Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Woke up today with a summer cold. Ugggh. I went to my first rads. Skye - I know what you mean, it was pretty sad with them pointing that machine at me. I was praying pretty hard that they were aiming in the right spot. Lynn, glad you got your port out. They haven't said anything about mine, maybe because of the unknown spot on the liver or because of the size of my tumor? I'll see the onc on 6/18 and see if he mentions it. Jan, that pool party sounds like fun. Tina, have fun in San Diego. Caya, I hope you enjoy your new shelves and TV - it's fun to redecorate. Dar - my BIL told me point blank that I must avoid all sugars, etc. At least an email is better to handle or ignore. Melia, hope your ankles get better and your bloodwork turns out ok. Mel, I too had to wait an eternity for my path report. Just keep on the doctors. Mizsisy, it must have been the night for SIL's. I talked to my SIL who was recently diagnosed - she chose a lumpectomy on Thurs and rads. At least she's thinking straight (Stage 0, 1.1 cm.). Then my other SIL, my husband's sister, who is a trip called and I was actually nice to her. Three drs told her to have a hysterectomy (she's 42 and has endrometreosis).

Well going to make dinner and take some Advil, and hopefully feel better tom.

Mary and Jan,
Hope you are both feeling better. Missed you both at the chat.
hugs
caya

Nancy,

I had the same thing, gained several pounds in one day, ankles and feet swollen so I couldn't wear shoes. Did you have either taxol or taxotere? If so, it could be from that. It happened to me about 3 weeks after my last taxotere tx. The lasix will work, but be prepared to get up and pee several times during the night.

Oh, Nancy, I'm so sorry this is happening to you. The lasix should take care of it, but if it doesn't, get them to increase your dose. The exact same thing happened to be about a week or so after I finished taxol. And I was never warned about it either, other than "possible swelling" as a side effect. Certainly nothing as bad as what I experienced was discussed. I was up 22 lb. at least, at the worst of it. But I'm better now - it will pass. Just keep complaining until they give you something that will help you, and then ride it out. It was over a month before the soreness in my calves went away.

Hey everyone, chat last night was fun, missed all who couldn't make it. Robbin, I started having pain in rads breast yesterday after my second treatment. I didn't know it could get so bad that you would want to quit. I'm glad they found a way to get it finished for you so you have the benefit. Did it hurt all the way through and get worse?

Nancy, it seems from this board that swelling after Taxol is more common than they say. I had it too but not as bad as all of you. Hope you soon feel better. Joni and Jan,you guys feel better too. Bummer to miss the pool party.

Mary, your BIL is issuing dietary orders to you? Who died and made her cancer food queen? I've had people send me bags of chapparal (no clue here what to do with it), detailed descriptions of how to eat five pounds of apricot pits a day, big testimonials for expensive seaweed, sound files of weird chanting guaranteed to heal. I guess they all want to help but it gets old so fast.

I ate my breakfast on my front patio in my bathrobe and scarf this morning, can't get enough of outdoors. No sign of Puffball so I'm choosing to believe he found his mama, and right now woodchuck officials are taking his picture off the tiny milk cartons.

My rads appt. is earlier today so must go get ready. I did learn I can't wear the camis with shelf bras, the elastic on bottom of bra cuts too much. Anyone else notice this condition we have requires constant adaptation? - Skye

Hello girls...I am soooo sleepy this afternoon. Chat was fun last night, but when we were done, DH was already asleep with the light off, and I tried going to bed too, but just couldn't settle down. Then, just when I was sleeping like a log, I had to get up in order to get to my *first post treatment checkup* on time.

It started with a double mammo. I felt an unpleasant shiver when one of the techs walked by, and then I realized why: this was the one that found the lump last October and she wasn't too nice about it. Thankfully I didn't get her today and my mammo went fine and came out perfect. Perfectly clear that is!! Then saw my surgeon who's going to be doing followup, and he gave me a clean bill of health as well. So from now on it's just pop those Femaras and my mammogram appointments every six months.

When I got home today my wigs had arrived; I ordered two. The one I thought I'd like I didn't, and the one I ordered just as insurance in case the first one didn't work out was a dream; it looked good right out of the box with very little tweaking. It's short, light, comfortable, so now I have a new look for summer!!! I like it better than any of my other wigs, the only thing I don't like is that the short cut and styling kind of reminds me of those high school seniors back in 1958.

