CMF Question
Comments
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What happened Susan? It seems you had a double mastectomy, lymph node removal ovary removal and chemo in 2005.
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Sue
sounds like we were on the same regime.
I had infusions day 1 and day 8 with cytoxan pills day 1 thru to 14.
I was on 150mg.alternating with 200mg due to my weight.
I could feel the difference with having 3 pills over the 4 pills with nausea and fatigue. Not enough nausea to take anti nausea meds though.
Sorry to hear you are feeling crap.
This regime I found to be a breeze over Taxotere which I see youve done back in 2005.
Why are you on CMF 8 years later if you dont mind me asking?0 -
Ok I'm sorry to keep going on but i'm so excited. I can't believe it's here. Tomorrow (as long as my numbers are good) I get my last chemo treatment. That was a LONG 16 weeks. I already have my port scheduled to get out and an appointment thursday with my radiation doctor. How bad can you tell I want this to be over.
I really didn't have problems too much with the side effects after the first one. I had fatigue, but it seems to have gotten a lot better. And they control the nausea with the meds. I don't even really get neck and shoulder pain much any more. Sometimes my whole body is sore, but i think it's caused i gained weight - water weight/steriod weight/comfort eating weight. And it actually kind of hurts when i walk. LOL Other than that I'm exercising a lot. I don't know if you all know but i'm a zumba instructor. Tomorrow is my 8th cmf treatment and I taught, thursday, friday, saturday, sunday and today. My doctor thinks i'm nuts, but i swear I feel SO much better when i'm done. I swear I sweat a lot of the toxins out. I'm DRENCHED when i'm done. I've never sweated this much. I think it's all the fluid that's been pouring into me. I also took up juicing. That also truly helped my energy levels. I stick to mostly vegetables, one or two fruits for taste. But the energy and the jucing make me feel normal in between treatment. Good luck to all..I'm sure i'll back back tomorrow to tell you i'm done! Yay! :-)
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Yeh...its finally come Robyn...it is an exciting time and you have every right to be excited.
Im lucky i had my ds to keep my energy levels high during treatment...but you...zumba...instructor....crazy...bu glad you kept at it and feel good. Ive been looking into juicing...might have to pm you!
In your pocket for tomorrow hun....fingers crossed bloods are all good x0 -
Congratulations Robin. Good luck and, well, I was going to wish you a speedy recovery but that seems out of place!
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Congrats Robin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's your last treatment today!!! Jumping for joy for you!!!
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Congrats Robin! Very exciting and glad it was not so bad to manage.
Yes, this is a 'new primary' vs. a recurrence, so they say. I don't think they realy know to tell you the truth. My first cancer was at 37 in 2005. I did great for 8 years:) I feel like this one is harder but I think that is because I slept alot during the ACT treatment and my kids were all little so I had lots of help. Now my kids are all middle/high school and I am trying to just carry on as usual--except for cooking. I live in a small town and the whole world is bringing me food, which is amazing. So, I think I am just more emotional this time so mentally it is harder. My mother died at 40, I was 10, from BC. I am pretty much following her path so far-so we are being agressive. She had another tumor 7 years out from her initial diagnosis, so I am hoping this is where we stop being alike!
Dropping to 3 pills a day has helped...but still don't feel good. I HATE feeling sick-that is half my problem. I think I need a psychiatrist:)
thanks everyone for all your support!
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I am sorry, I left that off i guess. I was tested in 2005 and yes I am BRCA1:) More fun:)
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Suebele,
(((HUGS))) It's so great that you have such a good support system. I'm cheering for you, as well as all of the brave women battling this dreaded thing.
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My hairs are falling bad today when I was showing... It's 2nd weeks form my 1 st treatment. I was kind of shake when I saw that many hairs on the shower tub! Coming Thursday is my son's high school graduaction and I don't want this happen before that.
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It takes awhile. You most likely are good to go for your son's grad. Enjoy!
Hugs,
Pegy0 -
Cherish- I sent you a private message.
