Starting Chemo in May 07
Comments
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aargh, my eyelashes are abandoning ship! It looks so odd...and my normally dark eyebrows are so light and thin as to be almost transparent...I'm going to have to learn to use an eyebrow pencil for the first time in my life. Yikes!
anyone else experience this? -
Amy, My eyelashes just started falling out a few weeks ago but then the new ones started growing right back. So they're very short and it's hard to put on mascara. My eyebrows never completely fell out but they thinned a bit. Now they're growing in kinda funky. I have not tried using pencils yet, but sometimes a bit of powder. They're very light anyway and not very noticeable.
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Liz, I'm so glad you are feeling good enough to give us a report. You are always so positive. Glad the meds are working for you! Is Rescue Me a comedy?
Kara, thank you for the port-removal report. I can't have mine out until a month after rads ends (so end of November, I guess)and I dread it. The other end of mine is in my neck, in my jugular, that freaks me out! Sounds like it really wasn't bad, though.
Virginia and everyone: Here's that amazing Melissa Etheridge/Joss Stone video from the Grammies. I have it on my myspace page:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=R_j3TDhc8vY
It was so inspirational!
Hugs,
LeeAnne -
Crud I hate it when I comment and then realize I didn't get to all the posts first!!
My eyebrows and eyelashes are really really sparse, and it doesn't do a thing for how I feel about how I look. I even had a little cry today about it but what can you do. My eyelashes have always been light, but at what point do you decide it looks stupid to put mascara on the few that are left? I've been having to "help" my eyebrows with pencil for probably a month now and it doesn't look so hot. I can live with bald (actually lots of white peach fuzz) but no eyebrows or eyelashes sucks!
Amanda, I am SO glad you are feeling good. Gives me hope that in a couple more weeks I'll be there too! I am still soooo fatigued (plus worse than usual insomnia) but it has only been 1 1/2 weeks. Patience is one of my big lessons in all this...
Mandy, thanks for the vote of confidence on Potential Date Man, who I guess now is actually Date Man. He seems to kind of have a crush on me and since he was a million times more cute in real life than his picture I figure what the heck. A guy who says about cancer treatment "this is just something you are going through. It isn't who you are" is a decent guy. Reminds me a little of my adorable highschool boyfriend who didn't let my scoliosis back brace scare him away!
Okay I hope that is all I had left to say!
LeeAnne -
I just got home from my cousin's 18th birthday party - what a BLAST!
There were 12 of us (all women rangin in age from 18 - 55)in the limo. We listened to really great party music, drank champagne (me too!) and danced in the aisle (it was kind of a bus limo).
Then we went to the bar and put our jackets on the chair and walked straight onto the dance floor. My cousin is such a princess - we got her a tiara to wear! I went to the bathroom after dancing to 2 songs and when I came back, the band was playing Sweet Home Alabama (Skynyrd)and my cousin was on stage singing!! Then the band invited all of us up there to sing with them! I danced all night - my wig was dripping with sweat (gross!)but it was so much fun (great exercise too). I had such a great time! Lucky girl (my cousin) her parents bought her $800 diamond earrings and surprised her with a trip to the Mayan Riveria - they leave on Saturday! My Aunt (who is about my age) said to me 'it's embarassing how much we bought her'- I said what the hell? It's only money...I tend to have that attitude A LOT lately!
One thing I noticed tonight is that I cry so much more now (since I was diagnosed) I cry when something is beautiful or whenever I am overwhelmed emotionally - especially with postive emotions. Looking at my cousin tonight - how beautiful she is and how full of life and promise - I just had such a hard time keeping back tears...anyone else like this? I'm not sad - just overcome with emotion. Maybe I'm just a wimp!
Oh by the way - my eyelashes were pretty sparse on vacation about 3 weeks ago but tonight I have these shortish but fairly thick ones that have grown in and I actually put mascara on them - it was great!!! My hair is growing back too - I hope it doesn't all fall out again at about day 17-18!!
Have a good night everyone,
Mandy -
Argh, just typed a whole post and hit some crazy button on my mouse that deleted the whole thing!
LeeAnne- you are so 21st century with your cyber-dating and the MySpace page!! I value that!! Thanks for that Melissa link. (I am embarrassed to admit it, but I have dial up here at home, so I'll have to check it out at work!!) LOL
Oh, and you don't know Rescue Me??? Denis Leary is my boyfriend... I am madly in love with him. I have two eps taped from this season that I haven't watched. Rescue Me is on FX and it is about NYC firefighters. Denis Leary plays an alcoholic fireman. It's a drama, but there are some fairly hysterical side-bars. You should definitely give it a try...
