Starting Chemo May 2019

So good to read up on everyone. Sounds like we are a bunch of tough girls. We got away this weekend to the lake. I did not make it on the boat, but it felt so good to be on the dock and watch the boats go by. My 2nd infusion was a little harder to recover from, but I can feel that Big Bertha is loosing her battle. The tumor is definitely getting smaller. Is it weird that I don’t want to feel it every day? Guess I am worried it will grow again....

We did the ceremonial shaving this weekend. Had a small meltdown when I brushed my hair and it stayed in my hand 😩. It feels much better now. I keep talking to my eyebrows and eyelashes to stay with me!

Peace and positive thought to all!!!❤️❤️

You're beautiful MountainMia! You'll be beautiful with or without hair. Have a great time with your kids and grandchildren.

G1973, sounds like Big Bertha should be demoted. I vote for Little Bertha. I feel you on the eyelashes and eyebrows. So far, so good.

So God is good once again!! Nat's ANC came up from zero to 3.9!!! So we will head down to CTCA tomorrow for round #2!!! We will get her beautiful hair buzzed as it is coming out by the handfuls. I will mention Neupogen as well while we are down. Nat does get the Neulasta onpro and it must have worked, just took awhile. We were told that the taxol (12 weeks as well) is not as hard on you and if you do it every week verses every other week the SE are supposedly even less. We'll all have to chat about that when we get there. As Nat says one day at a time. We also will be half done tomorrow with the AC, praise God. Hang tough everyone and we will keep you posted.

Hurray hurray, jrominger! Hurray for Nat and for you!! What a relief! Half done is an important marker!!

When she is getting her hair cut tomorrow, have her imagination that we are all standing with her, next to her. Because of course, we are.

Mountain Mia...your comments brought tears. Of course you are right❤️❤️

OK UpstateNYer, looks like we are on similar paths. You are 12 days ahead of me. Sad we have to meet this way.

Let us both find the peace that comes from understanding. I am grateful I posted

Hi Ladies! Happy Thursday.

Today is my first day in the chemo chair with AC #1/4.

I’m thinking about the strength of all of you on this very scary morning.

I hope everyone is having minimal & manageable side effects, and for those who also have treatments today I hope it all goes smoothly.

hi all

Kimm, have a safe trip, hope you have minimal side effects after treatment.

I had my second of 4 yesterday. Got an rx for Percocet in case bad headache happens again on day 3. Taking Claritin as well for 6 days. Thanks for that advice everyone.

Mountainmia, loved the pic. Hope your head buzz goes well. I did my stubble a couple of days ago in the shower. It was not too bad.

Micahray hello to you, thanks for the kind words

Happyanyway. You always are so upbeat. You are such an inspiration.

Jrom- keep up the wonderful support you are giving to Nat. You are special.

April- hope you're doing well with minimal se's.

Prayers and love to all on this forum. We will get through this together. Pat

hi happyanyway, I am feeling ok today. Kind of overdid it with planting flowers and tomatoes in the yard today, so a bit fatigued. Neulasta onpro just completed. Got to step into the shower to remove it. Hope everyone is doing well.

UpstateNYer, I'm jealous. I grow veggies in a raised bed in our backyard and in pots on our deck every year. I haven't done it yet this year. I like to plant tomatoes, bell peppers, squash and zucchini. Hmm. Maybe I can get the rest of the family to help.

Get some rest.

Praying for you and everyone else.

hi happyanyway, I am feeling ok today. Kind of overdid it with planting flowers and tomatoes in the yard today, so a bit fatigued. Neulasta onpro just completed. Got to step into the shower to remove it. Hope everyone is doing well.

MountainMia.. sorry for the disappointment and hope the baby is ok.

I am pretty darn miserable, the nausea and gagging, I got my hair cut yesterday bc it's falling out rapidly, It's a pixie cut, I want to say it's cute, but I really don't like my hair this short. and my scalp is still super tender.

BUT... halfway done with AC, I just keep focusing on that.

Good morning! Nat is doing really well this am after 2nd AC chemo. We shaved her head as her hair was coming out by the handfuls. She is way cute. Makes her blue eyes pop! Genetics came back and unfortunately she has the BRCA2 Mutation. So we for sure will have the double mastectomy and will also have the ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. Wish we would have known 10 yrs ago and we would have done it then and perhaps avoided all this (?) Our 2 kids will now have the genetic testing. Praying the don't have the BRCA2 so we won't have to worry about our 6 grandkids. So 1/2 done with AC!!! Off for a walk today. 2 more AC then 12 T's. Oncologist PA believes nothing in her nodes and therefore is hoping no radiation after DM but won't know until then. Sure praying for everyone here. Hang tough and let's do this!!!!

Hey everyone. I've been busy with the Sister-in-law visit so haven't posted much. Good to catch up. Sorry to hear some are having rough days. Keep on keepin' on!

Visited with NP today. White count is down (as expected - I'm in week 2) but not so low that I need nuelasta - so that is good. Was hoping to go to a festival this weekend but guessing I should stay home in my bubble so as not to worry about catching something. It's beautiful in Ohio today.

Upstate - I think (and hope) you'll find talking to someone about what you are going through to be helpful. I know it always makes me feel better.

MountainMia - so sorry you don't get to visit with your son. That's a big disappointment and I'd say you are allowed to mope!

Britt - sounds like you are doing well! That's great. Indeed - take the good days when you can and roll with the bad ones. Luckily they do pass!

jrominger - sorry to hear about the BRCA but good to know up front and now your children & grand children can be aware. 1/2 done with AC - time to celebrate!

My next treatment is June 11 and that will mark my 50% done. Was hoping to take a little trip late June but had a curve ball thrown at us yesterday so won't be able to go. May have to plan it for July! Planning stuff is what I like to do!

April - push for more anti-nausea drugs! That was one thing I learned after my miserable first round - they have an arsenal of other stuff to help curb SE's. While I don't like taking more junk - I dislike the SEs even more. So now I'm taking stuff around the clock to combat SEs. Hope you feel better soon! Hang in there.

Hope everyone has a good weekend. I'm going to find something fun and positive to focus on - hope you do as well. (maybe a nice long ride in the jeep with the top down - followed by ice cream of course!) Cheers!

People, I know I am a broken record about fasting but the protective effects of a brief fast prior to chemo for your HEALTHY cell is what reduces SEs a lot. This beneficial effect has been proved in mice and studies are ongoing w people. The mice had better kill rates from chemo *and* fewer SEs.

When you fast, your body thinks "hey, no food coming in... I'd better purge any damaged cells-- to reduce the number of cells needing to be fed-- and also tell my healthy cells to hunker down and go quiescent (use less energy) till I get fed again."

The chemos we take all go after the hyperactive cells, the fast-dividing cells... not the quiescent ones. So digestive tract cells, marrow, and other fast-dividers get hammered by the chemo -- even though they aren't cancer cells. Fasting helps our healthy fast-dividers quiet down, but only makes the cancer cells more ravenous.

REALLY worth trying. I know it's hard but it is way less hard than the SEs in my opinion... After the first time i fasted, the difference was so extreme that I was convinced to do it every time.