Joni, you need to sleep a lot now. Enjoy it. Also, sleeping with rads is an easy way to wean ourselves from the sleeping pills they had us taking during chemo. Thank you so much for getting me going on Van Gogh. I love the video and have watched it several times. I found a marvelous book called Van Gogh: Self Portrait in which he describes his own personal development as an artist in letters to his brother, a diary, sketches. Saw it in the bookstore for $40 and got it new from Amazon for $8!!! Perfect condition. This weekend we're going away to camp at a beach on Lake Huron near a lighthouse, and I'm taking the book and my paints. Maybe I'll get inspired.

Well, the model is coming over tomorrow for a planning session and I'm a little nervous!!! What have I got myself into??!! I love art, fashion, and photography, but fashion photography, that's a whole new ball of wax!!! OMG!!! You need lights, fans, makeup artists, all kinds of professionals. I do hope I can at least get past the point where things look amateurish & dorky!! I guess we'll have a little planning session for a photo shoot & pick out some outfits.

So what's up for the weekend gals? Last weekend of our lovely spring. Hope it doesn't turn too hot too soon for summer!!!

xxxooo Mizsissy

Hi guys, just checking in... went to San Diego Zoo today. It was nice...even though I'm not a big zoo fan. went to La Jolla yesterday...love that place. Tonight we're heading out to Seaport Village...haven't been there in years. My parents leave tomorrow and Fri. we check out of the Omni and drive up to Dana Point to stay 2 nights. We'll take the kids up to LA for the day and show them the Walk of Fame, the Hollywood sign, etc. They are getting a little stir crazy.

We did Old Town yesterday...that's a cute place. Kids liked it. I am coming to the conclusion that I like SD better than OC... it's more laid back, more space... after living in OH for the last five years, I guess I like a little more room around me these days.

What a bizarre thing to send you. I've been sheltered from most of that kind of advice throughout this. I remember when my mom was sick 13 years ago, her friends sent her all kinds of information about sea weed and other alternative treatments. Mom got so frustrated. She really had put her faith in her doctors and the 'helpful hints' just upset her so.

You were very circumspect. That's a great talent to have.

Cindy

My office mate/coworker is on vacation this week. So while I'm still working a reduced schedule of 5 hours a day, I'm trying to keep up with all the referrals and admissions with the help of fill-in staff. That's always difficult. And I've been trying to deal with insurance issues on 4 of the referrals. It's a sad state of affairs when I can say it's easier working with Medicare than trying to get through to someone who can authorize rehab for a client. I spent TWO HOURS yesterday on the phone going through an automated system trying to reach a 'live' person.

There's an area on my chest in the radiation site that is starting to hurt. It feels as if the muscle under the skin is becoming very irritated or something like that. I don't see the doctor until Monday so I'm monitoring it, I'll ask to speak to the nurse tomorrow if it's worse.

My skin is pink but there's no significant problems. They tell me that I'm doing great.

I agree with you ladies, while it's better than chemo, it's emotionally hard to lay there and watch that big machine moving around you, wonder about the effects of it all.

Last week I asked from which gynecologist's office they had stolen the stirrups that hold my right arm up and out of the way.

I'm going to find my pjs. Have a good night, all.

Cindy

Cindy is your radiation pain like sharp jabs that are intermittent? If so that's like what I have that the onc explained is protesting nerve endings, but of course you always need to ask.
You have a stirrup holding your arm up? I have a hard mold of my body with places for both my arms that I have to fit them into each time, it was made from something like a beanbag that I had to lie on and squish into place during the planning session. Did anyone else have that? I just figured it was standard.

I know what you mean about watching that radiation machine. I decided not to. I shut my eyes and try to picture the radiation as a golden healing energy. I have no idea if it helps my body but it does make the time go faster and I feel more positive afterward. I swiped the idea from a book. - Skye

Hi everyone, thought I was done for the night but then I saw this article posted on another site and with all the talk here about hot flashes thought you all might want to see it:
4 June 2007

Hot flashes mark low risk of breast cancer recurrence

MedWire News: Hot flashes in women with early-stage breast cancer are linked to a lower risk of recurrence, researchers report at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

“This study provides the first evidence that hot flashes may be an indicator of a better prognosis in women with early stage breast cancer,” said John Pierce, from the University of California, San Diego, USA.

“Our data support the possibility of a significant association between hot flashes and disease outcome,” he added.

Hot flashes are a very common problem among breast cancer survivors. About two thirds say that hot flashes compromise their quality of life, and they are the most common reason for requests for additional treatment.

