Starting Chemo in JAN 2007
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Jan, I am sorry your family is having to deal with so much stress and sadness. Your poor mom, and poor all of you. It's so hard to lose a family member.
Mel, congrats on finishing!! I hope you will do something lovely to celebrate, once you are feeling more like yourself.
My first taxol went fine. I am finding it hard to think about weekly treatments, but I need to dig deep and figure out how to do it without letting it rule my life. Tomorrow I am getting on a plane for a couple of business meetings, but the nice thing about that is that they are all near my three kids, so I will see all of them. They all live in northern calif within about a 2 hour radius, and I am extending the trip thru Sat so I can have some time with them.
Off to bed early for me ... I guess I will take an anti nausea drug. The dr didn't think I would need it but the nurse suggested I take it just in case, so I figure I may as well.
stay strong all, sleep well.
Melia -
Well, Jan, I'm glad your grandmother was spared watching so many younger generations go through so much.
Can't believe your other grandmother was hit BY a motorcycle. It's not often you hear of that type of accident. My first cousins' son (age 22) was hit while on his motorcycle on I-95 in Brunswick, GA the week before he was to be deployed to Iraq...that was Dec. 2002. Still really rocks our family... I have to believe that if didn't happen here, it would have over there.
On that unpleasant note.... I'm feeling good and that feels good! -
it's 3 weeks between infusions -thanks for asking Tina. The first 2 weeks were so horrible, I am dreading this infusion tomorrow. But I keep telling myself the poison is killing the cancer, so I will bear it.
off to bed... -
Hi,
My head is growing something weird too. I have had dark stubble for awhile now ,feels like sand paper. And now since I have been on Taxol I am seeing a fluff among the stubble and it is colorless. Or maybe White?? My chemo nurse told me also that my hair would not grow back during taxol.But something is happening up there! Been quite achy this week and already Friday is almost here again and the bar will be expecting me. I do see my Dr. this week and I will ask her about the nose bleeds. I've used saline nasal spray and we have a humidifier but my nose is a desert. So sore. I see my onc. now every 3rd week and lately I have been feeling scared and unsure as to whether I'm going to be ok. When I see my Dr. I get reassured for a while then those feelings come back. What the heck am I going to do when I am done seeing her?
I don't like these stories & I know you gals don't want to hear it either but it hit me like a ton of bricks...and I can't get the uncertainty out of my head. My DH's receptionist's mother had a lumpectomy in Sept 06, no rads no chemo.Here 6 months later has a 4cc tumor in the exact same spot and mets to her hip. I'm thinking WTF who was the lousy Dr.?? why?? I don't understand. Then I get so scared, and the strength to fight fades away. I feel so weak right now. Sorry for the downer, you guys have been so upbeat! I'm thinking I shouldn't hit continue and post this. I don't know what to do. -
When my daughters' aunt died several years ago, it was a difficult time for all of us. But we did use it to celebrate her presence in our lives. Of Course, we weren't facing a BC dx with me either.
Much love to your family during this time.
Cindy -
Will be thinking of you today. Sending positive thoughts and prayers that your body doesn't have such nasty reactions this time.
Cindy -
Rest easy these next days as you recover from the LAST chemo!! Woohoo!!!!
Cindy -
My hair started to grow back after Tatxotere #2. I thought it was dark but it's looking very, very salt and pepppery! More salt I think. That's alright, I just want the hair.
My NP told me that it may fall out in a couple of weeks and start over. I hope not.
I just got some Nioxin to try so I'll start using it later today.
I do know that at 60 degrees or so, my wig is way too hot for me to wear. I guess I'll be in scarves until I get more hair.
Cindy -
Congrats Mel!
Melia that sounds so wonderful to see your kids! I can not even imagine having grown children that I do not see every day. As you have often said to me, having three small kids during chemo poses many difficulties, but I love them so much that sometimes it almost hurts (if that makes any sense) and they bring me so much joy. Have a great time...love them, and let them love you!
Jan, you poor thing. I feel for you, hang in there. vent anytime!
Nancy-ALWAYS hit continue! It is ok to be a downer. I think that we have all taken turns at that. Sharing those negative feelings helps us all shake them off. They are REAL. I feel it too, but am often afraid to put those words out there for fear it will come true. But I think feelings like that are like tears...you feel better once you get it out and tell someone. If you can not tell us, who can you tell?
