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Post by tiffany on Oct 11, 2016 12:06:24 GMT
I'm stunned to hear your news Tiffany, and am really sorry you had to cancel your trip, after all. I'm sending prayers your way and am thinking about you. Thanks for sharing. Do you mind if I ask if you found it yourself or did you go for a mammogram? Hopefully, you will be able to do all your planned travels in 2017. Hi Tulips, I found the cancer myself, and asked my doctor to send me for a mammogram. I’m too young to go for an annual mammogram without a reason to do so. It’s too bad because if I had had a mammogram a year ago, we would have caught this before it had time to grow and spread, and I would probably be cancer free today. We can’t go back though, so for now, I just have to keep looking forward and continue with my new treatment plan. I’m just hoping that it works and puts me in remission, and keeps me there, so that I can travel next year! The problem for me is, remission could last 1 year, 2 years, or 10 years. We really don’t know. Right now, I’ll take whatever time I can get, and hopefully they will come up with a new drug in the next few years. They are doing a lot of research in regard to immunotherapy, which is the future of cancer treatment. There is already an immunotherapy drug for some types of breast cancer, but, unfortunately, there is not one for my type of breast cancer yet. Here’s to hoping!
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Post by tiffany on Oct 11, 2016 12:08:13 GMT
Well I survived the last 6 weeks of radiation and chemo (that wasn't as bad as it sounds as it was in tablet form). The last 2 weeks were a struggle each day to get up go to work and have the treatment, but got through it. I see the surgeon tomorrow to work out a date for the surgery. For me the sooner the better, I've got a plane to catch!! I’m glad you are done with treatment, and I hope surgery goes well for you. Keep thinking positive, and you’ll be on a plane to the US before you know it!
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Post by Tulips on Oct 11, 2016 20:37:33 GMT
Well I survived the last 6 weeks of radiation and chemo (that wasn't as bad as it sounds as it was in tablet form). The last 2 weeks were a struggle each day to get up go to work and have the treatment, but got through it. I see the surgeon tomorrow to work out a date for the surgery. For me the sooner the better, I've got a plane to catch!! Thanks for sharing your health issues as well. Hopefully you can get in for surgery quickly so you can catch your plane.
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Post by Tulips on Oct 11, 2016 20:39:05 GMT
I'm stunned to hear your news Tiffany, and am really sorry you had to cancel your trip, after all. I'm sending prayers your way and am thinking about you. Thanks for sharing. Do you mind if I ask if you found it yourself or did you go for a mammogram? Hopefully, you will be able to do all your planned travels in 2017. Hi Tulips, I found the cancer myself, and asked my doctor to send me for a mammogram. I’m too young to go for an annual mammogram without a reason to do so. It’s too bad because if I had had a mammogram a year ago, we would have caught this before it had time to grow and spread, and I would probably be cancer free today. We can’t go back though, so for now, I just have to keep looking forward and continue with my new treatment plan. I’m just hoping that it works and puts me in remission, and keeps me there, so that I can travel next year! The problem for me is, remission could last 1 year, 2 years, or 10 years. We really don’t know. Right now, I’ll take whatever time I can get, and hopefully they will come up with a new drug in the next few years. They are doing a lot of research in regard to immunotherapy, which is the future of cancer treatment. There is already an immunotherapy drug for some types of breast cancer, but, unfortunately, there is not one for my type of breast cancer yet. Here’s to hoping! This just stresses the importance of doing self checks. I'm undecided on a mammogram myself. I've hit an age and the doctor suggested it, but I'm seeing mixed opinions for benefits for my age group according to the Cancer Society.
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Post by bet on Oct 11, 2016 21:02:41 GMT
When my sister got breast cancer at 34 I 'qualified' for a mammogram I was 32 at the time and I've asked for another once since but I do not qualify unless I pay a few hundred dollars. My doctor said a mammogram isn't always effective when your still 'young' due to breast density and self check is still the best option. The free breast screen system here is for women in their 50s and over, but do accept women in their 40s so I have a 2 year wait. I'm coming across more and more women in their 30s with breast cancer.
