...I mean who has time?

Round 2 really seems a bit milder than Round 1 for me. The inital hit was harder, but I recovered faster (give and take, I guess). I wish the rest of my stubble would fall out already...not too much left, but it is just enough to make my head look dirty. If am going to be bald, I would at LEAST like for my head to be pretty! I do not think that is asking too much.

Yesterday I went to a "Look good feel better" program at my local Cancer Society office, and it was pretty neat. Has anyone else gone to one of these things? They have a cosmetologist come in and show you how to put on makeup to best hide the visible side effects of chemo...and they even give you a very extensive makeup kit that includes a lot of premium products and skin care stuff. It was worth it even for just the "stuff" (if I am going to wear makeup, I needed some, because I do not own any )...but it was also a nice group to meet with.

Aladora- your pictures certainly made me smile...reminds me of when my Owen was younger. He was pretty much a ham, and now he is a total handful..so different than my girls. Enjoy him...he won't stay small forever! Oh...and good move with the proactive meds! Those things work better if you take them before you feel sick anyway. I also think that sleep makes a difference. I hibernated the through days 2 and 3, and honestly I feel great now (day 6).

RobbinJaye- hang in there! Yes, it does come out all at once...and it was the distressing mess that drove me to the buzzer. I felt much better after my buzz, and it made it easier to control the hair shedding. For me, it was the process that was more disturbing than the end product, but everyone is different. This phase will be over soon, though and you will be able to move on. Everyone has to handle this loss in their own way. Let yourself handle it.

Wow Mizsissy, I absolutely love your painting....and the kitty is pretty cute too! You sound like you are feeling a little bit better, and I am glad. We are here for you to lean on

RobbinJaye,
I am not trying to depress you but you had gorgeous hair!!!I really miss mine.I am 3 months out from chemo and still waiting to ditch the wig.Hang in there.

Hugs,
Lisa

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...Chemo has been a lot like pregnancy for me with the nausea, fatigue and crazy mood swings.

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Jan it is so funny you say that. When friends ask me what chemo feels like I am ALWAYS comparing it to the feeling of being pregnant...but without the squirmy thing behind my belly-button. I thought I was just being queer! Nice to know that I am not the only one to think that.

Had my Chemo #3 yesterday. FEC X 6, so that means I'm 1/2 way done. Started on December 29, so joined with the January girls. I had a much easier time with this chemo than Chemo #2. No vomiting this time.

My sister made me gingersnap cookies to alleviate the nausea, and they helped greatly. Today I'm feeling pretty good, so I better not complain.

I have a lot of problems with an itchy head when I wear my wig also, has anyone come up with any solutions? At least here it's so cold most of the time I just wear a hat.

Have a great day everyone.

Jonimb...I've got a real itchy head problem too. Shaving helped. The wig ladies told me that would go away after a while...but of course, they're sales people. You can get wig caps.

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I hope we don't all turn into a bunch of drug addicts!!!!!

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Ugh...I feel like a total junkie! I have NEVER taken so many meds in all of my life!

I hear you on the preganacy thing. Smells are driving me batty. I can smell aftershave and dish soap a mile away. My husband made toast on Sun and I had to leave the house. Blech! And standing at the deli yesterday was a challenge.

I agree that this round seemed to hit me harder but I recovered faster. I'd heard the complete opposite. I didn't have a "day 5" at all. Still have not gone to the gym yet and did that sooner last time, but I am trying to make sure I'm really out of the woods. Well, that and trying to figure out what to wear on my head so I don't look like an egg.

Sounds like we are all doing a little better today? Sure hope so--
Amera

Rebecca, gingersnaps sound really good! And I know what you mean by the itchy wig. Actually with mine it's more the pressure of that sort of rubberized inside on my still-tender scalp that gets me. I can only stand it about 4 hours at a time, here is a pic of me in it. But the good news is my onc said he thinks there is a good chance I'll keep the eyebrows and eyelashes, he said about 30 percent of those on AC and cytoxin lose them, and usually that is for a six month regimen. Anybody else get eyelash/eyebrow predictions? - Skye

skyedivine, I'm on A/C and my eyelashes and brows are thinning rapidly. I have my 2nd round tomorrow, and just buzzed the hair off on Sunday because it was coming out.
I'm assuming since mine are thinning, that I will lose them.

My eyebrows were the first to start to go...they thinned even before the hair on my head started to fall out. I lost about half of the hairs in my eyebrows during my first round (I am taking TAC). I am assuming that they will thin again this round, and am predicting that they will be gone pretty rapidly. My eyelashes seem to be hanging in there pretty well...a little thinner but not noticably yet. I too have lost hair EVERYWHERE except on my legs. Sigh...lose it where you want to keep it, and keep it where you want to lose it.

Nice wig Skye!

Thanks ladies for the nice comments on "Old Itchy." It's a freebie from the American Cancer Society. The funny thing is I was going to dye my hair red just before I found out I had cancer but didn't know if I'd like it, now I'm going to dye it for sure when it finally comes back. Especially if my onc is right and it comes in salt-and-pepper color! I don't think my brows and lashes have thinned but here is a weird leg hair thing...I shaved them over a week ago and it hasn't grown back! And yet above the knees nothing has fallen out, in fact I suddenly grew long mutant hairs on my left knee. Just one more funny thing to balance the sucky side. Not that long mutant leg hairs aren't sucky too. :-) - Skye

Rebecca,

Funny you should ask. I have an interesting story. I was getting really bad periods and actually had an endometrial ablation on 10/26/06. It was great, I wasn't going to have anymore periods. Then 2 weeks later on 11/7/06, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and found out I'd get thrown into menopause because of chemo. It was almost comical when I went to my gyn for post op, I asked him if he got good practice doing my surgery. I do admit that it's nice not having the periods anymore. I think I've read that many women have 1 or 2 periods after starting chemo, then stop. btw, I might have had a hot flash last night, not sure. I asked dh "is it really hot in here or am I having a hot flash?"

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!
Lynn,
I had my period right before I had the first TAC treatment, then I thought I wouldn't get it again. 14 days later there it was. I am hoping it is now done. We have enough other stuff to deal with including the hair. I went to a funeral on Monday and wore my wig for the first time. It didn't bother my head, but I felt like I had a hat on and had to stop myself from pulling it off. When I asked someone who didn't know about my BC if she noticed the wig, she said she knew something was different. So even with the wig, things are obvious. My eyebrows are starting to hurt like my head did before I shaved it. My head is still all stubble too, and not falling out. How is everyone cleaning their head? I use lavender baby shampoo, but should I be washing it when I wash my face? Fun,fun, fun, ilene