I’m finishing my fourth round of chemotherapy…My main side effect is anemia. They make me have a shot of neupogin (which stimulates red blood cell manufacturing in my bones) a day before my treatment because otherwise my counts are too low for chemotherapy. I just did a tumor marker blood test and am hopeful that my numbers continue to fall.
I decided to get my head shaved…but then, since I’m back at work (I teach fourth grade) I decided I wanted hair…so I went to the American Cancer Society and got a free wig… Now I’m a redhead…like my daughter. Since I have to have no hair, I decided to pick a fun color and style and make the best of it.
Here’s a link to my blog, where there’s a pic of me at the top. I hope it works.
I was wondering how you were doing! How much more chemo do you have?
I, too, have experienced chemo brain in a very disturbing way. Let’s just say that I inadvertently did something illegal. Minor, but still. I’m humiliated, and plan to make up for it.
I do not have an ending date for my chemo…I think it will be when my tumor marker blood test gets to a low enough level.
I go Tuesday for the third appointment and then I ger a week off.
My nose is constantly running…another chemo side effect and I don’t always sleep well at night…I think that’s stress.
I have two friends currently battling breast cancer. My one friend found a lump two and a half weeks ago and just underwent a double mastectomy. Her chemo treatments haven’t started yet.
Wishing you both the best of luck through your chemo. Next weekend I’ll be walking in the Susan Komen Breast Cancer walk here in Cincinnati in honor of all of you.
I saw a breast surgeon yesterday to confirm the previous diagnosis of the mass in one of my girls, and discuss being tested for the gene. Because my risk factors are so high (mother died of breast cancer, paternal aunt breast cancer survivor, early onset menses, no children, Ashkenazi Jew, and now this benign mass), I am, indeed, going to have the gene test. I’m going to try to get to the lab sometime this week, and hopefully have the results soon. And because this mass is triggered by hormonal changes that are more common in women 20 years younger than I am, she wants to watch it more closely than what would be standard protocol for a 27 year old, so instead of another sonogram in a year, I have to go back and see her in 3 months.
Anyway, hubba hubba on the new do!
Sending good wishes to ivylass, too!
I don’t think that was enough exclamation points, so here are a few more!!!
Yes, the running nose is a constant PITA, isn’t it? I always feel like a junkie in withdrawal.
Those shots do help in the long run, but I had a lot of long bone pain with them. Hope your hemoglobin count comes up soon.
As another teacher that spent a school year bald, {{{{gail}}}}
Yesterday’s shot worked…it boosted my white blood cells enough to take chemo!
I just got back from chemotherapy. It was a big chemo day…Taxol, Avastin (to stop the blood supplies to tumors.) Zometa (to strengthen my bones). I get a week off next week. I was hooked up to the IV pole for at least four hours.
My cancer tumor marker test was promising…I went down from 600 to 300. (The count in May was 2800.)
I got scolded by a snooty woman at the doctor’s office today…she asked if I was having problems getting to my appointments. I said no, and she said my appointment was at 4pm, but I showed up at 5pm.
I explained that because I didn’t finish my treatment yesterday until 5pm, I couldn’t get my Neulasta shot until 5pm today, which is when the chemo nurse told me to come by, since the shot has to be given 24 hours after the chemo is done.
Then she told me I was 15 minutes late for my chemo yesterday, and I pulled out my appt card and showed her where it said I was to be there at 1:30p, which I was.
She blathered on about asking me if I needed a note from the doctor to give to my boss, and I blew her off (my boss has been great about the whole thing) and then when I went to get my shot I apologized to the nurse. She told me I was fine, I came in when I was supposed to, so I told her to tell Snooty Woman that.
I understand the nurses want to go home, but Taxol takes a good four hours to drip, and mine was running slow the day before, because the IV pole wasn’t high enough, so I was delayed. Ah well, the chemo nurses were cool with it.
