Chemo in Nov 07

Thanks ginnyintx, It's getting better. I was out today hitting golf balls (I really missed being out at the range).

My onc called today to say that he wants to start chemo next friday. I wanted to say no thank you.....I wish! I guess I need to start to get it done and over with hugh. I'm thankful I have you ladies to encourage me!

Morning everyone,

Wanted to check in and say hey.  I loved the GI comment.  Between the buzz cut and the compression sleeve and gauntlet for LE, I tell people I'm a cross between Brittney Spears and Michael Jackson. 

I am not a wig person and I'm finding I really hate most hats and scarves, too - with the exception of baseball caps.  I think I'll end up going around bald most of the time...  if other people can't deal with it, don't look.  I just don't care anymore.  Luckily I'm here in San Diego and not where it snows.

I keep saying I feel lucky for not having too much in the way of se's, but then the big D hit and I've not left the bathroom for 2 days.  Hopefully it's temporary and passes soon. 

Saw my onc yesterday.  He's pleased with my progress.  It's good to know I'm 1/2 way done - 2 more infusions and I'll be off to rads.  I can do this - we can do this ;-)

You know what's amazes me about cancer is the people I meet.  I was at a women's christmas tea last night (wearing my stupid hat that I hate) and another women came up and just said it'll grow back, be stong, you can do this.  I've had this kind of thing happen so many times.  Women I'd normally just pass by who have been where I am now take a minute to acknowledge what I'm going through and to say this too shall pass.

Know I think of you ladies each and every day.  Be strong and take good care of yourselves,

Lisa

Hi girls, Lisa, I was cracking up when I read your stupid hat comments. I shaved mine yesterday, so still have some stubble. Going to office party in NYC tonight, then a show, and I too think commando is the way to go. What the heck?! Only problem is that it is sooo cold outside, and my head even gets cold here in the house too. Crystal, my hair came out in LARGE clumps day #15 after treatment #1 TC. Lisa, my nose runs too. Keep smiling ladies, lots of hugs! Cindy

Oh, Thank God, I thought I was the only one with the wet nose syndrome! It just started one day and hasn't stopped!

Bad day today, feeling very whiney...(but out of cheese!) Just wanted to crawl into bed & stay there, but braved the entire day at work. Best part was the hugs from my little students....

Thank you for the "heads up" (pun intended!) for about how much longer I have to bond with my hair. I thought I'd be very upset to lose it (and maybe I will be) but right now all I can think is "Oh, it is soooooo cold right now!"

Cheers!

 Crystal1

I had my second tx today. Again, I was there 5 hours - blood work, see the oncologist, get the A/C. So far so good. Last weekend was the best I had felt since Sept. when all of the surgeries began. I think I tolerated the first tx fairly well, some nausea, some tiredness. It is so emotionally draining for me to go in on these days. Talking to compassionate people does me in every time.



The hair is really starting to go. A friend is buzzing it tomorrow, day 19 from first treatment, then shaving it for me. I got ahead of the snow and went out and got a wig. I will be strawberry blond, and right now the wig looks better than my own hair. So I don't think the loss will be quite as hard. I could be wrong. I also got a red baseball style cap with bling on it. I think I'm ready,



I thought bananas would be a fruit we could tolerate. That info was good to know. Obviously, I am not eating enough fruits and veggies because I'm have the constipation problem. It seems to be either constipation or heartburn. Your ailment of choice.



I did the Look Better, Feel Better class this week and loved it. I got some awesome make-up products and tips about what to buy to help out the cuticles and the hair folicles, and conditioners for the head. Everyone should try to go; they make you feel good and the make-up is an incredible treat.



You are all in my thoughts and prayers,

Susan

Hi everyone!  I hope you are all having a great day!

Hey Lisa you can count me in as a wet nose pup as well.  I have never had any nose hairs because I had my nose cauterized 3 times as a child and I have never had this problem before.  There are times my nose starts to run so fast I can't even get a tissue in time.  Oh well, just another humor opportunity, for my kids at least.

Cindy and Jay66 you both look great!  I can't stop rubbing my head either.  My 10 year old son loves to rub it too.  My 14 year old daughter refuses to.  She said she is okay with me being bald but she just doesn't want to rub it.  Teenagers

Hey Susan, I am glad your second treatment went okay yesterday.  I have my second on Monday.  My hair is already gone.  I am on TAC though instead of A/C so that may be why it came out a little faster.  Going today to have a massage   I saw that you weren't eating enough fruits and veggies.  Maybe you should try the V8 drinks, they have them in fruit juice blends as well.  They are actually very good and they will help with the daily intake of fruit and veggies without you having to eat them.  I also found that pure apple juice helped with my constipation. 

Hey Karyll - I just love your sense of humor.  You seem to be of the mind set that I am - finding the humor where ever you can.  Lets face it, with all the changes our bodies are going through right now there is a lot of humor to be found.  I know with all the emotions that we are going through they are going to come out one way or another and I would much rather it be in laughter.  I know that people look at me sometimes and think I am nuts because I laugh more than I cry about all this, but I don't want people feeling sorry for me.  I know that I am going to beat this and if they start with the pity party stuff that just says that I am not and I refuse to have that around me.  So heres to the laughter.

Keep laughing ladies and I hope everyone finds away to see the blessings in their lives.  I know that life can suck at times, but we all really do have so much to be thankful for. First and foremost we all still are alive!  We have found good friends where we never thought we would.  We have people that care and we care share with on a daily bases.  We are in treatment to rid of this crap that has tried to take our lives, but didn't succeed.  Just sooo many things to be thankful for.

