CMF Question
Comments
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Cab mom
I can't remember if you know about the Nioxin products.
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Cabmom.......We notice the loss of our hair lots more than anyone else. Some days it sheds more than others. I think you're going to be just fine with your hair. Use your Nioxin products and think positive. Your hair is going to be just fine. You're about done and it's not all going to disappear in the next 6 weeks.....not now. Hang in there. You are doing all you can do to prevent hair loss. Hey, I still lose hair everytime I wash my hair and I'm done with chemo. I lost some everytime I washed my hair BEFORE I did chemo. :-)
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Hi Cabmon, CMF "newbies" and "old" friends !
Treatments 3 and 4 seem to be when most of us started to notice the thinning and when the most came out. It seems- for many-- to decrease for some reason after this. Not sure why. I think it has something to do with the "stage" individual hair strands are in at the time of treatment and how the drugs affect that cell growth. It seems to be a very individual thing- some women hardly thin at all- some end up needing a wig. All the other tips-- the Nioxen and being gentle on your hair-- will help.
I ended up being in the middle-- lost about 30-40%. I have very fine thin hair to begin with, so i was very self conscious about it and was certain everyone noticed.(In retrospect, I'm not sure they did.) One year later-- about half has grown back to it's normal thickness. So I did something a bit extravagent....it was beginning to look a bit odd, being so thin and wispy on the bottom half and I really didn't want to go super short. (Shoulder length right now) So, upon recommendation of my stylist, I've had a small amount of extensions added. Not for length- just for a little bulk while the rest of my hair continues to grow out. Just temporary for maybe 6 months. Have to admit I really like the effect-- and just wanted to throw it out there as an option for when you are through this. It's a bit silly, I guess- but helps me feel a little better about my appearance. Had to laugh though-- the few people who noticed the effect thought I had a new hair CUT.
On the other side of this now-- I can attest, as other have-- you DO get through this....
-julie b
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Hi. My name is Laura and my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer with mets to the bone on the 31st of Dec. Apparently she had found this lump about a year ago and didn't tell anyone because she didn't want to bother or scare anyone! We are unsure at this time on weather or not it has gone to any other organs or not. We have a consultation with her oncologist on Wed. of this week. My mother is 75.The cancer is in her bones,right leg at this time and she can no longer walk because her bone in her leg is so weak and the dr. is afraid that if she puts weight on that leg it may break. Therefore my brother and I have had to place hr in a Nursing Home. I guess my question is that i'm just wanting to know what a re some things to except,I understand that stage 4 is tough and also that being in the bone is not in our favor either. We also know that the tumor in her breast is about the size of a baseball and oozing. I do know that the breast will have to be removed but what are some options after all this is done? At this point we are fearing the worst down the road. Mom has finally excepted that she has cancer and that she will most likely be in tha N.H. for a long time possibly dieing there. Any pick-me-ups for aour family would be greatly apprecated!! Thanks so much. God Bless all of you Laura
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Laura, I am so sorry to hear this about your mom and truly don't know much about stage 4 breast cancer but I do know that it will be a tough road for her given the information you just shared. I'm sure with excellent doctors, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, etc., that they will be there for all of you. I will keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers. God's with each of you and has an amazing healing power so stay positive for your mom and family.
Rita, thanks and I know I shouldn't freak but today is the first day that it's came out in both hands and there was a great deal of it and unfortunately more than once. Thanks so much for the encouragement and I appreciate all of you helping to keep me positive. Seems somewhat silly given what Laura and her family are going through but I do thank each of you for the posts back. Merilee I do use the Nioxin products and trying to mega gentle with my hair each time I wash but Rita is right.......just a few more weeks
! Going to stay positive!!!!!! Hugs to each of you!0 -
Did anyone get weird food cravings?
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Hi all. Just wanted to make a few comments:
Cabmom and anyone else who is worrying about their hair: TX 4 was when I lost alot of hair. I kept a shower strainer in the drain and looked down and saw so much hair that I literally thought that one of my cats had killed a mouse and put it in the drain. I freaked out completely. It went on for a few days. And to add more to the tension, my scalp started tingling and itching which are signs that you may lose your hair. Even my onc was not optimistic because of the tingling and itching. But, that is all my hair did. I had a few days of shedding and then it stopped. I do not think that anyone could tell the difference and after my chemo, even my hair dresser could not tell. So hang in there and do not panic. You will be ok if you just do not comb or brush your hair or pull on it; just wash every 2 or 3 days and gently (no blow drier...I would fluff mine with a towl and my fingers), and stay calm.
