CMF Question
Comments
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Rita ... I think your Yoga instructor has hit it on the head! For me personally time is definitely making a difference. Yes I've added some wellness of accupuncture and massage, but I believe what has helped the most is just time for my body to heal and get used to menopause.
So are your bags packed ???0 -
Hi all
So the door bell rang yesterday and there stood a UPS delivery person with a box of the most amazing chocolate covered strawberries anyone can imagine. ....from dear Anniealso, wishing me well as I finish chemo. As you all already know, she is just a sweet and kind person!! Thank you Annie!!!!
I am heading up to pick my daughter up from college tonight. We are going to stay in Cambrdige (massachusetts, not england) until Sunday and have a little holiday in the area. I am looking forward to it. To all, have a great Memorail Day weekend!!!
Hugs
Mandy
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No, I'm not completely packed. I don't multitask well anymore and I have piles of this and that scattered throughout the house. Hopefully I'll have it all pulled together by tomorrow! LOL
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Hey ladies: hope all are well today. Most beautiful weather outside here, low 70s and just delightful.
Mandy, you are so very welcome. Credit for those beautiful berries goes to Carol, who had them sent to me. It was so lovely, I had to do it to someone else. Thank you again, Carol, for your sweet and thoughtful gift of those to me.
Rita, have a great trip! You'll pull it all together of course. For someone who says she is not organized, I think you have it all put together really well, esp.your outlook on all the BC stuff. That yoga instructor is right.....it's now almost a year from my end of chemo, and 2 months after my hst/ooph, and I'm just now feeling myself. I think it's really true, it takes that long.
Happy memorial day to all!!!
love you bunches all:
annie
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Hello All - Just wanted to check in to wish everyone a Very Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Just got home from the beach. It was very nice, the kids even went in the water. My daughter has been home all week from school. Her school closed due to 8 confirmed cases of swine flu. People around here are panicking. Not that I want them to get sick and I know I don't want it, but it has not been really that severe. My son's school did not close so he had school all week. Well I hope everyone is feeling well and that we have nice weather to all be outside this weekend and celebrate Memorial Day!!
Colleen
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happy memorial day to all! I now have only 4 more infusions/weeks left and feel good about it again. Of course, I have been up since 3am (hot flashes) but my onc. gave me a sleep aid perscription that I hope works tonight! Colleen - WOW - swine flu closure. We have had a few of those in Seattle, but not here on Bainbridge or where Carol lives. I have to admit I am a bit leary of it - being on chemo and all.
I got my hair colored and it did not fall out, the sun is out and I am almost done with chemo - life is pretty good. I guess this would be the new normal kicking in????
I hope you all have a great weekend - those out of town and staying in town.
Susan
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Susan,
Glad you are feeling good, and doing great, and almost finished your tx!!!
Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday!!
Hugs
Harley
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Susan ... noticed the comment on a sleep aid ... any chance it's Ambien ??? Just got a scrip myself and its working pretty darn good !!!
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Just had to pop in and see how you all are doing. We're in Colorado Springs and have had lots of fun seeing the sites in the area. Tomorrow we're heading on to the Royal Gorge and the Great Sand Dunes before making the rest of the trip to Vegas. Although my back didn't handle the trip real well, I'm getting the kinks out slowly and am headed down the hall to the hot tub.
I hope everyone had a great weekend and holiday.
I'll check in every few days.
Rita
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Hope everyone had a great weekend. Rita - sounds like a great trip!
I met Carol for coffee - Carol you are so much fun to hang out with! Peg did get her port, so that is why she was busy. It went well. Chemo tomorrow!
Susan
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Susan, hoping your counts we're good for a cocktail !!! And you may not know just how funny you are, I literally have to hold back from lol too loud with some of your stories in a rather quiet coffee shop. Look forward to many more laughs !!!!
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Oh Carol, you are too kind. I always have such a great time with you - you are funny too, and I think laughter is a great medicine. Sometimes I just have to find the humor in these situations so I don't fall apart - I'm sure you ALL know what I mean....it's either cry, or laugh. We should probably start meeting at bars, not starbucks!
