Starting Chemo in JAN 2007
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Joni, that's great that you're keeping busy. I'm sure your dinner was wonderful. And you're right, there isn't anything you could have done to prevent this. I went to lunch with my oldest daughter on Saturday and she was convinced that she would get bc because she sees herself as a mini me. We are a lot alike and she has my body structure and so forth, but I told her that definitely doesn't mean she'll get bc. I talked about my sisters here and how none of us know why we got bc. That she should really know her body and her breasts and make sure she has her annual check ups. Anyway, hope you have a nice brunch tomorrow.
Caya, glad to hear your fog is lifting.
Have a good night -
Just a quick hello to Joni, and welcome back!!! I swear you looked so sad in your avatar a few days ago, but now you seem to be almost beaming...
So glad you're focusing on life again.
Mizsissy -
Lynn,
I didn't know you had sisters with BC???
Necklace sounds beautiful. Very nice gift! -
Good morning everyone!
i had a nice day with my sister yesterday, and we sucessfully selected a dress...
http://a6.dessy.com/index.cfm?go=dresses&style=A6274
My sister and I are very much in tune regarding such things, so there was very little indecision (a poll would have been fun though Skye!). I tried on about 20 dresses in two stores, and this one was by far the winner. The wedding is in january, so I should have my "movie star boobs" by then, although I am going to make sure that the neckline is not too deep, even if it must be altered.
I am glad that your fog has lifted Caya! The sun has come out from behind the clouds! Findind a dress that was not too "young" was definately a challenge. I am the oldest bridesmaid...actually I am the Matron of Honor...and like your cousin my sister is allowing us to select our own dresses as long as they are the same color, and made by a specific designer that she has selected. I think this is definately the way to go when you have a group of women that range in age and body type as in a wedding party.
She also told me, over lunch, that instead of party favors at her wedding she is going to make a donation to breast cancer research. I nearly cried in my soup.
Lynn your necklace sounds gorgous.
Well that is it for now, I think. I have to go ride my bike and wake my daughter. I can not beleive that I had such a "normal" day yesterday...I kept up my energy until about 8PM when I suddenly crashed on the couch and could not move.
I just took a peek at the chemo-calendar and I think that we are ALL done with the chemo! ....I am not counting Herceptin as chemo because I am getting the definate impression from you guys that it is not as nasty or dramatic as the other stuff.
I think it is a milestone! GROUP HUG! -
Oh and Tina...those changes in the shape of your reconstructed breast sound scary! maybe you should call in before your appointment. Keep us posted.
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Joni, Glad you are back. I guess all we can do is keep fighting, and am glad you are feeling a tad better. I do believe, as I have said before, that cancer is often a chronic disease. I have a brave friend who has been fighting colon cancer for years and is ned.
Ummm, Rebecca, the slow kids in the class (Viddie and me, at least) are still slugging thru taxol. Sigh. I am having #5 tomorrow, and Viddie is either having 5 or 6 this week, I believe. I am sure tired of the blood draws and weekly infusions, but side effects are minimal, and other than fatigue and a few aches and pains, I am doing well. Unfortunately my appetite is huge, and I am trying to control it. It helps that I take breakfast and lunch to work, at least those portions are controlled. And we don't keep much interesting snack food around, since the kids are grown. Still, I do feel like I am swelling around the middle.
How is radiation for everyone? Is it fatiguing? Is that a word?
Mary, praying for your family.
Melia -
Sorry Melia...just did a quick scan down the end date column of the spreadsheet, and nothing jumped out at me. I guess I got a bit over-excited and trigger happy . I knew that I was one of the late finishers, and I guess it was wishful thinking that we were ALL done.
Group hug anyway!!!! -
Well, you are a mom, Rebecca. You know someone is always lagging in the rear. That's me! And Viddie.
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Hi everyone,
Rebecca, glad you found a dress so easily. We will expect a picture when you can manage.
Tina, I think Lynn has 25 or more sisters with bc, just like you and me. :-) And that's just the ones we know about and correspond with.
Melia and Viddie hang in there with the Taxol. Like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer, feels so good when you stop. I feel sooo much better although I still have the slightest twinge of nausea now and then and some sluggishness which I attribute to the Herceptin, although Rebecca you are right it is nothing like the chemo. I think of it as a "smart drug" rather than chemo. However I still feel I have Taxol in my body, still get tired after I'm up and about for a long time but am slowly trying to get my exercise groove back.