It is nasty rainy and cold in Edison today. I hear you Lynn...I am ready for sunshine here in the northeast! After the chaos of yesterday morning with my fridge and everything I wound up with a fairly relaxing evening. Sister in Law came over and took Frances to practice with the other little ones in tow. She then took them to dinner, and brought me home some take-out (obviously with no fridge and my food across town cooking was a foregone conclusion). I think it was a nice medium rare filet-mignon that she brought me. Looked awesome, and from the reaction of DH when he ate his, quite delicious, but of course it tasted like very tender juicy nothing to me. Coulda been tofu for all the flavor it had. YECK.
The only downside to my SIL helping is that I was left all by myself in the house for several hours and I do not like that. I have a tendency to get very depressed and lonely when I do not feel well and am left by myself. On the plus side I watched the movie I had planned to watch earlier in the day (X-men 3) and FINALLY got those blasted papers graded.
New fridge is being delivered today, as long as they can get it into the house! When I went fridge shopping I had forgotten to measure my existing fridge, so I had no idea what size to get. This was apparently NOT a very smart thing to do judging from the obnoxious salesperson I wound up estimating what size I needed by wobbling around the department and opening all the fridges and imagining all my stuff inside. By doing this I managed to figure out what size I had, and ordered one that was that size. It turns out that I was pretty accurate...the new one is within 1/2 inch of the old one! yay me. The problem is that my house is OLD and the doorways are narrow. We had a hard time getting THIS fridge into the house, so I am nervous about getting the new one in....not to mention the old one OUT! I can not wait until this fridge thing is all settled...not only because I am sick of living out of coolers, and I like my frozen veggies frozen, but because I am going to get something I always wanted....TWO FRIDGES!!!! Yep...we are going to fix the old one and leave it in the garage. I tend to buy food in bulk, and never have enough room....now I do! YAY.
OK...that is such a bunch of chemo babble, and a bunch of new messages just came in from the board so I better read them.
My sister is on her way to keep me company today. I have to read my lecture notes for this morning, and try to drink my coffee (YECK )
be well everyone! -
Nancy, it's normal to feel frightened, esp when you hear a story like you did. But remember, you have had aggressive treatment; you can't compare the two cases. When I was getting chemo yesterday there was a young girl, maybe 17, next to me. The world is full of so much sadness. I can always find someone who looks better off than me (a real weakness that I fight all the time) but it is even easier to find someone, like that darling girl, who has it worse. I have no idea how she is,but way too young to deal with this. Somehow we need to trust that we will be ok, but sometimes that is hard.
Rebecca, it is hard to have them grow up. I often wish I could turn the clock back to when they were 6, 8, and 10. But they are fine adults, doing well, seemingly happy, and actually during my darkest moments, I tell myself that whatever happens, I did what I most wanted to do in my life, which was to raise happy, healthy,productive kids. The oldest tends to worry the most (of course, first borns!) the second is a vet and has lots of medical insights which can be helpful (even though I am NOT a horse), and the youngest, our son, is a law student. He had the most dramatic reaction of the three initially, but is the most oblivious now. He refuses to dwell on anything negative, and that's good for me too. So yes, I miss them, wish we saw each other every day, but our plan is to move near them in a few years and to be very involved with our (future) grandchildren.
Have a great day all. I feel fine after yesterday's taxol, and hope it continues.
Melia -
Good Morning all:
Congrats Mel...you and I are graduates of the same week.
Nancy, I know how you feel, but I read in a post that the way to look at it is, to say....I'm 100% alive today, and I'll be 100% alive tomorrow, and darnit, but I'm going to enjoy each and every day!! We all get our down times, but sometimes when I think in smaller amounts it makes things easier....Big Hugs to you dear.
My girlfriend, who had 4 cycles of Taxol, had her hair come back while on it. She did lose her eyebrows and eyelashes, but her hair on her head grew back. She's aoubt 4 months out of chemo now, and has about and inch and 1/2 of hair...cheater.
Rebecca, that's exactly what I did with my old fridge, fixed it up, and put it in the garage. Does it ever come in handy for left overs, and partys and stuff.
I never had any kids, but I have been blessed with 3 nieces and 3 nephews, so I love to spoil them. If I had kids I don't know if I'd ever let them leave home, hahaha.
We have terrible weather here today....SNOW, COLD, Blowing winds, and a weather advisory to stay off the highways.
I love those new style ballerina slippers, and theres a big sale at the Shoe Company today, but alas, I will have to miss it. Can't risk the highway with the weather.
