Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Viddie, one of my BIGGEST frustrations was coordinating my surgeon and plastic surgeon to do all of the surgery in one day. I had it done within 3 weeks of dx, which is record time for my surgeon (he's the best around here) but I didn't know my surgery date until a few days before....the not knowing killed me. Totally frustrating. Plus, my mother was here just marking time, waiting for me to go in and get out so she could get on with her life (she was headed to Italy on Oct. 1 and I didn't want her to miss that trip..I wouldn't have let her. Fortunately, I was able to function by 10/1 after the 9/22 surgery.)

Ativan vs. wine... hmmmmm... I dunno. Pretty equal for me. Wine is more fun though.

Thanks, Hockeymomfl, for the ovarian removal article. Good info. Timely too, as this is right on my radar now.

Hi Everyone,

Wow, tons of posts in the past couple days...whew! I love the reading though.

Re: implants with rads and PS: my surgeon told me it's about a 50% success rate if you do implants after rads. Therefore I am doing DIEP. Viddie, there are only 2 PS in Mass. that do DIEP surgery and they are both out of Beth Israel. I have an appt. with Dr. Lee on the 20th of this month. Haven't had the confirmation, but I do believe I have enough fat in my belly to make 2 boobs.

Re Tamoxifin: I've read the HT boards as well and have been concerned, however I do believe also that people who post are generally the ones having the problems. I am highly ER+ and premenopausal and know this drug has been proven to be a substantial benefit to ER+ women. I will take my daily pill and if my life is unbearable, then I will think about my options. My onc does not recommend ovary removal. I am a 'young woman' as he said (I'm 46) and would be concerned about the long term effects of ovary removal. I've read so many posts where Oncs have different opinions on this. I figure I'll take the pill and if I can't, then I'll think about ovary removal. That's what I know as of today.

Re Emend: I will be taken Emend for the first time on Friday. Last time I had really bad nausea for several days. Do any of you take other anti-nausea at the same time?

I had a really weird dream the other night. I dreamt that I found a vial of AC and adminstered it to myself (OMG). I was then all freaked out that everyone would know I gave myself the AC because it's red and I knew I would feel awful. So I was walking down the street trying to act like I didn't just have chemo. WOW! First of all, I am doing TC, not AC. Secondly, why in blue blazes would I adminster it to myself if I even knew how? And finally, it's not like people would see the red inside me...geez!

So I'm driving home from work today (100 miles) and the car was warm, had a hot flash. Decided, what the heck and ripped off my scarf. Wow, I felt empowered! I drove the entire way home topless and even drove in my driveway and got out of my car that way as well. Yay for me!

Last story: Talked to dh on my cell while I was driving home. He said someone called from some cancer foundation (he wasn't sure which one) and was asking for money or to be part of a telephone campaign. (now I work for a software company that makes fundraising software and we do our part to donate to good causes, but I hate when I get telemarketing calls in my home..back to story). So dh says 'well, I can't answer your question, you'll have to ask my wife who is the cancer patient'. Not that it's the girls fault but she was then speechless. Then she actually asked if she could talk to me...I wasn't home.

Rebecca, hope you did ok with #5 today.
Skye, praying your rib pain is just from the steroids
Mizsissy, thanks for the info on rads. I have my first appt. with rad onc next week...just the consultation since I won't be done with chemo until May 8th.

Sorry if I missed anyone else, can't remember from the 59 posts I read. Hope everyone is doing well.

Hugs to all

Lynn,

What is happening to women who take tamo post-menopausally? I've asked this question about 8 times on this forum and never gotten any kind of answer?!!!

BTW, I've had the same experience as you did in the car with the flash...but I didn't dare go topless!!!! How long are we in for with these flashes, months, years? Will tamo help?

Mizsissy

Mary,

How strongly ER positive were you? And are your pre- or post-menopausal?

