Starting chemo Dec 2007

Hello All, Well my computers a little wonky today. Ive tried to do this a few times and just keep either loosing it or the size is all weird. Earlier this week was pretty rough re: se's. It went straight for my legs and groin and made it impossibly to walk, Saturday was much better so we took a day trip up to one of our local mountains in the city (about a half hour drive from home) Aaron, ds hit the trails with his snowboard. Russ & I just wandered around relaxing for a few hours then went for a long lunch with an incredible view . Its the first thing we've done as a familyin a while and it felt so special.

I will try to post a couple of small pictures. Oh creeper the icon bar is missing.

Ok I tried to crop them but don't know if it worked. My apologies in advance if they are huge again  If anyone knows how to shrink pics down I would really appreciate it.

Such as they are, We are at the top of Grouse Mountain a great ski mountain right in the heart of the city. The scenery is quite breathtaking as well as the gondola ride up to the top. This is one of three ski mountains right in town. It was about 50f in town and just below freezing on the mountain. Normally Russ and I would strap on our skis and play for a few hours but my legs are not ready yet. I was just so happy to be up there with my guys.

Sorry for being so off topic, but I wanted to share this with you. Much Love & Hugs, Suz

What a beautiful area!  Does it ever get warm up there in the summer?  What a great way to enjoy your family and get out too!  Much better than hanging home and clinics! 

Ladies, hope this monday finds everyone feeling chipper and ready for spring!  I can feel it coming.  Just keep watching the new birds coming north and praying the warmer air is close behind!   Spent time up north (?NUtty going north where they have much more snow, but....I appreciated seeing how much of ours is actually gone when I got home!:)

 Going for the US this afternoon and hoping it's definitive and not another, well, let's do an MRI to be sure!  Still no word on all the other tests from last week with the annual, so hoping that means it's coming in the mail in the form letter that all is clear there!  I've never been to the docs so much in my entire life as I've been this past 6 months!  I want this all over with NOW!!!!!!!!!!!  Like we all would!!

Hoping for a better week this than last for all and that it keeps getting better with each passing day!

Thanks Everyone  I wholeheartedly agree, it is such an incredibly beautiful area. Wiw, this will all be 100% green in summer and is full of mountain bike & hiking trails. We also have trails, seawalls & dyke's throughout the whole city that can be enjoyed year round as long as you don't mind the rain in the winter.

Wishiwere, good luck today with all your tests again and lets hope you get the answers you want and need.

Amy, The snow pack is so deep this year (over 500cm) that I just may be able to get a few runs in before it melts. But not to worry, spring is here and summer is right around the corner. I love summer in B.C., we have such a beautiful Province.

I hope your stomach and back issues clear up quick. We really did have so much medication put through our systems. Lets hope that its nothing long term.

Whooo Hoo, A spa weekend getaway sounds absolutely fabulous, relax and enjoy!

Cindy,Your right this really is a time of rebirth for all of us. Its spring, the robins are singing and everything is new (dh even noticed I had fuzz on my head for the first time today ) I find myself wanting to slow down in a good way.... stop and smell the daffodils. We all need to just take a little time out to pamper ourselves, our family, our friends and just enjoy.

Speaking of which... It sounds like your birthday outing with the family was something special. I have never been to NYC but have wanted to go for years. Dh and I were just talking about it again on Saturday during our extended lunch. I get a little overwhelmed trying to figure out what to do and see on a short trip (3 or 4 nights) Short trips are easier for us to take as we shut the office down when we leave town. But there is so much to see and do in NY, how do you divide it up?

 Hugs and love to you all.  Suz

Suz, I got a plan.....how about a house swap???? I'v always wanted to go to Vancouver!!!! The only problem is that we live a good hour out of NYC,... but I would be MORE than happy to give you some tips on where to stay and eat and see........just say the word!

WiW, I am a terrible 'waiter' too, so I feel for you....but we have to trust that all will be good news, and you will continue on this road to a FULL recovery ! hang in there.

xoxoxoxo to all, cindy

Jeannie, MAJOR bummer about having to post-pone your last tx. I have had shots for red blood cells several times, but bounced back in time for my next tx's... very lucky. Here's hoping that at least your last tx breezes by easily on the 18th so it was worth the wait.

Wiw-- ok, the suspense is driving ME crazy... I can't imagine what you're going through. "Get off the stick, people... get this woman some answers now!!!" 

Suz, your photos were beautiful... you look great. I could just imagine the peace and quite of the mountains. 

Cindy, welcome back from your excursion to the Big Apple. Sounds like a blast.

Amy, sorry about the ulcer thing. I had the same problem when I took Advil for several months straight, many years ago... dr told me to take it for tendonitis but neglected to mention it could cause ulcer problems. *grumble grumble* Good luck getting it smoothed out, buddy.