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Post by tassiedevil on Oct 11, 2016 23:35:39 GMT
I saw the surgeon yesterday and was very pleased with how I responded to the radiation and chemo. The date set for surgery is 1 December and he is confident that I will recover in time to travel to the US and have Christmas there, especially as I am so young and have no other health issues. He stressed though I won't be able to do any heavy lifting (ie my luggage), would have to take it easy and no running marathons. The last one I laughed out loud at him and he asked what was so funny. I then told that the reason I had booked this trip was to run a marathon! He was then very worried, but I assured him that I had already cancelled my registration for the marathon and won't be doing any marathons while I was away.
As a side note I was very impressed with RunDisney as they have a very strict no refund policy. I contacted them saying I was wanting to cancel my registration (they are fully booked so thought if I cancel it would enable one someone who missed out to be able to take my spot) and explained why, and they offered me a full refund! It was a pleasant surprise I wasn't expecting it at all. I am hoping I can get back in 2018 and run it then.
So I will now look into finalising the trip, like booking a hotel in Dallas, tickets to Universal Studios and SeaWorld in Orlando and some day trips in San Francisco, New Orleans and Dallas.
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Post by purvis on Oct 12, 2016 2:42:13 GMT
tassiedevil: Sounds like you have a plan and a good one at that. May everything go as well as both you and your surgeon expect it to go. Welcome to North America this Dec. Purvis
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Post by tiffany on Oct 12, 2016 11:35:21 GMT
Hi Tulips, I found the cancer myself, and asked my doctor to send me for a mammogram. I’m too young to go for an annual mammogram without a reason to do so. It’s too bad because if I had had a mammogram a year ago, we would have caught this before it had time to grow and spread, and I would probably be cancer free today. We can’t go back though, so for now, I just have to keep looking forward and continue with my new treatment plan. I’m just hoping that it works and puts me in remission, and keeps me there, so that I can travel next year! The problem for me is, remission could last 1 year, 2 years, or 10 years. We really don’t know. Right now, I’ll take whatever time I can get, and hopefully they will come up with a new drug in the next few years. They are doing a lot of research in regard to immunotherapy, which is the future of cancer treatment. There is already an immunotherapy drug for some types of breast cancer, but, unfortunately, there is not one for my type of breast cancer yet. Here’s to hoping! This just stresses the importance of doing self checks. I'm undecided on a mammogram myself. I've hit an age and the doctor suggested it, but I'm seeing mixed opinions for benefits for my age group according to the Cancer Society. I didn’t find my cancer through self-test either, as my breasts are very dense and I couldn’t feel any lumps. I only noticed there was a problem when my nipple became inverted. I also had some mild breast pain, which my doctor told me was not a sign of cancer, and, at first, we all thought it was just a cyst. Even my doctor couldn’t find a lump when she examined me, and my tumour was 7cm! If I had gone for a mammogram a year before this happened, we may have found the lump before the cancer had time to spread, and the treatment would have worked! I know they don’t like to do mammogram’s on women under 50, because their breasts are more dense, however, if the mammogram is inconclusive, they can always send you for a breast ultrasound, which is what they did with me. If that doesn’t work, there’s always a breast MRI, which is expensive, but does show everything. I know that they can’t send people for a breast MRI as an annual check, however, they can start adding a breast ultrasound to yearly checks for women who have dense breasts. More and more women are getting breast cancer at a younger age, and this is no longer a disease that affects women over the age of 50. Women in their 40’s should be getting checked regularly as well, and I think you should consider getting a mammogram.
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Post by tiffany on Oct 19, 2016 11:28:26 GMT
Hello all, I went to the hospital yesterday for treatment, and thought I’d given a you an update. I was there from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and I have to admit, I find these long days annoying, especially since it only takes 2 hours to administer my three drugs. The problem is, it can take up to 20 mins for the nurses to change my drugs, which adds to my time at the hospital. That being said, it's not the nurses fault as there are so many people being treated at the clinic, and not enough nurses. They don't stop running all day. They really need to hire more staff to keep up with demand, but that just isn't in the budget!