Good evening all:
Just got home from #7, one more to go!!! Right now I am on Taxotere, and for me it has been harder to do than the A/C. But only one more! 8-)
I also go news about my liver, which has been giving me some grief for at least five years. In the pre-op lab work for my hysterectomy 5 years ago, my gyn noticed slightly elevated liver numbers, so he sent me to an internal medicine specialist, who has been monitoring the situation since. He has tested for hepatitus and thyroid function, adn has just written it off as a slight case of fatty liver (very common) Well now my onc is not happy with the latest blood work, so he wants to run a series of tests to get to the bottom, not just assume its fatty liver. He does not think it is as that would have shown up on the bone scan I had. So now I get to worry for a few days about cancer in my live or thyroid. I'm trying to stay positive, but it is a bit unerving. I am so ready to be done, I don't want this.
Well here's hoping it all works out and is nothing.
Robbin Jays: any more news on your liver situation?

tlc

36 hours from now that last appointment will be starting. I'm pretty emotional tonight thinking about it. Weepy. The 13th is the 6 month anniversary of my mastectomy, too.

It's been an awesomely frightful and yet strengthening experience. Wish I'd not had it but since it's become part of my life, I keep looking for some way to be forward-looking and positive about it all.

I guess I'll be weepy for the next few days. Might be hard to explain when I go shopping tomorrow. I have to pick up paper plates, forks and napkins to take with me to treatment. I've ordered a luscious lemon torte cake from one of the best bakeries in the metro area to take to the doctor's staff. "Thank you for your care and kindness" is supposed to be on the cake.

One of the things I've determined from the beginning of this has been to be thankful for the care of all the people who've provided my cares and services. I've tried to thank everyone, even for the needle sticks.

Anyway, I guess my daughters can serve the staff and other patients while I get my cocktail.

So yeah, I'm excited.

Thanks, Mizsissy for thinking of me.

Cindy

All I know was I was ER positive. Until this forum, I didn't know enough about numbers to ask. I guess I will have to ask. I am premenopausal although I haven't had a period since Jan. My onc said start on Tamox and then 2 yeas out if post menop. then switch. I do have to find a new gyn since I do not have too much confidence in my old one. He never found the breast cancer in all of his exams and had my on estrogen even though I kept asking about the relation of it to breast cancer, and now I have lobular which is directly related to hormones.

Mary, you definitely need Tamo or some sort of anti-hormonal therapy. When I went to see the Head Honcho at UM he told me that Tamo was the biggest bang for the buck. We tend to think chemo is more important because it is so much harder to deal with, but it actually is the least effective for all the hormone positive ladies. He put Tamo at the top of the list, then Rads, then Chemo.

I've had some reassurance about the side effects. You can expect hot flashes, because that is a normal SE of menopause and unfortunately there is no way to avoid that sooner or later. But not EVERYBODY gets hot flashes and it appears that *most* women tolerate tamo pretty well; we tend to hear more from the women who have problems because that is just the nature of posting. Why post if everything is OK?!!!

Viddie, I certainly understand how you feel about your breast size, you want to be back to *normal*, so we wish you the best of luck on your surgery and pray that it works out fine. You know, you have a choice again between saline and silicone, because they've invented a new gel silicone that doesn't leak. Maybe that would be a good choice...

IowaCindy, congrats, congrats, even if you are weepy. You are not the only one who cries. I spent most of Monday crying about my nephew...then like magic, an old friend popped in and the day ended on a very positive note (and nephew is going to be OK too!). And I am not a crier, not since teenage years anyway. Something about BC & crying....Oh, maybe it's a good thing. Maybe it means we can be more in touch with our emotions now. Remember that discussion we had about BC & rebirth?!!

So much for my AM musings. Ack...in an hour I have to be on the road to Ann Arbor!!!!

xxx ooo Mizsissy

Lynn, I took Emend from my second cycle on. I also get Aloxi and Decadron as an infusion, and I have Zofran and Compazine for "as needed" I generally take Zofran the first day or two, and I have only had to take compazine once or twice. I have had very little nasea

