anybody out there?

2

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  • poppy7
    poppy7 Member Posts: 41 ✭
    edited March 2015

    What a lovely story Leanne, thank you so much for sharing. My mum was diagnosed about 10 years ago with dcis and chose to have a bi lateral mastectomy, which was lucky as there was even more cancer in the breast that they didnt want to remove.  All her sisters have had cancer of some form in their female organs and all have survived it. One aunt even endured chemo every monday for 52 weeks!  I may have inherited bad genes, but hopefully Ive also inherited their strength and fortitude. Best wishes to everyone  v

  • poppy7
    poppy7 Member Posts: 41 ✭
    edited March 2015

    What a lovely story Leanne, thank you so much for sharing. My mum was diagnosed about 10 years ago with dcis and chose to have a bi lateral mastectomy, which was lucky as there was even more cancer in the breast that they didnt want to remove.  All her sisters have had cancer of some form in their female organs and all have survived it. One aunt even endured chemo every monday for 52 weeks!  I may have inherited bad genes, but hopefully Ive also inherited their strength and fortitude. Best wishes to everyone  v

  • poppy7
    poppy7 Member Posts: 41 ✭
    edited March 2015

    What a lovely story Leanne, thank you so much for sharing. My mum was diagnosed about 10 years ago with dcis and chose to have a bi lateral mastectomy, which was lucky as there was even more cancer in the breast that they didnt want to remove.  All her sisters have had cancer of some form in their female organs and all have survived it. One aunt even endured chemo every monday for 52 weeks!  I may have inherited bad genes, but hopefully Ive also inherited their strength and fortitude. Best wishes to everyone  v

  • newbie12
    newbie12 Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2015

    Thanks Tanya. I looked up your profile and laughed out loud about the baldy head posts. Count down to my own hair loss in 4 weeks. It should nicely coincide my my son's first day of prep, so will be an interesting time for all. I'm actually a quiet person and don't like attention so the hairloss thing in becoming an issue for me as there is no hidng. Did you do the wig thing or bald is beautiful the entire time or did it just evolve? 

    cheers majella  

  • poppy7
    poppy7 Member Posts: 41 ✭
    edited March 2015

    Hi Newbie12, I found out yesterday that I will be starting my chemo on the 14th January too.  Do you know what your cocktail will be? I will be attending at the Mater.  At least we have a few weeks to enjoy Christmas and new year....good luck, V

  • newbie12
    newbie12 Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2015

    hey poppy I think I am on FEC, hair guaranteed to fall out pretty quickly I've been told. I'm at the wesley 8.40am on a 3 week schedule for 6 rounds. I have just been away for a week up the coast. It was touch and go as to whether I would be good enough to go, but so glad I went as saltwater did wonders for healing and I could exercise my arm really well. Sure it felt like lead as I came out of the water, but now very happy. Was thinking about you last monday when you had your surgery. I hope you're healing well and enjoy the break before all the craziness begins next year. So far I have made fruit mince for the first time, it was fantastic, the pastry however not so good, but everything tasted yummy just didn't look pretty. So then went the welsh lady at bardon to get the empty shells to fill with the bottles of fruit mince left over and it's a winner. Next I will endeavour to cook my first ever Turkey. I have never even eaten turkey before so I asked for a small one(thinking 2 1/2 kilos lol ended up with 4 1/2 kilo one so will be farming the left overs out unless i can turn them into something I can freeze for next month. My son and I are making my grandmothers trifle tomorrow (another first) but have to go from memory as she never wrote anything down.

    Let's compare notes when we start. I'm going to visit starkles at the myer centre for a look see at wigs and maybe Z and me for a bandana/scarfy thing. Might see how I go with the first round of chemo before booking in for a look good feel good session in case I just look and feel like crap after it. ..

    cheers majella

  • newbie12
    newbie12 Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2015

    hey annie, when are you starting chemo and did you sort out your cocktail? I think i'm having FEC starting 14th january on a 3 week schedule for 6 rounds at the wesley on monday . At least we can enjoy christmas , have a bit of normality before the new year.

    cheers majella

  • anniep
    anniep Member Posts: 37
    edited March 2015

    Hi Majella, I've actually done 1 round of FEC already, last Wed!  The treatment itself was ok, no problems. Been feeling ok, no nausea or any other major issues (except constant hunger!). So far so good, let's hope it will stay this way. The cocktail I eventually ended up was like yours, 6 x FEC. For some reason I was not happy with Taxol, and my MO was fine me excluding it. And as he says in the end they all (chemo mixes) do the same job.  And you know, I just received my first wig too, while writing here, the postie just dropped it off.  Shall go and try it on!