But best news for me is that niece Amy's infection seemed to break yesterday and they let her out of the hospital. It was at the point where it could go either way but the antibiotics finally started working, thank God. We are all so relieved. Imagine all that from a pimple. They told her she could have died. It really is true that things happen to all of us when we least expect it. Makes me want to count my blessings every day I'm here. - Skye -
I still have 3 taxols treatments left also, so I am still chemo ing along.
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HI everyone,
Well, I am full blown into an awful head cold. I can hardly swallow and my nose is so conjested. I did call my Onc but he said 99% of the time it is virul and antibiotics won't do anything (I have one of the more conservative Oncs). He did tell me to keep taking my temp and if I start coughing thick yucky stuff, I need to call. It's only Tuesday so hopefully by Friday the worst will be over.
Tina, Skye was right, I was talking about all my BC here from this board.
Skye, great news about your niece.
Rebecca, the dress is lovely! Glad you had a good time.
Viddie, take your time getting back to work if you can. There have been more times than not when I wished I didn't have to work through this. I could have gone on total disability, but I wanted to keep working at half time.
Hope everyone is having a great day! -
Joni,
I am glad your spirits are up. Have a great brunch today and a fun hike.
Rebecca,
What a beautiful dress! I am sure you will look fabulous in it with your new movie star boobs. An event to look forward to.
Melia,
I guess we are slagging a little behind. I also have # 5 on Thursday. I am also hungry all the time and it is showing. I get full quickly afterwards, but it doesnt stop me from eating first.
Skye,
Thats great news about Amy. I am glad she could leave the hospital.
So herceptin is a cake walk as compared to taxol? Do they give you any other drugs with the herceptin? I am so tired of being drugged and out of it for the whole day of chemo. I fall asleep right away. They have to wake me up when it is over and I sleep all day when I get home. I lose a whole day- that is a drag- but do-able. Just waiting for the next step.
Nancy,
We can do it!! The end/beginning is around the corner.
I went out to dinner with a few friends from WW. It was so nice. They insisted on treating me- an unexpected pleasure. They met me after working at a WW meeting. We went to Outback and all got steak. We split two giant desserts. Has anyone ever had desserts at Outback? They are giant.. We were so bad!!!! But it was sooooo good!!! And I wonder why I am putting on weight----duh!
I have to stop and I will- today.
I hope everyone has a great day.
Viddie -
Oh Lynn,
I feel for you. As you probably know, drink plenty of water and perhaps some chicken soup. You are right- today is only Tuesday and colds do get better after three days, but it is hard to hear that now- in the middle of feeling so yucky.
I hope you can take it easy and rest today. Better yet- take an ativan and sleep it off- partially joking but maybe not a bad idea.
I hope you feel better real soon. Sending hugs your way.
Viddie -
Good morning, everyone! Hope everyone is gearing up for a great Tuesday - I'm certainly going to try. Had a bad day yesterday, didn't feel well all day long, but feeling fine today. Good days are coming more frequently, I notice.
Joni, so glad you're back. As you may have noticed, we have all been very concerned about you, and also missing you. We'll all just stick together, and you'll get through this. Hope you have a wonderful brunch today - and a hike to the falls sounds so wonderful! Oh....should have requested pictures, before you left.
Lynn, hope you're feeling better - we don't want you sick for your trip.
Rebecca, I love the dress!! You and your sister have excellent taste. I played around with looking at it in all the various colors, and it's gorgeous.
I can't believe some of you are already going out topless. I still just have a shiny bald head with a few scattered hairs here and there. I'm going to the dermatologist today for my annual check, so I just shaved it last night so it would look better, in case he wants to inspect my head. I am also supposed to go in without makeup - eek! That means no eyebrows, too, I suppose, but I don't think I can do that.
Skye, so glad Amy is better and out of the hospital. That was a very serious episode, could have been much worse. How is her sister's new baby doing?
Viddie, how was your dinner last night? I guess you got to eat as much as you wanted, guilt-free, right? Hope you had a good time with your friends. Last night three of my old work buddies from the SICU in Wichita (this is waaaaay back, as in, I worked with these people from 1978 through 1992) got together to have dinner with me. I wasn't there, of course, but they called me and visited during dinner,, took photos for me, and are going to get together and call me back after my surgery. I was so touched. They are sort of like my old "war buddies," we went through so much together so long ago that the bond is still there all these years later.
Mary, how did your first day back to work go?