Was somebody else finishing chemo tx's this week? I can't remember.

I'm still floating on the high of being done. Normal round of SE's are hitting, but I'm handling them better than ever since I know it's the last round I'll have. What a feeling.

However, still having trouble with stupid sciatica. Was doing quite well last week (or perhaps the "high" just made me think so), but towards the end of the week I started to slip backwards. So frustrating. I just want to be able to go thru a day without planning when I can sit down (or avoiding sitting down). I'm exercising twice a day, when I can fit it in or have the stamina, and going to PT, so I'm doing everything that I can to get better... stupid, stupid sciatic nerve. Whine whine whine. So I've been feeling sorry for myself. But then I saw some news report on soldiers from Iraq who had limbs missing and were going thru rehab, and I mentally smacked myself. Reality check. Sometimes I need a good mental smack.

Another problem is creeping up tho... anyone having trouble with their teeth? I have a tooth that started aching a few days ago, and now it has a tiny white ring around the gum area. That can't be good. Last week I set up my regular cleaning appointment, since I had to cancel while on chemo; but I might have to go in sooner. I better not lose a tooth because of chemo, dang it.

Was it Lori that was going to Las Vegas? Did she leave yet? Wanted to wish her a good journey... she was looking forward to it so much. 

Time to get up off my rump. Ouchie. Have a super-de-duper day ladies!!!

-Sal 

Decadron...

I took it only 2x with my first treatment, and with subsequent treatments only the morning of tx.  They also gave it in my IV just before the poison.  I decided not to take it for the two days after the tx, I hate taking drugs and just didn't want to deal with any more SE.  So, fortunately, I never suffered any of the puffy face and jitters that are often associated with this drug.  I told the docs I wasn't taking it any more than that and they didn't seem too concerned.

Suz, lovely pics of Grouse Mountain.  Made me a bit homesick, although here we have had lovely weather for several weeks - lots of sun and very little snow.

Sal, I am sorry you have tooth issues and are still struggling with sciatica.  It is horrible to think of all the things chemo does to our bodies.....You have been through a war - your war against cancer.  Thank goodness this is the last time you'll have to go through this!

I think today was to be Joyh's last tx.  I hope you are keeping well, Joy.

Amy I hope either your stomach settles down or you are able to figure out what the problem is.  I sincerely hope it is not an ulcer.

Lori and I are also posting in April rads since we are moving on to that next stage.  I think maybe Vegas will be after rads for her...not sure.  I've been busy shopping around for stuff to help me through the rads...bra, aloe vera gel, etc.

I went to a party on Saturday and danced a lot, I really don't have much stamina and need to start exercising more to build up strength again.  The following day I was in the kitchen all day, cooking the big turkey dinner for Easter.  I was on the go from 9:30 am until midnight, but it was very nice to enjoy a great meal with family and friends.  Boy, did I pay for that yesterday.   I had to sleep most of the morning as I couldn't even manage to work in bed.

Best of luck on your upcoming and LAST tx, Kimbly!

Hugs to all

Laura

Cindy, I wish my house was in order enough to do some house swapping. I actually built a suite on the main floor of the house for that purpose. Ended up renting it out for three years and now its my office . Ummm have I mentioned lately how much I hate paperwork, especially piles of paperwork. I have about one more year left on my upstairs reno's (once I get back into the swing of things) unless we decide to add onto the house  then I'm in real trouble.

But I will chime up when we manage to get out that way (maybe fall). We have lifetime passes as dh retired from the airlines three years ago with 28 years seniority. Funny we haven't flown anywhere since. We have a few trips that we are starting to think about once I'm done with all my treatments. I think we will be staying a little close to home this summer, short road trips with the motorcycle (dh's new toy) camper and boat. I'm happy with anything that will keep me off the couch.

Laura, I hadnt been up to grouse in a while. We usually take company up there as the view of the city at night is so incredible.

So your now on to rads. Thats great! I'll have to have a peek at the radiation board and start getting some information. The only thing I have so far is the all natural Aloe. I think mine will be closer to the end of April (third week) but no confirmation so far. My Onc wanted me to start three weeks after chemo was done. But I think I'm back on a waiting list, maybe its time to start the phone calls and push a little bit.

Lori, Good luck on your surgery next week! You know you'll be in my thoughts and prayers. How long do you have to wait between surgery and radiation?

Sal, You just cant seem to get a break. First the sciatica gets re-aggravated and now the tooth. Wishing you a speedy fix on both of them.

Amy, thanks for keeping us all organized. Hope your stomach and back are a little better today. Just a few more days till your seaside spa getaway.

Yaaa Kimbly, Last chemo tomorrow. Will be thinking of you as you down that last cocktail.