Merilee: I had wierd food cravings and just ate what I wanted. It was not that much but it certainly was different food than I usually ate.
Take care all
Mandy
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Mandy, thanks for the info.......my head is also itching and tingling but hopefully all will be well. I appreciate the insight and I will just continue to be positive that everything will be ok. Thanks again for sharing.
Merilee: I'm also hungry these days so it's hard to tell what's a craving and what's not
, I seem to be just an eating machine!!!!!0 -
Hi: I have had cravings for spicey foods during cremo and after. There are foods that I still cannot torate example ice cream, yougurt and I used to loved them take care mmfaith
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Hey ladies, I have to say today was the worst with nausea, but I feel great tonight! I woke up this morning feeling pretty bad, so I think I might just learn from all of you and take the compazine like a good girl those first couple of days next round. I finally started to feel better around 4 p.m. and I even got my energy back which was an amazing feeling!
I don't notice a bad taste with the Biotene toothpaste so far. Thanks for the tips on other brands, though, and for where to try for Pellegrino. We don't have Costco, but we do have Sam's Club (affiliated with WalMart), so I can try there. I found some at ShopRite this week. I'm alternating between that and regular water, because the Pellegrino does tend to make ya gassy and while that can help...it can also be a hinderance.
I actually craved pizza on Tuesday night and it tasted great. I felt fine all night after eating it, too. I craved a darn McDonald's burger tonight, too, but was SOOO not hungry all day. I think I had some saltines with peanut butter early on. Felt good to get some real protein in my body, but McDonald's is not somewhere I want to be eating on a regular basis. This morning I kept thinking, "How the heck am I supposed to keep my nutrition and weight up?" and now I'm thinking, "Stay away from the fattening calories, Jude!" I find that I definitely want milk products...milk, itself, and cheese, too, and I'm not a big cheese eater normally.
I'm worried about my throat taking a beating now. I really enjoy singing and playing guitar and was sitting down to learn a great song (Fight Like A Girl--by: Bomshel) and I can feel my throat not happy with me at all. Here's a link if you all haven't heard this song...I found it by chance when I was looking something else up and it just made me feel good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRWZ1A-CbJA Back to work for me tomorrow night, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Here's hoping tomorrow's a good day and night for all of us!!
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Lbergman - so sorry to hear about your mother. There is a stage IV area on bc.org - those ladies may have some answers for you. Your mom and your family will be in my prayers.
CMF'rs in active treatment - sounds like you are all doing well, and getting good info/support on here!
I wanted those who know golfer779 that I have received a couple of emails from her husband and the surgery (DIEP) went well! She is expected to be in the hospital thru the weekend.
IF I hear anything else, I will let you know!
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I am 5 days out from my first treatment and I still have tremendous fatigue. I am concerned as I get to treatments beyond this one that I'll just be "dead in the water". Nausea is still an issue but, of course, I am still eating. Trying to eat normally though. Didn't get to go on treadmill yesterday--but will try to go for a walk today--don't feel like it--too lethargic.
My biggest issue right now is constipation--already! Need to run and go get some prunes I guess.
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aprilgirl1, thanks so much for the update on golfer779 and so happy that she's doing well. Please keep us updated
!april1841, sorry that you're still feeling tired and have the nausea thing still going on. If you're only taking compazine, ask them to try you on something else, like zofran, Kytril or emend. Kytril and Emend are very expensive but worth it if it helps to keep you from actually getting sick. I tried all four and finally Emend is working. My onc told me that sometimes compazine just isn't strong enough for some individuals. The other two, Kytril and Zofran but I broke out with a rash with both of those, although Zofran was better choice between the 2 for me with less of a break out. Good luck with finding the one that works for you
and I'm sure that they'll figure that out for you. Also, I'm always constipated after each treatment but Senokat-S works great for me, if you haven't tried it you might want to. It usually works pretty fast and then I feel much, much better ! Hope you find something that works.........no fun feeling yucky!0 -
Al
Sorry to hear you feel like S*%t. I did find that ginko helped give me some energy. Might be worth a try.
