I have made my decision

Mickeyclaude

Chemo

Lily, I saw the expression adjuvant chemo and looked it up...that is the kind after surgery? Is that what you are having? I had resection surgery for stage two colon cancer tumor. Next is the oncologist. was your stage two? I get the hair thinning is upsetting, I have that without chemo, it is one bummer among many, however I believe being a survivor is a worthy goal no matter what

 

Mikenh

Mickeyclaude said:

Chemo

Lily, I saw the expression adjuvant chemo and looked it up...that is the kind after surgery? Is that what you are having? I had resection surgery for stage two colon cancer tumor. Next is the oncologist. was your stage two? I get the hair thinning is upsetting, I have that without chemo, it is one bummer among many, however I believe being a survivor is a worthy goal no matter what

 

Adjuvant is after surgery.

Adjuvant is after surgery. Neo-Adjuvant is before surgery.

Lily Flower

Hi Mickey, Yes, the adjuvant

Hi Mickey, Yes, the adjuvant therapy is the chemo you take after the surgery. Also known as the mop up chemo. Even after the surgeon had cleaned out your cancerous tumor, they suggest you to have the adjuvant chemo to kill off any cancer cells that might have escaped from the surgery. I was disagnosed  colon cancer at stage 3b. Biospsy from surgery indicated 4 lymph nodes out of 21 taken out were affected. Margins clean. Your oncologist will probably ask you to decide if you want to have the chemo since you're at stage 2 which is debatable for adjuvant chemo. my hair has been thinning out naturally too over the years but the chemo makes it falling out more. i guess if I was told that I'm going to be bald from the start, I would just shave it off. I'm not going bald just losing bunch of hair is just a bit disheartening. The truth is it is temporary and it's a small price to pay to be alive. I really shouldn't be so showing excessively over my appearance. Sometimes I have to kick myself in the a$$. Lol

Mickeyclaude

Lingo

thanks for the response and for clarifying the meaning f “ mop up “chemo. I will ask the oncologist for a lingo dictionary...all the best to you

Bunny822

Lily Flower said:

Thank you so much Bunny! Good

Thank you so much Bunny! Good luck to you today on your 6th treatment. You're only 1 treatment behind me. I will wait for you at the finish line. 

Home Stretch for Chemo

Hi Lily...thank you for the well wishes...had #6 today...husband made dinner and I actually ate chicken stir fry with peppers , mushrooms, and broccoli. He added garlic and ginger which is so helpful for me combatting any nausea. Nice change from my usual chicken soup on chemo days. I am looking forward to meeting you at the finish line...thanks for waiting for me! I got postponed 1 wk of treatment due to low WBCs but get Nulasta injection now which has helped boosting counts. What's next for you Or will you be finished since you have already had surgery? Thanks again for your support and kind words! 

abita

Lily Flower said:

Hi Mickey, Yes, the adjuvant

Hi Mickey, Yes, the adjuvant therapy is the chemo you take after the surgery. Also known as the mop up chemo. Even after the surgeon had cleaned out your cancerous tumor, they suggest you to have the adjuvant chemo to kill off any cancer cells that might have escaped from the surgery. I was disagnosed  colon cancer at stage 3b. Biospsy from surgery indicated 4 lymph nodes out of 21 taken out were affected. Margins clean. Your oncologist will probably ask you to decide if you want to have the chemo since you're at stage 2 which is debatable for adjuvant chemo. my hair has been thinning out naturally too over the years but the chemo makes it falling out more. i guess if I was told that I'm going to be bald from the start, I would just shave it off. I'm not going bald just losing bunch of hair is just a bit disheartening. The truth is it is temporary and it's a small price to pay to be alive. I really shouldn't be so showing excessively over my appearance. Sometimes I have to kick myself in the a$$. Lol

When you say thinning, do you

When you say thinning, do you mean so much it looks bad, or not enough that people who don't know you would notice? It may be vain, but hair is important. The Saturday before I was admitted to hospital, I told my hairdresser that after years, my hair was finally at the length I was trying to get. Every time anyone tells me they like my hair, I cringe inside and say to myself, for how long. Out loud I just say thank you. I have red dyed hair, so only used to wash every few days to prevent fading. I feel like I am losing the same amount of hair. But I only had my third today. And yes, I get that being cured is more important. But I did stay up til 4 a couple of nights online wondering which I would do,cap or wig.

Lily Flower

abita said:

When you say thinning, do you

When you say thinning, do you mean so much it looks bad, or not enough that people who don't know you would notice? It may be vain, but hair is important. The Saturday before I was admitted to hospital, I told my hairdresser that after years, my hair was finally at the length I was trying to get. Every time anyone tells me they like my hair, I cringe inside and say to myself, for how long. Out loud I just say thank you. I have red dyed hair, so only used to wash every few days to prevent fading. I feel like I am losing the same amount of hair. But I only had my third today. And yes, I get that being cured is more important. But I did stay up til 4 a couple of nights online wondering which I would do,cap or wig.

