All done with Chemo !!

joannstar
joannstar Member Posts: 403 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
As of 2:30 today, I'm finished with Chemo. This last treatment was 6.5 hours...but hopefully never again! When I started 9/24 I never thought that I would reach this point. I go for a baseline mammo on 1/14 and will speak with the radiologist that week to set up 33 sessions of rads (I think--that was the plan in September).
For everyone anticipating Chemo--it wasn't as bad as I expected, which surprised me. I worried so much--that was far worse than the treatments. It is doable and now, for me, it is done.
I'm looking forward to having hair (especially in my nose, I've had a cold this week and sneezing is a totally new experience with nothing to prevent the snot from flying all over the place!). I'm also anticipating being able to have salads and the like again in about 3 weeks when my blood counts get back to normal. I'm wondering what life and calendaring will be like to be able to focus on something other than how the event fits into my chemo schedule.
Good luck to all of us as we take our different paths in this journey of discovery and recovery.
Love,
JoAnn
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Comments

  • Katz77
    Katz77 Member Posts: 598
    #2
    Happy dancing with NED
    Isn't it wonderful to be at the half way point of treatment? Will you be on herceptin? Its not bad at all if you are. Took about 2 hrs once a month for me.
    Rads for me wasnt to bad. Little sunburned towards the end. I got pretty tired also. Like you said everyones different though. I purchased "wife beater" shirts, cause of the cream, lidocaine and the ointment that slips my brain cell now. lol Best of luck on the last leg of your journey. Katz
  • joannstar
    joannstar Member Posts: 403 Member
    #3
    Katz77 said:

    Happy dancing with NED
    Isn't it wonderful to be at the half way point of treatment? Will you be on herceptin? Its not bad at all if you are. Took about 2 hrs once a month for me.
    Rads for me wasnt to bad. Little sunburned towards the end. I got pretty tired also. Like you said everyones different though. I purchased "wife beater" shirts, cause of the cream, lidocaine and the ointment that slips my brain cell now. lol Best of luck on the last leg of your journey. Katz

    No, I'm a triple negative
    so after rads, there will be no other treatment. Maybe one day--tests are on-going to see if there is any hormone that triple negatives can take. In one way it is easier--no more drugs, but to have no further options, well, that plays with my mind at times. I'm Stage 1C, so my onc is reassuring and that is what I'm focusing on.
    You know, during chemo I slathered lotions on my feet --I guess I'll just change the area to my breast. LOL.
    Thanks for your good wishes and we battle the beast.
    Hugs,
    JoAnn
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #4
    JoAnn
    congrats on being a chemo grad! I too was fortunate in that chemo wasn't too bad. As for the sneezing - I've been doing a bit of that and coughing too! I know what you mean having no nose hair to stop the sneezies! I started rads yesterday and other than the thought of going every day I hope it goes by fast. Wishing you well!
    {{hugs}} Char
  • Jean 0609
    Jean 0609 Member Posts: 2,462
    #5
    Woo hoo!!!!!!
    Congratulations JoAnn on finishing your chemo. I know it is a great feeling. Hope you can celebrate this weekend.

    xoxo,
    Jean
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #6
    Jean 0609 said:

    Woo hoo!!!!!!
    Congratulations JoAnn on finishing your chemo. I know it is a great feeling. Hope you can celebrate this weekend.

    xoxo,
    Jean

    Welcome to our very elite group of 'Chemo Queens' .. I am
    making room for you over here in the front row, with Char - another recent grad! Now the Lovely Rad Goddess' have there own ceremony - once that phase of your treatment has been completed .. For now, just rest - relax and get those white blood cell counts up.

    Your taste buds will regenerate quickly, so Happy salad eating!

    Vicki Sam
  • weazer
    weazer Member Posts: 440
    #7
    VickiSam said:

    Welcome to our very elite group of 'Chemo Queens' .. I am
    making room for you over here in the front row, with Char - another recent grad! Now the Lovely Rad Goddess' have there own ceremony - once that phase of your treatment has been completed .. For now, just rest - relax and get those white blood cell counts up.

    Your taste buds will regenerate quickly, so Happy salad eating!

    Vicki Sam

    Awesome
    I know it feels good to get over that Hurdle, Hang in there Sweetheart your on your way!
    Much Hugs Karie
  • ladyg
    ladyg Member Posts: 1,577
    #8
    Congratulaions
    on finishing chemo. You are well on your way to the finish line.

