View Single Post
Old 01-05-2013, 01:56 PM   #13
StephN
Senior Member
 
StephN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Misty woods of WA State
Posts: 4,128
Re: Just diagnosed teacher

Hello Teach -
We have some other teachers here (Schoolteacher, NEDDenise, and others), who seem to manage just fine.

Very often the fatigue from treatment is more of a problem than actual "chemobrain" (which one MAY have at the same time).

At this point it is best to make some changes in your diet (if you eat too many fast and processed foods). Also, clean up any little projects that are hanging about and will bother you. Get your wardrobe in order, as you will most likely have a port and need tops that open in the front.

You will need extra rest, so, if you have a hubby and kids, have a chat with them about helping out and letting you off the hook as to some of your normal household work.

If you need to keep working, you should have some sick leave for the days you feel that you are not up to going in. If you take hard chemos, a pattern will develop of better and worse days.

Not knowing your details yet, this is some general advice that applies to most of us BC patients.

P.S. NanaJoni mentions many foods not tasting good or not tolerating certain smells. Most of us will have mouth sores from chemo, and this often determines what we can tolerate eating. Some days I only wanted organic chicken broth with rice and mushrooms. Bananas felt OK, but tasted strange. Hard boiled eggs were important to keep protein up.
__________________
"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau
Live in the moment.

MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~
Found suspicious lump 9/2000
Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement
Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR -
Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds
36 rads - very little burning
3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum
Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED!
2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa
Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18
All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET
Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying
Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa
Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?)
2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava
2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec.
Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011
STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer
7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones
Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED
2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED.
Same news for 2016 and all of 2017.
Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.

Last edited by StephN; 01-05-2013 at 02:01 PM..
StephN is offline   Reply With Quote