CMF Question
Comments
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Hi Everyone
Still feeling pretty good, but a bit tired. I have opted out of radiation. For me I think I would be over kill. And I had to weigh putting more toxins in my body vs benefits. I also ready to claim my life back. I have been dealing with cancer for almost 2 years and now it is time to move on.
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mom2acat - I have finished my first month (of 6) of CMF (daily cytoxan pills, and weekly infusions of MF). I've been pretty lucky with side effects. The worst has been stomach cramping on and off all the time. I haven't any of the watery eye thing - yet.
I wanted to tell you that the first two weeks I felt so bloated and my stomach was so crampy that I found it difficult to eat. We tried a couple of changes to my meds, but the thing that got rid of the bloating (I think) was to stop taking my iron supplements. I have very low feretin and was taking two iron pills every night along with 2 Senna S to help with constipation issues that come from the iron and zofran (my anti-naseau med). Dropping the iron seemed to help with the bloating and now we're trying soemthing other than Senna S to get rid of the cramping.
My onc and his nurse have been very pro-active about trying to reduce the discomfort even though I've told them over and over again that it's totally tolerable. I hate to even complain about it when I see what women taking other chemo meds have to go through.
I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend!
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codavis...Never think of reporting your discomforts as "complaining." You need to let them know what's going on with you because there are so many different things that are available to relieve these symptoms and you might as well benefit from them. It is good that your onc and his nurse are so pro-active about helping you relieve any discomfort. I learned early on in this journey that it doesn't pay to be "gallant!" LOL
cabmom....I understand your anxiety about the upcoming scan. I'd think you were crazy if you didn't have a little anxiety after all you've been through. Heck, I still get that anxiety before routine doctor visits. I think it just comes with the new territory. Hang in there and try to enjoy your weekend.
Rita
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Codavis; I was pretty miserable yesterday with some cramping and bloating; I had to take my senna too. Besides the constipation from the Zofran, I also had some from the Vicoden I took earlier in the day. (Which I take as needed for sciatica).
My pain specialist recommends Miralax for constipation; I'm thinking of giving it a try instead of the senna.
I had my 2nd CMF Tuesday, and a Neulasta injection on Wednesday. Friday woke up with a migraine and nausea. Had to take my Compezine and Imitrex, which pretty much made me just want to snooze the rest of the day. Not sure if I was sick from the Neulasta or if it was the chemo. I had actually felt pretty ok the first two days after my chemo this time.
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mom2acat - When I told you I switched from Senna S (which the pharmacist said was pretty intense on the sytstem at 2 pills a day) i didn't tell you that I switched to an RX form of Miralax. My onc wrote a prescription and I got his huge bottle of polyethelene glycol (or PEG) and it's the RX form of Miralax; therefore, my insurance covered it. Not to be too detailed, but it's basically a lube! My understanding is that it helps move things through, but isn't a laxative so it doesn't give the added side effects that Senna does.
Also, when I went for my first treatment back on March 26, the nurse told me to get Miralax! But the onc had told me I could use the stool softeners I got when I was released from the hospital after my surgery. Then a week later, when I was having constipation problems from the Zofran and Iron, he told me to try Senna S (laxative and softener). Now, I hope, I'm on the right path. I've only used the PEG once (last night) and I haven't had a lot of cramping today--I haven't taken Senna S since Thursday night.
It's amazing how many different things we try before we get it right. I guess that's one good thing about 6 months of treatment--plenty of time to mix it up and see what works
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When it was all said and done Milk of Magnisia was the best remedy for constipation for me.
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I think each of us found some formula that worked for the constipation that results from those anti nauseas that go with chemo. I ate stewed prunes. I cooked them with some lemons and kept them in the fridge. Every evening, I would eat them for dessert (I like how they taste). Then the night before my chemo, I would take 2 stool softeners and then for a few days after, I would take one. Golfer had warned me about the constipation problem and it is one of the side effects that I could control.
I hope that your new CMFers don't have too many side effects and breeze through it the way Merilee did!
Hugs to all.
Mandy
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Ladies.....having a bone scan tomorrow and I'm definitely nervous about it. Keep me in your prayers...please!
