CMF Question
Comments
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Yes, Timbuktu, I had some eye involvement. I went to my opthamologist and if you are having trouble, you might want to do the same. Yay, for your 7th infusion. You are almost there!!!!
Hugs to all,
Mandy
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Like Mandy, I went to see an opthamologist too. I can't say my eyesight was affected but eyes were constantly tearing and I also developed blepharitis. Eye doctor gave me a topical antiobiotic and an eyelid scrub which was very effective. He told me the condition could become chronic if not treated.
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I am wondering if contacts will be out of the question while on CMF. I have yet to begin treatment. My first is intended to happen on March 15th.
I was also wondering if I can continue to color my hair throughout?
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Welcome, Momswhoteach!
My onc told me not to wear contacts during the infusion process and for the following week. I found that with each treatment I seemed to do a bit better in terms of my eyes and by the final infusion I had my contacts back in by day three.
I've heard mixed opinions on hair coloring. I get a treatment done called glossing at an Aveda salon that is not harsh and I kept it up through my treatment. I did cancel one appointment for a gloss after a Neulasta shot because my whole body was sore including my scalp. My stylist though I lost about 25% of my hair. I had a cut about 6 week after my last infusion and he could see hair starting to grow back!
Hang in there and ask any questions you have. We are all here for you.
Denise
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HI momswhoteach!
I know that Ritajean was able to color her hair during treatment so you probably can too. You might want to check with her.
And my eyes became very dry during treatment---so I think that upstate has given you good advice about contact lenses.
Hugs
Mandy
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Thanks Mandy and Upstate.
I am hoping to keep most of my hair. I have been reading on this or another thread that people have used other products to substitute the harsh chemicals. I may look into that too.
I was wondering how successful people were with working through the IV CMF. I am planning treatments on Thursdays so I can get to work on Friday while the steroid is still effective. Then hopefully, I be recooperate for Monday morning.
I am a 5th grade teacher and am aware that I may have to stay home when my cell count drops to ward off looming germs.
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momswhoteach: I have gone through 2x of CMF .. so far I have had very little side effects. Some mild cramping in lower intestines for 3 or 4 days after treatment, but nothing that would stop me from doing anything. I use Miralax every day and that helps with the constipation. Counts did drop first and second weeks but came up by the next treatment. Minimal hair loss so far, no one noticed but me. Good Luck .. you will do fine. PS: I am 71 yrs. old.
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momswhoteach: each person's reaction to chemo is different. Some gals on chemo work right through the chemo without difficulty. I was pretty tired through most of mine and while I might have been able to have done a desk job, I don't think I could have taught school. But hopefully you will be lucky and have no side effects...let us know how you do and feel free to ask any questions.
svma: so glad that you are doing so well!
Hugs to all
Mandy
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Hi there fellow BC Warriors
Last CMF IV on 1 Feb, popped my last CMF pill on 15 Feb (6 months). Overwhelming relief.
Hair loss about 50%, bought a hairpiece after 4th cycle, felt like a new person with the restored volume.
My leftover real hair underneath is pretty thin and dry - has anyone been through this and have advice for me? I'd like to know if I should cut it short or if somehow I can restore it to its 'former glory' :-)
I coloured the grey bits (argh!) brown very safely with natural Henna if anyone is fed up with theirs. Worked for me! Was dry and thin beforehand, the colouring did not affect it. Brown/auburn and shiny now.
Hang in there to all the ladies who are still going through CMF - the constipation, headaches, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, chemo brain, mouth sores, sleepless nights etc etc will all be over sooner than you think. xx
Annoyed that the chemo induced the menopause after 4th cycle for me - will get to the bottom of finding something to sort out the hot flashes. Grrrr. And the freekin weight gain! Need to lose a few kgs now once WBC back to normal.
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Welcome to all the new ladies on this thread. I've been absent for a while but think about you guys often. Hope everyone is doing well on treatment and also all of the ladies that are past the treatments. Isn't it amazing how the drama never seems to end when you're dealing with this terrible "C" word. I have now lost my 6th oncologist and at this stage of the game, not sure what I should do. I know that sounds really odd but it's true. First one, I lost because he was where my summer home is and I had to move back to where my child goes to school, so even though I liked him so much. I knew that I had no choice about coming back to be with my little boy on a daily basis. Onc 2, was canned because he was a JERK and could have cared less about me or what happened to me, so had to move on. Onc 3 was wonderful and I felt so blessed to have found him especially after all the drama but he left to go to a larger office. Onc 4 was just filling in for this last onc until the real one could make it in, which now brings us to Onc 5. Onc 5 was a nice guy but so hard to understand.....I struggled everytime I was with him to fully understand what he was saying. Now, today, I find out that Onc 6, which was an awesome lady oncologist that really knew her stuff, has left. Another new Onc, guess that makes him Onc 7, will be available to meet this week. Right now, I'm just not sure what I want to do. All these changes are freaking me out a little. Wondering if I should consider a different path ......just not sure what that path should be. Doesn't this just sound NUTS.......this was definitely NOT DRAMA FREE for me. I thought that we was suppose t
liminate stress from our lives...So, anyone have any suggestions? Should I just stay or try to find a new onc or should I just eliminate an onc altogether and move on down the road? I know that's probably not the smartest choice but.....just kinda tired of the roller coaster ride and ready to get off.
