CMF Question
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Rita,
Hi... Oh, thanks for checking on me. I have been reading some of the posts, but not posting very much lately.
My hair is growing in very slowly... it is kind of GRAY! But, I am glad to have hair. It covers my scalp, so it has filled in nicely, I guess... I am not wearing my wigs too much, only sometimes... because it is so cold, I wear the long one to keep my head warm!
I am ready to go someplace warm, too! It is COLD here! My dh and I are going on a 7 day Caribbean Holland America cruise, leaving from Ft. Lauderdale on Feb. 9th. I will not be on this board for one to two weeks, because we may be stopping for a few days at a friend's house in Cocoa Beach, before we return home.
I just discovered that I will run out of Tamoxifen pills while away on the cruise. I called CVS to try to refill, and they tell me that I won't be able to get a refill until I am on my vacation. They suggested that I get the refill and pay for it out of pocket...but, I don't want to do that! I think we pay enough for our insurance premiums, so I should be able to get my refill and pay only the co-pay. I will see my onc on Feb 5th, and I'm hoping that he'll write me a NEW scrip for it, so I can just go get it filled before I leave.
Have a great time in Florida!
Harley
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Since I am new to CMF can anyone tell me how they felt day by day. Do you feel OK, nausea, fatigue, can you pretty much function normally. When I was on TC x 4 I had one bad week that I couldn't do much and then two good weeks. Any tips?
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Diane, hey you've heard enough about my story, I hope someone on this post pipes in for your sanity. I am curious to what your dose will be on the 28 day regimen. I'm taking 150 mg on the 14 day plan which is determine by hgt/wgt.
I truly hope your as lucky as me with regards to se's. And you'll see other ladies here have had pretty tolerable txt.
I'll be checking in with the Jan 08 gang as well, Carol
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Yeah ! Harley's back! So glad all is going well for you. It sounds like you have a nice trip planned, too! I'm up for any WARM place right now!
Oh yes, Carol. The golf clubs are going along. I have never been to the Fort Myers Beach area before but I'm sure we'll be able to find some golf courses! LOL I'm not really that good so they don't have to be 5 star to please me. It will just be nice to be out there. We're leaving Friday afternoon and I'm not taking a laptop so I won't check back in until I get home.
Diane...so sorry that you had trouble with your past treatments and so glad that you discovered us here. We will try to help you however we can. I did not do the same type of CMF as you are going to be doing, but overall, CMF is very doable. I always felt pretty good on the day of my infusion. When I took the anti-nausea pills, I got through with very little nausea on the second day. The third day was my worst day if I was going to have a bad day after a treatment and then I went back to a fairly normal life. My treatments were three weeks apart so I enjoyed the chemo holiday then between the treatments. As for the fatigue, the affects of chemo are cumulative and I found myself more tired as the treatments progressed, but still, a nap here and there seemed to suffice. We are all so different and we all react differently to these drugs. In fact, I reacted a little differently to each of my own treatments, so there's no "cut and dry" list of side effects. Still, I think you'll find the CMF is more gentle than what you've been through especially if you drink lots of water to help flush the drugs through your system.
Well, gals, I need to find my cat and my recliner. I'll catch up with you again tomorrow! Hope you're doing well, Jill and that the side effects are minimal! Hang in there!
Rita
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Jill, checking in to see how your doing. Hoping that no news is good news. If you get a chance let us know.
Rita, fairways and greens gal!!!
DianeB, just me again, I guess its Jill and I that are active on the CMF right now, so I'll share my experience so far ...
When I went to SCCA they too said that they are doing their CMF infusion weekly, and 28 days of oral. I had chosen to receive my txt in Bremerton and they did the 14 day with infusion on day 1 and 8. Since the weekly regimen was new to them I chose to stick with the plan that they we're more familiar with.
Day one for me was on the 10th, they gave me a drip of anti nausea (took about 15 min), then a bag of fluid was hung up and the nurse slowly pushed in the "M" and then the "F" into the line. I chomped on ice during that part, which took no more than 30 minutes total. I got a slight taste in my mouth but that was it. She said the nausea drug should last about 24 hrs.
