Traveling a New Road-

teacher6

I am 47 years old, a mother of 2 teens and wife to a great guy. I am a middle school teacher. I have the love and support of many around me. I am blessed!

I was diagnoised with breast cancer on September 24th and have been focused on my recovery every since.

I have been diagnoised with moderately invasive, stage 3a, grade 2, ductal carcinoma - Estrogen positive, Progesterone positive, Her-2-neu negative.

I had a bi-lateral masectomy on October 14th and had to fight a bout with staff infection.

I have a supressed t-cell response following years of chronic Lyme disease.

I start chemo November 10th. After a lot of research, 2nd opinions and faith, the next chapter is in place:

• Occupational therapy to alleviate complications of lymphedema and axillary cording has begun. 
• Chemotherapy treatment will begin next Tuesday. I will go every other Tuesday for 8 weeks and receive an intravenous infusion of Cytoxan and Adriamycin. (4 treatments)
• This will be followed up with 12 weekly infusions of Taxol. (12 treatments)
• The day after every chemotherapy session, I will get a Neulasta injection to stimulate white blood cell production.
• Radiation therapy will begin after the 20 weeks of chemotherapy.
• Acupuncture and massage/energy sessions will continue throughout my healing journey.

I would appreciate any words of wisdom and helpful tips from those that have traveled along this road before me. Thanks!

 

desertgirl947

I, too, am in education.  I

I, too, am in education.  I work in the special ed department and currently have a 2nd grade assignment.

I spent most of 2012 dealing with my cancer.  I forget all the specifics, but I ended up being classified as IIIA.  I had the surgery, which determined I needed more than radiation.  So, about six weeks later, I started the ACT regimen for eight infusions.  The first four were the AC; the last were Taxol.  I had the shot the following day.  I found that the prescription I was given for "anti-puke" pills worked, as I felt no more than a little queasiness a few days after an AC infusion.  I did not need those pills for the taxol. 

I am not sure if it was the taxol OR the accumulation of the chemo, but I did have some peeling skin around the edges of my feet.  No wanting to develop problems, such as cracks, I kept them lotioned up -- even putting on some socks to keep that moisture there.  I also had problems with deep breathing/catching my breath.  My biggest challenges were the last month of my chemo.  What helped, as recommended by my onc, was taking allergy pills for a few days.  I only had two sessions of that, both about 10 days after an infusion.

I did have a reaction to the taxol, not at the start, as many do, but the last two.  It is very important that if you are feeling achiness and hotness (face, etc.) that you signal for help.  An extra round of benadryl helped me be able to continue that first time.  The second time they gave me that at the start, but I had a problem again, and they gave me a bag of demoral.  I was able to resume.

I started radiation about three weeks after I finished chemo.

I started hormonal therapy about the same time.

All my chemo days I had a friend along.  I could have driven myself there and back, but it was good to have a companion.  Between family and church, I had coverage.  Sometimes the friend would leave for awhile to take care of some errands -- we live in a rural area, and so going to the city meant the chance to do things.  While I was taking taxol, I felt good enough that my companion would go fetch us some lunch at different fast-food restaurants nearby.  That food was more appealing to me than packing something from home.  My taxol appointments ran longer than the AC, and so lunch while out was a given.  A friend had given me a cash gift.  I used that for my lunch -- and my friend's.  I had looked online at the menus ahead of time and had jotted down what appealed to me from the various eateries:  McDonald's, Wendy's Taco Bell, and Burger King.

The time I was doing chemo, I felt good enough to travel about 400 miles for a family reunion (my parents' 60th anniversary) after my second infusion.  Then about ten days after I completely finished chemo, my husband and I took a trip about 4+ hours from here and then went on farther than that for my high school reunion (40th), which was in another state.  I did all right, really.

No one can say for sure how any other person might fare, but know thay anything is possible.  At least our sharing gives you a variety of insights as to what you ma encounter.

Best wishes.....

teacher6

desertgirl947 said:

I, too, am in education.  I

I, too, am in education.  I work in the special ed department and currently have a 2nd grade assignment.

