June 2007 Chemo

Go DebbieK!!!  My hair sounds a lot like yours but the top isn't as filled out - looks like receding!!  The back is the fullest - looks and feels like a baby chick!  cheep, cheep. 

Cyndi - I agree with that comment but I have a feeling we'll all be fussing about bad hair days eventually - won't that be awesome!!

Dawn

Cyndi, woohoo on your upcoming LAST chemo.  It's such a feeling of relief to be done with this portion of treatment.  I wish you minimal SE.   Kudos on the new job, sounds very interesting and working from home, can't beat that!

Bonnie, great news on your 6 months mammo!  "All clear" is about the best two words in the english language. 

DebbieK, I'm almost there on the no hats policy.  Sometimes I forget to put it on when I'm leaving the house and make one of the kids run in to retrieve it for me...hey, isn't that what kids are for?  LOL   

Has anyone heard from Kathleen?  When was she visiting her daughter in Italy, about this time I think.  Can't wait to hear about her travels.   Hope she's doing well!

I am so stuffy from a cold, ugh.   Had a blood test done today for diabetes which I've been neglecting due to my cancer tx.  Hope the numbers aren't too horrible.   Tomorrow is a second opinion visit with another onc about starting an AI, I just want to click with this dr so wish me luck that it happens.  

 My port site is sore too, or where the port used to be.  I think it's just scar tissue but I'll have the onc look it over tomorrow.  

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!  Enjoy the waning days of fall.   

Hey! I'm not done yet...but I will be on Thursday!! At least I hope so. I have a cold too and a sore throat and I hope that doesn't delay anything. Does anyone know if they make you wait if you're sick? I will be crushed if they postpone my last tx.

I have noticed that some of the no color fuzz on my head has darker roots! So that must be new growth. Nothing in the eyebrow or eyelash area though.

Terry, thanks for the good thoughts. I hope you click with your new onc. It's such an important relationship, isn't it? I had my blood sugar tested last week but haven't got the results yet. I was supposed to go today but cancelled because I just didn't feel like going. I had gestational diabetes and both my parents developed type 2 so I am at high risk. I totally understand ignoring it during BC tx but make sure you watch it. It can cause some nasty problems.

DebbieK, glad you didn't scare your co-workers! It must feel so good to not have to cover your head. When you say your port is on your bad side, do you mean the side you had BC on? I hope the soreness goes away soon.

Bonnie, congratulations on the all clear!! That is fantastic to hear!

Can't wait to join you all!

Cyndi

Cindi,

I too can't wait for hair...I try not to get depressed about it but it is so hard sometimes. My last chemo was Oct 17th and I am seeing some growth...the thing is I did lose all my hair so the stuff that was left looks like an old lady's hair and now I have growth in between...not sure if I should cut all the old stuff off or just leave it....



Terri,

I lost part of my brows too without knowing it after the hair loss...right in the middle of the brow I have no hair and the middle of the lash line is missing.



Dawn, Congratulations on your last chemo...hope you are feeling well! I think I had last stomach problems with the last one because I knew it was the last!



Everyone have a great day! Barb

Ciao Everyone!

It was great to come home and read how well you all are doing!

Cyndi, you should be done with chemo now!  Congratulations!

Shrink, I was so happy to hear you were done and the tumor had shrunk so much.  What wonderful news!

I want to respond to each of you, but I'm still recovering from jet lag so I will make this short.

I just got back last night from 12 days in Italy...Rome, Cinque Terre, Florence, Venice, Milan and Lake Como.  Nonstop travel with my best friend as we were celebrating our 50th birthdays and visiting my daughter who is studying over there.  I had a wonderful time.  I was achy and sore from walking and walking and walking and stair climbing up Duomos to see the views, but it was worth it.  Honestly, other than having to put on a wig every day, I almost forgot about the bc.  If I can figure out how to post pictures, I will post a couple pics in a day or two.

Like I said, I really didn't think too much about the bc during my trip, but when I was almost home and in the bathroom at LAX there was an older woman with a bald head.  I saw her and didn't say anything, not knowing her situation.  But on my way out another woman was speaking to her, telling the woman her own story about breast cancer and her hair growing back.  So I came up and pulled off my wig to show my head, and then another woman walked up and did the same thing.  It was amazing and brought tears to my eyes.  Here were four of us women, all of different ages, all with this common bond.  It honestly brought tears to my eyes.  We spent a few minutes hugging and chatting and then went on our way.  But I will never forget it.