My new Ford Escape comes on May 7. I've been having a hard time driving our old van, and I can't get the darn little Honda Civic into reverse so easy, and as it's a stick shift it always makes my arm ache. Any excuse for a new vehicle.
Jan...hugs to you thru your challenges.
Melia, you sound like you've done a great job of raising your kids, especially if one is a vet...I love animals, and I actually went to the University of Guelph to become a vet, but couldn't hack it out. Funny I ended up becoming an accountant and computer geek.
DH told me that he would not be coming for our get together, so it will be just me, unless I can convince Darlene from Red Deer to come fly down with me. Shorti, do you have room in your truck if she comes?
Can't fly with NWA as they don't fly into Calgary....so it looks like either West Jet or Air Canada.
Caya, you'll be coming with Shorti & I right? Hope everything goes well for you today.
Lynn, Amelia, Viddie, saw some pics of that North Eastern storm you got, boy oh boy. Lots of cottages in and around Maine were damaged beyond repair. Must have been bad. I spoke with my cousins in Cape Breton, and they are also feeling the brunt of the storm.
Going to watch the show "The Holiday" today, hope it's good.
Have a super Smiley day today everyone. Big Hugs all around.
Joni -
ARRRGH two fingertips went abruptly numb on me today! How odd...what a strange feeling. Just had to get it out there, because it is just so absurd. As if I wasn't making enough typos BEFORE!
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Yeah Mel!
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Hey Mel, High cy-berfives to both you and Joni this week. Bigtime achievement. And I'll be joining you Monday!
Melia I'm glad your first Taxol went well. I've had as much nausea with Taxol as AC so I think it's smart to take the anti-nausea til you know for sure how you're affected. I'm still on Emends for it and using my other meds afterward. Having the smaller dose is better for that symptom, too, I bet.
Jan, continued good thoughts for you and your family.
Rebecca, yippee on the new fridge and keeping the old one to boot. Making the proverbial lemonade out of the lemon, for sure! And that finger neuropathy hits me sometimes too, especially right after the chemo and I feel like I'm typing with mittens on. Usually it goes away faster than the leg NP however. And I do think the glutamine helps.
Nancy, that's a sad story about the lady with the lumpectomy but she did somehow defy the standard care by not having at least rads. Lumpectomies REQUIRE rads to prevent recurrence. So Melia is right, you cannot compare her case with yours. I feel very bad for her case, though.
I actually went to a clothing store yesterday and shopped like a real human and bought a new pair of capris for spring. That did more for my psyche than anything. I had been out running mundane chores...health food store, car oil change, and decided I needed to have a few minutes in a fun place. Mental health moments!
Oh, another chemo brain thing...for some reason I can never think of the word "remote" so I've been calling it either "the changer" or "the power stick" for so long the dh and my son also call it by those terms now. Chemo-brain could change the vocabulary of the world! - Skye -
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I had been out running mundane chores...health food store, car oil change
Ha! Thanks Skye. Your post reminded me that I need to get an oil change. I have known this for weeks, but chemo brain has caused me to forget. I just wrote it down on my "to do" list. I would be lost without those lately. Thanks again! -
You are welcome, Amera. The only reason I remembered was the little orange light thingey shaped like an oil can was lighting up and flashing every time I turned the car on. I hadn't even realized I had a nail in my tire and the tire was flattening out til the dh pointed it out the other day. - Skye
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Nancy, a couple of things: one, my hair grew in a good 1/4 to 1/2" on Taxol. And as you've probably read, it's white.
Sorry to hear about the receptionist. I can't believe they could miss something that size. You wrote 4 "cc". Did you mean cm or mm? I'm guessing cm, which is rather large. I don't think mm would even be visible. I hear you...it's scary.
Speaking of scary, Caya, I went onto the HER2 site you mentioned. Now, that's scary. Read about a poor girl who didn't appear more than early 30's w/all these mets, etc. It appeared that she started out "early stage" too. I think I need to stay away from that site.