I had #21 today - blood count was up. Go figure!
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Susan ... 21 down 3 to go ... wow, so this call this regimen "tolerable" ... how bout friggin' long !!!! So glad to hear that you hit happy hour and your counts we're good. Real cocktails are just around the corner !!!!
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Just checking in to see how everyone is doing. I am doing pretty well, staying really busy with all the year end stuff for school. I am very invoved for the PTA in the music and sports programs. We are heading to NJ tomorrow. Our music dept. is participating in Music In The Parks. They perform against other schools in the morning and then get to go to Great Adventure and then awards later on at the Park. A very long day, but usually really fun. Lets just say a little prayer for nice weather. I hope everyone is well and Rita I hope you have a great trip!!
Colleen
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Hi all. Just checking in to say I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. Had tc #5 on Monday. Feeling a bit queasy and tired, but nothing too terrible. Only one more to go, thank goodness. I'm also getting Zometa with my chemo now, and will be getting that for 3 more years.
Celebrated my 41st b-day last week--I scheduled my party a week early because I knew I'd be on my chemo holiday then and feeling great.
Really looking forward to scheduling my exchange surgery when chemo is over and getting these TEs outta here.
Glad everyone seems to be doing well. Really glad to hear from annie that there is hope for weight loss after this is over. I've put on 20+ lbs since diagnosis and can't wait to start taking it off again.
Take care everyone.
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Samiam40 - Happy Birthday! #5 down - you are getting closer to the finish line - I can't remember if you have 12 treatments, or.... The new reality is our looking forward to having surgery - but I can relate.
Colleen - hope the weather was good for your concerts.
Annie - I agree with Samiam - so nice to hear that one can lose weight after all of this - you are amazing!
Sleepless in Seattle is over - the drugs my onc. gave me for the hot flashes/night waking are working. We also have been having beautiful weather - which is so nice, even with cancer treatment!
Take care everyone!
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Samiam........I hope you had a great birthday! Wow! Only one more treatment to go! You've about got it tackled now!
Colleen....Hope you enjoyed your day of music. That really sounds like fun! My trip is going well, thank you! We've just left Vegas after four wonderful days and are stopped about 23 miles south of the Grand Canyon which we'll visit tomorrow. Then onward we go to the Painted Desert and Sedona.
How are the joints doing now, Carol? Are you still feeling better? It is so nice that you and Susan can get together for laughs and companionship! It's funny how bc brings some of us together, isn't it?
Hi Annie and Harley! I hope you're both doing well! Hugs to both of you!
Mandy, I hope that you had a great Memorial Day with your daughter! That sounds like fun!
Ginny, I think of you often. If you are lurking every so often, please post.
Well, I have several emails to answer yet tonight so I'd better check in on the Illinois thread and get out of here.
Rita
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Hi everyone!
Happy Birthday, SamIam! Hope it was great!
Hey Rita!
I am doing ok. Just had another in my endless line of dr. appts... Today it was my primary care dr... He is ok, but he doesn't seem to remember that I still have routine healthcare issues, besides the bc... See, he has a special interest in bc, because his wife had bc 25 yrs. ago, when she was 30. He is very nice, and always asks how I'm doing... Today, he gave me a hug! I told him that I always get a little nervous when my bc dr. appts. start to loom closer... I'm seeing my onc on 6/12...
Hope everyone has a great week!
Hugs
Harley
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Hello All - The Music In The Park went great. We won all three catergories and 2 of 3 in the overall competition. It was also a good test for me. We left at 5:30 AM and we did not get home until 10 PM. I was really tired, but I was able to make it through the day. Today I went back to NJ to see my Mom. She is doing pretty well. Her hearing has gotten really bad, but her breathing has definitely improved. I am trying to get down to see her at least once every 7 to 10 days. It is hard because my kids are still young. All my other siblings have adult kids so they can come and go as they please.
Hope everyone is doing well!!!
Colleen
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Hey all...Dropping in to let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth either. Sounds like everyone is doing well.