I know most of you are doing rads and chatting over on those boards.  I wishyou all the best of luck with that.  I questioned my oncologist and surgeon about my doing radiation, but they both agreed I didn't need it after my bilateral mast.  It's funny how I didn't want treatment in the beginning and at the end it's almost as if I can't get enough treatment.  I will continue on this board for a while as I will be getting Herceptin until next August. 

I said this would be short and instead I rambled.  I think it's time for a nap.  Take care and hooray for all the June 2007's!

xoxo

Kathleen

Kathleen - Your trip sounds wonderful.  I've been to Venice, Florence and Rome and my SO and I are planning to go to the Amalfi coast in June.

The story with the women on the plane was very touching.

Did you have any lymphedema problems with the air travel or ever after your bi-lat mastectomy?

Welcome back Kathleen! I had a feeling we'd be hearing from you soon. I would really like to see Italy,too - especially all the art and architecture. Maybe one day.. The airport story is amazing. It's like  a meeting that was meant to happen somehow.

Debbiek - I am on almost the same rad schedule as you. My rad onc said don't use anything on the affected boob except a cream she prescribed. I have never heard anything about deodorant use. I don't use it just because I am super careful about ingredients in everything. Garnetann my have some input as she is in rads, too. Maybe she will check in with us here.

So far I can't find much to complain about with rads. Just glad for an effective treatment.

Have a fabulous Friday.

Linda

Cyndi - Welcome to the Done Group! We done did it!

Shrink

Hi, Kathleen, your trip sounds fabulous, what a terrific 50th birthday.  I hope your daughter is doing well and enjoying her studies. 

The LAX story made me tingle with love.  Who would think you'd find support in an airport restroom.  Just goes to show how this disease affects us, hopefully for the most part, for the better.  I'm so glad all of you reached out to one another.  

Cyndi, woohoo, it's official, YOU"RE DONE, girl!  Welcome to the finish line.   :-)  I think it's difficult for those who've never had chemo to realize how much it affects us both emotionally and physically.  I completely understand your reaction after your last infusion.  

I had my second opinion meeting with a new onc on Wed.  I like this dr a lot better than my old one and have decided to make the switch to his practice.   He is, however, parroting my old onc on the topic of hormonal treatment.   Even though my tumor was ER neg and slightly PR pos, he said I would still receive a small benefit from continuing with this treatment, one that will outweigh the side effect risks.  They drew blood to check my FSH status but I've decided not to take Tamoxifen if I'm premenopausal and I'm thinking hard about an AI if I'm post.  

If anyone has any personal experience with either of these drugs, I'd like to hear from you.  DebbieK, it's good to see you're not experiencing any major side effects. 

Today in western NY it's very cloudy and I can see teeny-tiny snowflakes in the air.   Not sure how much we're supposed to get though.

Hope everyone is in the thick of Thanksgiving plans and enjoy your weekend!

Lastminute - Thanks for asking.  I'm having bi-lat surgery on Dec. 3 prior to rads.  The chemo shrunk the tumor to make it operable and hopefully stopped the cancer from spreading systemically.  It seems like a very long road.  I won't be done everything (except oral meds) until late February.

Thanks, Dawn, for your prayers.  I'm not having recon right away.  I've read a lot on these message boards about pain and infections with some of the reconstruction.  I hope yours was OK.  I think I'll just have the bi-lat for now and, like Scarlett O'Hara, I'll worry about that tomorrow.  I will miss my breasts even though I'm 66.

I'm counting down to Dec. 3.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the June bugs.

Shrink, good luck with your upcoming surgery.  I'm so very happy that the chemo worked to shrink your tumor! 

We all have very much to be thankful for this holiday season. :-) 

Hi Dawn:

Glad you were lucky in the bathroom.

That recurrence figure is frightening but, as you say, it doesn't take into account the newer meds which could make a huge difference.

Wishing you well,

Shrink

Well, it's official, I'm in menopause according to the FSH blood test.   Don't know if it's nature or chemo induced though and therefore, which hormonal therapy to take, if any....?? 

I think I need to check in again on the hormone therapy thread and ask some questions there. 

Hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for Thanksgiving.  

b445, good luck with your new chemo schedule and hopefully the PS can fix the port site.  {{{{hugs}}}}

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! I know it's a day late but I just wanted to say that one of the things I'm most thankful for this year is finding all of you in this group. I don't know if I could have gotten through the last six months without you!

Cyndi