I got the results of my CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen Test) blood test, and it was normal (0 to 4 is normal, and my results were 2.7). This is a blood test that is used to diagnose and manage certain types of cancer, and can be used to determine if a cancer treatment is working. An Antigen is a harmful substance that's released by a cancerous tumour, and this test measures the amount of CEA in the blood. A high amount of CEA after cancer treatment or surgery suggests that the cancer has not gone away, and may mean that the cancer has spread. The fact that my CEA level is normal could mean two things: (1) that the treatment is working, and the tumours are shrinking, or (2), that I'm one of those people who never get elevated CEA levels. My next CEA test will be in November (OHIP only pays for it once a month), and we will know more once we get those numbers back. Given that the CEA blood test is not accurate for everyone though, I told my doctor that I didn't think it was a reliable way to determine if the new medication is working, and she agreed. She's going to send me for another CT scan on November 22.
My blood test indicated that my white blood counts were low, so I will now need to give myself a needle containing a drug called Neupogen for the next three days. This drug is similar to the Neulasta I gave myself during my first chemo treatment, however, it's not as strong. As I'm getting a low dose of chemo this time around, I can't take the Neulasta, as it's too strong. I have to admit, I'm not looking forward to giving myself a needle three days in a row, but you got to do, what you got to do! I also asked if I could get my flu shot while on chemo, and I was told I could get my flu shot, and that it was recommended that I do.
My doctor also advised me that she's going to arrange for me to get genetic tests done at Princess Margaret Hospital (I have already done the BRCA test and am expecting the results on November 22). If any of the test results come back positive, I may qualify for some experimental drugs. She's going to try and pull some strings and get me this appointment as soon as possible, but it may be months before I get an appointment.
Other than that, everything is going well, and I'm feeling good. I have a lot of energy, and aside from some occasional lightheadedness, and a bad taste in my mouth, I don't have any side effects, and I'm able to work and live life like usual! I keep telling people that if I didn't know I as sick, I wouldn't know that I was sick, because I feel so good!
Anyway, that's all to report now. I'll let you know if anything new arises.
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Post by tiffany on Oct 26, 2016 11:36:05 GMT
Hello all, I went to the hospital yesterday for my chemo only treatment, and it was a much better day than last Tuesday. It was not as busy in the clinic today, and I was done by 12:15 p.m. It was nice to get out of there early for a change!
My white blood count is up, however, I still need to take three neupogen shots this week, because you all know how much I love giving myself a needle! By the time this is all done, I'll be a pro!
I also received some good news yesterday. On Sunday, I got a call from the hospital telling me that they had an opening that evening for a brain MRI, which I went to. I got the results yesterday, and there is no evidence of disease, which means the cancer has not spread to my brain! Getting this news has been a tremendous relief to me, as I was really worried that the cancer had spread to my brain. That being said, I will have to go for brain MRI's, along with bone scans, ultrasounds and CT scans every 6 months for the rest of my life, just to be sure the cancer has not spread. At least for now, everything is looking good. Now, I just need to wait until my next CT scan on November 22 in order to find out if the new medication is working. Until then, I'm keeping busy, and looking forward to going to a Halloween party this weekend!
I hope you all have a good Halloween weekend!