Mandy- I finished my rads in April... My "great" NYC hospital mis-diagnosed my tumor and said it was Her2-... They sorted everything out eventually, but I had already started my rads, so I just finished those, went on a 12 day Caribbean cruise (that was the Bon Voyage to my hair cruise) and then started 4 cycles of AC chemo. I just had my 3rd treatment of Herceptin (although the nurses thought it was the FIRST treatment (which is dose dense). Yet ANOTHER mistake... The nurse said she was "distracted" b/c she may have seized the engine on her $40K car. I thought my sister was going to strangle her. My sister's "momma bear" instinct kicked in and she demanded that the pharmacist re-check the calculations that the nurses came up with for the new dose. Turns out they didn't "turn the page" in my chart! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT??????????????? So so so frustrating.
Mandy- your girls night out sounds awesome... Bet your wig got a bath!!
Liz! You sound awesome!!! Still sending good karma your way...
Amanda- For me, on 4 rounds of AC chemo, my eyelashes and eyebrows thinned about 50%. Lost ALL of my other hair... Eye lashes and brows came back first, then let hair and the hair "down there." It just seems as though the "head hair" comes in excruciatingly slow. Ok...sorry, don't mean to complain about that every day!!!
I am about 1 - 1/2 months out of treatment... I still feel a little tired and don't have much stamina...but that's my own fault. I need to stop riding the couch and get my chemo butt up and out of the house!!
Happy Monday! So nice NOT to go to work!! -
Mandy, we do sound alike, my re-excision is also for DCIS. I'm really hoping they get clean margins this time, but I'm not going to jinx it, no meeting with the radiologist until I get the results of the pathology report.
Kara -
I have virtually no lashes or brows. It sure looks freaky. I will be very glad when my hair starts growing. I'm on Percocet for the Taxol pain, so not thinking about hair too much, yet, but I bet I will more as I feel better physically.
I forgot who mentioned about crying over happy things. I have always been like that. I tear up at lot at even commercials if they are sweet.
The weather here in Connecticut was so nice this weekend. I really had that "glad to be alive" feeling.
Pat -
Hey girls....
Liz, I'm so happy to see you posting so soon and doing so well!! Told ya!!!! : )
Has anybody heard from Lady Jean about her pain??
Amy, your slit and pull cracked me up. You should be a comedian! I have an appt with my surgeon this Thursday to talk about getting mine out. I'm glad y'all posted about it being so easy because I thought it was going to be a total hospital procedure again.
I wish I had little girls but I don't. I'll definetely check it out for friends and my new little grand niece that's expected in Oct. : )Hey and.....Rule #1 in being self employeed.....Never forget to ask for business!!
Girls, let's all go to her website and help a sister make some money!!! : )
My eyebrows look rediculous. Very blotchy. It SUCKS!!! Drawing on to fill them in is no easy task either. Good luck with that. My eyelashes all fell out but are about 1mm long now. Barely long enough for mascara.
Hugs, Traci -
Hey Everyone! I had my follow up with PS today. He says I'm doing great. My ace bandage is off--what a relief! Scars look good. A little bruising but nothing alarming. He removed two of three drains today. It's nice to be down to one drain and no pain pump. I felt like the bionic woman with all those tubes and wires sticking out everywhere. Little tiny breasts are coming along quite well. They were quite squished and sad looking but I can tell they're going to be just fine. I can probably get my first fill next week. And I am going to call onc and get the taxol started asap as well. I am anxious to get this all behind me. Tomorrow I should hear about the toxicology report for sure. They should have had it today so it's taxing my patience. Nothing a little vicodin can't help though :-) I have been able to take short little walks outside (after the heat cools down) for the last two nights. Just about ten minutes each so far, but it really feels good to be out and stretching my legs. I'm looking forward to my full twenty to thirty minute dog walk and will probably extend that since I don't see myself running for about six weeks or so.
LeeAnne--Rescue Me, I started watching new season of Rescue Me in the last few weeks and then saw on netflix there are three seasons already on dvd. It is a drama for sure, but very funny. I never liked Dennis Leary--until now. Wow! he's awesome. And I love the Tatum O'Neal character.
My eyelashes are already starting to be long enough for a little mascara. It was very weird when there were like two long eyelashes on each side and the rest were short. Very frustrating, but it's getting better. I don't know about the eyebrows. They're getting better, but they seem to be growing in all cockeyed. I may have to finally let a professional deal with these when they grow in more. The hair is growing in pretty thick and dark right now, but still very short. My surgeon rubbed my head the day after my surgery.Made me laugh. -
Wow Liz, sound like you're doing great! I know that you're in pain and that a major surgery is always traumatic, but look - you're posting. And going for walks. Way to go!!
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They found NO CANCER in my breasts. Nada.
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Liz, that is great news! Proof to all of us that chemo really works.
Hugs,
LeeAnne -
WTG Liz that is awsome. NO CANCER.