Jenny

Crystal- on the hair issue, mine started to shed around day 17 but just after the second tx (day 21) I could pull it out in clumps. My dh shaved it close with cheap wahl clippers. The pile of hair weighed 2lbs! I need to shave my scalp because most of the stubble is gone from the sides and back and it is shiny, but the crown still has hair and i find it on my pillow, my recliner, etc. Being on TCH instead of AC has milder side effects. It is easier on the heart as well as slower to cause hair loss, fatigue, nausea, etc. 

Herceptin is an antiviral type of drug, and it does make me feel like I am coming down with a bad cold.  Chills, achey, really blahh. but it only lasts for a day or two.  I get mine on Thursdays so i went to bed early last night, woke up with gooey eyes, but I feel ok otherwise.

My onc said it was ok to take antihistime for the wet nose.  I have allergies anyway and needed my claritin in October to breathe but I have continued it and I only notice the drippy nose when I forget to take it.

I am off to go shopping for a fancy scarf.  My boss called about the formal office party next week and I dont want to do the wig. I found a great website; http://craftersjourney.com/how-to-tie-a-head-scarf/  I just need to go buy the scarf.

Cheryl

Hi Lisa - one Christmas tradition that my kids and I have had for the last four years is making gingerbread houses.  We use to make them from scratch, but really didn't have the energy this year.  We found gingerbread kits at Costco and the kids seemed to enjoy making them just as much.  I think the kits are the way we will go for now on.

Another tradition we have had since my 14 yr old was about 2 is going around the neighborhoods to see the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.  After that we come home make a fire, roast marshmallows, and drink hot chocolate.  We sit around the fire talking and enjoying each other until it is off to bed to wait for Santa.

It is really a great time.

Jenny

Hey Jodi,

I had my lumpectomy 10/12, then a re-excision 10/26 ( one margin was not clean) and I'd say I am tender, not sore. My bs @MSK recommended gentle stretching, when I was starting to feel good, and I think that really helped. If you are real sore still, i would call the bs office and speak to nurse or doctor, and see what they recommend. Why not, better to be safe and get peace of  mind.

Lisa in VA, I too am not a big fan of looking in the mirror since going bald. I am not a make-up wearer, but now I spend the time I would have spent on my hair putting a pound of mascara on my remaining eye lashes, and covering up all my 'age spots' on my face since my hair is no longer there to help camouflage them........The kids are coming around, and love to rub my head. My son has his birthday party today here at the house, so we will see how he does with having his friends see his GI Mommy. ( he is the one who balled when he found out my hair would fall out, " what will my friends think"??) I am hoping today will reassure him that his friends will still love him, no matter how his Mommy looks. I was in the ARMY for seven years, and always thought about getting a crew cut, but never did. Other than upsetting to the kids, it really is not so bad. I put away my brushes, blowdryer, hair ties......it was actually a relief. That being said, sometimes when I am caught off guard and see me in the mirror, I think, " Holy shit, this bc is for real" .......but I'm on to it, and we are coming after the bc, full force! Like another poster said when she had her chemo treatment, take that you stupid bc!!  WARM HUGS to all. xo cindy

flash- yes, yes, yes, on the headache! Tylenol wouldn't touch mine & I ended up using the pain medication that I had left over from my surgery to relieve my head enough to sleep at night! But it did eventually go away, thank God.

Those of you that have posted pictures look so good w/o hair! It may not be a look you'd normally go for, but you gals make it look good!

Crystal 

Hi ladies,

started chemo on Nov 12.  halfway thru A/C, 3rd a/c is tomorrow.  then 12 weeks taxol with herceptin (herceptin for another 40) then radiation during taxol as well.  I still get nervous everytime I go for chemo (yeah only twice so far but still...) 

Just wanted to say hi 

Thanks for the encouragement.  I feel better today.  I guess a couple good days are better than none at all.  So many have it so much worse don't they.  You only need go to a couple of other forums to see that.

How are you ladies doing?

Well, I sure have missed you all! Day 5 (December 5) after my first TC tx was the best and worst day of my life. I'd had minimal side-effects to this point...no nausea, but some general body aches, runny/raw nose, fatigue, lower GI issues and the general chemo fog. Quite do-able. However, this day was different because I could barely get out of bed. I called my oncology triage line and they said that if I didn't start feeling better in 24-48 hours OR if I was running a fever, I should come in to have blood work done. I spent the rest of the day on the couch and my husband took care of me. That evening, out of the blue, my daughter took her first steps and I was right there to see them. Daddy picked her up and said "how about taking a few steps for Mommy and Daddy" and she walked for about 15 feet. Wow. I can't tell you how much I really needed to see that right then. God sure does work in mysterious ways!

The reason I haven't been online in the past four days is that I continued to feel worse and ended up going in for blood work. Turns out that my white blood cell count was really low. In particular, my neutrophil (ANC) count was extremely low. You have to be at 1.0 to have chemo and they consider .5 low. My count was .036! I was sent home with surgical masks, antibiotics and strict instructions to stay in bed and away from as much outside contact as possible. Call me the bubble girl.

My oncologist wants to see if the levels bounce back on their own. If not, then he'll prescribe neulasta or neupogen. I trust him completely. He is such a wonderful doctor. I know that many of you are given neulasta or neupogen right after your first treatment without waiting to see if your levels drop. I sure hope mine bounce back so I can get my second tx. I definitely don't want to postpone a treatment.  

I'm feeling much better today, but I am still having a hard time with the fatigue I still say that as long as I am not nauseous, I can get through this. No problem. I just hope that the next tx won't wipe me out so badly. I hear from a lot of you that the first tx is the worst and I will pray that will happen with me too.

I'm thinking of you all and keep you in my prayers. Be well!

Sharon