June 2007 Chemo

Way to go, Shrink! So happy for you! A Bailey's on the rocks is a good way to start celebrating. In fact, I had a Bailey's before I wrote my last post and that's why there were so many errors and typos.

Terry you have mastered the art of uploading pics. My last chemo was 9-26-07 as well.

Have a great weekend!

Linda

Melody, my hair is coming back straight and gray, not a pretty sight!    I used to have reddish brown, thick with a slight wave hair..sigh.   It's not very long yet either, it's coming in very slowly.  

How is everyone else's coming in?  Chemo curly?  What color? 

Shrink, Bailey's sounds like a perfect celebration drink!  

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thanks everyone for being happy for me.  I hope I can stay NED for a looooong time.

Dawn, sorry to hear about your mom.  It's hard enough to keep our chins up with our own health issues without adding more to the pile.  My mother is 92.  It was difficult telling her about my cancer but she handled it pretty well. 

Hugs and prayers for all of you.

Dawn, I'll keep your mom in my prayers.   Keep us up on any news. 

Ellie

Thank-you all for the warm welcome.

Shrink -- I'm in the same node boat as you -- 20 or so nodes were cancerous.  I was quite worried when a lot of women on the message boards were reporting only a few positive nodes.  And the liver mets.  However, everything seems to have been zapped this time around. 

When the liver mets was confirmed I asked my onc if I am going to drop dead sooner than later and should I do all those things I want to do now.  She said "don't sell the barn yet" (I'm blunt so she is in response, she's a blast, so nice) and then listed off about 10 more chemo drugs to use if and when it returns and if what worked this time doesn't work any more. 

I'm quite positive and I am very positive for you too!  Congrats on the clear scans!!  Sure, it's going to be in the back of my mind, but I am assuming I am OK.

Re. effexor -- I take 300 mg -- been on it for years for panic attacks.  One friend who took it because of some thankfully temporary depression went up to 125 mg.  I believe 37.5 is the lowest dose.

I started the Biotin -- my hair is thickening up -- probably just time having an effect, too soon to tell if it's the biotin.  I gave myself a little trim around the ears Sat night so that's a major milestone.  Now I just need to get some styling gel to practice taming the hair monster before I unleash it to public viewing the end of the month.

And skinny jeans Shrink!!  I was so expecting to drop pounds on chemo but I put on 15 pounds -- I think it was mostly because every chemo eve I had cake or ice cream for dinner as a treat / comfort food.  So I'm trying to widdle that down...

Thanks for the prayers for my mom everyone - she has an appointment with my oncologist for the 22nd - unless her gp calls and makes them see her sooner!!

Debbie - I have been using the silvadine stuff.  Went in today for what I thought would be my second to last boost - wrong!  No treatment today or tomorrow - rad onc put medicine strips under and on the side of my breast and my armpit and puffy pads over them, wrapped me up with what looked like a very holey ace bandage and then put a tube top with one shoulder over all that to keep it in place.  I am so sexy!!  woo hoo!! 

I go back Wednesday to get unwrapped and reassessed.  Guessing it will be a daily check and boost until she is happy with my xrays and amount of rads inside.

UGH.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Dawn

Dawn, hope your appt went well today!

Terry, don't worry too much about the Arimidex; it is working fine for me.  Some joint pain and the hot flashes but not unbearable.  It is supposed to be so good for prevention of recurrence!  I will be thinking of you.  Those pill holders are inevitable.  My husband and I both have our own.  They sure make it easy to remember your meds.

Dawn, I am so sorry to hear about your burns.  It really is a bad thing to have to go through.  My rad techs told me that you don't get the effects of each treatment until 7 days later so even after they are done, it takes some time for the skin to quit hurting.  You will soon be done, and it will be a memory.  I'm keeping you in my prayers.

Take care,

I'm DONE DONE DONE!!!

I'll save the happy dance for next week after my boob feels better but I'm mentally dancing - has to count for now!!!  Soaked in the tub last night and aired overnight - have one area that is very hot and really bright burgundy.  Rad onc examined me this am and said she checked with physics - she was aiming to get 6000 grays in me and got 6200 so she felt comfortable with no more treatments!!  WOO HOO!! I read that 5000 was the normal high - no wonder I'm burnt with 6200 grays and the dang bolus every freakin day!!  What a relief to be done with this part!! 

My rad onc asked me if I wanted to come in tomorrow to be looked at or Monday - I said Monday would be fine and we went over what I needed to keep doing.........................She said if I change my mind just show up and gave me her home phone number in case I need her this weekend.  I want to take in a cake and a small gift for each of them - thinking about making some peaches and cream bath salts from www.organizedchristmas.com. 

Guess I should get some work done, but it's snowing out and what I really want to do is go home and sit by our big front window with a cup of hot chocolate and watch the snow!  Oh well - maybe later.

Have a good day everyone!

Dawn

Thanks for the dance Terry!  What a relief! 

Click on the link and then look for "gifts in a jar" - one of the tabs at the top.  Towards the bottom is the peaches and cream bath salts.