When I had a bit of constipation, was when I had a bit of nausea as well. As soon as I took care of the constipation I felt 100% better. Next time I will prepare a day or so ahead for that part. I just returned from the health food store where I bougt a supplement for hair. It is called Biosil. I figure even if I loose some hair what I have left will then be healthy.
Now back to work and then to my massage at 5pm. Did I mention that my plan is to spoil myself rotten through this? So far I am loving that LOL
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Here are the top ten foods for healthy skin and hair
http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/features/top-10-foods-for-healthy-hair
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Thanks Merilee for the info.
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So, I'm on my 6th day post treatment #1 and this afternoon and evening I felt great. Up until now, I was consumed with queasiness and lethargy. My next treatment is on Feb 1st. Will my energy continue or will I go up and down? Also, how do I know when my counts are dropping? I went out tonight and saw lots of people I knew. I felt great but hope I didn't make a mistake going out---I don't want to stay behind closed doors for 6 months. Would love some advice on this.
Thanks!
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Hi AL, my guess is you've now turned the corner. After my first CMF treatment, it took me about nine days to shake off the queasiness and other SEs. After my last treatment (#2), I felt better by Day #6. I get a Neulasta shot the day after treatment and my WBC is typically at it's lowest on Day 6 or 7. I'm not sure what would happen without the Neulasta. I don't think your onc would expect you to stay cooped up for six months. Just stay away from sick people and use lots of hand sanitizer.
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AL1841, I know everyone is different but I do think for the nausea part on #1 it's probably behind you. However, the third week is when your blood counts drop the most or at least that's what I understood from my onc, think it's like day 12 through 16 or somewhere around there so you might feel a little tired. Lots of people have told me to eat meats to get my counts up and so far ALL my blood work has been really good. I've never had the Neulasta shot so I can't tell you anything about that but I've heard it helps you to recover and feel much better. I agree with Mary I do think you've turned a corner and hope you feel better with each passing day. Also, I go out everyday doing this or that and even attend events at my child's school (where we all know germs love to lurk) but I am cautious and keep my hand sanitizer in my bag. On the days that I mentioned above when I think my resistance is a little lower, I do use a little more precaution especially if I'm feeling really tired but other than that, I live my life normally and I hope you'll be able to as well. It was hard for me at first because I was nervous about what I could catch but my onc plus the ladies on here helped me understand so good luck and hopefully you'll stay healthy as well..........sorry this is so long!
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AL1841--SO happy to hear you're feeling better! You & I are on the exact same chemo schedule (my next one should be Monday 2/1, as well). I was actually shocked at how much better I felt by Thursday night, but that entire day was the worst one. If it goes this way each time, maybe we'll get a feel for what we can and cannot do on our bad days. I'm so sorry your SEs lasted a bit longer, but isn't it amazing when you feel good?! I was wholly expecting to feel rotten a good portion of the time in these next 6 months, so to know there's a chance that it might not be that way was a nice surprise! I really only feel tired now, but I DO have a 6 year old and a 3 year old and work late into the wee hours on weekend nights, so I was tired BEFORE chemo...nothing new there.
I need to get in the habit of using the hand sanitizer, though...great tip ladies! My 6 year old had your typical "catch everything" year in kindergarten, but he's been pretty healthy in 1st grade so far...but that doesn't mean he's not carrying those germs home to share with me!
I have an appt. with my onc tomorrow to check in (nothing like paying a copay to say "Ya, I'm feelin' good.")
Hope everyone has a great weekend (a long one for most people!) One more night of work for me, but only until 1 a.m.
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AL & Judy
So glad we are all doing well. This really is not the nightmare I feared it would be. I actually feel great.
I keep sanitizer at work, in my car, and just inside the back door in a pump. I also use clorox wipes to wipe down handles that we all touch everyday ( door knobs, faucets, frig handle, toilet flush handle, microwave, etc). I work at Head start which is Cootie Kingdom LOL, I also sanitize my grocery buggy handle. I am hyper aware of germs now, I never thought so much about it before.