Tina, Shorti, Mizsissy, Nancy, Caya, Amera, Robbin, and anyone else I may have missed, have a wonderful day. I may come back and tell you a story later.
Hugs. -
QUOTE: Tina, I think Lynn has 25 or more sisters with bc, just like you and me. :-) And that's just the ones we know about and correspond with.
LOL, Skye!!!! Duh! I swear, I'm losing it. My wit has dimmed, clearly and I'm forgetting stuff....esp. stuff people tell me late at night, just prior to my Lunesta kicking in... -
Love it, Rebecca! Gorgeous dress! I just bought something w/a very similar neckline at Coldwater Creek. They have some really nice stuff in there, good quality, but I find a lot of it too matronly for me. That said, I am finding the need to shop in more "mature" stores than I had previously because of this weight gain. The woman in CC said she had a brand new black halter style dress in....at first I said no because I didn't want backless...but this wasn't backless. I tried it on and it reallllllly fit well. They "vanity size" there too....an 8 there is prob. like a 12 in other stores. I got a 10...had to in order to hide the "muffin top" syndrome created by my TRAM flap scar..what a PIA that is. I can't wear anything that clings to my midsection. Plus, this dress didn't show my underarm area either...another huge ordeal in dress shopping. The crazy shape of the "recon'd" boob can't show. Rebecca, I see my surgeon Thurs... I'm not worried that it's become misshapen due to a recurrence or anything... I think it's more due to sleeping on my stomach or side, my gaining weight...it gains weight right along with you... gross.
Mel, I had my dermatologist check my head too..figured it'd be my last chance to really check it out.
Nancy, Viddie, Melia, not too much longer for you guys. Glad you are getting through the Taxol fairly easy...I did too, but I will say that the last few were a little tougher...I wasn't bouncing back, energy wise. I think I was just so damn sick of it all.... it's kind of how I'm feeling right now w/the hair sitch. A lot of you are pscyhed for any hair, I know... but you, too, will reach the "this hairdo is awful" stage... too short to be seen publicly, so short it sticks up straight, the lovely shade of grey, etc... one thing at a time, though, right? And have to remember Amera's words about people having it far worse with disfiguring facial scars, etc...
Skye, glad Amy is OK. It IS hard to believe a pimple could do that. Good God.
Lynn, hope you feel better and have a great time in Orlando. Maybe it's good that you got the cold now and now down there...the first few days are generally the worst with a cold.
OK...gotta run. Need to find the Macy's receipt to return dress #3 that I bought for this wedding. -
Outback desserts.... deadly to the waistline. But worth it!
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Hi Everyone--I have a high school friend that has kept in touch with me through all my treatments. Now she has recently had a lumpectomy (2 lumps) and they are telling her they think the lumps were precancerous but they are not sure about the surrounding tissue. Is this possible ??
They have sent her test off to the Mayo Clinic twice now over a three week peroid and still can not decide. What does this sound like ? I told her she needs to go to another doctor. What do you think ??---Nandy -
Yikes Nandy...that sounds like just the sort of grey area the gives us all nightmares. I think a second opinion is definately called for, at the very least. Have they sent anything to Sloan Kettering in NY? She might consider calling THEM to see what they say.
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ME IN MY WIG
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RobbinJaye - You are one hot broad in that wig...
Rebecca - the dress is gorgeous. Is it that nice brown shade in the picture, or one of the other bazillion shades it comes in?
Just had a major thunderstorm rip through here - good for the garden.
Joni - glad you are back. Keep checking in, we are here for you.
Tina - how's it going with the Herceptin? Any s/es? I have a MUGA scan scheduled for May 30th, and then my first "every 3 week" Herceptin is on for June 7th. I hope I'll be okay - that is my DD's senior prom, and there is a pre-prom picture taking at one of her friend's house starting around 4:00 p.m. My onc. told me that this first "loading dose" will take about 90 min., then they watch me for an hour. So if all goes well I should be home by early afternoon.
hope everybody had a good day
caya -
Lovely RobbinJaye! I have always had short hair, but I think it's a perfect opporetunity for us all to try new hair styles, so maybe I'll try long hair!!
Joni: Sorry to here about the mets, it has to be scary. My prayers and happy thoughts are with you.
Skye: Glad to hear about your nieces!
I just got home from rad #2, and so far no big deal. I still haven't had the onc tell me anything about no lotion, deoderant, etc, though I have read here that that's a common thing...have you all been told about not using lotions, etc before rads?? I don't want to fry or anyhting, but I don't see the onc for another week. I guess I should not be a big dummy, and just ask the tech, huh??
