Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Mel what beautiful pictures! You look great too and I hope you're doing better now. We had a nice july 4th but glad to be back home and now planning on starting work next week. Today I had the expected aches from the last taxol but one percocet took care of it. I'm ready to return to the working world now.

Hey there gals I am postin in here to read and send a little line in . Am just getting up and gettin ready to head back down to Toronto for rads . Got 3 1/2 more weeks to go , and yes I am tired already . The last surgery took alot out of me and I am finding it harder this time around to get my energy back . This is a slow process and I am not planning going back to work until at least the end of Sept. Got some holidays to get in and have to get my strength back . The rads are startin to burn me , did not know that the radiation goes right through you , my back is getting red too . So I apply lotion 3 times a day and stay out of the sun !!!!
Here is a pic of me and my daugters from 4 years ago at Lake Louise , used to work there ! I was a waitress in the main dining room in the summers when I was going to college . Its a great place to stay but very popular and expensive ! The Chateau is one of the great hotels of the world and you have to book years in advance . ( check out me with hair ahhhhh one day yes it will be back )

Joni great place eh !
Its hard to respond to all , I have read all of the posts and it looks like we are all weathering the summer yahooo the summer , i like it even though its hot and humid here it does not last long .....

hello to all hope you have a great week .... i read the posts every day .... see ya next weekend !

Hey Mel, I am in my final week of radiation (I have had 29 sessions, 4 more to go). I have been able to work full-time the whole time. I do have some fatigue, but I don't know if that is because of the radiation, or because I can wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep again. I prefer not to get up at 3:30. Anyway, I am not tired at work at all. As a matter of fact, I have an undergraduate student working with me right now, and he falls asleep on me Anyway, if you want to work, it might be possible to do so.
I appreciate all the postings. Most of the time I just read them. I love the pictures. My hair is quite full, it seems to fill in faster than it gets long, but I have a lot of eyelashes, more than I had before. They're just not as long as they were, but that will come. I am even using mascara.... My hair is quite white with some dark hairs in them. The oncology nurse told me that the white hair is the women's biggest complaint. Also I also have a fuzz on my face, but it's white - yeah. Oh, and today I went in for my radiation and did not have to paint in my eyebrows. It seems that as soon as I pulled the last ones out, the new ones started growing, so, technically, I was without lashes and eyebrows for just a few weeks. I still have trouble with neuropathy in my feet, and it has been 2 months now since my last chemo. I even had a nasty fall the other day that scratched up both knees pretty badly.

Amera - I'm really sorry to hear about your dad.

Have you thought about getting a dog trainer for the puppy? Our youngest dog was a MONSTER as a puppy - hyper, barking, bouncing off the walls, etc. We found a great dog trainer that did 8 sessions at our house with me and the puppy. It was fun. I learned so much (even though we've always had a dog). It was well worth the money. When we first adopted Luke he drove everyone nuts, even the dog trainer said he was one of the most difficult dogs he'd ever seen. Now I regularly get comments about how well behaved he is, how great he walks on a leash, etc.

The other plus for me is that both of our dogs need walks every day. It forces me to get regular exercise and it keeps them so much calmer.

It might be too much for you and that's OK if it is.. just a thought.

Robbin I agree with Mel. Why not just take the tamoxifen. You can always choose to stop taking it if you have serious problems. I haven't had any terrible side effects since I started it. Frankly, the side effects would have to get pretty d*mn bad for me not to take it. I figure putting up with hot flashes is a piece of cake compared to having bc again.

I love the story about the guy leaving his number for you. You must look great with that short hair!

I was in Target today and a lady walked up to me and told me that she loved the highlights in my "hair." I just smiled, said thank you and started to walk away. Then she stops me and wants to know where I get my hair done! So I just smiled and told her "It's a wig." Well, she just stood there completely stunned and didn't say another word. I guess the wig looks better than I thought.

Robin, a date? That's terrific, have fun! I cannot believe all the hair you have. Mine still seems pretty short but I can now at least wear a baseball cap and not look really bald. I don't get too many of those looks with the hat on.

Well, DH took the dog back to the shelter. He made the decision I just could not. The girls and I are heartbroken and I feel like a total sh-t, and I should. He has done nothing wrong. We actually did 5 weeks of training and he picked up commands really well. However, it is just too much right now.

I think that if I hadn't been to hell and back over the past 9 months and if it weren't for my dad's situation, I could handle to extra attention needed for a puppy. I feel like a failure that I cannot handle it right now, but I just cannot.