I spent most of 2012 dealing with my cancer.  I forget all the specifics, but I ended up being classified as IIIA.  I had the surgery, which determined I needed more than radiation.  So, about six weeks later, I started the ACT regimen for eight infusions.  The first four were the AC; the last were Taxol.  I had the shot the following day.  I found that the prescription I was given for "anti-puke" pills worked, as I felt no more than a little queasiness a few days after an AC infusion.  I did not need those pills for the taxol. 

I am not sure if it was the taxol OR the accumulation of the chemo, but I did have some peeling skin around the edges of my feet.  No wanting to develop problems, such as cracks, I kept them lotioned up -- even putting on some socks to keep that moisture there.  I also had problems with deep breathing/catching my breath.  My biggest challenges were the last month of my chemo.  What helped, as recommended by my onc, was taking allergy pills for a few days.  I only had two sessions of that, both about 10 days after an infusion.

I did have a reaction to the taxol, not at the start, as many do, but the last two.  It is very important that if you are feeling achiness and hotness (face, etc.) that you signal for help.  An extra round of benadryl helped me be able to continue that first time.  The second time they gave me that at the start, but I had a problem again, and they gave me a bag of demoral.  I was able to resume.

I started radiation about three weeks after I finished chemo.

I started hormonal therapy about the same time.

All my chemo days I had a friend along.  I could have driven myself there and back, but it was good to have a companion.  Between family and church, I had coverage.  Sometimes the friend would leave for awhile to take care of some errands -- we live in a rural area, and so going to the city meant the chance to do things.  While I was taking taxol, I felt good enough that my companion would go fetch us some lunch at different fast-food restaurants nearby.  That food was more appealing to me than packing something from home.  My taxol appointments ran longer than the AC, and so lunch while out was a given.  A friend had given me a cash gift.  I used that for my lunch -- and my friend's.  I had looked online at the menus ahead of time and had jotted down what appealed to me from the various eateries:  McDonald's, Wendy's Taco Bell, and Burger King.

The time I was doing chemo, I felt good enough to travel about 400 miles for a family reunion (my parents' 60th anniversary) after my second infusion.  Then about ten days after I completely finished chemo, my husband and I took a trip about 4+ hours from here and then went on farther than that for my high school reunion (40th), which was in another state.  I did all right, really.

No one can say for sure how any other person might fare, but know thay anything is possible.  At least our sharing gives you a variety of insights as to what you ma encounter.

Best wishes.....

thank you

Thanks for the response- sounds like your positive approach worked well. I am also hoping to stay upbeat and postive throughout the treatments. So far so good!

Were you able to to work at school during treatment? I have been advised not to because of the higher risk of infection. Hard for me to be away from my classroom for so long. Luckily, we are connected on-line and I have been able to be involved once in a while. My co-workers/friends have been very supportive.

Not knowing how I will respond to treatment is hard to plan for and I like to have everything orgainized- good chance to practice patience and acceptance. Thanks for sharing your story and how you are back in the classroom- makes me smile!

K.

Puffin2014

teacher6 said:

thank you

Thanks for the response- sounds like your positive approach worked well. I am also hoping to stay upbeat and postive throughout the treatments. So far so good!

Were you able to to work at school during treatment? I have been advised not to because of the higher risk of infection. Hard for me to be away from my classroom for so long. Luckily, we are connected on-line and I have been able to be involved once in a while. My co-workers/friends have been very supportive.

Not knowing how I will respond to treatment is hard to plan for and I like to have everything orgainized- good chance to practice patience and acceptance. Thanks for sharing your story and how you are back in the classroom- makes me smile!

K.

difficult but do-able

I had a lumpectomy, 4 rounds of cytoxin and taxotere with the neulasta after each, and radiation last year. I'm an organized person too who plans life way ahead of time, cancer and chemo changes that. I remember having to RSVP to a picnic that an organization was having, and told the lady "maybe", and when she asked when will you know I said "an hour berfore the picnic". She wasn't happy with my answer, said that didn't help much, and I said Welcome to my world. During chemo I could wake up at 8 feeling good and by 10 I was a limp rag doll and sound asleep in my recliner.

