Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

I'm so sorry that you are not feeling well, and especially on your birthday. I find that Gravol really helps on those really bad days, have you tried it? It also helps with sleeping. Another thing besides gingerale that helps my stomach is gingersnap cookies. My sister makes me a new batch each month. My #2 chemo made me sick for almost 2 weeks, and since I have been using the gravol I had a lot less bad days with #3 and #4.

Try to enjoy part of the day....thinking of you...

Hugs...Joni

Amera, try and just enjoy it...go into your fog and make it an excuse not to do anything you don't want to the next few days. Have a bubble bath. Think of it as a religious healing experience.

Happy Birthday Lynn!!!! Sorry it's so gloomy. The next one will be better!!!

Good Morning all,
Lynn, I am sorry you are not feeling better ... baby yourself, and hopefully you will feel a bit better by tomorrow. Joni, I guess all we can do is not worry, but that's so much easier to say than to do! Glad your bulbs are coming up. Winter is depressing enough without fighting bc, so it's nice to see spring. Though living in San Diego, our weather is moderate all the time, pretty much.

My final ac knocked me on my rear, have never felt so exhausted. My eyes burned from trying to keep them open, so I gave up early last night, went to bed, and slept nearly 12 hours. So of course I feel much better this morning. I am going to go to the library to find some nice, light books, and to the nursery for some seedlings for my window boxes. That will be the extent of my productivity for the entire weekend. My husband needs to spend the weekend getting our taxes ready for the accountant, so being lazy works for me.

Stay strong everyone.

Melia

Happy birthday Lynn!

This last AC has knocked me on my butt too. I am sooo tired and sooo just bleck. The yuck mouth has hit today too, and the steroid bloat. I can hardly button my jeans. I have a friend coming over in a minute. I hope I can stay awake. It's a play date for my girls and the mom is a really good friend but I'm not sure I have the energy to chit chat. It will be a nice diversion, hopefully.

I'm not sure when I start radiation. I have an appt in a week or so to find out. I just hope I can avoid the exhaustion that I've heard comes along with it. I cannot imagine being this tired for 6 straight weeks. Maybe I'll get lucky though.

Okay, off I go.
Amera

Lynn, my tumour was 4.8 cm, so just under 5.0, also I did have 1 positive node, and my margins although they were clear were close, so my medical oncologist thinks that rads might be in order. I'm going to find out what percentage of benefit I will be able to get from them, to see whether or not I will agree. Does anyone have to do rads without positive nodes?

Who in our group has to do radiation? MizSissy, did we keep track of that? I think we all agreed to stay on this board for all of our treatments, but I'm not sure of that either.

I went out today, and bought some "yellow" shoes, then came home and we (Dan & I), cleaned up the whole front yard. Tomorrow we are going to tackle the back yard.

Sitting back and watching golf and enjoying a nice cup of tea, with cookies.

Hugs everyone...

Joni

Quote:

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Joni, I'm doing rads...I think anybody who has a lumpectomy has to do rads. I had clear nodes. We can add Rads and dates to the list as people get scheduled. So, hey, you ladies with masts..here's something you DON'T have to do, no you don't have to drive 30 times to Radiation Oncology to get nuked!!!

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Well, I had a Mastectomy, and my medical oncologist has sent me for a consult with a radiation oncologist because my margins were close. I may have to get nuked after all Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I am having a mastectomy on 4/27 and have rads starting about 3 weeks after that. I don't know if it's because it's ILC or Stage 3 but they say I definitely have to have (about 33 rads). It can't be as bad as chemo.

This Celebrux seems to be helping with the Taxol leg pain more than Ibuprofen. I am taking it along with Tylenol. Day 1 of leg pain almost done ....

good evening gals
caya have a good nite out
joni I have to get rads 33 have and appointment on May 11th for my ct scan and tatooing marks . then its 6 weeks 5 days a week of driving down to TO for me . We live about 60 kms away from the nearest radiation center . I have to pay for parking too which will cost about 70.00 a week . But I am going to use this a gauge for going back to work as it is the same route I used to take to work everyday just a little father down the "404" our local hwy . The only thing is traffic so I will be trying to get in the earliest I can . My plan is to drive my hub to work drop him off then onto rads . Soooo I should be done the beginning of July .......
Lynn happy birthday ! I can feel for ya hang in there I too have really struggled with the nausea , if it wasn't coming out the top with Fec it's coming out the bottom with the Taxotere .
Iowacindy i have 2 more Tax's to go too my last april 23rd . So far I am just darn TIRED ..... good one day like a slug the next as rebecca says .
Ladies watch out for the sun .... use lots of sunscreen .... I was out on my deck yesterday with a hat on but must have had a little too much . My lips are swollen and my face a little red .
Oh and I have a brillo head , can feel it ..... just can't see the hair yet ..... my eyelashes are GONE
So how do you do your eyes with no eyelashes ?????
We also booked our holidays today for the beginning of aug we are going camping at one of ontario's provincial parks for 2 weeks ..... we take our boat and truckcamper and set up and relax ...... Then in Sept my plans are to go back to work ....
Feels good to have spring here .... tomorrow I am staying in the shade

Hope it was a very lovely Spring day!

