July 2020 chemo club

Congrats all of you finishing up chemo! I'm heading to meet with my surgeons on Monday...any questions I should be asking them?! I know we have a lot to discuss, with each of them...but is there anything you wish you would have asked? Or came to mind after your meetings with them?

Congrats to everyone else that has finished chemo. I'll be 6 weeks PFC this week and my energy is finally starting to come back! I also just started my tamoxifen a week ago and so far it's going ok.

Congrats on finishing #6 nottoday!

I met with my surgeons, and they told me the plan. I will have a double mastectomy with expanders, then the plastics surgeon will switch the expanders with silicone implants, and then they will do lipo and transfer fat to make the implants look more natural, and then have nipples tattooed. Both surgeons are comfortable putting the surgery off until the first of the year, so I am very excited to have a bit of a break and be able to enjoy the holidays. I’m not excited that there will be so many surgeries, but it’s a relief to not be in the dark anymore. Timing will really be dependent on if I will need radiation or not

I am so tired of this emotional roller coaster. I had an appointment with my oncologist today, and he basically said if I waited to have surgery I would be putting myself in jeopardy, and risk the cancer coming back in that 2 month time frame. So I now have to schedule my surgery which will be right in the midst of Thanksgiving, my birthday, and Christmas. I’m so sad. I love the holidays. He also said, I can not be around people who do not wear masks. So my husbands family, half of my family, and anyone we thought we would be safe celebrating the holidays with, are now off limits. It makes me want to pack up, find a nice house with a pool somewhere on Arizona, and move there by myself until all this cancer crap is over and done with. If I can’t be around anyone else, I may as well be somewhere nice and warm. I thought this would get easier after chemo was over, I’m sad and angry, and it’s not any easier.

Iamloved: It will be probably 3 surgeries if everything goes as planned...2 if I choose not to do the fat grafting.

I’m sorry that cancer is ruining your holidays too. Cancer is ruining everything this year.

The nurse navigator scheduling my surgery said 4-6 weeks after chemo is the sweet spot for surgery, which means mine will be the Monday before Christmas. Chemo will be the Friday before Thanksgiving, which means that holiday is effectively ruined as well. The only good news for me is that my husband and I are used to having low-key holidays with just the two of us so it’s not hard for us to adapt. It has to truly suck for those of you who are used to big family gatherings

My oncologist said radiation does compromise the immune system, although not quite to the extent that chemo does. If you look at CDC guidelines for what makes you high risk for Covid they list chemo and radiation

@brittonkb, I’m finished with chemo (10/23) and in the waiting period (recovery?) before starting rads at the end of November (tentatively 11/30) and I was told the clinic would not do radiation if I have an active case or am *recovering* from Covid.

This makes me really nervous...I don’t know what they consider “recovering” to be, but I don’t want to delay radiation so I’m staying quarantined. My holidays have all been put on hold as well...I’ve done it this long, what is another few months to a year? This Covid crap has really been an added headache to the cancer “detour”.

Melbo, thank you for that source! I’m forwarding to my friends and family, who seem to think, because I finished chemo, that I’m “normal” now.

BREASTCANCER.ORG is having a webinar on November 19 about cancer, COVID and seasonal blues:

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/133/topics/878120?page=1#idx_3

Ampmusic, great to read that your energy is returning and the Tamoxifen is going ok.

Nottoday, that’s great you have finished chemo. 🔔🎉🎊👍🏻 Wishing you the best as you prepare for surgery.

Sharon, in answer to your question: If you are going to have steroids, too, I would say Fridays for the chemo infusions because the side effects may not start to kick in until the children have returned to school after the weekend. Someone with children may have a different perspective, though, that may be more helpful. Wishing you the best as you go through your treatments.

BrittonKB, odd how different docs have different recommendations. Both my MO and RO said radiation would not compromise my immunity. MO said at this point I could consider myself at about the same covid risk as anybody else. That said, I’m still being extra careful because even with just an exposure, not even an active case, I’m afraid my radiation schedule would be screwed up. I’m not sure they’d even let me in the door past the covid checks if I couldn’t answer “no” to “have you been exposed to anyone who tested positive.”I figure I’ve got 11 days left. I’m not taking chances on delaying that.

Iamloved - Not sure where you live but could be weather related? My friend who went through this about 10 years ago warned me of the runny nose issue since we don't have nose hairs. Mine had been really runny and still is when I'm outdoors. Now with the drier weather I've been dealing with bloody noses. I'd definitely check with your MO on the bladder issues. I doubt you need to be concerned about secondary cancer but your doctor may have an explanation and hopefully a solution. I'm unfortunately no help on the oncoplastic surgery. The only plastic surgery involvement I had was a lymphovenous bypass during my ALND. Congrats on wrapping up chemo and good luck on next steps!

Iamloved, isn't oncoplastic surgery just where they incorporate a better cosmetic outcome into whatever surgery you're having to control the cancer? I'm assuming what I am having (or at least as it stands now) is that. My breast surgeon will be working with a plastic surgeon during the surgery. When I was trying to decide between lumpectomy and mastectomy, she told me to google mastopexy reduction to get an idea of what that looked like. Never heard that term before in my life, Maybe ask your doc to give you the specific name of whatever kind of surgery you'll be having and you'll have more luck finding info.

Congratulations on finishing chemo, Melbo!!