The thinning really depends

The thinning really depends on the individuals. I know Tru lost all of her hair when she was going through chemo. My friends and my girls all said it's not noticeable on my thinning. I think they're just trying to be nice. I noticed the dividing (parting) line broadened and every time I wash my hair, I see a big wad of hair in the tub. I noticed my thinning came after my 4th treatment. 

abita

Lily Flower said:

The thinning really depends

The thinning really depends on the individuals. I know Tru lost all of her hair when she was going through chemo. My friends and my girls all said it's not noticeable on my thinning. I think they're just trying to be nice. I noticed the dividing (parting) line broadened and every time I wash my hair, I see a big wad of hair in the tub. I noticed my thinning came after my 4th treatment. 

I could handle just the part

I could handle just the part getting thinner, as I would wear headbands. I once bleached my hair and gave myself a mini mohawk on my part and that was when I discovered headbands 

You can see in this pic that my 3 weeks in bed in the hospital, then in bed recovereing from surgery, I managed to train a part in the back of my head.

Lily Flower

abita said:

I could handle just the part

I could handle just the part getting thinner, as I would wear headbands. I once bleached my hair and gave myself a mini mohawk on my part and that was when I discovered headbands 

You can see in this pic that my 3 weeks in bed in the hospital, then in bed recovereing from surgery, I managed to train a part in the back of my head.

I love your hair. Love the

I love your hair. Love the color too. Since it's winter we can always wear a hat I suppose. Although I'm not a hat person. I keep,telling myself it's only hair and it will grow back. And it shall. You'll be fine too abita. 

Annabelle41415

abita said:

I could handle just the part

I could handle just the part getting thinner, as I would wear headbands. I once bleached my hair and gave myself a mini mohawk on my part and that was when I discovered headbands 

You can see in this pic that my 3 weeks in bed in the hospital, then in bed recovereing from surgery, I managed to train a part in the back of my head.

Oh my goodness

You have more hair on your head than me ever.  Mine was always thin and fine.  Your hair is beautiful.  After treatment mine is still fine and thin LOL.  Guess that's what genetics does for me as everyone in my family has the same hair.  You can't tell that you were in the hospital that long with hair like that - looks great.

Kim

Annabelle41415

Keep Us Informed

Let us know how you are doing during the last two treatments.  It's especially helpful to those that are in the treatments you are going through as well to know how you are feeling.  Of course, everyone is different in handling their cocktail but your encouragement and dedication to finish your treatments is what other board members need to hear.  Thanks for your post.

Kim

darcher

Lily Flower said:

Thanks darcher. The bathroom

Thanks darcher. The bathroom issue could be a mental issue too. At least that was what happened to me after my surgery. When I was home I felt like I had to go all the time. I worried about going out, even to my local grocery store. Funny thing is when I was out, the urgency of going just dissipated but as soon as I got home, I had to go! Lol 

Bathroom Blues

  I had to go to the dentist today and I've discovered that if I don't eat in the morning it makes the number of trips less. Even still, I still had to stop them twice so I could go. I was in the chair a good 3 plus hours. I've got at least 4 more visits to fix the intake now that the exhaust is all but taken care of.  But yeah, same to some degree.  Once in the door the "I gotta go" kicks in real quick.

teresalynn

great

finish, just two more.  hope they work.

Cindy225

Did 8 As Well!

You're so close to being done!  Make sure you ring the bell at your last visit.  I did and although it was loud it felt great and the staff and patients at the clinic cheered.  I also brought cookies for everyone as my parting gift to them.

My hair thinned throughout chemo and actually continued after chemo was over for another 2 months.  I had long hair and had to cut it to a bob which was a big deal for me. Maintenance has been great though in terms of wash and go! I do look a little bit like a Dr. Seuss character with it growing back really floppy and any which way it wants to go.  But of course it's only hair. 

Done with chemo 6 months now and feel great!  Still have a bit of neuropathy in my hands and feet but it's tolerable.

So happy to have turned over all the chemo supplies to the home infusion team.  Did keep all the batteries from the infusion pump for smoke detectors.  :-)

Cindy 

 

Annabelle41415

Cindy225 said:

Did 8 As Well!

You're so close to being done!  Make sure you ring the bell at your last visit.  I did and although it was loud it felt great and the staff and patients at the clinic cheered.  I also brought cookies for everyone as my parting gift to them.

My hair thinned throughout chemo and actually continued after chemo was over for another 2 months.  I had long hair and had to cut it to a bob which was a big deal for me. Maintenance has been great though in terms of wash and go! I do look a little bit like a Dr. Seuss character with it growing back really floppy and any which way it wants to go.  But of course it's only hair. 

Done with chemo 6 months now and feel great!  Still have a bit of neuropathy in my hands and feet but it's tolerable.