It's also been three weeks today since my last Taxotere, and I am finally feeling better 8-), though very tired. This last one really kicked my behind, but behind is what it is, NO MORE CHEMO!!!
Have a great evening ladies...
tlc -
Quote:
have you all been told about not using lotions, etc before rads??
Hi TLC, yes I was given a list of lotions and deodorants that were approved for rads. I am also not allowed to use any of them in the rad area less than 4 hours before rads. The nurse told me it would accelarate the radiation--sorta like baby oil for tanning in the old days.
I am now kinda blistered at week 4. It is on my chest and not near the scar which I find strange. I will get the boosts directly to the scar area but the machine seems to buzz longer on the opposite side. I have burn cream and use .02% hydrocortisone for the itching. I can use up to 1% but this little bit works. I can still wear all my old underwire bras and regular shirts. I think getting a severe reaction is pretty uncommon--this I know from my unscientific polling of the women I've met at rads. -
Nandy, your friend needs to see another doctor. If there is one thing I have learned in the last six months, it's that this is a sneaky disease. And reading everyone's story of how their bc was found reinforced that.
RobbinJaye, you are gorgeous!
Caya and tlc, it's interesting to hear how rads and herceptin affect people, since I won't have either. Caya, I hope you feel well afterwards and can enjoy your daughter's big night.
My blood work came back ok, good enough for taxol # 5 tomorrow. I am so pleased. I am always nervous on Tuesday's til I see the emailed results, and then I feel I can move forward. So my backpack is packed for tomorrow's treatment. Our son is coming home tomorrow night from his first year in law school but I won't see him til Thursday. I go to bed so early, and he won't get in til after my bedtime. That's ok; my husband will get him and they can chat. He will be home for ten days, and our daughters and son in law are coming for Mem Day weekend. Lots to look forward to. But I need to ask for help; not enough energy to cook for everyone without help.
I hope you all sleep well. Special prayers for you, Joni, and Mary and family also.
Melia -
I was told to use only Aloe Vera gel on the treatment site -3-4 times a day but not before treatment by at least 2 hours. (If I develop skin reactions, I'll be instructed on something else to use.) Metal free deodorant only on the treated side.
I was told to use only soap I'd use on a baby. But the nurse also told me many people don't soap the area at all but just let the soapy water from above the area run down over it. Rinse well, pat dry. Make sure the area is dry.
Two treatments down, I don't notice anything but I wonder if the incision isn't feeling just a little tighter? I'm trying to ignore it and not get to wiggy about every little thing that might be different.
Cindy -
You look great in the long hair!
Cindy -
And that was a fun site to play with all the colors. Which color did you choose?
Cindy -
QUOTE: RobbinJaye - You are one hot broad in that wig...
I second that opinion, RobbinJaye!!! -
Nice wig RobbinJaye! What a sultry look.
Regarding the color of my dress, the bride has decreed that we all wear brown. That was also the color of the sample I tried on, and it looks fabulous in that color so I am not complaining. I think she is going to pair it with red roses in the bouquets. My sister is an artist, so I am expecting it to be exquisite.
I also was given a long list of no-nos as far as lotions and such during radiation. I was given a prescription for a cream to use on the area 3 times per day, but not within the 4 hours before the treatment. No deodorants EXCEPT they said I could use a deodorant stone which is funny because that is what I use anyway (I am violently allergic to standard deodorants/antiperspirants). I am going on Thursday for my setup I am a little nervous but I am sure it will be fine. I am going on Friday for an MRI of my other breast and that has me a little more freaked out. Everyone cross your fingers!
Had a standard day today, so I am pooped. Heading for the couch . -
Last night on my walk around the neighborhood w/the kids I told them to get on the inside of me, by the curb. Jaclyn says why? I say in case a car comes... she says well, what about you getting hurt. Paul says in this real "trust me" voice: Jaclyn, she's lived a lotttttttttttt longer than us! LOL! I was cracking up. Kids are always good for a laugh. Even when they are unwittingly dissing you!
Mary, how did you manage back at work with the drains?
Nandy, def. a second opinion for your friend. Just how long are you supposed to exist in this grey area existence w/out doing anything.... I wouldn't accept that as my final answer. We all know...time is of the essence in these situations.
Cindy, hear you on bumming when the neighbors lawns are icky. Bugs me too.
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