On a positive note for me, the scale was down to 138 today from a high of 141.5 last week. It will be hard to stay on the low carb thing this weekend w/my brother/wife/kids here though... -
Joni, laughed at your "any excuse" for a new car... last Sept. I finally got a new one...I had a 99 Caravan and I traded it for an '07 Nissan Quest...I love it...it's pearly white w/beige leather interior and moon roofs from front to back. One annoying thing: I get this MASSIVE DISPLAY in my face telling me to CHANGE THE OIL!!!!!!!!!! I suppose it's good for chemo brain but I don't change the oil at 3K miles...read that's not necessary. I do it more at like 4500K miles. And to get the message off the screen, you need an advanced degree or a good half hour to read the manual. Who has time for that... OK, back to my original point... the power windows in my 99 van were not working all the time and I said to my husband: I am not driving to chemo in a raging snowstorm and have my windows stuck in the down position. That was my excuse for a new vehicle. He would have had me drive that thing another 100K miles. Meanwhile, he rides around in style in a nice Cadillac... (He's not the ogre I make him sound like...just certain things he's a PIA about.) Shorti, do you know what that acronym stands for?
Melia, cracking up at "I'm not a horse." Enjoy the Bay Area. I used to live in Aliso Viejo but my husbands company was hq'd in Hayward so we'd go up there a lot. Lots of nice areas up there outside of the well known ones.
Rebecca, I am amazed at your courage in buying a new fridge w/out measuring. I recently replaced ours w/a "counter depth" one and talk about having to be exact with your measuring. I swear, it stressed me out. When buying appliances becomes a stressor, it's a problem.
I had about ten minutes worth of numb fingertips this am...two weeks after finishing Taxol. So that s/e may come/go even afterward. Wasn't too bad though. -
For those of you in the east, good weather should be headed your way...it's going to sunny and in the low 70's in Columbus, OH this weekend. Usually, what we get here ends up on the east coast within a day or two...
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Nancy - I think that we all share that same fear. Those stories are terrifying to hear. I lay awake at night frequently worrying about recurrence & mets. I don't know that those concerns will ever go away.
Thanks again for the supportive words about my aunt. Really, I can't deal with it now and I'm just trying not to think about it too much. I'm sure I'll fall apart about it at some point. She and I have always been very close - I give her full credit for my love of books and reading - something that I passed on to my girls and that she also nurtured in them.
I saw my surgeon yesterday for a 3 month follow up. It's silly but every time I go to the onc, surgeon, etc. I am always a bit annoyed to be the only one there in a scarf. So, yesterday I saw a young girl with a turban on - we both gave each other a HUGE smile at the same time. Nice not to be the only baldy in the room for a change.
Chemo #5 tomorrow and I am dreading it as always. Will pack a suitcase for my kids today and they will spend the weekend at my moms house. I miss them so much when they are not here - but I think it is good that they don't have to see me on my worst days.
I thought the "my cancer" blog was really good today - made my think of the turtle faces we talk about:Quote:
Cancer World. It's where most of us live. Once you cross that border, get that stamp in your medical file rather than a passport, you're in a different world. Actually, we exist in both worlds: the world of scans and tests and chemo and all that, and the world of our old life, our friends and loved ones, what we used to do, who we were.
We are different, though not by choice. Our lives have changed -- our dreams and nightmares, too. We come to know our new world as well as we knew the old one. There are new customs, new friends -- even a new language. Sometimes we feel that we have been separated out somehow.
And then Doris wrote in the other day to say this.
I think that more than fearing a painful death, I dread being separated, seen as "Other" -- looked at with pity or revulsion.
The Other. We acknowledge, at least to each other, that in some ways this has become our new nationality. It's almost impossible for anyone who hasn't experienced it in some way to understand what we go through. While there is knowledge to be found in this new world, I think we all long to return, full time, to the old one. I know most of us feel that what we have gained is incredibly valuable, not to be dismissed or given up. But at the same time, wouldn't we all like to return to the old world that seems so much simpler now?
Normalcy. When people ask what they can do for a cancer patient, I've always told them, "Just give them a little bit of normalcy." Talk about anything else but cancer. Go out to dinner or a movie; argue about politics. Once you have cancer, it doesn't mean it has to occupy every waking moment.