As far as the oral portion, I have been taking a Zofran (for nausea) when I get up in the morning. I wait about 30 min, eat a lite breakfast and then popped my 3 cytoxan pills. Then the water part starts, I drink about 100+ ounces of water a day, along with maybe a gingerale, glass of cranberry etc. Flushing the bladder is key, (which I'm sure your doc will discuss). You want to take the med in the morning so you have a full day to flush!!! I literally have had no nausea, (in fact I don't even know if I need the Zofran) but I'm not messing with a good thing. I keep a little food on my tummy almost all the time, my work bag is so full of snacks.
I did have a ugly bout of constipation last week, I wasn't smart enough to take the good advice of many to maybe start a plan prior to my txt start date. I have finally found this week that Miralax (suggested by my onc), is really working well, with no se's from it. Its now OTC at the drugstore.
So far no real fatigue, I've been able to work and feel pretty darn good.
Are you doing your txt with Evergreen still or are you started fresh with SCCA? I blabbed on in the Jan 08 to sista2 in regards to CMF, I noticed that your Dx is similar to mine in regards to ER/PR etc. Wondering if the hormone issue is true for you as well.
Take care, hope that your med for the clot is effective and you can put that behind you.
Carol
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Carol:
Thanks! Yes, I am having my treatment at Evergreen. I think my onc wants to do it the way SCCA does it because he wants less cytoxan in my system at a time because I had the two seizures when I was doing the other regimen. I have to be careful about getting my sodium level too low. What a balancing act I have to do! I am praying that everything will be as effective as it needs to be. Pray that I have no side effects to this regimen!
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I believe my mother did CMF back in 1999....and she just felt like she had a mild flu a few days after each treatment.....said she was cold. She also gained 11 pounds because she was eating little snack items all day...she had a little fridge put in her room because she assumed she might be to sick to get to the kitchen...never happened. All I can say is.....she did very well and she did not loose her hair.
Love,
Terry
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Carol...love your new pic!!!! Hope you are still doing well.
Diane...sending Hugs, Prayers, and good vibes your way that your newest treatment will be kind to you. :-)
Terry, thanks for the encouragement. Both my mother and I also had bc. I didn't realize what she was really going through until it hit me. Then I really understood how tough she really was.
Hello to all the other CMF gals....and that includes Harley, too!
Rita
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Hi...just checking in on all of you to be sure you are all ok
.Diane, good luck with your new chemo treatments.
Rita, have fun in Florida
Jill and Carol, glad you are both doing good
Hugs and prayers,
Candie
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Rita,
Hi there... Are you back from Florida, or are you getting ready to leave?
I have two cats, and they are great!
I got my Tamoxifen refill... don't know why CVS gave me such a hard time about it, because when I called today, they filled it with no problem...
Thanks for checking up on me... you are a wonderful friend!
Harley
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Hey, Harley. Glad they refilled the prescription. I fly out of here on Friday for 8 days. I really wanted to go for longer but my friend wasn't sure that she wanted to be gone that long. Now she is having second thoughts. LOL
Are your cats inside or outside cats? I have one of each. The inside one is getting pretty old and crippled up with arthritis. I can't imagine how terrible it will be when I lose him. The outside cat arrived here about a year ago. She was living under our front porch and I couldn't stand it. I started feeding her. I am amazed that she is still around. We have lots of other critters out here but she is a real scrapper! I'd bring her in but she is still too wild. She will let me pet her while she eats but still circles the porch several times before coming to her bowl. Any noise has her off the porch in seconds.
Hope you girls who are doing treatments are doing well today. Hugs to you. It won't be long and the treatments will all be over!
Rita
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Hi there, to all CMFers,
I can't give you too much advice, since I had Taxotere & Cytoxan, but I thought I was going to have CMF, so I got ready for it, and then my onc changed the tx... so, I lost my hair... you may not, but it might still thin out a bit. I had some trouble with diarrhea, too, while most of the women who got TC had constipation... Everyone has different se's... Hang in there, girls, because if I can get through chemo, so can YA'll (or is it ALL YA'LL? I keep forgetting!)
You can do it...