    Hugs,
    Georgia
  • aysemari
    aysemari Member Posts: 1,596 Member
    #9
    YeAH!!!
    JoAnn,

    I am so happy for you!! And so glad that it wasn't as bad as you expected it to be.
    Hopefully your rads, will go by fast and not be too hard on you.

    It's nice to have a nice "boring" routine, aint't it??

    Hugs,
    Ayse
  • LVG
    LVG Member Posts: 128
    #10
    Congrats on finishing the
    Congrats on finishing the chemo treatment!!
  • joannstar
    joannstar Member Posts: 403 Member
    #11
    LVG said:

    Congrats on finishing the
    Congrats on finishing the chemo treatment!!

    Thank you all
    Thank you for your good wishes and congratulations. I have a neulasta shot tomorrow and I plan on celebrating after the mammo next week--I figure by then the side effects will have miraculously disappeared. Getting ready for the next phase of this journey and am so thankful for all those who went before and all the clinical trials that taught the doctors how to treat us!!
    Love you all.
    JoAnn
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #12
    :-)
    I LOVE to see these kind of posts, extremely happy for you!

    RE
  • SusanEliz
    SusanEliz Member Posts: 50
    #13
    joannstar said:

    Thank you all
    Thank you for your good wishes and congratulations. I have a neulasta shot tomorrow and I plan on celebrating after the mammo next week--I figure by then the side effects will have miraculously disappeared. Getting ready for the next phase of this journey and am so thankful for all those who went before and all the clinical trials that taught the doctors how to treat us!!
    Love you all.
    JoAnn

    How true!
    More well-deserved congrats coming your way but you brought up a good point- we must be so greatful for those who came before who experimented so our doctors could know what works!
    Thanks for pointing that out!

    Susan
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #14
    Jean 0609 said:

    Woo hoo!!!!!!
    Congratulations JoAnn on finishing your chemo. I know it is a great feeling. Hope you can celebrate this weekend.

    xoxo,
    Jean

    Congrats chemo grad!

    Congrats chemo grad!
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #15
    LVG said:

    Congrats on finishing the
    Congrats on finishing the chemo treatment!!

    Congratulations! This is
    Congratulations! This is such good news!



    Hugs, Leeza
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #16
    RE said:

    :-)
    I LOVE to see these kind of posts, extremely happy for you!

    RE

    So happy that you are done
    So happy that you are done with chemo!


    Hugs, Kylez
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #17
    Kylez said:

    So happy that you are done
    So happy that you are done with chemo!


    Hugs, Kylez

    This is a happy post, and, I
    This is a happy post, and, I am late, but, big congrats!



    Lex
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #18
    aysemari said:

    YeAH!!!
    JoAnn,

    I am so happy for you!! And so glad that it wasn't as bad as you expected it to be.
    Hopefully your rads, will go by fast and not be too hard on you.

    It's nice to have a nice "boring" routine, aint't it??

    Hugs,
    Ayse

    Congratulations. Very happy
    Congratulations. Very happy that chemo is done for you.


    Hugs, Angie
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #19
    Alexis F said:

    This is a happy post, and, I
    This is a happy post, and, I am late, but, big congrats!



    Lex

    Oh, Joann--I laughed so hard
    about the "snot flying all over the place!" I can so relate to that. Also, I had dreams of eating salads/fresh fruit/fresh vegetables all through chemo. I couldn't wait to eat the most wonderful salad in the world after my counts came up.

    Good job getting through chemo. You'll sail through rads.

    Hugs, Renee
  • joannstar
    joannstar Member Posts: 403 Member
    #20
    missrenee said:

    Oh, Joann--I laughed so hard
    about the "snot flying all over the place!" I can so relate to that. Also, I had dreams of eating salads/fresh fruit/fresh vegetables all through chemo. I couldn't wait to eat the most wonderful salad in the world after my counts came up.

    Good job getting through chemo. You'll sail through rads.

    Hugs, Renee

    Thank you for all the congrats!
    I appreciate everyone of my sisters in pink!
    Hugs & best wishes for continued recovery to all.
    Love,
    JoAnn
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #21
    joannstar said:

    Thank you for all the congrats!
    I appreciate everyone of my sisters in pink!
    Hugs & best wishes for continued recovery to all.
    Love,
    JoAnn

    sorry I am late too. wanted
    sorry I am late too. wanted to add my congratualtions, to the mix. Such a great feeling and accomplishment!!

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