Cindy

Mrs. Shey,
Wow, that is quite an eerie story. A few of my friends have told me stories of their departed mothers or fathers coming to them in their sleep, so I am a believer.
The night my father died 23 years ago, and they were taking him out of the house, I was holding my 3 year old son in the next room with the door closed. We were looking out the window. It was night and my son waved out the window and said goodbye to Grandpa. He did not know that my father had just died. I will never forget that.

Happy Birthday Lynn,
I hope you feel better tomorrow.

Amera,
All done now with chemo! Congrats! I hope you feel better tomorrow.

Robertin,
It sounds like you are having a great time in Utah!

Rebecca and Caya,
I also usually have the Seder at my house. This year my sister will have it. I asked her to have it on Tuesday because my last A/C will be on the Thursday before and Monday will be more difficult. Hopefully I will feel alright enough to go. I intend to go. I will definitely take my ativan and whatever else I need to take to get me through the night. All that food though-----I love it all, but eating it all might mean trouble the next day- another challenge!

Caya,
I will also be starting herceptin in the end of April. Luckily they have it for us. A few of us on this board will be getting herceptin and taxol, so we can compare notes.

There are so many posts to read and enjoy when you are away for a few days,, I forgot who asked about stomach reliefs. My doctor put me on Omeprazole (protonix) 2 weeks ago and it seems to be working. I will see how I feel after my next A/C on Thrusday. Previously I mentioned that my PCP gave me a rx for Librax which is supposed to relax both my stomach and me. I have not taken it yet b/c I want to ask my onc about it first.

We just got back Maine. We had a wonderful time. Friday's weather was spectacular! It was sunny and it felt like it was in the 70's. We sat out on our private deck in our B & B and read and relaxed. We also did a lot of walking and enjoying the scenery. I totally enjoyed our time away and am looking forward to another mini time away before I start my taxol & herceptin.

Have a nice night everyone,
Viddie

several years ago. I was there for a folk music festival at the university. I loved the hills. My friend and I went to Grandfather Hill (I think that was the name) and looked out over the convergence of the three rivers. I thought it was beautiful. I even briefly considered moving there I like it so much. I've just stayed in Iowa though.

Cindy

Hello Jan group! I am actually from the Feb chemo group, but have been reading your thread. I started chemo 4 tx AC on Feb 6th - so found much info on your thread and have totally enjoyed and learned from all of you!

I will be finishing my AC on Apr 9th - and then on to rads. I meet with my rad. onc this Monday, so will see when I will officially start and what's next I guess.

I would like to keep up with all of you, so thought I would introduce myself! I was dx in Dec '06; lumpectomy Jan. 07. 1.0c tumor, right breast, IDC with one Sentinel Node micromets (opted NOT to do the axillary dissection).

I live in Ohio, have a son in Iraq - and a 6th grade daughter at home.

I honestly have to say, that without these boards, I don't think I would be able to handle all this as well! Everyone here and on Feb boards has been sooo helpful getting each and everyone of us thru!!

Jen

Welcome aboard Jen, I agree these boards are a God-send. I finished my AC and my last Taxol is 4/5 then surgery then rads, so I'm not far behind you.

Amera -
I had only one Sentinel node removed, and my surgeon says he rarely has a patient with major lymphedema issues with the full axillary dissection. My onc nurses will not touch my right arm/hand however. Not for blood pressure or needle sticks - like I said, even with only one node removed.

I talked to a "survivor" who uses acupuncture to deal with both the fatique and the lymphedema and she swears by it - she plays tennis! I will be checking into the woman she goes to before I start rads for the same purpose. Better to be preventive than reactive she said!

Jen

Good Morning all:

Amera, I had 16 nodes removed, 1 positive for cancer. Do NOT let them give you any needles (especially IV's on the side you had lymph nodes removed). My surgeon, and my onc both said to make sure you protect that arm. Also, be careful when having manicures, as you will not heal as quickly on that side. You should always have your blood pressure done on the opposite side also. Lymphedema can come up quite a bit later after your operation, according to my docs. You should be diligent to watch for it.

With the weather warming up, I want to get out to the golf driving range, so what my doc recommended, was take a tape measure and measure, by your shoulder, by your elbow and by your wrist. After you are back from golfing wait a few hours and measure...this will tell you if the strain was too much. Also, with flying you should purchase a compression sleeve, as the pressure can cause swelling even if you never had it before.

Most surgeons nowadays are pretty good, and protective of hitting or cutting the nerves in your axilla that would cause this. It should also be noted in your post operative report, as the surgeon will make specific note of them. They usually say something like, "the intercostal brachial nerve and the long thoracic and thoracordorsal nerves were visualized and protected. These are the ones that in the old days if a surgeon didn't watch he could damage them.

Hope this helps.

Greetings Jan...welcome to our group.

Love to hear the Blue Jays are back Shorti....are you coming out West for any of your holidays...stop in to see me if you are coming to Calgary, as I'm only just off the Trans Canada Highway. Let me know.

Joni