Hello all - haven't posted for a long time, but I'm doing OK.
Cindy - I cried the last few days before my last treatment too. Congratulations on finishing! The cake is wonderful idea.
Amera, I have about 1/4" of hair - maybe a little more. I had stubble all through chemo - never figured out if it was new hairs, or old stubborn hairs. I shaved it off 1 week after my last chemo. It didn't do much for another week or so, but now is definitely growing AND filling in. Pretty much the same grey/dark as before (if memory serves!) So I have hopes to go topless in a couple of months. My counsellor wears her hair very short and it looks good - probably about 1/2", but it's full and covers her scalp. That's good enough for me. I have baby eyebrows that fill in quite well with the eyebrow powder and I have most of my lashes. The pubic hair is weird - I have little, fair hairs - not normal pubic hair. I don't know if that is how it happened the first time - it seemed like I just woke up one morning and there they were! I'm using the Nioxin products - on my head!
I've been on Tamoxifen for 2 weeks and so far so good. The hot flashes are more intense, but not too troublesome. It's been cool here, and I'm usually in layers. I think that most women tolerate it quite well - as Mizsissy says, only the ones with problems post.
I'm trying to get back to "normal", but it's hard, and it takes time. Decided I need to see the counsellor still to vent fears and feelings that my family and friends may not need to hear, or may not need to hear again. Every ache and pain is scary, every test a worry. That is life after cancer I guess. But sometimes I have a moment when I'm not thinking about it. Then I feel a bit panicky - oh, yeah, there's the cancer, like it's a psychotic child I have to babysit or something!
CTV news had a story last night about BC - said that the 5 year survival has increased 25% since 1986 and is now at 86%. Not bad. As we all know, the 10 year survival is not as high, because the beast can come back after 5 years. But still, it's encouraging news and will certainly be better in the future, from Herceptin for sure, as well as other factors.
Well, I'm off for my post-chemo MUGA scan this morning. It's the test I fear the least, but I just hate even going there. I decided to not be brave, and dh is coming with me.
Hang in there ladies!

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"Every ache and pain is scary, every test a worry. That is life after cancer I guess. But sometimes I have a moment when I'm not thinking about it. Then I feel a bit panicky - oh, yeah, there's the cancer, like it's a psychotic child I have to babysit or something!"
OMG! These are the words I've been trying to find and express... Thank you. you are exactly right!!! I love it!

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Nancy I second the kudos on that quote. As I approach my final chemo in less than two weeks, I don't really feel like celebrating because it seems like just the first treatment stage (after surgery)...with rads, Herceptin, and then years of tamo and similar meds. I'll still be tied to that infusion room every week for a year to get the Herceptin... although my onc is now talking about a possible three-week Herceptin schedule which I would much prefer but we haven't yet discussed pros and cons. It sure would make it easier to schedule a vacation! My hub and I have been discussing a short cruise but seems impossible to schedule any we are interested in with a weekly Monday Herceptin.

I'm on day 4 of Taxol #3, this stuff is definitely cumulative. Major aches and fatigue. And on the hair stuff, I think my quarter inch stubble is getting thicker but I figure since I still haven't had to shave my legs or pits, I can't probably expect the head growth to be any faster. Wouldn't it be nice if all the
hair energy could just be directed to our scalps while the parts we have to shave remained smooth? Call it a chemo pipe dream.... Skye

Amera, you've got leg hair? Woohoo! That has got to be a good sign! You are right, getting hair back will definitely help feel like things are back to normal. Although I know our new definitions of "normal" will not be what they used to.
On the Herceptin, I had no trouble finding a couple of articles that certify the 3-week dosage is as safe and keeps the same approximate "trough" or amount of drug in your system as the one week, so I think I'm going to insist on it. So much less driving, sitting there, use of resources, etc. PLUS fewer uses of the mediport. I'll still get a dose next Monday and then with my last Taxol so he's starting me off with a dense dosage, but after that it makes no sense. Thanks for the confirmation on that! - Skye

ahh Jan...I totally understand. I am the exact same boat. I had a stomach virus run through MY family a few weeks back, and wouldnt you know it my hand washing and refusal to let the kids even TOUCH anything I was going to eat kept me from getting it. In fact, I do not let them kiss me on the lips (which hurts sometimes )Stomach bugs usually pass via saliva swap. be strict and you will be safe.

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Also, someone told me the tattoos hurt, but Mizsissy, I think you said it didn't.

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Hi Joni, the tattoos didn't hurt a bit. In fact, if they hadn't told me they were coming, I never would've known. I now have two very tiny black ink marks on my breastbone and on the side of my breast. You can hardly see them.