Hugs,
Harley
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Rita,
My two cats are mainly inside cats, but... now that we are living in NC, (I moved here from Maryland in Oct. 2006), with the milder climate (although recently, it's been pretty COLD here, too!), we have been letting them go out on our screened in porch. They really LOVE it out there! Thor loves the cold... he is a Norwegian Forest cat, and it can get pretty cold in Norway, so he has alot of fur, to keep him warm! Spike doesn't like to go out much when it is cold. He is a black & white tuxedo cat, and he was almost feral. His Mother was staying with a feral colony when she was pregnant... because there is food there, and the rescue group said that she was also feral. At first, Spike was kind of scared, but now, he is much better... he still runs from us, but it is more of a game than fear. We can get him much easier now than when we first got him. I think that cats are just great to have around!
Gee, I hope your friend still wants to go to florida...it sounds wonderful!! Hope you have a great time!
Harley
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Thanks everyone. Today I go in to talk to them about the blood thinners and then more "teaching" on the new drugs and another fragmin shot. I also lost all my hair because I started the TC x 4 first. Oh well, I think that is the least of my concerns right now. Chemo tomorrow. Just a little nervous after everything else that has happened.
We have two cats too. Love them to death. They sleep with us at night and are such a comfort. They are kind of woosie though. They don't like the cold. We have been having temps in the 20's which is cold here.
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Rita, Enjoy your trip to Florida
Diane, Good luck tomorrow I know all will be fine.
Carol, You made it girl!! Isn't today your last day for this tx?? Tomorrow starts your chemo holiday! One down!!
Cathy
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Cathy, wow, I cannot believe that you know/care about my chemo "holiday". Your absolutely right, today was the end of round one. Oh my god, I have been thrilled as to how good I have felt. Once I got the constipation thing under control, I felt like a new woman!!! My biggest side effect to this point would be a dry mouth during the middle of the night. I've been swishing with biotene, but still wake up with a mouth that feels like I was chewing on a sock. Then I drink more water, then I have to pee, and around we go again. Don't get me wrong, if that is my biggest concern, I can certainly tolerate that
! Thanks for the encouragement!!!!DianeB, hope that you got some good info today about your txt. If you have any questions, fire away, I sure hope that this txt works well for you. With what you have been through to this point, I'm sure thinking you'll do just fine. What a bummer to have had to lose your hair, hopefully it will begin growing back soon. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow, and sending all the positive vibes I can. You hang in there gal,
Carol
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Rita, have fun in Florida
Harley, I have a cute cat..her name is Sweetie-Lizzie
Carol, yeah!!! one down...you go girl!!
Jill, how are you doing?
Diane, good luck
Cathy, good to see you.
Have a great night!!
Hugs and prayers,
Candie
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Hi gals...just a quick pop in to tell everyone hello and see how you are all doing.
Carol...Go get 'em gal! See, I told you it was doable! I hope that #2 is just as kind to you. I think you've gone the extra mile to do all you can to ensure good results! Thinking of you as you tackle it!
Good luck to you, too, Diane as you tackle another chemo today. Let us know how it goes. And speaking of how things are going....where are you Jill and how are you doing?
Candie and Cathy..always so good to read your posts. Hope all is going well for Harley, Ginny, and Melanie, too! I'm packing today and heading south tomorrow for a week in the Florida sun! I can't wait to get out of this cold and snowy Illinois.
If I don't get back before I leave, have a good week.
Rita
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To everyone who is doing the CMF now, HI! Hope you are doing well...
YOU CAN DO IT!!Candie,
Oh, I bet your cat is as sweet as her name! My cats have been a tremendous comfort to me, while I was alone, going through tx without my dh. He was in the Navy, and is now retired.
Melanie & Ginny, hope you are doing well...
Rita,
Have a great time in Florida!! I won't be going on the cruise until Feb. 9th... We leave for Florida on Feb. 8th, and I can't wait!!
Hugs
Harley
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Hi All,
Thanks for asking, yes, I am doing well. This divorce stuff is worse tha CMF any day.
I have some tamox. s/e but generally doing well.
I too, will be flying down to Fla. in Feb. I am cruising on Princess with my kids, parents and my grandmother. Cruises are so wonderful. Where else can so many generations all enjoy themselves in the same place? I can't wait!!
March I'll have a hysterectomy and put the finishing touches on the new boobs!
Hang in there new CMFers. You'll be fine! You can do it!!! we did.
-melanie
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Hi All--
Just dropping in to say hello and I am so jealous of all the cruisers/vacationers! Have a great time!!! We are scheduled for Hawaii in 28 days (but who is counting?) to celebrate my finishing CMF.