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Post by Boop on Oct 27, 2016 17:21:35 GMT
Hi Tulips, I found the cancer myself, and asked my doctor to send me for a mammogram. I’m too young to go for an annual mammogram without a reason to do so. It’s too bad because if I had had a mammogram a year ago, we would have caught this before it had time to grow and spread, and I would probably be cancer free today. We can’t go back though, so for now, I just have to keep looking forward and continue with my new treatment plan. I’m just hoping that it works and puts me in remission, and keeps me there, so that I can travel next year! The problem for me is, remission could last 1 year, 2 years, or 10 years. We really don’t know. Right now, I’ll take whatever time I can get, and hopefully they will come up with a new drug in the next few years. They are doing a lot of research in regard to immunotherapy, which is the future of cancer treatment. There is already an immunotherapy drug for some types of breast cancer, but, unfortunately, there is not one for my type of breast cancer yet. Here’s to hoping! This just stresses the importance of doing self checks. I'm undecided on a mammogram myself. I've hit an age and the doctor suggested it, but I'm seeing mixed opinions for benefits for my age group according to the Cancer Society. Tulips.........please go! If nothing else a mammogram will establish a base line and they can measure any future changes accordingly. Please don't cross your fingers that any age group is a safe group, cancer doesn't care about your age. A mammogram is one of the easiest medical tests to go through and will only take minutes of your time, with minimal discomfort, if that.
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Post by tassiedevil on Oct 30, 2016 21:50:33 GMT
I agree Boop, cancer knows no age limit. It has been mentioned to me several times that I am too young to have the cancer I have. I just wish someone had told the cancer that!
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Post by tassiedevil on Oct 30, 2016 22:55:05 GMT
Other than that, everything is going well, and I'm feeling good. I have a lot of energy, and aside from some occasional lightheadedness, and a bad taste in my mouth, I don't have any side effects, and I'm able to work and live life like usual! I keep telling people that if I didn't know I as sick, I wouldn't know that I was sick, because I feel so good! Anyway, that's all to report now. I'll let you know if anything new arises. I'm glad you don't have any side effects! Now, 3 weeks after my last treatment, most of the side effects have gone with the major exception being the radiation burn.
Work is quite happy as even though I had 6 weeks of radiation and chemo and then having surgery in December that I will possibly only require 2 weeks off work, the last 2 weeks of the school year to recover from the surgery.
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Post by tiffany on Oct 31, 2016 11:09:20 GMT
Other than that, everything is going well, and I'm feeling good. I have a lot of energy, and aside from some occasional lightheadedness, and a bad taste in my mouth, I don't have any side effects, and I'm able to work and live life like usual! I keep telling people that if I didn't know I as sick, I wouldn't know that I was sick, because I feel so good! Anyway, that's all to report now. I'll let you know if anything new arises. I'm glad you don't have any side effects! Now, 3 weeks after my last treatment, most of the side effects have gone with the major exception being the radiation burn.
Work is quite happy as even though I had 6 weeks of radiation and chemo and then having surgery in December that I will possibly only require 2 weeks off work, the last 2 weeks of the school year to recover from the surgery.
My doctor recommended BioOil for the radiation burn, and it really helped. It’s something you may want to look into. I’m glad you don’t have to take too much time off of work during treatment. I was off for 8 weeks after surgery, and only worked part-time during my first round of chemo. At least this time around, I only need to take days off for treatment. I hope you’re still able to go to the US for the holidays as planned.
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Post by tiffany on Nov 4, 2016 11:43:58 GMT
I agree Boop, cancer knows no age limit. It has been mentioned to me several times that I am too young to have the cancer I have. I just wish someone had told the cancer that! I hear that I’m too young to have cancer all of the time too. That being said, at the clinic where I go for treatment, there are a lot of young people. I was shocked at how many young people have breast or colon cancer when I first went there, and, to this day, I see a lot of young people coming and going. When I was a kid, I always thought of cancer as a disease that affected older people, however, that’s not the case anymore! It’s unfortunate that anyone has to deal with cancer, but I do find it hard to watch younger people, who are supposed to have years ahead of them, have to deal with this horrible disease.