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Hi guys! Well yes I am done! Yay! But i'm still here if anyone has any questions. I start my radiation treatment in the middle of June. This has been a LONG LONG road. Cherish it always looked like i was losing a lot of hair, but honest NO ONE was ever able to tell. Just me.
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Robin- so envious that you are done! I have tx #3 out if 8 tomorrow. It's hard to wrap my brain around it and the 5 more ill have left after that! I read also about your juicing. Unfortunately my onc won't let me while in chemo which I think is silly but I had started before I knew I needed chemo and felt great too. I don't know if anyone has seen her blog or books but kris karr is a cancer survivor and has changed her terminal diagnoses with food and juicing. She has a great book called crazy sexy cancer and then crazy sexy diet which goes into detail about juicing and smoothies. I will definitely be following it after I am done. She also has a website and blog.
Wish there were more ladies out the actively doing cmf. I find the chemo boards overwhelming and scary and frankly it is hard to read!! It's hard enough to get thru this and stay positive. I am grateful that so far I am pretty much ok. Aside for feeling crappy the 2-4 days after. The hardest part is only having a week off!
Good luck to all that are done
. Hopefully ill be there soon!
Jsrose0 -
What is it already with juicing? I read posts here on bco that put great emphasis on it as generally healthy, or suggest that it's helpful particularly if you have cancer, and there is also a guy in my local support group who became a big juicing proponent right after his dx, but I just don't get why it's supposed to be so good for you. How is it better than just eating a bunch of fruits & veggies? I'm not saying it isn't better, but I've never seen an explanation of why.
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Curveball I don't get it why either. I guess maybe i would never sit down and eat that many vegetables or fruit in one day? It really honestly made a difference in my energy levels and how I felt. I swear. I am not a person that buys into that stuff. :-) But felt like I had to give it a try. jsrose, did your doctor say why you could not juice? My radiation doctor told me to take it easy with jucing during radiation, meaning don't have five blueberry juices in one day. Cause they are putting oxidants in me and they don't want the "anti-oxidants" fighting it.
Honestly so many people got in my face about juicing that I had to try it. I got the Jack La Lane Power Pro Juicer from costco.
P.S. Jsrose, I used to be envious too about people finishing. i can't believe I am done! It felt like forever, but now that it's over and i'm past the couple of days of feeling gross (#8 by far made me the most tired). I feel great. :-)
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I juice because although I was able to eat a lot of fruits and salads, I was never able to get enough dark geen veggies in my day. With juicing I get a half a head of kale before I start every day. Otherwise I wouldn't be doing it!
Peggy0 -
Curveball,
I felt the same as you. My co worker harassed me about the nutribullet or any other juicing. I ate salads, loved fruit. I make sure to include vegetables with my meals, so I assumed I was all good. But I eventually bought a nutribullet and I can tell you it does make a difference. First off you don't cook the veggies, which means you get all of the benefits of vitamins and all other nutrition that are steamed or cooked out usually
I rinse off raw spinach, kale, collards etc mix in some fruit and juice it.. I do that in the morning and then in the evening. I would have never gotten this much vegetables (maybe fruit because I eat that all the time) The fact that I'm not steaming or cooking away nutritious value of the veggie makes it all the better. I was anemic and had to take iron supplements, which adds to the constipation (like I need help with that) But now because I'm getting enough iron from the foods I'm eating. My blood work shows it's truly working, and helped my bowels...lol...
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Robin- my onc said something similar to your radiation onc about too much anti oxidants and also she said its better to eat cooked veggies while doing chemo instead of raw since your immune system is compromised. If the veggies were to be tainted I would get more sick than someone not doing chemo.
As others have said, I was feeling great while juicing and had tons of energy. It is an energy boost because its immediately absorbed into your body since there is no fiber in it, your body doesn't have to work hard to break it down.
I'm not sure i agree with my onc about nothing raw but I'm playing it safe. She definitely said if I do eat raw veggies to wash them in vinegar really well at home. I guess everyone has a different opinion. I still want to meet with an nutritionist an see what they would say too.
Happy jucing to those of you doing it!
Jsrose0 -
@Peggysull, how much juice does half a head of kale make?