It's good to know what your overall plan is going to be, but it's overwhelming to look as a whole, don't spend time researching and worrying about what's coming. Focus only on the current treatment, and what you have control over.

So, chemo is first. Neulastin causes bone aching in many people from the bone marrow being stimulated and in hyperdrive. Many ladies, me included, found it helped to take a regular Claritin (or generic) a couple days before the neulastin, the day of and a couple days after. You'll be getting steroids with the chemo, normal to get a flush (my face just glowed red) and to have a puffy face and swollen fingers and feet. It also causes insomnia (check out the live chat on this site and you'll often find others to visit with at 3 AM).

Knowledge is power, if your center offers a chemo class be sure and take it. My doctors and nurses stressed calling any time day or night if I had a question or concern. Even in the middle of the night if I called the hotline and said I was a cancer patient in active treatment, I was transferred to the on call oncologist within 10".

Everyone has different symptoms, whatever you develop stay on top and call Dr early. If you have nausea and pills don't work that you were given, call Dr and try something different. There are many they can try, they changed the IV med they were giving me for nausea during my chemo, and that was the end of my nausea. My taste was affected (most everything tasted like wet cardboard), but I found lemon was one flavor that came through, so I drank lots of lemonade and sucked on lemon hard candies. Watermelon also tasted good. Your body is going through lots of repair work, the dietician told me I needed 80 gm of protein a day during chemo and radiation, but since I was estrogen positive she wanted me to avoid any protein powders that had soy in them. I did find one, and had lots of ice cream and milk shakes with protein powder, also found a protein bar that tasted pretty good.

People will say "let me know how I can help". They really do want to help, just don't know how. Have a list ready: bring a meal over (not necessarily for you, but so your family has something to eat), run errands, grocery shop, drive kids to their events if they don't drive, help with house cleaning, go walking with you. My brain got foggy and I didn't trust my reaction time to drive after second chemo.

Keep as active as you can, go for walks. I'd planned on walking around in my yard, figured I could deadhead flowers, but got too short of breath to bend over and do that, had to walk with a cane and thought I'd even need to borrow a walker until onc decreased my chemo dose for the last sesion. So Lew would come home over the noon hour and I'd hold onto him with one arm, and my cane with the other, and we'd slowly walk across the street, around the neighbor's house, and back, and that would exhaust me and I'd take a nap in my recliner. But as time went on we walked further and further, and after going through the Livestrong Program for cancer survivors at the YMCA, I'm now walking 10,000 steps (4 miles for me) every day.

Chemo will decrease your immune system, stay away from people with colds, flu, etc. Carry hand sanitizer, and if you handle money, use it. Also use those wipes they provide to wipe handles of grocery carts. If you eat out, clean your hands after handling the menu (one of the dirtiest items in a restaurant). Every day we wiped down the commonly touched places in the house (door knobs, microwave, frig and dishwasher handles, sink faucets, phones, remotes) and we've continued that practice since I finished treatment and we've had no colds or flu. Maybe that can be something one of your teens can be responsible for. Also be careful and wash all fresh fruits and veggies, not just a rinse under running water, but clean with a liquid veggie cleaner. My onc said I could not eat raspberries as they just couldn't be cleaned well enough to be safe. She also told me to avoid buffet lines.

We'd planned a mini vacation before I was diagnosed to drive to Minneapolis, then south to a fireworks convention in Iowa, then visit a friend in SD on the way home. I knew I wouldn't be up to that much, so it became a trip to Minneapolis to see my dad and go on an evening dinner boat cruise for his 88th birthday.

It helped to keep a journal, where I recorded EVERYTHING. When I had diarrhea Dr would ask how many stools, as that would determine how they treated, so I recorded # of stools, recorded my glasses of water (was told my goal was at least 64 ounces a day), how I felt, what I was able to do. Diary was helpful to look back each session and see when I started to feel better.

I lost my hair just before my second session (mine were 3 weeks apart). Check with your local American Cancer Society office, they provide a free wig and it's easier to match color and style while you still have your own hair. They also have a catalog you can pick out 3 free scarves/hats that are mailed to your house. Bald head feels weird on pillow, and they have nice soft night caps that feel good.