I had my final scans and there was not cancer as well.
When did they change the site. I liked teh old way better. Was wondering if I was still at the same web site. LOL
CindyKS
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Hi everyone - help! How do I find the last page? The most recent comment? I'm using firefox as a browser, and I can only see the most recent comments....
and, now nevermind - it might have taken a bit to load? Now at the upper right there are page #s....headed to page 113
- Amya/Amanda
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Ok, experimenting with my user profile - added my old signature and then saw the diagnosis display option - Hmm...wonder what it will look like
PS I was looking for page #s on the upper right of the original post - instead it's on the upper right of the beginning of the comments - aha!
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Maybe setting my diagnosis preference to public didn't work? My signature showed up but the separate Dx info just showed up as Dx?
Oh well, will figure it out later, have to run - let me know if you figure the dx display out first! It really will be useful data for the forum admins to analyze. I'm an admin on another forum (www.liverfamilies.net/forum/) and the fact that we can search the disease diagnosis and location fields is really useful for organizing place-based events, or connecting with families dealing with the same liver disease etc. (My niece has a rare pediatric liver disease - but she's doing great.)
hope you all are well....had the endo biopsy for the uterine-cancer screening as a baseline, as the thickness of the endo lining shrunk by 2 mm! going the right direction!
xoxo
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Hi All,
This is a little funky, isn't it?? I tried filling out the diagnosis "survey" and it gave me an "oops" message. Oh well. Guess they are still working out the kinks.
LIZ!! YAY! What fantastic news!! That must be a huge relief. Like everyone has said, the hell you went through is paying off!!
Looks like everyone's avatar's disappeared!
Will check back in with you all again.
Happy Friday!!
Virginia
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Saw my Oc doc yesterday and he decided it was to much of a risk to do anymore chemo. Comes out I either die now from the treatments or take my changes that the surgery and the 6 weeks of A/C have helped keep the cancer away. So I started Tamoxifen last night. Will see how that goes. He said to do the Tam for a couple of years than go to the newer ones for a few more years. He still felt Tamoxifen has a good track record and it in a little more wait and see how the newer ones play out later. I had a bil mas so do not need any radiation treatment. I am ER+ PR- HER2- and have been reading about the PR- not doing so good on Tamocifen but as they say everyone is different and those report seem to change all the time.
Now just can't wait for my hair/eyebrows/lashes to start growing again. It has been 5 weeks since my last treatment and nothing yet. Will have my port removed end of this month and been reading the "slit and pull" from Amy is to funny. Such a big thing to put in you would think it would be more to remove.
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Hi Judy-
I was on tamoxifen for about 1 month, then went off to have my chemo. No side effects the first go-round. Now, being on the tamoxifen AFTER chemo, I get TONS of hot flashes... Not terrible ones...just a little heat wave, then it goes away. But they happen like every hour... No pouring/dripping sweat like woment get when they go through menopause...
I didn't have a port...I only had 4 infusions and they did the IV. My arm has been sore/numb for weeks. The onc says it will get better, but it's taking so long... I am in a bowling league and it started this past Tuesday. I had a lot of pain (weakness) in my bowling arm.
I had my last chemo on 6/21 and it took about 5 weeks for the hair to start growing. Eyelashes and eyebrows were quickest (mine only thinned out...didn't lose them completely). CHIN hairs came in the fastest!!!!!
I now am approaching about 1/2 of hair on my head. It seems like it is taking soooooooooo long to grow. I can't wait to ditch the wig... UGH. Only wear it to work...otherwise have almost stopped wearing baseball caps!! Whoo hoo.Virginia
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hi ladies,
quick question for everyone who is done with chemo. I finished my last round of chemo Aug 20th and I'm wondering when I can go back to eating salads and I have a huge craving for sushi. Has anyone's oncologist said anything about when you can resume your previous diet? thanks.
Leslie
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Hi Leslie. I called my oncologist about two weeks after my last chemo and asked him when I could start eating sushi and he said I should go out that night. I would make sure my white blood cell count was healthy first though.
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Liz, I'm so happy to hear your news!! You sound like your doing great. That is awesome!
Judy, did your name change or is it the new site? Your email scared me at first. You hang in there girl. Be happy your ER +!!! I'm with you on the hair growing thing. My last treatment was 8/16. I have a little hair...sort of a 5:00 shadow. My eyelashes and eyebrows are all screwed up too. I hate that but....I don't hate that as much as being bald.
Virginia.....wahhhhhh
why'd you have to tell us that? I thought I'd have plenty of hair to go without head cover with in a couple of months. >>>>>whining<<<<<<Have you guys read some of the posts bitchin' 'bout the new site? I've was reading them for a couple of hours just laughing like crazy. Indi is really pissed off. I hope she comes back.