Decadron. On A/C I took three pills right before infusion, then one pill that night, then one pill twice a day for two more days. On Taxol I had the equivalent of 5 pills via infusion and that was it. Nobody told me to take more pills so I didn't, I have lots of pills left over so maybe I was to follow the same regimen as AC. Ah well didn't seem to do me any harm not taking them. So far no major stomach issues.

Phone call just in... I get my port removed next week,lol April 1st. I'm so glad as I was having problems getting any sort of a confirmation before June. As great as it was for chemo I just want to close that chapter.

Joy, Havent heard from you in quite a while, hope everything is ok.

Love and hugs to everyone. Stay strong. Suz

Hi all!  Hope you are all feeling great!  Wow, no posts yesterday put us to the 2nd page!!

Suz, 19 DAYS!!!  Wow!  Hopefully mine is ready to come out in a week!!  I read on another post you were getting your port out next week!  Yeah!!  I asked my surgeon if mine would come out Monday while she does the rest of surgery and she said she would have to check with my oncologist.  Why would it need to stay in??

Anyway, I met with the surgeon and asked all my questions and feel good about going to surgery on Monday!  The results of my MRI were great...No residiual evidence of either tumor or affected lymph node!!  It looks like any "healthy" person's MRI would!!  She's really hoping that will mean no live cancer in there either!!  Me and her both!!  She also said to see how I feel at day 11 for simulation but thought it would be iffy.  I can move simulation to the 17th or 18th and still start rads the 21st.  I'll see how it all goes!

Who can better tell me about the wires they put in the breast!  Thought I understood it then my mom (who was with me at the surgeons) understood it differently!  I know she said they would put 2 wires in then something about a mammogram.  Was the mammo before the wires or while the wires are in???  I'm sure they numb the area before they go poking wires in there, right???

I gotta run do some actual work.  Will post later!  Lori

Oh my dear Lori......the memory of the wires.....ahhhh!!!!!

I had two tumors in my left breast, so I assumed that is why I got two wires. These wires pinpoint  exactly where the surgeon needed to work. There were some mammos before the wires, then I remember them plotting out where wires should go on the screen, and my skin. My surgeon had made light of the whole wire guided procedure, making it seem like it was not a big deal.....so I was not ready for the real picture. That being said, after chemo , now it doesn't seem so bad .

So, anyway, after everything is perfectly lined up, and your breast is still pancaked in the paddles, the nurse sprayed me with a topical numbing ointment. I remember it dripping down my belly, and I told her she was missing my breast......so, I do not feel it worked, and wished I had an INJECTED numbing agent. It was too late for me at that point.... Then comes the needle/wire, being guided by ultrasound tech/md while booby still mushed in paddles. Then the wires get adjusted ( ahh ! ) if needed, while your are still sandwiched. Then more films, and finally your beat up little booby is set free, and you look down and see wires sticking out of your breast, and you want to scream ! The nurse will then bandage you up so your wires are not sticking out all over the place, and you are on your way. Not a party. Lori, I can only tell you my experience, and I hope that yours  will be more pleasant than mine. Remember, this was in October, when the big "C" was just entering my life, and I was completely freaked out with the whole decision making process....and I had never had any type of surgery in my life.

One of you chicks asked about radiation....Rads are okay.....completely painless, so that is the good part. I am in and out of center most days in less than 45 minutes, start to finish. I get zapped about 30 seconds, once from the right, then once from the left. I use the Aquaphor cream immediately after, and so far I am just red, as if I had sat under a mini tanning bed that covers only my breast and its margins; a  perfect square sunburn. A little sore, but really nothing to mention. My head is the problem only because EVERY flippin day I have to go to the CANCER center, and be reminded of the whole mortality of this beast.........4/16 is my last day of tx, so I am focusing on that day to have a break from appointments.

I had a meltdown yesterday on the tx table....kids are out of school this week, so they came with me to treatment. I feel so badly that at such young ages they have to deal with cancer in their lives. It has to be so scary for them, and I just want to shield them from all of this.....and there they are, in the waiting room of the CANCER center, where no 16,11,and 9 year old should be.....but much better today, cause it is FRIDAY !! Yippeee !!

Sending my love to you ladies. xo cindy

Lori~  You'll be in my thoughts Monday, hoping all goes very well and you are painfree as can be afterwards.  To be sure, I was amazed at how painfree the mast was.  Can't say the same for the drain and SLN, but they were okay with the oxy for a day or so, then Motrin (I think it was) for a couple more days.  My drain sat across the rib under where the breast was and for me was more painful than anything else.  I think those ribs are just tender or something, b/c I always had a problem If I wore a bra even from the tenderness, so I wasn't surprised.  And what a relief when it came out a week later!  It was that good feeling you get when you get a bra off at the end of the day!  Felt wonderful!