Sending prayers that your treatments go well and are effective. Let us know how you're doing, lots of supportive ladies here.

desertgirl947

teacher6 said:

thank you

Thanks for the response- sounds like your positive approach worked well. I am also hoping to stay upbeat and postive throughout the treatments. So far so good!

Were you able to to work at school during treatment? I have been advised not to because of the higher risk of infection. Hard for me to be away from my classroom for so long. Luckily, we are connected on-line and I have been able to be involved once in a while. My co-workers/friends have been very supportive.

Not knowing how I will respond to treatment is hard to plan for and I like to have everything orgainized- good chance to practice patience and acceptance. Thanks for sharing your story and how you are back in the classroom- makes me smile!

K.

Although I would have liked

Although I would have liked to work when I could, it made no sense:  (1) I worked that year with young kids, many of whom have parents who send their kids to school when sick . . . little kids are not good about covering their mouths when they sneeze or cough; (2) working in special ed, too much continuous change can be dofficult for students.  I was advised to just take the time off.  I did pop by one afternoon when I went to get my things put away for summer -- the teacher told them how they could keep the place "safe" for me.  The class did cool things for me (out from mid-February to end of school year):  their letters they wrote for ELA they wrote to me; they did a sunshine basket for me; they called me on my birthday to sing to me.  I did write them, answering their letters; I did write to them to thank them for the gifts.  They liked that we did jokes when I was there, and so I wrote on one batch of letters a joke -- each one different and one the student was apt to get.  For reading practice, their teacher had them share those with the class.

When I did radiation, I did not finish until the end of September.  I did work half days, until I needed a little time off to deal with burns -- not serious, but it would have been too difficult to give them needed attention during the day at school.  So, I stayed out until after Columbus Day holiday, as I had my final appointment to check on things just before then.  When I did return, I returned, not wearing m wig.  My hair had grown in enough -- and uniformly enough -- to cover my head so I looked no worse than those women who wear reall, really  short hair.  That break of time was a good time for me to make that switch.

When I was doing chemo, I still went to church but sat in the back AND people knew to not sneeze or cough around me.  I also popped down to the store (small town) to pick up some groceries times I felt pretty good -- which for me, I tended to go down at least once a week.  I was determined not to hole myself up in my house NOR to feel sorry for myself.  If those feelings seemed to come, I just did not dwell on them for very long.  I thought it important to have a good, mental attitude.

Hope this helps answer your question.

e

desertgirl947

teacher6 said:

thank you

Thanks for the response- sounds like your positive approach worked well. I am also hoping to stay upbeat and postive throughout the treatments. So far so good!

Were you able to to work at school during treatment? I have been advised not to because of the higher risk of infection. Hard for me to be away from my classroom for so long. Luckily, we are connected on-line and I have been able to be involved once in a while. My co-workers/friends have been very supportive.

Not knowing how I will respond to treatment is hard to plan for and I like to have everything orgainized- good chance to practice patience and acceptance. Thanks for sharing your story and how you are back in the classroom- makes me smile!

K.

(sorry about the duplication

(sorry about the duplication )

teacher6

desertgirl947 said:

Although I would have liked

Although I would have liked to work when I could, it made no sense:  (1) I worked that year with young kids, many of whom have parents who send their kids to school when sick . . . little kids are not good about covering their mouths when they sneeze or cough; (2) working in special ed, too much continuous change can be dofficult for students.  I was advised to just take the time off.  I did pop by one afternoon when I went to get my things put away for summer -- the teacher told them how they could keep the place "safe" for me.  The class did cool things for me (out from mid-February to end of school year):  their letters they wrote for ELA they wrote to me; they did a sunshine basket for me; they called me on my birthday to sing to me.  I did write them, answering their letters; I did write to them to thank them for the gifts.  They liked that we did jokes when I was there, and so I wrote on one batch of letters a joke -- each one different and one the student was apt to get.  For reading practice, their teacher had them share those with the class.