Anyway, going to go see if I have any chin hairs.
Hugs, Traci
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Tracy, LOL. I'm sorry. I really thought my hair would grow faster. Maybe I'm just slow! It's funny...everyone TELLS me how much hair I have, I just feel REALLY bald still. I was out to drinks the other night with a "friend" who hasn't been all that supportive through all this. I was sitting at the bar looking at all the pretty girls with LONG hair and I said outloud "I really miss my hair" and my friend says, "It will grow back" and I was really really catty and said, "Easy for you to say with your full head of hair" I was really pissed at her... DUHHHHHHHHHH, I KNOW my hair will grow back...it's just not fast enough for me... The comment really bugged me, probably b/c she hasn't been a supporter of me through all of this.
My sister is so much more compassionate. She always says stuff like "I can't imagine how hard it is for you... And it must feel like it's taking ages... You are bald for a long time... I love you very much..." She's also married 20 years with 5 kids and has a masters degree in education...so I guess she's just more intuitive that way.
Ok, enough ranting by me for one early saturday morning!! Traci, I will try and figure out how to post a picture so you can see how much hair I have so far... But, it's not much
Some day I will put my hair in a pony tail again!! Virginia
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HAH! I attached a picture! LOL. This is me in March...when I cut my hair (a 10" ponytail there in the picture) and donated it to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program. I got a lovely letter thanking me for donating my hair to make a wig for a woman who would be undergoing treatment... Everyone said I should have saved my hair and made my wig out of my own hair!
Ok, will also try and figure out how to insert a picture of my bald head in a post!
Virginia
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Ah, chemo brain is still a little slow... LOL Can't figure out how to insert the picture into the actual post...
Will put my bald head up as an avatar one of these days!
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend...
Virginia
ps. With this new "format" I went back and was reading some of the old posts...we have come a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnng way ladies! We should be proud of ourselves!!
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OW! Is reconstruction worth it? I got my first "fill" on Thursday and I was pretty miserable. I've been on vicodin almost max dosage for a week and a half. Boy am I whiny! Well, I feel a bit better today but I'm not looking forward to another month or more of this. It's almost worse than chemo and not doing anything to make me better health-wise though I'm sure I'll be happy to have my new boobs when it's all over.
I'm going back to the onc in a week to talk about starting up my last 4 rounds of chemo, but I'm curious how much benefit I will derive from this since they could find no cancer in me. We'll see what the onc has to say, but I'll probably have to do it in any case.
Hope everyone's enjoying their weekend.
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Virginia, you're pretty funny.....posting a pic of you and your dismembered pony tail! lol.....
I know what you mean about the "it'll grow back" comments. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that. I hate that!!
Please put a pic of you hair now!! I keep rubbing mine hopeing to make it grow.
Liz, I feel your pain on the fills. Mine were delayed due to chemo. He would only fill on the morning of my chemo...every three weeks. Now, I'm done and can get them weekly. Well, now, it's really starting to be uncomfortable. The way he is talking...to get me to a "c" cup, I need 5 more fills and then they extra fill another 6 times for extra skin to hid the mast scars and create a nipple.
Good Lord....I don't think I'm going to be able to take it. Plus, on my left breast, it looks like my mast scar is going to rip. Not to mention, I'm developing stretch marks. Has anyone had this? And, the expanders are so hard. It's soooo uncomfortable. But, I have to disagree with you on the comparison to chemo. I had a hard time with chemo. Way, way worse than this so far.
Good luck girl. I hope you don't get the periodic shooting pain I am starting to get. Although, my ps blames part of it on the fact that my chemo delayed the fills and I am starting to get feeling back from my bi-mast.
Man.....this was a long post. Sorry.
: ) Traci
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I can't figure out how to insert a picture... Doh...
sorry for all you gals are going through with the reconstruction. I had it "easy" this go round with just a lumpectomy, but I am fairly certain that mast will be in my future... I got 100% approval from my insurance company for the genetic testing, so I will have my blood drawn this Friday when I go for my Herceptin. :O I also see my gyno this week... Next month I go for a "routine" mammo and I am scared to death... Never had the fear before, now it's almost paralyzing. Trying to be optimistic...but my pessimism is screaming through...
happy Sunday all...
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Wow Traci. It sounds like you are having a lot of fills. One of the women at the ps office said most women get 6 fills. I was hoping for 4. I'm short and am hoping I can stay on the small side and still get nice results.
So I was trying to do the math and couldn't figure it out. You've had how many fills? And are you saying you need another 5 or 6 fills on top of that? I'm starting chemo in a few weeks and they said it won't interfere so I hope they're right.
Virginia, try not to drive yourself crazy. I'm sure it's hard to face more tests for everyone, but I hope we can live our lives and not be afraid all the time of the next one.
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