Happy belated b-day Samiam. Great news that theres only one more to go.
Like Colleen, I've been running around like a chicken without a head. Between baseball, lacrosse and the end of the year school stuff....
My daughter is doing pretty good with the brace. She gets frustrated deciding which 4 hours of the day to keep it off. Finding clothes to fit over the brace w/o it showing has been a challenge.
I am finally a radiation graduate. It feels strange to not be running off to get zapped this morning. The last week of boosts really made me tired. I've been taking long naps every afternoon which just seem to make me more tired. Kinda a catch 22 cuz I need them but I get so groggy afterwards. So happy to be done. Have to meet with the onc next week and my ob/gyn the following for my annual. Hoping thats it for the summer.
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Scarp..congrats on finishing rads...you go girl..
we are still long gone from home..at the eastern end of Lake Superior and we are headed
northwest...
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Lisa, it sounds as if you are having a great trip, too. We visited Carlsbad Caverns today. What an awesome sight! Tomorrow we're heading east through Texas as we begin to make our way back home. Enjoy your trip and travel safely.
Colleen, congrats on all the wins! I'm so glad you made it through the day. It proves you sometimes have more stamina than you think!
Scarps a RAD GRAD!!!! YEA! Now you can concentrate on finding your new normal! Congrats on having those rads finished.
Well, I just wanted to check in and see how you all were doing.
Hugs to all of you!
Rita
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Hi all. I'm 9 days past my first CMF treatment, and have been absorbing all the experience on this board. Thanks to all who post things about water, other drinks, exhaustion etc. It really helps me to know these are normal and not just "in my head". Two nights ago I actually choked while trying to take meds with water. And the part about lemon flavor really resonated.
I am stage 4, dx 4+ years ago, and have been through various treatments, and am curious about the circumstances under which your docs prescribed the CMF? For me it was rising tumor markers, leading to discovery of mets to the liver. Until then I had been two years on Doxil, keeping mets to the bone marrow under control. And, question 2, are there different regimens of CMF, one requiring pill, another not? These are all questions I didn't have for my doc (who is right next to god IMHO) but will have for him next treatment. Input from you all is greatly appreciated! Thanks!!!
Nancy in MN
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Hi Nancy
Welcome to the CMF thread. You wil find us to be an upbeat group and very supportive of eachother. Sorry that you have to join us but welcome.
There seem to be many different ways to get CMF. I got mine every 3 weeks, IV. I did not need a port. Others do something with a pill but I do not understand how that works so hopefully one of those gals will explain it to you or I am pretty sure you can google it and find it. The F in CMF is 5Fu which is also in pill form called Xoloda which is a very good drug for mets. I don't know anything else about that but my onc had mentioned it to me. The nice thing about CMF is that you should keep your hair if you have it.
I am still having a bit of trouble swallowing pills post CMF (finished on May 13). And I had lots of other digestion side effects. I still prefer ginger ale to water!!!
Take care. And have a nice evening.
Mandy
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I just had my 4th (out of 6) CMF yesterday. I am on the all IV regimen. My biggest problem by far is the initial nausea. I started with Zofran IV, then Aloxi, this time Emend, which is a bit better. The dose of steroids in the anti-nausea IV was also decreased so I could sleep the night of treatment...and I did for the first time! I also have Zofran and Compazine for delayed nausea and this is easily controlled. Also, no big meals!
Other effects:
Constipation for sure from the anti-nausea meds.
Diarrhea occasionally. One horrible bout attributed to food poisoning...no more chicken at restaurants for me! Cipro and a week (!) in bed...not fun.
Fatigue at times, but not bad...but I am not working and have no kids at home...
Chemo brain...duh???? Can't remember anything, can't concentrate, can't make decisions....
Mouth sores..had one last month, now I have Biotene, and a rinse of 1 Quart water 1 tsp baking soda and 1tsp salt to rinse with several times daily. One was enough for me!