{{Cindy}} so sorry the kids have to be a part of it all, but then, your family is going to come out closer and stronger b/c of it I'm sure!  You're a strong woman and the kids are seeing that!  Hoping you all continue to stay strong and fight this beast with that of a ferocious lion family!

Kim!  Best luck with the SE's and hoping you have NONE!  Or at the least, just the minimal!  Just remember to repeat, DIE CELLS DIE!  And envision that chemo doing it's job!  

Sal~  Hoping the sciatica and tooth are better today and you are going to have a wonderful painfree weekend!

To the rest!  I hope your weekends are wonderful and the sun is shining for everyone!  I just went out and used black spray paint to mark off 1/2 mile marks so I can start walking now that the ice/puddles and mud are drying up!  YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!  Tulips, crocus and daffs are peaking up!  SPRING IS ON HER WAY! 

Oh!  Someone asked about me doing rads?  Thank heavens, NO~  I'm saved from that with the mast, but doing the arimidex now!   Hoping I don't the side effects from that, but time will tell.  Hopefully being to get out and do some walking and working the gardens with cure those ills or alleviate some I hope!

Other than that, I'm still waiting on the pap results.  Tachy referral coming for that and hmmmmm...Oh, BS visit on next wednesday to see what the comparison of MRI last fall with the recent mammo/US might show or not.  They are feeling it's nothing, although they thought that last fall with the second lump that they couldn't see on Mamm/US, so we shall see what is proposed on wednesday.

Has anyone had their Calcium, sed rate and cholesterol go up after chemo? Interesting and wondering if that's why the heart rate is over 110 most times now.  Hate those palp and such.  Just scary at times being home alone and never knowing if it's 'something' or NOT?

{{hugs}} to all!

Morning all!!

Kimbly - Way to go!!  Happy dance, happy dance, no more chemo!!

Cindy...Ummm....Thanks (?) for the wire info! LOL  I'm really not nervous about it (or surgery, for that matter) but just wanted to know what to expect.  I handle stuff much better when I know what to expect.....You know, don't try to spare me any bad details, just give it to me straight!!  When I called Dr. yesterday to make sure blood work was OK to proceed with surgery, I did ask a few more questions about the wires.  The will be numbing the area first (injection) and assured we my boob will not be between the paddles for 1 to 1 1/2 hours like some stories I read when I searched the threads here.  Do you remember how long you were actually between the paddles??  Doesn't really matter, it's going to happen Monday morning and I will handle it like a trooper (or at least handle it the best I can)!!  I totally understand when you talk about this being done at the beginning of your journey, when everything is new and scary!  That is how it went for my first chemo....I had a terrible headache going in that day and was miserable...I remebmer when we were all talking about migraines on our early pages....Well, after the first one I was fine for all the rest!!  That's my big issue...the unknown....My mind can really wander and come up with some terrible scenarios UNLESS I already know exactly what to expect (don't sugarcoat it!) 

That was me that asked about rads too!  Glad to hear you are having no major problems and your skin is handling it well.  Take care of yourself and April 16th will be here soon!!

Suz, I got my confirmation yesterday that my port will be coming out Monday during surgery!!  Can I get an Amen!!?  Yahoo!!  Looks like I will be playing the simulation appointment by ear for a bit.  I'm not gonna cancel until I see how I am at day 10.  I've handled everything up to this point so well, maybe I'll get lucky continue that trend!  The rad. oncologist wanted we to start by the 21st at the latest so I could still get simulation done around the 17th, which would be like 2 1/2 weeks after surgery.  I'm just gonna let it play out!

Kim, Hope you surgery goes well!  Let us know what date you'll be having it!  The node dissection is also going to be my pain in the butt procedure.  My lumpectomy seems like it will be cake but the AND means a drain, limited arm movement for a bit, etc. and also knowing there is a chance for future problems with Lymphedema.  I'm flying to Vegas in June and my surgeon wants me to wear a compression sleeve.  I guess I need to read up a bit on that whole subject soon.  I've kept my research to pretty much one thing at a time, chemo first and now that's done so I moved on to surgery and radiation since those 2 will be only weeks apart.  I guess it's LE's turn! LOL  I just keep repeating a quote I saw somewhere on these board..."I'm not gonna bleed before I'm shot" and I've tried to stick to that...not talking myself into any side effects or scenarios just because someone else may have had them!  I think we all know just how different we all handle all this treatment crap!  Heck, my SE's from chemo were pretty much different tx to tx.  There were a few constants but usually something new too that usually was a one time shot!

So, I feel like I have been blabbing away now so I will end here (for now) but just wanted to say how great we all are!!  We rock! We're the bomb, the head honcho, the cat's meow and all that other stuff that means we're the best!!

Have a great day all!!  Lori

CONGRATULATIONS KIMBLY!!!!! 

Chemo is OVER!!!!