When I did radiation, I did not finish until the end of September.  I did work half days, until I needed a little time off to deal with burns -- not serious, but it would have been too difficult to give them needed attention during the day at school.  So, I stayed out until after Columbus Day holiday, as I had my final appointment to check on things just before then.  When I did return, I returned, not wearing m wig.  My hair had grown in enough -- and uniformly enough -- to cover my head so I looked no worse than those women who wear reall, really  short hair.  That break of time was a good time for me to make that switch.

When I was doing chemo, I still went to church but sat in the back AND people knew to not sneeze or cough around me.  I also popped down to the store (small town) to pick up some groceries times I felt pretty good -- which for me, I tended to go down at least once a week.  I was determined not to hole myself up in my house NOR to feel sorry for myself.  If those feelings seemed to come, I just did not dwell on them for very long.  I thought it important to have a good, mental attitude.

Hope this helps answer your question.

e

desertgirl947 and puffin-You

desertgirl947 and puffin2014-

You are both amazing with your information and positive vibes! Thank you!  You have shared many go-to ideas.

I start chemo Tuesday and will check back afterwards with I am sure many more questions. 

Wishing all a healing week of smiles,

k.

Teach76

Education and treatments

Hi, Teach6

 

     I just completed my 6th round of t/c prior to surgery to remove my tumor.  I teach middle school in a fast-paced environment.  I chose to take a leave of absence during my chemo treatments, and I was glad that I did.  For me, the side effects were not too unbearable from the beginning, but the FATIGUE was exponential.  I don't mean that I was sleeping all the time, it was the muscle aches that got to me.  I can not imagine going up and down the stairs several times a day.  By my 4th treatment, 4 steps at a time were all I could muster without a rest.

 

     I was also concerned about infections while in school.  As others stated, parents do not keep children home when they are sick.  The other concern would be the flu vaccine.  All of the students would need to have the LIVE vaccine (not the nasal spray).  I had no idea before I asked about it.      For me, the 2 days after Neulasta really knocked me out - I would sleep the weekend away.  I had also developed edema, swelling a lot in my legs.

 

     Everyone reacts differently, and I suppose that age (50+) would make a difference as well.  Just be sure to keep your options open and keep the conversation open with your principal.  Best wishes!

disneyfan2008

hugs

hugs

teacher6

disneyfan2008 said:

hugs

hugs

1st chemo done

Love seeing so many positive posts. Thanks for sharing the details and suggestions with this journey.

My 1st chemo treatment yesterday also was good. Started getting a headache at the end and it didn't go away until 12 today. Benadryl was the magic potion. Had my Neulasta shot at 2:00 and I took a Claritin and Aleve hoping to keep the bone pain away. I have been able to eat small portions all day - take out Chinese was surprisingly good- living dangerously

My main complaint right now is the hot flashes and night sweats- of early menopause. Started 2 weeks ago while healing from mastectomy. Waking up 4-5 times a night. Any suggestions are welcome!

Prayers with you all as we travel together- K.

Teach76

teacher6 said:

1st chemo done

Love seeing so many positive posts. Thanks for sharing the details and suggestions with this journey.

My 1st chemo treatment yesterday also was good. Started getting a headache at the end and it didn't go away until 12 today. Benadryl was the magic potion. Had my Neulasta shot at 2:00 and I took a Claritin and Aleve hoping to keep the bone pain away. I have been able to eat small portions all day - take out Chinese was surprisingly good- living dangerously

My main complaint right now is the hot flashes and night sweats- of early menopause. Started 2 weeks ago while healing from mastectomy. Waking up 4-5 times a night. Any suggestions are welcome!

Prayers with you all as we travel together- K.

Change in taste does not

Change in taste does not happen right away.  Mine started 2 days post treatment and lasted about a week.  I found meats were awful, and if you get that metallic taste avoid foods that come from metal containers like cans as well.  For example, I could not stand cranberry sauce, but juice from the plastic container was ok.  Also, use plastic utensils to eat.  Sounds weird, but it works.

Puffin2014

teacher6 said:

1st chemo done

Love seeing so many positive posts. Thanks for sharing the details and suggestions with this journey.