Thanks for listening to me ramble about my ONC drama.....hopefully, I'll get in figured out.
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Wow cabmom, those are alot of doctors to deal with. Is there any way that you could follow onc 6 to her new practice? That is what I'd be inclined to do. You only have to go twice a year so if it is a bit of a trip, it will not matter as much as when you are under treatment. Ask the practice to give you contact information for onc 6--that you have something you need to finish up with her and insist on it. You might even be able to find her on your own with an internet search. Or, my second choice might be to just follow onc 3 to the larger office and bring him a copy of your records. You are not obligated to stay with this practice which seems to be in constant flux. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Hugs to you and everyone.
Mandy
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Thanks Mandy....I don't really know where onc 6 is going but I think I could find out. I can't imagine that she would be staying here but I think I will try to find out. Onc 3 is too far away now so he's definitely out, as are 4 and 5. Thanks for the advice.....my new project for the day
! Hope everyone has a good one......0 -
Cab mom, I sent you an email.
All of the new gals, how is it going?
Hugs to all,
Mandy
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Round one of CMF complete. Dealing with tinny taste and quite a headache. Any suggestions?
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Hi, momswhoteach!
My best advice is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I think that helps so much. I also took an over the counter pain reliever sometimes. And ice cream I hope you feel better soon!
Denise0 -
Hi momswhoteach!
Yes Denise gives good advice---hydrate as best you can. I found I could not drink water when I was on chemo because if gave me that tinny taste. I found that ginger helped...I drank "ginger beer" which is not beer at all but a strong natural ginger ale that is available (where I live) at Whole foods. I also found the less sweet sodas such as the Italian aranciata and limonata were tolerable and helped with the metal mouth.
For the head-ache....do you have a fever? I know that sounds obvious but I had a fever a couple of times when I had chemo and it was not the first thing that crept into my mind. If not, ask your onc if you can take asperin or tylenol and try those. I did not have to work during chemo, so m next thing would be to suggest that you just ie down and rest.....is that possible for you to do today?
Take care and feel better.
Hugs to you and to the other gals on this thread.
Mandy
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Hi gals!
I am back from sunny Florida and pleasantly surprised to find wonderful weather in Illinois. In fact, I think I'm going to try to play 9 holes of golf later this afternoon.
Welcome to the new gals on the thread. You've found the perfect place (with the perfect ladies) to post your questions, concerns, and to just vent. No question is too insignificant. We've all been there and it's a totally new experience to you.
I have never heard that you shouldn't wear contact lenses during infusions. I wore mine all the time and had no problems. Hmmm..........
momswhoteach............Lemon drops and Crystal Light became my best friends when going through treatment. I got to where I couldn't drink plain water anymore so the Crystal Light tasted much better. The lemon drops helped with the metallic taste in my mouth and also with any nausea that I experienced. Are you sucking on ice chips during your infusion? If not, ask for some as they supposedly ward off the mouth sores. I did that and didn't have any mouth sores. It's such an easy preventative measure.
Hey cabmom.........you do have some onc drama going on there. Wow! I think the record for the most oncs! Hope it works out to your satisfaction and you find the special one that's just suited to you.....and then decides to stay!
SuzB...Congrats on finishing the chemo!!! YEAH! Now do you have to do rads, too or are you completely finished with treatments?
smva....It sounds like it's going good for you. YEAH!!!! I've got my fingers crossed that the remaining sessions go as smoothy.
Well, I have to package up some birthday presents to send to my grandson who will be turning 3 years old in a few weeks. How I wish I was closer so I could see him open them and share his special day.
Hey golfer........so glad you're doing well on the aromasin. Maybe this is the one for you!
Off to get something done.
Rita
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Had my last CMF last Thursday (God willing) and my first neulasta shot.
I also had my blood chemistries done and boy were they goofy! Creatinine and other measures of kidney function were off, triglycerides 300, etc. Sure hope they return to normal.
Oddly, the wbc was higher after 2 weeks than 3. The dr told me that it goes down for 2 weeks and then rebounds but not with me. That's why i got the neulasta shot. It did cause a bit of a backache but I'm glad i got it. It's better than getting sick.
How long did it take for people to return to normal after the last infusion? Or do you return to normal? I've forgotten what normal feels like!
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Had my last CMF last Thursday (God willing) and my first neulasta shot.
I also had my blood chemistries done and boy were they goofy! Creatinine and other measures of kidney function were off, triglycerides 300, etc. Sure hope they return to normal.
Oddly, the wbc was higher after 2 weeks than 3. The dr told me that it goes down for 2 weeks and then rebounds but not with me. That's why i got the neulasta shot. It did cause a bit of a backache but I'm glad i got it. It's better than getting sick.
How long did it take for people to return to normal after the last infusion? Or do you return to normal? I've forgotten what normal feels like!