Carol, so happy to hear one is down and the "movement' department is working!!
Jill--how are you feeling?
Melanie--glad you are doing well.
Hi Diane! I did my entire CMF IV and while not fun, it was very do-able and you do get to the light at the end before you know it--one step at a time.
Good news to share--PET/CT scan was clear! I have jumped on the Tamox train and buckled by seatbelt!
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Jane, oh yes, I would be jealous of a trip to Hawaii. Boy, you have a long flight from the east coast to the islands. Hoping to do something special ourselves when chemo and rads are done. I'm thinking if the next go around is as good as the last one we will keep a trip planned to Arizona in March, maybe just shorten it up a bit. I think by then I will need to warm my bones!!!!
Jill, you should be one week down, hope your doing well.
DianeB, I'll be looking for you on the Jan 08 post. I was thinking about you more than once today, I sure hope that you had no complication today.
Rita, have a great time warming your bones!!!!
Carol
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Melanie,
Have a wonderful time on the cruise! It's nice to go someplace warm!Jane,
Glad to hear that your PET scan was clear! YEAH!Have a great trip to Hawaii! and Congrats on finishing your CMF very soon!
Harley
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Hi all,
It's been awhile- Thanks for thinking of me.
Just been busy with work and things. Jane-I want to go to Hawaii!! Have been once and LOVE it. I'm jealous. YEAH on your scan!!!
Carol- When in March are you coming to AZ? Would love to get together.
Rita and Candie- Have a great time in Florida.
First txt SE's were very doable compared to first txt (TAC). Fatigue and slight nausea on Sunday and Monday but doing well. Talked to the nurse today and she said that day 10 is when the white blood cell count starts to drop and stay away from sick people to avoid cold, flu, fever. My onc had wanted my to get Neulasta, but I was able to talk him out of it. (had it the first time and VERY bad SE's). Cross our fingers that my (our) counts stay good.
DianeB- Welcome to the CMF club. Hope everything goes good for you. This txt is much easier.
Jill
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Hi All!
My first tx went well. So quick! I took my first cytoxan this morning and feel just a little lightheaded, no nausea yet. Can any of you ladies you are more than halfway done tell me how you're feeling. I have heard that after about halfway the fatigue starts to set in. Hope that all of you are feeling well.
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Jill, we usually go to Arizona during the kids spring break time. This year we are not planning on taking the kids, just hanging/golfing with some friends who will be in Mesa. We're looking at the last week of Mar/ first of April. I'll be on chemo holiday then. I'd love to get together, are you right in Phoenix or the outskirt?
My worst day was Sat with a Thurs infusion. It wasn't horrible, just a little bout of nausea late in the day. Nothing that laying down couldn't subside!
DianeB, glad to hear your doing good. I took a nausea pill each day first thing, seemed to do the trick. How many mg's are you taking each day? I had to take 150mg on the 14 day schedule so maybe the chances of any nausea or feeling just plain yucky for you would be less if your dose is smaller, hoping for the best! Keep the constipation thing in check if you think its going to be a problem.
Carol
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Jane, I totally spaced your clean CT/PET!!!! Thats awesome news, lets hope for many/many/many more in the future. I'll be about 8 months behind you on the Tamo wagon, I'll be picking your brain again about that too!!!
Carol
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Wow! All these warm vacations sound great. It is once again rainy here in the northwest and they are mentioning snow. That is a dreaded word around here with all our hills. It sounds like everyone is doing great. My only real side effect is feeling tired in the middle of the day, so I take a nap. Wouldn't you know, that's when the phone rings three or four times.
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Diane, so glad to hear your doing so much better. You had your share of problems and I was really hoping that you would be as "lucky" as me with this regimen. Are you drinking a ton of H2O?
I took the day off from work today, kinda glad since the road are covered with snow, my son was hyped to hear there was no school today. Stay warm, looks like more snow coming tonight!!!
See you on the Jan site as well.
Jill, still doing alright? I asked about the Neulasta shot as well since I had heard so much about it on another post, my onc said that there would be no need for it as long as my counts recoup. Hoping the body is creating white cell as we speak!!!
Did any of you ladies who did the CMF have to get the "nasty" Neulasta shots?
Carol
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Do all of you feel really tired? I need to take a nap mid afternoon and I am tired again my 7:30. I can't imagine what this will be like by week 24!
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