My 1st chemo treatment yesterday also was good. Started getting a headache at the end and it didn't go away until 12 today. Benadryl was the magic potion. Had my Neulasta shot at 2:00 and I took a Claritin and Aleve hoping to keep the bone pain away. I have been able to eat small portions all day - take out Chinese was surprisingly good- living dangerously

My main complaint right now is the hot flashes and night sweats- of early menopause. Started 2 weeks ago while healing from mastectomy. Waking up 4-5 times a night. Any suggestions are welcome!

Prayers with you all as we travel together- K.

hot flash help

I haven't had hot flashes, but have heard other ladies that took one of those flat gel packs that you freeze and put on achy joints, and instead put it under your pillow when you go to bed. At the first sign of feeling warm turn your pillow over and your face and neck will be on that cool side. Continue to flip the pillow as needed, and in the morning put the gel pack back in freezer to use the next night.

Keep taking the claritin for a couple more days.

I found I did OK the day of my chemo and the day after. Then I'd have 3 days of not feeling good - head and thinking foggy, just felt weird all over, like I was walking through pudding. Never had the metallic taste (only certain drugs cause that) but food lost its flavor, had to experiment with different flavors to see what tasted good - lemon and watermelon won. Then I'd have about 2 weeks of feeling decent, though more fatigued, until next chemo. With each chemo session the days of not feeling so good increased and I got so weak I needed to use a cane to walk. Even then I tried to do a little walking every day.

Stay on top of any symptoms as they develop and call onc's office and talk to nurse right away so they can be treated before they get worse. Did they tell you to rinse your mouth with a baking soda/salt water mixture several times a day to help prevent mouth sores? Nutrition and fluids are so important, you don't want sores in mouth.

Get all the protein you can, your body is doing lots of repair work and needs it. If your center has a nutritionist/dietician have her calculate how much you should aim for. I was supposed to try and get 75-80 gm a day.

Listen to your body, nap when you're tired, be active when you feel good, prioritize and only do the stuff that HAS to be done. When friends offer to help, tell them what they can do.

 

 

 

teacher6

The Fog Lifted! Update

Day 5 after my 1st round of ​Adriamycin / Cytoxan and I have walked out of the fuzziness! I have been headache free today and feeling like myself. Was able to go to church, do light housework (organizing), quietly celebrate DS's 19th birthday, and no nap. Win!

I still had to eat small portions often, but didn't feel like I was walking through a bowl of thick, bad tasting pudding. (I never did like pudding) 

I am still taking Claritin and Aleeve every 12 hours, but plan to wean off it tomorrow if all is well with the headache. I am also taking a nausea pill in the mornings to keep all well until my stomach gets a bit in it.  Sleep is improving.

I am looking forward to a week off before I start this again.  I will only have 1 doctor appointment this week, which is good, since I need to help get DD ready to leave for NYC on Friday. (Macy's Thanksgiving Parade adventure)  I will plan to see my school staff Wednesday afternoon for the holiday family photo session- I wouldn't miss a sparkly sweater photo opportunity! 

I continue to be reminded how blessed I am knowing all your positive thoughts and prayers are surrounding me during this journey- thank you!

Puffin2014

teacher6 said:

The Fog Lifted! Update

Day 5 after my 1st round of ​Adriamycin / Cytoxan and I have walked out of the fuzziness! I have been headache free today and feeling like myself. Was able to go to church, do light housework (organizing), quietly celebrate DS's 19th birthday, and no nap. Win!

I still had to eat small portions often, but didn't feel like I was walking through a bowl of thick, bad tasting pudding. (I never did like pudding) 

I am still taking Claritin and Aleeve every 12 hours, but plan to wean off it tomorrow if all is well with the headache. I am also taking a nausea pill in the mornings to keep all well until my stomach gets a bit in it.  Sleep is improving.

I am looking forward to a week off before I start this again.  I will only have 1 doctor appointment this week, which is good, since I need to help get DD ready to leave for NYC on Friday. (Macy's Thanksgiving Parade adventure)  I will plan to see my school staff Wednesday afternoon for the holiday family photo session- I wouldn't miss a sparkly sweater photo opportunity! 

