One down... only 23 more to go!

Melanie is Wondering when my energy will come back...Tired of being tired. Been Through It Baby Boomer Wife, Mother, Daughter, Grandma X 1 and almost 2 I was diagnosed August 15, 2008 with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. It... Send Message Subscribe: Melanie

Friday, October 17, 2008
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One down... only 23 to go! Last week was "ICK" week... Monday. Accomplish in one day what normally takes two in order to take the rest of the week off for Ick. Medical bills wait for no man so keep on plugging along. Tuesday. After filling out five pages o...

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"New normal" -- You can do it!
Maria Gifford
Monday, October 20, 2008 at 12:10 AM

Hi Melanie,

Your day-by-day play by play couldn't be better, with such honesty and reality...and great humor! Hey, you may be undergoing chemotherapy, but it certainly hasn't affected your priceless wit! HANG ON TO THAT -- your positive outlook and ability to make light of even the heaviest of things is a true gift, and one we can't thank you enough for sharing with us. Best of luck with the "23 to go," and keep writing -- you're a natural!

Take good care,

Maria

chemo and implants etd
steakprincess
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 11:01 PM

You are a very funny lady. I love the idea you have for your fake boobies in the summertime (freezing them) I laughed out loud.

I did have my surgery around the same time as you did and I started my reconstruction at the same time as the mastectomy. I have to say, I'm glad I did it this way 1) to reduce surgery time and 2) to have all the pain at once. I must admit that they post surgical pain wasn't all that bad, as I have previously told you.

My oncologist recommended chemo as well, when I thought she wouldn't, but with my recurrence so close to my first diagnosis and the findings in the pathology, she said I should definitely do it.

I didn't know that there was a pill form of Cytoxan. I am doing 4 rounds of Cytoxan and Taxotere through an IV, every three weeks. (I had good veins, so I didn't need a port) But I can see why you needed a port since you have to go once a week for 24 weeks. What is the "cocktail" you are receiving, I must have missed that somewhere. Sorry.

But I must say you are a pleasant writer to read and you have an amazing attitude and I wish you well. I'm right there with you.

Danielle

Hi Danielle
Melanie
Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 02:08 AM

Yep... We're neck in neck on this surgery recoup. I'm still sore by evening and tonight I'm just plain pooped. I think the chemo may be kicking in. The first two treatments were really easy. No side effects until the dragging tail tonight. I opted to go for the longer CMF (Cytoxan, Methotrexate, 5FU) rather than the CT you're on. When they gave me all the percentages of benefit from one to the other, it was just one percentage point difference (less) for CMF. I'm no martyr so I gladly jumped on the CMF bandwagon. Supposedly I won't lose my hair or much of it, but it's not a sure thing so I have wigs in the closet just in case (have to hide them from the dog...she freaks!). I have no nausea, but they did say I'd get tired as time goes by and mouth sores may happen from the 5FU. When you have CMF the Cytoxan is in pill form instead of infusion. I think it's to spread the dosage over time instead of all at once. Not sure why... I take 100mg one day and 150mg on alternate days. It's confusing... thank goodness for little old lady pill boxes!

WOW! You were able to have reconstruction at the same time as your surgery. I didn't know you could do that before chemo. I was told to wait until after chemo. Maybe it's because mine was infiltrating ductal and aggressive? More likely it's because I plan on doing the tram flap and chemo could interfere with healing. Who knows. Sometimes it a real guessing game at which doctor to believe. I've got to work up the guts... or I should say the stomach muscles to do reconstruction! More surgery is not appealing in any way, shape or form right about now. The plastic surgeon said to work on stomach muscles which have to be in a whole lot better shape than my non existent ones! I think I will go see a physical therapist to find a way to do that without killing my back in the process. I've got a spine with a twist and a curve thanks to Dad's genes (yes, I'm the twisted sister!) and a touch of arthritis at a bunch of spots that have worn badly because of the twist. Gettin' old ain't for sissies!

I just better come out of reconstruction looking like a super model!

As for my humor... it's how I deal. Faith, hope and a belly laugh! It's easier for the people I love if I can see the humor in this stupid situation. I get weepy now and then, but not for me. I just feel so sad that my sisters didn't have the current medical care available to them in the early 80s when they were going through this. Mammograms didn't even exist so they weren't diagnosed at an early stage and the treatments they had back then were barbaric. I feel guilty that I'm having a relatively easy time getting through surgery and treatments... but I may take that back after a million sit-ups and reconstruction surgery! Becoming a super model would be easier through reincarnation!

Hang in there Danielle. We're survivors! We're the lucky ones...

Melanie