    Have a wonderful Christmas, and that is to all of you lovely ladies I've met here online!

    I'll keep you posted Majella.

    xx Annie

  • poppy7
    poppy7 Member Posts: 41 ✭
    edited March 2015

    Hi Majella, sorry I took so long to reply, we went camping for a couple of days out at Girraween NP. No cell phone reception!!! I hope your Christmas was great and you had success with your turkey. You're probably sick of the left overs by now.

    I think we should definately compare notes, it will be an interesting journey. I don't know when to do the look good sessions, before or after chemo/hair loss. I imagine it will feel different trying on wigs when you've still got a head full of hair. I bought some lovely scarves years ago overseas so I'm looking forward to wearing them! Also I figure it will be winter when we are still bald so we'll have a lot more options! I hated wearing beanies as my hair is naturally curly and I always looked silly, so I guess there is a silver lining there somewhere!!

    At least we have a few weeks to chill before it all hits the fan!!

    Hope you have a great new year,

    Verouska

  • newbie12
    newbie12 Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2015

    Hey Verouska

    I'm glad you had a great holiday. Girraween and camping are communing with nature, very relaxing. We went to woodgate and frollicked in the water. It was wonderful. My turkey turned out and I made gravy which tasted great too- amazing, but yes I am sick of turkey, very meaty! Ham too, so more veggie dishes for the next few weeks I think. I don't know when to do the look good feel good class either. I thought I'd check starkles and see what I think. My surgery is healing nicely and should have a nice neat scar. Have booked in for getting my breast prosthetic next week.They apparently can also put a pocket in your existing bras too which is great as I haven't seen any black ones around. I tried on my old bras today and think I'm still swollen , I wonder how long that takes to get back to normal -- or it could be too much ho ho hoing over christmas.  I laughed when you talked about beanies. I'm curly headed too and look like a moon face in beanies so have a nice winter cap which my husband says I look ready to drive a train in, but I like it. I think  might get a wig in preparation, have my hairdresser shave my head when it starts falling out in clumps then do the class as  think I will probably be a bit down by then and need a pick me up. Does it fall out between your first and second treatment? SO maybe after the 4th February?

    cheers

    Majella

  • newbie12
    newbie12 Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2015

    hey annie, how's your chemo going  are you duje for your next round tomorrow?

    majella

  • anniep
    anniep Member Posts: 37
    edited March 2015

    Hi Majella! I've been very lucky to espace any major side-effects from the 1st round. At times I've felt a bit odd but not nauseous or sick, been doing my usual routines & a lot of  walking and have had enough energy to play with my son, so it's been fairly good! The white blood cell count dropped during nadir stage (day 13) and my gums were sore but that's about it. I was on preventative antibiotics for days 10-17 and avoided crowded places those days. Next time I'll have the Neulasta jab instead of antibiotics, the jab is not given routinely for some regimens until you've had an incidence of a very low blood count. My 2nd chemo is tomorrow, I'll keep blogging about how it all goes. Have you had your 1st round yet? How you're feeling? Keep in touch! Annie :)

  • anniep
    anniep Member Posts: 37
    edited March 2015

    just read your prev. post... can see your 1st is on the 14th. All the best!

  • anniep
    anniep Member Posts: 37
    edited March 2015

    Hi Tanya! I hope you don't mind me asking but I noticed you were put on Arimidex and was wondering how come not Tamoxifen? I thought Arimidex was for post-menopausal women? How did you do on Arimidex? Just wondering because my onco mentioned Arimidex too but we didn't get very far with it yet as I'm still on chemo stage. Thanks! Annie

  • newbie12
    newbie12 Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2015

    Hey Annie

    I'm so glad that you are travelling well. Reading your post , there is so much I don't know e.g Nadir stage (is that when you are at your most vulnerable) -more research for me, Is the Neulasta like a neutrophil or platelet top up sort of thing?

    Getting closer to monday my start date. it's funny when i'm stressed I have a habit of rubbing my scalp and I tell you what jnudging by the amount of hair lying around, I won't have to worry about the chemo making my hair fall out - but you get that.

    majella

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