I have an appointment in the morning to check counts as well. Then I will start my detox for about a week and get the old stuff out before the next treatment goes in. I am hoping to avoid a cumulative negative effect.
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I hope all those "check-in" appointments go well! It sounds like you're on chemo holiday now until the next treatment. Just keep marking those treatments off on your calendar and you'll be done before you know it!
Hugs to all of you in treatment!
Rita
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Thanks ritajean and Merilee!
I have to say...I'm in such a good mood today! I decided that cancer (or more specifically our Aflac cancer policy--best policy we ever decided to get those many years ago) is going to pay for my family to go to Disney in October! We are LONG overdue for a vacation and on top of the fact that treatments will finally be over by then (chemo by June-ish and radiation by August, hopefully), my husband and I will be married 10 years come September (which was our last vacation, by the way). I think those are two great reasons to finally get away. We went to Disney on our honeymoon and I had to return to a job I HATED, so I didn't enjoy that vacation nearly as much as I should've. This time it will be insanely fun with the kids and we're hoping to go along with another family that we are very close friends with. It's just something to look forward to and I SOOO need that!!! YAY!!! Being in a good mood and fighting breast cancer...who woulda "thunk" it?
It's all about holding on to the good stuff when you feel it...keep telling myself that! 0 -
Judy
Awesome! You are feeling good and have some fun planned. Life is good.
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Thanks everyone. I am still feeling good--question for everyone:
My last chemo treatment (if everything goes according to schedule) will be June 7th. I was due to take an overseas trip with my family to a hot climate for a family vacation on August 1st. Do you think I'll be fully "recovered" from the chemo? Also, if I am allowed to have the exchange surgery in 4 weeks, should I do that or wait until after the trip? Can one travel with these expanders? Any advice would be helpful.
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I'm off to treatment #3 in a couple of hours. My eyes have been watering all week and I wake up each morning with pus in them. This morning they were worse than usual. I don't like going into treatment with my eyes still not recovered from previous one. Apart from using eye drops (Genteal) is there anything else I should be doing to prevent what I assume is a low-grade infection?
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Mary, sorry to hear your eyes are watering.....talk to your onc, there has to be something else they can give you. Good luck today and let us know how you do.......Hugs!
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My counts were good today. I am begining my detox hooray!
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Hi All!
I've been on holiday for a few days so I have not posted, but I have been reading. . For those who do not know me, I had CMF X 8 last year. I had just about every side effect and I want you gals to know that there is life after chemo.
Mary: I am sorry about your eyes. I had runny eyes after tx 2; I looked as if I was crying. And I had crud in my eyes too. I hope your onc can give you some help with eye drops. Mine just said it was a side effect and I used "refresh" eye drops to keep my eyes moist. For some reason, it soothed them. I also had dry eye where my eyes would almost be stuck closed in the morning--I would drizzle the refesh drops over my eyes so that I could open them.
Al1841: Even with all of my side effects, my blood counts were normal. I am a vegetarian and my onc was always surprised at my good counts. I was able to see people all through treatment. By the end of my CMF, I was pretty weak---as I said I tried out most of the side effects. But my last CMF was June 13 and I was on a flight to Paris on July 17. Maybe it was the wonderful destination, but I certainly was able to enjoy my summer holiday in France and England. It gave me something to look forward to and made the last treatments more bearable.
I noticed some earlier posts about mouth sores. I developed dry mouth with the chemo and had the beginning of mouth sores. For some reason I could not stand biotine mouth products so I used old fashioned salt water to gargle with. And I had acupuncture once a week for most of my treatment. At the end of my treatment, my onc and her nurse said that most patients with the dry mouth I had would have mouth sores and asked what I did. So I explained about salt water and acupunture. They both then told me that there were some studies that showed that acupuncture really can help mouth sores. So, I thought I'd pass that on to you.
And one more thing--Carol I wish you a speedy recovery from your surgery. You were such a trooper and help to me. If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know.
Hugs to all
Mandy
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Carol, how are you doing? Seeing Mandy's post......I remembered that we haven't heard anything in a while......hope you're doing ok. You've been a blessing to me as well......
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