I continue to be reminded how blessed I am knowing all your positive thoughts and prayers are surrounding me during this journey- thank you!

fogfree is good

That feeling of walking through pudding thick fog is hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it - I know exactly what you mean. Enjoy this next fog free week, do things you enjoy but don't over do it. Next time it'll help to know what to expect, and what worked this time.

SharonMI

teacher6 said:

The Fog Lifted! Update

Day 5 after my 1st round of ​Adriamycin / Cytoxan and I have walked out of the fuzziness! I have been headache free today and feeling like myself. Was able to go to church, do light housework (organizing), quietly celebrate DS's 19th birthday, and no nap. Win!

I still had to eat small portions often, but didn't feel like I was walking through a bowl of thick, bad tasting pudding. (I never did like pudding) 

I am still taking Claritin and Aleeve every 12 hours, but plan to wean off it tomorrow if all is well with the headache. I am also taking a nausea pill in the mornings to keep all well until my stomach gets a bit in it.  Sleep is improving.

I am looking forward to a week off before I start this again.  I will only have 1 doctor appointment this week, which is good, since I need to help get DD ready to leave for NYC on Friday. (Macy's Thanksgiving Parade adventure)  I will plan to see my school staff Wednesday afternoon for the holiday family photo session- I wouldn't miss a sparkly sweater photo opportunity! 

I continue to be reminded how blessed I am knowing all your positive thoughts and prayers are surrounding me during this journey- thank you!

Thanks for your post Teac6. I

Thanks for your post Teac6. I start the same chemo on Monday. So good to hear you are doing well. My doc did tell me about Claritin too. But of course with all the info, some of it gets lost. Is the Claritin for headaches?

 

Puffin2014

SharonMI said:

Thanks for your post Teac6. I

Thanks for your post Teac6. I start the same chemo on Monday. So good to hear you are doing well. My doc did tell me about Claritin too. But of course with all the info, some of it gets lost. Is the Claritin for headaches?

 

claritin and neulasta

The claritin is for the bone aching that neulasta causes. take a regular claritin a couple days before, the day of and 2 or 3 days after the neulasta dose.

Meme2funny2

Newly diagnosed

Hi there, if u don't mind can I ask you why you decided to go though the chemo. Your diagnose is pretty close to mine, but my impression from my oncologist if all of my paths remain the same she is thinking just hormonal thereby. I have chose a bil mastectomy due to I am only 40 and have invasive ducts carcinoma grade 1  er and pgr 100% postive.

LouisaP

Meme2funny2 said:

Newly diagnosed

Hi there, if u don't mind can I ask you why you decided to go though the chemo. Your diagnose is pretty close to mine, but my impression from my oncologist if all of my paths remain the same she is thinking just hormonal thereby. I have chose a bil mastectomy due to I am only 40 and have invasive ducts carcinoma grade 1  er and pgr 100% postive.

I went through the same thing

I went through the same thing as you. But, I had my chemo first to shrink the tumor because it was big & was looking at lumpectomy, but then on MRI they found another which was malignant. Had reaction to Arimidex so am changing to another hormone blocker. I'm done w chemo in Aug & just had single mastectomy last week. Had expander put in & reduction on other side. Then I'll have radiation, implant put in. Nipple made & tattoo. Whew. Thats enough.

Meme2funny2 youe diagnosis must be different than ours.

 

 

 

 

 

LouisaP

Meme2funny2 said:

Newly diagnosed

Hi there, if u don't mind can I ask you why you decided to go though the chemo. Your diagnose is pretty close to mine, but my impression from my oncologist if all of my paths remain the same she is thinking just hormonal thereby. I have chose a bil mastectomy due to I am only 40 and have invasive ducts carcinoma grade 1  er and pgr 100% postive.

I went through the same thing

I went through the same thing as you. But, I had my chemo first to shrink the tumor because it was big & was looking at lumpectomy, but then on MRI they found another which was malignant. Had reaction to Arimidex so am changing to another hormone blocker. I'm done w chemo in Aug & just had single mastectomy last week. Had expander put in & reduction on other side. Then I'll have radiation, implant put in. Nipple made & tattoo. Whew. Thats enough.

Meme2funny2 youe diagnosis must be different than ours.