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Curveball, I mix 1head of organic kale with fruit (apple or pears), carrots, and stir in nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt at the end for protein. It makes two 8-10 ounce glasses--one for today and one for tomorrow.
Peggy0 -
I don't juice, but have a friend who swears by it. She does a shot of wheatgrass every morning along with some other multi-veg juice. She says it boosts her energy levels presumbly from all the extra vitaimins and enzymes she's getting.
However, don't expect juicing to change your diagnosis. Your diagnosis is what it is. I'm sceptical of any claims that juicing or baking soda or whatever are miraculously going to cure you.
Re Kris Karr, she was not diagnosed with breast cancer. She was diagnosed with a rare, and unpredictable, form of cancer that affects smooth muscle. It seems she has a less aggressive form. Good luck to her, she’s a savvy business woman, who’s turned her life around upon a cancer diagnosis. But you can't compare her story to the women on here who've had mastectomies, ovaries removed, been pushed into early menopause, had months of harsh chemotherapy treatments and more. Crazy, sexy is not on the cards for most of us no matter how much we juice ... well, maybe crazy is.
Please listen to your doctors and make decisions based on sound science not on unproven theories or fears about losing your hair. I lost my hair completely during chemo. Once it was gone it was gone and was in some ways liberating. I'd prefer to be bald for a few months, knowing I'd done all I could do to stall the disease.
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May- I respectfully disagree about kris karr and crazy sexy. I don't feel it matters that she didn't have breast cancer-- she had a stage IV rare cancer and has inspired so many others to live healthy, positively, fully and spiritually. Anyone with cancer or not can benefit from her story. I have in fact sent many friends without cancer her book just for inspiration to live healthy! I don't know if anyone can prove that anything even chemo will definitely cure any type of cancer but if someone or something can inspire you to live healthy and positively than I think it's a great thing. I recommended crazy sexy diet for those who are interested in juicing and learning how to do it bc she breaks it down in a way that is easy to understand and do. In addition she educates you on what kind of juicers to buy and how to change your eating habits and life! She is truly an inspiring human being!
I would never replace juicing for chemo but I think they both have a place in believing we are active participants in our life and health.
Today is my #3 chemo! Not looking forward to the next few days but glad to be checking off the treatments!
Jsrose0 -
Hi all. Just wondering for those of you that didn't loose your hair in cmf was it a gradual thinning or did it seem to just thin in the beginning and then stop. I still seem to have most if my hair and I just finished tx #3. Just wondering if I can stop worrying about losing it all or not!
Almost halfway thru! Yay!
Jsrose0 -
Congrats on the half way mark Jsrose
I can't comment on the 'thinning' part on CMF as I had lost my hair on my regime that I had prior, however my hair grew back whilst on CMF.
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Jsrose,
Next Thursday will be my 6th treatment and I still have a full head of hair, although every time I comb or brush it, a lot of strands come out. I do notice thinning, but no one else does. After the 1st and 2nd treatment OMG my hair was shedding like a dog. I wore a white coat during that time and there would be a bunch of hair on the back of the coat. I just knew all of my hair would come out but knock on wood, it hasn't. I still have 2 more treatments so I'm praying it stays. I have made changes, No dying, I let my hair air dry 2/3rd through and then use the blow dryer. Different shampoos etc. Wide tooth combs and brushes and I don't pull my hair back in ponytails tight..
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Jsrose: Most of the hair "thinning" that I had occured with the fourth tx. I saw so much hair in the shower drain one evening that I literally thought it must be a mouse. But just like that--the hair loss slowed down. I don't think that anyone noticed that my hair was somewhat thinner. Hope that answers your question.
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Same as rest tons came out in shower. No one absolutely can tell. Did same things, different shampoo. No ponytails. However I did color my hair myself. No problems with that and my dr knows I colored it. I told him. Honestly a lot of hair comes out when I comb it but don't worry. If you haven't lost it yet. I doubt very much you will.
. I finished all 8 last week. My head is thinner but full 0 -
Dear Dianarose, just want to say that we all stand here for you!
Fight on ! Hugs~~~~~0