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You are in my thoughts and prayers today, Cabmom. We'll be anxiously awaiting to hear good news from you!
Rita
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You are in my paryers Cabmom!
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Thanks to all for the thoughts and prayers. It was a LONG day. First, they have to do the injection, then I had to wait 3 hours before they can do the test......finally, went back to the hospital for the test and two out of the three machines were down. The actual test took about 20 minutes and it went ok. Should know the test results in a couple days......
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Hope you don't have to wait more than a couple of days for the results, and that they are good ones!
I had lab work done this morning; my WBC are way too low; my oncologist put me on an antibiotic, and I have to stay home and away from people. Had to cancel my plans to meet some friends for lunch tomorrow.
My mom is having surgery on her foot Thursday. I have to get my blood checked again that morning, and if the counts aren't high enough, I can't stay and be with her at the hospital. But the nurse told me that by then, the Neulsta shot I had last week should be kicking in and working.
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Great news!!!! My results were negative.....I am so relieved and HAPPY. Hoping that the final blood work will be good news and that my mammos are okay! I hope I won't dread mammos every time I have to have them now but I have a feeling that I will. I think I have to have them every six months now...at least for a while. SO after May 19th, when my final doctors' appointment is....I'm hoping that my life will be back to normal again. Not sure I know what that is but I'm still looking forward to it
!Just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your thoughts and prayers!!!
Hope everyone else is doing well.........
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Cabmom, that is the best news!!! Yippee!
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Cabmom, that's great!
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That is awesome Cabmom!
I had lab work this morning; my WBC went up to 2.8 (it was 0.8 on Tuesday); my oncologist gave me the ok to be at the hospital with my mom while she had her surgery, which went very well.
My next lab work will be done on May 4th.
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Cabmom and Mom2acat
Glad to hear things are looking up. I am one week out from my last chemo and starting to feel a bit energy come back. Feels good.
One thing I did during my last Chemo was to ask friends and family to send me a blessing via Internet while I was in the chair. I sat there for 3 hours with my lap top receiving blessings and words of love.
It was awesome.
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Cabmom...............YEA!!! That's such good news. Yes, I imagine that they will want you to have a mammo every 6 months for quite some time. I am three years out, and I still go for a mammo every 6 months on the "bad girl" side and once a year on the "good girl" side. I've never been able to shake the anxiety that accompanies this. It seems to start about a week before my mammo appointment. I know it's stupid, since there's nothing I can do about it, but I guess it's just me. Others have managed to jump this hurdle and perhaps you will be one of them.
Merilee........so glad that you're doing better. What a neat idea to receive blessings and words of love while doing your last chemo! That was pretty awesome!
Mom2acat..........glad that the counts have gone up and glad that your Mom got through surgery well! Things are looking up a bit for you and you are DUE!
Well, I'm off to get some work done around here before heading to the golf course this afternoon. Hugs to all of you. Enjoy the weekend.
Rita
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Rita, thanks and I hope I can jump that hurdle too but it might be quite some time.
Mom2acat, thanks and I'm so glad your mom is okay and that your counts are up. YEAH!
MaryNY and Mandy1313, thanks!
Now on to more tests next week and the week after then hopefully I can put all this behind me for a little while.
Merilee, glad you are still doing okay and what a special way to end your last treatment. COOL!
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Hey Ladies, I've been off the boards for a bit, but keeping up to date with emails that come thru.
Merilee: YOU'RE DONE!!! WHOO HOO!!! So happy for you. I have to agree, too, that rads seemed a bit much for ya. I didn't even think they did that for mastectomy patients. I definitely have to do that, as I got a lumpectomy, but that's okay...it's not CHEMO!
Cabmom: Thrilled to hear your bone scan was clear. What a relief. I think we'll all be going thru checks and scans and then hopefully major relief for a good portion of the rest of our lives, but each time will hear CLEAR is worth celebrating!