Doris is right. We don't want to be looked at with pity, and certainly not with revulsion. We want to be seen as the people we were, who are facing new and difficult challenges. Maybe what we really want -- and maybe it is out of our reach -- is to realize somehow that in spite of having relocated to Cancer World, we're still not that different from the people we used to be, that we still have a place in our old world. -
Jan, that was a really wonderful blog and thanks so much for sharing it. What was the URL on that again? Of course we can relate to every word. It IS a new world we all inhabit now, like going down that rabbit hole with Alice. Even down to taking all those pills (some of which do make us larger, LOL). Come to think of it, I could write a pretty good comparison of the cancer journey to Through the Looking Glass, seeing the Red Queen as the disease, etc. But this blog just gets it right in so many ways. Especially the part about just wanting normalcy from our friends and neighbors. - Skye
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Here's the link to the blog: http://www.npr.org/blogs/mycancer/
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hey good morning i am outside today and just reading all the new posts . Gotta get out there and enjoy , i sleep about 12 hours every nite and find it hard to get outta bed ..... mizsissy i have not told my DH about the trip yet i guess i will today .. I am am baddddd , no problem though i am still coming and he may too . I am covered through m work insurance for the US , but we don't need passports to drive across the border right ? I do not have one yet and it takes a long time to get one right now .
Joni : I can pick you up at the airport hotel no problem .
Caya : good luck with next chemo my last one is Monday
Mel : conrats on last treatment .
As for hair yep I have the peach fuzz on top and its looking darker , by eyebrows are gone and I draw them in when i go out. I am not getting too hyped up about it yet as I have one more treatment to go .
Skye you have a great sense of humor .... always a good crack here and there i love it
tppj i do not know what PIA means i can ask my teenage daughters they are always up on that stuff.
Jan the blog quote awesome goo words to read when i get up in the morning .
Well i am off outside to get some sun and garden a bit . My crocuses are blooming .... -
Hi all,
Jan,
Good luck with your chemo tomorrow. I enjoyed reading the cancer quote. It is so true. I am so sorry about your aunt. Your mom sounds a very strong person. Having your kids for the weekend will be good for her. It will help take her mind off your aunt.
Melia,
Did you get herceptin with the taxol. I am having my first treatment today and I think I will be getting herceptin along with taxol, but I could be wrong. You sound like you did a great job with your kids. My kids-26 & 23 are still meandering around trying to find themselves. My dd (23) is thinking of becoming a nurse practitioner, but she has to take 4 prerequisites before she applies. She majored in psychology---and then changed her mind in her senior year- too late to change majors then-so after graduating, back to more school before she enters a Masters program. We cannot pay anymore, so now it is up to her. My son has had 5 jobs since graduating college. He keeps trying to get a better more fulfilling job. He seems to be lost. We wish he would settle down and be happy. Everytime he starts a new job, he still continues to look for another job. I do not get it. At least both kids are working and are independent living on their own.
Joni and Mel- congratulations on finishing chemo! Time to celebrate!!
Rebecca,
I ordered a refrigerator that did not fit through the door. They took the door of the refrigerator off and then they took the frame off the front door and voila!! I hope you love your new refrigerator. Your place looks fantastic- a great place to excape to and enjoy! I hope your day is better today.
Tina,
It is probably not too late to get a port. You have herceptin for a year and they would probably approve you getting one, if you want it. It does make it so much easier- even when they are taking your blood.
Robertin,
My eyelashes are mighty thin- almost non-existent.
Nancy,
Sounds like that girl did not get good advice. Shame on her oncologist! I hope you feel better today. We all have bad days. It sucks. And then we all have some great days. Here's to great sunny days ahead!
Sorry if I left anyone out. It is hard to catch up. There were so many posts yesterday. That's what's great about our group- we all write and catch up daily- we all have formed a special bond. We truly care about each other.
I have to get ready for first taxol/herceptin. My fun day!!! At least they give us lunch- something to look forward to!
Viddie -
Hi Ladies,
Shorti, I do believe you need a passport to cross the border. Get that app. in asap!
Jan, thanks for posting the blog, I know we can all relate.
Tina, wow, I'd be really annoyed if I had a new car and it blatently flashed at me to just get the oil changed. Turn that 'lll' off.
I am now totally conviced that there are way more hair product commercials than car commercials.
Mizsissy, I checked NW and I can get a direct flight there and back...wow! I fly out of Hartford, not Boston and there are several direct flights each day to pick from.
Rebecca, that is so funny that you measure by what things are in your fridge...I am still laughing! Hopefully it'll fit into your house.
Hurray! The sun is out! I'm logging out of work and going to sit outside right now.
I have this white kind of stuff growing out of my head as well. I don't even know if it's white, or just doesn't have any color!?! Doesn't really feel or look like hair though. I keep telling dh that isn't what will really grow back, it's like that because of chemo...who knows! -
Quote:
Tina, wow, I'd be really annoyed if I had a new car and it blatently flashed at me to just get the oil changed. Turn that 'lll' off.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Big time chemo brain here. I was writing the above and couldnt' think of the word I wanted so I just put 'lll' knowing I'd think of the word and fix it....forgot to do that and posted anyway!