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Post by Boop on Nov 4, 2016 17:57:56 GMT
I agree Boop, cancer knows no age limit. It has been mentioned to me several times that I am too young to have the cancer I have. I just wish someone had told the cancer that! I hear that I’m too young to have cancer all of the time too. That being said, at the clinic where I go for treatment, there are a lot of young people. I was shocked at how many young people have breast or colon cancer when I first went there, and, to this day, I see a lot of young people coming and going. When I was a kid, I always thought of cancer as a disease that affected older people, however, that’s not the case anymore! It’s unfortunate that anyone has to deal with cancer, but I do find it hard to watch younger people, who are supposed to have years ahead of them, have to deal with this horrible disease. Sad to hear that Michael Buble's three year old son has just been diagnosed. Cancer has no boundaries and doesn't discriminate. How unfortunate that the littlest ones amongst us have to suffer. A cure must be found!
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Post by tiffany on Nov 4, 2016 18:17:09 GMT
I hadn’t heard about Michael Buble’s son. I’m so sorry to hear that. A 3 year old doesn’t understand what’s happening to them, and why they have to go through treatment. I hope they are able to treat him, and he comes out of this cancer free!
You are right, cancer does not discriminate!
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Post by tiffany on Nov 9, 2016 12:20:31 GMT
Hello all,
I went to the hospital yesterday for treatment, and I got some good news! I noticed on the weekend that one of the red marks on my scar, where one of the masses is located, was getting smaller. I pointed this out to the Fellow (a doctor above a resident, but not yet an oncologist) I met at the hospital today, and he gave me a physical exam. He told me that he could no longer feel any of the masses along my scar, and that he thinks that they are gone. This means that the new medication is working!
I also received some bad news. I have been experiencing chest congestion on and off for about five weeks now, and I developed a bit of a cough last Monday. The doctor told me that the congestion is probably caused by the cancer in the lymph nodes in my chest. He said that lymph nodes are harder to treat, and that it will take longer for the medication to treat this area. That being said, since the medication seems to be working in regard to the masses on my scar, there's no reason it won't eventually work in regard to the lymph nodes. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
I also found out that they took another blood test at my last treatment to determine my tumour markers. This blood test is called CA-15-3, and is similar to the CEA blood test I took a month ago. The results of this blood test were normal (under 30 is normal, and my results were 19). I will be taking this test again next week, and I took a second CEA blood test today. As I said before, these blood tests are not accurate, as not everyone gets tumour markers. I am glad that the results are normal, but I'm not putting a lot of faith in these test results.
I also got clarification as to when I will be able to stop getting chemo. When I first started treatment, I was told that I would need between eight and 16 doses of cheno. As I'm getting chemo two weeks in a row, with a week off, and then two weeks in a row, I was counting every chemo treatment as a dose. Apparently, I was wrong, and the two chemos I get in a row are considered one treatment. This means that even though I've had five doses of chemo to date, I'm only considered to have had three treatments. This means I won't be done with chemo until mid-January. The good news is, I will probably only need six doses of chemo, and not eight as originally suggested. I will also get a break from chemo during the holidays as the clinic is closed from Dec 24 until the new year. My chemo side effects are still minimal, however, I am starting to experience more side-effects. I have been getting shortness of breath on and off over the last two weeks, and I have to slow down when I am walking or else I can't breathe. I have also developed neuropathy in my hands and feet again, although it is worse in my feet. My doctor recommended acupuncture, and I have an appointment next week. Hopefully it helps. I also noticed over the weekend that my hair is falling out again. So far, I haven't lost a lot of hair, and I'm trying not to touch it or wash it often, in an attempt to keep it. My doctor said I shouldn't lose it all, and that it should only thin out. I hope that she is right.
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Post by tassiedevil on Nov 17, 2016 22:23:12 GMT
Nothing major to report. I was given some steroid cream for the radiation burn and it helped almost immediately. Still get a little tired every now and then. Almost feeling normal, which I'm sure will change on 1 December when I have surgery.
Hope everyone else is well.
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Post by chech on Nov 17, 2016 22:40:44 GMT
Good to hear!! Good luck with the surgery!
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Post by tiffany on Nov 18, 2016 12:13:15 GMT
Nothing major to report. I was given some steroid cream for the radiation burn and it helped almost immediately. Still get a little tired every now and then. Almost feeling normal, which I'm sure will change on 1 December when I have surgery.