I hope everyone just starting or in the midst of this is hanging in and doing well. I finished #6 of 8 this past Monday and have been feeling fine. Only one day (my 3rd day out) did I feel fatigued and a little icky. On my icky days, I get this metallic-ish taste in my mouth and the smell of chemo in my nose...not pleasant...feels like postnasal drip chemo...lovely, right? UGH. Seems to have lasted only one day this time, though, and sometimes doesn't even show it's ugly face. I cannot wait to be done. If I remain on schedule and things have been SO easy for me so far, I should have #7 on 5/17 and then my last chemo on 6/7. Who knew that at Christmastime when I was going thru all of the initial shock of this that it'd be summer before I could relax about it? AIY! This IS a process, isn't it?? I don't know for sure when rads will start after chemo, but from your posts it sounds like they like to wait a week or so, so August is my END goal...I turn 37 at the end of August and I want to be DONE with cancer treatments, throw a party with pink balloons everywhere that I will ceremoniously RELEASE into the sky (as I've never really liked the darn color, even before cancer...why can't it be orange instead?) Then, it's just checkups and tamoxifen...I'm cool with that.
Be well everybody! I think of you all often!
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Judy, you are so right! This is quite a journey that seems to go on and on and on, but it looks like you're on the down side of the hill now. When is your birthday in August? Mine is the 30th! We can celebrate together. Of course, I'm celebrating a lot more years than 37! LOL So glad you're doing pretty well with the chemo. If you haven't tried lemon drops, they sometimes take away that metallic taste. Hang in there. You're making great progress!
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Thanks Ritajean and guess what?? My birthday is August 30th, too!!!! The very same day.
What are the odds? I will give the lemon drops a try. I actually haven't tried that. I was drinking Vanilla coke and that actually seemed to make it go away, too, but I'm trying to back off of a soda, so lemon drops it is! We will definitely have to CHEER each other on 8/30!!!0 -
Judy.....That's so coincidental! We'll just have us a good day on August 30th! That's really hard to believe! LOL
And as for the pink, it must be a Virgo thing! I didn't have a single pink thing in my closet before bc. I still look terrible in pink, especially the paler pink shades! LOL!
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Whoo-hoo white blood count of 8.3 this morning. I don't have to go back for 3 months, Yippy!
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YEAH MERILEE! That's super! I'm so happy for you!
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YEAH MERILEE!!!!!!!!
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Great news on the blood count!
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I haven't been near the computer for a few weeks & have just caught up with the latest news. Although I haven't written much on this site, I have to thank you all for the information & support you give via the thread. It has been so helpful to me. The ladies on this thread are wonderful.
I have only one treatment to go this Thursday & seem to have worked out the anti-nausea meds now. Surprisingly I had more nausea with CMF than AC, but then I had stronger anti-nausea meds for 3 days with AC, whereas with CMF I'm having the Anti- nausea meds for 2 weeks. I've managed to walk about 6 Km's a day & have maintained a good appetite throughout (perhaps too much). When i've had a bloated stomach & funny taste in my mouth I've found acidophilus has helped me. I, like others can't tolerate ice any longer, even thinking it tastes funny. In fact I can't sit at a cafe with anyone near me drinking anything with ice in it. I can't believe looking at ice can bring on nausea but it does. I think I should eat chocolate with my last treatment, which might cure me of my chocolate addiction...Hugs to all you wonderful ladies. Vicki
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Vicki
Way to go getting though treatment walking 6kms. I am sure that helped. I worked out every morning too and I am sure it helped with the fatigue. I think you should save your chocolate and reward yourself with some fine chocolates when you are done on Thursday. Maybe eat something greasy during your last treatment and see if you can create an aversion to that instead LOL. After all Dark chocolate actually has a good amount of anti oxidants, (my favorite ones).
I will be sending positive light your way on Thursday, best wishes.
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Vicki,
I will be thinking about you on Thursday as you finish with the CMF. Way to go!
The food association issue is really odd. I can now suck on ice and use it in beverages but I'm still not able to be around Chinese or Oriental foods. That smell makes me immediately nauseous and I used to love Chinese cuisine. I kept thinking it would go away but it hasn't yet and it's been about 3 years since I walked out of the treatment room.
So glad you've come to the end of the CMF road. Thanks for sharing with us.
Rita
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