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Hey Timbuktu!!! Congrats on finishing CMF!!! Wahooooooo!!!! Time to celebrate!!! My bloods were funky while I was on CMF with triglycerides way up high like yours---they do return to normal--I don't remember exactly when, but in about 6 months. How are you feeling? I was pretty low energy for a while after chemo but a trip to Europe about two months later sure perked me up!!! Hugzzz!
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Timbuktu -- Congrats on finishing CMF!! You will be back to normal in no time. It seems I was back to normal fairly soon. My energy level returned quickly, but it was awhile before my hair felt healthy. At my one-month checkup, my blood levels had recovered too.
Ritajean - Welcome back to the thread! It's golf season again so enjoy!
Cabmom - Hope you find a permanent onc that you like and trust. What a bummer to have to go through the selection process again!
Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!
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Hi everyone, just had 3x of CMF on Tuesday. Feeling pretty good except for bad lower intestinal cramps every day. Taking Miralax to prevent constipation, but cramps come and go. Any suggestions? Hair is getting thinner and texture different, but still hanging on. Hope everyone else is doing fine.
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Thanks for all the advice. The night of my first CMF I experienced terrible reflux and a headache like no other. My oncho nurse said to take my sinus meds, as I do suffer from sinus pain at times. Zantac was recommended for the reflux. Both worked so well!!! Relief for those symptoms was a joy. Unfortunately they kept me from working on Friday. Saturday I crashed just about at the 48 hour mark of the steroid as promised. Got in physical therapy and a 3 mile walk just before. Sunday I had some trouble getting started and slept on and off. This allowed me to recharge for Monday. I felt great all day today. Sat more often than I usually do but my students didn't notice. Well, 1 down and 7 more to go. I will take the Zantac and sinus meds before the treatment in hope of no recurrence of those side effects. I am hoping to keep this pace throughout...am I delusional??
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smva I did take senokot at night. I don't have cramps but back pains all related to the constipation. So the senokot helped both. I am not sure if you want to trade your miralax cramps for my senokot back aches though...lol.
Like upstate said, I have been hydrating like crazy, but I am a water drinker. Right after treatment I added some cranberry juice to the water with ice to help with the tasty tin in the mouth..
Ritajean, I didn't get mouth sore the first time but will take you advice to ward them off. Thanks.
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Hi!
I used a very old fashioned method to ward off the constipation--stewed prunes. The night before my chemo infusions, I would take one stool softener pill (like colace) and I did that for the day of chemo and maybe one or two days afterwards. But every day when I was on chemo, I ate a dish of home stewed prunes---only about 3 to 5 prunes. I cooked them with lemons and they tasted good. I would eat them with about 2 tablespoons of plain lowfat biodynamic yoghurt (from a small local dairy). I tended to eat them as an evening snack. It allowed me to stay "regular" throughout chemo without belly aches or back aches. Just a suggestion.
momswhoteach: Alot of the ladies here did manage to work through chemo so you may be able to do so too. I, on the other hand, would not have been able to do so since for me the chemo was cumulative and I became more tired as it went on. But everyone is different and reacts differently--I think it is hard to predict who will feel what. So lets hope you can work thorugh all of your treatments and think positively.
Hope everyone is enjoying a nice day today!
Hugs
Mandy
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Thanks so much Mandy! I was a little worried about those triglycerides!
Tomorrow will be a week since the last infusion and thank God today i feel so much better.
It's been a very rough week. It's such a battle that is going on inside the body, you just have to hope that your body will win! And today, it has so I'm hopeful that from now on it's upward and onward!
We also were thinking of traveling, funny. I used to be afraid to fly, afraid to spend money, just plain afraid. But now...not so much. I want to LIVE! We were thinking of a trip in May but I was a little concerned that it might be too soon. Six months? That's a while till you get back to normal.
When i woke up this morning, after a peaceful night's sleep, the birds were singing and I thought "Normal! I do remember what this feels like!" Only now I appreciate it as never before!
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I have found that a bowl of oatmeal every day works like a charm to get things moving.
For heartburn i'm afraid the only thing that worked was keeping something in my stomach.
A few blueberries, a few almonds, and if really bad, ice cream or pretzels and coke or ginger ale.
Gained a lot of weight but I just didn't care. The stomach problems were no fun but manageable. Also taking those anti-nausea pills liberally was very helpful.
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They do tell you to keep drinking water to protect the kidneys. I'm afraid i might not have because i was so nauseous those first days after the infusions. The nurse suggested sucking on ice, not supposed to be as nauseating.
It's amazing, you put one foot in front of the other, get through one day at a time, and before you know it, it's past. Good luck to everyone and hang in there, it will pass.
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As for working through chemo, I don't think i could have. But it is so incredibly unpredictable!
I thought it would be cumulative, with each week getting worse but it didn't work that way at all.
it was so random. One infusion was a breeze and the next...not. I really never knew from one time to the next. Although I have to say, this last one was pretty rough going. But here I am, day 6 and AOK! I would never have predicted that 2 days ago!
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Timbuktu - You should be fine by May to travel -- enjoy! I played golf with my league and whenever else I could throughout tx and as I said, I really regained my strength quickly after I finished. As you said 'LIVE' !
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