Dry skin...need lots of lotion
Hair...only lost a few extra strands, scalp gets a bit sore/itchy 4 weeks after a treatment, and a few extra hairs appear in the shower/sink. I had cut my hair short just to make it easier to deal with during treatment...maybe that helped??
Moral support...the MOST IMPORTANT thing...surround yourself with people/ things/animals anything that makes you feel good...for the first time ever...it is all about YOU!!!! Try to eliminate those people/things/obligations that stress you...this is not the time to be a martyr.You need all of the energy you can muster. A big shout out to my husband of 28 years...he is not used to me being scared and vulnerable and has both let me cry and kept me strong.
LET PEOPLE HELP YOU!! They want to help and need to know they are even in some small way. A strategically delivered baked potato made my day and my dinner yesterday on my treatment day!
This is my first foray onto the boards...I hope to visit more often! Good luck everyone!
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furryquilt........You're on the downhill slide now! I took compazine for the nausea and I learned very quickly to take it on a regular basis as soon as the chemo treatment was completed instead of waiting until the nausea hit and then trying to get it to stop. That seemed to work for me.
Anyway, welcome to the CMF thread. You have given Nancy and the rest of us some good advice. Come back often and post.
Hugs Nancy! I took the 6 IV infusions. There is indeed a pill regiment which I believe is a bit tougher for many to tolerate, since I've known several who have started with the pills and then switched in mid-stream to the IV infusions.
Mandy, I didn't know that 5FU was the same as Xoloda in pill form so I learned something today. Thanks for sharing that.
Rita
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Mandy and Rita - the 5FU fact was new to me too - thanks for sharing that!
Wecome furryquilt and Nancy. Great advice Furryquilt - I really have nothing to add to that except welcome! You are almost done!
I am on a 24 week schedule (yes, weekly) and have #23 tomorrow!!!!! Very excited to be close to finished. My kids still have a week of school left. I am so ready for them to be done so I don't have to be up early. I am very tired these days.
Carol, Gina and I walked the race for the cure together with another BC.org friend JeanBean (who had a nice low oncotype so avoided chemo). It was fun, especially with friends that can "relate" - I have done 8 of these but this is my first one wearing a pink shirt - a bit surreal.
Susan
Susan
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Welcome to Nancy and furryquilt - I am glad you found this wonderful thread. When I was diagnosed back in Sept and then had surgery in Oct. I did not find this thread until right before I started treatment. I wish I had found it earlier. This is a great place to get info and to share your story. Good listeners!!!! I did 8 IV CMF treatments every 10 days. When going through it I was not sure that it would ever end, but I have been done since mid Feb. and it so far has been pretty good. You both seem to have everything under control. My big advice is to drink plenty of fluids and stay ahead of the nausea. I hope you come back often and share.
Last weekend was pretty busy. My nephew was married in NYC on Friday and then they had a big picnic the next day. After that we had to hurry home so my husband and son could get ready for another play. They are doing Oliver again 3 nights last weekend and 3 nights this weekend. I will be so happy when all is finished. School, sports etc. One morning I would love just to be able to turn over and say we do not have anywhere to be. And what is with this weather?? The sun needs to come out and stay out and warm us up. I was at baseball tonight and it was cold!!!
Well I hope all is well with everyone - For anyone still in treatment, I hope you have little to no SE's.
Colleen
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Susan, Carol, and Gina....thanks for walking for the cure! I try to walk in most of my area walks, too. We need that cure! That pink shirt makes it a bit more emotional, doesn't it gals?
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Welcome to all the newbies on the CMF thread! Hope your txs are going well.
They don't have any walks or runs in my area. I have to travel quite a ways if I want to participate. I wish they'd have them in towns nearby.
I just had my annual ps appt. (yes, I see my ps AND my bs once a year for f/u, and it's getting kind of old.). He told me "you're cute!", and his exam and our little chat took a total of FIVE minutes! I had to drive over an hour to get there from my house! UGH!! I'm thinking we could have done that on the phone!! lol
Hope everyone is doing well.
We are going to a Myrtle Beach Pelicans game tonight, so I better get going.Hugs
Harley
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