Anyone starting Chemo in August 07?

Sorry for intruding into your thread. I'm just one of those freaks who, upon finding out I would be starting chemo last oct. I had to go and read every single chemo thread from the past year. It scared me sometimes, lol but mostly helped.

I feel like I "know" so many here and wanted to say... Kim, I was praying so fervently for you and I'm sorry for what you're having to go through. I just had to quit lurking to say that I think I may have a solution for the hemorrhoid (sp?) prob.

After I gave birth my doc gave me buy some of those small pads that are pre-soaked in witch hazel (kind of like a little round container of medicated wet wipes) Anyway, I would take one of those, squirt a straight line of preperation H right down the middle of the circle and then stick it right between my cheeks to the swollen area and let it stick there as long as it would. I did this a few times a day and it REALLY helped. Not only with the discomfort, but the whole thing eventually shrunk to nothing. I hope this helps.

Take care everyone and season's greetings......

Hey All,

I wanted to thank you all for the thoughts and prayers and let you know I'm home from my surgery.  Surgery went kind of rough and they ended up keeping me overnight.  They ran a mess of cardio tests all night long and everything was clear.  I suspect that I got too much anesthesia and it threw my system.    The surgeon told dh and dd that she was pleased with the surgery and had gotten clean margins around the tumor in my breast.   Though she took 'a lot' of lymph nodes the good news there is that the new lump on my left side WAS NOT a new primary.  She couldn't be sure what it was but took it out and thinks it was just a reactive node.  We go back the day after Christmas for my post-op and pathology report.  I sure hope they take this drain out at that time.  It makes me feel so good to hear that many of you are finishing chemo and/or rads.  What an accomplishment ladies. 

Nash....wonderful news on the biopsy and I refuse to believe you have a new primary, it just isn't so. 

DeAnn....keep singing it sister....for all of us!

Kimmie....I have suffered with hemorrhoids on and off for years.  The only thing that has ever worked for me is an ointment called Americaine Ointment for hemorrhoids.  (they make other ointments)

A surgeon gave me a tube many years ago and I always keep it in the house.  It has gotten difficult to find in recent years and now I just order it on-line. 

Wishing you and yours the most wonderful holidays.

Merry Christmas sisters.

June

Oh Kimmie, 

I almost forgot about the hemerrhoid question.  I am so, so sorry to know that you are dealing with that. I know it isn't quite the same, but my anal fissures had me in tears very often, and everything just feels worse when "that" hurts.   I did find a product that helps a lot called "Healing Fissures" from an essential oil company online.  I also saw that they had a "Heal Hemerrhoids" product too.  I found the oil highly effective, and my pain was dramatically reduced after a day or two of using it.  I think the website is www.amoils.com. Let me know if you have an interest and if that link doesn't get you to where you need.  I do sincerely hope you find something that helps with that. No fun at all. I just feel so bad for you that you are back in chemo and feeling so badly. You also are a true warrior, and I wish I could just give you a huge hug right now!

Good luck. I hope you get some much needed relief.

DeAnn

HI guys,

Lolli - Hi gal. Thanks for the tip and you are certainly welcome to chime in anytime!!

DeAnn - So glad to hear of your good test results. But We already know you have a big heart.  I dont know how many treatments. I just know its spread to my bones and I had to go back into treatment.

Im seriously considering taking a trip to M D Anderson Texas. They have the only IBC specialty clinic I know of in the country. What do yall think? 

June - Hey, so glad to read your surgery is OVER!!!!!! But to much anesthesia? I YEI YEI. Ill look for that ointment thanks.

Kato - Yea she said she didnt want me feeling that bad but when push comes to shove I get "I dont know why you would be feeling bad" and  "Maybe you have a virus, you shouldn't be feeling bad"

Ok maybe I had a Virus wk #1 but what about the next week, and these last few days I just feel icky. Have you ever felt alittle left out to dry? They pump me with all these poisons and then I just go home and deal with the side effects . Yea she gave me anti nausea med but no miracle pills here.

By the way I dont know what Id do with out your posts they make me LOL.:)

Fleece tied blankets. You take two pieces of fleece (I use 2 yds) lay them on top of one another and cut into them about 3-4 inches into fabric every inch or so all the way around the fabric. Then you take the strips and tye them together. You end up with a blanket that is double thick and has knots around the outside edge. If you use two different colors its pretty cool looking.

Nash -  the onco says the bone mets are to small to biopsy. And yes some days are just a bit much, s**t more than a bit!!And you've had WAY more than your share of hard.

Hey I just might get all of your ointments and mix them together!!! Look Id do ALMOST anytyhing to get rid of these buggers.

A two yr old and potty training. AH the memories. 

Hugs

KIm 

Thanks Nash, Hey tell me your secret. Id loive to be carded, What ba wounderful little pick me up. Although Im NEVER going to complain about age!

HUgs Kim 

Hey gals,

Me AGAIN. 

Im going to give yall my symptoms and maybe one of you have had this.

Its been going on for almost 3 wks

I feel nausea most of the time but it goes away periodically. When it goes away Im hungry but get sick on stomach shortly after eating. Followed by increasing nausea and stomach cramps, then diarrhea.  During the spasms of diarrhea I start vomiting.Then I sit on the commode till its over.

Then the cycle repeats. 

What do you think?

My oncologist keeps saying I shouldnt be sick and maybe its a virus. Even so I AM SICK. and I want to feel better.

thanks

hugs

kim 

Kim--if your tummy trouble is a virus, maybe a stool sample would sort it out? Three weeks seems awfully long for this sort of thing to be going on, though, if it's viral. I'd be inclined to blame it on the Abraxane. I looked up the se's of Abraxane, and vomiting and diarrhea are listed as "less common" se's.

If you don't feel better in a week, I'd press the onc on how to figure out whether it's a virus or the chemo.

Hey, Harely--how are the new boobs? 

I think its the chemo to, but the doc acts like she cant fathom why Im sick.

Its frustrating as h*ll.

kim 

Hi Girls,

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy, Healthy New Year!!!

Lots of hugs, Jackie

Very cute, Kaye ;-)

How sad has life become when i am excited to have gotten a carpet sweeper for Christmas?  What have I become???    Angie

Kim--that's excellent that you have an appointment with Dr. C at MDA--he's actually the only onc in the country who specializes in my subtype of bc (pleomorphic lobular). I'd go see him for sure if I get mets. He's very well respected.

Am at a pit stop at home from the hospital. My mom was taken by ambulance there from her PET scan this morning--her oxygen saturation dropped to 83% WHILE ON 4 litres of oxygen (!!!) when they moved her from her MUGA scan to the PET machine. So they called 911. I was having my MRI over in another building, and when I finished and got back to her building, everyone was in an uproar.

I talked to the onc while in ER, and the PET shows disease progression. So now the onc, who was hip on retrying chemos when we had this conversation a few weeks ago, wants to stop chemo and start hospice. I think she's full of sh**, and I want my mom on Taxol/Tykerb. It's been 3 years since she's been on Taxol, and I think it's worth a shot. She wants to go down fighting, and I support that. 

This really sucks, girls.