So happy to have turned over all the chemo supplies to the home infusion team.  Did keep all the batteries from the infusion pump for smoke detectors.  :-)

Cindy 

 

WTG

Awesome Cindy for finishing all your treatment.  We didn't have a bell to ring after the last day but my Oncology Department gave me a certificate of completion and all gave me a big hug.  They are such wonderful people that care for the sick - they deserve much credit for the grumpy ones they get every day.  My hair thinned too but having thin hair from the beginning didn't help.  Great that you are feeling good and moving on.  At least your smoke detectors had 6 more months of battery life LOL.  Good move.

Kim

Lily Flower

Annabelle41415 said:

Keep Us Informed

Let us know how you are doing during the last two treatments.  It's especially helpful to those that are in the treatments you are going through as well to know how you are feeling.  Of course, everyone is different in handling their cocktail but your encouragement and dedication to finish your treatments is what other board members need to hear.  Thanks for your post.

Kim

Thanks Kim. I sure will

Thanks Kim. I sure will

Lily Flower

teresalynn said:

great

finish, just two more.  hope they work.

Thanks Teresa. Two more doesn

Thanks Teresa. Two more doesn't seem too bad but I feel like the tortoise reaching for the finish line. Lol

Lily Flower

Cindy225 said:

Did 8 As Well!

You're so close to being done!  Make sure you ring the bell at your last visit.  I did and although it was loud it felt great and the staff and patients at the clinic cheered.  I also brought cookies for everyone as my parting gift to them.

My hair thinned throughout chemo and actually continued after chemo was over for another 2 months.  I had long hair and had to cut it to a bob which was a big deal for me. Maintenance has been great though in terms of wash and go! I do look a little bit like a Dr. Seuss character with it growing back really floppy and any which way it wants to go.  But of course it's only hair. 

Done with chemo 6 months now and feel great!  Still have a bit of neuropathy in my hands and feet but it's tolerable.

So happy to have turned over all the chemo supplies to the home infusion team.  Did keep all the batteries from the infusion pump for smoke detectors.  :-)

Cindy 

 

Thanks Cindy! I don't

Thanks Cindy! I don't remember ever hearing the bell at my clinic. Maybe I was never there at the right time. It would be cool,though to ring the bell as you walk out of there on the last treatment. I definitely will bring something on my last treatment visit for the medical staff team to munch on, maybe donuts or cookies.

Mikenh

SophDan2 said:

Hi Lily

Hi Lily,

So glad to see that you are coasting along to the finish line. During my 12 treatments, my hair thinned, but as you can see, I have plenty to spare. Cutting back the Oxy by 10% was a good move. I cut back 20% for 10 and 11 and eliminated it for the final treatment. I am dealing with slight neuropathy in the finger tips and toes, but I believe that it will improve with time and hopefully go away. It is not intolerable, but is a reminder of the just how potent that drug Oxy is.

It pays to communicate your wishes to the Onc , as I was ready to stop after #8, and my Onc said that it is better to reduce the dosage and contiunue on, and I'm glad I did.

You're almost there!

I hope that you enjoy the holiday season and may we all have a better year to come!

You guys are inspiring for

You guys are inspiring for those of us just starting. This first week of Oxaliplatin has been rough but a lot of that is due to the weather. I'm thinking that I have seven more of these and, yes, it does feel daunting. I'm tracking how many days of side-effects along with the severity of the side-effects and may ask for a reduction right away (so I'm a wimp). We had about two inches of snow and 3/4 inch of ice on top of that and I went and cleared some off the car and that was rough on my fingers and feet. Then the snow plow honked so I needed to move the car so I cleaned enough to drive off and that was painful on the fingers. This is normal stuff for this area of the country in the winter so I will have to do this on a regular basis. It is possible that I'll get used to it or that my body will adapt.

Fortunately I have lots of long underwear, wool socks and other things to keep my core warm. But I'm thinking of getting some sheepskin insoles and maybe a new pair of boots to keep my feet warmer. I've chatted with a few people with Ranaud's on managing their fingers when it's cold too.

I'm not that concerned about my hair - it has thinned a bit over they years. If it thins too much, then I'll need to wear hats more often.

SophDan2

Lily Flower said:

Thanks Cindy! I don't

Thanks Cindy! I don't remember ever hearing the bell at my clinic. Maybe I was never there at the right time. It would be cool,though to ring the bell as you walk out of there on the last treatment. I definitely will bring something on my last treatment visit for the medical staff team to munch on, maybe donuts or cookies.

Hi Lily

Hi Lily,

So glad to see that you are coasting along to the finish line. During my 12 treatments, my hair thinned, but as you can see, I have plenty to spare. Cutting back the Oxy by 10% was a good move. I cut back 20% for 10 and 11 and eliminated it for the final treatment. I am dealing with slight neuropathy in the finger tips and toes, but I believe that it will improve with time and hopefully go away. It is not intolerable, but is a reminder of the just how potent that drug Oxy is.

It pays to communicate your wishes to the Onc , as I was ready to stop after #8, and my Onc said that it is better to reduce the dosage and contiunue on, and I'm glad I did.

You're almost there!

I hope that you enjoy the holiday season and may we all have a better year to come!