The current findings are based on data from the control group of the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) study – a randomized trial of the impact of a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, and fiber, and low in fat on breast cancer recurrence.

The participants included 1551 women with early-stage breast cancer, of whom 56% were taking tamoxifen and 78% reported hot flashes.

The incidence of recurrence in women who did not report hot flashes was 21%, compared with 12.9% in those who reported hot flashes, and the difference held across all years of follow-up, regardless of the patients’ age or menopausal status.

Next, the team plans to further investigate the relationship between hot flashes and breast cancer progression by measuring levels of tamoxifen metabolites in breast cancer survivors.



American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting; Chicago, Illinois, USA: 1–5 June 2007

Well if my hot flashes have a good side then that makes them easier to cope with! I have been in bed all day, I called the Dr's office again and they told me to give the lasix time to take effect. I am freakin miserable. I cannot walk it hurts so bad. I am suppose to go to rads in the AM for mapping. I don't feel like it. I am down about 4 lbs but I haven't been to the bathroom much so I don't know where this excess fluid went? That's what scared me, I've taken 2 pills so far and still wasn't going very much. I cried and my DH told me to keep crying and maybe I would get rid of it that way. I tell ya,last nite I was inches from going to the hosp. I felt like my kidneys were quitting on me. I see my Dr. again Friday, the swelling is better, just not the pain in my legs. So weird esp. with it happening 13 days post chemo.

Nancy - so sorry you are so miserable - I hope the lasix will kick in tomorrow - feel better.
tlc - glad you checked in - hi back, hope the rads will be over soon.
Mel - how are you feeling? It seems like you are doing pretty well, which is great, especially as your DIEP is in just a few week, right?
skye - thanks for posting the article on the hot flashes - Maybe this is a good sign for us, I guess I should be grateful? ( tell that to my sopping pillowcases!!)
I'm getting a little worried that we haven't heard from Shorti - I will try to call her tomorrow, I have her phone number.
I will be out in the morning doing errands but will check in early if I have the time before I go out.
good night ladies, hope everyone is feeling okay.
caya

Dar I think you handled your SIL wonderfully.

On refined sugar...it annoys me when people talk about refined sugar "feeding cancer" and how we should eat no refined sugar (this advice was given to someone on the list, but i can not remember who it was) what I want to know is if the person giving the advice had ANY IDEA AT ALL what following this advice entails! I mean, refined sugar is in just about everything you buy at the grocery store, or order in a restaurant. It is such a pervasive ingredient in our food that to completely give it up means that you just about have to farm your own food. Lets talk quality of life here! I am not advocating the consumption of huge amounts of sugar, but to eliminate it from your diet is such a huge hardship...I would like to encourage any well meaning advice givers to EAT THAT DIET for a month before telling cancer survivors that they must do it.

I am off for my morning zap....nothing like gamma radiation in the AM to get you going (better than java). I am taking Ana with me today and taking her late to school. They are having a Flag day ceremony at her school this morning, and yesterday they rehearsed their song (God bless the USA) she started to cry and began to hyperventilate. Apparently there is a part of the song about soldiers giving their lives for their country, and it reminded her that I was sick and she became afraid I would die. This beast makes me so angry I could spit. My poor baby should not be that upset....and in public no less. Instead of risking her getting upset in front of the entire school during the song, I am taking her with me to the hospital so she can see that there is nothing to worry about.

Skye- I read that article about hot flashes as well...it almost makes dripping with sweat every night worth it . My hot flashes are intensifying...I now have two runs of them...once in the AM, and then again in PM, with the worst ones right around bedtime. last night I was absolutely drenched.

I officially have hair growing on my head now...it is dark and straight, but still pretty short and sparse. I have a huge bald spot right on my crown...like male pattern baldness. I hope it grows back soon! ALL of the rest of my eyelashes fell out the other day, but I have some baby ones coming in on my left eye (but not my right...ugh). The big benefit of my new glasses is that they draw attention away from my eyes, so I do not feel self conscious about it.

Well anyway...hope everyone is having a good day (Tina I am glad you are enjoying your trip...make sure you post some pics!)

Hello girls..hot flashes are good! Hmmm!!! Makes me feel a little better since mine are coming back. Now here's a questions: if HOT FLASHES are good and PROZAC negates them, is PROZAC bad?!!! The recent study actually shows that Prozac IS bad with tamo, but Effexor apparently is OK even though it also helps with hot flashes.

In any case, I'm on Femara and the flashes are speeding back up; I was wondering if it was the drug or the hotter weather.

Mizsissy