Here is the direct spot you can copy and paste:

http://organizedchristmas.com/peaches-cream-bath-salts

Looks pretty easy and I like the colors.  Love this website.  The message boards just closed last week because the site owner has retired.  She also has organizedhome.com and a couple more.  I'll miss the boards but some of the members have started other boards - I've gotten great ideas from these ladies over the last few years.  There's actually another member here that I've spoken to over there!  So glad they started new boards.  Links are on the home page I believe.

Hopefully making these this weekend - I'll let you know how they turn out - IF I get them done this weekend!!

(still need to get Christmas 2007 packed away!!)

Have a good night!

Dawn

Dawn congrats on finishing the dreaded rads. Sorry you had such a bad time with them.  Sorry to hear about your Mom. I, too will keep her in my thoughts and prayers.

I go back next week to get a mammogram (ouch), see the onc, the rad onc and the surgeon. Hopefully all will be well and I can get this darn port out. I've had the thing for almost 8 months. I have flipped it over two or three times and I'm sooo ready to get it out.

The onc will be discussing tamoxifen with me - why not armidex?  I don't know. I am certainly the age for it - way past menopause.

I am at a very awkward stage with hair. It's all there and mousey gray and swirly like a rosette guinea pig. Not too impressive. It will be a challenge for the guy who cuts my hair in a few more weeks.

Looks like I'll be working more than I had planned but that's ok as long as I can get back to painting, too.

Have a good weekend all.

Linda

Bonnie - you and your family will be in my prayers, please let us know what's going on when you can.

Linda - I can't wait to get this port out either but I can't think about that till Fall - after I'm done with herceptin.  let us know how your tests go.

I went to my oncologist with my mom and dad yesterday.  Mom has metastatic pancreatic cancer.  Since it has already spread she is stage 4.  She'll start gemzar infusions on Monday - 3 weeks on, 1 week off.  Will do scans after 3 cycles to see if the cancer is shrinking etc.  Onc explained that people feel better doing the chemo than not doing the chemo and it's all about quality of life at this point since it's not curable.  I read that most pancreatic cancers aren't found early stage because the organ is behind other organs and pains are usually attributed to other things until it's too late.  I gave my parents a tour of the infusion center and my two favorite nurses came running out to hug me.  They were very welcoming and gave mom some info on the gemzar.  Whole room was totally empty since it was almost 5 pm but I remember all too well the info overload and deer in the headlights feeling so I'm hoping to make them as comfortable as I can.  Guess we are in for some heavy conversations.................. my 86 year old grandmother (mom's mom) is beside herself.  My uncle (her other child) died of a massive heart attack back in 98.  I can't imagine outliving one of my kids let alone all of them - or at least that is what it seems will happen.

One of the girls on the December radiation thread said I win the Rudolf award with my burns............................ I love Christmas so I said I'd take the award with a big grin! 

My skin is tender and still peeling in a couple places but it is healing and I'm able to wear clothes without having a cushy pad in between.  I go back on Tuesday the 29th (my 46th bday - OMG!!) and I think she'll release me then.  I didn't get the bath salts made last weekend - will have to get that done this weekend.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Dawn

To Dawn and Bonnie - My thoughts and prayers are with you. I'm sending some hugs too.

Hello everyone,

Went to see the onc. today.  My brca test came out negative so I was very happy.  Mom had bc and sister had oc so I was relieved for myself as well as my daughter and granddaughter.  Dr. checked me out and sent me away for 3 months.  Hurray!  It feels so good to be getting back to normal finally.

Hope you all are doing well and surviving this cold winter.

Hugs to all,

Hey all!  I can't believe how fast time is flying.

Bonnie - hope things are well with you and DH.  Hopefully you can check in soon to let us know.

Debbie - good news about your BRCA test!  Normal sounds wonderful but - weird!! 

Terry -  hopefully your side effects settle down soon!

Ellie - you are so right - God bless the ordinary day!!!

Thank you all for the continued prayers and hugs.  My mom had her first chemo last Monday - steriods kept her up and then dropped her in the middle of a busy day. She wasn't happy about that but was happy that she didn't have any extra nausea from the gemzar.  Mom has #2 tomorrow - not as nervous as the first one of course and I think she feels like she's doing all she can right now.  She knows the chemo is just to make her feel better till the end.............. Blows my mind, but everything will be okay - at least that is what I'm telling myself.

I saw my rad onc last Tuesday - I'm healing well and have to go back 2/14 again.  She is taking a position at a cancer center in Rehobeth Beach - I'm glad she was here through my treatment though and she said to look her up when I'm down there and we could double date for dinner. I did get the bath salts made - very cute and everyone one was surprised that I had made them and were planning to soak that night.  Guess I'll find out when I go in how they liked them.  The receipe made a lot, so I am going to try some and give a jar to my mom & gmom to try as well.  I think when I go back in I'll take a cake for them like I did at the chemo center back in November.  Another lady on the boards did a cake for her rad center of a woman from the neck, with big boobs, down to her blue jeans - laying a napkin (think sheet) over the boobs like you lay on the table for rads!  She did an awesome job!  I told her I might copy her idea but I'll have to see about time.

Sure hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and a good week ahead!

Dawn