Hope everyone else is well. Good luck with the surgery! Are you still going to be able to travel to the States for Christmas? I hope you don’t have to cancel your trip.
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Post by purvis on Nov 18, 2016 15:30:57 GMT
tassiedevil: Best wishes for your surgery and God's speed in your recovery. Purvis
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Post by californian on Nov 18, 2016 15:33:18 GMT
I hadn’t heard about Michael Buble’s son. I’m so sorry to hear that. A 3 year old doesn’t understand what’s happening to them, and why they have to go through treatment. I hope they are able to treat him, and he comes out of this cancer free! You are right, cancer does not discriminate! I heard he is being treated in the States, I hope at St. Jude's hospital, it is a miraculous place. Good luck and quick recovery Tiffany and Tassie!! Best wishes and good vibes going your way.
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Post by tassiedevil on Nov 19, 2016 11:18:01 GMT
Nothing major to report. I was given some steroid cream for the radiation burn and it helped almost immediately. Still get a little tired every now and then. Almost feeling normal, which I'm sure will change on 1 December when I have surgery.
Hope everyone else is well. Good luck with the surgery! Are you still going to be able to travel to the States for Christmas? I hope you don’t have to cancel your trip. I won't know until after the surgery and then literally just before I'm due to leave.
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Post by tiffany on Nov 19, 2016 13:34:13 GMT
Good luck with the surgery! Are you still going to be able to travel to the States for Christmas? I hope you don’t have to cancel your trip. I won't know until after the surgery and then literally just before I'm due to leave. I hope you can still go. Keep us posted.
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Post by tassiedevil on Nov 20, 2016 22:31:05 GMT
So do I! And I will do.
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Post by tiffany on Nov 21, 2016 12:49:58 GMT
I hadn’t heard about Michael Buble’s son. I’m so sorry to hear that. A 3 year old doesn’t understand what’s happening to them, and why they have to go through treatment. I hope they are able to treat him, and he comes out of this cancer free! You are right, cancer does not discriminate! I heard he is being treated in the States, I hope at St. Jude's hospital, it is a miraculous place. Good luck and quick recovery Tiffany and Tassie!! Best wishes and good vibes going your way. I am sure he’s getting the best care that money can buy. I hope it’s good enough. It makes me sad that a three year old has to go through something like that. I wish that no one had to get cancer, but I really wish that children never had to get this horrible disease.
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Post by tiffany on Nov 22, 2016 12:42:30 GMT
I got a call from the hospital yesterday morning telling me that my CT scan scheduled for today has been rescheduled until December 14. I called my nurse practitioner to find out why, and it turns out that the scan scheduled for today was for the chest only, and my doctor wants a scan of the chest, pelvis and abdomen. I have to say I’m a little annoyed by the lack of notice, and I really don’t want to wait that long to see if the medication is working, but what can you do.
I also told my nurse practitioner that my neuropathy was getting worse, and that it’s starting to shoot up my leg, and she told me that if it keeps up, they will have to lower my dosage of Taxol (chemo). She also told me that if my CT scan shows that the medication is working, that it shouldn’t be a problem for me to take a break from chemo during the Christmas holidays. I’m really hoping my test results show that the medication is working, as I can really use a break from chemo! The neuropathy is really starting to get to me, and I hope I notice a difference after my second treatment of acupuncture, which my doctor recommended for the neuropathy. It only works in 30% of chemo based neuropathy though, so it may not help at all.
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Post by purvis on Nov 22, 2016 14:47:39 GMT
Tiffany: Sorry to hear that your ct has been delayed until mid-December. I really don't know how you manage to hold it all together as I'm not too sure I could. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers that the ct will show improvement and that you're able to have a chemo-free Christmas season. Your friend Purvis
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Post by bet on Nov 22, 2016 15:21:27 GMT
How frustrating Tiffany, I hope it all comes together and you get some good news for Christmas.
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