Hi all,
That last taxol really put me over the edge. I hardly had any s/e's until week 10. Then it hit me- each week got harder. All I know, thank G-d I am done!! I thought I missed the neuropathy. I got it for the first time yesterday and today. It feels like pins and needles. I am just hoping that since I just got at after my 12th treatment, maybe it will vanish as quickly as it came. I am also puffing out. I am taking 20 mg of lasix and I hope it will work. My oncologist only wants me to take it every other day and only gave me a supply for 30- no refills. Since I am finished with the taxol, maybe I will not need any more. I have 20 left. Here’s hoping!!
Sorry to whine, but I am also totally wiped out. It sure is cumulative. That’s why I have not posted in a few days. I read all the posts though but for lack of strength, I will only respond to the last page. Mondays are usually my worst days, and this is the LAST Monday on taxol. Yeah!!! Hopefully it will be uphill from here.
Melia, Pat & Debbie,
How are you doing?
Amera,
Welcome back! I am sorry to hear about your father. I totally understand about not needing the added stress or guilt trying to adapt to your dog when you cannot handle it right now. I know I could not handle a new pet at this time. We have enough stress, you do not need more. Life has to be about your enjoyment and fun right now. You are not a failure—you are a winner and a survivor!!
Mel,
Great picture of you and your friend. Akumal looks like my kind of place- in my dreams right now. That would be a great reunion place!!!
Caya,
I have just been on weekly herceptin and so far no s/e. I will be starting the 3 week regimen this Thursday. I will let you know how it goes. Right now I am blaming all my s/e’s on the taxol.
Jan,
Thanks for the site. I just signed up.
RobbinJaye,
Your hair looks great. I am going to start taking tamoxifen soon. I would definitely try anything if they think it will help.
Viddie

Robbin, laughed at your comment about getting more looks now w/the short hair. I swear, I've noticed that too. I think it's so unusual looking, it's almost exotic looking. They could be staring for staring's sake, but... I do notice add'l attention and not in the "turtle" dept.

And extra hair...yep, have had that issue. One word: Nair.

Robbin- I am completely on board with Mel, Tina and Jan. You should take the tamoxifen. The worst thing that happens is you stop taking it—the side effects are mild. Every time I have a hot flash I tell myself that it is better than the alternative, and I just go and wash my face or get a drink. My goal is to NEVER have to do chemo again, and the tamoxifen has a great track record in that regard. I take my pills gratefully. Congrats on the date….that is soooooo romantic. Keep us posted!

Amera—you are so not a failure. Dogs are a lot of work much less puppies. Do not be so hard on yourself. I have two dogs, and they are both GOOD dogs, but I am currently in the process of placing one of them in a new home because I can not deal with the chaos of two dogs and three kids. You did the right thing acknowledging that it was too much both for yourself and for the dog.

Viddie congrats on finishing! It is all uphill from here, and I will cross my fingers about the lasix and the neuropathy for you.

Jan LOL about that lady commenting on your hair. That is just too much. I imagine the expression on her face must have been a real “Kodak moment”. .

Skye I am glad that you were able to get your book issues all sorted out. I also wake up during the night multiple times. It is funny, but I often wake up right before a hot flash.
Love the ditty….I have the urge to finish the rhyme, but decided it would be tasteless.

Not too much to report here from Edison. An old friend from my grad school days in Buffalo is going to come to see me next week. Two more zaps to go……..

viddie glad you're DONE! Today (7/9) makes day 6 since last taxol and my side effects are about the same as they have been throughout. Pins and needles sensation off and on to my feet and hands, some swelling that the lasix 20mg once a day is handling well. Yesterday I again had bone pain to especially hips so I had to take a pain pill to sleep, but only tylenol during the day. My hair has been fuzzing up since the end of the AC but I'm still more scalp than hair so not topless yet. I just wish more than anything my eyebrows would grow out since painting them on as best I can still looks fake.

I'm back to work as of 7/16 and this Friday I see the surgeon and plan for the mediport removal. When do you get yours out?

Here's hoping side effects GO AWAY totally soon for all of us.

Pat

Hey I'm jealous of you ladies getting dates and second looks!! I will say though that I've always had long hair and just before it fell out my hairstylest gave me a real short "pixie" cut and I went to Home Depot and suddenly these men are looking at me like never before. One man actually checked out and waited by his truck, smiled and waved at me as I passed by in my car. The new attention was really strange. I went home, looked in the mirror and I was still overweight....only the hair was different. Heck I'm staying short haired from now on!

Skye I love the picture. You don't look sick at all. You look relaxed and happy.

Skye- I also love the pic. You look great.

Pat--that is so funny about the looks after your haircut. I also had long hair before chemo, and I had it cut off fairly shortly after surgery. I got lots of compliments from people, mostly who did not know why had cut it off. Someone observed that many of us may wind up with short hair after all of this, and I have to say that I may be one of them!

Ooooh...what a wonderful subject! I just have to jump back in for a minute.

First of all, let me tell you my wigs arrived. One had been "cancelled by customer" (I did NOT!), three were blond by mistake, but one(1) was almost the right color and perfect!!! A very short pixish style. I'll get a photo soon.

I also found out that short hair was a lot more flattering than long hair right before chemo when I got my hair cut. I think it's because short hair frames your face and long hair just hangs.

Robbin Jaye...you go girl!!! That's very exciting about your date and we want to hear *all about it* !!!!!

Skye, your author's picture looks so relaxed and natural, no one would ever guess what you've just been through.

Amera, I know your heart is broken over that puppy, but you did what you had to do. Dogs have been so terribly inbred these days that many of them are just impossible; and our lifestyles have changed so much. Dogs just are not indoor animals. Try a cat!!! Cats are easy!!!

Mizsissy