Still can't think of the word.... -
Hello Lynn:
Maybe you're turning into a Wascally Wabbit with that white stuff on your head!!
Good thing someone mentioned passports. I have one, but I realized it expires in November. For my cruise in October it has to have 6 months good on it, so I will have to have it renewed.
Does anyone know if you can wear a wig for a passport photo? I know that I am a goddess with my bald head, but not everybody is in agreement, in fact I sometimes get referred to as Humpty, but I don't want to live with a passport for 5 years with no hair. I'll check it out, and let you guys know. Shorti, we do have to have a passport now to get into the USA...since March 21 or some such date.
Everything I eat lately is a "Pounder"....in the fact that it adds everywhere. I had lost about 15 pounds when I was first diagnosed, and last week at my onco appt, I had gained 6 pounds in one week. Now my pounders are things like chocolate, creamy mashed potatoes, ice cream, now why should this happen...so go figure...and I mean GO!
Oh well, enjoying food, and life.
Cheers to all!!
Joni -
TJJP, I'm sorry I did mean cm. It's hard for me to believe that some DR.s out there give you the " low end cancer care package" so to speak. Were not experts in this field which is why we count on a DR's knowledge. She just plain got screwed, that makes me crazy mad I say... just crazy mad. LOL. I am feeling better today. A look at my daily week is like this... Sunday- ooh ouch, Monday- OMG ooh ooh ouch ouch, Tuesday- Ugh, oomp, waddle waddle, Wednesday- hmmm getting there, Thursday- yes ok , Friday- great until chemo time, Saturday- 1/2 day great 2nd half uh oh here it comes. And we start all over!
I have itty bitty eyelashes and 2 or 3 eyebrow hairs, but the downy feathers on my head..well I am so proud of!! -
OK so I don't have the nausea, but the side effects of Taxol worry me more. I do have two lines on each of my nails (I assume for the two Taxols) and it seems like I have pressure on them. As long as they stay on, it's okay. Then my feet and fingers tingle all day long, which is better than the burn, and it's okay, as long as that goes away. Then I got the diabetes, which I think I was pushed in because of the Taxol and steroids. It was really interesting. I do the bloodtest around 9:00 AM and have the Taxol at 11:30 AM. Well, after my first heavy dose of steroids, my bloodsugar was 499 mg/dl. Normal is below 120. So, I can see that got the doctor moving. The medication she prescribed made my liver values go up, so I have to keep it under control with diet and exercise. With the second chemo the peak was at 399, and we'll see what happens with the third.
Then I got a phonecall from the nurse that the last bloodtest showed that my bloodsugar was normal, which means I'm eating right and exercising enough, but that my potassium was way too low. I suggested eating bananas, she suggested a potassium pill that is huge. I tried to swallow one this morning and almost choked, so I think I'll break the darn thing in two.
My upper right arm is sore to the touch (I had cancer in the right breast) and I sure hope it doesn't swell up like a balloon. My surgeon says that I should not have to worry about the arm, because only two nodes were removed.
Oh yeah, I also got the fluid retention with Taxol. It's getting better now. Nasty, nasty stuff. (Did I mention that it was discovered just down the hall from me at KU?)
So, I'm a little worried about the next two treatments, although I think I got the pain under control with the double dose of Aleve. The only thing that keeps me going is that there are only two more to go. -
Robertin, are you on the weekly or bi-weekly Taxol schedule? If bi-weekly, I think we are the only ones, and I definitely think it causes harsher symptoms. I'm so sorry you got diabetes from it, I didn't even think that was possible. But listen, your surgeon's advice that you needn't worry about lymphema because only 2 nodes were removed is counter to what my team has told me and to what I've read everywhere else. The truth as I understand it is that any node removal makes you subject to lymphedema, although chances are much reduced when you only lose one or two. EVERYONE says to get to the hospital at the first sign of swelling because once it goes all the way it's much harder to treat. I only had two removed but I baby my left arm totally, never allow cuffs or sticks on it, and watch it like a hawk.
No kidding that it was discovered down the hall from you? I guess we should be grateful because it does play a useful role in our survival, but it truly is nasty stuff. I'm going to try Aleve next week, and I'm like you...only thing keeping me going is that there's only one more. Hang in there...-Skye
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- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team